《Heavy Object》


 Volume 1, Prologue

    Volume 1, Prologue


    In the end, war did not end.


    Even in an age where development had reached every corner of the planet Earth, high output lasers could easily launch shuttles, and some of the most powerful people had villas on the moon, it seemed nothing had been done to fill the gaps between people¡¯s hearts. Well, supplement companies that sold digitalized ¡°comfort¡± and ¡°spiritualism¡± were not uncommon, but even so, the basic mechanism that brought conflict between people could not be removed from their mentality.


    Was the change in the rules of war by the appearance of a new kind of weapon just another type of salvation for humanity? Or did it mean humanity had fallen even lower?


    Yes, there was a change.


    The people who were so immersed in their ridiculous killing changed as well.


    It was all thanks to the giant weapons known as Objects.


    Just the main body of these new weapons measured at over 50 meters while the guns added even more to their size. Their appearance caused the book on war to be completely rewritten. Large groups of soldiers no longer killed each other directly on the battlefield. Instead, the most important thing was to get the strongest Object to the battlefield in perfect condition.


    Tanks, fighters, and the other previous main players became weapons of a bygone era.


    Normal machine guns, shells, and missiles were treated like mere peashooters.


    That was simply how much more powerful the Objects were.


    When a certain island nation presented the first of those weapons, the rest of the world feared it and an allied force from 14 other countries carried out a combined surprise attack on the prototype Object... The Object repelled them all. At the end of the battle, a nuclear strike was carried out over the Pacific Ocean, but the scene of the Object continuing to sink the allied fleet while half of it was melting like ice under the hot sun was in every history textbook.


    That island nation remained at the leading edge of Object development and it was clear just how powerful of a presence the Objects were.


    Unsurprisingly, Objects became synonymous with war.


    So what about everyone else?

 Volume 1, 1: The Rank and File Soldiers that Tie Up Gulliver >> Battle on the Freezing Alaskan Snow

    Volume 1, Chapter 1: The Rank and File Soldiers that Tie Up Gulliver >> Battle on the Freezing Alaskan Snow


    Part 1


    In the end, war was nothing more than battles between Objects.


    A flesh and blood human carrying around a carefully-maintained rifle could do nothing.


    Even if tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of soldiers gathered or even if tons of tanks and fighters were prepared, that 50 meter monster would casually wipe them all out. Some of them could move around even after a direct hit from a nuke or two, so it seemed insane to seriously try to fight them.


    That was why everyone just left the main role to an Object.


    By shoving the pain-in-the-ass main role onto the monster, they could leisurely watch from the sidelines.


    That may have been why the 800 soldiers filling the base zone, a base that specialized in maintenance, were so relaxed despite being on the front line of a battlefield.


    The area was called a base, but all they had to do was efficiently maintain the Object and see that it was dispatched.


    The flesh and blood soldiers only had to guard the giant weapon as it was being maintained during the short time it was there and they would be rewarded as heroes who protected their country with no thought to their own lives.


    With the Object there, they were perfectly safe.


    The Object that protected them was like a tree that grew gold. Just by watching it, it would defeat enemy after enemy after enemy. The soldiers insisted that all that was the result of the entire base zone¡¯s work so they should all be rewarded, and so their bank accounts became overflowing with money paid from the people¡¯s taxes.


    In reality, the war was carried out by the Object alone.


    As long as it was there, their lives and futures were basically guaranteed.


    It was because they felt that way that a panic fell over all the soldiers watching from the base zone in the instant their Object burst into flames and blew up.


    In the current age, war was nothing more than battles between Objects.


    That meant that the defeat of one¡¯s own Object was always a possibility when the enemy also had an Object.


    The white Alaskan snow storm obstructed their view, but they could still clearly see the red flames and black smoke.


    The ejection device shot the pilot girl known as an Elite out into the sky, but no one was going to save a now-useless loser.


    More important things were on their minds.


    To reiterate, in the current age, war was nothing more than battles between Objects. Lining up tanks, fighters, and the other types of weapons used before would only be easily blown away by the 50 meter monsters that were Objects.


    Now that their own Object had been destroyed, the enemy¡¯s Object could move about freely.


    What that meant was simple.


    They would be massacred.


    The overwhelming stream of weapons fire would send their flesh, bones, and organs flying into the air in the hopeless and definite massacre.


    Nothing was left for them but to flee. Yet even if they unhesitatingly chose to flee, it would be a miracle if even a tenth of the soldiers within the base zone survived. Not a single one of them recalled the most basic of orders within the military ¨C to stand their ground and hold the line.


    A hellish game of tag began.


    It was a ridiculous game of tag between a monster over 50 meters long and tiny humans.


    Part 2


    One day prior, a boy named Quenser stood in a snowy area of Alaska. He was within the maintenance base zone for the giant Object. Quenser¡¯s build was different than what one would expect of a soldier. Simply put, he did not have the muscles a soldier needed. He looked more like someone who would be attending a school in a safe country. In fact, he could likely change what sex he appeared to be depending on if he was wearing pants or a skirt.


    In reality, that overall impression was not incorrect.


    The arms he was using to dig into the snow with a shovel were trembling due to exhaustion and myalgia.


    ¡°Dammit!! What¡¯s the point of this work!?¡±


    The person who made that announcement and gave up was the actual soldier who stood next to Quenser. Quenser looked surprised and the soldier boy he had met in the base zone threw his shovel down.


    ¡°There are all sorts of different types of soldiers. I''m normally a radar analyst that checked the specs of the enemy¡¯s Object to find a weakness. I didn¡¯t join the army to shovel snow!!¡±


    That intellectual soldier was named Heivia. As Quenser did not fit in well with the athletic-minded spirit of the army, he got along with the boy better than the others.


    (...Well, we are similar types.)


    With that arbitrary thought, Quenser spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any other option. All of the fighting is left to the Object, but the people living in peace back home wouldn¡¯t want to give up their tax money if they didn¡¯t see anyone working at all. I was watching the CS news channel and I saw Councilor Flide shouting about lowering taxes in order to get votes in the upcoming election.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the thing though,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Even the folks back home can tell that digging up the snow like this to maintain a runway is useless. Knowing it¡¯s just for show makes me want to do it even less.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a fighter isn¡¯t going to do anything against an Object. In the mock battle, it took out 1500 of them and I¡¯m pretty sure that in reality they just called it there because they were tired of counting.¡± Quenser stabbed the tip of his shovel into the ground and leaned on it with both hands. ¡°After all, Objects use anti-air lasers that are powered by a high-output reactor. Fighters may be able to fly at Mach 2 or 3, but they¡¯re no match for the speed of light. The instant the Object gets a lock, they¡¯re already shot down. I¡¯ve heard that the armored units they mention in history classes were saved by dust and dirt and other stuff near the surface refracting the lasers, but the high altitude that fighters excel in is so clear that there¡¯s nothing to obstruct the laser.¡±


    ¡°Those things are 50 meter monsters that can still move around after you nuke them. A fighter¡¯s nothing more than a small bird or gnat to them. Maintaining a runway is a waste of effort.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard that the aces from the aviation unit only stay on standby in their cockpits so they can listen to the radio. But I doubt the tanks from those armored units would be of much use either. ...And about leveling off this runway. Couldn¡¯t they just put a giant shovel on the front of an armored vehicle and plow it all out of the way in one go?¡±


    ¡°...What the hell are we doing...?¡±


    ¡°Well, I still prefer this to having to fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a very soldierly thing to say, but I¡¯ve gotta agree with you,¡± said the delinquent soldier Heivia in agreement with the boy of civilian origin. ¡°We can just leave the fighting to the Objects. Losing your life on the battlefield just isn¡¯t done anymore. We just have to watch from afar and wait for the Object to bring back its success as a souvenir. People like us fighting is just out of the question.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a noble, right, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, so I have to go out here and ¡®become an honored soldier¡¯ in order to prove my worthiness to become the next head of my family. Basically, if I put up with life in a base for 3 years, I can spend the rest of my life in a giant mansion flirting with my many maids.¡±


    Contrary to his words, Heivia did not look pleased.


    He seemed to not be entirely satisfied with that peaceful life.


    ¡°It sounds like you have it tough in your own way.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Unlike you, Heivia, I¡¯m a commoner. I have to make sure I can get a job. That¡¯s why I came here as a battlefield student.¡±


    ¡°Are you hoping to be an Object designer?¡±


    ¡°Learning at the actual site is said to be the quickest course to wealth. If I stay here for 3 years, I¡¯ll have gained the best education you can get. Then I can gain money and the privileges of being a ¡®saint that helps the heroes¡¯ by manufacturing and selling Objects for those heroes to pilot.¡±


    ¡°Successful battlefield students are so highly praised because of all the barriers in their way. Since they don¡¯t undergo the training of a soldier, I hear they start dropping like flies due to battlefield sicknesses and overwork. Hearing that does manage to remind me that this is indeed a battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of that, did you undergo training, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I went through the old style of training when I enlisted. It seems they wanted to build up a foundation of muscles and a spirit of camaraderie over a 5 month period, but I ended up like this regardless. Since I haven¡¯t been in a single real battle since being assigned here, even my hand-to-hand combat skills have probably grown pretty rusty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m perfectly happy living the kind of life that leads to forgetting how to fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a very soldierly thing to say, but once again, I¡¯ve gotta agree with you.¡± Growing tired of that subject, Heivia moved on to another. ¡°These nutritionally balanced military rations are just plain disgusting. What were the people who developed them thinking? ...It¡¯s more expensive than normal meat but tastes a whole lot worse. I just can¡¯t stand it.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they purposefully making it something with no flavor so the soldiers¡¯ spirits don¡¯t change based on whether they like the food for that day or not? People have different tastes when it comes to food, so they can¡¯t make something absolutely everyone will like.¡±


    ¡°So they feed us something absolutely everyone will hate? Fuck that!¡±


    ¡°The food is paid for by the other people¡¯s tax money, so you really shouldn¡¯t complain. I will admit that capturing a deer and grilling it with some salt would be better though.¡±


    Quenser had made the comment offhand, but it made Heivia freeze in place for some reason.


    He turned eyes of pure admiration toward Quenser.


    ¡°...That¡¯s a battlefield student for you. You really are a genius.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. If we don¡¯t have any good food, we just need to go catch it ourselves.¡±


    Part 3


    And so Heivia threw aside his shovel, grabbed his military rifle, and headed outside the base zone. A conifer forest that seemed to jut out of the white snow surrounded the area. It was an area of nature that seemed like it would have more wild animals than they could ever want.


    Quenser had been dragged along, but he put down the rifle Heivia had shoved into his arms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. The superiors will come after us if they find out. I can already hear them going on about lacking a love for animals or something.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, I know you¡¯d rather have some juicy meat over those rations that taste like petroleum jelly. And I don¡¯t understand why they praise you if you shoot an enemy soldier, but they get mad if you shoot an animal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because bullets aren¡¯t free. They used the tax money to buy them in order to kill enemy soldiers, so I¡¯m betting they just don¡¯t want us wasting them,¡± explained Quenser, but Heivia was not listening.


    He was heading deeper and deeper into the thick forest, following deer tracks in the snow.


    (...I¡¯m not going along with this.)


    Quenser picked back up his rifle and sat on a nearby stone.


    He looked back toward the maintenance base zone.


    However, he was not looking at a line of thick reinforced concrete buildings. The base zone Quenser belonged to was a mobile base, so it was made up of a large collection of vehicles. These base vehicles were much larger than even large trailer trucks. The soldiers¡¯ quarters, the radar control tower, and everything else were located onboard those large vehicles. Even the Object maintenance area was put together by lining up several giant trucks that were dozens of meters long.


    That was yet another aspect of the rules of war that Objects had changed.


    Rather than fortifying a single defensive position, it was more militarily important to be able to swiftly get the Object to any place it needed to be.


    Quenser thought as he stared at that base of the new age.


    (My superiors with their military decorations are sitting in a warm room sipping coffee as they wait for the Object to return.)


    However, holding a grudge was not going to lessen the Alaskan chill and Heivia was right about Quenser being tired of the bland and tasteless rations.


    Quenser dug through the pocket of his military uniform that he was still not used to wearing. He pulled out the survival kit he had been issued along with the knife he did not know how to use. The kit had everything needed to treat wounds as well as tools to start a fire or catch a fish.


    (In an age where Objects deal with everything, even this is a waste of taxes.)


    When stored, the fishing pole was only about as long as a ballpoint pen, but when extended, it was around 50 centimeters and looked like the kind of pole that would be used to catch wakasagi. However, it was made of a military carbon something-or-other so its strength and flexibility were exceptional. Instead of bait, the kit had a few different types of lures. It seemed they had tried to find a way to allow one to fish without wasting any bait.


    Quenser walked around for a bit and found a meandering stream. He broke the ice covering the surface and let the fishing line hang down into the water.


    ¡°Ahh, today sure is a peaceful day,¡± he muttered despite being on the front line of a battlefield.


    Part 4


    However, an amateur student could not properly use a survival kit so easily. It was unclear if Quenser would even have been able to catch a fish with a proper fishing pole, so it was no surprise when he did not catch anything no matter how long he waited.


    He heard intermittent gunfire in the distance.


    Of course, it was not enemy soldiers drawing near; it was Heivia chasing deer in hopes of getting one for dinner that night. In that day and age, the idea of flesh-and-blood soldiers attacking a maintenance base zone that held a giant Object was unthinkable. It was like trying to destroy the wall of a nuclear shelter by tackling it.


    Just as Quenser was thinking that, he heard crunching footsteps in the snow.


    ¡°What is going on?¡±


    He spun around and saw a girl with a puzzled look on her face. The girl looked to be around 14 and looked even less suited for the army than a battlefield student like Quenser.


    She had fluffy blonde hair that reached her shoulders and white skin. Rather than a pure blue, her eyes were a light sky blue and she seemed to be staring off into the distance so it was difficult to get a grasp on her emotions.


    The delicate lines of her body went beyond merely slender.


    Her question seemed to have been in regards to the distant gunshots rather than to Quenser himself.


    Quenser gave a blunt response.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a barbecue tonight. I¡¯m in charge of the salmon and Heivia¡¯s in charge of the deer. I may have been the one to bring it up, but I don¡¯t even know if deer meat is any good. I¡¯ve never had it before, so I¡¯m a little unsure. I just hope it doesn¡¯t taste too strange.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯ll come to an early death if you have a barbecue with no vegetables.¡±


    The girl gave a sigh with the expression of someone who had opened a box and found something uninteresting inside.


    Quenser looked away from the fishing pole that showed no sign of a bite no matter how long he waited.


    ¡°Where are you headed, princess?¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to provoke me?¡±


    The girl¡¯s expression usually remained relatively unchanged, but she looked slightly offended there.


    However, Quenser and the girl were barely acquainted and he was unsure what to say. She had likely only spoken up on a whim. He doubted any situation would come up where he would need to communicate with that girl.


    After all, she was an Elite, a pilot of the giant weapons known as Objects.


    While he had helped out at the Alaskan maintenance area, he had exchanged simple greetings with her, but he doubted that was enough to create any kind of friendship. Their positions were simply too far apart. He was a dime a dozen student and she held a position that very few had even within a single nation.


    Unlike Quenser and the others, she wore an outfit exclusive to Elite pilots. The suit was rather difficult to describe. It was clearly different from a normal military uniform. It was a mainly indigo blue skintight suit that started at her neck and covered even her hands and feet. The boots and gloves seemed to be detachable and they were connected on with fasteners.


    Over that, she wore a black armored vest to protect her torso and a type of pocket that spread out like a miniskirt. Apparently, the bottom of the vest and the top of the pocket attached when she was piloting the Object. In what may have been a military tradition, the neck of her suit had a sailor uniform collar attached that somehow looked like part of a school uniform from a safe country.


    The suit was highly water resistant so it could be worn while working underwater and it would even stop blood from flowing to her lower body to preserve the functionality of her brain just like air force suits did. The special suit was very Object-like in the fact that it outdid each of the previously existing branches of the military.


    Quenser recalled being surprised when he had first seen her light sky blue eyes in the maintenance area. At first he had thought they were truly glowing, but he had been wrong. When piloting the Object, weak infrared rays were used to allow even the movements of her eyes to act as an input device. Long exposure to that laser had lightened the original blue color of her eyes.


    That lightening was not an unwanted destruction of the functionality of her pupils¡¯ lenses by the laser. Instead, it was an advancement allowing the laser to be even more effective, so her eyes would not grow any lighter once they reached a certain point.


    The girl turned those light-colored eyes that were the sign of an Elite toward Quenser and spoke.


    ¡°The Object is being serviced. I had nothing to do, so I was wandering around outside. That was when I heard what sounded like gunfire.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, crap. You could hear that back at the base? We probably have a lecture waiting for us then.¡±


    ¡°And the old lady chief was yelling something about ¡®that stupid kid¡¯ running off and wasting a perfect chance to learn something since the Object was undergoing maintenance.¡±


    ¡°Oh, crap! This is worse than I thought!!¡±


    He started running back toward the base zone, but then...


    ¡°...No, wait. Even if I run back now, I¡¯m still going to get that lecture, so my options here are really to get yelled at empty handed or to get yelled at after catching some salmon. ...I see, I see. I¡¯m not going back until I catch at least one even if I die first.¡±


    ¡°If you acted more maturely and did not do things like that, they would not get mad at you so often.¡±


    Quenser returned to the fishing pole mostly out of escapism and the girl looked at him with a shocked look in her eyes. Either she truly had nothing better to do or she was not used to someone who was not a proper soldier (to the soldiers, piloting the Object was a matter of life or death, so they tried to keep their distance from the Elite girl to make sure nothing unexpected happened) because she continued to hang around. This was unlike when he helped out with the maintenance because then they would only exchange a few businesslike words.


    (...Could it be that this princess is also tired of the rations, so she¡¯s interested in the salmon?)


    Quenser did not dare speak that thought aloud because he was sure it would make her most displeased.


    He continued trying to come up with something to talk about, but the girl continued speaking before he could come up with anything.


    ¡°You came here to study the Object, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If I can survive helping out with the maintenance here at the base for 3 years, nothing but success awaits me when I return home.¡±


    ¡°Why this base?¡± asked the girl curiously. ¡°You know what kind of Object I pilot at this base, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Composite Multi-Role Object. ...In other words, it can be freely used in any environment on the earth and in any weather conditions. It¡¯s the most standard type of the giant weapons. It¡¯s fine on land or in the sea.¡±


    ¡°Standard is another way of saying old-fashioned.¡± The girl sighed. ¡°The second generation Objects are not so greedy as to claim to work anywhere. An Object developed to fight in the desert without any thought to fighting anywhere else will outdo a normal Object in a desert battle.¡±


    That was a theory that had started to gradually spread throughout the Object manufacturing industry.


    When the first Objects had started appearing on the battlefield, a composite Object that could fight the same in any battlefield in the world was a king of beasts with no natural enemy. However, when multiple Objects started popping up in the various battlefields across the globe, the situation had changed.


    A composite model that could be freely used anywhere had no real weaknesses. However, this also meant that it had no real strengths. When the situation had changed from an Object crushing normal weapons to an Object fighting an Object, the question of how to make one¡¯s own Object stand above the rest came to the forefront.


    One suggested answer to that question was to create an Object that had definite strengths even if that would destroy the even balance of its functionality. Afterwards, that Object would have its activities kept to the environment it excelled in, giving it an advantage over other Objects when it fought.


    ¡°Here in Alaska is the same. We have a normal Object with no disadvantages and they have an optimized Object with definite strengths. In this snowy area, my Object may not be able to win.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯ve continued to use that Object, right, princess?¡±


    ¡°...I have no choice,¡± the girl known as an Elite said with some hesitation.


    All the previous giant 50 meter weapons had become ¡°old generation models¡± due to the latest weapons, but not just anyone could become an Elite that piloted those Objects.


    They were the people who met every desired condition under a search carried out using the army¡¯s flowchart of conditions.


    Also, a human only became a terminal that controlled an Object after they had abilities developed that easily overcame those of your standard genius by having their nature artificially honed, refined, and improved by chemical and electrical means to match an individual Object.


    Once an Elite was developed so utterly, their fate was linked with that of their Object.


    Elites could not pilot just any Object. They could only pilot the Object they had been fine-tuned for. In fact, it might not be wrong to think of an Elite as someone who had their brain fine-tuned for a specific Object.


    Elites could only pilot the Object developed for them or an Object further developed from the one that used the same tree diagram.


    In that case, what would it mean if the type of Object you used was becoming obsolete?


    ¡°I might not be able to win,¡± the Elite girl who piloted the invincible Object said suddenly. ¡°I might not be able to keep up.¡±


    That girl had had her brain fine-tuned for the sole purpose of piloting that Object.


    ¡°As someone who has actually worked on the maintenance of the Object rather than just believing in it, you should know. So why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°Because I value things differently,¡± responded Quenser after thinking for a bit. ¡°Only the soldiers get so obsessed over what is strong and what is weak. I¡¯m a student. If I don¡¯t stay with an Object with academic value, I won¡¯t gain the knowledge and skills I need.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°If I learn about a standard, basic model, I can use that knowledge anywhere. On the other hand, if I study a model that has already been optimized in one direction, I can¡¯t use that knowledge anywhere else. For a battlefield student, your Object is the best option.¡±


    His opinion did not take any of the serious issues like winning the war into account, but he could say that kind of thing because he was not a soldier.


    ¡°If you try for too much on the battlefield, you will not live long.¡±


    ¡°True, and that¡¯s why battlefield students have such a low survival rate. But I¡¯m butting in here on the battlefield in the hopes of getting rich quick, so I won¡¯t complain.¡±


    Hearing Quenser say that, the girl who was a veteran of many battles tilted her head in puzzlement like a normal girl.


    ¡°So you¡¯re prepared.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, I hate working slowly through normal schoolwork, so I¡¯m desperate for this chance to skip ahead. I need to be prepared for whatever it takes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said the Elite in a reaction that gave the impression that she was a little slow.


    And then...


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    This time Quenser was left staring at her in puzzlement. However, it seemed the girl had no intention of continuing the conversation. She turned around and left that forested area of Alaska, leaving the boy with his rifle and fishing pole.


    In real life, people often did not think back on strange things that happened.


    In just such an example, the reason that Elite girl had spoken to him like that was something Quenser probably should have thought back on a little more.


    After all, Objects were synonymous with war and flesh-and-blood soldiers had no value.


    However, that also meant that just thinking about it may have been pointless.


    Part 5


    As expected, they received a lecture.


    The two idiots named Quenser and Heivia were dragged to the barracks for the distinguished commissioned officers. Just like everything else, those barracks were inside the large vehicles making up the base. Three vehicles were bolted together alongside each other, creating a rectangular building about the size of a four-story building. Of course, the vehicles could be separated at any time in order to fit on a narrow path.


    Quenser and Heivia were within the topmost fourth floor area of the officer barracks.


    (Damn Japan-obsessed bourgeois.)


    It was not simply due to the splendid interior decoration of the room that the two of them had that same thought in unison. It had a lot more to do with the fact that they were being forced to sit in the Japanese seiza style on the hard floor.


    Meanwhile, their superior officer, Froleytia, was not sitting on the hard floor. The inner half of the room was raised up higher than the rest and had tatami mats laid out on it. She was sitting in front of a short-legged desk in the middle of the tatami mats. She was seated upon a zabuton cushion so soft a cat would likely never get up again once it lay down on it.


    She was a beautiful woman with long silver hair.


    Her hair may have been slightly dyed because the silver was tinged slightly blue.


    She was tall, she was slender, and she had large breasts that greatly pushed out her uniform. The legs wrapped in black stockings that stretched down from the tight skirt of a female officer were not simply slender. They were overflowing with a streamlined beauty that somehow drew the eye. Her palely colored lips held a pipe. It was not the short, thick type of pipe loved by European detectives. Instead, it was a long, narrow Japanese kiseru that was just under 30 cm long.


    Quenser did not know if it was from the type of tobacco she was smoking or if it was a scent mixed in with her hair, but he could faintly smell sweet aroma.


    ¡°...You know why you were called here, correct?¡±


    Her words were colder than the snowy plains outside the window when they stabbed into Quenser and Heivia¡¯s ears.


    They of course knew perfectly well why they had been called there.


    They had left their snow shoveling duties to search for food outside the maintenance base zone. Since Heivia had also been firing his military rifle all over the place, it would have been odd if she had not been mad at them. It was on a level where they could easily be thrown in the detention barracks or possibly even court martialed.


    ¡°(...What are we going to do, Heivia!? This is why I told you to stop!! This was all about the rations, but I¡¯d rather eat nothing but snow for the next three days than this!!)¡±


    ¡°(...Shut up, dammit!! God damn, is she really only 18? I know normal soldiers aren¡¯t needed on the battlefield in this day and age, but I bet she could take on an Object with nothing but a clenched fist!)¡±


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia!¡±


    Just by having their names called, the two straightened up in shock. Froleytia was not even looking in their direction. She was playing with a long, narrow hairpin about 20 cm long that was modeled after a Japanese kanzashi while running a pen-like object across a board on top of her desk.


    The board was known as a tablet.


    Quenser had thought the devices were normally used to draw using a computer, but...


    ¡°Does this interest you, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!!¡±


    ¡°It may not be on the same level as you two who spend all your time searching for food, but I am quite busy. It may seem like nothing compared to you desperately burying the meat and fish you caught in the snow so it would keep, but I have to remotely command an operation on a small island in the Pacific while remaining here in this Alaskan base zone.¡±


    ¡°U-umm...¡±


    Quenser moved only his eyes to look at the wall to the side. The entire wall was a giant LCD monitor and it was displaying a large map of the ocean and some islands. V-like red checkmarks continued appearing in relation to how Froleytia manipulated the tablet.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s actually quite simple. I make marks on this board and the giant Object on standby there fires a long distance bombardment that blows away the bases of the guerrillas. It really is simple, isn¡¯t it? Please tell me you think so,¡± Froleytia said nonchalantly as she continued adding more checkmarks. ¡°Tablets really are nice. For one thing, it seems it can read the intensity of my guts from how hard I press down it as I write. I get the feeling that the long distance operation today is going especially smoothly.¡±


    She must have actually been quite angry as she gave her commands because a creaking noise was coming from the plastic pen-shaped tool she held.


    When they imagined the bits of flesh flying through the air somewhere in the world each time she made a checkmark, Quenser and Heivia started trembling.


    ¡°As I was saying, I am quite busy commanding multiple base zones and units at once, but then some idiots decided to give me even more to deal with. ...By the way, can you imagine what is going on within my heart right now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!! I would very much rather not envision it though! I can tell that you are quite pissed, Froleytia!!¡±


    ¡°Good. I am glad I have such excellent subordinates. I do, don¡¯t I? Nod if you agree,¡± Froleytia said, finally looking in their direction with a sadistic smile.


    After she had finished giving her orders to the units in the Pacific and had checked that the operation was complete, her expression suddenly changed to a carefree one.


    ¡°So what did you manage to get? I¡¯ve had just about enough of those giant edible erasers they call rations.¡±


    Part 6


    Ultimately, the issue ended such that dinner that night sounded like it would be quite nice (Quenser and Heivia still had to run 20 km in the snow later as punishment though), but there was still some time before mealtime.


    ¡°You mean that hellish run is starting now!?¡± said Quenser as he braced himself for the announcement, but Froleytia shook her head.


    ¡°You are a battlefield student. If I don¡¯t send you over to the maintenance area to study the Object, I think the old lady in charge there would end up yelling at me.¡±


    ¡°Uuh!? I forgot I¡¯d skipped out on that, too!! That means I¡¯m also going to get a lecture from the old lady who can outdo even you!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, and Heivia, you can continue shoveling snow on your own. Make sure that runway is useable by sunset. The air unit has been complaining.¡±


    ¡°Noo!! That sounds worse than the 20 kilometer dash!! And why doesn¡¯t the air unit get off their asses and help!?¡±


    And so Quenser parted ways with Heivia and headed for the Object maintenance area.


    It was a giant building that completely enveloped the giant weapon that was over 50 meters long. Just like the officer barracks, it too was created from several vehicles linked together.


    Vehicles with flat beds 15 meters long and 10 meters across were lined up on both sides and two quickly constructed walls had been set up with a roof connecting them. Overall, it looked something like a cross section of a warehouse. The large maintenance area was constructed of a few of those linked together.


    In addition to the standard shutters, the maintenance area also had an emergency means of letting the Object out. The base vehicles making up the maintenance area were linked together surrounding the Object, so they would instead break apart and move away from the Object when it needed to leave. Since that method destroyed the floor of the area, it was not normally used.


    Quenser entered the giant building through a small back entrance for maintenance soldiers.


    The giant 50 meter Object that was a symbol of military might was an overwhelming sight.


    Surrounding the reactor at its center was a thick wall like one for a nuclear shelter. The wall created a sphere-like form. Its undercarriage was in a reverse Y-shape and it did not walk or roll on wheels like a normal vehicle. Instead, it used static electricity to float just a bit off the ground. The theory behind it was completely different, but its movements made it look a bit like the ground beneath it was moving to slide it along.


    Of course, merely covering the ground with static electricity was not enough to make such a large construction float. A spray that acted as a repellent to the electrified Object was sprayed on the ground as it advanced.


    It used a laser as a means of propulsion.


    The power of static electricity created a small gap between the Object and the ground and the air in that gap was heated up by repeatedly firing a laser that was reflected and concentrated. This heating caused the air to explosively expand which provided propulsion. It was the same theory used in the laser launch pads for shuttles.


    Its main pieces of military equipment were the 7 arms stretching from the back of the sphere.


    The 7 giant guns attached to them could pierce through even Objects of the same rank.


    It also had about 100 other gun batteries covering the surface of the sphere. It looked less like an optimized weapon and more like a strange weapon that had every piece of weaponry its creator could think of stuck on.


    In modern times, it was the cornerstone of the military.


    It was the cutting edge in the history of war.


    It was an Object.


    Over 200 thick wires similar to the ones used on cranes were connected to the walls and ceiling, anchoring its giant form in place. Countless walkways ran through the air and many maintenance soldiers wearing work clothes were immersed in various types of work.


    Suddenly, the high-pitched sound of a wrench striking a metal railing echoed throughout the area.


    Quenser looked up in surprise and saw an old lady yelling at him from a third-floor passageway.


    ¡°So you¡¯re here, boy! You should thank me! I¡¯m willing to take any help I can get, so I¡¯ll even use an unrefined boy like you! Grab some tools and get on up here!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late!! About my punishment...!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I don¡¯t mind. A maintenance soldier shows his worth with his results!!¡±


    Hearing that, Quenser headed for the third floor using a simple stairway that could detach at the press of a button.


    ¡°(...Ohh. Thank goodness she¡¯s an understanding old lady. And here I thought I needed to be afraid of her.)¡±


    ¡°(...Well, if he ends up not being of any use I can stuff him inside an empty drum and hit it with a metal bat from the outside.)¡±


    As they muttered their respective comments such that the other could not hear, the two of them started their work on the third-floor passageway.


    The old lady was working on something related to the system.


    The Object¡¯s cockpit (and emergency escape hatch) was located on the upper back part of the main spherical body. No one wanted to think about it, but the piloting Elite would be ejected in an upwards diagonal trajectory from the back in case of an emergency.


    Currently, dozens of barriers were opened to create a route to the center of the sphere and the light from the cockpit¡¯s monitors could be seen shining deep within like it was the opening to a tunnel. The tunnel was not simply a path to the cockpit. It also branched off to connect to various other places such as the maintenance room for the reactor, the thick double-layer door where additional fuel was added, or the room to exchange the attached box in which exhaust gases were compressed and sealed. It was reminiscent of a subway tunnel made of barriers and switching rails.


    Meanwhile, the old lady was leaning back against a railing near that tunnel and looking at a handheld device.


    ¡°That connects directly with the Object¡¯s system wirelessly, right? If you don¡¯t need a long cable to connect it, is there really any need to open all the barriers down to the cockpit...?¡±


    ¡°You idiot. The Object¡¯s barrier walls cut off electromagnetic signals. If they didn¡¯t, an enemy Object could mess with the system mid-battle.¡±


    Suddenly, a bluish-white flash of light surged up in the corner of their vision, so they both fell silent. A welder was working on the Object¡¯s armor.


    The main body of the Object alone was over 50 meters, but it was not made by pouring melted steel into a ridiculously huge mold. Steel sheets about the size of a curved tatami mat were prepared and dozens, hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of them were put together to create the giant sphere.


    The point of the many thin sheets was to disperse and distribute an impact rather than provide the defensive power of a thick wall. The theory was similar to that of a simple bulletproof vest, but it used so many steel sheets that it could even hold back the shockwave of a nuclear strike.


    ¡°It¡¯s called onion armor, right? Not only is it tough, but pieces can be easily switched out when an enemy Object damages it. Whoever came up with the idea deserves a Nobel Prize.¡±


    ¡°It may sound simple, but each individual sheet of armor is custom made and tempered by a skilled artisan like a Japanese sword.¡±


    ¡°The heated steel has a few milligrams of a powdered fireproofing agent added in, right? From what I¡¯ve heard, that makes it stronger, but makes the metal difficult to reuse.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the skilled hands of the artisans. A machine just can¡¯t get the distribution right, so it ends up actually being more brittle.¡±


    Quenser and the old lady looked down from the passageway just as a forklift carrying spare curved steel sheets passed by below. The forklift had ¡°A beautiful victory for Princess Milinda!!¡± written on the side in large English letters.


    (That¡¯s the princess from before.)


    As Quenser had that thought, the old lady continued to speak beside him.


    ¡°Personally, I was more surprised by the mechanism with which electricity is supplied from the reactor in the center out even to the laser cannons on the outer surface without using a single cable.¡±


    ¡°It uses a printed circuit board-style of power supply, right? By setting insulating material and conductive material in place and burning them onto the steel plates, power can be supplied without having to lower its defenses by opening holes in the armor for cables. The person that came up with that deserves a Nobel Prize, too.¡±


    ¡°Really, boy. You make it sound like everything is so easily made.¡±


    The old lady slowly shook her head. At the same time, she carried out maintenance on the Object¡¯s software with quick motions of her wrinkled fingers over the handheld device.


    As she continued to work, she asked Quenser a question.


    ¡°So you¡¯re hoping to be a weapon engineer?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Oh, about me wanting to be an Object designer. Well, for a commoner like me, I was thinking that would be the best position to get a wealthy life out of. As far as money and social status go, it easily outdoes some of the lower classes of nobles.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t gonna get a proper life out of being a wealthy merchant. ...Well, it¡¯s your life, boy, so I won¡¯t stop you. So what are you thinking of making your field of expertise as a weapon engineer?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping to go with the total frame.¡±


    ¡°You idiot. No newcomer in the making is going to get a job putting together an entire Object. That¡¯s like saying your dream for the future is to become a billionaire. It¡¯s just too vague. Don¡¯t students like you usually start by studying the something convenient like the replicant field in order get a job with a defense contractor and then learn the more complex things there?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m not too fond of the whole replicant thing.¡± The idea must have brought something to mind, because Quenser made an unpleasant expression. ¡°That¡¯s the field that comes up with new ways for machines to move based on the movements of insects and other animals, and I don¡¯t like spiders and roaches and things like that. Although you basically just observe bugs, so I¡¯ll admit the research for that field is pretty cheap.¡±


    ¡°You coward. You¡¯re the one that¡¯ll be crying later because you failed to build up the basics.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to study an Object with standard features like the princess¡¯s as a battlefield student in order to quickly learn those basics without having to go through all that other crap.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think the leaders of the home country built zoos and insect museums in all the major cities? They¡¯ve spent the people¡¯s taxes in order to supply inspiration to the promising youths who are trying to design Objects.¡±


    The old lady sighed.


    Quenser then looked over toward the entrance to the tunnel-like route leading to the cockpit.


    ¡°Speaking of promising youths, isn¡¯t it about time for the pilot...or rather, the Elite selection scouting? When I was at school in the safe country, government officials dressed all in black would come loiter around the school.¡±


    ¡°They have to do it four times a year, but they probably won¡¯t find anyone qualified this time either.¡±


    ¡°Elites have to conform to something called Element, right? What is that?¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s a general term for the conditions an Object pilot must meet.¡± The old lady¡¯s fingers stopped moving along the handheld device and her tone grew a bit colder. ¡°That said, it isn¡¯t some kind of esper power that allows them to operate the special equipment. Well, it¡¯s true there is an aspect to it that they are naturally born with, but the Elites are a military project to thoroughly refine natural talent using even things like electric stimuli and suggestions. With that method of creating them, the biggest impediment comes from human rights issues rather than a lack of money or equipment.¡±


    ¡°You mean...?¡±


    ¡°Those who qualify have their human rights completely ignored, but no one complains and even the Elites themselves truly wish to fight for their country even after having been developed like that. People that meet those conditions are not exactly common. ...The Elites being raised will be piloting the ultimate weapons and it would be a problem if they turned their weapons on their home country.¡±


    They heard a mechanical noise and the old lady added in a whisper, ¡°Don¡¯t speak with her.¡±


    A seat exited from the tunnel-like route using the cockpit elevator. The Elite princess was sitting in the seat with her upper body strapped in with an H-shaped belt.


    ¡°So you¡¯re finally here, sleepyhead.¡±


    ¡°I apologize. I have no excuse.¡±


    ¡°Here, boy, I have a job for you. Service the emergency ejection device. No one else¡¯ll do it because they say it¡¯s a bad omen.¡±


    In any age, that was the kind of job left to an amateur. The amateur would take care of the ill-omened, useless jobs while watching how the pros did their work out of the corner of his eye.


    Quenser circled around to the back of the chair the girl was sitting in and started working.


    ¡°Speaking of superstitions, is that why the Object is completely white? Or is it just camouflage for the snow?¡±


    ¡°At first, it was properly camouflaged to match its environment,¡± said the girl.


    ¡°But the king of beasts that has no natural enemies does not need to hide and paying for the paint got expensive, so now it¡¯s just white. ...Not to mention that something 50 meters long can¡¯t be hidden so easily,¡± added the old lady.


    ¡°Hehh. It¡¯s not the same as the replicant stuff we were talking about, but I heard rumors that there was a project to intimidate the enemy with patterns based on ferocious beasts or insects.¡±


    ¡°There was also a plan to create a terrible mode where it would continually make a horrible scraping noise from changing gears. Neither plan ever got anywhere.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°The enemy is not the only one that sees the Object. It would be pointless if it wore away at your allies¡¯ morale as well and they can¡¯t exactly show some horrible looking Object off to the citizens in a parade in a safe country.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± responded Quenser. ¡°Then what about that rapier hanging down from the ceiling on a rope?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a traditional good luck charm.¡±


    ¡°It ensures victory,¡± chimed in the girl.


    As he listened, Quenser continued moving his wrench.


    He heard a slight clicking noise and then the girl¡¯s head shook just as she was about to say more about the good luck charm. Quenser looked questioningly over from the back of the seat at the back of the girl¡¯s head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t breathe.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit! You idiot!! Don¡¯t mess with the setting of the belt!! You¡¯re constricting the princess!!¡±


    ¡°What!? Did I just do something really bad!?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t breathe,¡± the girl repeated.


    Quenser frantically grabbed the tool again, but he did not know what he had done to affect the belt.


    The old lady ran to the small work elevator.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find a knife!! Boy, you take care of the physical work! Pull on the belt to make a gap so the princess doesn¡¯t suffocate before I get back!!¡±


    As Quenser was still panicking, the old lady left.


    He quickly circled around to the front of the seat.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind... Just do something.¡±


    ¡°Okay!!¡±


    Quenser decided to do as the old lady had instructed and pull on the belt to keep the girl from suffocating.


    ...But the H-shaped belt was digging into her chest in such a way that it emphasized her breasts.


    ¡°Umm...¡±


    Quenser¡¯s fingers stiffened somewhat.


    To grab the belt, he would have to make a hook shape with his fingers and dig down under the belt, but that would require him to touch the bulges on the girl¡¯s chest.


    (Despite her childlike proportions, she has quite a bit there...)


    As useless thoughts like that raced through Quenser¡¯s mind, he heard the girl¡¯s quiet voice.


    ¡°...I¡¯m going to die.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    That was right. He could not hesitate in a situation like that.


    (I¡¯m saving someone¡¯s life here. This is serious. I screwed up. I need to make up for that. But those are her tits. No, no, that¡¯s not the issue here. I need to stay serious. If I don¡¯t hurry, her life is in danger. I need to save her. I need to do what I can for this princess. Tits!!)


    ¡°Ooohhhhhhh!!¡±


    Having finally prepared himself, Quenser reached out for the girl¡¯s chest with everything he had before his jumbled thoughts could weaken his resolve.


    ¡°Ee...!?¡±


    The princess gave a small shriek like that of a small animal and he stopped.


    (Not good. I just locked onto her tits rather than the belt, didn¡¯t I? I can¡¯t be grabbing her tits with an aroused look on my face that would make her feel her chastity was in danger. But what am I supposed to do? How can I save her without defiling her!?)


    ¡°E-emergency...measures...¡± said the princess as her face was growing paler and paler.


    ¡°What? Do you have some way out of this!?¡±


    ¡°Yes...but...¡±


    As she spoke, the girl pressed a button hidden under the seat.


    Immediately afterwards, the seat she was sitting in exploded.


    The H-shaped belt binding her was automatically severed and her small frame flew high into the air. However, Quenser was not able to just watch that. A mass of compressed air struck his body sending him flying a few meters away.


    He landed rolling on the walkway and he saw a large white flower out of the corner of his eye.


    It was the emergency escape parachute.


    Normally, the high speed elevator would take her from the cockpit to the outer surface, the entire seat would be launched into the air, and finally the compressed air emitter in the suit would activate as the third stage. However, she had only activated that final stage which had sent her flying up almost to the ceiling.


    (That ejection device really is a bad omen.)


    As he muttered that in his heart, Quenser heard a voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had to use that.¡±


    Part 7


    Once the sun had set, it was time for dinner.


    Instead of heading for the mess hall, Quenser headed out into the falling snow. He was having a barbecue that night. As he had caught the deer, Heivia was of course joining him, but it seemed their superior, Froleytia, would be there too because she claimed to just care about her subordinates that much.


    Everyone was bored since they left everything about the war to the Object. If they had offered, it seemed likely all 800 soldiers would have come along, but Froleytia decided it should remain a confidential matter between the three of them. After all, they only had a limited amount of meat.


    And so the three of them had their barbecue.


    They held their barbecue within the grounds of the maintenance base zone.


    The base zone was nothing more than a collection of large base vehicles and they had secretly gathered in a space surrounded by facilities on all sides so the winter wind would not blow on them too much. There, they built a fire and placed a metal sheet above it.


    Froleytia, the superior officer, had gotten there first and was warming her hands on the fire she had started. She may have been the one looking forward to the dinner the most.


    ¡°Even if I warm myself, the cold still permeates my body. I need to eat some fatty meat to warm myself from the inside.¡±


    Quenser glanced at Froleytia¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t stockings warmer than bare legs?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to shove them over your head so you can find out, Quenser? These are just for my appearance. They give nothing but peace of mind. Do you choose your socks based on what will keep out the cold best? I¡¯m jealous of you guys that get to wear pants year-round,¡± said the woman in the tight skirt before turning to Heivia. ¡°Good work, Heivia. Thanks to you, the runway can be used to take off from at any time. I¡¯m sure that the STOL group from the air unit will thank you as well.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh. It was nothing.¡±


    ¡°But really the air unit is completely unnecessary. Those cowards removed all the weapons from their own planes, claiming it was to improve agility and stealth functionality. Really, they¡¯re just afraid of having the enemy decide to shoot them down because they see them as a threat. They brazenly claim to specialize in reconnaissance, but almost all of the information on enemy Objects is brought back from the princess¡¯s actual battles.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!! I had a vague idea that what I was doing was useless, but it really pisses me off to have someone else say it!! And given the condition out here, the snow¡¯ll probably all be back by morning!!¡±


    ¡°Well, the age of fighters started going on the decline as far back as when chemical oxygen iodine lasers started being put on bombers. ...The units were simply too big to fit on a small fighter. Once light came into play, being able to fly at the speed of sound didn¡¯t matter so much. And then Objects came along. They have all sorts of different kinds of lasers. They can shoot repeatedly and in any direction. It¡¯s impossible to fight against that in a fighter. All air units can do these days is bring in pizza from the safe country before it gets cold.¡±


    ¡°...That was 700 meters. I cleared snow from all 700 meters of that short takeoff runway all on my own!!¡±


    As Heivia trembled in anger, Froleytia stuck her tongue out where he could not see her. She then spoke to Quenser much more familiarly than how she gave orders to her many subordinates.


    ¡°By the way, I hear you spoke with the princess outside the base zone,¡± asked his beautiful superior officer who even had carefully-maintained manicured nails despite being a soldier on the front lines.


    Her tone made it sound like that was more important than the fact that he had disobeyed his orders.


    ¡°Umm, is that a problem? I talk with her occasionally in the maintenance area, so I just interacted with her in the same way. Should I have thought more about our positions?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with it. Apparently, the medical group feeds her rations even worse than ours to make absolutely sure her health does not suffer, but I say that will lead to the stress doing her in before poor nutrition ever would.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Elite princess have an exclusive recreation building? From what I hear, it is supposed to be filled with devices that have digitalized healing effects,¡± said Heivia more politely than he was wont to do.


    Froleytia grabbed a juicy piece of cooked venison with the chopsticks she used as part of her Japan obsession.


    ¡°That thing costs us all sorts of money, but does no real good. Do you think you could actually have fun playing with teaching materials your teachers at school handed out? Apparently, the princess dropped by once and has never gone there again.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± replied Quenser as he was reminded of the conversation with her from earlier that day.


    He could not imagine anything making that girl smile.


    That was the girl who had ominously said she might not be able to win in the next battle.


    As those words of hers floated up in his mind, Quenser asked, ¡°Have you ever lost, Froleytia?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she readily affirmed while looking like she wished she had some beer to go with the meat. ¡°I¡¯ve lost three times when commanding remotely and once with the unit I was stationed with. It was terrible. The criticism when I returned home was worse than the flight itself. But that isn¡¯t too surprising. I had lost a weapon used for strategies on a national scale after all.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Objects are synonymous with war, right? What do you do once the other side destroys your Object? I doubt you could manage with a tank or a fighter,¡± asked Heivia, brimming with curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You raise the white flag,¡± responded Froleytia nonchalantly.


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    ¡°Wars these days are not all-out wars. Once one side¡¯s Object has been destroyed, the victor has been decided. And this victor doesn¡¯t have the time to spare needed to pursue all of the powerless infantry units. No treaty has been formally made in that regard, but it¡¯s one of the basic facts of war that no one even feels the need to bring up. If the unit quickly retreats and surrenders the territory, there is no need to make things more complicated and hunt them down.¡±


    Seeing the gaping mouths of the two novices, Froleytia put on a carefree smile.


    ¡°Ha ha. I understand why you¡¯re so surprised by that. When they train you, they don¡¯t want to lower the tension, so they don¡¯t tell you about conventions like that. But just look at me. I joined the military as a child soldier at 13 and have been on various campaigns ever since, but I do not have a single scar. In order to prevent any unnecessary deaths, we use clean weapons like Objects that gather all the military might in one place rather than spreading it out. My lovely skin shows that this is truly a ¡®safe battlefield¡¯.¡± Froleytia spun her chopsticks around a little. ¡°Did you know that the #1 reason for soldiers to be sent home from this unit is not being shot by the enemy or carelessly stepping on a landmine? It¡¯s actually due to fights between men and women within the base zone. On the modern battlefield, you need to be more afraid of love affairs than bullets. Do you see just how peaceful this place is?¡±


    Quenser started to agree, but then a question popped into his mind.


    ¡°Wait. But Froleytia, weren¡¯t you sending bombardments directly on enemy bases using a friendly Object in the Pacific earlier today?¡±


    ¡°You have a good eye, Quenser. That was not a war against another proper army. Attacks against guerillas or terrorists are nothing but suppression operations, so the previous conventions do not apply. ...Listen up and remember this. That is the most efficient plan for using an Object. Large nations need some kind of mechanism for skillfully pushing back opposing forces.¡±


    As the unpleasant turn of the conversation was ruining the taste of his food, Quenser decided to change the subject. The only subject other than the Objects he could come up with was the food.


    Quenser looked at the venison that was acting as the main part of their dinner and then looked over at Heivia who had hunted it down.


    ¡°So are soldiers trained in how to hunt for food? I¡¯m only at the level where I might be able to catch a single salmon after 3 hours.¡±


    ¡°Modern rifles have more than just optical scopes. They also have infrared cameras and microphones for searching for the enemy. It¡¯s made so you can trace your target in multiple different ways. I wouldn¡¯t end up with anything either if I headed into the great outdoors with just a fishing pole. Although the rifles are a complete waste of taxes since all the fighting is left to the Object.¡±


    Froleytia then spoke up while skillfully using her chopsticks.


    ¡°Unless the supply line to the base zone is cut off, we can get as much food as we want from the home country. And the base will never be taken out as long as we have the Object. Even when I was a new soldier, they didn¡¯t always train us in how to hunt animals. At the very least, it certainly isn¡¯t a skill combat engineers like you need.¡±


    ¡°A combat engineer...hm? I just can¡¯t get used to how that sounds.¡±


    ¡°The management of the base zone revolves around taxes. If we didn¡¯t give a job to the students that hang around, it could affect the number of votes the politicians get. The climax of the council election is coming up back in the home country and Councilor Flide is getting worried.¡±


    There were many different kinds of combat engineers, but the ones Quenser and the others were talking about were soldiers that dealt with explosives. However, they were not professionals that used them to kill enemy soldiers. Instead, they destroyed bridges to cut off the enemy¡¯s path or blew stones out of the way of their own path.


    For a student who was full of strange knowledge and did not have the guts to actually shoot someone, that role was perfect. There was also the course of being a medic, but Quenser¡¯s specialty was machines and he did not know much about living things.


    ¡°But then our base is made up of the base vehicles, so we can set up camp just by driving those vehicles around, and we also have the Object. There really isn¡¯t much for combat engineers to do.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t just the combat engineers. It¡¯s pretty much the same for everyone in the base zone,¡± said Froleytia as she reached her chopsticks for one of the few pieces of salmon. ¡°God damn this is a peaceful world. It feels like my gun could rust over and I could get zits from over-nutrition.¡±


    ¡°I know. As long as we have the Object, we¡¯re safe. After three years in a base, I have the path of a noble waiting for me and Quenser here can go back to the safe country and become one of those distinguished scholars,¡± said Heivia with a smile as he patted Quenser familiarly on the shoulder.


    ¡°You kids are making me jealous,¡± spat out Froleytia, but there was not the slightest hint of jealousy on her face. Most likely, she preferred staying on the safe battlefield to being promoted from the military to a strict political post.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Quenser said. ¡°As long as we have the Object, even those dulled by peace like us can fight a war.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s words there addressed one truth of the world.


    It was true as long as they had the Object.


    Part 8


    A day later they would know.


    They would know what kind of hell awaited soldiers utterly dulled by peace once their Object was destroyed by an enemy Object.


    Froleytia had said that they merely had to raise the white flag if they lost.


    However, she had also said something else.


    No treaty has been formally made in that regard.


    Part 9


    An explosion tore through snowy Alaska.


    The giant invincible Object that had been fighting 10 kilometers away through the snowstorm started emitting black smoke and stopped moving. Through binoculars, the pilot¡¯s seat could be seen being ejected and slowly floating down to the snowy ground with its parachute.


    And....


    ¡°...¡±


    An unpleasant noise that echoed in his gut reached Quenser¡¯s ears over the wind. The symbol of their safety, the Object, had been blown away by the enemy Object.


    Its main body was a giant sphere covered in thick armor. In four directions, long insect-like legs stretched out to the ground. Its main weapons were sets of two low-stability plasma cannons, each measuring 50 meters. After a special gas was loaded into the cannon, a massive amount of energy from the reactor artificially created superhot plasma which was then fired. The sets of two were located on the front, back, left, and right creating a horizontal cross of cannons that allowed it to fire in any direction. It had a total of 8 of those cannons. Its spherical main body and four legs had countless laser beams, railguns, and coilguns, giving it over 100 guns in total.


    The main body alone was 50 meters and the cannons stretching in each direction gave it a size of over 140 meters. The mountain-sized mass was slowly pointing its mid-range steel bridge-sized cannons their way. The set of two low-stability plasma cannons could melt a nuclear shelter buried deep in the earth in a single shot.


    ¡°...Hey,¡± said Heivia suddenly as he stood dumbfounded next to Quenser. ¡°Why is it aiming in our direction? If the Object loses, we just have to raise the white flag and it¡¯s over, right? That¡¯s what Froleytia said, right!? So why!? This isn¡¯t something to be slow about. Hurry and raise the fucking white flaaaaaaaagggggggggg!!¡±


    Quenser looked at the radio he had been issued.


    He could hear an intermittent signal coming from it.


    That was most likely the modern digitalized white flag.


    Froleytia must have followed the convention she had spoken of in order to bring the battle to an end. She may have made up her mind quickly in order to keep the number of sacrificed subordinates as low as possible.


    However, the enemy Object had not stopped.


    The sound of the cannons making slight adjustments to their aim seemed to be implicitly saying it did not care about the convention.


    ¡°Run...¡± someone said.


    It was possible it was Quenser himself who had said it.


    ¡°Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!¡±


    Had the 800 soldiers in the area been able to react?


    A great roar and flash of light pounded Quenser¡¯s senses.


    Something seemed to be trying to smash his skull, much less his eardrums. The Object was not firing metal shells. It was using brutal low-stability plasma cannons that made use of the excess energy it produced.


    What temperature did it reach?


    Before he could think that, his consciousness was sent flying.


    A beam from one of the low-stability plasma cannons had struck some of the base vehicles a short distance from Quenser. The vehicles used to construct the Object maintenance area were the largest of the greater than 100 large base vehicles that made up the maintenance base zone and one of those became distorted like a sugar sculpture before exploding like an erupting volcano.


    The blast blew Quenser onto the thick snow.


    Even while buried in snow that had to be below zero degrees, Quenser¡¯s body was wrapped in an unpleasant sweat.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    He could not even hear his own voice.


    He frantically tried to check on the situation despite having lost over half of his ability to see and somehow managed to determine that he was in one piece. The low-stability plasma cannon must have moved along a straight path as it fired because he noticed an empty trench cutting through the deep snow.


    (Was the heat so great...it melted the snow...and then caused a phreatic explosion...?)


    It was possible even the steel had evaporated and then stuck to the ground.


    As Quenser lay dazed on the ground, someone grabbed his arm.


    It was Heivia who had bloodshot eyes and was breathing erratically.


    ¡°Hey, we need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°...What...?¡±


    ¡°We need to get the hell out of here!! Our Object was taken out and their Object is perfectly fine!! We wouldn¡¯t be able to do a thing even if we had 100 tanks. If we don¡¯t get out of here, we¡¯ll be slaughtered like a line of ants!!¡±


    Running away.


    What that meant finally hit home with Quenser.


    When he looked around, he saw the other soldiers beginning to take action. The base zone was made up of over 100 large base vehicles. The soldiers were climbing or jumping aboard the nearest base vehicle and the vehicles were breaking their normal formation and scattering in a panic.


    Shouts could be heard from all directions.


    None of the soldiers were saying a single thing about fighting.


    ¡°Dammit!! Send out all the UAVs! Draw the Object¡¯s attention away from us!!¡±


    ¡°Do we have a set escape route!? Is there any narrow mountain path that 50 meter monster can¡¯t get through!?¡±


    ¡°Do we have a proper stock of chaff and flares!? Even if we can¡¯t fight, we might be able to make it lose its lock on-...!!¡±


    Because they were real soldiers, they knew just how hopeless it was to attack the Object head on.


    As he watched it all, Quenser blankly spoke to Heivia.


    ¡°Run away...but where to?¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s expression grew distorted out of fear rather than anger.


    It was as if hearing how hopeless the situation was from someone else had brought the full brunt of the shock back all over again.


    Immediately afterwards, they heard an odd noise.


    Looking over, they saw the Object that was over 10 kilometers away approaching as if it were sliding. It was not moving using tires like a car. By using repeated small accelerations like a water strider, it moved smoothly around on both level ground and the steep slopes of mountain surfaces. It seemed to completely ignore the terrain just like a spotlight moving along the ground.


    A low sound like an approaching thundercloud remained in Quenser¡¯s ears.


    (Oh, shit. So it uses static electricity just like our princess¡¯s one...!)


    Even as the frantically fleeing base vehicles started leaving him behind, Quenser merely stood in a daze amid the snow.


    That Object was floating just slightly above the ground using static electricity. It weighed over 20 tons, but the reactor within it was both clean and more powerful than a nuclear reactor. It used that ability to create enough electric energy to make itself float.


    A faint but distinctive smell reached Quenser¡¯s nose. Most likely, the Object was spraying out the material that repelled its giant electrified form. Generally, the repellant would break down naturally in a few days and it was made to be harmless to plants and animals, but it smelled even more repulsive than blood to Quenser.


    Something that huge moving as if the surface below it were sliding was a very strange sight indeed.


    The base vehicles were trying to escape through a valley between two mountains.


    With a sound like a thundercloud, the Object moved as if to circle around the vehicles and passed right up the diagonal side of one of the mountains. It then moved down into the path inside the valley to block their escape.


    Their escape route had been cut off in only 20 seconds.


    What awaited them now was clear.


    ¡°Shit!! Get off of there!!¡± shouted Froleytia.


    Immediately afterwards, the 50 meter Object opened fire with its cannons.


    No, it was more than that.


    The Object had more than just the low-stability plasma cannons. After all, the huge 50 meter mass had a reactor that was both clean and more powerful than a nuclear reactor. With its low-stability plasma cannons, laser beams, railguns, and coilguns, it had over 100 different weapons.


    It opened fire with all of those.


    Each of the high output weapons was so large that it would likely cause a normal battleship to tilt just by being installed and yet it had over 100 of them.


    There was no point in trying to count how many times one heard a weapon fire.


    Thousands and tens of thousands of roars piled atop each other and combined together creating a single giant explosive din.


    As the base vehicles broke formation in an attempt to find anywhere they could flee to, countless shells and beams of light mercilessly assaulted them.


    The block-shaped facility walls could withstand a direct hit from a normal shell, but they were blown away along with the beds of the vehicles like they were made of paper. Repeated explosions were heard as gasoline caught fire and soldiers¡¯ bodies were thrown high into the air.


    Heivia immediately grabbed Quenser¡¯s head and dove down into the deep snow to hide. Even so, it was nothing short of a miracle that the Object¡¯s bombardment did not tear their bodies in half.


    (...No...)


    Quenser¡¯s head alone remained clear while the rest of him was in a state where he could not even tell what temperature the cold snow was.


    (There aren¡¯t any miracles or coincidences when it comes to Objects. An Object doesn¡¯t leave enough of an opening for that kind of thing!! There has to be a reason. There has to be a logical reason we weren¡¯t killed...!!)


    Quenser looked over at a base vehicle being blown away by a railgun being used as crudely as a peashooter (even though it was powerful enough to be installed on a bomber). It had soldiers in its sights that were trying to flee, but the Object adjusted its aim toward a different base vehicle.


    Seeing that, Quenser¡¯s expression grew even more twisted.


    ¡°Dammit!! The maintenance facilities!!¡± Quenser shouted so loud he thought it would tear apart his throat in order to keep the explosions from drowning him out. ¡°Get away from the vehicles used to service the Object!! They¡¯re aiming for anything related to the Object! If you don¡¯t get away from them, you¡¯ll be hit dead on!!¡±


    Just as the soldiers jumped from the large base vehicle in shock, the Object¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon mercilessly blew the maintenance facility away.


    Objects were synonymous with war.


    No matter how many tanks or fighters were gathered, you could not stand up to an Object.


    That was why the enemy Object was giving priority to destroying the spare parts storage and other facilities that could be used to repair the Object it had destroyed. In the off chance the Object could be reassembled, a true Object vs. Object battle where the winner was unknown would once more unfold.


    That Object was not sparing the soldiers¡¯ lives.


    It was first utterly crushing all possibility of a counterattack. After that, it would use its greater than 50 meter form to chase after and slaughter each and every one of the flesh-and-blood humans who looked like ants compared to it.


    The base vehicles were destroyed one by one.


    Even though they knew it was not targeting them, Quenser and the other soldiers desperately hid. Just a slight misreading of the situation could get them crushed by one of the tatami-sized wall fragments that were flying from all directions.


    ¡°We need to get out of here while we can,¡± said Heivia as he grabbed Quenser¡¯s arm with trembling hands.


    Quenser ignored the tugging on his arm and simply remained motionless and listened.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where to!! We just need to get as far away as possible from that monster! Just run!!¡±


    He was not suggesting a strategic withdrawal; he was suggesting fleeing from something scary.


    And...


    ¡°...¡±


    (It...stopped?)


    The Object that had blown up most of the major base vehicles had stopped moving amid the rubble and wreckage. Only the many giant gun turrets moved around slowly as if it were contemplating something.


    Quenser thought his heart would stop.


    Now that it was done destroying the Object-related facilities, was it going to start slaughtering the soldiers?


    That horrible thought came to Quenser¡¯s mind, but he still could not make his body move. The same thing seemed to have happened to Heivia next to him. They knew that their enemy was human with a mind of his own and was in fact a soldier just like them, but the presence was just so overwhelming that it felt like a giant dragon was staring down at them. It felt like the slightest provocation would get them torn to pieces by its vast maw.


    They knew the Object was only moving based on systematic military orders, but Quenser and Heivia felt like herbivores that had run across the king of beasts and could only pray that it would spare them on a whim.


    And...


    The giant object that measured over 140 meters if its main cannons stretching out in four directions were included started to move. It changed directions with a motion similar to someone turning around because they were tapped on the shoulder from behind. With the sound like a dark thundercloud approaching, it headed in the direction it had originally come from. The soldiers on the path did everything they could to get out of the way, but the Object paid them no heed.


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Quenser finally picked himself up off the ground and looked in the direction the Object had left in.


    ¡°Why are we alive...?¡±


    What had been different between him and the human forms scattered about that lay unmoving on the ground? Quenser could come up with no answer to that question. Heivia spoke from nearby.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but we managed to survive. If we run as far away as we can now, it might make all the difference!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s body was trembling terribly.


    Quenser thought Heivia was right, but then he stopped.


    He had noticed something at his feet.


    It had likely been blown from one of the base vehicles used for their base zone. It was an LCD display. It was about the size an A4 piece of copy paper and it seemed to have wireless capability. It was emitting an electronic beeping noise.


    The display showed a map of the area.


    On a single point of that map, a red point was blinking.


    (...A rescue signal...?)


    All of a sudden it hit Quenser what it meant.


    ¡°The Elite princess!!¡±


    The enemy Object was giving priority to eliminating all possibility of the destroyed Object being repaired. To do so, it had blown up the maintenance facilities and left the soldiers alone.


    Didn¡¯t that meant it would be only natural for the enemy to give top priority to killing the pilot girl who could possibly pilot a different Object?


    ¡°Hey, you noble and student over there!!¡± shouted Froleytia from a slight distance.


    They looked over and saw the beautiful woman with her steel-like bluish-silver hair making large gestures toward the slope of a mountain.


    ¡°We need to use this chance to escape!! I¡¯ll prepare an official reason for the withdrawal to report to the higher ups!! If we get over the mountain, there¡¯s a large valley. A single suspension bridge is the only way across!! Once we get across, we can get away from that giant Object!! It might try to bombard us from this side of the valley, but we might make it if we scatter once we¡¯re hidden within the conifer forest on the other side!!¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    Quenser¡¯s gaze moved between Froleytia and the display at his feet.


    In all honesty, he was overcome with so much relief he thought he would pass out upon having a clear goal he could escape to.


    But...


    What would happen to the Elite girl who was still alive...?


    That thought stopped Quenser.


    Froleytia then noticed the display at Quenser¡¯s feet.


    ¡°You idiot! Why do you think she¡¯s sending out the rescue signal!?¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t for us to see! The princess is transmitting the rescue signal so the enemy will intercept it and have their attention drawn toward her!! She¡¯s making sure we won¡¯t be slaughtered!! Do you want waste all the effort she¡¯s going to!?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    Froleytia¡¯s words had stabbed deeply into his heart.


    (Is that true...?)


    Quenser looked around the area at the soldiers who were supposed to have tough muscular bodies from constant training but had neglected their training due to the benefits of the Object. They all averted their gaze whenever Quenser looked at them.


    They looked awkward.


    They looked as if they did not want to let go of their chance to escape.


    (Whatever you say, she¡¯s our ally and a girl of about 14 to boot. She¡¯s the kind of person who is using herself as a decoy to save us. Can you seriously think of abandoning her...?)


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± muttered Heivia. ¡°We have no other choice!! Whatever we do, that princess will be killed, so we need to escape before that Object returns!!¡±


    ¡°Fuck that! Do you really understand what you¡¯re saying!? Have you thought about what will happen to an Elite girl if she¡¯s captured by the enemy army that has clearly said to hell with morals!?¡±


    ¡°What!? Are you saying you¡¯re going to fight that Object!?¡±


    Having those words shouted straight back at him silenced Quenser.


    Heivia¡¯s expression was filled with fear and disgrace.


    ¡°Anyone can just sit back and do nothing while they say what they think is wrong or right!! And if you can face that giant Object on your own and save the princess, that¡¯s great!! But in reality, you can¡¯t do shit!! The instant that thing catches you on its radar, it¡¯ll blow you away so utterly not even dust is left!!¡±


    Quenser thought as Heivia grabbed his shoulders.


    (...Dammit.)


    The gradual tightening in his chest was the natural response as a human.


    He was feeling overwhelming fear.


    (Of course I¡¯m afraid. No matter what anyone says or how much wishful thinking they bring up, I can¡¯t work up any courage. An Object is a monster. Trying to take on something like that is just wrong. I want to be as far away from it as possible. Heivia is right. No matter what I say, this sickening feeling isn¡¯t going to go away...)


    However, Quenser¡¯s feet did not begin taking him to safety.


    He merely stood in place and looked at Heivia once more.


    ¡°...But wasn¡¯t that princess fighting that monster?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That monster makes grown men tremble in fear and makes us feel like we¡¯ll die of shock every time it slightly adjusts its aim!! And yet she was piloting an Object all on her own to protect us from it!!¡±


    Even if she was piloting a ridiculous weapon like an Object, she had to have been afraid. There was no way she wasn¡¯t when facing a monster like that.


    The day before, she had said she did not know if she could win.


    She had not seemed especially serious, so Quenser had not read any deep meaning into it. However, he had been wrong. What if she had been holding so much unease below the surface that it had spewed forth even while she had such an unconcerned expression on her face? What if she had just wanted to say something about it to someone ¨C anyone ¨C to try to get rid of even a small piece of that unease?


    Quenser thought about what he should do.


    ¡°...Give me that.¡±


    Quenser held his hand out toward Heivia.


    Heivia merely looked puzzled, so he repeated himself.


    ¡°Give me that rifle!!¡±


    Quenser snatched the military rifle from Heivia. The high-tech weapon had an infrared camera, a microphone for searching for enemies, and other gadgets in addition to its optical scope.


    However, Heivia¡¯s face stiffened upon seeing that.


    ¡°...Are you really going?¡± Heivia shook his head back and forth like a small child. ¡°What good will that thing do!? Didn¡¯t you see that Object!? That monster is basically a giant reactor with the thick walls of a nuclear shelter around it!! It can still move after a direct hit or two from nuclear missiles!! Surely a future scholar like you can understand that!!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± replied Quenser.


    Heivia¡¯s primary job was as an analyst who searched for the characteristics and weaknesses of Objects, but Quenser was learning about Objects from a design point of view. From his knowledge, he knew quite well that there was no way he could win.


    But...


    ¡°I have no choice...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe that the Object won¡¯t catch up to us if we cross the mountain and the valley on the other side?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°If they truly want to kill the princess, it¡¯ll just need a single shot. And if they want to capture her and take her back to their base, the Object is free to come after us once the normal soldiers restrain her. It¡¯ll be turning back before long to slaughter us as we climb the mountain. ...You saw how maneuverable it was, right?¡±


    Quenser could feel his body tremble at the weight of the rifle because he had never seriously used one. He suppressed the trembling and continued on.


    ¡°It seems the princess is trying to buy some time, but she probably can¡¯t buy enough on her own.¡±


    The words he spoke did not seem real to him.


    He wanted to get moving before he was too overcome by fear.


    ¡°Someone has to do something. Not out of responsibility, but in order to survive.¡±


    Part 10


    The slicing blizzard sent a sharp pain across the skin of his face.


    The white filling his vision needlessly increased his unease.


    The deep snow seemed to grab hold of his feet like a bottomless bog as Quenser desperately continued to run while holding the rifle in both hands.


    He had been on the front lines for 6 months, but this felt to him like the first time he had actually been running on a battlefield.


    His objective was to save the princess.


    There was no reason he had to fight the Object. In fact, if he did run into it, he would be killed as a piece of trash rather than an enemy. He wished he had some way to approach through a blind spot of the Object and save the princess, but....


    (Where?)


    The rifle felt as cold as a hunk of ice.


    Quenser gritted his teeth and looked around while putting up with the pain in his fingertips.


    (Dammit! Where is she!?)


    He could have sworn the display had indicated that area, but the Elite girl was nowhere to be found. Had enemy soldiers already taken her away? Or had he misread the map and gone to the wrong spot?


    (God dammit! How could I have survived 6 months out here without knowing how to find my position on a map? ...How much have I just been relying on others?)


    Quenser stuck a cable into the scope area of the rifle. The other end of the cable had a small earphone for one ear. He put it in his right ear and operated the unfamiliar rifle with shaking fingers.


    According to Heivia, it had a microphone for finding enemies.


    (...)


    While focusing on the microphone sticking out near the barrel like a bayonet, Quenser slowly rotated in one spot. While in the process of turning the microphone in every direction, he heard a slight noise through the earphone.


    ¡°This way...?¡±


    He had not been properly trained, so he held the rifle as he had seen others do as he headed off in the direction of the noise.


    As he approached, the slight noise grew gradually louder.


    Eventually, it started to sound like human voices and Quenser frantically hid behind some nearby rocks.


    He then stuck only his face out.


    He could see human forms on the other side of the white curtain of blowing snow.


    He guessed they were about 100 meters away. From that distance, he could not tell what they looked like, but he could see three or four muscular figures surrounding a single short figure. The short figure was on her knees unnaturally with both her hands behind her head.


    (The princess! Shit, so she was caught after all...!!)


    Quenser brought his head back behind the rocks and then looked around the area.


    He could not see the giant form of the Object anywhere.


    It may have headed back to hunt down the survivors now that the Elite girl had been captured.


    For an instant, Quenser thought it might all be some absurdly huge trap and he would be shot by the low-stability plasma cannons from long distance the instant he made a move. However, he realized that was unlikely. He doubted they would use the Object to set up a trap for him alone and the giant Object would not need to set up a trap to deal with a mere human anyway. It would just slaughter him outright.


    He may have been so afraid that his mind¡¯s danger sensor was not working properly.


    The Object was simply so frightening that he was taking completely unrealistic possibilities into account.


    At any rate, if he calmed down and thought about it...


    (The Object isn¡¯t here.)


    Quenser noticed the weight of the rifle once more.


    He stuck his head out from behind the rocks to check on the situation.


    (If I can do something about those four, I can save the princess!!)


    A different unpleasant feeling than the fear of the Object now started tightening around his heart.


    He had to ¡°do something about¡± those four.


    With that rifle in his hands, ¡°doing something¡± meant shooting and killing those four humans. Quenser was not skillful enough to suppress them without hitting their vitals and the bullets in that military rifle were powerful enough to rip off a limb if he hit them there. They would die of shock whether he hit their vitals or not.


    Could he really kill them?


    Could he kill four people to save a single comrade?


    (God dammit!)


    He wrapped the other hand around his uncontrollably shaking fingers.


    He could not keep his teeth from chattering.


    (This is the battlefield. Killing is the norm here! By leaving all the fighting to the invincible Object...is this what we¡¯ve been pushing onto her!?)


    In a desperate attempt to work up some courage, Quenser pounded on his own thigh with his fist and then forced himself to hold up the rifle. However, he started feeling dizzy when he looked through the scope. He held back the urge to vomit and somehow managed to aim.


    He was aiming for the male soldier closest to the Elite girl.


    He put the sights right in the middle of the unsuspecting man¡¯s head.


    Now he just had to pull the trigger.


    However, as if it had frozen solid, his finger on the trigger would not move.


    (...This is a human.)


    As he forced down the urge to vomit, the image through the sight shook.


    (This isn¡¯t one of the human-shaped targets from the training grounds. It¡¯s a real human. This is a soldier just like us who has become dulled by peace after being protected by his Object and only wants to return safely to his country...)


    He could not shoot.


    Just as he realized that fact, he heard an odd noise through the earphone in his ear.


    It was a sound being picked up by the rifle¡¯s microphone.


    It was the words coming from the mouth of the soldier he was aiming at.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s test out the durability of the Elite¡¯s special suit. Once the Object returns, we can tie her hands to it with a rope and have it drag her behind it. The test will be whether she¡¯s naked or not by the time we get back to base.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s movements stopped when he heard that.


    He then heard a laugh and the words of another soldier.


    ¡°No matter how easy it is to slide on snow, wouldn¡¯t that still turn her to mincemeat?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and what¡¯ll we do if she¡¯s still alive once we get back to our base zone? Are you gonna do a test on the wonderful Elite¡¯s body? I hear the guys from the torture room were complaining because their tools are rusting over from lack of use.¡±


    No, it was not his movements that had stopped.


    It was his trembling that had stopped.


    As well as the urge to vomit that had produced the trembling.


    His heart had cleared.


    He switched off the microphone as if shutting out what the soldiers had to say.


    Quenser had a new thought.


    He had not been able to pull the trigger because he had thought of them as human.


    But...


    They weren¡¯t, were they?


    A great noise exploded out and the rifle bullet had blown one of the laughing soldiers¡¯ heads to pieces before Quenser even realized the noise was due to his finger pulling the trigger. Ignoring the collapsing headless corpse, Quenser shouted out.


    ¡°Get down!!¡±


    Had the Elite girl understood what those words meant first or had it been the enemy soldiers around her?


    Just as the girl threw her body down into the deep snow, Quenser used quick movements of his finger to fire bullet after bullet in semi-auto mode. With as little training as he had, he doubted he could deal with the recoil of firing on full auto. However, the enemy soldiers did not just stand there and let him shoot them. Almost reflexively, they turned their rifle barrels in the direction of the voice and fired.


    Quenser had been only slightly faster.


    Quenser only wanted to mow down everything there, so he just moved the barrel from right to left as he fired rather than carefully aiming. By repeatedly pulling the trigger, he sent bullets flying at even intervals which created a hurdle of death at about waist height. Fortunately, he had caught them by surprise. Red blood sprayed into the air and soldiers were mowed down onto the snow.


    (...I might actually pull this off...!!)


    However, two of the enemy soldiers had immediately gotten down and escaped the spray of bullets. As Quenser stood fully upright due to the recoil of the rifle, he could see one of the surviving soldiers aiming his own rifle while kneeling down. While keeping low to the ground, the princess tackled him. In a close-quarters struggle, the soldier could not fire his rifle. Quenser panicked, but his worry was unwarranted. The princess held a metal skewer for cooking that had been in the same standard-issue survival kit that held bandages and a small fishing pole. She used it to stab the enemy soldier in the side.


    The one remaining soldier immediately tried to move away from the princess, but he carelessly raised his body too high. Immediately afterwards, he was struck by one of the bullets from Quenser¡¯s rifle and collapsed onto the snow.


    It was over.


    Or so Quenser thought.


    The soldier who was bleeding from the metal skewer the princess had stabbed in his side pulled his rifle¡¯s trigger as he collapsed to the snow. Most likely, he had not intended to do so, but he happened to hit the trigger for the grenade launcher on the bottom of the rifle. The barrel was pointed in a random direction...which just so happened to be in Quenser¡¯s direction.


    The heavy explosive flew through the air in an arc rather than a straight line.


    Quenser was unable to decide what to do in the instant he had.


    Immediately afterwards, Quenser was sent flying by the blast and an odd pain ran through most of his upper body. The color white filled his vision. At first, he thought it was the sky, but it was actually the snow-covered ground. It took him a while to even realize he was lying on his side.


    (...What...happened to me...?)


    Just as that question entered his mind, all strength left his body.


    He somehow managed to move his hand that had frozen up as if from rigor mortis, but the rifle grip slipped from his fingers. His arm then fell back into the snow.


    He finally started feeling a throbbing pain in his gut and chest.


    (Shit, what happened? Are they all dead? I didn¡¯t miss any of them, did I? None of them are going to get back up, are they?)


    No more shooting occurred.


    Had he killed all of them, had they fled, or had they stopped because they considered finishing him off a waste of bullets? Buried in the snow as he was, Quenser could not tell.


    (...Kh...)


    He tried to look at his wounds, but his body would not move as he wished it to.


    Meanwhile, even his mind seemed to be ceasing to function properly.


    (What about the princess...?)


    He had come all that way to rescue the Elite girl and yet he no longer had the energy left over to see if she was even alive.


    His consciousness sank down into darkness.


    Even the pain that had risen up seemed to vanish rather than exploding out within him.


    Part 11


    He thought he heard someone calling his name.


    All he could see was strange scenery that was neither black nor richly colored. It seemed like he was seeing the images coming from his two eyeballs in mosaic without his brain processing them. While Quenser had lost his sense of balance, feeling like he was going to vomit, and stared blankly at that scenery, he heard someone call his name for sure.


    ¡°...Hey, wake up, Quenser!! Don¡¯t go to sleep! Wake up!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia...?¡± Quenser muttered in a scratchy voice.


    His body had to have sunk into the snow, but he could not feel it at all.


    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you run away...?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I had no choice.¡±


    Heivia had a portable anti-tank missile hanging from a strap. He had to have known it would be of no help, but he must have wanted to bring as much firepower with him as he could. Quenser could tell Heivia¡¯s body was still trembling.


    Fear of that Object was not something that could be so easily wiped away.


    Even so, Heivia had followed after Quenser.


    ¡°...Was I hit...?¡±


    ¡°You amateur. The grenade wasn¡¯t directly aimed for you and it only blew some fragments off of a nearby rock. Your upper body was hit by the fragments of scattered stone. If you had been hit by shrapnel from the grenade, it would have ripped your flesh apart. They¡¯re made so they¡¯ll do that.¡±


    ¡°I see. Damn I¡¯m pathetic... Did I pass out from fear after just a few scratches?¡±


    Quenser tried to get up, but he groaned after feeling a powerful pressure on his chest. It seemed the mental shock had been great enough to make his heart contract too much. He coughed and finally managed to pull himself out from the snow.


    ¡°Oh, crap! Where¡¯s the Elite princess...? Was she taken away while I was passed out?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? You won. You took out all those bastards, so don¡¯t worry. Look, hero. The princess you saved is right over there.¡±


    Quenser looked in the direction Heivia pointed and saw the Elite girl standing about 2 meters away. She was standing stock still while staring at Quenser¡¯s face as if she were looking at something she could not believe.


    Her expression was rather difficult to describe.


    Extraordinary fear was certainly present. As was incomparable shock. She also looked as if she could not yet tell if she should feel relieved. Overall, her expression was not one easily described using any standard emotion.


    ¡°Why...?¡± she said with a wavering voice that she could not hold still due to the waves of emotion roiling within her. ¡°Why did you come to save me...?¡±


    After that, her true thoughts spilled forth as if from a hole in her heart.


    Or perhaps she had felt something that made her not want to lie any longer.


    ¡°You are not the one who is meant to fight. You are not an Elite. You were not protected by thick nuclear-shelter like armor, so why did you come here?¡±


    Quenser pondered her words silently.


    Something deeper than what she normally showed on the surface was present in her words.


    ¡°And I would mock you in my heart.¡±


    Her words continued to spill forth.


    That may have been inappropriate for the Elite pilot of the Object that was the cornerstone of their military force and, in a way, the representative of their nation.


    ¡°I mocked you because you always needed me to protect you and because you would all be killed without the Object!¡±


    However, that unseemly inappropriateness was what made it seem truly human.


    Quenser realized that her too-pure image was not something like natural water; it was more like tap water that smells of chlorine.


    ¡°I wanted to deny it and I wanted to have a more proper opinion, but I would always have those horrible thoughts about you!! So why did you come here to save me!?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged glances.


    They then looked back at the Elite girl.


    They looked back at that girl who had lost her role with the loss of the Object.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®horrible thoughts¡¯? That¡¯s the truth.¡±


    ¡°Eh...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to study as much as I can about Objects, but I only just now understood something upon actually fighting one today. Those things are monsters. Really, truly monsters. And who was it that has been fighting all alone this whole time to make sure those monsters did not come destroy our base zone?¡±


    The girl looked at Quenser with a surprised look.


    The long time spent buried in the snow and the mental shock he did not seem able to shake off had stiffened his face, but Quenser moved the stiff muscles to force a smile.


    ¡°But no longer,¡± Quenser said as he picked up the rifle that had fallen to the ground nearby.


    He pulled out the empty magazine and replaced it with a new one Heivia gave him.


    Compared to an Object, it was a puny weapon.


    With it in hand, Quenser faced the girl and gave a truly horrible expression.


    ¡°You no longer need to fight alone. Is there any real reason you have to?¡±


    The girl did not seem to know how to react to that.


    She was an Elite, the pilot of one of the giant weapons known as Objects.


    It might have been that no one had ever said anything like that to her before. She had been given the burden of many lives, winning had been expected of her, and she had even been implicitly threatened that she would lose everything if she lost. She had been desperately fighting under those conditions. That was why she had never raised a voice of protest against that solitary fight no matter how damaged she became or how much unease she held.


    The girl did not seem able to fully accept Quenser¡¯s words.


    She turned her troubled gaze toward Heivia, but he only shrugged.


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing special. Quenser just said that you alone wouldn¡¯t be enough of a decoy and that brought me to my senses. I realized he was absolutely right, so I had to prepare something that would function as a proper decoy or else we would all be killed. And then...well...as I said before, I had no choice.¡± With that casual response, Heivia glanced around. ¡°Now then, my princess and her knight. It looks like we can¡¯t stick around here much longer.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Quenser frowned, but he realized what Heivia meant shortly thereafter.


    Heivia¡¯s false courage was hiding his fear of the distantly approaching thundercloud-like noise that the Object made as it moved.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! You made quite a racket when you shot and killed those soldiers. Their Object must have noticed and is heading this way!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s cry ended the heart-warming scene.


    They had returned to hell.


    The life-and-death game of tag with the over 50 meter Object had begun anew.


    ¡°Shit!! Where are we supposed to go!?¡±


    The deep snow grabbed at his feet as he moved, but Quenser desperately kept moving. In response, Heivia shouted out as loudly as he could as if to rid himself of his fear.


    ¡°You need to memorize the map of the area you¡¯re gonna be fighting in!! There¡¯s a cave about 50 meters ahead. If we can get in there, we can escape from that giant Object!!¡±


    Fifty meters.


    That was a distance they could manage in 10 seconds even when fully equipped if they were on a paved surface.


    However, the deep snow robbed them of their speed and the enemy Object used static electricity to smoothly approach around the slopes of the mountain. Its movements made it look like the surface below it was sliding it along.


    It was about 3 kilometers away, but that was nothing to that giant weapon.


    ¡°It¡¯s aiming the plasma cannons this way!!¡± shouted the Elite girl.


    (With that Object¡¯s aiming devices, there¡¯s no way it can¡¯t shoot us at that distance. Are they still not sure whether they want to capture the princess alive or not?)


    The distance to the cave felt strangely long.


    (It¡¯s true that they might be able to get some classified information related to our Object out of her if they tortured her, but this response is inconsistent with the soldiers from before!!)


    He thought his legs were going to cramp up due to fear, but he had no choice but to continue running.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. You¡¯re a combat engineer, right!? Do you have any explosives!?¡±


    ¡°I have about 5 kilograms of normal C4!¡±


    ¡°What!? Isn¡¯t 10 kilos the standard equipment!?¡±


    ¡°I felt silly carrying around useless explosives around the clock! And what I have is meant for civil engineering uses! It won¡¯t work against an Object!!¡±


    ¡°Give it to me! Just hurry up and hand it over!! And a fuse too!!¡±


    As they approached the entrance to the cave, Quenser tossed over a clay-like mass about the size of a can of hairspray. The bomb was inside a package of clear film and Heivia set the receiver for the detonation signal through the film before stabbing the electric fuse into it. He then tossed it right next to the cave.


    The main weapons of the approaching Object, the low-stability plasma cannons, slowly aimed toward them.


    However, Heivia leapt into the cave before they could spew flames and Quenser followed. The Elite girl¡¯s foot got caught in the snow and she started to trip, but she managed to turn it into a roll that brought her into the cave.


    Quenser frantically caught the Elite girl before shouting at Heivia.


    ¡°Hey, what are we gonna do!? If it fires its plasma cannons into the cave, we¡¯ll be cooked to death!! No matter how much this cave branches apart, all the air inside will be heated up to the point that the entire cave will be an oven!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what the C4¡¯s for! Now, outta the way!! Get deeper inside!!¡±


    Heivia urged them on and Quenser headed further inside the cave while half-dragging the Elite girl. After heading about 10 meters in, Quenser had a thought.


    What was Heivia planning to do with the C4?


    He may have been planning to detonate it when the Object was right up against the entrance to the cave, but Quenser doubted that would do any damage to it. After all, the Object¡¯s armor could withstand a direct hit from a nuclear missile or two with no real issues.


    ¡°Sorry, I decided to test our luck from the beginning.¡±


    Immediately afterwards, Heivia hit the switch for the wireless detonation device.


    With a tremendous roar, the roof of the cave collapsed, sealing off the entrance.


    It was true that he was testing their luck.


    First of all, he had just buried them alive if there was no other exit.


    Second of all, the compressed explosive blast flowed into the cave.


    Thanks to that, Quenser felt as if his eardrums were going to burst.


    Part 12


    They came across a branch in the cave after travelling down it a bit and found a different exit shortly after that. After exiting the cave, the three of them buried the exit in snow. They actually wanted to blow it up with C4, but the blast could have easily drawn the Object to them.


    The giant Object could not enter the cave, so flesh-and-blood soldiers would likely be sent to search for them. They wanted the enemy to think they were still hiding in the cave.


    Quenser and the others hid in a conifer forest outside the cave. Quenser had thought there was no way hiding behind the trees would do anything to keep out the cold in that freezing land, but merely being protected from the winter wind did wonders for his body temperature.


    While munching on a ration that tasted like an uncooked rice cake made of an eraser, Quenser looked over toward the cave entrance.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ve been able to figure out where we went.¡±


    ¡°I can still hear that low, thunder-like roar, so the Object must still be near,¡± said the Elite girl as she strained her ears and brought a small ration to her mouth with both hands.


    Hearing that, Quenser focused on the distant noise as well.


    ¡°Most likely, dealing with the Elite that can pilot an Object takes top priority for them. It probably won¡¯t leave until the search is over.¡±


    That also meant their fleeing comrades would not be slaughtered until Quenser and the others were found or the enemy gave up the search.


    Heivia still had the heavy-looking but useless portable anti-tank missile hanging from his shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, since the enemy¡¯s lost sight of us, can¡¯t we survive if we take this chance to disappear?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but that would just lead to our side being slaughtered as they climb the mountain,¡± Quenser said.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Heivia cursed.


    The Elite girl nibbled on the corner of the square ration and said, ¡°But do you really think we can safely continue to act as a decoy until they get away?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d definitely die if we did that. If an enemy soldier so much as catches a glimpse of us, they¡¯ll call the Object and have it send some concentrated fire our way from its plasma cannons! Even just darting out to act as a decoy is out of the question!!¡±


    ¡°Then are you saying we just leave!?¡±


    ¡°Yes!! I just said we should do just that!! Not even the princess¡¯s Object could stand up to that monster! How the hell are we supposed to do anything!?¡±


    The princess hung her head down at the mention of her defeat.


    ¡°...That was because the device suddenly started to activate. It took a bit of time to cancel that mode and that Object attacked while I was trying to do so.¡±


    ¡°The device? Oh, the security device.¡±


    Basically, it was a self-destruct device. The Object was a giant mass of military secrets, so there had to be a means of ensuring it did not fall into enemy hands. If its sensors detected that it could no longer function even if it had not taken serious damage, the princess¡¯s Object would seal the special gas for its low-stability plasma cannons in the space between the armor and the reactor and then detonate it.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t try to escape the problem before your eyes with idle chatter! We need to come up with a way of dealing with that damn water strider!!¡±


    ¡°Are you still thinking of running away? You may survive, but you¡¯ll be traumatized for the rest of your life! You¡¯re a noble, right? Being the sole survivor here will be seen as a disgrace for you. You won¡¯t get to be the next head of your family and your life will head into a downward spiral faster than you can imagine!¡±


    ¡°...!? Then what the fuck am I supposed to do!?¡±


    ¡°At this rate, you¡¯ll either die here on the battlefield or back in the home country! If you don¡¯t want that, then we need to do something about that thing!!¡±


    The three of them fell silent now that they were faced with the obvious question of ¡°How?¡±


    Quenser tossed the last piece of his flavorless ration into his mouth.


    He looked at the other two¡¯s faces and had a sudden thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m a student who¡¯s studying to be an Object designer, you¡¯re an analyst who searches for things that could lead to a winning strategy against Objects, and you¡¯re an Elite who pilots an Object. With the three of us...¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re kidding right. I have a feeling I know what you¡¯re thinking, but please tell me you¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°...We have no choice but to try to find one, right?¡± said Quenser with the stiff expression characteristic of someone who was truly cornered. ¡°We need to find some kind of weakness in that supposedly unbeatable Object.¡±


    And so, Quenser and the other two circled around the slope of the mountain on foot, heading back to the cave entrance they had blown up with C4.


    He hid among the deep snow and held his rifle out through gaps between the trees.


    He was not preparing to shoot an enemy.


    He was using the scope in place of binoculars.


    Quenser was looking at the Object, so the rifle would not be much use anyway.


    ¡°(...Hey, don¡¯t hit the infrared switch. If it notices the exposure, it¡¯ll blow us away with those plasma cannons.)¡±


    Heivia was lying down next to him and giving him unnecessary warnings. That was just how nervous he was.


    Not that that was surprising.


    They were about 300 meters from the Object, but if it noticed them, there would be no escaping. They would merely be mercilessly slaughtered. Just hearing the thundercloud-like roar spreading through the ground was enough to make them tense up with fear.


    ¡°(...What is that Object doing?)¡±


    ¡°(...Searching with its radar? ...No. It might be able to find a tank or fighter with that, but I doubt it can locate people with it.)¡±


    ¡°(...It appears to be trying to access a satellite. However, it is not going well because the signal cannot get through,)¡± added the Elite girl.


    ¡°(...Oh, that¡¯s right. A chaff missile was fired as a meteorological weapon. It scattered signal-blocking particles in the clouds which turned the natural clouds into giant anti-satellite shields.)¡±


    If the Object could use the satellite, they could be found in an instant. Quenser was now immensely thankful for that waste of tax money.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s review what we know,¡± he said while staring through the rifle scope.


    Heivia stared at the Object through the sight of the anti-tank missile and forced his tone to remain light.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s Object is codenamed Water Strider. Oh, and that¡¯s just our codename for it. We have no idea what name they developed it under.¡±


    ¡°The name comes from those legs,¡± said the Elite girl crouching next to Quenser while she stared at the Water Strider with her naked eyes.


    Quenser moved the rifle to look at the Object¡¯s legs.


    The main body of the Water Strider was a giant sphere. Four insect-like legs extended from there and to the ground.


    It moved by gliding rather than walking. It slid along the ground just as a water strider moved across water, and thus it received that codename.


    ¡°It seems to slide along the ground using static electricity. It¡¯s basically the same as yours, princess, but with those four legs, it can regulate itself to move smoothly across much rougher surfaces,¡± said Quenser while especially focusing on the very bottom of its legs.


    The princess continued for him.


    ¡°The static electricity is only used to make the heavy Object float. It uses a different means to propel itself forward. For mine, it uses lasers to detonate the air, but the Water Strider uses its legs to directly kick off of the ground.¡±


    In that aspect, the Water Strider truly moved like a real water strider. However, high-level calculations and minute adjustments must have been made instantaneously to ensure the Object¡¯s weight did not become focused on a single leg which would crush it. It actually had to use a method where the legs only just barely touched the ground as they kicked off of it.


    After thinking through all that, Quenser continued his explanation.


    ¡°Basically, the static electricity method is a relative of hovercrafts that blow air down to float on the surface of the water. Instead of destroying the Object, can¡¯t we dig up the earth beneath its legs? If there¡¯s enough of a difference in ground level, the power keeping it afloat will cease to be equally distributed and it might not be able to slide along anymore.¡±


    ¡°It can still walk using its four legs if it has to. If one leg is stuck, it can just pull it out. That may stop it for about 10 seconds, but it wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop it from functioning,¡± explained Heivia. ¡°Also, its plasma cannons and all its other firepower will still be active even if we do stop its legs. We¡¯ll only have turned a mobile gun battery into a stationary one. Once it realizes we¡¯re approaching to destroy its legs, it¡¯ll blow us to pieces in no time at all. It might work if we were willing to die in order save Froleytia and the others, but I¡¯d honestly rather not die like that.¡±


    ¡°In that case...¡± The Elite girl moved her gaze from the Water Strider¡¯s legs to the main weapons attached at the top. ¡°Can we make the enemy misfire? If only an Object can destroy an Object, then if we used the Object¡¯s own power...¡±


    ¡°Maybe if we had our own Object, but this tiny missile can¡¯t even scratch its cannons.¡±


    Heivia lightly struck his portable missile as if it were trash.


    They could not destroy the legs or cannons.


    That only left...


    ¡°So we¡¯ll have to deal with the main body.¡± Quenser looked at the giant sphere through the scope. ¡°But isn¡¯t that the toughest target of them all? A nuclear shelter-like wall surrounds the giant reactor. How are we supposed to get through that?¡±


    ¡°Hey, we had spare parts for our Object, right? Were there any spares of the main weapons for the princess¡¯s Object in there? Only the firepower of an Object can destroy an Object, so this could work if we have one of its cannons, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how much of an output an Object¡¯s reactor has?¡± Quenser shook his head with a bitter expression on his face. ¡°It produces enough energy to have energy to spare while firing over 100 weapons that would not receive sufficient energy from a standard nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Those reactors are crystallizations of human technology. They are handmade by about 300 technicians with skills that not even precision machinery can match. Where are you planning to get an energy source to replace that reactor?¡± Quenser continued giving flaws in Heivia¡¯s suggestion. ¡°And even if we did have a reactor to use, those weapons are meant to be fired while attached to a 50 meters, 20 ton Object. The shockwave from firing the railguns or coilguns might be enough to kill us if we fired them and the radiant heat from the laser or plasma weapons could turn us into human torches. ...Actually, a low-stability plasma cannon would probably shoot off like a rocket if we fired one.¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking out loud, dammit. And that damn Water Strider made sure to destroy all the maintenance facilities from our base to crush even the slimmest possibility of something like that.¡±


    However, the two of them both stopped speaking there.


    ¡°Wait a second.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The Elite girl looked confused as the two guys took their eyes from the scopes and exchanged glances.


    ¡°Even if we can¡¯t destroy the Object itself, their base zone is still run by soldiers.¡±


    ¡°That monster is still a weapon, so it¡¯ll stop moving if it doesn¡¯t receive regular maintenance, won¡¯t it?¡±


    Quenser and the other two moved far away from the Water Strider and headed down the mountain slope. The three of them came up behind the Water Strider¡¯s maintenance base zone.


    They were inside a rusted metal tower.


    It had likely been set up as a watchtower while the base zone was being constructed and the radars had yet to be set up. It seemed to have been abandoned since the base zone had been completed, so Quenser and the others made use of it.


    While hiding behind the bulletproof metal panels attached to the watchtower, they looked out into the distance where the enemy maintenance base zone spread out before them. The base appeared to be about 500 meters square.


    ¡°...Hey, did you notice it?¡± whispered Heivia as they looked out at the base zone.


    ¡°Yeah, it has a lot of radar facilities. In fact, the base is mostly made up of radars.¡±


    Most of the buildings made of thick concrete were either maintenance areas for the Water Strider or radar facilities for supporting the Object. It had almost no normal military force outside of the Object. The base had been constructed based on the theory that Objects were synonymous with war and therefore everything should be focused on it.


    ¡°Not only are there no tanks or fighters, but there aren¡¯t even any armored vehicles or soldier transport vehicles. The few vehicles scattered about all look like tractors for plowing the snow.¡±


    ¡°I guess they made everything either for Object maintenance or radar in order to cut down on unneeded maintenance costs for the inspecting of the other vehicles.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that spending taxes on maintaining outdated tanks seems pretty ridiculous...¡±


    Most likely, the only military force outside of the Object at the enemy base zone was infantry. And speaking of the infantry...


    ¡°I guess this isn¡¯t too surprising,¡± muttered Quenser. ¡°A student who had never actually held a gun before couldn¡¯t take out four real soldiers. Those were probably just maintenance workers. They didn¡¯t expect to have to capture an Elite like that, so they had to hurriedly throw together a team of noncombat maintenance soldiers to go after her.¡±


    ¡°Whether they were trained or not, those were still horrible bastards you killed. This doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re the knight that saved the princess,¡± said Heivia lightly.


    Their moods had improved quite a bit just by getting some distance away from the object even if it was only temporarily.


    ¡°However, if they had to send maintenance soldiers to the front lines, it¡¯s probably safe to assume they don¡¯t have many normal soldiers. If we could just get rid of that gigantic Object, Froleytia and the others fleeing might be enough to take them out.¡±


    ¡°The problem is what to do about that Object,¡± said the Elite girl.


    Quenser looked at the largest facility in the base zone that was likely the maintenance facility.


    ¡°? ...It looks like the roof and walls can open.¡±


    ¡°Well, their only means of fighting is the Object. It¡¯d be a major problem if they were attacked while it was being serviced. I¡¯m betting they made sure some of the cannons can still function while it¡¯s undergoing maintenance so they can intercept any attack.¡±


    ¡°But if the Object is still running, how can they service it?¡±


    ¡°The Water Strider has over 100 weapons, so they¡¯ll still have 50 left over even if they stop half of them for maintenance. That way, they have a minimum number active at all times.¡±


    Quenser looked back at the base zone as a whole while listening to Heivia.


    ¡°...So what should we blow up?¡± Quenser asked his comrades in arms while thinking about the structure of the various buildings. ¡°What would cause them the most problems if it was destroyed?¡±


    ¡°You already know, don¡¯t you? The legs. There has to be a storage area or something that holds the spare parts for the Water Strider¡¯s legs.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    The Elite girl looked confused, but Quenser nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Even with that giant form floating, quite a bit of stress has to be put on the legs. It¡¯s bad enough with a giant flat surface like with a hovercraft and its using just the ends of those four legs.¡±


    ¡°According to our battle records, that damn water strider always goes back to its base for maintenance once every 12 hours. Most likely, it¡¯s getting an overhaul for those ¡®glass slippers¡¯ on its feet. Constantly producing enough energy to make that giant thing float must melt the metal parts.¡±


    ¡°My Object uses static electricity too, but it can go half a year without replacing the parts. I remember because it is generally replaced with the attached box that holds the compressed exhaust gases from the JPlevelMHD reactor.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s due to the effective area, don¡¯t you think? The flat floating surface at the bottom of the upside down Y-shape undercarriage is a few dozen meters across, so the burden on any one point isn¡¯t too great. However, that Water Strider floats from only the ends of the four legs, so it gets worn down much faster. That¡¯s what makes the vast difference between having to replace the parts every half day or every half year.¡±


    ¡°...Since it¡¯s a half day, does that mean the Water Strider would chase after us for another 12 hours even if we destroy the facility?¡±


    ¡°Sure, if it had just replaced its ¡®glass slippers¡¯ with new ones. It¡¯s been a while since it last replaced them and it had to have been putting more stress on its legs than usual while fighting the princess¡¯s Object. I¡¯d say its undercarriage must be pretty burnt out by now. In fact, it¡¯s surprising it hasn¡¯t headed back to the base yet.¡±


    ¡°So if we blow up those spare parts...¡± muttered the girl.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be able to replace them. The Object will burn out its legs and no longer be able to move. Even if it does force itself to continue moving like that, the tough barrier walls will melt its system from within.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t destroy the Object itself, but we¡¯ll be able to run away from the threat.¡±


    ¡°That means we need to think of a way to sneak into the base,¡± said the Elite girl.


    Quenser and Heivia looked over at the short princess and she continued speaking.


    ¡°As an Elite that pilots an Object, I have an idea how we can sneak through their radar net.¡±


    Part 13


    The only explosives they had on hand were the C4 for destroying bridges or rock and the portable anti-tank missile.


    Quenser and Heivia headed down from the watchtower and headed for the enemy¡¯s Object maintenance base zone.


    ¡°...Should we really have left the princess behind?¡±


    ¡°All three of us going wouldn¡¯t have helped any. If the Water Strider returns while we¡¯re working, we need to escape from the base, so leaving a lookout behind like this is best.¡±


    ¡°Hah. Give me a break, Sir Knight. Even if rank and file soldiers like us are captured, there¡¯s a chance they¡¯ll keep the treaty and treat us as prisoners of war. However, an Elite would clearly be different. She¡¯ll either be brutally tortured to get classified information on our Object or shot on the spot to destroy our army¡¯s ability to fight at the root. You were just making sure she could still flee if we fucked this up.¡±


    ¡°Like I said: this is best.¡±


    As Quenser trudged through the snow, a smile appeared on his lips.


    Due to the cold, it was a stiff, awkward smile, but it was a natural smile all the same.


    ¡°You certainly have cheered up,¡± he said to Heivia.


    ¡°Of course I have. Charging into an enemy base with some scrawny bastard is so much better than being chased around by that monstrous Object.¡±


    They had recovered mentally enough that jokes and sarcasm now came to them naturally once more.


    They eventually reached the barricade at the back of the base. The enemy base zone was surrounded by a long net made of synthetic fiber, but it did not appear to have any sensors attached.


    ¡°What do you think? Should we climb over?¡±


    ¡°No, you idiot. The guards will definitely notice us if we climb two meters up. We need to cut a hole in the barricade,¡± Heivia whispered as he pulled a knife from his waist.


    He used the large blade to cut through the synthetic fibers weaved into the barricade one at a time.


    It took a while and they were worried a patrolling soldier would notice them, but one never did. It seemed they truly did leave everything to the Object.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Hey, where do you think the spare parts for the legs are stored?¡± asked Quenser as he slipped through the hole in the barricade.


    It seemed like thick concrete buildings were placed here and there throughout the wide area of the base zone. A lot of them were large antenna facilities for assisting the Object. The area between buildings was unusually large either so an intruder could be spotted from the watchtowers or so the giant Object could pass through without obstruction.


    Heivia answered while hiding behind the nearest building.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but the Object has to be overhauled every half day. It¡¯s probably the place the most people go to and from.¡±


    ¡°By the way, how long has it been since the Water Strider last started moving?¡±


    ¡°It should be coming back soon, so we need to blow up those spare parts before it does.¡±


    If they could keep the Water Strider from being serviced on, it would be stuck at the base zone. However, if it was successfully overhauled, it could move around freely for another 12 hours. If that happened, their fleeing superiors and fellow soldiers would be slaughtered for sure.


    Quenser used the scope of his rifle to look at the surrounding facilities and found one building that had a lot more footprints in the snow leading to its entrance than any other. The snowstorms made footprints disappear, but the white snow was a dirty mud color in that area alone. He could see footprints from 100 to 200 people as well as tire and tread tracks from a few heavy vehicles.


    ¡°That building isn¡¯t big enough to fit the Object inside.¡±


    ¡°So are those footprints and tracks from taking the spare parts from there to the maintenance facility?¡±


    ¡°It might just be a popular strip club on the base. If so, we¡¯re gonna end up in a firefight with 100 idiots pitching tents in their pants.¡±


    Quenser used his rifle¡¯s scope to look at the watchtowers at the four corners of the base zone, but the parabolic antennae of the many large radar facilities that had been built later blocked the view of any guards who might be in them. Once again, the Object took priority. At any rate, it looked like they were not going to be caught that way if they ran through the base zone.


    Quenser and Heivia charged out from behind the building and ran across a wide open area of snow.


    It only took 10 seconds to cross, but they thought their hearts were going to stop.


    No gunshots from a sniper in the watchtowers were heard.


    They pressed up against the wall of the storehouse.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in the back way. Do you know how to open an electronic lock?¡±


    ¡°If we have to, we can use the C4 to blow open the door.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea. If only it wouldn¡¯t bring every soldier in the base to us.¡±


    As Quenser and Heivia spoke back and forth, they circled around to the back entrance and found it unlocked.


    ¡°...I guess they decided there was no chance they would have human intruders.¡±


    ¡°And I thought having guards was a waste of money back at our base...¡±


    They opened the small door and entered the storehouse.


    The building was 50 meters wide, 100 meters long, and 15 meters tall. It was simply a large open area with no inner walls. Metal beams ran vertically and horizontally through the area. The metal framework was highly regular and created something that looked like giant bookshelves from a library.


    And those bookshelves were lined with cylindrical parts.


    The cylinders had a diameter of about a meter and a length of about 5 meters, making them look something like a fighter aircraft¡¯s engine. From Quenser¡¯s knowledge of Objects, he guessed they were the devices that created the massive amounts of static electricity by spinning the turbines.


    ¡°My guess is this is part of the undercarriage, but...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, at my station, we were analyzing the battle records and trying to come up with an expected design of the enemy Object. I¡¯m pretty sure a part similar to this was drawn in the predicted diagram,¡± agreed Heivia.


    Quenser looked at the side of the cylindrical turbines where a number was written. It was most likely a simple spec for the electrical power it used, but...


    ¡°...What the hell? Is this decimal point in the wrong place? If this is accurate, then it¡¯s more than twice what I¡¯m guessing the value is for the plasma cannons.¡±


    ¡°To keep such a large body afloat and moving at such high speeds, they have to go all out like that. The electrical simulation group estimates that each leg uses around 10 of these turbines.¡±


    ¡°Twenty times the power of a plasma cannon? And for just one leg?¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± said Heivia as he opened the maintenance cover of the turbine and peered inside. ¡°The thing is jammed full of sensors. It almost looks like those horrible time bombs you see in movies. These are all for extremely sensitive security. They have to make sure they can predict ahead of time if control of one of these high output turbines is going to be lost so they can shut it down ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°...Come to think of it, I think I heard something about the turbines melting if they continually created energy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late by the time they melt,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Just because the turbine stops functioning does not mean the energy produced by the reactor is going to just disappear. The reactor and the legs have a few emergency transformers and discharge devices installed, but the amount of power they would have to get rid of would be orders of magnitude greater than what those can deal with. If all the turbines packed into a single leg went out, that would be 20 times the output of one of its plasma cannons. I¡¯m betting the transformers and discharge devices wouldn¡¯t even be able to function if the turbines actually melted and ceased to function. The devices would be blown to pieces.¡±


    That was why the turbines had so many sensors installed. If they could predict a failure early, they could actually deal with the excess energy by discharging it in stages.


    ¡°Its functionality may be optimized...but the Water Strider¡¯s design just forces a lot of things through, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just one aspect to creating an Object specialized for this snowy region. One like our princess¡¯s that was designed to be almighty in any situation and the Water Strider that only works in Alaska may both be Objects, but they were developed with completely different ideas in mind,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Deep snow can slow you down, so an Object that can move around quickly is a major advantage. ...And that was what did our princess in.¡±


    However, if the turbines could not be replaced, Quenser and the others would be victorious.


    If the static electricity producer in the Water Strider¡¯s undercarriage was destroyed, it could not be overhauled and then the enemy Object would be stuck.


    And they had C4 they could use to carry that out.


    But...


    Part 14


    Within the watchtower a short distance from the maintenance base zone, the Elite girl waited for Quenser and Heivia¡¯s return.


    Suddenly, her ears twitched and she frantically turned around.


    She had heard the dark thundercloud-like noise the Water Strider made when it moved using massive amounts of static electricity. It had likely started back toward its base zone because its time limit was drawing near.


    If it ran across the other two in the base zone, they would surely be killed.


    The girl had been handed a radio for just such a situation. If it came to it, she was to contact Quenser and Heivia so they could get away. Their plan would fail, but they would keep their lives. If the plan to destroy the Object¡¯s undercarriage had to be ended, they would just have to come up with some other way.


    The Elite girl reached for the radio¡¯s switch, but suddenly stopped.


    (...Not good.)


    She audibly gulped.


    The enemy base zone was made up of maintenance facilities for the Object and large radio facilities to support the Object. They were likely used to more efficiently locate the enemy in a snowstorm, but if she used a radio so near a base with that many precision radars...


    (They would definitely notice. Not only would they locate me, but they might even realize the signal was being sent toward the base...)


    The radio was supposed to let her warn them of danger, but the transmission itself would bring danger on them.


    However, she could not tell them the Object was approaching without the radio.


    The Water Strider continued to approach the base zone.


    (What do I do?)


    The Elite girl looked down at the radio.


    She did not want those two to die. This was not an issue of being duty bound to protect the other soldiers as the Elite of an Object. Beyond such sworn duty, she simply did not want those who had stood up to protect her to die in vain.


    Comrades in arms.


    When that term appeared in her mind, the Elite girl nodded.


    (The enemy¡¯s top priority is the Elite that pilots the Object...)


    She took a deep breath and then stared intently at the giant weapon.


    That was her only chance to act as a decoy.


    Part 15


    With C4 in hand, Quenser¡¯s expression turned bitter.


    ¡°...What are we supposed to do?¡± he muttered in a trembling voice.


    The maintenance parts for the Object were just the precision equipment with no outer shell, so C4 was more than enough to destroy them.


    However...


    ¡°There¡¯s just too many of them. The amount of C4 I have isn¡¯t enough!!¡±


    The vast space within the building was packed almost completely full of the cylindrical parts. Quenser gritted his teeth at the overly cautious amount they had prepared.


    Objects were synonymous with war.


    Everyone on that base would be slaughtered if the Object ceased to function.


    The massive amount of parts showed how afraid they were of that happening. The enemies were cowardly enough to leave all the killing to the Object, but they were well aware of its weaknesses.


    Heivia was taken aback in the same way and he tapped Quenser¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s just blow up the entire building. Even if we can¡¯t blow up each individual part, we can crush it all under the rubble if we destroy one of the building¡¯s main support pillars!!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any way of being sure that every single one of these thousands of parts will be unusable afterwards? And even if each individual part is unusable, they might be able to scavenge enough working components to put together a usable one!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s-...! No, you¡¯re right. The continued operation of the Object is a matter of life or death for them. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they were that persistent. But what else are we supposed to do!?¡±


    ¡°Shit!!¡± Quenser swore and ran through the storehouse.


    He looked at each of the shelves made of the metal framework to see if he could find any useful information. As he read the displays, his impatience increased, preventing him from actually comprehending any of it.


    At the same time, Heivia glanced toward the exit.


    ¡°Hey, this is dangerous. We should really finish up in here! If we can¡¯t take out the Object¡¯s undercarriage, there¡¯s no point in staying any longer!! We need to get out of here!!¡±


    ¡°Wait just a bit longer!! There has to be something!!¡± replied Quenser as he flipped through a turbine maintenance manual he had found.


    When he then heard a low sound like thunderclouds spreading across the sky, he thought his heart would stop.


    It was the sound of the Water Strider moving.


    ¡°Oh, shit!! Why didn¡¯t the princess warn us over the radio!?¡± Heivia yelled, but Quenser paid him no heed.


    After coming that far, they would die a vain death if they did not retaliate in some way.


    (Wait a second. This combination of a four level sensor and automatic switch...)


    Quenser looked back and forth between the maintenance manual and the shelves.


    (What¡¯s the number!? If I know the leading number...!!)


    ¡°Time¡¯s up, hero!! If we don¡¯t get out of here in 30 seconds, we¡¯ll be trapped!!¡±


    ¡°Give me one more minute!!¡±


    ¡°What are you messing around with!? Didn¡¯t you conclude we couldn¡¯t blow them up!?¡±


    ¡°45 more seconds!!¡±


    Heivia heard a great number of footsteps approaching. Quenser had likely lost his ability to make rational decision due to the hope he thought he saw before him. Just as Heivia was thinking of kicking Quenser¡¯s ass to make him leave, Quenser finally returned to Heivia.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Can we still make it!?¡±


    ¡°Because of some idiot wasting time it¡¯s gonna be pretty thrilling, but hopefully! This way!!¡± Heivia said as he ran toward the back entrance.


    He opened the door a crack and peered outside just in time to see the giant Object cut across nearby. It was likely headed for the maintenance area. The maintenance soldiers were following behind it.


    ¡°Can we make it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be like cutting across a bee hive, but we won¡¯t get another chance. The radar facilities will be on highest alert when the Object is undergoing maintenance. We need to get out of the base before they switch over the mode.¡±


    They then heard a clanking noise.


    It was not coming from the back entrance. The personnel door next to the giant shutter on the front was opening.


    ¡°Dammit, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia were almost pushing each other as they charged out of the storehouse.


    It seemed the enemy army had lowered its guard quite a bit since the Object they felt was the sole threat had been destroyed. A great number people were gathered around the returning Water Strider as if it were a triumphant parade.


    ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t going to be using that C4, right? Stick fuses in it and throw it all over the area.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to use it as a diversion?¡±


    ¡°Once that damn Water Strider¡¯s maintenance is done, we¡¯re going to need some kind of plan to buy us enough time to escape. If they get a report of explosions all over their base, they might assume it¡¯s being bombarded and turn the Object back to deal with it!!¡±


    Quenser went along with Heivia¡¯s idea and tossed the small pieces of C4 around as he ran. It was true that they were not going to need the C4.


    After ridding themselves of all the C4, they headed back for the hole they had cut in the barricade.


    That was when Quenser noticed something.


    He suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, hero!? Did you leave something behind!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! The princess has been captured!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s expression turned to one of shock upon seeing the serious look on Quenser¡¯s face.


    They headed behind a nearby building rather than for the hole in the barricade and then peered around the side so they could see the center of the base zone.


    In the distance, they could see the Elite girl in handcuffs being forced to walk near the Water Strider. Their triumphant mood had not simply been due to the return of the Object. They were in high spirits because they now had a chance to lynch the person who had been threatening their lives.


    Quenser looked back and forth between the hole in the barricade and the Elite girl in the center of the base zone.


    ¡°God dammit. What are we supposed to do!?¡± he asked.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do...? Oh, no. While I admit you¡¯re a knight, you can¡¯t possibly be thinking of trying to save her in this situation!¡±


    ¡°So we should just abandon her!? I¡¯m not saying we have to take on the Object. We just scattered that C4 around, remember!? If we can confuse the enemy with that, there might be enough of an opening to save her!!¡±


    ¡°With just the two of us!? They have their Object. And even if they didn¡¯t, how many soldiers do you see out there!? Do you know just how many reinforcements we would need to break through all of them!?¡±


    ¡°But without the Object, things would be different, right?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If we can take out the Water Strider, we could manage with normal reinforcements like tanks or fighters, right!?¡±


    Quenser gritted his teeth and operated the radio in his hand.


    He was not detonating the C4.


    He was trying to contact Froleytia and the other fleeing soldiers, but Heivia frantically grabbed his hand upon realizing that.


    ¡°You idiot!! Their base is mainly radar facilities! If you send out a radio signal, they¡¯ll find us in no time at all!!¡±


    ¡°But...!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do. Even if we could contact Froleytia and the others, do you really think they¡¯d come!?¡±


    ¡°So we should just abandon the princess!? Do you remember why we split up with the main force and came here in the first place!? It was because we couldn¡¯t abandon her!¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Heivia said and quietly clicked his tongue.


    He seemed to hesitate over something, but finally made up his mind and spoke.


    ¡°My military instructor taught me a secret trick back when I was trained.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°If you raise the output of the infrared seeker on an 8th generation portable anti-tank missile as far as it will go, make a few special modifications to the aiming computer, and then connect it to the radio¡¯s port, the high power military satellite will pick up the infrared signal, completing the transmission.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean...!!¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no guarantee those in control of the radio facilities here won¡¯t notice a trick like this and the chaff missile shot in to the clouds is obstructing any transmissions or signals. The instructor who taught me this said it should only be used as a last resort to get an SOS out. It¡¯ll be a miracle if the transmission lasts even for a whole minute.¡±


    As he practically spat out that explanation, Heivia put down the missile and started making the necessary preparations. Quenser removed the cover to the missile¡¯s aiming computer.


    ¡°Do you know where and when the satellite is going to pass by overhead?¡±


    ¡°Look at the timetable in File 399 on your handheld device. If it¡¯s on its standard orbit, you should be able to check it there without having to check online.¡±


    Heivia connected the radio and portable anti-tank missile with a cable and slowly moved the barrel through the sky based on the data on Quenser¡¯s handheld device. As he did, a bit of static ran through the radio¡¯s speakers.


    ¡°There, Heivia. ...Okay, it looks like we¡¯ve got the satellite.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and secure the transmission line and then connect to Froleytia¡¯s laser satellite communication device! I have no idea how long this manual method will last!!¡±


    Despite the jury rigged method, they were using the proper military code, so the satellite actually relayed their signal. After getting the signal indicating the access had been a success, Quenser spoke into the radio.


    ¡°This is Quenser. Can you hear me, Froleytia? We are currently near the enemy base zone!!¡±


    ¡°...!?¡±


    They heard the sound of someone¡¯s breath catching in their throat come from the radio.


    Due to forcing the signal through with the portable anti-tank missile, the signal had a lot of noise mixed in. The static was louder than the voices, but they could barely manage to get their words across to each other.


    ¡°The princess was captured by the soldiers at the base. We are about to go save her. Could you lend us a hand? The base is mostly made up of Object maintenance facilities and radar facilities, so they basically have no tanks or fighters. If we can do something about the Object, we can easily defeat them!!¡±


    ¡°Do you know how dangerous that Object is? Give up on the princess. There is no need for you to die and, Quenser, you aren¡¯t even an actual soldier. No one will blame you if you run away!!¡±


    ¡°We will deal with the Object,¡± said Quenser plainly. No one thought his words could be anything but a bluff. ¡°Froleytia, you can wait until you see the large flash of the Object blowing up, but the instant you think we could win at least send a single tank our way! That alone could completely change this situation. Please consider it!!¡±


    ¡°Okay, but I wouldn¡¯t get your hopes up if I were you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m free to get my hopes up over whatever I want,¡± Quenser said before switching off the radio.


    He then turned toward Heivia.


    He forced down the trembling of his body and said, ¡°Now we¡¯ve done everything we can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s really any chance of Froleytia coming back. For one thing, your request was not based on military regulations. She isn¡¯t going to put her subordinates and units in danger for that.¡±


    ¡°Now we just need to resolve everything by praying for a miracle and destroying the Object on our own.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that like it¡¯s easy. And I never said a single word about helping you save the princess.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Quenser did not speak ill of Heivia for wanting to flee. He had forcibly gotten him involved before, but there was no guarantee they would survive the next time. Also, what Quenser was going to do next was not a proper military action. In fact, he was thankful that Heivia had stuck around as long as he had.


    ¡°...Sorry for making you tag along for all this. You leave through the hole in the barricade and escape into the forest over there. I¡¯ll do everything I can to draw their attention while you do.¡±


    ¡°Wait, damn you. Don¡¯t leave me with some horrible trauma! You¡¯re not going to give me any choice are you!?¡±


    Heivia was still stubbornly glancing back toward the hole in the barricade, but when Quenser dashed out from behind the building and headed for his next piece of cover, Heivia chased after him.


    Quenser and Heivia headed out alone on a mission that had almost no chance of succeeding.


    And of course, no miracle occurred.


    After only 10 minutes, they were spotted, warning shots were fired at the ground near their feet by a sniper, and they ended up surrendering with their hands raised above their heads.


    Part 16


    Quenser, Heivia, and the Elite girl were brought to the center of the maintenance base zone. They were ordered to kneel down and put their hands behind their heads.


    A soldier was placed behind each of them, holding a gun to their heads. A ring of people from the base zone had appeared to watch their public execution.


    ¡°Such a sad story, isn¡¯t it? This is such a good example of a knight returning to save the princess.¡±


    ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit. The Object is entering the maintenance area.¡±


    As Heivia and the Elite girl spoke back and forth, Quenser remained silent and watched the Water Strider slowly move along.


    ¡°(...If I create some confusion, do you think we can get away?)¡±


    ¡°(...Ahhn? You mean the C4 we scattered about? If that somehow blew up the Object, we might make it somehow.)¡±


    ¡°(...I¡¯m serious here.)¡±


    ¡°(...So am I.)¡±


    Meanwhile, one of the enemy soldiers stepped forward and stood before Quenser and the others. While chewing on some gum, he spat some yellow saliva at Quenser¡¯s head.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna roast you with the Object¡¯s main weapons.¡± He then turned toward the Elite girl. ¡°For you, we¡¯re gonna use suggestion and electrodes to pull out everything in your head. Your personality will never recover, but it¡¯ll all be over in about 30 minutes. Afterwards, we¡¯ll strip you naked and hang you from the main weapons until you freeze to death. Maybe the savages running through the woods and mountains will give up once they see that.¡±


    ¡°...So you don¡¯t care about the war treaties relating to prisoners of war. I think I know who the real savages are here, you fucker.¡±


    Heivia let that comment slip and immediately afterwards he had a thick leather military boot fly at his cheek. It struck him and he sank down into the snow. As he coughed, he glared at the enemy soldier with a powerful light in his eyes.


    ¡°The maintenance is complete, so it¡¯s time for the execution,¡± the enemy soldier said mockingly.


    With a great noise like a church bell, the walls and ceiling of the Object maintenance facility opened wide. Appearing from it was the giant weapon with a 50 meter main body and main cannons stretching in each direction, giving it a total length of over 140 meters. The Water Strider ruled over the winter Alaskan land with over 100 weapons and thick armor. As it had just replaced the parts for its undercarriage, the dark thundercloud-like noise created by the massive static electricity it created seemed to have a sharper tone to it.


    It was about 300 meters away, but it had such great power that it could ignore such distances. The scene seriously made them feel like it would crush them under its legs if they gave the slightest movement.


    Seeing that Object, Quenser whispered to Heivia.


    ¡°(...Get down when I charge out. Use that snowplow tractor over there for cover.)¡±


    ¡°(...Hey!!)¡±


    Heivia did not have time to stop him.


    Quenser charged out toward the enemy soldier approaching them. The surrounding soldiers held up their rifles, but they could not bring themselves to pull the trigger because of the struggle. That may have been thanks to the fact that they were all maintenance soldiers that had not been properly trained.


    The enemy soldier must have thought Quenser was trying to grab his rifle because he pulled the rifle away.


    However, Quenser was not grabbing for the rifle.


    He was grabbing the rectangular radio strapped on the soldier¡¯s shoulder like a knife.


    ¡°Get down!!¡± Quenser yelled just as the soldier pushed him away.


    Quenser operated the radio with his thumb while rolling on the ground despite the fact that many rifle barrels were targeting him. Heivia assumed he was using the radio to detonate the C4 they had spread around the area, so he immediately jumped behind the snowplow tractor such that he covered up the Elite pilot.


    However, that was not what happened.


    Quenser was not detonating the C4 he had scattered as dummies.


    He was detonating the leg of the Water Strider.


    With an explosive noise, one of the four legs over 300 meters away exploded from the inside. It was not an external explosion. The explosion had clearly come from within the armor.


    When Quenser had seen all the spare parts in the storehouse, he had determined it would be impossible to blow them all up. That was why he had searched out which spare parts would be put into the Object during its next maintenance and put C4 inside those parts. He still had plenty to learn, but his studies of the construction of Objects may have been what had allowed him to determine which parts were important and where he could stick the C4 inside them so it would not be noticed.


    With its thick armor, the Object could not be destroyed even with a nuclear weapon. However, an explosive within the armor could destroy the equipment within the Object.


    Also, he had blown away the turbines that consumed massive amounts of energy to create the static electricity that helped move the Object. Even one of them used twice the energy of a low-stability plasma cannon which meant each leg used 20 times that energy during normal use. This made it quite a delicate point.


    So what would happen if that point was destroyed?


    Tons of sensors were installed in the turbines to predict failures and shut them down in stages to minimize the damage. How much of a burden would be put on the emergency transformers and discharge devices ¨C as well as the reactor itself ¨C if one was blown up causing a chain reaction that blew up the rest of them?


    The soldier who Quenser had stolen the radio from and who was now pointing his rifle at the boy looked over toward the sudden explosion.


    But...


    ¡°...Did you think you could destroy the Object by causing an explosion within it?¡± he said triumphantly.


    The initial blast had caused a few secondary explosions, but it had remained isolated to a single leg. It had not been enough to destroy the entirety of the Water Strider.


    ¡°Did you know that 5% of our Object¡¯s weight is due to safety devices? A few rank and file soldiers sneaking into a maintenance facility and pulling a few tricks isn¡¯t going to cut it.¡±


    After causing the large explosion, Quenser had jumped behind the snowplow tractor and the enemy soldier was standing in the middle of the open snow aiming his rifle at him.


    ¡°The superiority of Objects will never be overturned. That is the battlefield we fight on.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    However, Quenser continued to smile even in that hopeless situation.


    ¡°Did you know that our princess¡¯s Object and your Water Strider have similar devices installed? I saw it mentioned in your maintenance manual. Some Objects have security devices installed to ensure they will not fall into enemy hands. If it has not been destroyed but can no longer function, the enemy could retrieve it and analyze the technology. To prevent that, the special gas for the plasma cannons is used to blow the Object up.¡±


    Something appeared in Quenser¡¯s hand like he was a stage magician.


    It was small enough to fit in his palm and looked like a rectangular circuit board.


    ¡°The device is controlled by precision sensors, so it almost never activates unnecessarily.¡±


    The enemy soldier immediately realized what the rectangular circuit board was.


    However, it was too late to do anything about it.


    ¡°But if that sensor is removed from a turbine that blows up, do you think it can make an accurate decision?¡±


    After all, the C4 explosion had caused a malfunction in the Water Strider¡¯s security device, causing it to activate. The special gas for the low-stability plasma cannons filled a special space within the giant machine...and caused a tremendous explosion shortly thereafter.


    The great explosion caused by plasma within the Object enveloped the reactor in no time at all. However, it was an intentional explosion meant to destroy all classified information. It was set to only produce the destructive force needed to prevent any of the technology from being analyzed, so it was many times less powerful than a critical explosion of the reactor itself.


    Nevertheless, all sound disappeared.


    The giant sphere that was the Object¡¯s main body explosively expanded and a pure white flash of light and an intense shockwave were emitted in all directions. The enemy soldier standing out in the open were struck by the shockwave. He doubled over and was tossed a few dozen meters before landing. Similar things happened to the other enemy soldiers.


    The giant Object had been blown up at the hands of a flesh-and-blood combat engineer.


    That was an unheard-of event that completely overturned the theory of war itself. That accomplishment had been carried out by the combination of the skills of Quenser, Heivia, and the Elite girl. A combat engineer who normally worked behind the scenes to blow up stones or bridges to create or obstruct paths had been raised to the level of a hero that could influence the outcome of an entire war.


    However, he did not have time to enjoy that fact.


    ¡°Gwaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    Quenser had immediately taken cover, but he did not escape unscathed.


    Even though he was over 300 meters from the Object and hiding behind a snowplow tractor, the explosive flash of light seemed to pierce into his retinas. The surface of the steel tractor became scorched and it slid to the side.


    Intense pain ran through his head and his sense of hearing was almost completely gone. A burning pain covered his entire back. He frantically rubbed his eyes as his vision was filled with pure white and tried to find Heivia and the Elite girl who must have been in a similar state collapsed nearby.


    He then heard a clanking noise from somewhere.


    A few of the soldiers must have miraculously managed to survive just like Quenser and the other two. His vision finally returned and he saw a few soldiers desperately trying to aim their rifles at him while staggering due to the shock of the blast.


    Quenser once more felt the radio in his hand.


    He set the frequency and sent the detonation code for the C4.


    The explosives he had scattered about exploded and the enemy soldiers holding their rifles nearby were thrown humorously into the air.


    Quenser shouted at Heivia who was lying collapsed nearby.


    ¡°Can you run!? Grab one of the rifles from the ground and return fire!!¡±


    ¡°God damn you! That¡¯s what you call ¡®creating some confusion¡¯? Something that big is going to make me panic, too!!¡± Heivia shouted as he picked up a rifle lying on the ground.


    Even if they had managed to destroy the Water Strider due to countless coincidences, their goal was not the destruction of the maintenance base zone.


    They just had to escape safely.


    But...


    ¡°!?¡±


    As Quenser and the others ran toward the exit of the base zone, a single enemy soldier blocked their way. He was already holding his rifle up and had it aimed squarely at Quenser¡¯s chest. The two stared at each other in that hopeless situation. Quenser clearly saw a smile appear on the soldier¡¯s face.


    And then he heard a gunshot.


    However, it had not come from the soldier¡¯s rifle.


    A sniper bullet flew from much farther away and pierced straight through the side of the enemy soldier¡¯s head.


    The rest of the enemy soldiers turned in shock in the direction the gunshot had come from just in time to see countless missiles and shells fly in from outside the base zone. The enemy soldiers were not the only ones surprised by this. Quenser and the other two had been saved by the unknown covering fire, but they just stood staring in disbelief.


    ¡°They actually came... That¡¯s Froleytia¡¯s unit, isn¡¯t it!?¡±


    ¡°What the hell? It looks like that Japan obsessed pair of giant tits can actually be a decent commander!!¡±


    The enemy base zone was filled with maintenance and radar facilities to support the Object. The rest of its forces were nothing but infantry units. They did not have any tanks or even armored vehicles.


    On the other hand, Quenser and the others¡¯ army had the full complement of tanks and fighters they had always complained were nothing but a waste of taxes. It had seemed almost certain that those outdated weapons would never actually be used, but they were finally able to show their true worth.


    Several explosions were scattered about and enemy soldiers flew through the air. Amid it all, Quenser grabbed the Elite girl¡¯s hand and ran for the exit. It seemed the sentry had been taken out by a howitzer.


    Heivia ran alongside him while intermittently firing his rifle.


    ¡°Heh heh. Hey, Quenser! We¡¯d have to be pretty stupid to die after coming this far, wouldn¡¯t we!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Froleytia came all the way here because she believed in us. We need to at least live up to her expectations!!¡±


    Had their superiors who had been fleeing come back because they had seen the clear sign of victory that was the Object exploding? Or had they felt some kind of responsibility after running off and abandoning the Elite girl?


    As Quenser ran out through the base zone¡¯s exit, he turned back to look at the base that had black smoke rising from it.


    The battle was essentially over.


    Both sides had lost their Object. All that was left was for the normal soldiers to fight it out. Once it came to that, there was a great difference between an army made up of maintenance soldiers and personnel for the radars meant for an Object battle and an army that had plenty of old-fashioned tanks and fighters.


    (Flesh-and-blood soldiers blew up that Object...)


    The boy who had carried out an act that had overturned the basic knowledge of war stared blankly at the enemy base zone where explosions and gunfire continued.


    The Elite girl must have been thinking something similar because she opened her mouth to speak.


    ¡°...Those people may see us as monsters on the same level as an Object.¡±


    ¡°Not my problem,¡± Heivia said defensively as he stared at the base zone with his soot-covered face. ¡°This is war. They¡¯re the ones that taught us that when they ignored our white flag. We had all forgotten the weight of the word ¡®war¡¯ due to the Object.¡±


    Part 17


    War was taking place all over the world, but at the very least, the intense fighting that had been spreading through Alaska had come to a close. Both armies¡¯ Objects had been destroyed and (rare for that era) a fight between flesh-and-blood soldiers had broken out. In the end, Quenser and the others¡¯ unit had been victorious.


    Quenser, Heivia, and the Elite girl had returned from Alaska to the home country.


    They were from different places, so they parted ways upon leaving the maintenance base zone.


    However, they had one last chance to meet.


    A special awards ceremony was being held.


    The one who had saved their army from a hopeless situation after their Object had been destroyed had not been a professional soldier. It had been a mere student who had been with the unit to study Objects. The news that flesh-and-blood people had destroyed an invincible Object had spread around the world and they were being honored with medals.


    Quenser was within the waiting room of the party hall of a giant hotel the likes of which he had never set foot in before. (He had actually planned on visiting them quite often once he got rich as an Object designer.) The feeling of the unfamiliar dress clothes bothered him and he was continually adjusting the position of the high-quality necktie. However, the sight of Heivia after so long made him forget that feeling altogether.


    ¡°I thought you were supposed to be a noble? I¡¯ve never seen someone who looked worse in dress clothes than me.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I lost the feel for this kind of thing while chasing deer in Alaska. And they don¡¯t look too bad on you.¡±


    However, he was from a noble family, so he was not overpowered by the atmosphere of the party hall even if the dress clothes did not seem to suit him. His body was not unnecessarily tensed up like Quenser¡¯s was.


    ¡°So what battlefield are you headed to next, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? I was only killing time at a military base in order to have enough achievements to be my family¡¯s successor. Now that I¡¯m publicly known as one of the people who blew up an Object, I have no need to stick with the military. Now I can live the rest of my life richly and comfortably. ...Although that sounds like it has its own annoyances.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯re heading straight for the ¡®successful career¡¯ path.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing pretty much the same thing, right? I heard the military took an interest in you and gave you the special right to look through the country¡¯s database. Now you can see as many Object blueprints as you want without having to head out to the battlefield. With so many samples to study, your learning speed should be overwhelmingly faster than those around you.¡±


    Hearing that, Quenser pinched his cheek.


    It had yet to seem real to him, but it seemed he had succeeded in getting a head start on his own successful career.


    ¡°What¡¯s the princess doing?¡±


    ¡°Well, the Elite that pilots an Object obviously can¡¯t leave the front lines so easily. For us, destroying an Object was enough of a miracle to get public recognition, but for our Elite princess, it¡¯s the norm,¡± said Heivia, casually showing just how different a world the Elite girl lived in.


    Quenser thought once more on the burden those who piloted and fought with Objects had to bear.


    Meanwhile, Heivia continued to speak.


    ¡°She¡¯s waiting for her next orders inside an improved Object developed from the same line as her Object that was destroyed in Alaska. I hear a giant Object like that would take three or four years to develop from scratch, so it seems there had already been a plan underway to switch over to this new one. ...Well, don¡¯t you think that princess must like the battlefield if she willingly chose a place like that to wait?¡±


    ¡°After everything we went through, I can¡¯t understand how she could possibly want to go back.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of everything we went through. She may have been given a chance to seriously think about the value of the lives of soldiers like us.¡±


    Suddenly, a knock came at the waiting room¡¯s door.


    A beautiful secretary who worked for a high military official poked her head into the room and asked them to head to the party hall because the preparations for the ceremony were complete.


    As they left the waiting room and headed down the passageway to the party hall, Quenser had a sudden thought.


    ¡°Oh, hey. Did you get an email from the princess?¡±


    ¡°You idiot. That¡¯s another special right you alone have. After all, you¡¯re the one that first grabbed a rifle and went running after her back then.¡±


    ¡°...I was hoping to meet her while we were here.¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re parting ways once more after the awards ceremony, but let¡¯s make this more about celebrating our departure than mourning our parting.¡±


    They opened the double doors to the party hall and were greeted by applause and the flash of cameras. Guided by the voice of the master of ceremonies, Quenser and Heivia slowly headed up onto the stage where they were greeted by distinguished members of the military and had medals on ribbons that were probably more valuable than an Olympic gold medal placed around their necks.


    At the end of the ceremony, the master of ceremonies gave one last remark.


    ¡°Now, a round of applause for these two who defeated an Object without the assistance of an Object of their own. Let us see them off to their next battlefield while praying that their special and excellent strategies can continue to benefit the world in the future.¡±


    (...Eh? What did that idiot just say?)


    While standing on the stage, Quenser frantically looked over at the various high military officials, but they were simply applauding with clearly false smiles on their faces.


    Their eyes alone were serious.


    Objects were synonymous with war. A silent pressure beat down on Quenser telling him that the officials were not about to let go of the kind of soldiers that could destroy an Object and turn around a war.


    ¡°(...Hey. Listen up, hero. It looks like this is no joke. I just heard that fat one over there talking. I know where we¡¯re being assigned next!)¡±


    ¡°(...Where we¡¯re being assigned? That¡¯s already been decided!?)¡±


    ¡°(...Apparently, we¡¯ll be working along with the princess¡¯s Object! It seems they¡¯re thinking that, since we managed to destroy an Object on our own, we might be able to damage an enemy army even more efficiently if we have an Object working with us!!)¡±


    ¡°(...Are you serious? So we¡¯re going to be facing those monstrous Objects again!?)¡±


    As the unexpected strength of his relationships with certain people made him dizzy, Quenser looked down at the medal hanging from his neck.


    (Please tell me this isn¡¯t going to end up being no different from a posthumous promotion.)

 Volume 1, 2: Tom Thumb Runs through the Oil Field >> Battle to Prevent Passage through Gibraltar

    Volume 1, Chapter 2: Tom Thumb Runs through the Oil Field >> Battle to Prevent Passage through Gibraltar


    Part 1


    A girl known as an Elite, who was nicknamed ''the princess'' (whether she liked it or not) by her own army and troops, was inside a giant naval port style of maintenance base zone.


    The facility to maintain the Object she piloted had to be quite large to accommodate its over 50 meter size. If the ancient Greek designers who had built the Greek temples had seen the giant structure, they would likely have been utterly shocked. The princess¡¯s Object, Baby Magnum, fit snugly inside the structure.


    The Object was surrounded by maintenance walkways and the princess was sitting in the center of the Object itself.


    In the center of its sphere-shaped main body was the Object¡¯s cockpit.


    To match the shape of the Object, the cockpit itself formed a sphere with a diameter of 2 meters. The seat was ergonomically streamlined, its shape had been calculated out by a computer to limit fatigue as much as possible, and it even had a massage functionality to avoid things such as bedsores.


    The cockpit in the center of the Object had no windows or windshields with which to see outside with the naked eye. Her vision out was done solely through monitors working in unison with cameras and sensors. The monitors were curved to cleanly attach to the inside of the sphere and the Elite would constantly be viewing over 300 windows accurately but quickly.


    It did not have just one means of control.


    The princess used her index finger to lightly tap a device she was wearing that looked like sharp athletic sunglasses.


    It was an example of an input device that used infrared rays to read the movements of her eyes, but she also had the more well-known fighter craft-type of control column and a large number of keyboard-like buttons. Any one of the control systems could function as the main system and any one could function as the subsystem.


    With multiple main systems and countless derivations given the possible combinations of subsystems, it seemed as if just learning how to use it would be enough to confuse you. However, an Object itself was the military might of an entire nation. Not being able to fight due to a deficiency in the system was not acceptable, so the Elite pilots had to at the very least go through a piloting manual that was thicker than an encyclopedia and many more manuals on top of that in order to ensure they could use any of the derived patterns with no problems and would know what to do in any given situation.


    ¡°...¡±


    The Elite princess gave a small sigh within the Object that was resting as it was serviced.


    The sigh was not due to having just seen what her next mission was and thinking about the families of the people she was about to kill. Instead, she was holding a completely ordinary cell phone in her hand. To prevent hacking, the Object normally cut off all signals from the outside except for a few communications devices independent from the rest of the system, but the barrier walls through the long tunnel-like passageway leading from the cockpit to the outside were all open for maintenance purposes.


    She was looking at the cell phone¡¯s small screen.


    A short email was displayed there.


    It was from her true friend who she had met at a base in Alaska and who had come to save her when she had been in trouble.


    ¡°Heh heh.¡±


    The actual content of the email was quite short and blunt, but the princess did not care. She had never before imagined that who had sent it could mean so much more than what it actually said.


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh heh. Heh heh heh heh heh.¡°


    She started humming and moving left and right in her seat in a little dance. And then she swung her hand around and accidentally hit a lever with the back of her hand.


    One of the giant main cannons moved with a loud kachunk and was about to crush one of the walkways. The princess frantically pulled the lever back in place before the cannon could send the old maintenance lady flying for a homerun.


    Part 2


    ¡°Quenser, the mission is about to start. Personal communications are restricted, so put your cell phone away until we enter free time again,¡± cautioned Froleytia, Quenser¡¯s beautiful superior officer.


    Quenser frantically stuck his phone in his pocket.


    ¡°The mission is simple,¡± boasted Froleytia within a large transport craft while shaking the long narrow kanzashi-style hairpin that held her silver hair. ¡°The enemy¡¯s Object is trying to break through the Strait of Gibraltar, the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the disaster that would occur if it made it through, we must stop the Object before it breaks through the strait but without blowing it up. That is all.¡±


    ¡°That is all!? Stop it without blowing it up? What, are we supposed to give a non-lethal blow to a monster like that?¡± complained Heivia.


    Froleytia must have been aware she was asking the ridiculous because she gave a light shrug.


    ¡°The higher ups are seriously ordering that. It seems this Object is transporting a large amount of crude oil it stole and they want to retrieve it. Granted that is a rather reckless order,¡± Froleytia said simply. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. As the commander on the scene, I will be giving you more realistic orders. ...The stolen oil doesn¡¯t matter, so just stop the Object from breaking through the strait. If you need to blow it up, oil and all, that¡¯s fine. That is all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s a pretty reckless order in and of itself. That isn¡¯t an opponent for flesh-and-blood soldiers...¡± grumbled Heivia, but it seemed Froleytia was not willing to compromise any more than that.


    Quenser felt slightly dizzy when he imagined the intense fight to come.


    ¡°...The Mediterranean Sea. I guess that¡¯s why the color of the camouflage on the uniforms we were issued was changed to gray.¡±


    ¡°Look, Heivia. Students these days catch on quickly. As an actual soldier, can you let him leave you behind like that? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. I just have to switch out the camouflage pattern for my rifle, right? God, it¡¯s like switching out the cover of a cell phone.¡±


    ¡°Are you picking a fight with your superior officer, Heivia? If so, hurry up and come at me.¡±


    ¡°You probably don¡¯t want to do that. I think I¡¯d get a little more excited than you¡¯d like if you stepped on my crotch with those slender legs of yours.¡±


    With that response, Heivia started switching out the reinforced plastic parts. While glancing over at him, Quenser spoke to Froleytia.


    ¡°Why are you even here, Froleytia? Weren¡¯t you assigned to Alaska?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t transferred here because I wanted to be. It was those higher ups again. Since you two and the princess will be working on this mission together, they were probably thinking that it would be best to have the same person giving the commands as in Alaska. Really, I¡¯d rather not have to stick around for your grandstanding.¡±


    ¡°What will happen if this Object breaks through the strait? You said it was transporting crude oil it had stolen, right?¡± asked Quenser in an attempt to change the subject.


    Froleytia shrugged.


    ¡°Our country has been cutting off provisions to the enemy base zone for six months now and that would make that half year a complete waste. Apparently, the enemy Object travelling across the sea can also mine for its own oil. Paying no heed to the divisions between international waters and other countries¡¯ territorial waters, it has been drilling up the oil, storing it in itself, and going around distributing it to its allied countries.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s something like a delivery service for state-sponsored terrorist groups and it would benefit the world if we sunk it here,¡± said Heivia as his lips curved slightly.


    Quenser shook his head.


    ¡°Is oil even needed on a battlefield centered on Objects? Their reactors are JPlevelMHD types, right? I thought those functioned on some special mechanism.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the ironic thing. The more advanced technology gets, the more efficient it is to use older things like coal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but for the JPlevel, it is melted down to have its structure altered before it is re-solidified. Do you know how long it takes to burn through it? Once you put that fuel inside, you don¡¯t have to swap it out for 5 years.¡±


    As they were diverging onto a tangent, Froleytia brought the conversation back on track.


    ¡°The oil is used by the maintenance base zone, not the Object itself. Just like with the base you attacked in Alaska, an Object cannot continue to function if it does not undergo maintenance.¡± As she would be unable to drink once they reached the base, she sipped at a strong shochu. ¡°The goal tape is currently being put up between the two sides of the Strait of Gibraltar. It¡¯s a net with mines intertwined at even intervals. It¡¯s supposed to prevent the giant steel form from entering, but who knows how effective it will be against that Object. That¡¯s why the princess¡¯s Object will engage it in battle and you two will act behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a harsh area. I¡¯ll probably be killed by stray bullets 100 times over,¡± muttered Heivia.


    Quenser looked out the small window on the side of the transport craft. He could see the beautiful blue sea spreading out below the clouds. As he looked down at it, he muttered a few words.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, you god damn battlefield.¡±


    Part 3


    The large transport craft Quenser and the others were aboard landed on a runway on the beach, but apparently that was not where the maintenance base zone they were assigned to was located.


    ¡°...You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me. That¡¯s right in the middle!¡± moaned Heivia from atop a crude military boat with standard metal plates covering it and two autocannons on the front and back.


    Quenser understood how Heivia felt.


    A structure similar to an offshore oil platform stood at almost the very center of the Strait of Gibraltar. It was an island of steel supported by numerous pillars. Apparently, it was a quickly constructed base zone to be used to intercept the enemy Object that was attempting to break through the strait.


    The pillars reached over 50 meters above the surface of the water and they supported a ceiling-like sheet about 300 meters square. Below that, many walkways, stairways, and elevators stretched about in every direction.


    Quenser looked over at Froleytia.


    ¡°We¡¯re just a giant target like this. If we know that huge thing is coming, why don¡¯t we call in the air force rather than just wait for it to come?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work against an Object. Your studies of their designs should have told you that much. Objects are synonymous with war. To stop the monster headed for the Strait of Gibraltar, we had to build a base zone for the princess¡¯s Object.¡±


    Quenser was well aware of that, but he simply did not want to fight.


    At any rate, having to work in such a dangerous place was not something a person could easily bear. If the Object bombarded the base zone, their corpses would never rise back to the surface.


    Quenser looked around and could see several more similar oil platform-like structures dotting the sea.


    ¡°Those are not oil platforms. This area is not a good place to drill,¡± replied Froleytia when he mentioned that initial impression. ¡°The oil needed for maintenance is gathered from cooperative areas around the world and stored in tanks at the bottom of the sea.¡±


    ¡°...So we¡¯re doing the same thing as them. That really drains my motivation to fight,¡± Quenser said.


    Meanwhile, Heivia disembarked and climbed up the metal stairway on his way to the top of the base zone. Of course, he was not intending to climb 50 meters using the stairway. He was first heading for an open area with a work elevator.


    Quenser followed him.


    ¡°Hey, why are you so motivated?¡±


    ¡°It seems the higher ups are expecting quite a bit from us. From what I heard, they¡¯ve supplied us with powered suits from the army.¡±


    ¡°Those things will be blown away to the point that not even ash remains from one hit from an Object.¡±


    ¡°But the powered suit might keep us from being blown to pieces by an explosion, right? Being killed by your ally¡¯s armor would be one of the lamest ways to go.¡±


    They came to a large metal plate 10 meters above the surface of the water. The area was over 100 meters wide and stretched about 30 meters back. Since there were a number of cranes stretching down toward the water like fishing poles, it must have been an area for loading and unloading cargo from transport ships. On the wall opposite the cranes, a number of elevators for moving entire containers up and down were prepared. The unrefined elevators were about the size of a family-oriented 3LDK but had only the bare minimum of railings.


    Heivia ran around the large space before stopping in the center and spreading his arms wide. He may have been attempting to call down a UFO.


    ¡°Arriving at a large base really raises your spirits, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°...Filling my mind with knowledge that can¡¯t be used for a thesis is a waste of space.¡±


    ¡°Are you still acting like a battlefield student? You graduated from that path in Alaska, remember? Once you¡¯ve passed, there¡¯s nothing wrong with slacking off for the rest of the time, right?¡±


    ¡°Your brain is like a muscle, so you¡¯ll need to rehabilitate it if you stop using it. I don¡¯t want to all of a sudden realize I know nothing but how to blow things up.¡±


    As they spoke back and forth, Froleytia waved a hand over at them.


    ¡°Hey, we aren¡¯t here to have fun. Go put your things in your lockers and get to your stations. I heard that the higher ups will be observing this, so any mistakes will give them a bad impression of you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. And our issued explosive was changed from C4 to Hand Axe, wasn¡¯t it? That stuff is more valuable per gram than platinum.¡±


    ¡°Even so, it won¡¯t even scratch on Object¡¯s armor,¡± said Quenser having recalled what their mission was.


    He then whispered to his companion next to him.


    ¡°(...Hey, do you honestly think this will work out somehow? It isn¡¯t normal for people like us to take on an Object. Miraculous coincidences aren¡¯t going to just keep happening...)¡±


    ¡°Actually, I do think this will work out.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s eyes opened wide at Heivia¡¯s surprisingly lighthearted response.


    Heivia shrugged.


    ¡°After all, it¡¯s not just us this time. We have the princess¡¯s Object. The Object vs. Object battle will be the main focus and we just have to help out every now and then from behind the scenes in order to give the princess as much of an advantage as we can. The princess will take care of everything else. This isn¡¯t the same as in Alaska when we had to take on that ridiculously huge Object without an Object of our own.¡±


    ¡°Are you...sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, look.¡±


    Heivia pointed past the giant metal sheet of the base zone and out to sea.


    Facilities similar to the base were located here and there throughout the sea. It was not just a few. Twenty or thirty base zones covered the area of the strait in a straight line at even intervals. It looked something like an area filled with offshore oil platforms.


    ¡°They may have been hastily constructed, but there are about 30 Object maintenance facilities here. Even if one or two of them are targeted, we¡¯re still prepared to keep the princess¡¯s Object running. It isn¡¯t normal to spend that much money on this and they won¡¯t let facilities they put that much money into be easily destroyed. The higher ups must have a plan to keep that from happening. And that also raises our odds of survival.¡±


    That did indeed allow Quenser to view the situation more positively.


    If they were truly nothing more than sacrificial pawns, the higher ups in the military would not have spent that much of their budget. And they also had the princess¡¯s Object. Given what had happened in Alaska, they could not solely rely on her, but having her still made a large difference. At the very least, a battle between Objects was more balanced than the overwhelmingly one-sided alternative.


    Quenser and Heivia¡¯s job was to support her.


    They did not have to face a giant Object head on.


    They just had to help the princess from the background and prepare the conditions needed for her victory.


    If that was all, it was indeed possible that they could manage.


    A smile naturally appeared on Quenser¡¯s face and he turned to his companion.


    ¡°In that case, we should be fi-...¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, a neighboring base zone was blown to pieces.


    The explosive noise arrived slightly after the visual information.


    As if it were a card pyramid being struck by a slap, the base zone collapsed due to a horizontal strike and sank into the sea. That neighboring base was over 200 meters away, but the shockwave from the explosion blew Quenser and Heivia off their feet. Small wire-like fragments of parts rained down from above them.


    ¡°What...the hell!? Was it not built up to code!?¡± Heivia shouted as he grimaced due to a ringing pain in his ears.


    ¡°You idiot! Don¡¯t try to escape from the reality in front of you! That had to be an Object!!¡±


    Quenser had landed on his back, so he rolled over onto his stomach and used his binoculars to look across the horizon.


    He spotted a mountain-like form.


    He saw the giant sphere of nuclear shelter-like armor surrounding a reactor that was characteristic of Objects as well as countless weapons extending from it. The main weapons on this Object were railguns. Apparently, they could fire shells a few meters long at almost Mach 10. Their destructive power had already been demonstrated. One of them had wiped an entire base zone from the map in a single shot.


    On top of all that, this Object did not have just one giant sphere with a reactor inside.


    It had three.


    Each sphere was arranged such that they constructed an equilateral triangle and straight line-shaped armored parts connected the spheres. Ripples spread out from the Object as special A-shaped floats and air cushion engines on the bottom of the Object allowed it to float on the water.


    The Object was specialized for naval battles. It was known as Tri-Core.


    As soon as Heivia saw that giant form that had been in the military documents, he started yelling out complaints.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!! How is that thing even moving around!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! It¡¯s probably some kind of combination of using air to make it float like a hovercraft and a water jet or something! For something that huge, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if it had multiple means of propulsion!!¡±


    Paying no heed to those two boys, the Object aimed its giant railgun that looked like a steel pylon on its side at them.


    It gave no warning or threat.


    With a tremendous explosive noise, the base zones spread out in a line across the sea were horizontally blown away one by one.


    Heivia covered his ears and shouted over the shockwaves.


    ¡°Shit, are we the prizes at a carnival shooting game or something!? What happened to the net of mines that was set up!?¡±


    ¡°Normal explosives aren¡¯t going to do a thing! Surely you had realized that much!¡±


    Quenser turned his binoculars in a different direction.


    Only 60 seconds had passed since the first shot and almost half the base zones had already been sunk. That meant it was sinking them at a rate of about one every four seconds.


    (Where is the princess¡¯s Object? Don¡¯t tell me it was taken out with one of those bases!)


    Quenser was starting to panic.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯re we going to do!? We were too na?ve! An Object isn¡¯t something we¡¯ll be fine taking on even if it isn¡¯t head on! Hanging around on the edge of a battle between Objects is enough to get you blown away!!¡±


    ¡°No, wait. Why hasn¡¯t the princess¡¯s Object counterattacked yet!?¡±


    Still lying down, Quenser looked around with his binoculars, but he saw no sign of the other giant Object.


    That was when Froleytia called out to them while glaring at the Object on the ocean with an irritated expression.


    ¡°What!? Didn¡¯t you two hear!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that...¡±


    ¡°The princess is in a naval port-style base zone on the land having maintenance done on the floats for a naval battle! Apparently, they started acting up while crossing the Atlantic, so her arrival was delayed! Why did you think we chartered that transport plane to fly you over here so quickly!? Since our Cinderella is a little too lax with time, it¡¯s going to be a bit before she gets here. Since you two are our only means of opposing an Object without one of our own, the higher ups want you to damage it now so the princess can easily finish it off once she arrives!!¡±


    ¡°No, fuck that,¡± said Heivia, briefly transcending the normal hierarchy of the military. ¡°There¡¯s no way we can do anything on our own. There¡¯s nothing we can do without an Object!! Quit joking around and raise the white flag!! Didn¡¯t you say back in Alaska that wars these days are not all-out wars!?¡±


    ¡°That is my decision when we can surrender the land and evacuate. This time, our lines are constructed such that they block the enemy¡¯s path. Even if we raise the white flag, the enemy will still break through our lines to continue their mission. Whether we surrender or not, the Object still needs to destroy our base zones to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar. ...Simply put, the situation will not allow us to surrender.¡± Without admonishing them, Froleytia continued speaking with a humble expression. ¡°Also, the higher ups did not give me the wireless code for the white flag this time. It seems they want us to prevent the enemy Object from getting through even if we get blown to pieces in the process.¡±


    ¡°...!?¡±


    ¡°So try to stop it as if your life depends on it...because it does. That¡¯s why you were issued that Hand Axe despite it being more expensive than platinum.¡±


    ¡°Like hell we can do thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttttttt!!¡±


    ¡°Like hell we can do thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttttttt!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia both shouted at the top of their lungs and ran off ignoring their orders. They headed for the ocean surface spreading out beyond the cranes extending down like fishing poles. They were about 10 meters up, but jumping off was still safer than being targeted by the enemy Tri-Core.


    ¡°Hey, wait a-...!!¡±


    Froleytia started to call out after them, but before she could finish, she realized the Tri-Core was aiming one of its railguns their way. Her expression utterly changed and she jumped off of the base zone after Quenser and Heivia. Immediately afterwards, the giant mountain-like base zone was blown to pieces by the giant mountain-like Object.


    Part 4


    Quenser and Heivia were thrown out to sea.


    Remnants of the base both large and small were scattered about, dirtying the sea. The scene was similar to the fallen trees and other flotsam piling up in a river mouth after a typhoon passes by. However, the maintenance base zone had been made up of steel and concrete, so the remnants scattered about the surface of the water were sinking down into the depths.


    Quenser and Heivia were treading water in a desperate attempt to keep their heads above water, but their military uniforms were quite heavy after absorbing so much water. They were also carrying kilograms of plastic explosives and rifles, so it was not the same as swimming while wearing a swimsuit. It felt as if an invisible hand was grabbing at their ankles.


    ¡°Uehh...Dammit...I¡¯m gonna die!! We got carried away! I¡¯m never coming back to a battlefield with an Object on it!!¡± shouted Quenser even as he was about to sink.


    Next to him, Heivia¡¯s movements looked something like the halfway point between swimming and drowning.


    ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll be crushed by the remnants of the base raining down even if the Object doesn¡¯t shoot us! Where are the powered suits we were issued!?¡±


    ¡°At the bottom of the sea by now! How about you dive down 300 meters and get them for us!?¡±


    ¡°They issued us suits that would make us sink like a stone for a battle on the sea!? Were the higher ups trying to get rid of us after they had gotten what they wanted from us!?¡±


    ¡°More importantly, shouldn¡¯t we try to get as far away from the base as possible!? The oil tanks are at the bottom of the sea with pipes bringing up what¡¯s necessary for maintenance, right? The safety devices must have kicked in to keep that crude oil from coming out of the broken pipes, but who knows how long those safety devices can last against that Tri-Core¡¯s attack!!¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s going to be a black fountain followed by a literal sea of flames!? Who the hell okayed this horrible mission!?¡±


    As Heivia complained, he sank below the surface once and then frantically worked his way back up. Once his head was back above the surface again, he shook it like a wet dog.


    ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t last much longer. I-I¡¯m sinking... I can get rid of these explosives, right?¡±


    ¡°And turn your 1% chance of survival into 0%!?¡±


    ¡°What good is this junk going to be!? Even if we set it up properly, it won¡¯t damage the armor! And we can¡¯t even get close in this situation!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true...Getting close to it is going to be a real issue, but...gyahh!! It¡¯s coming this way!!¡±


    Quenser screamed and Heivia looked toward the horizon with a shocked look.


    The Tri-Core may have decided its victory was assured now that it had destroyed almost all of the base zones with its giant railguns (or it was relieved that no Object had appeared) because it was approaching while intermittently firing.


    Its speed was around 200 kph.


    (Is it just going to break right through the strait?)


    Just as Quenser thought that, he heard Froleytia shout over at him with only her head above the water.


    ¡°Do something!! If it breaks through, it will get that oil to the enemy base zone! If you don¡¯t want that, stop it!!¡±


    ¡°Who cares about that now!? It can bring them some nice cooking oil along with it for all I care!!¡±


    ¡°If that oil gets there, the base zone¡¯s Object maintenance area will be up and running again!! If that happens, an even worse Object that had been stopped due to lack of maintenance will join in!! The Mediterranean will be thrown into an even worse hell!¡±


    ¡°Oh, give me a fucking break!! Do you think I could get discharged from the military if I shot this superior officer of ours in the head!?¡±


    Heivia made his comment to Quenser with a completely serious look in his eyes, but Quenser had more important things to worry about.


    ¡°Hey, this is bad! The Tri-Core is headed this way!!¡± he shouted with an even more serious look on his face.


    ¡°Of course it is, hero!! It¡¯s trying to break through the strait, rememb-...¡±


    ¡°No!! It¡¯s on a route that will directly crush us!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on!! You have got to be kidding me!!¡± Heivia shouted, but unfortunately, Quenser was not kidding.


    The Tri-Core with its three reactors had realized that there was still a base zone that retained its basic shape even after 2 or 3 shots from its giant railgun and now seemed to be heading over to fire at pointblank range. Its giant form approached, paying no heed to Quenser and the others treading water there.


    Of course, a human body would be utterly crushed if it was directly hit by the giant form.


    The Tri-Core seemed to float using the same means as a hovercraft that blew air down, but it took so much to keep that giant body afloat that it was only floating 30-50 cm from the surface. Quenser and the others would surely be hit as they treaded water in its path and the blast of wind that kept the hundreds of thousands of tons afloat would utterly crush a human body.


    At that rate, they would be pureed and eaten by octopuses.


    Heivia¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the Tri-Core approaching on a clockwise path.


    ¡°We need to get out of the way!!¡±


    ¡°You idiot! There¡¯s no way we can swim that fast!! The Tri-Core is over 150 meters wide! Not even an Olympic gold medalist could avoid it!!¡±


    ¡°Then tell me, future scholar!! How are we supposed to survive this!?¡±


    Even as they yelled at each other, the Tri-Core continued to approach with overwhelming speed.


    It would reach them in less than 30 seconds.


    (If we can¡¯t escape by swimming to the left or right, the only option is...!!)


    Quenser swam toward a nearby sinking lifeboat.


    Seeing that, Heivia shouted, ¡°Do you really think some cheap motorboat can outrun an Object made for naval battles!?¡±


    ¡°No, you idiot! Put this on!!¡±


    Quenser tossed something that had been provided on the lifeboat toward Heivia and Froleytia. It was a hairspray-sized can with a clear mask to cover the nose and mouth on the end.


    ¡°An oxygen tank...?¡±


    ¡°Put it on and dive!!¡± said Quenser as he put on his own clear mask and pointed down. ¡°The Tri-Core travels over the water with giant floats and an air cushion engine! In that case, it shouldn¡¯t reach down below the surface!!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    It seemed Heivia and Froleytia tried to give some kind of reaction, but Quenser did not have time to listen.


    The end of the Tri-Core as it travelled at almost 200 kph had drawn quite near to them. As it travelled at such high speeds, it created a V-shape of high waves. Even though the actual craft was floating, the intense downward wind was tearing into the surface of the water. Even if by some miracle they managed to escape to the side of the Tri-Core, those waves would be enough to swallow them up.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Quenser dove down below the surface without having time to check if his mask was working properly.


    The Tri-Core¡¯s thick floats passed by above, barely missing him. The intense wind greatly disturbed the surface of the water, but that great fury did not reach Quenser below the surface.


    (Hoo. I somehow made i-...)


    Just as Quenser was breathing a sigh of relief, something almost caused his breathing to stop.


    The Tri-Core¡¯s main body did indeed use giant floats and an air cushion engine to almost perfectly float above the surface of the water.


    However, something like a steel pylon stuck straight down from each of the three sphere reactors. They were shark anchors that were retractable like a police baton. The weights ensured that the giant Object would not roll onto its side.


    The main body of the Object passed by over Quenser¡¯s head, but the pylon-sized shark anchor was headed straight for him.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Quenser immediately swam to the side in an attempt to avoid it, but the Tri-Core made a move of its own at the exact same time. It may have been adjusting its aim, but it made a sudden clockwise rotation like someone sliding their feet around on the ground. Its speed dropped considerably, but the giant shark anchor almost seemed to correct its trajectory toward Quenser like it was a guided weapon.


    (Ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?)


    At that point, he could not come up with any plans or tricks. Quenser simply frantically moved his arms and legs to try to get as far away from it as he could. However, his tiny human body only spun around in the water like a leaf blowing in the wind.


    ¡°Cough!?¡±


    The shark anchor itself did not hit him.


    If it had, his body would no longer have been recognizable as human.


    He just barely managed to avoid it, but the swirling seawater agitated by the shark anchor¡¯s giant mass put Quenser¡¯s body into a spin.


    (But at least I managed to avoid-...)


    Quenser had miraculously managed to keep his life, but he was still not allowed a sigh of relief.


    Something suddenly grabbed at his leg.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Such intense pain ran through his leg that he thought his ankle had been dislocated, but it was not actually that serious. Even so, Quenser¡¯s consciousness started to dim. Whatever had gotten caught around his ankle started to drag him through the sea at around 50 kph.


    (Cough cough!! Dammit. Am I caught on some part of the Tri-Core!?)


    Quenser looked at his ankle that had a grinding pain running through it and his expression turned bitter.


    Something like a metal net was wrapped around one of the shark anchors and a portion of it had gotten wrapped around Quenser¡¯s ankle. It did not look like a net that would be used for fish. This became even more clear when Quenser looked around and noticed a metal sphere nearby. It was about the size of the large balls used in sports festivals and its metal surface had thick thorn-like things covering it.


    Quenser¡¯s expression stiffened even further upon seeing it.


    (...A mine!?)


    He recalled that Froleytia had said a net covered in mines had been placed across the Strait of Gibraltar to obstruct the Tri-Core. The Object had used its giant form to force through the net and had been dragging it along ever since.


    Something like that mine could not destroy that Object.


    But if it were to detonate there, it would blow Quenser to pieces.


    (Dammit. I¡¯m not going to let myself be killed by my own side¡¯s trap!!)


    Perhaps in order to even more accurately aim its railgun, the Tri-Core stopped moving, its air cushion engine weakened, and it came to a stop on the surface of the water using only its floats.


    Quenser used that chance to ball himself up and reach for his ankle. However, it was so tangled up in the net that he could not free it. He panicked, but then someone else¡¯s hand reached in from the side.


    (!? ...Heivia!!)


    Apparently, his companion had gotten caught in the net, too. Heivia seemed to try to say something, but the oxygen mask and seawater prevented his voice from reaching Quenser.


    Heivia used his hands surprisingly skillfully and freed Quenser¡¯s ankle from the net, but he grabbed Quenser¡¯s arm when Quenser tried to leave on the current of the water.


    The Tri-Core was at an almost complete stop and was firing its railgun. It was utterly destroying a base zone that had already lost almost all of its original form and that¡¯s soldiers had already leapt into the sea.


    While its attention was elsewhere, they could safely escape from the Tri-Core by letting go of the net. However, Heivia kept a grip on the net.


    (?)


    Quenser was confused, but he grabbed the net like a ladder all the same. He simply could not tell what Heivia was thinking. The other boy seemed to be trying to explain, but Quenser could not hear him in the water.


    After a bit, Heivia realized his efforts were a waste and simply pointed up with one hand while holding onto the net with the other.


    What his gesture indicated was simple.


    The blast of air from the air cushion engine seems to have stopped, so let¡¯s take this chance to climb aboard the Tri-Core before it accelerates again.


    Part 5


    Quenser and Heivia climbed up the net like it was playground equipment and finally reached the surface.


    The giant floats of the Tri-Core made an A-like shape. They were in the hollow center area where the surface of the water looked like an open fish pond.


    Heivia removed his oxygen mask and started spewing out the curses that he had not been able to get across within the water.


    ¡°Fuck! I¡¯m all sticky and shit! I¡¯m like a wet dog!! What the hell was that about being safe if we dove!? I almost died!!¡±


    ¡°You only asked how to survive, not how to be safe! Anyway, where¡¯s Froleytia!?¡±


    ¡°How the hell should I know? She¡¯s probably floating around here somewhere,¡± Heivia said carelessly as he looked around. ¡°Getting up above the surface is great and all, but how are we supposed to get up on the Tri-Core¡¯s deck?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a maintenance ladder over there.¡±


    ¡°!? Oh, shit! Hurry, up, Quenser!! The Tri-Core¡¯s finished with its target practice and is starting to move again! We¡¯re gonna be crushed by the blast from the air cushion!! The wind that lifts up this six hundred thousand ton monster is about to blow down!!¡±


    ¡°Shit! It isn¡¯t going to head straight for some enemy country, is it!?¡±


    ¡°How the hell should I know!? Just climb up! That shark anchor is still a danger. Its retractable end functions both as a suction tube to bring in water for the water jet and as drainage. If that giant pillar retracts up near the surface, we¡¯ll be sucked in!!¡±


    And so Quenser and Heivia climbed up the ladder installed on the side of the giant float that was over 5 meters thick and arrived on the deck of the Tri-Core.


    The float that kept the Object afloat was over 20 meters wide and giant cylindrical tanks that looked like something from an industrial complex were installed right next to them.


    ¡°...The Tri-Core can drill for oil, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll set up the Hand Axe, but do you really think it¡¯s enough to sink the Tri-Core?¡± said Quenser with a dubious look even as he stabbed the fuse into the explosive. ¡°In Alaska, we managed to blow up the Object from the inside by setting the explosives up within the parts in the enemy base zone, but we don¡¯t even know when the Tri-Core needs maintenance next.¡±


    ¡°Hey, look at that,¡± said Heivia as he removed his rifle from its shoulder strap.


    Modern rifles were not made unusable just by being plunged into seawater.


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser looked in the direction Heivia indicated with his chin and he saw one of the other floats. As previously explained, the Tri-Core¡¯s floats were A-shaped and many different facilities were constructed elsewhere. One block had giant cranes used for drilling for oil and one block was lined with giant storage buildings similar to what was normally found at a port.


    Quenser glanced over the fish pond-like areas of open sea created by the shape of the floats.


    ¡°...Large storage areas? I see. The Tri-Core has its maintenance base built into itself!! That way it doesn¡¯t have to protect a weak maintenance fleet-style base zone. With three reactors, it can pull something like that off!¡±


    ¡°No, not that!¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    ¡°Enemy soldiers! Those facilities come with a full complement of soldiers armed with machine guns!!¡±


    As Heivia spoke, he grabbed Quenser¡¯s arm and pulled him behind cover.


    They heard gunfire and then sparks started flying from the float at their feet and the metal panels they were hiding behind.


    ¡°Wait a second. Aren¡¯t we hiding behind an oil tank?!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere else to hide!! Would you rather go stand out on the wide open float!?¡±


    The few dozen Tri-Core soldiers seemed to have noticed where Quenser and Heivia were hiding because their gunfire grew very careful and sporadic. They did not use any kind of grenade.


    Heivia held his rifle out from behind the oil tank and returned fired in short, two or three shot bursts.


    ¡°Hey, circle around the float and head to the maintenance area!!¡±


    ¡°And pull off the same thing as in Alaska? But when is the Tri-Core going to undergo maintenance!? If it isn¡¯t for three days, we¡¯ll be stuck running away for three days straight!!¡±


    ¡°Then find some weakness!! We have to find some way of taking advantage of this opportunity and damaging this thing somehow!!¡± said Heivia as he continued to pull the trigger, but the gunfire suddenly stopped.


    ¡°What, is it jammed!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m gonna fix it!!¡±


    Heivia moved back fully behind cover and removed the cover to his rifle. He just had to take out the jammed bullet and replace the cover to put the gun in working order again, but...


    Suddenly, the ground started shaking.


    The Tri-Core seemed to be rotating clockwise and the two of them were almost thrown off as they fell down. As Heivia had been in the middle of taking apart his rifle, the small metal parts and springs scattered atop the float.


    A truly displeased look appeared on Heivia¡¯s face.


    ¡°...Can I cry?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get discouraged. Just gather them up!! Look, they¡¯ve realized something¡¯s gone wrong for us and are picking up their rate of fire!!¡±


    However, a few of the parts had fallen off the float and into the ocean, so nothing could be done to fix the rifle. Heivia tossed the incomplete rifle to the side and pulled out his spare handgun to fire back.


    ¡°Hey, have you figured out where you¡¯re gonna set up the explosives!?¡±


    ¡°Give me a second. I¡¯m using my mobile device to access the military database.¡±


    ¡°And I thought the waterproofing option was only good for letting you surf the web in the bath.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d stay in too long and the heat of the bath would get to you if you actually did that. You were an analyst, right, Heivia? So you helped draw up predicted general designs of enemy Objects from distant observations? Then you might be able to find a weakness if you look over this.¡± Quenser looked down at the small screen. ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon! What a piece of junk. This signal is terrible. Maybe it¡¯ll be better over here...¡±


    ¡°Wait, you idiot!! That¡¯s right in the middle of enemy fire!!¡±


    When Heivia frantically pulled him back, Quenser returned to his senses.


    ¡°Oh, I guess we don¡¯t really have time to leisurely look over this diagram.¡±


    ¡°What, do you want them to prepare us a stylish caf¨¦ with free wifi in the middle of the battlefield?¡±


    ¡°Actually, the Tri-Core might really have a caf¨¦ somewhere,¡± replied Quenser with a serious expression as he lightly kicked at the ground. ¡°But when you think about it, couldn¡¯t this be the biggest weakness?¡±


    ¡°The giant floats, hm? Well, this giant Object does have three spherical main bodies, so it¡¯d probably just sink down to the bottom of the ocean under its own weight if the floats were to burst.¡±


    ¡°The problem is figuring out how to destroy these floats using only the Hand Axe we have when direct hits from giant mines didn¡¯t even scratch them. If we could focus some kind of impact to destroy one point...¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck!!¡± Heivia shouted suddenly, cutting off Quenser¡¯s thoughts.


    Quenser looked over to see Heivia¡¯s handgun¡¯s motion stopping in the middle of its blowback.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of ammo! This handgun was my only spare weapon, so I didn¡¯t bring many magazines for it!! If we stay here any longer, we¡¯re gonna get our brains blown out by normal soldiers!!¡±


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do about the Tri-Core!?¡±


    ¡°How the hell should I know!? Just throw the explosives around randomly and then jump into the sea! Our only choice is to try to meet up with Froleytia wherever she is and get out of here. This may be our only chance to get away!!¡±


    In the meantime, the gunfire from the enemy soldiers became even more sporadic. They seemed to be trying to circle around the large A-shaped float between short intervals of firing.


    Quenser and Heivia were running out of time.


    They would be cornered before long.


    Quenser hated the thought of giving up on the Tri-Core, but it was true that he could see no weakness they could use to surely sink it with the Hand Axe. Drawing out the firefight would only be detrimental to him and Heivia.


    (I guess that settles it...!!)


    Quenser and Heivia gritted their teeth and started to jump off the A-shaped float and into the sea.


    However, they ended up not leaving the battle.


    This was not due to a noble reason like their heroic hearts refusing to flee.


    The Tri-Core had been struck by a large caliber bombardment fired from a distance and the nearby shockwave had knocked Quenser and Heivia back.


    That one strike had been enough to nearly eliminate their sense of hearing.


    The damage must have reached the organ that controlled his sense of balance because Quenser was unable to get back up. He could only desperately try to suppress an intense headache and an urge to vomit.


    ¡°Damn...it...! What...was that?!¡±


    Heivia was right next to him, but his voice sounded indistinct.


    While collapsed atop the giant float, Quenser used only his eyes to search for the attacker.


    He noticed something quite large approaching at high speed from the horizon.


    Its main body was a giant sphere. Below that was a normally upside down Y-shaped static electricity propulsion device, but it currently had a marine battle-use circular float added on. Seven giant arms stretched from the back of the sphere and each arm had a giant main cannon attached to the end. It had likely been one or more of those that had fired.


    Its method of propulsion must have been different than when it was on land because the dark thundercloud-like noise created by the massive amount of static electricity could not be heard.


    (...The Object...?)


    ¡°Hey, this is bad,¡± said Heivia in a trembling voice to Quenser whose mind was still hazy. ¡°This is very, very bad!! That¡¯s the princess¡¯s Object! If we stay here, we¡¯ll get wrapped up in a bombardment between Objects!!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s face suddenly twitched.


    The 50 meter monstrous weapons that were Objects used weapons such as laser beams, railguns, coilguns, and low-stability plasma cannons. Their destructive power made a battleship look like nothing. If they got caught up in a battle between Objects, it did not matter if one was their ally. A piece of an Object¡¯s outer armor blown off by an explosion would be more than enough to kill a flesh-and-blood soldier instantly.


    They now truly had no choice but to leave the Tri-Core as quickly as possible.


    However, their bodies would not move as they wanted them to due to the shockwave that had struck them.


    The same thing had happened to the enemy soldiers who had been aiming at them from a different float. They were frantically trying to escape to the maintenance base zone atop the Tri-Core¡¯s float.


    Meanwhile, the two Objects were staring each other down and their steel pylon-sized main cannons were being moved into position.


    The normal soldiers no longer had time to flee.


    The battle had begun.


    Tremendous explosions and shockwaves rang out.


    Quenser and Heivia were not even able to crawl forward. All they could do was lie face down with their hands over their heads.


    The Tri-Core fired its powerful railguns one after another, drawing on the full power of its three reactors.


    The princess¡¯s Object accelerated back and forth in short bursts to escape the enemy¡¯s sights and repeatedly fired its seven main cannons in their coilgun mode that used magnetism.


    A flesh-and-blood human had no way to oppose those giant weapons known as Objects. The surface of its armor came detached and scattered about like a firework. The scale of the destruction was so great that anyone watching was completely overwhelmed and Quenser and Heivia were stuck right in the middle of it all. It was more than they could bear.


    ¡°Fuck!! Objects really are synonymous with war! Our lives don¡¯t matter at all in the middle of all this!!¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m betting the princess just doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re on here,¡± said Quenser as he used his handheld device to try to contact the princess¡¯s Object.


    As usual, the signal was terrible.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have her switch over to mainly using her lasers. If she melts through the armor rather than blowing it away, we¡¯re a lot less likely to die from a stray shot! It gives her no real advantage strategically, but she might just be willing to hear us out!¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not gonna be blinded by the bright welding light are we!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, would you rather die in a downpour of shrapnel!? At any rate, we just need to jump into the sea while the princess draws the Object¡¯s attention with the lasers. Once we¡¯re out of the way, she can switch right back to using the coilguns!!¡± Quenser then spoke to the Elite princess through his handheld device. ¡°This is Quenser. We are currently on the Tri-Core¡¯s deck! Please switch your weapon for a short time while we escape. Please switch over to the WL3B1s! I repeat, switch over to the WL3B1s!!¡±


    Part 6


    The Elite girl held the control column within the cockpit of the Baby Magnum, one of the Objects that was synonymous with war.


    Special talent was required to pilot one of those giant weapons.


    However, this talent was not some strange psychic power. What was needed was an exceedingly high proficiency in skills anyone could develop such as memory, calculation ability, multitasking, and situational awareness.


    An Object was a giant weapon that controlled over 100 weapons at once.


    As such, just managing the targeting data required being able to process hundreds of pieces of data at once. The weapons also had secondary target functionality (multiple targets could be locked onto and the sights could be switched between them at any time), so using an Object¡¯s abilities to their fullest required following 300 or 400 enemies at once.


    And that was only for controlling the weaponry.


    To fully understand every function of the 50 meter Object was more than even a natural genius could handle. Only an Elite who had his or her data processing ability raised to the limit was able to pilot an Object.


    To alleviate this problem, some armies had tried dividing the control among a large crew and some companies had used an AI to simplify the work required.


    However, using a large crew created a time lag for communication between parts of the Object which led to defeat from an Object that was piloted by a single Elite who could make decisions instantly. When an AI was used, the AI would be unable to respond to any situation unfamiliar to it and therefore was unable to keep up with the flexible strategies of an Elite.


    While it was possible solutions to those issues would be found in the distant future, it was currently more practical and more productive to use a single Elite to pilot an Object.


    Just as the Elite girl was firing her large coilguns at the enemy Tri-Core, she received a transmission from an ally.


    ¡°Thi...Quenser. We...curr...Tri-Core...deck!¡±


    It was a voice she had longed to hear.


    Strength entered her small hands as they held the control column.


    ¡°...switch your weapon...short time whi....escape. Please switch...WL3B...! I repeat, switch...WL3B...!!¡±


    However, the signal was so bad it was hard to tell what he was saying.


    The Elite girl tilted her head in confusion.


    Apparently Quenser had made it onto the Tri-Core¡¯s deck and was asking the Elite girl for cover fire. ...However, the crucial weapon code had not made it through intact.


    (WL3B...That would be something from the laser system.)


    ¡°Hmm...¡± the girl thought.


    She did not have much time. The longer she took, the greater the risk of Quenser and whoever was with him being in real trouble. Pressed for time, the Elite girl made the following decision.


    (I have a feeling he said WL3B2... Yeah, that had to be it!!)


    She nodded once and reached for the switch to change weapons.


    A sound like evaporating water reached Quenser¡¯s ears.


    It was coming from the princess¡¯s Object.


    Specifically, it was coming from a part on the surface of the spherical body that looked like a planetarium lens. Hundreds of laser beams then shot from it like a folding fan pointed forward. The orange lines this made were likely created by the dust or moisture in the air being burned.


    It was the WL3B2 which was known as the Killer Squall.


    It was a secondary weapon meant to annihilate flesh and blood soldiers defending a base rather than to defeat another Object.


    However...


    ¡°Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!?¡±


    While raising a shout against the scene before them, Quenser and Heivia rolled across the top of the float to escape. As they did, the many optical weapons burned across the Tri-Core¡¯s surface.


    None of the lasers pierced into the Object, but the areas of the surface struck were locally heated up like a frying pan. The cranes used for oil drilling were burned off and the few relentless soldiers who had continued to chase Quenser and Heivia from the other float practically exploded.


    ¡°What the hell!? I asked for the WL3B1s, so why is she using the WL3B2 system!? Is that princess trying to kill us!?¡±


    ¡°Look, hero. Isn¡¯t there something odd about the princess¡¯s Object!?¡±


    When Quenser looked over at Heivia¡¯s insistence, he saw one of the arms stretching from the Baby Magnum¡¯s back shaking left and right as if following some kind of prey.


    If they had looked at it calmly, it may have looked more like a cute feminine gesture of greeting, but they were anything but calm given the situation.


    ¡°D-dammit! Is it just me or is she aiming this way!? She¡¯s even making slight adjustments back and forth!!¡±


    ¡°So we really are just expendable pawns! Screw that, I¡¯m not gonna die here!!¡±


    As the deadly anti-personnel lasers rained down from above, Quenser and Heivia pulled together the little amount of courage they had left and stood up. They were not facing the depths of the Tri-Core. Instead, they ran as quickly as they could toward the sea that was spread out around the Object and leapt into it, completely abandoning all of their professional duties.


    No great splash was heard.


    They had jumped from the Tri-Core while it was moving at around 200 kph and were pushed by the side effects of its great hovercraft-like wind that was spread out around it. Quenser and Heivia skipped a few times across the surface of the water like a flat stone thrown into a river before they finally crashed through the surface.


    A tremendous explosive noise rang out.


    In no time at all, they had ended up over 150 meters from the Tri-Core.


    Immediately afterwards, the two Objects once again started an all-out battle between their main weapons. They had gotten a good distance from the Tri-Core, but the vibrations that spread through the ocean waters felt as if they would shake their bodies apart.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough! There¡¯s no way we can keep up with a battle like this!!¡± shouted Quenser half in tears when he finally made it back above the surface.


    Heivia desperately shouted from nearby, ¡°Hey, you set up a few of the explosives before, right!? Detonate them already!! We almost died setting them up, so we have to get something out of them!!¡±


    ¡°Okay, partner!! This is the crystallization of our efforts!!¡±


    Getting oddly energetic as well, Quenser unhesitatingly transmitted the detonation signal.


    Immediately afterwards, crimson flames flew into the air.


    One of the cylindrical oil tanks attached to the Tri-Core¡¯s float had exploded.


    The shockwave spread out evenly and struck Quenser and Heivia. Their heads were knocked under the water¡¯s surface and they desperately made it back up like they were part of a strange game of Whac-A-Mole.


    ¡°Ueh...Shit. It just came back and hit us...¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t destroying that tank we¡¯d been using as a shield count as strategic damage? After all, their objective is to carry that crude oil to an enemy base.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second... Even if it¡¯s a strategy to cut off their supplies, was that really okay? I mean, won¡¯t the oil wreak havoc on the sea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the higher ups predicted something like this would happen and have already put together a means of dealing with it. Dedicated work ships will probably go out and suck it all up after the battle¡¯s over. If they insist we bring them all the stolen oil, we can just throw them into the sea and tell them to deal with it themselves. ...Right now, I¡¯m more interested in what happened to the Tri-Core itself.¡±


    They then looked over at the Tri-Core that had black smoke rising from it.


    They did not look pleased.


    ¡°Shit. That damn Object is perfectly fine!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I see no sign of damage to the floats. Damn, how are we supposed to sink that thing!? Is it even possible with the explosives we were given!? Dahh!! I just want to chuck it all at the thing and get the hell out of here!!¡±


    That was when Froleytia approached them aboard a lifeboat with a small motor aboard. She took a small bite out of a piece of cheese most likely from the emergency rations and gave no sign of caring that her adult underwear could be seen through her wet uniform.


    ¡°Well, there is a chance you two might actually get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Froleytia!? Where have you been this whole time!?¡±


    ¡°Where did you find that lifeboat!? And what¡¯s with that cheese!? Do they keep that aboard the lifeboats!? It looks way better than the rations we usually eat! I wish I got that kind of food!!¡±


    Froleytia moved the conversation along, ignoring the two shouting idiots.


    ¡°What I told you to do was to damage the Object while we waited for the princess to show up. After blowing up that tank, our role is over. Now we just have to pass the baton over to the princess. If we wait around for a rescue helicopter, we just have to grab onto the rope, get dragged up, and fly straight for land.¡±


    ¡°...Assuming the helicopter isn¡¯t knocked out of the sky due to the insane battle over there,¡± muttered Heivia.


    The Tri-Core had moved away from them in order to engage the princess in battle, but the range of an Object¡¯s cannons are measured in kilometers, so they were not exactly safe.


    Meanwhile, a large military helicopter approached from the land''s direction. The Tri-Core¡¯s radar would of course have seen it, but it made no attempt to shoot it down. It was likely giving no attention to every little transport helicopter in order to focus on battling the Object the princess was piloting. It had already been well proven that normal soldiers, tanks, and fighters could not damage an Object. It would have been pathetic indeed to get hit by the princess¡¯s powerful main cannons while trying to shoot down a harmless fly.


    The helicopter flew to a spot directly above Quenser and the others as the two boys treaded water. While it hovered about 10 meters up, a wire like those used by rescue teams was dropped straight down.


    Froleytia said, ¡°Sorry, but let¡¯s do this by order of rank. If I don¡¯t get aboard first, some complete stranger could very well label you two as subordinates so afraid for their lives that they ignored military regulations.¡±


    ¡°If you show any sign of pulling up the wire before we¡¯re aboard, I¡¯ll stick a fuse in this Hand Axe and throw it into the helicopter,¡± Heivia said with a completely serious expression.


    Quenser stared off into the distance where the two Objects were fighting. The princess was making quick movements left and right to throw off her opponent¡¯s aim and the Tri-Core was attacking with its giant railguns while moving clockwise. There was no guaranteed winner in a battle between Objects. Who was on the offense and who was on the defense would move back and forth, giving the battle the same kind of tension as the last 10 minutes of a world cup match tied at 0.


    ¡°Don¡¯t zone out like that, Quenser!! It¡¯s your turn!!¡±


    That shout from above brought Quenser back to his senses. He looked up and saw that Heivia and Froleytia were already inside the transport helicopter. Heivia was leaning out of the open door.


    ¡°What, do you want to stay behind and do some extra studying as a battlefield student!? A stray bullet could come this way at any time, so we can¡¯t stick around any longer!!¡±


    Quenser frantically grabbed at the thick wire hanging nearby. A large motor started winding up the wire and Quenser was quickly brought up into the air.


    After about 30 seconds, he was all the way up.


    To steady the wire and his body that was shaking with it, Quenser placed his feet on the edge of the floor of the helicopter. The helicopter must have been originally intended for rescues during naval missions because inside it were diving suits, oxygen tanks, tools such as wrenches and drills that used compressed air to function underwater, and something called an aqua scooter that looked like a kickboard with a motor attached.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re all aboard! Get us out of here as quickly as possible!!¡± said Froleytia loudly in the direction of the cockpit.


    The helicopter tilted forward and started moving away from the battle between Objects.


    ¡°What a mess,¡± Heivia muttered as he looked down at the sea.


    Around the two rampaging Objects, countless pieces of wreckage were scattered about. That wreckage was all that remained of the offshore maintenance base zones like the one Quenser and the others had been supposed to wait aboard.


    ¡°They may have been hastily constructed, but there were 20 or 30 of those things. And yet now there¡¯s nothing left that¡¯s staying afloat properly. Everything but the base of the pillars is at the bottom of the sea.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, most of the soldiers managed to jump into the sea just after the Tri-Core began its attack. That¡¯s why so many rescue helicopters have been sent out.¡±


    Quenser could see 40 or 50 helicopters in the direction he was looking. Most likely, as many as possible had been gathered from nearby naval ports and bases. Not all of them were dedicated rescue helicopters. Transport and reconnaissance helicopters could be seen mixed in. They were hovering and using wires to pick up soldiers floating in the sea like how Quenser and the others had been.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe so many survived...¡± Heivia muttered.


    While wiping seawater from her long kanzashi-style hairpin, Froleytia sighed and spoke.


    ¡°Objects are synonymous with war after all. Even if you linked together 10 nuclear aircraft carriers and set up a 40 meter cannon, you would not be able to defeat those monsters. Look at those movements. Not even a mixed martial arts champion can pull off footwork like that.¡±


    After determining when the enemy would fire from the minute movements of its cannons, the princess¡¯s Object made small, quick movements to avoid the railgun shots and return fire. The Tri-Core had realized it could not completely avoid getting hit, so it was deliberately facing its thicker armored areas to the front to avoid a fatal blow.


    Just as Froleytia had said, it looked like a detailed martial arts match rather than a battle between tanks or battleships.


    ¡°Chaff or flares will not throw off their aim and hiding behind cover and using ranged attacks will not protect you. Even in a wide open battlefield like this, they can defend against and avoid attacks from main cannons that move at almost Mach 10. How are tanks or fighters supposed to take them on?¡±


    Suddenly, Quenser practically pushed Heivia out of the way as he leaned out of the open door.


    ¡°Wait a second. Something¡¯s odd about the princess¡¯s movements!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s the same impossible-to-predict battle as ever.¡±


    ¡°No, Quenser¡¯s right,¡± said Froleytia as she reached for some binoculars from within the helicopter. ¡°The princess has been attacking less often for a bit now. More and more now, she¡¯s not firing when she clearly has an open shot on the Tri-Core.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Look at that!!¡± shouted Quenser as he pointed.


    Immediately afterwards, one of the Tri-Core¡¯s railguns fired. The shockwave produced by its nearly Mach 10 speed created a tremendous noise despite the railgun not using any kind of gunpowder to fire.


    The Tri-Core was not aiming for the center of the princess¡¯s Object.


    The railgun shell was aimed for the end of the princess¡¯s main cannons.


    ¡°...It¡¯s decided this is going to be a long battle and is trying to wear down her attack power,¡± said Quenser with a groan. ¡°The Object is covered in thick nuclear shelter-like armor, but the very end of the gun battery is different. ...If I recall, one of the best strategies against an Object without using one yourself is to use a weapon that creates as much heat as a nuclear weapon and uses that to distort the shape of the Object¡¯s weapons.¡±


    Of course, an Object had over 100 weapons. Even if a normal army used a nuclear weapon, they would only be able to ¡°distort¡± 20 or 30 percent of those. Since even one active weapon remaining would be enough to wipe out an army, that was not enough to utterly destroy an Object.


    But what if that strategy was used in a battle between Objects?


    Both giant Objects were covered in solid armor and the weapons the enemy could use to penetrate that armor were limited. Even if an Object had 100 weapons, only the main weapons could destroy another Object.


    So what if all of the weapons that could destroy an Object were destroyed?


    ¡°Shit!! She¡¯s gonna lose at this rate!!¡± shouted Heivia.


    Quenser was a student who had studied the designs of Objects and Heivia was an analyst who searched for characteristics and weaknesses of enemy Objects from data gathered on the battlefield.


    That was why they understood.


    The princess¡¯s Object was still fighting, but 5 of its 7 main coilguns had already been made useless. It was clear that, before long, all of the main weapons would be unusable.


    Quenser watched the princess¡¯s Object as it was driven further and further into a purely defensive battle. His gaze then dropped to his own hands. The higher ups had supplied him with a large amount of the plastic explosive Hand Axe in order to damage the Tri-Core as much as possible.


    ¡°Hey, wait.¡± A stiff smile appeared on Heivia¡¯s face when he noticed Quenser staring at the explosives. ¡°I think I know what you¡¯re thinking, but wait. It¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°The princess will be sunk at this rate,¡± said Quenser as he leaned even further out the door in order to check on things outside. ¡°I have to give her some help before she loses for sure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be killed! And we already did quite a bit!! That Tri-Core is enough of a monster to be fine even after we climbed up on its deck, set explosives, and blew up that giant oil tank! Just where do you think you¡¯re going to put those explosives on it to damage it!? In fact, just getting near that high speed battle will be enough to crush your body to a paste!!¡±


    ¡°But if I don¡¯t do anything, the princess will die!!¡± Quenser stared Heivia straight in the eye. ¡°In Alaska, we learned better than we ever wanted to that Objects are synonymous with war. Have you already forgotten the hell that awaits the rest of the soldiers once we lose the Object!? Objects are powerful but not invincible. That means that we can¡¯t just rely on the princess but doesn¡¯t it also mean we might be able to do something about the Tri-Core!?¡±


    ¡°No, stop this! If we approach on this slow helicopter, we¡¯ll be shot down in no time at all!!¡±


    ¡°I never said anything about heading there on the helicopter.¡±


    ¡°Stop, you idiot!! Shit!!¡±


    Ignoring Heivia, Quenser jumped out the open door. From 10 meters up, he reached the ocean surface in only a few seconds. He broke through the surface that felt as hard as concrete and sank deep down into the water.


    ¡°Pphah! Dammit!!¡±


    His head burst back above the surface and he looked around while treading water.


    The helicopter Heivia and Froleytia were aboard showed no sign of actively supporting him, but it did not just fly off and leave him behind either.


    ¡°You softhearted idiots,¡± Quenser muttered with a smile.


    Quenser himself had no intention of facing the Tri-Core head on.


    There was no way he could win if he tried to.


    No matter how noble a reason one had and no matter how many things one had to protect, an Object would slaughter a flesh-and-blood soldier without hesitation.


    There was not even a hint of a chance of things conveniently working out if you tried hard enough or a miracle occurring if you fought desperately enough.


    However, Quenser had learned something in Alaska.


    He did not have to face the Object head on.


    He could circle around to the back.


    The element that would make the impossible possible was not strength. It was brains. He had to worry over everything as much as he could, think as hard as he could, and find some means, method, or technique with which he could defeat the enemy. Only if he thought everything through to the very last second rather than charging in desperately could he achieve an unthinkable victory.


    While treading water, Quenser spoke to Heivia through his radio.


    ¡°Now then. It¡¯s time to find a weakness. That giant Object has three reactors rather than the usual one, so maybe there¡¯s some kind of shortcoming there.¡±


    ¡°You idiot. Weaknesses aren¡¯t that easy to find. That Object was made exclusively to be used in naval battles. Unlike a Composite Multi-Role one like the princess¡¯s, it has no design blind spots when it¡¯s on the water. That monster was designed so it wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It was designed for naval battles... But then...¡±


    Quenser thought as he swam a bit in the direction of the battling Objects.


    (But then its movements seem a little too monotonous... Almost as if it isn¡¯t used to fighting...)


    As he watched the Tri-Core turn to the right as it followed the arcing path of the princess¡¯s Object, Quenser suddenly stopped swimming and spoke into the radio.


    ¡°Wait... Didn¡¯t the Tri-Core only ever turn to the right before, too?¡±


    ¡°Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Ever since the battle began, the Tri-Core has only been turning to the right! It¡¯s moved slightly to the left in emergencies, but it hasn¡¯t curved any large amount to the left this entire time, has it!?¡± Quenser said quickly due to his own idea making him feel impatient. ¡°It hasn¡¯t turned left even once from the moment it tried to crush us with its shark anchor!! When it was attacking the half-destroyed base from pointblank range, it should have just rotated clockwise or counter-clockwise, whichever way would bring one of its cannons in range fastest. However, it never once rotated counter-clockwise. No Object specialized for naval battles would lack a basic ability like that!! Something must have happened to it to keep it from turning to the left! If we could worsen whatever it is...!!¡±


    ¡°You say something must have happened,¡± Heivia said dubiously while likely leaning out the helicopter while looking through some binoculars. ¡°But I can¡¯t see anything wrong with it. There¡¯s nothing odd about its floats or air cushion. Its balance is perfectly level. At the very least, nothing is wrong with it that can be seen from here.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Something was clearly wrong with it, but Heivia was unable to see anything.


    The problem was located somewhere that could not be seen from a helicopter.


    So...


    ¡°Underwater...?¡± Quenser muttered. ¡°Hey, drop down that aqua scooter that was in the helicopter. It¡¯s the thing that looks like a kickboard with a motor attached!!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what? If we don¡¯t get out of here soon, the Tri-Core¡¯s continuous right turning will put us in its path!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect!! I¡¯ve figured out the Tri-Core¡¯s weakness!!¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    A hunk of plastic about the size of a small drawer to a steel desk fell from the open door of the helicopter. At the same time, the helicopter quickly left the area because the Tri-Core was quickly headed that way and it was over 50 meters high itself.


    Quenser grabbed the round piece of plastic floating in the water and pressed a button to bring out a hair spray can-sized oxygen tank. He put the clear mask that smelled of seawater over his mouth and hit the machine¡¯s ignition switch to start the internal motor.


    An aqua scooter was essentially exactly what Quenser had said it was: a kickboard with a motor attached. By diving down using it, he could move through the water much faster than when using only his legs.


    ¡°Quenser!! Dive!! The Tri-Core¡¯s headed your way!!¡± said Heivia over the radio.


    Quenser looked over and saw the 150-180 meter weapon sliding sideways toward him. It sped up from 50 kph and the cliff-like float approached at an alarming speed of about 200 kph.


    The Tri-Core showed no sign of even knowing Quenser was there.


    Not even the smallest of its around 100 weapons turned in his direction.


    It was likely focusing on its battle with the princess¡¯s Object. It did not care if a soldier got crushed in the process.


    Before, he had somehow managed to escape the Tri-Core by diving down into the water, so he frantically dove down this time as well.


    However, this time he was not trying to escape.


    He was heading down to cause real damage to the Tri-Core.


    As he soured through the seawater, Quenser made it below the Tri-Core. ...Or rather, the Tri-Core passed over him as he dove down.


    Quenser maxed out the aqua scooter¡¯s thrust so as not to be left behind.


    And he stared at a giant structure that had been hidden in the water.


    (The shark anchors!!)


    As the Tri-Core moved about to toy with the princess, Quenser aimed for the moment it had decelerated the most, let go of the aqua scooter, and grabbed onto the mine-covered net that was caught on the shark anchor. Even then, it was moving at 50 kph. It was like grabbing onto the side of a bus to hitch a free ride.


    (...!? Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh!!)


    The shark anchor was one of the three steel pylon-like structures that stretched straight down from the three spherical main bodies of the Tri-Core. They acted as the weights that kept the Object¡¯s balance like a self-righting toy. It was a necessary part for an Object that made sharp turns at high speed.


    Each of the three shark anchors could extend and retract like a retractable baton. By changing their lengths in accordance with the Tri-Core¡¯s slant, the Object¡¯s center of gravity could be regulated. That way, it would not capsize even when quickly moving using the massive energy produced by its reactors.


    The Tri-Core used the hovercraft-like method of having its main body float simply because it could move faster that way. Water resistance could be reduced as much as possible if the ship itself was not in the water.


    Even so, it still had those three shark anchors that created a large amount of water resistance.


    Why would it do that?


    It was because the shark anchors were so important that the Object could not be piloted without them.


    However...


    (That functionality has been partially sealed due to the ¡°goal tape¡± net getting tangled up in it.)


    The Tri-Core had charged through the net because it had assumed mines would not do any real damage to it. It had been right about that. However, it had not expected for the net to get stuck in the gaps of one of the retractable shark anchors.


    Due to that, that one shark anchor could no longer move.


    (If the Tri-Core turns to the left too much, it will lose control of its balance and turn over. So as not to take itself out like that, the Tri-Core has been forced to fight the princess while only turning to the right!!)


    When he thought about it, the Tri-Core had somehow not felt like an absolutely invincible Object when it had used long distance attacks to destroy the normal base zones Quenser and the others had been on. Normally, it would have charged into the center of the enemy forces and blown everything away in all directions. The reason it had not done so may have been because it was afraid of getting into a situation where it would be forced to turn to the left.


    But knowing that made things much easier.


    (If losing control of just one shark anchor is that much of a handicap, losing another will completely destroy its balance!!)


    That was why Quenser had brought all the explosives he could with him.


    He had brought the plastic explosive known as Hand Axe.


    He doubted the explosives would be enough to do anything about the tough Object itself, but there was something much easier to use already prepared there for him: the net covered in mines the size of the large balls used in sports festivals. The net had been so torn up that it trailed behind the shark anchor for almost 350 meters like a giant windsock.


    Quenser stuck an electric fuse into the Hand Axe and placed it next to the mines.


    Using them, he could sink the Tri-Core.


    (Okay, that¡¯s all set up...wah!?)


    The Tri-Core suddenly turned to the right sending Quenser swinging around. His hand was ripped from the net and the tremendous current created by the giant shark anchor sent him tumbling away through the water.


    In no time at all, he was a good distance from the Tri-Core.


    However, he had done what he had needed to do.


    Quenser kicked his legs to bring his head above water and then removed the clear mask covering his face.


    In his hand, he held the radio with which to send the detonation signal to the Hand Axe.


    ¡°Here goes!!¡±


    As Quenser stared at the mountain-like presence of the Tri-Core, he pressed the button with his thumb.


    A muffled explosion roared and bubbles over 10 meters across burst to the surface from below the Tri-Core.


    It did not end there.


    Shockwaves did not traverse only through air. The shockwave caused by the explosion rushed out and mercilessly assaulted even Quenser¡¯s body. He doubled over in the water like he had been hit by a body blow.


    The impact to the shark anchor supporting the Tri-Core¡¯s balance caused it to stop for an instant while it turned to the right in its chase after the princess¡¯s Object.


    ¡°Gh...Cough!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, did you stick the Hand Axe on the shark anchor!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I got the giant mines to blow up with it. This should...¡±


    ¡°You idiot. It isn¡¯t that easy! The Tri-Core has been moving around this whole time after plowing right through that net, setting off plenty of those mines in the process! Setting off more of them with the Hand Axe isn¡¯t going to damage one of those giant shark anchors!!¡±


    The Tri-Core moved one of its weapons.


    It finally turned one of its over 100 weapons as if displaying its anger for a small bug that had bitten it.


    It was not using one of the main cannons that was aimed at the princess¡¯s Object.


    However, anything on the Tri-Core was enough to sink a normal battleship. There was no question as to what would happen to a flesh-and-blood soldier.


    ¡°Dammit. The Tri-Core¡¯s gotten serious!! Hey, Quenser, we¡¯ll send out all the chaff and smoke we have, but don¡¯t blame me if it doesn¡¯t work!! It¡¯s impossible to damage those shark anchors with just that kind of explosive!!¡± said Heivia desperately.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I was trying to do,¡± Quenser replied with a fearless smile on his lips. ¡°I was trying to blow up the net caught on the Object!!¡±


    The explosion Quenser had caused had further torn apart the giant net caught on the shark anchor, causing it to spread out.


    The net had spread out like a flag waving in the wind and had entwined itself around one of the other shark anchors due to the very current created by the shark anchors.


    Up until then, only one of the three shark anchors had been made useless by having the net wrapped around it.


    However, Quenser had caused the net to wrap around a second one. The net made its way into the gaps in the retractable shark anchor, stopping its movements. The Object''s ability to maintain its balance was further reduced.


    And...


    Part 7


    With a tremendous roar, the Tri-Core fired at Quenser.


    However, the shell did not actually hit him. A tremendous amount of water was thrown into the air and Quenser was tossed about by the great current this caused. He did not die. An invincible object had aimed for him, yet he lived on.


    The reason for that was simple.


    Quenser stared at the Tri-Core as it started acting oddly.


    ¡°Objects always have mass and weight on a normally unthinkable scale and the Tri-Core has three spherical main bodies. That is likely why it is exclusively used for naval battles. Any use of legs to try and support something that large on land would be crushed underneath its weight.¡±


    An eerie creaking noise resounded throughout the battlefield.


    The Tri-Core¡¯s body had been precisely made according to its schematics and did not have even the slightest defect, but it was clearly beginning to warp bit by bit. The sight was similar to seeing a mountain range being created by tectonic plates crashing into each other. The creaking continued and the center of the A-shaped Object swelled up as if being folded symmetrically by a giant hand.


    ¡°That weight carries quite a bit of potential energy. It is one thing when it has the shark anchors to control the balance, but when those shark anchors aren¡¯t functioning, the main body of the Tri-Core suffers when it moves that normally unthinkable weight. It¡¯s exactly like how an aikido practitioner uses his opponent¡¯s own weight to throw him!!¡±


    The Object struggled.


    However, it was too late.


    The Tri-Core¡¯s giant form had clearly bent into a lowercase n-shape. Anyone could have predicted what fate awaited the Object as it continued to loudly self destruct.


    A great noise reverberated across the Strait of Gibraltar.


    Like something out of a wiener commercial, the Tri-Core bent past its limit and snapped in two. Bisected under its own weight, the Object started to sink deep into the sea. Its floats were smashed and its air cushion engines were no longer functioning properly, so it no longer had any way to float.


    Just before the Tri-Core sank completely below the surface, a small blast came from the top and an escape device shot out. The enemy Elite pilot had given up. Quenser had defeated the Tri-Core.


    Quenser looked up at the helicopter flying above his head and laughed like an idiot.


    ¡°Ha ha ha!! So you¡¯ve finally come back, you losers!! First the Water Strider in Alaska and now this!! That¡¯s two I¡¯ve taken out!! How many medals am I gonna get now!? I may just be a battlefield student, but maybe now I¡¯ll be the equivalent of a lieutenant colonel or something!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you idiot!! This isn¡¯t over! You need to get out of there!!¡±


    ¡°Hah? The Tri-Core is on its way to the bottom of the-...¡±


    ¡°Yes, and a giant tsunami-like wave is spreading out in a ring from where it sank! This is something like the crater-shaped wave created when a space station falls in the ocean!!¡±


    Quenser looked over in shock and saw a giant wall.


    It was a wall of water 20 meters high.


    From his position, it almost looked like a building was collapsing down on him. He could see the helicopter above frantically ascending in order to avoid getting hit by the wave.


    (You¡¯ve gotta be kidding...!)


    Even the aftereffects of its defeat were enough to kill a flesh-and-blood soldier.


    At the very end, Quenser was newly made aware of just how huge Objects were as the lethal wall of water struck him. All five of his senses were thrown into chaos and he became unable to tell what was going on in the outside world.


    (Cough...cough!! ....!!)


    Death.


    Amid the chaotic sensations, that word floated up from within him.


    However, Quenser was not dashed to pieces.


    Something was supporting his body to prevent it from being swept away.


    ¡°...?¡±


    After several seconds, the 20 meter wave finally passed.


    Quenser looked around in confusion because he had no idea why he was still alive. Then he realized what had happened.


    The princess¡¯s Object had circled around in the direction he was being swept and had used one of the main cannon''s arms to scoop him up. Quenser was draped atop the end of the 40 meter main cannon like a futon hanging to dry.


    ¡°Hi there.¡± He heard the princess¡¯s voice coming from the external speakers normally used to demand trembling soldiers to surrender once the enemy Object had been blown away. ¡°How does it feel to ride on one of the Objects you love so much?¡±


    Part 8


    And so Quenser, Heivia, and Froleytia survived. They were aboard a large transport plane that had taken off from a military base.


    All three of them were holding the type of giant hamburger that completely ignored balanced nutritional needs and that they could not get while stuck on a base. Froleytia¡¯s Japan obsession showed itself once more as her burger held a Japanese tatsuta-age rather than a beef patty.


    She moved her small, pale lips and said, ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to properly enjoy normal food after months of nothing but flavorless rations, but it seems good food is good food no matter what. Just eating this is enough to remind me that I am a living being.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt you in the middle of some kind of philosophical dissertation, but could you not cross your legs while wearing that tight skirt? Please think about how your subordinates must feel sitting right in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What, you don¡¯t like it? C¡¯mon, I¡¯m going out of my way to give you a little reward. Can you really escape the allure of this sexy zone made up of black stockings and red panties?¡±


    ¡°No, I feel panties aren¡¯t something that should just be out in the open like that. I mean, they need to be a rare sight that you just catch a slight glimpse of. Not that I think the sight of panties is a bad thing, but my theory is they just aren¡¯t living up to their full potential like this. They¡¯re red. And soaked with seawater. Those black synthetic fibers are torn just a bit showing some white skin... Dammit, you¡¯re right!! I am happy!! Gwaahh!!¡±


    The slightly bluish-silver-haired and large-breasted Froleytia laughed and gave a victorious smile as she toyed with the healthy young man that was Heivia.


    ¡°Damn, my clothes are sticking to me uncomfortably though. Why does seawater stick to your skin like this? Just changing clothes would be meaningless if I still reek of the beach like this. If only we had had enough time to get a shower back at the port.¡±


    ¡°The plane has no shower room, so you¡¯ll just have to put up with it until we reach the next base.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, Quenser,¡± said Froleytia as she undid the latch on a large box on the ground nearby. She pulled out a strange item that looked like a bag that was made of water resistant material that had a watering can-like faucet attached to the bottom. ¡°This is a simple portable shower. It seems the divers have had the same thoughts.¡±


    Froleytia moved her damp body and hung the water resistant bag from a hook on the ceiling.


    ¡°Ehh?¡± Heivia shouted upon seeing his superior officer pull out a kiddie pool-like object to prevent the water from spreading across the floor. ¡°You mean...here...? We¡¯re all going to take a shower together here!? W-with pleasure, ma¡¯am!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be partitioning the shower off with a curtain, so outta the way, Heivia!¡±


    ¡°Ghahh!?¡±


    Heivia let out a scream as Froleytia pulled a thick plastic sheet across in front of her on a rail on the ceiling while kicking him in the side as he sat on the ground.


    When he heard the sound of clothes being slipped off from behind the sheet, Heivia stopped rolling around on the ground and became completely still.


    ¡°...Shit. Talk about a cock tease.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah... That¡¯s right... You¡¯re completely right, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Eh? What kind of half-hearted reply is that? W-wait, is there a gap between the sheet and the wall over there...!?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Not at all. Not even slightly. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    Froleytia¡¯s exceedingly calm voice that was accompanied by the sound of water came from the other side of the thick sheet.


    ¡°Quenser, I only allowed you to see as far as the underwear. If you go any further, I may have to use the interrogation room afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Wah!! You noticed!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you can see!?¡± exclaimed Heivia.


    The two idiots started struggling over that spot, but Froleytia upped her defense by using a piece of electrical tape to close the gap between the sheet and the wall. By the time Heivia managed to look over, there was nothing left to see.


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Heivia. Is it really something worth sulking in the corner over?¡±


    ¡°...Leave me alone. Someone who got everything he wanted can¡¯t understand how I feel.¡±


    As it was not enough of an issue for him to worry about when he was so sweaty, Quenser decided to leave Heivia be. Quenser had other things to worry about.


    ¡°The princess sure has it tough,¡± he muttered as he glanced out the window. ¡°It¡¯s normally just a quick plane ride away, but they have to actually alter the landscape to transport her giant Object to the next battlefield.¡±


    From behind the thick sheet, Froleytia turned Quenser¡¯s words to himself into a conversation.


    ¡°And yet that thing is a monster that can rush across land or sea at the speed of a linear motor train. There are plenty of just causes for this war, but the primary reason seems to be gaining exclusive control of the best routes to efficiently move an Object to any battlefield in the world. Straits are especially desirable in that sense.¡±


    ¡°What, are we back to the Age of Exploration?¡±


    Quenser was forced to reflect once more on the reasons behind the killing he had been taking part in. As he did, the thick sheet partitioning off the shower area slid to the side, revealing a fully-clothed Froleytia.


    ¡°Tah dah. Now that was refreshing. It¡¯s a shame the only available change of clothes were unfashionable overalls, but what can you do? ...By the way, Heivia, why are you sulking in the corner?¡±


    ¡°...Being under the command of a beauty of a superior officer comes with some serious problems,¡± muttered Heivia with a grim look on his face, but Froleytia only looked confused.


    Quenser looked over at what she was holding.


    ¡°Froleytia, why are you hooking that tablet up to that notebook right after getting out of the shower?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, this? I have to provide real-time long-distance orders to secure the transport route for an Object in South America and the troops supporting it. Doing this really drives home how much the power balance of the world can change based on who holds the quickest routes with which to transport Objects.¡±


    ¡°...I really don¡¯t care. Just so you know, I¡¯m never taking part in an awards ceremony again. I¡¯m leaving!¡± Heivia said out of displeasure.


    ¡°You know what the military regulations are, right?¡±


    ¡°Fuck the regulations!! Go ahead and discharge me! If you need a reason, I¡¯ll rape you and those giant breasts of yours right now!! I only enlisted in order to gain the experience I needed to become the next head of my noble family!! After destroying two Objects with normal firepower, I think I¡¯ve more than done that! I¡¯m never going back to a battlefield like that!!¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯d say today¡¯s victory goes to Quenser alone...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, in more ways than one!! I didn¡¯t get to see anything!!¡±


    ¡°? I have the feeling we¡¯re talking about two different things now... Where did you get off track, Heivia? Well, I¡¯m not quite sure what the problem is, but quit crying.¡±


    Froleytia had looked up from the map on the computer in confusion, but then her radio started beeping. After an exchange over the radio that was filled with special military jargon, Froleytia frowned in annoyance and finally cut the connection after giving a quick word of consent.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re in luck. You aren¡¯t going to have another awards ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Really!? Thank goodness, I can go home! The home country is designated a safe country, so everything will be fine once I get back there!!¡±


    ¡°Who said you had been ordered back home? That¡¯s been cancelled too.¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡± said Quenser and Heivia as they stared at their superior¡¯s face.


    Froleytia shrugged and responded with, ¡°A previously inactive military country in Oceania has made a major move. Now that you two have destroyed two Objects, it looks like the higher ups have really taken a liking to you. They referred to you by name when they asked to have you sent straight to Oceania.¡±


    ¡°Fuck that!¡±


    ¡°Let me off!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll hijack this plane!¡±


    The two soldiers shouted in protest, but the large transport plane¡¯s route could not be changed. It seemed some distant person was controlling the plane¡¯s route remotely by drawing a line on a map on a computer.

 Volume 1, 3: War of the Ant and the Grasshopper >> Battle to Defeat an Oceanian Military Nation

    Volume 1, Chapter 3: War of the Ant and the Grasshopper >> Battle to Defeat an Oceanian Military Nation


    Part 1


    An Oceanian military nation existed in a land famous for koalas and kangaroos. In the age when a country known as Australia had existed there, the cities had primarily existed on the coastal border areas and the central area had mostly been a dry, cracked wasteland that looked like something out of a Western. Even if the areas were not full-blown deserts, the dry, hard ground could only support undergrowth, so both growing crops and building up a modern city had been difficult.


    However, modern times had overturned that situation.


    Artificial soil with high water retention had been developed and many genetically improved plant cultivars were able to carry out urban greening even in harsh climates. Using these and other methods, a large scale plan to improve Oceania¡¯s environment had been developed. With the improvements to the soil, the previously barren inner lands could be made able to produce large amounts of crops and the people who profited from those crops could build large cities and connect them with a traffic network. By drawing out the resources hidden within the earth, the country¡¯s economy could flourish, and its position in the international community could rise. If it had all gone according to plan, no one would have even thought of targeting that nation with an Object.


    However, it did not go according to plan.


    The tribes that had lived in Oceania since ancient times felt it necessary to preserve Oceania¡¯s original state. Their religious beliefs led them to view the natural state of the land as precious and noble no matter how barren that left it. As such, they refused to let the land be covered in non-native or genetically improved plants. The tribes could not bear to have their land ¡°eaten away¡± just to make money, so they began carrying out completely peaceful demonstrations and protests. The military nation was lost in its greed for the profits the development of the land would produce, so they responded in a truly simple fashion.


    They sent an Object after them.


    ¡°That is what is known as the Forest Conservation that began two years ago. And so a coalition force intervened to protect the tribes from the tyranny of that military nation,¡± said Heivia within the sand-covered maintenance base zone.


    Standing next to him, Quenser said, ¡°Huh? This all started two years ago? Then why are we only being called in now?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? There must have been some new development. Something that requires finishing them off.¡±


    The balance of power within Oceania was incredibly easy to see. The areas under control of the military nation were covered in green while the areas under control of the coalition force (and the tribes that refused to support the military nation) were covered in desert. They were also separated by whether they were willing to slaughter an opposing force for nothing more than the profit gained from food and lumber.


    Objects from various different forces were kept within that coalition base zone on the front line. Normally, those Objects would likely have been on opposing sides, but they were currently lined up next to each other.


    The soil there was of course arid. In accordance with the demands of the tribes, they only cleared away the vegetation that had not existed in Oceania since ancient times.


    ¡°Why is it so damn hot? Weren¡¯t we just freezing our asses off in Alaska not too long ago?¡±


    ¡°The seasons in the southern hemisphere are reversed, you idiot. But I suppose this weather is actually a little more suited to a miniskirt Santa.¡± Quenser looked around while wiping a mixture of sweat and sand from his face. ¡°Y¡¯know, we sure have a lot of Objects on our side this time. Maybe we can finally get by without having to charge in ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Have you forgotten how many times our expectations have been horribly, horribly betrayed? It¡¯s probably more realistic to think of more allies as something that increases the chances of getting stepped on accidentally.¡±


    ¡°The coalition force has sent countless Objects against bases in order to crush the dictatorship here, right? But what about the white flag? War these days is based on battles between Objects, so is it really okay to attack bases with only flesh-and-blood people in them?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. It¡¯s probably just some kind of extreme exception. Have you seen what nations make up this coalition? I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve been working together with dangerous countries like that for two years now. This Oceanian dictatorship must really be hated by the international community. ...Also, I doubt the Oceanians have ever raised the white flag. They¡¯ve done some pretty nasty things, so I doubt anyone would let them in even if they did flee the country.¡±


    While listening to Heivia, Quenser leaned up against the synthetic fiber barricade spread around the base and stuck something like a giant rectangular eraser into his mouth.


    ¡°Hm, the rations are as disgusting as ever, so that¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but now we get a coating of sand to add to the flavor.¡±


    ¡°I just want to go home.¡±


    ¡°The higher ups are carrying out firefights using the communication function on handheld game systems.¡±


    While they muttered various complaints, they heard the barricade creak.


    They turned around to find a local girl of about 10 grabbing onto the barricade from outside and staring up at them.


    ¡°What are those?¡± the girl asked while innocently pointing at the coalition Objects being moved within the base zone.


    Quenser and Heivia were unsure how to respond.


    However, the girl did not seem to mind and pressed a picture book up against the barricade.


    ¡°It¡¯s them, isn¡¯t it? They¡¯re the kind beasts of the rocks in this story.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, that¡¯s what they are. They¡¯re providing shelter for the squirrels and kangaroos in case it rains.¡±


    Quenser could not bear to tell her they were weapons of mass destruction and were anything but kind. To his annoyance, Heivia gave him a look that seemed to say, ¡°Nice one, Quenser!!¡±


    Next, a number of trails of white smoke were fired up into the air within the base zone.


    The girl pointed up into the sky and asked, ¡°And what are those?¡±


    Quenser absolutely refused to tell her they were a new model of sensor-type meteorological missiles being tested.


    ¡°Th-they¡¯re rockets...which are sort of like a relative of a space shuttle...I guess?¡±


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡±


    As the girl¡¯s eyes glittered in excitement, the two boys averted their gaze.


    That was when their superior officer, Froleytia, arrived.


    ¡°Hey, you idiots, don¡¯t sit around chatting by the barricade. Stay focused.¡±


    The girl outside the barricade responded more quickly than Froleytia¡¯s subordinates. She jumped in fright and ran off as quickly as she could.


    Quenser and Heivia stared silently at Froleytia for a bit.


    ¡°...What a waste.¡±


    ¡°...There¡¯s no helping it. She may be beautiful, but she¡¯s still a strict commander. Even a mixed martial artist would probably lose his nerve when faced with this aura.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you want to see my nice side? I can give you an introduction using the heel of my boot if you like. But for now, don¡¯t hang around near the barricade. This is a battlefield, remember?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine. Even in a military nation like this, I doubt a mere sniper is going to target a base filled with so many Objects.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. The base is being targeted by cameras.¡± Froleytia seemed frustrated, but despite the heat, she did not undo even a single button of the military uniform constraining her giant breasts. ¡°A surprising number of foreign reporters have gathered, saying they will expose the tyranny of the military nation. However, they are mostly spoiled brats from safe countries that have never seen war and the rest are people who I seriously doubt are reporters.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean the people who act as battlefield guides now that Objects have made mercenaries obsolete?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Seems that way,¡± agreed Froleytia. ¡°The problem is that the military¡¯s safety protocols don¡¯t allow us to let them into the areas ruled by the military nation, so they have nothing to do. Occasionally, they will turn their cameras our way, hoping to get a shot that will be worth some money. If you don¡¯t want your stupid face showing up alongside a satirical article in the home country, make sure to be in top form while outside.¡±


    ¡°...God, what a pain. Can¡¯t you ban photography of the base saying it¡¯s a necessary security measure to preserve classified information on the Objects or something?¡±


    Froleytia thought she felt a headache coming on when she heard Quenser¡¯s amateurish suggestion.


    ¡°What do you think the coalition is for? The home country could end this infighting on its own if need be, but the higher ups want a grand image of the heroes of justice on parade. If we banned photography, the candidates desperately campaigning for the council positions back home would be upset. Councilor Flide and the others are extremely on edge.¡±


    ¡°Hadn¡¯t you heard, Quenser? They¡¯re doing all sorts of things for the press. There was even talk of having decals for high-paying companies or political parties put on the Object¡¯s armor like F1 racers or something.¡±


    ¡°What, are they planning to send the image of bases being attacked and soldiers being shot to pieces into people¡¯s living rooms? They don¡¯t understand what war is like.¡±


    That comment of Quenser¡¯s may have sounded like something any other soldier would have said, but he was technically still a mere battlefield student. The know-it-all expression he had as he made his complaint was more the trait of a peaceful citizen.


    Fed up with that discussion, Heivia changed the subject.


    ¡°Hey, did you see those boats from an anti-war group racing around in the ocean? They had those huge banners insisting the coalition forces end the invasion that was made up of an overwhelming force of Objects.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re either a bunch of idiots who don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on inside the military nation or a bunch of self-centered bastards who know but don¡¯t care. Do we really need to pay any attention to them? In fact, I¡¯m willing to bet they would ask us why didn¡¯t we attack the military nation sooner, the second a torpedo from that nation sinks one of them.¡±


    With a displeased expression, Froleytia spoke up, ¡°The Council elections back in the home country are coming up soon. As I said, Councilor Flide and the others are on edge to ensure they don¡¯t gain any kind of negative image. It¡¯s possible they really are planning an operation to provide relief to that ignorant anti-war group.¡±


    ¡°Oh c¡¯mon. We come all the way to the battlefield and we have to babysit some idiots?¡± complained the two boys.


    Froleytia glanced up toward the sun that was beginning to sink.


    ¡°You two will be taking part in a mission that begins at sunset, so you need to prepare yourselves now. An official briefing is being held this evening, so make sure you are fully equipped by then.¡±


    ¡°Wait, ¡®you two¡¯? Froleytia, are you just going to be sitting in an air-conditioned room waiting for the result?¡± asked Heivia while pouting his lips.


    Froleytia shrugged and said, ¡°Would you rather help us out here? It isn¡¯t easy holding back the third-rate reporters who want to be battlefield cameramen and keep ignoring the military safety protocols and heading for the front lines. They all think us soldiers are something like tour guides. Whenever their freedom is infringed on even slightly, they call to complain as if we were a customer service center. Do you want to see the true face of pacifism while you have people spit in your face and are unable to strike back?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia grimaced at the thought.


    Part 2


    Inside the coalition maintenance base zone, the characteristics of the equipment found within the same class of facility varied depending on which force they belonged to. An Elite girl who was called the princess by others stood within a detached portion of the base zone created from multiple large vehicles.


    Multiple such facilities existed and the one the princess was currently inside was not the enormous one that contained her personal Object, the Baby Magnum. She was in a special facility located next to the one for the Object. This one was for maintaining the Elite pilot¡¯s body.


    The area was so large it was hard to believe it was inside a vehicle and it contained a clear semi-circle dome about 10 meters across. The Elite girl was standing in the middle of that dome and countless devices and human eyes were observing her from outside the dome. The people were from the medical team that looked after the Elite girl¡¯s health.


    The old lady that normally maintained the Object was mixed in with the medical team and she operated a device that looked like the kind of recording console used to dub animation or movies.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get started. Have you finished preparing the instrument?¡± said the old lady.


    Her voice was not transmitted by sound. Instead, orange words were displayed on the inner clear wall of the dome. This was because the dome was soundproofed. The girl read the words that scrolled across like on an electric scoreboard. As a music score raced across the clear and thin monitor before her eyes, she put on the special goggles also used to pilot the Object.


    She held up a long, thin silver flute and entered text by having the infrared input function of the goggles read the motion of her eyes.


    ¡°Tuning of the flute is complete,¡± she wrote.


    ¡°I take it there are no issues with the score either. In that case, let the metronome go. You can begin your performance whenever you like.¡±


    Having read the old lady¡¯s words, the princess lightly let fly the paper airplane she held in one hand. While watching the papercraft gently arcing through the air, she held the silver flute horizontally up to her mouth.


    She blew into it and moved her white fingers.


    A small noise was emitted and the nose of the paper airplane tilted up slightly. It was made of a special material that was distorted by sound waves.


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s good. Bring the metronome into a 5 meter radius loop at an altitude of 140 centimeters, completing one loop every 30 seconds.¡±


    ¡°Inartistic performances like that are boring.¡±


    With the flute still to her mouth, the princess continued moving her eyes to continue the conversation. Notes moved dizzyingly across the monitor displaying the score, but there was no uncertainty in the movement of her fingers. It was less like the movements of a music-loving musician and more like the movements of a robot arm accurately soldering items to a circuit board in a semiconductor plant.


    ¡°Does it feel good to be surrounded by sound like that?¡±


    ¡°You mean the point vibrations of the dome and the sound I am creating? If I was satisfied with only that, I would feel like I was insulting orchestras.¡±


    There was no standard method of regulating an Elite¡¯s body. Nor was there merely a different set of standards for each army or nation. The ideal method was built up specifically for each individual Elite. For one person, it was to continually swim within a large pool, aiming for the fastest time. For another, it was solving every single problem on an answer sheet similar to a college entrance exam. For another, it was playing chess against a super computer. And for someone like the princess, it was to surround oneself in carefully modulated sound.


    ¡°Do you have a complaint with the instrument? For a change of pace, you could always try using the electric guitar.¡±


    ¡°Having the sound of my breath mixed in would have an effect on the regulation. I am using the flute because the breaths are written into the music.¡±


    Other sounds could not be mixed in with the music. She could talk with no problem by taking breaks from playing, but the regulation could not continue during those breaks.


    That was why the Elite girl was going through the annoyance of speaking with her eyes while playing with her mouth. Eventually, she reached the final note and that stage of the regulation was complete. The princess removed the flute from her mouth and the paper airplane that had been kept aloft by the music slowly fell to the floor.


    The princess picked up the metronome and prepared for the next song, but then she suddenly looked up. Through the clear dome, she had spotted a familiar face entering through the open door of the large vehicle.


    It was Quenser.


    He was being pushed forward by his companion Heivia and his expression made it seem he did not know why he was there. Seeing that, the princess silently nodded.


    (Heivia can be rough, but he is certainly considerate.)


    Among the group monitoring her, only the non-medical old lady seemed to notice the change in her mental state. The orange text read, ¡°How about we take a short break,¡± and the soundproofed door of the clear dome opened automatically.


    Quenser entered and the princess moved her eyes to give instructions to the dome. Immediately afterwards, the polarization of the clear dome walls changed, making them white.


    ¡°Wah!¡± shouted Quenser in surprise as he looked around.


    The princess approached him and said, ¡°What are you here for today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Heivia was saying something about us needing to drop by and remind you not to step on us since we¡¯re going to be on a mission together.¡±


    (What kind of brute does that person think I am?)


    The princess was a tad miffed.


    Oblivious to that fact, Quenser looked at the silver flute the princess held.


    ¡°Hehh. Is that a flute? I saw people using them in a wind orchestra back in the safe country, but I just couldn¡¯t figure out how they were using them. I probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to make a noise if I tried.¡±


    ¡°It is easier than it looks. Do you want to try?¡± asked the Elite girl and Quenser¡¯s face lit up even more than she had expected.


    That was enough to bring the princess back into a good mood, but...


    ¡°You hold a flute to the side, right? Huh? Does it go to the right or the left?¡±


    Before she could say anything, Quenser innocently brought the flute to his mouth.


    She had been planning to at least wipe the mouthpiece off before handing it to him, so she was stunned and stood with a blank look and a blush on her face. However, an even greater shock ran through her soon after.


    The girl was having her body regulated by the sound of the instrument, so just as a small, stupid sound escaped the flute, a sudden deluge of strange feelings assaulted her spine.


    ¡°...!?¡±


    The princess¡¯s mouth wordlessly opened and closed as she curled up her spine. A specific suggestion command would release her from the regulatory effects of the flute, but she had completely forgotten to give the command.


    As a soft, charming light appeared in her eye and the light of reason tried to deny it, the girl¡¯s body stiffened, but Quenser was as clueless as ever.


    As he tried to accurately produce the ¡°do re mi fa sol la si do¡± scale, the strengths of the breaths he was using were completely wrong.


    ¡°Huh? The notes aren¡¯t coming out right. They¡¯re distorted. And how am I supposed to press down to made a ¡®do¡¯?¡±


    With each grating noise produced by the flute, the princess¡¯s body trembled unnaturally. A glossy light peach color appeared in her white cheeks and tears appeared in the edges of her eyes. Her slender arms and legs turned inward against her wishes. As the girl rubbed her thighs together, she had no idea why she naturally wanted to do so.


    ¡°Do re mi...fa? Is this ¡®fa¡¯? ...Huh?¡±


    Finally, Quenser noticed something was wrong.


    The princess blushed even further due to the conflict between relief and embarrassment at his finally noticing.


    ¡°A-are you okay? Do you need to use the bathroom?¡± asked Quenser with a worried expression as he looked at her face.


    Immediately afterwards, the elite girl did something she did not often do.


    She punched a human being directly with her small fist.


    Part 3


    The sun began sinking below the horizon.


    As Quenser stood in that wild land that was being dyed orange, Heivia spoke out to him.


    ¡°Come to think of it, what exactly are we going to be doing?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we¡¯re about to find out at the briefing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the various coalition dignitaries are plotting to have their own Object take all the glory. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s gonna be some argument over who gets to finish off the enemy?¡±


    ¡°We can only pray an actual fight doesn¡¯t break out like dogs going after some meat.¡±


    As Quenser walked along, he pulled out a folded up map. It was of the Oceanian military nation. When Heivia saw the old map, an annoyed expression appeared on his face.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing? Did you lose your handheld?¡±


    ¡°If the battery dies or sand gets in it, it¡¯ll be useless. If you don¡¯t learn when to use digital means and when to use analog means, you¡¯ll get yourself killed.¡± As he spoke, Quenser refolded the small map like someone reading a newspaper on a crowded train. ¡°From what the people maintaining the princess¡¯s Object said, the plan is to attack the Oceanian military nation¡¯s secret base and blow away the enemy Object.¡± Heivia peered over at the map from the side as Quenser continued to speak. ¡°According to the higher up¡¯s information, the Oceanian military nation¡¯s level of tech is actually quite low. It¡¯s to the point where we¡¯re not even sure if they could create an Object or not. The electronic simulation group has created an estimated design for the enemy Object based on what has been brought into or developed here, and it only comes out to what they¡¯re calling Generation 0.5. Basically, their level of tech is too low to evenly give the Object normal functionality, so it¡¯s really just a piece of junk. The armor is especially crudely made, so the analysis says a nuclear warhead might actually be enough to destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Then this should be easy. We have a coalition force giving us over 20 Objects spread out across Oceania. Objects are synonymous with war, so we can crush Oceania by numbers alone, right?¡±


    ¡°Actually, they say it isn¡¯t going to be that easy.¡±


    Quenser showed the folded map to Heivia.


    It had red circles in places.


    ¡°The Oceanian military nation knows that their precious Object will be destroyed in an instant if we attack in earnest, so they¡¯ve hidden where its base is. That¡¯s why, even with all the Objects we have, we can¡¯t attack it right away.¡±


    ¡°Ahn? But I thought an operation was beginning at sunset. Surely that means we know where this secret base is, right?¡±


    ¡°We have a possible candidate.¡± Quenser pointed at one of the red circles on the map. ¡°It seems the Oceanians have constructed fake base zones across the land to throw off our analysis. We¡¯ve attacked what looks like a base zone a few times, but they¡¯ve ended up being completely empty. They were talking about having done a more thorough investigation this time, but they must still not know if this one is real or not.¡±


    ¡°Objects are fucking huge. Can¡¯t they tell where it is from the satellites?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s been used against us. The higher ups have gotten all excited upon seeing a giant 50 meter form and sent out a large force only to find a giant gas tank covered in decorations. From what I heard, those in charge of monitoring the satellites broke out crying in humiliation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite the indirect attack,¡± replied Heivia.


    The military nation had scattered dummy gas tanks about Oceania because they knew they were being monitored by satellite. Apparently, they had been trying to say, ¡°Look how many Objects we have. Wah hah hah!¡±


    Of course, the coalition force was not stupid enough to fall for all the dummies, but they still had to act carefully because they never knew when what they were approaching would turn out to be the real Object. This needlessly wore down the soldiers¡¯ morale and rapidly consumed the people¡¯s tax money. Because of all this, the higher ups just wanted to bring the war to an end quickly.


    ¡°So this is likely to end up being nothing but target practice against fakes?¡±


    ¡°The worst part is that looking at it like that could easily get you blown to pieces.¡±


    No longer needing it, Quenser folded the map up even smaller and stuffed it in his back pocket.


    Heivia looked around the area and said, ¡°By the way, we¡¯re working with a coalition force this time, right? So there¡¯ll be Objects other than the princess¡¯s. I hope we don¡¯t end up working alongside a country we ran into in Alaska or Gibraltar. I¡¯d rather not have a supposed ally shoot me in the back over personal issues.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to ask that? You aren¡¯t going to like the answer. I asked the same thing to the princess¡¯s Object¡¯s maintenance team. It¡¯s only a rumor, but-...¡±


    Before Quenser could continue, a giant building passed by in front of them.


    Actually, it was an Object.


    The giant 50 meter form passing by was all it took to blow sand up into the air like a sandstorm, but Quenser and Heivia had more important things to worry about.


    The flag printed on the Object¡¯s armor was enough to almost give Heivia a heart attack.


    ¡°Gyahhh!? You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me! That¡¯s the Information Alliance!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just heard about it before. It seems we¡¯re working with those crazy people.¡±


    The Object¡¯s information collection devices must have picked up their voices because the 50 meter form slowed as if in response and a female voice was transmitted over a speaker.


    ¡°My, my. If it isn¡¯t the dogs of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s military. It seems we will be working together. Oh ho ho.¡±


    The Object¡¯s air cushion engine keeping it afloat then blew out extra air, blowing even more sand about and making Quenser and Heivia cough.


    ¡°Dammit. This is why they shouldn¡¯t let immature people pilot Objects!! Do we really have to go on this mission along with someone like that!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still better than dealing with the Capitalist Corporations or the Faith Organization, so you should probably quit complaining.¡±


    A satirical journalist had once likened the world map of that age to stained glass. Where it had once been divided into many small nations, it was now divided into just a few ¡°colors¡± showing what group was in charge.


    One was a group that insisted the accuracy of information was what determined good and evil and that was trying to create a network that covered the world. One was a collection of super capitalist corporations that felt the amount of money in one¡¯s bank account determined your precedence in the world and what human rights you had. One was a kingdom that was a collection of cultures that wanted to resurrect the old system where legitimacy of one¡¯s bloodline and one¡¯s honor determined one¡¯s social standing.


    Food shortages, energy shortages, increasing populations, and many other things were touted as the ¡°official reasons¡± for the world ending up like that, but it seemed the real reason was the failure and utter shattering of the United Nations in the first half of the 21st century. The shattered pieces continued on in the directions they wanted and eventually reformed into a few different alliances.


    No longer did a map of the world¡¯s power balance have a single continent simply filled in with one color. Instead, the countries of a single area freely joined whatever force they wished, making the power balance overcome geographic boundaries. This indeed made the map look something like stained glass. As this made neighboring countries often also be enemies, small scale battles were quite common in that world.


    However, all of this had become completely normal by the time Quenser had been born, so he could only tilt his head to the side in confusion when the elderly shook their heads, fed up with it all.


    ¡°However, two Objects are being used for this operation, so I doubt flesh-and-blood soldiers like you will even be needed. Oh ho ho,¡± said the Object pilot.


    ¡°Then can we just go to bed?¡±


    Part 4


    After the briefing where the coalition dignitaries came into conflict with their desire to have their own Object take all the glory, Quenser and the other soldiers like him exited the building, feeling incredibly bored.


    The sun had completely set and darkness filled the sky.


    It was time for the operation to begin.


    ¡°Oh, god. Why does the target site have to be 2 kilometers southwest of here? Two kilometers! Can¡¯t the higher ups get us some trucks!?¡± shouted out Quenser without thinking.


    Heivia shook his head and said, ¡°They actually did, but it¡¯s all they can do to carry the Information Alliance unit with their heavy powered suits. See how the tires are about to burst already?¡±


    ¡°They have motors and fibrous springs to supplement their strength, so why can¡¯t they be the ones to walk? And what are they gonna use those for in an Object vs. Object battle anyway?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a reconnaissance unit equipped with extremely high performance high speed cameras. They analyze the minute movements of the enemy Object¡¯s main gun and lenses and send that information to their Object to help with timing for evasion and defense. At the very least, they¡¯ll be more help in a battle than us. Although they do tend to get targeted first due to their annoying interference.¡±


    However, it was not just the foot soldiers who were annoyed with the arrangement.


    The giant Objects that could pull off speeds on the level of a linear motor train had to match the speed of the foot soldiers. They occasionally made small movements that were reminiscent of a human tapping their foot impatiently while waiting for someone.


    Two Objects flanked the foot soldiers on opposite sides.


    The first was the princess from the Legitimacy Kingdom army.


    The other was the Elite from the Information Alliance army that Quenser and Heivia had met before.


    The two Objects must have used different forms of propulsion because the rumbling sound similar to dark thunderclouds only came from the princess¡¯s Object.


    To distract himself from his irritation and because of the odd sense of connection due to fighting alongside each other (even if the team had been thrown together at the last second), Quenser decided to speak to the Information Alliance Object.


    It was also possible he was merely curious due to the fact that he would normally be unable to approach (for fear of getting blown to pieces) an Object from the Information Alliance.


    ¡°Hey, is it true that the Information Alliance military is developing a human-shaped Object?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. That is obviously an ugly lie. It may be technically possible, but its center of gravity would be too high, so it would fall over too easily.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no fun. Then is the rumor about your Objects having power outlets false too?¡±


    ¡°That one is true. Just like with a blast furnace, an Object¡¯s reactor is more efficient if it is left on 24/7 rather than switching it on and off. As such, there is spare energy that can be spread around while on standby in the base. Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°You travel on land for long periods of time using propulsion from an air cushion engine that uses pure air pressure rather than static electricity. When you go all out, it seems like the excess energy would be enough to blow any surrounding soldiers away.¡±


    ¡°When travelling alongside soldiers, the air cushion engine is only used to lessen the weight a bit so treads are enough to propel the Object. Oh ho ho. That way the surrounding air is not disturbed too much and soldiers can travel alongside it.¡±


    ¡°Hehh. So that¡¯s how the Information Alliance does things these days.¡±


    ¡°I like the look of that admiring gaze. Oh, and to allow the air cushion engine to work to its fullest, the body is lightened by using carbon and aramid materials for portions of the armor. Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°By the way, all this walking is exhausting, so could I hitch a ride?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Such a small weight would hardly be an issue, so feel free to grab on.¡±


    Quenser grabbed onto the urethane-like material of the air cushion engine and Heivia suddenly quietly shouted over at him.


    ¡°(Hey! That¡¯s not a good idea, Quenser!!)¡±


    ¡°(What? You mean because the Information Alliance intelligence unit is glaring at me in fear that some information will be leaked?)¡±


    ¡°(Yes, well, the fact that they¡¯re actually staring at your face through their scopes is a problem, but the bigger problem is that our princess seems to have gotten into a really bad mood for some reason!!)¡±


    ¡°(...Hah?)¡±


    Having completely climbed on top of the military urethane material used on the air cushion engine, Quenser looked over at the other Object in confusion.


    He saw the princess¡¯s Object moving as if shaking its head.


    ¡°Nothing is the matter,¡± she said.


    ¡°Gwaahh!? The shaking of the Object is causing the air pressure and repellent spray to blow sand everywhere!!¡± shouted Heivia from the ground and all the soldiers still in proper formation started coughing. Quenser had managed to avoid the issues by climbing up a few meters from the ground. ¡°Quenser! If you want to prevent any more damage, go grab onto the princess¡¯s Object!!¡±


    ¡°But doesn¡¯t hers use static electricity and lasers for propulsion? It distorts lasers like crazy with metal plates to heat up the air and detonate it. I think that would be dangerous to get anywhere near.¡±


    ¡°Cough cough!! Y-yeah well, this sand hell is pretty dangerous, too!¡±


    That was when the Information Alliance Elite girl spoke up.


    ¡°This kind of casual attentiveness and nonchalant kindness is important to gain trust amongst us soldiers. Oh ho ho. I suppose the unrefined Elite of the Legitimacy Kingdom simply does not understand that.¡±


    ¡°I said it was nothing. ...Are you mocking me?¡± replied the princess.


    ¡°Please, Quenser!! Come down!! Don¡¯t provoke the princess and the other Elite any further!! At this rate, we¡¯re all going to be slaughtered while caught between two battling Objects!!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser could hear the shouting from down below, but he had no intention of going back to travelling on foot with all the heavy equipment he was weighed down with. He lay down on top of the urethane with the intent of making himself comfortable until they arrived.


    Part 5


    It was easy to tell who controlled which portions of Oceania.


    The areas controlled by the military nation were covered in forest while the areas controlled by the coalition forces were covered in desert.


    Quenser and the others were in the green forest.


    At first, they had been travelling across cracked, arid land, but after crossing a certain line, the land became covered in grass. After that, the land quickly became covered in a thick forest. The state of the soil completely changed depending on whether the artificial soil that had high water retention had been distributed in that area or not. It was no surprise that the tribes that had loved the natural land there for over 1000 years saw the unnatural sight of those plants foreign to that continent as a desecration of the land.


    Quenser got down off the urethane portion of the Object and looked around.


    ¡°Now then, the battlefield lies just ahead. Although I suppose we¡¯ll just be sitting idly by and leaving everything to the real stars of the show.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯d rather you just left right now,¡± muttered Heivia.


    Unbeknownst to Quenser, Heivia had had a horrible time trapped between the two Objects while Quenser relaxed atop one of them.


    Heivia looked around too and said, ¡°Y¡¯know, this really is one hell of a forest. They improved the genetics for the sake of urban greening, right? I can¡¯t believe this was originally a desert.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Even if they altered their growth rate, they couldn¡¯t have grown trees with trunks that large. The shorter trees are one thing, but these ones that look at least 100 years old were probably swiped from other countries in the area.¡±


    The princess then spoke through the speakers on her Object.


    ¡°We are going to head out. Be careful and make sure you are not taken out by stray shots or radiant heat.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the concern, but doesn¡¯t that just mean we¡¯re useless?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. You can just wait here while completing a 10-minute brain training or something.¡±


    The two giant Objects then charged off into the thick forest at high speed. Quenser and the others were left with only the trailing sound of dark thunderclouds that came from the princess¡¯s Object.


    Those giant machines that have main bodies over 50 meters across had headed off at 200-300 kph. The artificially-grown large trees snapped like chopsticks as the giant masses passed by. Before long, there was a flattened path through the forest.


    Their target was a collection of rectangular concrete buildings in the middle of the thick forest.


    An alarm started blaring in the military facility as those cutting-edge weapons of massacre approached.


    Quenser pulled out a pair of binoculars and Heivia spoke to him, sounding annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m betting this one¡¯s another miss. If the Oceanian Object was really here, it would have left a path through the forest. You saw how the princess¡¯s Object snapped all those huge trees, right?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m observing the Information Alliance Object,¡± responded Quenser as he adjusted the magnification of the binoculars. ¡°If it was attacking us as an enemy, I wouldn¡¯t have a chance to calmly analyze it, but this is different. This is a good chance to study it. I can take my time and visually steal information on their tech.¡±


    ¡°What, are you that crazy about some foreign girl¡¯s sexy dress? C¡¯mon, if you keep chasing after her, our cute princess is going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°What is it you keep going on about lately?¡±


    As they spoke, the battle began between the coalition Objects and the normal soldiers in the Oceanian base.


    From the looks of things, the enemy¡¯s Generation 0.5 Object was not there.


    The inevitable result of the battle was as plain as day.


    Explosive beams of light covered the battlefield, ripping through the night sky.


    They were being fired by a rapid fire beam cannon.


    It was a powerful beam cannon that fired continuously at extremely short intervals.


    The Information Alliance¡¯s Object¡¯s 35-meter main gun was made up of five giant rapid fire beam cannons linked together like a Gatling gun. Some people might wonder why it was necessary to construct a Gatling gun-like device when the weapons fired beams rather than metal bullets, but the powerful beam weapons would damage their barrels and other equipment if fired at too short an interval. Also, they used large amplifiers to instantaneously amplify and release electric power, so it was important to switch on and off in short intervals to divide up the burden on each individual cannon.


    Supposedly, the Information Alliance Object could use those five cannons to fire those rapid fire beams indefinitely.


    As the strips of bluish-white energy sliced through the night sky, the thick concrete buildings were ripped apart one by one. The wreckage that was blown into the air like in a volcanic eruption was almost entirely melted around the edges. The Oceanians tried to return fire with tanks and missile launching vehicles, but the Objects paid them no heed. The wreckage of the buildings raining down from the sky was enough to blow up the armored vehicles.


    By the way, the princess¡¯s Object was not merely watching all this go on.


    It was using its quick maneuverability to cut off the escape path of the fleeing tank unit and firing at them from its 7 arm-shaped main guns. The princess¡¯s main guns could switch out their devices like a microscope switching out its lens. By rotating the core of the barrel, she could attack using laser beams, low-stability plasma cannons, coil guns, or a number of other options. That was why her Object was known as a composite model.


    Explosions, beams of light, and great roaring noises split through the battlefield, but no screams could be heard.


    The shouts of anger and terror were likely there, but the sounds of destruction caused by the Objects drowned them all out.


    The scene was overwhelming in just about every way.


    It was a hellish sight that made one renew one¡¯s desire to never stand before one of those monsters.


    ¡°Wow. I guess this is what the Oceanians get for ignoring all war treaties and just doing what they want. But I kind of feel sorry for them because I know what it¡¯s like to not be able to use the white flag.¡±


    ¡°I can see why the princess warned us to not get caught up in it all. Hey, Quenser, can you tell how that giant Gatling gun works? It¡¯d be pretty cool if we could have that as one of the princess¡¯s options.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I¡¯m more interested in what¡¯s going on down below,¡± said Quenser while removing his eyes from the binoculars and pointing toward the Information Alliance Object. ¡°I was thinking about why it would use both the air cushion and the treads, but I think I figured it out. Hovering with the air cushion is its basic means of propulsion, but it uses the treads to strike the ground and give it some instantaneous thrust for when it needs to make a quick dash. In fact, those look more like chainsaws than treads.¡±


    ¡°So what would happen if we put something like that on the princess¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d be able to get quick bursts of speed. Like this: whoosh.¡±


    As Quenser and Heivia continued their idiotic conversation, the battle came to an end.


    The enemy had been annihilated and not a single ally had been killed or even injured.


    It had been the kind of ideal usage of Objects that would probably make the higher ups clap their hands in joy. No result could seem more reliable to those who fought alongside the Objects.


    The Elites¡¯ voices then came in across the radio.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. I did a scan with my sensors, but still be on the lookout for landmines or enemy troops waiting in ambush. ...That is what it means to be truly concerned for others, you unrefined Legitimacy Kingdom Elite.¡±


    Upon seeing the two Objects banging into each other, the soldiers started whispering things like ¡°Looks like it¡¯s still dangerous¡± and ¡°Let¡¯s just wait a bit longer¡±.


    However, military actions were not something a soldier could simply refuse to do.


    Quenser and the others headed toward the battlefield along the path of snapped trees left by the Objects. They felt safe because they assumed any traps would have been destroyed by the giant Objects heading through. Of course, this did not guarantee their safety, but it made them feel safer nonetheless.


    When they arrived, the princess spoke through her speakers.


    ¡°It seems this was another dummy base. It did not have the functionality a base zone would require and the Oceanian Object was not here.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do a search just to be sure, but it really doesn¡¯t seem there¡¯s a space large enough to hide something that huge,¡± replied Quenser while looking around.


    The area had not simply been burned down.


    The buildings had been blown away, the asphalt had been torn up, and the ground itself had been split wide open in places. Trees, steel, and everything else was burned black and had lost their original shapes. The level of destruction seen there could not be achieved even by setting fire to a petrochemical complex.


    It was simpler than a nuclear weapon, more powerful than a nuclear weapon, safer than a nuclear weapon, and destroyed its target with more pinpoint accuracy than a nuclear weapon.


    The enemy soldiers had been blown to such small pieces that it was impossible to tell where their bodies were.


    ¡°Uehh...¡± groaned Heivia. ¡°I¡¯m glad we finished talking about our military rations before coming here. I heard the Information Alliance military has flavored powder to put on their rations. You can choose curry or cheese or whatever flavor you want.¡±


    ¡°I get the feeling that their grilled flavors aren¡¯t going to be too popular for a while.¡± Quenser looked up at the two Objects. ¡°By the way, what are we supposed to do now that you finished the battle so easily? Will we be leaving after we finish searching around the area to make sure there isn¡¯t an underground Object maintenance base zone?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. I doubt there are any weapons nearby that are on a large enough scale to destroy an Object, but would you please be on the lookout?¡± replied the Information Alliance Elite.


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I merely want to take a bit of a rest after going all out in that battle. Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°I see. Are the extra g¡¯s from inertia wearing you down?¡±


    The designs of the special suits for Elites differed from Elite to Elite, but for the most part, they were all pressure-resistant like an air force pilot¡¯s suit. Objects did not move around at supersonic speeds like a fighter, but they had an extremely huge mass. To simplify the problem, think of it like a metal ball on a chain. The pull would be greater the faster the metal ball was moved around by centrifugal force and the heavier the metal ball was.


    Quenser realized that the Information Alliance Object and the princess¡¯s Object had been completely motionless for a while.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. If I had to fight, I could, but staying on edge like that when no enemies are around would be foolish. And Elite suits are very tight around the legs.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. When you¡¯re moving around at high speed, they cut off the flow of blood to your legs to make sure your blood can circulate to your brain properly. ...Does it make your legs go to sleep?¡±


    ¡°After a high speed battle that requires a lot of concentration, a lot of heat is left in my body, so it is quickest to take my legs out of the suit and use a cooling spray on them. Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± said Quenser, in vague admiration, but then he froze in place.


    (Wait... If the princess is cooling off her legs too, does that mean she¡¯s taking off her special suit behind those thick steel walls right now?)


    Still frozen in place, Quenser started thinking deeply like a philosopher.


    When he did, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Baby Magnum turned its main guns toward him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to think about those kinds of things,¡± said the princess.


    ¡°Gyaaahh!? Isn¡¯t that a little too much firepower for a joke!? And it was the Information Alliance Elite that brought it up, not me!!¡±


    Having been brought back into the discussion, the Elite in question spoke up through her speakers.


    ¡°Heh. Oh ho ho. It seems I need to strip off this high-leg leotard-style suit and cool off my glorious G-cup body!!¡±


    ¡°R-really!? I didn¡¯t know a single sentence could hold so many attention-grabbing terms! I know our princess¡¯s suit is already on that end of things, but why would the Information Alliance go that far!?¡±


    ¡°It was the designer¡¯s request. Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°...!? Now, I have no intention of defecting, but if that¡¯s an actual occupation over there...!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Quenser. Don¡¯t get those sparkles in your eyes over the Information Alliance¡¯s obviously fake information!! If it was actually a high-leg leotard, it would have no way of tightening around the legs for pressure resistance!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you saw through it. Too bad. Oh ho ho. It does indeed cover my legs, but it instead has slits in various places to let me easily get the cooling spray inside. ...And some of those places are in even more risqu¨¦ places than the slit on a school swimsuit.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Heivia, could that one be true!?¡±


    ¡°Quenser!! If you keep latching onto everything she says, you¡¯re just going to let her get under the princess¡¯s skin!!¡±


    After Heivia punched him in the face, Quenser came back to his senses.


    (Weren¡¯t we just about to take control of an enemy base? Why was my head filled with nothing but the shyness of a pure girl and the sexiness of special suits?)


    ¡°We have to continue with the mission,¡± said Quenser, working up some motivation.


    ¡°In that case, there is still a job left for you to do. Oh ho ho,¡± announced the Information Alliance¡¯s Elite. ¡°Oh ho ho. We have a request from the local tribes. Because these genetically altered forests are unnatural, they want us to burn them away.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. We need to change this area to our side¡¯s color,¡± responded Quenser.


    The princess then spoke up in a slightly apologetic tone.


    ¡°If we wanted to, we could burn it all away in an instant with our Objects, but...¡±


    Using the low-stability plasma cannons powered by the Object¡¯s reactor, everything above ground and even things deep in the ground could be burned away. However, the Oceanian tribes saw the land as sacred, so they did not want it damaged any more than necessary.


    ¡°A bit of destruction and a bit of restraint, hm? Sounds like a superhero from an American comic book to me.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, the Cultural Protection Agency is protesting that term. They say they should be called Capitalist Corporation comic books since the country known as ¡®America¡¯ no longer exists.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because they get so worked up over pointless crap like that that no one likes them.¡±


    As Quenser and Heivia argued back and forth, flickering flames roared up in numerous places throughout the nighttime forest. The Information Alliance powered suit unit had activated their flamethrowers in preparation to light the fires.


    ¡°Hey, we don¡¯t have powered suits or anything. We aren¡¯t going to get caught up in the flames are we?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still safer than a defoliant though.¡±


    Suddenly, some static came from Quenser¡¯s radio followed by a transmission from an ally.


    After listening for a bit, Quenser switched it off and turned to Heivia.


    ¡°We have a minor job to take care of. We need to check for villages in the area before the fires are lit.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they use a UAV or something?¡±


    ¡°Actually, is it really okay to burn the villagers¡¯ houses?¡±


    ¡°Contact Froleytia over your radio and talk to her about it. Apparently, the coalition forces are going to take care of getting them relocated afterwards. And since the tribes were half forced to move here in the first place, they probably don¡¯t mind abandoning it all to get their original lifestyle back.¡±


    They complained, but they were still glad to be doing something before leaving. And so, the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance troops began the search while keeping an eye out for landmines or traps.


    ¡°According to the map, our area is 3 kilometers square. If we find an old cabin or something in that area, we need to knock on the door and check it out.¡±


    ¡°War is surprisingly boring. Well, it¡¯s better than having it be too exciting I suppose.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia walked along while chatting about things like how stupid they would feel if they stepped on a landmine, but they suddenly stopped.


    The forest had suddenly opened up.


    They were standing atop a small hill about 7 or 8 meters high. A rainstorm or something had caused the front of the hill to collapse, so it was a bit like a cliff. And at the bottom of that cliff was a small village with only about 20 buildings.


    If that was all, they would only have had to gone in and given them an evacuation warning.


    The problem was the military truck blocking the entrance to the village.


    Oceanian troops had come to the village.


    Quenser and Heivia had assumed all the fighting was over, but they now had to frantically get down on the ground. Quenser looked through his binoculars and Heivia through his rifle scope.


    ¡°(...Damn. Why is it always us that has to have the exciting things happen to them!!)¡± complained Quenser in a whisper. ¡°(The princess and the other Elite were just fighting over there. Did they not hear any of that!?)¡±


    ¡°(How should I know!? Maybe they¡¯re a reconnaissance unit. They may have informed their higher ups where our Objects are and are stopping by here on the way back,)¡± replied Heivia casually. ¡°(So what are we going to do? It would be a pain to handle this on our own, so how about we call in the Objects?)¡±


    ¡°(No, wait. They would certainly notice something that large approaching. They might take the villagers as hostages. And think about the specs of the Objects. The princess¡¯s may have those anti-personnel lasers, but the Information Alliance¡¯s just has that gigantic rapid fire beam cannon Gatling gun. That would just blow the entire village away.)¡±


    From what they could see from atop the hill, the Oceanian soldiers did not seem about to shoot the villagers or set the village on fire. When they looked closely, they could see an old man who seemed to be the village chief handing money to a man in a military uniform.


    ¡°(Is that this month¡¯s ¡®rent¡¯ or something? It looks like something they¡¯re used to doing.)¡±


    According to the map, the area they were in was near the border between Oceanian land and coalition land. The village must have been created in order to aid with the loading and unloading of cargo from trucks going between the two and inspecting the contents.


    Heivia made a general inspection of the enemy troops through his rifle scope.


    ¡°(There are about 20 of them. Each of them is armed with an old-style rifle with a grenade launcher attached. Since there¡¯s only the one truck, there are unlikely to be any more of them that we can¡¯t see. What do we do?)¡±


    ¡°(What do you mean? It¡¯s not like there is anything we can do.)¡±


    ¡°(Yeah, I guess not. Taking on a force while outnumbered 10-to-1 would be pretty stupid.)¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance and were overcome with exhaustion.


    If the enemy troops gathered all the villagers in the center of the village and were going to shoot the men and rape the women, they would have no choice but to fight, but it did not seem things were headed toward that worst case scenario. After the usual payment of money and items was complete, the Oceanian soldiers would likely leave the village. Quenser and Heivia just had to wait until they were gone to give the evacuation warning.


    If they started a firefight in the village, it would likely just increase the number of victims.


    Also, Quenser was a combat engineer, so he only had explosives. The only practical weapons they had were Heivia¡¯s rifle and handgun. When there was no real reason to fight, neither of them wanted to start a fight where they would be at a disadvantage.


    However...


    ¡°(Hey, wait. Something¡¯s wrong,)¡± said Quenser as he looked through his binoculars.


    The Oceanian soldiers who had been standing idly about before had suddenly begun to move. They were holding up the rifles hanging from their shoulders and searching for an enemy with nervous expressions. Meanwhile, the women and small children were fleeing for the buildings.


    ¡°(What happened?)¡±


    ¡°(Look, Quenser. Over there!)¡±


    Heivia pointed toward an open area in the village. Someone was collapsed there. It was a man wearing an Oceanian military uniform. Blood was gushing from the center of his body. He had likely died instantly.


    ¡°(That doesn¡¯t look like heat stroke to me.)¡±


    ¡°(So...What? Heivia, did you accidentally shoot him while looking through your scope?)¡±


    ¡°(How stupid are you!? Do you really think this shitty rifle has a silencer so amazing you wouldn¡¯t notice I had fired it while you were lying right next to me!? Also, he fell in the wrong direction for it to have been me!!)¡±


    Quenser looked in the direction opposite of the direction the man had fallen.


    What he saw was...


    ¡°(That¡¯s the border with the coalition territory... Was he shot from beyond it? So did someone purposefully throw a ¡®pebble¡¯ in from outside their territory?)¡±


    Suddenly, a slight bit of static came from Quenser¡¯s radio. He thought he was getting a transmission, but he was not. Small bursts of static continued intermittently.


    ¡°(Bursts of static at 0.8 second intervals... I think that¡¯s coming from a long sight for sniper rifles! It uses lasers and electromagnetic waves to assist in the aiming.)¡±


    ¡°(Huh? No proper military device would broadcast its sniper¡¯s presence so obviously. Is some idiot using some piece of crap to pretend he¡¯s part of some volunteer army or something!?)¡± said Heivia angrily, but then a sour look appeared on his face. He then held up his rifle and groaned. ¡°(Oh, shit. Not good, not good, not good!)¡±


    In addition to the optical scope, his rifle could pick up infrared and ultraviolet and it had a microphone for searching for enemies. Since he had the headphone in one ear, he must have been listening in on the conversation between the villagers and the Oceanian troops using the microphone.


    His rifle was pointed toward the one soldier and the old man who seemed to be the village chief.


    ¡°(What? What¡¯s not good?)¡±


    ¡°(I don¡¯t feel like taking time to explain it properly, so I¡¯ll just act it out. ¡®Damn you, you tricked us!¡¯ ¡®No, you¡¯re mistaken. We would never do something like this.¡¯ ¡®Shut up. We¡¯ll kill all of you and burn this village to the ground!¡¯)¡±


    ¡°(I think ¡®not good¡¯ was an understatement!!)¡± said Quenser in shock.


    Heivia then turned to him for his opinion, asking ¡°(What are we going to do?)¡±


    ¡°(If we called in the Objects, they¡¯d probably just shoot everyone before they arrived.)¡±


    ¡°(So what are we going to do!?)¡±


    ¡°(Well, we don¡¯t know where this sniper is hiding and those Oceanian troops are just going to cause unnecessary harm if we don¡¯t do anything.)¡± Quenser stabbed electronic fuses into the Hand Axe he had been specially issued. ¡°(We have no choice but to just do it!!)¡±


    Already fed up with the situation, the two nodded and began to move.


    Quenser started throwing the explosives he had stuck fuses into from atop the hill. They landed a bit away from the village, but Quenser sent the signal to detonate the Hand Axe anyway. The repeated explosions sent the Oceanian soldiers frantically running behind buildings for cover.


    In reality, it was only a student throwing explosives, but they likely thought it was anything from a mortar on up to a tank. The repeated explosions needlessly increased their worries.


    Next, Heivia began firing one shot after another.


    To hide from the new enemy, the Oceanian soldiers had hidden from the wrong direction. Heivia could see them sticking their asses out toward him and trembling, so he easily picked them off one by one. In an exciting firefight, Quenser and Heivia would have been hopelessly outnumbered, but their disturbance tactics were completely one sided.


    ¡°(Hey, I¡¯m not going to be able to shoot them all!!)¡±


    ¡°(Once you take out a certain number of them, won¡¯t they just cast off their pride and flee into the forest? They don¡¯t seem noble enough to fight to the last man to me.)¡±


    ¡°(Hey, Mr. Battlefield Student, they don¡¯t seem to be fleeing. They look like they are planning to fight to the very end!)¡±


    ¡°(Dammit, it¡¯s that sniper! He¡¯s shooting at them again! He¡¯s aiming to cut off their route of escape, so they can¡¯t flee even though they want to!!)¡±


    The longer the battle went on, the higher the odds of the unrelated villagers getting hit by a stray bullet. Quenser and Heivia had no reason to insist on absolute victory, so they did not care if the Oceanians escaped into the forest, but the mysterious sniper did not seem willing to let that happen.


    Suddenly, a plump man who seemed to be the commander looked up at the hill.


    He gave a command with a gesture and all the soldiers held up their rifles.


    ¡°(Oh, shit! They¡¯ve figured out where we are!!)¡±


    Quenser and Heivia frantically moved back. Immediately afterwards, a storm of bullets flew their way. Since they were shooting up at the cliff-like crumbled hill, the hill acted as a shield for them.


    ¡°(Luckily we¡¯re far enough away that those cheap old-style grenade launchers can¡¯t reach us.)¡±


    ¡°(Before long, they¡¯ll have a force circle around and flank us. Hey, Quenser, can you set up some explosives to cut off their path before they get here?)¡±


    However, before they could do anything more, someone grabbed their shoulders and yanked them backwards.


    They frantically spun around and found Information Alliance infantry.


    ¡°(I¡¯m not sure what the situation is here, but we¡¯ll help out. We can send in our powered suit unit and have this finished in less than five minutes.)¡±


    ¡°(Five minutes, hm? Not bad, but it¡¯s already too late.)¡±


    Heivia pointed with his chin toward the bottom of the hill.


    Various collapsed forms could be seen from people getting caught up in the firefight within the village. And they did not all belong to the Oceanian soldiers. Some of them were villagers who the soldiers had shot in their desperation.


    Also, a great number of children¡¯s toys were scattered about from where someone had knocked them to the ground in their hurry to escape.


    Among those toys covered in sand, dirt, and blood was a single picture book. They were some distance from the village, but the details of the cover could be seen through a rifle scope.


    The title of the book was The Kind Beasts of the Rocks.


    It was the same book they had seen the local girl holding outside the barricade to the coalition maintenance base zone.


    Heivia clicked his tongue and threw his rifle to the ground.


    ¡°(Fine, I get it. This is fucking war. Innocent women and children are killed for no good reason. ...Do it. Go kill all those god damn Oceanians.)¡±


    The Information Alliance man nodded silently and gave the order to the powered suit unit. Paying no heed to the downpour of bullets, they jumped down from the top of the collapsed hill.


    ¡°Hey, I found him,¡± said Quenser as he put down his binoculars and pointed.


    He was not pointing at the village. He was pointing at the border between Oceanian and coalition land.


    ¡°I found that sniper. Look, he isn¡¯t Oceanian or coalition. It¡¯s one of those reporters. He¡¯s switched out his camera for a rifle. That explains why he isn¡¯t using a proper military sniper sight. He was starting a battle for his own personal satisfaction. Maybe he¡¯s one of those mercenaries turned cameramen Froleytia was talking about.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± said Heivia as he picked his rifle back up from the ground. He then turned to the Information Alliance man. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the sniper. I won¡¯t feel satisfied until I¡¯ve punched him a few times.¡±


    Part 6


    After having returned to the maintenance base zone, Quenser and Heivia leaned silently up against a passageway wall.


    Froleytia spoke to her two subordinates.


    ¡°I checked the report, and it seems the owner of that picture book was not the girl you feared it was.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia remained silent for a bit longer.


    Finally, Quenser opened his mouth and said, ¡°Do you think that is enough for us to be relieved?¡±


    ¡°I know that, as soldiers, we have no right to pretend we¡¯re innocent, but this isn¡¯t the type of war we want to fight.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± muttered Froleytia before grabbing a nearby doorknob and entering without knocking.


    She sighed at the troublesome job that lay ahead of her.


    She was within a small room.


    She had long, silver hair with a hint of blue, a long, narrow hairpin modeled after a Japanese kanzashi, and was inhaling gray smoke from a Japanese-style kiseru. She took the notebook computer and tablet sensor from under her arm and placed them on a table. She normally used a pen-shaped input device on the computer to send orders to distant units, but the monitor was closed.


    Froleytia looked straight forward.


    A chair was bolted to the floor across the small table from her and a man was sitting in it with his arms shackled to the armrests.


    He was the reporter.


    Quenser and Heivia had told her about their guess that he was a former mercenary, but Froleytia disagreed. A mercenary willing to enter a battlefield without an Object to protect him would have a harsher look in his eyes. Most likely, an even harsher look than a proper soldier.


    He was most likely some rich kid come from outside of Oceania who fancied himself a person of culture.


    ¡°Mr...Sewax, was it? You have caused quite a bit of trouble. Are you aware that this is a military interrogation room and that you have done something warranting bringing you here?¡±


    ¡°Remove these restraints,¡± said Sewax quickly, cutting off Froleytia. ¡°I have no obligation to speak without a lawyer present, but I¡¯ll do you a favor. This is a clear human rights violation. You have no right to rob me of my freedom. Remove these restraints this instant.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What, are you mad about the sniping? You soldiers are so worthless. Are you trying to say I¡¯m a murderer just because I¡¯m not part of the military? In other areas of conflict like Oceania where not even Objects have been deployed, mercenaries travel from safe countries, remove a few of the enemy troops, and then freely return home. Are you saying they are criminals, too?¡± Sewax grinned as if to say his rights were absolute and that no one could lay a finger on him. ¡°All I did was what you all have forgotten to do. Isn¡¯t it your job to put a bullet in those Oceanian monsters? I merely did it for you and now I will write a report on it and change the public opinion. To be blunt, you are not carrying out your job on a fundamental level when you get so upset over someone taking out a few Oceanian troops. Do you really think you can end their tyranny like that?¡±


    Froleytia grimaced while Sewax looked at her with scornful eyes.


    He overlooked the change in the soldier¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Due to the Objects, you fools have forgotten what it means to be soldiers. I¡¯m going to write about you when I return to the home country. I¡¯ll tell everyone how you soldiers have forgotten what it means to fight and how you panic at the slightest sight of blood. Not to mention how you lost your ability to think rationally and illegally restrained an honest, hardworking reporter.¡±


    Froleytia slowly placed her long, narrow kiseru on the table.


    Immediately afterwards, a great noise rang out.


    She had grabbed Sewax¡¯s shoulders, picked up the reporter, chair and all, and thrown him forcefully against the wall.


    ¡°Gbh...Ghaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    The force of the blow smashed the back of the chair to pieces and Sewax¡¯s body bent backwards. However, Froleytia¡¯s narrow arms did not allow him to collapse to the ground. She held his body against the wall and brought her face in close.


    ¡°There were four,¡± Froleytia said in a low, cold voice she had not used before. ¡°If you had merely killed enemy troops, we would have been praising you. However, there were four. Four unrelated villagers were killed thanks to your unwanted actions. Those people would not have died otherwise. And one of them died from your bullet, not the Oceanians¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Cough. But thanks to that, you were able to make the decision to attack the Oceanians! We cannot overlook even the smallest evil!! What I did wasn¡¯t wrong!! If I write up a report on this, the people of the world will resent the irrationality of war and anti-war sentiment will start to spread. This age where we rely on you soldiers who do nothing but swallow up our taxes will come to an end, you idiot!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so!?¡±


    Froleytia took Sewax¡¯s body from the wall and swung him around. The centrifugal force slammed his back down on top of the small table.


    As Sewax coughed, Froleytia continued speaking.


    ¡°Then let me tell you something. It turns out those Oceanian soldiers were not in that village for their regular payment. They were there on an irregular visit. Even if you had not attacked with that sniper rifle, they would have obeyed their commands from above and systematically started attacking villages.¡±


    ¡°Th-then...¡±


    ¡°And they were doing this because of the actions of reporters like yourself!! Due to the coalition intervention, the Oceanian military nation thinks international society is taking them lightly. To show just how powerful they are, they came up with a ridiculous plan to actually strengthen their forestation and to slaughter the villagers!! They are using their own people as cards in the negotiation by saying their deaths are our fault for ignoring their orders and sending in the coalition Objects!! Why do you think we did not let any reporters or cameramen near the Oceanian border? Because we had already learned of their plan! They had no one to witness the slaughter and transmit it around the world, and that is why the Oceanians had not begun this meaningless slaughter before! However, your thoughtless actions gave them the push they needed!!¡± said Froleytia, regretting her own foolishness rather than Sewax¡¯s. ¡°What do you think the Oceanians are going to do now that their comrades have been killed? They were trying to show off to the international community and instead suffered a great disgrace. They are sure to escalate the slaughter now in order to erase this from their image! They will now ¡®search for the killer¡¯. They will arbitrarily choose a ¡®suspicious-looking¡¯ tribal village, send in troops, and slaughter them all until they are satisfied!! Did you hear that!? Until they are satisfied!!¡±


    Sewax¡¯s body stiffened in shock upon hearing that.


    ¡°B-but I am a journalist of the Legitimacy Kingdom. I made sure to fire into Oceanian territory from coalition territory. Why would they target Oceanian villages? That¡¯s utter nonsense. Even that military nation would not take action without any evide-¡°


    ¡°Do you really think they will listen to that kind of reason!!!!!?¡±


    Froleytia finally clenched her fist and punched Sewax in the gut.


    Sewax was unable to restrain the nausea and spewed vomit across the floor. Froleytia grabbed his hair and spoke to him with a face filled with anger.


    ¡°They see the villagers¡¯ lives as no more valuable than an insect¡¯s!! If they feel like it, they will kill them regardless of whether they have evidence or not! That is why I said they would slaughter them until they are satisfied! They will attack the villages they do not like out of anger over their fellow soldiers being killed!! Did you think trials to enforce proper laws exist in this country!? How many innocent lives do you think will be lost thanks to this PR stunt of yours that was for nothing other than to sustain your own pride!?¡±


    It was unclear if he had finally understood what he had done or if it was merely a chain reaction from emptying the contents of his stomach, but tears began falling from Sewax¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°To be honest, I wish I could just hand you over to Oceania¡¯s foolish leaders, but unfortunately, the Legitimacy Kingdom has excellent human rights laws. I can¡¯t just casually hand you over.¡± Froleytia let go of his hair and seemed to have regained some of her cool when she spoke again. ¡°Do you understand? We were barely managing a careful balance on this battlefield and your actions have changed that to the long, drawn-out fight we all dreaded.¡±


    Part 7


    As Froleytia¡¯s interrogation came to a close on the monitor in front of them, Quenser and Heivia both looked away from the screen at about the same time. They left the small observation room filled with recording and analysis staff and began speaking once they were alone in the passageway.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. How long do you think until the Oceanians start ¡®searching for the killer¡¯?¡±


    ¡°If the estimations from the electronic simulation team are accurate, then the military nation¡¯s Object is only Generation 0.5. Its level of tech is too low to have all the proper functionality of an Object.¡± Quenser chose his words carefully. ¡°An Object¡¯s reactor is like a nuclear reactor or a blast furnace in that it is more efficient to keep it running constantly rather than switching it on and off. However, the Generation 0.5 is too weak. If it kept its reactor running for long periods of time, its inner parts could fuse. As such, its reactor is usually kept off. If we calculate back from how long it takes for its revolution speed to get up high enough for it to move around...¡±


    ¡°That would mean we have somewhere between 4 and 5 hours,¡± said Heivia as he checked the time on his military wristwatch.


    Quenser nodded and said, ¡°According to Froleytia, they intended to have their massacre of the village caught by a reporter¡¯s camera in order to show off their strength to the world. Now that they have failed in that, the Oceanian military must go for something even more shocking to wipe that previous failure from everyone¡¯s minds. In that case, wouldn¡¯t attacking a village with their Object be the most obvious course of action for them?¡±


    It may have been given the unflattering name of Generation 0.5, but it was still an Object. The Legitimacy Kingdom or Information Alliance¡¯s state of the art Objects might be able to defeat it easily, but a powerless village would have no hope.


    At the current rate, they would just slaughter everyone to acquire the ¡°obvious tragedy¡± they wanted.


    ¡°This is bad. If we don¡¯t find that Object before then, this will be very, very bad.¡±


    ¡°But how are we supposed to find it? The satellites have been monitored for months, and it still hasn¡¯t been found. How are the two of us supposed to find and destroy this Object in just 4 hours?¡±


    ¡°Destroying it will be simple enough. We have over 20 coalition Objects here. If we can tell them where the Generation 0.5 is, they can focus all their firepower and simply blow it away.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Meaning we just have to come up with a way of finding the thing. We might be able to figure something out if we look at this from a point of view other than the satellites.¡±


    Just as the two of them were about to begin, someone interfered.


    It was Froleytia who had just exited the interrogation room.


    ¡°To be honest, I would like to let you two do that, but I can¡¯t. That¡¯s what the higher ups have ordered.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°If the Oceanians are going to have their Generation 0.5 Object give us a strip show and reveal itself from its concrete building, then we have a chance. The higher ups want to simply watch with the satellites and wait for it to leave one of the base zones. If they notice any reconnaissance attempts, this rare opportunity could be ruined and we would be back to pointlessly searching along the ground.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re telling us to just let them attack some small village!? I know you know what it¡¯s like to be on the receiving end of an Object attack without one of your own!¡±


    ¡°When we spot it leaving a base, we can intercept it before it begins its attack!! We will not allow even a single other person become a victim!!¡±


    ¡°But surely the Oceanians realize we can see them! What are you going to do if we happily head after the target spotted by the satellite and it turns out to just be a gas tank with treads!? Meanwhile, the real one will mercilessly burn a village to the ground, mix in with some other gas tank, and escape to a different base!! If that happens, we¡¯ll have to do it all again. Are you just going to let them attack village after village until we get it right!? It may be wrong to say this after we attacked those Oceanian troops with Objects, but an Object isn¡¯t something we can let be sent after unarmed civilians!!¡± shouted Heivia, losing sight of any of the formality he should show his superior officer.


    Most likely, Froleytia agreed with his concerns, but something was preventing her from agreeing with Quenser and Heivia¡¯s view.


    That something was military regulations.


    ¡°I would like to send at least you two, but I can¡¯t overturn these orders,¡± said Froleytia bitterly.


    Seeing her expression, Quenser and Heivia fell silent.


    ¡°And don¡¯t try to access the military database. In order to prevent having information on our Object leaking to the other members of the coalition, the security has been increased. If you try to access data that goes against your orders, you¡¯ll be court martialed before you know it.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do?¡±


    Heivia still refused to give up, but Froleytia turned her back on them.


    ¡°I need to make some preparations to ensure we can head out as quickly as possible as soon as the coordinates come in from the satellites,¡± she said before leaving.


    Left behind, Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser, what do we do now? You had special access to the data on Objects after Alaska, right? Can¡¯t you use that to get into the database without anyone noticing?¡±


    ¡°If I had that kind of skill, I would have just hacked in before they gave me access. It¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no way we can search the database for information on the Generation 0.5 in this situation.¡±


    Quenser then stuck a hand in his back pocket and pulled out a folded up map.


    Heivia was surprised, but Quenser merely pointed at the map and said, ¡°So I think this is a case where analog means would be best.¡±


    Part 8


    Quenser and Heivia exited the building and circled around behind it. They sat down on the hard, dry ground and spread out the map.


    ¡°Oceania is huge,¡± groaned Heivia.


    Quenser nodded and said, ¡°Well, it is large enough to contain most of Western Europe. It isn¡¯t called a continent for nothing.¡±


    ¡°So how are we supposed to find a single Object in such a huge area?¡±


    ¡°It would take years to do a thorough search, but it seems they have a general area they think it is in.¡±


    As he spoke, Quenser used a red pen to draw a large circle around one side of the map.


    The circle was on northern Oceania.


    ¡°They think it¡¯s in the Northern Territory between the Kimberley region and the Tanami Desert.¡±


    ¡°So somewhere in here?¡±


    Even narrowing it down that far left an area as wide as the wider portions of Honshu, one of the Japanese islands belonging to the Capitalist Corporations. It was not an area they could search by foot.


    ¡°Two years ago, when the Generation 0.5 was completed, the Oceanians held a parade around there. After that, it hid amongst the many mobile gas tanks with treads they sent scattering and entered one of the bases. However, we still do not know which one.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why the coalition has been going around destroying the bases despite knowing they¡¯re likely dummies. If they keep taking out bases in the area, they¡¯re sure to get the right one eventually.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, they would probably find it eventually even if they did nothing, but who knows how many villages would get attacked in the process.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t just leave this to them anymore.¡±


    ¡°But here¡¯s the problem. There are over 100 dummy facilities and around 40 gas tanks have been brought up to the surface. The higher ups have no way of knowing which one is the real deal.¡±


    ¡°Could there be a base that has been kept completely secret so the higher ups don¡¯t even know about it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but I doubt it. Keeping the satellites from detecting a building to hold something that large is no easy task. And even if they hid it underground, it would need ducts and entrances that would give it away.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s almost certain that it¡¯s hiding in one of the buildings the higher ups know about, hm?¡± muttered Heivia.


    Quenser stared at the area of the map he had marked.


    ¡°If only there was some sign that only the real one would have.¡±


    ¡°You mean like maintenance equipment constantly being brought in? In that case, wouldn¡¯t the bases with large roads leading to them be the most suspicious?¡±


    ¡°The base we just attacked had a dummy road leading to it.¡±


    ¡°But not many of them have a space large enough for a 50 meter Object to pass through. Even the base from earlier was surrounded by the green forest and had no sign of an Object having passed through.¡±


    ¡°It seems the bases with Object-sized paths leading to them were attacked first. All of those have already been destroyed. That¡¯s why we were ordered to attack a target that didn¡¯t really seem like it could possibly be right.¡±


    ¡°But what else is there to go on? If destroying all of the suspicious places didn¡¯t work, does that only leave destroying all of the less suspicious places one by one?¡± said Heivia carelessly.


    Most likely, the higher ups had come to the same conclusion.


    However...


    ¡°What if we turn this on its head?¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°Hah?¡± said Heivia with a stupid expression on his face.


    ¡°The Generation 0.5 was only ever seen two years ago when it was completed. Ever since, it¡¯s been hidden in a base somewhere. Couldn¡¯t they have grown up trees and plants around that base to cover up the path the Object used?¡±


    ¡°Why would they do that? If they surround the base like that, it would leave an obvious trail the second it left. They would basically be marking the base for us.¡±


    ¡°The base would be marked by the satellites anyway, so all the broken trees wouldn¡¯t matter. After its attack, it could hide among a number of gas tanks and head to another base. Of course, that would mean we¡¯ve been going around destroying its possibilities for its next base.¡±


    ¡°That means the suspicious bases would be the ones with thick obstacles around them. The most abandoned looking bases that the higher ups probably dismissed right away would be the most suspicious.¡±


    ¡°The bases most quickly covered in the forest over the past two years are these three here, here, and here. It seems the higher ups decided they were merely dummy bases that were abandoned and allowed to be overtaken by the forest.¡±


    ¡°That leaves two problems,¡± said Heivia as he stared at the points marked with the red pen. ¡°First, the distance between the bases is still too great even after narrowing it down to three. We can¡¯t search all three so easily. If we came to a dummy, we would lose a lot of time.¡± He lit the map up with a small light. ¡°Second, even a dummy facility is going to be filled with soldiers. Even if we managed to take them out, they would still manage to contact the real base. Then they would simply scatter a number of gas tanks and the Generation 0.5 would be gone. The attacks on the villages would merely be delayed a bit.¡±


    ¡°And for a third problem, we can¡¯t get any help from the military or the Objects.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? Even if we were ordered not to do this, surely at least Froleytia would send the princess out if we actually managed to find the Genera-....¡±


    Suddenly, an emergency alarm began sounding within the coalition maintenance base zone. The deep blare of the siren reverberated through the night sky. All the lights in the base turned on at once like during a night game of baseball.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? We haven¡¯t left the base yet!¡±


    ¡°No, you idiot. The Objects have been ordered out! Have the higher ups figured out where the Generation 0.5 is!?¡±


    Quenser folded up the map and looked around.


    A great number of soldiers were pouring out of the buildings. He also saw the princess running to the maintenance area. The maintenance workers who had been working on the Object opened up the giant shutters.


    Quenser grabbed one of the rushing soldiers to speak to him.


    ¡°What is going on!? Did we find the Oceanian Object?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m finally going to get to return home! The final boss is waiting for us on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert. The coalition Objects are headed there at full speed, but we have to hurry there on military trucks. It¡¯s first come first serve for the trucks with good suspension, so you should probably hurry. If you¡¯re too slow, your back is gonna be hurting.¡±


    ¡°The Great Sandy Desert?¡± muttered Quenser blankly as he watched the soldier run off.


    ¡°Hey, that isn¡¯t one of the three places we were predicting,¡± said Heivia, having realized the same thing.


    ¡°How odd. On what basis are the higher ups convinced the Generation 0.5 is there?¡±


    This time, Heivia stopped a passing soldier. He had an indoor uniform and was apparently an Object analyst just like Heivia.


    After a short conversation, Heivia returned.


    ¡°As I thought, it was from the satellite. When an Object¡¯s reactor starts up, a faint energy signal leaks out. Apparently, the satellite caught that.¡±


    ¡°But the Oceanians have been able to fool our satellites this far! If we had a method that convenient to detect it, we wouldn¡¯t have been fooled by those gas tanks!!¡±


    ¡°It was because of those bitter experiences that the higher ups had a new type of meteorological weapon prepared. That new weapon has finally been deployed. It¡¯s something like the chaff missile used in Alaska. It scatters special particles at high altitude which temporarily turn the huge clouds themselves into giant sensors. When the satellite used those sensor clouds to search the surface, it picked up on the faint signal of an Object. We didn¡¯t even know if that prototype Object emitted the same type of signal and the particles don¡¯t always mix with the clouds properly due to the wind direction, water density of the clouds, and other factors, so it was mostly luck that let us find this.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± said Quenser who was still not satisfied. ¡°Even so, wasn¡¯t the Generation 0.5¡¯s reactor stopped?¡±


    ¡°They have to raise its revolution speed bit by bit when they activate it and it must have reached the point where the satellite could pick up on it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Quenser with a frown.


    That military nation had constructed dummy bases across Oceania and used gas tanks with treads to trick the satellites, so would they really give away their location so easily? It was like they were asking for the over 20 coalition Objects spread out across the continent to focus their fire there.


    After thinking for a bit, Quenser raised his head.


    He seemed panicked.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s the prototype reactor!!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°With the prototype reactor, no one knows if it¡¯s going to work or if it¡¯s going to suddenly blow up. No one would put that on their Object! The usual method is to create a safer second reactor based on the first to put on the Object. Oceania probably has a prototype reactor, too. They¡¯re trying to hide where they are starting the real reactor by running the prototype all out at the time when we know they will be activating their Object!!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you reading too much into this? The sensor cloud is a prototype weapon that hasn¡¯t been officially deployed yet. How could the Oceanians build a trick around the effects of a weapon that doesn¡¯t even have a proper spec sheet!?¡±


    ¡°If this was the first time the prototype had been used, you¡¯d be right. However, it¡¯s been 2 years since the coalition army has been stationed here in Oceania. That toy may have been tested here a few times. If it has, the Oceanian army could have gathered the data on the failed experiments and guessed at what it was supposed to do. There¡¯s still a risk that this is a trap!!¡±


    ¡°You have got to be kidding! The princess and the others are about to leave!!¡±


    If Quenser was right, the princess and the others were headed to a dummy base. And while their attention was drawn elsewhere, the Oceanians¡¯ Generation 0.5 could attack nearby villages.


    The Oceanian military knew that they could not win in a straight fight against the coalition forces. That was why they were using the tribes that opposed their policies as hostages in an exceedingly military style of diplomacy. They were saying that even more tribal people would be killed if the coalition did not immediately leave.


    Quenser and the others could see that more slaughtering in the name of forest preservation would not make the over 20 Objects leave, but many people¡¯s lives were at stake regardless.


    If the princess and the others continued, that ridiculous plan might actually be carried out.


    ¡°God dammit!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia frantically headed out from behind the building in an attempt to block the way of the Objects. However, the Objects were much too fast. The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance Objects cut across the ground faster than a bullet train. They shot past Quenser and Heivia before they could get near and exited the base zone.


    Only the dark thundercloud-like noise of the princess¡¯s Object remained.


    ¡°Shit! Can we call them back on the radio!?¡±


    ¡°Both Objects here were sent out, so they must have had an official order. And one with a high level of authorization at that. Our personal communication isn¡¯t going to be enough to get them back. They¡¯d definitely be punished if they did!!¡±


    Quenser frantically thought as he watched the soldiers leave the base in truck after truck.


    Seeing him, Heivia said, ¡°What are we going to do? It is possible that the Object really is in the Great Sandy Desert like the higher ups say, but...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Quenser replied. ¡°If this is the prototype reactor, then this is a trump card they haven¡¯t used even once in the two years since their Object was completed. They¡¯ve kept it hidden even while letting their soldiers be slaughtered in the dummy bases. Why are they all of a sudden using it now? Why do they want to trick us that badly? It has to be to get the threat of our cutting edge Objects out of this area! The Generation 0.5 must be nearby!! They realized we would soon find it if they didn¡¯t do anything!!¡±


    An expression of shock appeared on Heivia¡¯s face.


    ¡°Then, the facility hiding the Generation 0.5 is...¡±


    ¡°Most likely, it¡¯s the base closest to here of the three we were looking at! But this doesn¡¯t prove anything. We need data showing reactor energy leaking from the facility!!¡±


    The two looked back toward the nearby building.


    If they could access the military database, they could check almost instantly. However, the database that contained Object designs and battle strategies was an especially sensitive thing in the military. If they disobeyed their orders and accessed it, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they were shot without even being given a trial.


    ¡°Anyway, just sitting around isn¡¯t going to help anything. The data we need will only be in one of the buildings, so we need to at least get inside. We need to find some way of viewing the information from the database...¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Were any of the old higher ups the type to not like digital things?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°If any of them had the report for the pre-mission briefing printed out, the data we need might still be there on a piece of paper. That way we wouldn¡¯t have to even touch the database.¡±


    And so Quenser and Heivia headed for the large facility the briefing had been held in. Most of the soldiers had already headed out to the Great Sandy Desert, so barely anyone was left inside.


    However, the two of them saw something that made them groan when they reached the briefing room and peered inside the cracked door.


    ¡°(Why is Froleytia of all people still here!?)¡±


    ¡°(She may look showy with those giant tits and all, but she¡¯s actually a pretty serious worker.)¡±


    After one last look at his large-breasted commanding officer operating a notebook computer, Quenser stepped back from the door. Even if the document was inside the room, they could not check with Froleytia there. If they made any suspicious actions, she would likely confine them for some arbitrary reason or another.


    ¡°(Is there no way to get a look at the printed out report without running into Froleytia?)¡±


    ¡°(What if we caused some kind of disturbance to lure that Japanese obsessed woman out of there?)¡±


    ¡°(If we did that, we¡¯d definitely be court-martialed after everything was over.)¡±


    While the two were only able to stand by wondering what to do, they heard a slight knock.


    They turned around and heard a male voice.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The voice was coming from the other side of the door to the interrogation room.


    The reporter named Sewax was speaking to them.


    ¡°(What the hell? Why is the interrogation room not soundproofed!? He can hear all of the goings on of the military from in there!)¡±


    ¡°(This place was only designed to maintain Objects. They probably never even thought of the possibility of taking prisoners. It looks like they threw that room together from parts they had on hand.)¡±


    ¡°I know!!¡±


    Something banged against the door harder than before.


    Quenser and Heivia were worried Froleytia would hear from the other room, but Sewax continued speaking.


    ¡°I could hear what they were saying from in here. The higher ups seemed split as to where the Generation 0.5 is hidden. I think they had two candidates, but they ended up choosing the stronger signal in the end. That was the Great Sandy Desert.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    ¡°(What do we do, Quenser? Do we hear him out? He might just be making it all up.)¡±


    ¡°(From what he did before, he may be a terrible person, but I doubt he would do anything that would benefit Oceania. Let¡¯s hear what he has to say.)¡±


    Having made up his mind, Quenser spoke to the locked door.


    ¡°Where was the other location!?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere called the Tanami Desert.¡± Sewax must have really wanted to tell someone because he answered without hesitation. ¡°Some of the higher ups were skeptical, but the Tanami Desert signal was just too weak and the Great Sandy Desert one was a much more realistic reading for an Object, so they abandoned the other one.¡±


    ¡°Just as we thought,¡± groaned Quenser.


    The Tanami Desert was the location of the closest base Quenser and Heivia had decided was suspicious. If the Generation 0.5 activated there, it could attack the nearby villages or even the coalition base itself.


    ¡°Not good. It¡¯ll take a while for the princess and the others to head out to the Great Sandy Desert and back.¡±


    ¡°That means we have to do something ourselves. We¡¯re right back to the usual hell!¡±


    Quenser checked the location on the map and Heivia mentioned that they would need a vehicle. However, they were cut off by Sewax speaking up once more.


    ¡°Wait. Please take me with you.¡±


    ¡°Ahhn? Hell no. We can¡¯t take a civilian onto the battlefield with us. And we don¡¯t have time to aid you in your escape.¡±


    ¡°No, not that. I want to make up for what I¡¯ve done. I brought this situation on us all, right?¡± Sewax¡¯s voice held a certain impatience to it. He sounded completely different from when they had first brought him back to the base zone. ¡°All the footage we ever get is of close-ups of two Objects fighting, so we never get to see what happens to the local people. That is why we all see war as something not worth worrying about. I came here because I could not forgive that. But I was wrong. You build up your strategies with the insight of experts and I ruined it all with my amateurish ideas. I thought eliminating those Oceanian soldiers would improve the situation for the tribes, but all I did was doom innocent people to violent deaths. And many, many more people are going to be killed! I can¡¯t overlook that. Surely there is something I can do to make up for what I have done!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a quick glance.


    ¡°You can use a sniper rifle, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. I have no military experience, but I do go to the shooting range on the weekends.¡±


    ¡°As long as you can shoot someone, that¡¯s enough. We¡¯ll prepare something for you. We definitely can¡¯t bring you along if you¡¯re unarmed.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you. Thank you so much! I¡¯ll be waiting!! Please let me fight alongside you!!¡±


    From the sound of his voice, Sewax may have been crying on the other side of the door.


    Quenser moved a bit away from the door to the interrogation room and whispered to Heivia.


    ¡°(Hey, let¡¯s go find a vehicle. It would be best if we didn¡¯t have him fight.)¡±


    ¡°(I had a feeling that¡¯s how this would go.)¡±


    Heivia followed suit, turning his back on the interrogation room door.


    As they headed for the exit, Quenser said, ¡°If we brought him with us, he might decide a wonderful death on the battlefield was the only path left for him. He pisses me off, but I would still have trouble sleeping if he died right in front of me. Also, we¡¯d get into a lot of trouble if we brought a member of the press to the battlefield and he died.¡±


    ¡°Well put, hero. But let¡¯s work on not getting ourselves killed either. Waking up again is just as important as getting to sleep in the first place.¡±


    The two of them exited the building.


    Heivia ran off somewhere and when he returned, he was driving a military off road vehicle. Quenser climbed into the passenger seat and Heivia sped off.


    As they exited the base zone, Quenser asked a question of his companion.


    ¡°Hey, do you even have a license? You¡¯re my age, so aren¡¯t you too young?¡±


    ¡°In the Legitimacy Kingdom, you can get a special military license. It only lets you drive on the battlefield, though. Y¡¯know, when are we going to get past these four wheeled things? Not much has changed since automobiles first appeared on this earth.¡±


    ¡°All the cutting edge technology goes to the Objects. Why would they waste their effort developing other military items? Advances are being made bit by bit, but I heard that the speed of civilization¡¯s development has slowed. Apparently, things like guns and tanks would likely have advanced at least 3 generations in the time since the Object was first developed, but that hasn¡¯t happened. ...Actually, if you don¡¯t know all this, should you really be driving? Wait, does this model have a passenger side airbag?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. No military vehicle has those balloons that blow up when they receive a shock. Look, we¡¯re moving forward. Isn¡¯t that all the proof you need that I can drive?¡±


    The noble heir crudely drove the off road vehicle forward while manipulating the steering wheel in a way that would likely have made a proper driving instructor scream.


    ¡°Hey, hero. Do you have your explosives? This Generation 0.5 is still an Object, so this is still going to be the usual type of life-or-death struggle.¡±


    ¡°I have my usual complement of Hand Axe and electronic fuses. ...But I doubt we can take it out just by attaching bombs to its armor.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right, right. What are we going to do about the princess and that prototype reactor? If they¡¯re bringing out their prized dummy, they¡¯ll certainly have set up some kind of trap.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. This could be bad. Can you contact them on the vehicle¡¯s radio? I have my own radio, but I want it set to send out the detonation code for the electronic fuses. I can receive signals fine, but I¡¯d rather not mess with the transmission frequency. All the recorded frequency slots are filled up with detonation frequencies.¡±


    ¡°Just a second. I¡¯ll set the frequency.¡±


    Operating the steering wheel with one hand, Heivia used his other hand to grab a small wired microphone similar to what a taxi driver might use. Using a shared frequency the entire coalition force would pick up, he started speaking.


    ¡°Umm, testing, testing. Can anyone hear me? I have a warning for all you diligent Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers out there. Sorry to disappoint you, but what you¡¯re chasing after is likely a fake. The real one is in the Tanami Desert.¡±


    An odd noise came in through the radio¡¯s speaker.


    Quenser ignored it and leaned in to speak into the microphone.


    ¡°Most likely, the facility in the Great Sandy Desert holds the prototype reactor rather than the Object. Also, there is a good chance a large scale trap lies in wait. They could even be planning to push the reactor¡¯s output past its limits to make it go critical and destroy any nearby Objects in the explosion.¡±


    Despite how many people had to be listening, no response came for a bit.


    Everyone must have been trying to work out how credible that information was.


    Finally, the Information Alliance Elite spoke up as if she was the representative of them all.


    ¡°Do you have any definitive proof of this? Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Quenser immediately. ¡°We didn¡¯t have time to verify it. We have one claim to that effect, but it was from someone we can¡¯t exactly trust.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°That is why we are suggesting both possible targets are destroyed. One thing we know for sure is that the energy readings of a reactor were detected in two different places. Oceania has only one Object, so one has to be real and one has to be fake. But what do we lose if we destroy both?¡±


    ¡°We feel the more hidden base in the Tanami Desert is more suspicious than the much too obvious one in the Great Sandy Desert,¡± added in Heivia.


    After a bit of silence from their allies, Quenser spoke up again.


    ¡°As I said before, we believe the Great Sandy Desert base is a giant trap using the prototype reactor. Just to be safe, not even the Objects should carelessly get close. Stay at least 10 kilometers away and blow the facility away with your main guns. This isn¡¯t some fast moving target, so I¡¯m sure the princess can manage if she stops and aims carefully.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. I am a bit annoyed that you do not seem to expect anything of me,¡± said the Information Alliance Elite.


    In annoyance, Quenser replied, ¡°Your main gun is a rapid fire beam Gatling gun, right? It may be overwhelming at close range, but it can¡¯t aim precisely when it comes to distant targets, now can it? This is a job for our princess.¡±


    ¡°...I will do my best,¡± cut in the Legitimacy Kingdom princess.


    Hearing that, Heivia whispered to Quenser.


    ¡°(Our princess finally got her reward. I can tell your guts made it across to her.)¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser merely looked confused, but he didn¡¯t have time to worry about what Heivia had meant. There was something else he had to get across.


    ¡°We believe the Object is actually in an area on the west side of the Tanami Desert. It¡¯s only about 5 kilometers from our base and apparently a faint reactor signal was detected coming from there.¡±


    ¡°Basically, if you end up having nothing to do there in the Great Sandy Desert, we hope you¡¯ll be kind enough to come lend us a hand.¡±


    Suddenly, another voice came in over the radio.


    It was Froleytia.


    Her radio¡¯s transmitter must not have been working properly before because the staticky sound of her fiddling with it could be heard.


    ¡°Wait just a second. Do you mean you two are headed for the Tanami Desert!?¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh, is this about that whole court martial thing? Let¡¯s make a deal. If the Object turns out to be in the Great Sandy Desert, you can throw us into a detention room, but if it¡¯s in the Tanami Desert, you have to do one thing we ask of you, no matter what it is. By the way, I¡¯ve always wanted to have a beautiful woman do various things to me with the bottom of her feet!!¡± said Heivia.


    In shock, Quenser shouted, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re actually asking that!? Oh, and I¡¯d rather have the beautiful woman do various things to me with her armpit!!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what...? D-don¡¯t make a bet like that without my consent and you could at least request more realistic things!!¡± shouted Froleytia.


    ¡°We¡¯ve barely begun! There¡¯s still the nostrils or the back of the ear!!¡± the two shouted in unison.


    ¡°Why even bring it up when you know I¡¯ll never do anything like that!?¡±


    Froleytia¡¯s last shout brought Quenser and Heivia back to their senses. Why were they getting so oddly excited while on their way to fight an Object?


    ¡°The real problem here is that we¡¯ll be more than heroes if we take out the Generation 0.5 on our own. Maybe we¡¯ll get another medal. Actually, we might pass Froleytia right by if we keep this up.¡±


    ¡°No, Heivia. Whatever happens, we¡¯re still disobeying our orders. We might even get our previous medals stripped from us.¡±


    ¡°No, you idiots! After everything you¡¯ve done, I can¡¯t let you go off like this!!¡± While the two boys had been half joking, Froleytia was truly angry. ¡°The Generation 0.5 is still an Object!! If it really is in the Tanami Desert, you will be fighting an Object on your own! Don¡¯t you understand that!? At least wait until one of our Objects arrives!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia fell silent when they heard their superior officer¡¯s surprisingly kind words.


    For a short bit, they seriously thought about what Froleytia had said.


    However, they did not stop the off road vehicle.


    Quenser and Heivia both spoke into the radio.


    ¡°But we have to go. If we wait around, the Generation 0.5 could start moving.¡±


    ¡°If villagers end up being slaughtered because we were tricked by Oceania, the coalition¡¯s reputation will be in tatters. You might even get demoted.¡±


    Froleytia started to yell something, but Heivia switched off the radio.


    Silence continued for a bit, but Heivia finally spoke.


    ¡°Various things with the armpit, hm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s more normal than the bottom of the foot.¡±


    ¡°(Hm, I wonder if the princess would be willing to offer up her armpit for you?)¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    As the Object-destroying duo chatted, the off road vehicle continued on.


    Part 9


    The Tanami Desert was a desert in name only.


    The area spreading out before Quenser and Heivia¡¯s eyes was a giant tropical forest like the Amazon. There were relatively few animals for the amount of nature because the number of plants had been artificially increased in a short period of time. It would still take some time before animals would settle in.


    ¡°It would be best if we walked from here on out,¡± said Heivia as he stopped the off road vehicle at the entrance to the forest. He then grabbed the rifle and portable anti-tank missile from the back. ¡°I¡¯d rather not announce our presence with the sound of the engine. There will definitely be soldiers if it¡¯s a dummy base and there will likely be soldiers if this is the right one too.¡±


    ¡°Also, if the vehicle gets destroyed, we¡¯d have to walk back to the base.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. Yeah that would be bad....Actually, that really would be bad. Let¡¯s hide it.¡±


    The two of them proceeded to camouflage the vehicle by putting fallen tree branches and the like over it.


    After disguising it, Quenser took a step back to view it.


    ¡°Will we even be able to find this on our way back?¡±


    ¡°If we make it too obvious, the enemy soldiers might spot it. Let¡¯s get going. No matter what we do, we¡¯ll still be left with worries.¡±


    And so Quenser and Heivia headed into the thick forest on foot.


    It was exceedingly rare in that day and age, but people still fought other people in ¡°old¡± battlefields where Objects were rarely used. In those cases, landmines and other traps were common. Quenser and Heivia advanced through the forest with extreme caution.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I heard that the ruler of Oceania disappeared along with the Object.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, as the pilot Elite. Otherwise, Oceania would have long since been liberated. How many times do you think we¡¯ve attacked their capital with an Object?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a lot worse than attacking small villages?¡±


    ¡°The only ones allowed to live in the capital are the military and those profiting from the military¡¯s actions. When the military regime came into power, they took all the normal citizens¡¯ houses and kicked them out into the wild. There¡¯s nothing wrong with blowing up some of the people left.¡±


    ¡°Shh. Look at that. Isn¡¯t that the Object maintenance base zone?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia stopped walking and crouched down. They hid in the tall grass growing from the ground and peered out at the facility in question.


    It was a giant rectangular concrete building.


    It was large enough to contain the entire 50 meter Object. Smaller buildings dotted the area around it. They were likely either related facilities or garrisons for the troops.


    Quenser looked down at his military wristwatch.


    ¡°Okay, we still have 2 hours before the reactor should be ready. The Generation 0.5 shouldn¡¯t be able to move. I don¡¯t know how many soldiers are stationed here, but getting here before the Object can move certainly makes this easier.¡±


    ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t something seem odd?¡± asked Heivia.


    When Quenser focused with everything he head, he felt a slight vibration under his feet. It slowly grew until the plants and trees around him were clearly shaking.


    ¡°This is bad! I¡¯m pretty sure the reactor is going strong!¡±


    ¡°L-let¡¯s hope for the best. Maybe the low-tech reactor is going critical after they tried to restart it after such a long period without being used.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what¡¯s happening, it¡¯ll blow up and kill us too. Well, I can¡¯t help but expect the worst. Maybe they used some kind of secret weapon to shorten the time it takes to activate the Object,¡± replied Quenser.


    Just after Quenser¡¯s comment, a loud dull noise rang out.


    The front wall of the giant maintenance building was actually a giant shutter. It had opened upwards.


    At the same time, white steam poured out.


    A giant form crept out from the maintenance building as if it was hiding its silhouette in the smoke.


    ¡°...Well, it certainly seems like it¡¯s gone critical,¡± muttered Quenser.


    Even from 500 meters away, he could feel the waves of heat emanating from the Object.


    The spherical main body of the Generation 0.5 had multiple large constructions attached to it. It had an X-shaped propulsion device attached to the bottom and giant building-like masses attached to the back of the sphere like wings. Obviously, it could not fly. They were most likely used to release the excess energy created by the reactor that was so hard to control with their level of technology.


    A single main gun was attached to the left side of the sphere.


    It was a few dozen meters long and reinforced with numerous steel bridge-like wires. It would likely have been fine without them, but there was a risk of the gun damaging itself with its own weight while it was held horizontal for long periods of time. It was a cheap countermeasure that would never have even been considered for a normal Object.


    In exchange for the stability, affixing the main gun like that robbed it of almost all ability to move the gun independently. For any small adjustments to its aim, the entire Object would have to move.


    That unrefined construction made the Object lose its image as a modern smart weapon and instead have the image of a primitive and savage weapon. It would not give you a peaceful death. Its presence sent a chill down their spines.


    From a distance, Quenser stared at the Generation 0.5 Object that had appeared amid that strange heat.


    ¡°Most likely, they used an electric booster to force up the temperature of the reactor. The Information Alliance Object has electrical outlets on it, remember? This is the opposite. I guess it¡¯s sort of like the ignition of a gasoline engine. By pouring in a large amount of external electricity, they activate the Object¡¯s internal laser emitters or something. That allows them to interfere with the reactor...but it failed. A small scale explosion occurred in the maintenance facility.¡±


    With the Information Alliance¡¯s high level of technology, it may have been possible to pull that off. However, Oceania¡¯s Object already held the danger of fusing its inside parts if the reactor remained active for too long. Forcing the reactor past its normal functionality had simply been reckless.


    ¡°The maintenance workers in there must have been utterly annihilated. Actually, that might be why we haven¡¯t seen any sign of soldiers around here. They may have been holding a ceremony to see the Object off and it blew away all of them at once.¡±


    Heivia used the auxiliary functions of his rifle to check for any noise in the area, but he did not detect any human voices.


    Quenser, Heivia, and the Generation 0.5 Object were the only things around.


    If they could destroy it, the battle in Oceania would essentially be over.


    Part 10


    However, Quenser and Heivia were not stupid enough to charge straight at the Object.


    The Generation 0.5 had not yet noticed them, so heading out into the open would have been tantamount to suicide.


    ¡°(Let¡¯s sneak closer while making sure it doesn¡¯t notice us. If a small explosion occurred in the maintenance building, the area around the plug was likely damaged. If we can find the damaged portion, we might be able to do something.)¡±


    ¡°(I¡¯m fine with taking this slow, but what if the Object charges off at full speed to kill villagers in the name of ¡®forest preservation¡¯? I don¡¯t know how fast that Generation 0.5 can go, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s faster than we can keep up on foot.)¡±


    ¡°(Its reactor has been activated for the first time in 2 years. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll make sure to carry out some exercises so the Elite can refamiliarize himself with the controls. It won¡¯t be going anywhere right away.)¡±


    Suddenly, the Generation 0.5 Object moved slightly 500 meters away from them. The 70 odd sub weapons, both large and small, moved separately as if in some kind of warm up exercise.


    Finally, all of the Object¡¯s guns froze in place and the main body moved to aim the giant main gun. It looked as if all of the pilot Elite¡¯s attention was on those exercises.


    And then the main gun fired as if to mow down everything in a vertical line.


    The Oceanian Object used a large caliber coilgun.


    A giant coil made out of a bundle of conducting wires had steel shells passed through it. The power of magnetism was used to fire the projectiles.


    That main gun was firing shell after shell in rapid succession like a pitching machine.


    The countless shells moved from right to left like a machinegun, tearing a horizontal line through the thick trees.


    Quenser and Heivia hugged the ground.


    The line of deadly projectiles passed right over their heads and the dense forest was torn to pieces around them.


    ¡°(Shit! Did it notice us!?)¡±


    ¡°(No, its aim is too general for that. This is probably another of its ¡®warm up exercises¡¯!! It hasn¡¯t noticed us at all!!)¡±


    At any rate, it was much too dangerous to approach the Object in a straight line. Quenser and Heivia slowly crawled along a large looping route.


    ¡°(This undergrowth hides us better than I would have thought.)¡±


    ¡°(It can hide landmines and other traps just as well, so don¡¯t let your guard down.)¡±


    The undergrowth rustled and swayed around them, but with the destruction to the surrounding trees the Generation 0.5 was causing, it didn¡¯t notice such a small change.


    ¡°(It really does seem like an older model. It doesn¡¯t have any kind of ingenious mechanisms like the Information Alliance¡¯s Gatling gun-style beam cannon. From the look of it, the coilgun¡¯s barrel will burn away before long if it keeps firing.)¡±


    ¡°(Well, old model or not, it¡¯s still way too much for us to handle.)¡±


    ¡°(How do you think it aims?)¡±


    ¡°(A camera sight would be the standard. My guess would be it has a camera on each weapon so it can be aimed. If it was using ultrasonic waves to search for our pulses, this undergrowth wouldn¡¯t be helping to hide us at all.)¡±


    ¡°(Meaning?)¡±


    ¡°(Standard camouflage will work on it. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s cover our clothes in mud. Even that should help hide us.)¡±


    However, they could not exactly stop and carefully prepare. Coilgun fire was still flying by nearby. The most they could manage was to occasionally roll over onto their backs in some mud as they crawled forward.


    Eventually, they managed to get only 300 meters away from the Generation 0.5. They were approaching in a spiral with the Object at the center, so they had crawled much farther total. After getting in a position located behind the Object, they finally managed to escape the threat of the coilgun.


    ¡°(Okay, now we can finally find a weakness in peace.)¡±


    ¡°(Hey, we¡¯re about to enter the grounds of the base.)¡±


    Perhaps due to being activated for the first time in 2 years, the Generation 0.5 was completely focused on its system checks. That was clear from its test firing before.


    Quenser crawled a bit further and peered at the Object through his binoculars.


    If the Object¡¯s reactor had been forcibly brought up with an external power supply, it had to have a plug somewhere. And if that had caused a small scale explosion, it may have a crack running from the reactor to the plug.


    (Is that it?)


    Quenser looked all over with his binoculars and finally stopped on a single point.


    On the back right portion of the spherical main body, he saw something that looked like a broken hatch. A power cable over 50 centimeters thick was hanging down with a torn end.


    It had likely connected the electrical booster directly to the reactor. Normally, the line would be cut off with countless thick bulkheads so it could withstand any powerful attack.


    (Or is that weakness one of the reasons it¡¯s known as the Generation 0.5 and thought to be destroyable with a nuke?)


    Just as he had that thought, Quenser heard a high-pitched electronic noise.


    It had not come from the Generation 0.5¡¯s sensors. He had accidentally touched one of the infrared security lasers surrounding the maintenance base zone.


    ¡°Oh, shi-...!?¡±


    The Generation 0.5 Object did not take the time to turn its giant form around.


    The rear facing ones of the 70 odd smaller weapons attached all over its body made slight adjustments to aim at the two boys.


    However, they were lucky.


    Just before it fixed its aim, a portion of the Generation 0.5¡¯s wheels struck a small marsh. The 50 meter Object was not about to sink into such a small area of water, but it did change the time Quenser and Heivia had from a few seconds to about 10 seconds.


    ¡°Heivia! Hand me that missile!!¡± shouted Quenser as he ripped the portable anti-tank missile from Heivia¡¯s grasp and rested it on his shoulder.


    He was not aiming at the Object.


    For one thing, a student like Quenser did not know how to properly use the missile¡¯s sight. He merely pulled the trigger, sending the missile flying out and into the muddy marsh just in front of the Object. The missile stabbed into the center of the marsh and exploded, scattering mud everywhere. With a splattering sound, one side of the Object¡¯s armor was painted the color of mud.


    Immediately afterwards, the Generation 0.5 moved its guns despite their cameras being covered in mud.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Quenser tossed the empty missile launcher aside.


    Instead of getting down for cover, he and Heivia ran off as quickly as they could. As soon as they did, the area they had just been in was blown to a thousand pieces with the tremendous sound of a shell hitting. The two were stuck by the shockwave and blown a few meters through the air. They rolled along the ground, stood back up, and continued to run. They were no longer headed toward the Generation 0.5. They were now running straight toward the cover the maintenance facility would provide with survival the only thing on their minds.


    The Generation 0.5 finally started to slowly turn around so it could aim the weapons not covered in mud at them. However, it had lost sight of them by the time it turned around. The camera-equipped weapons aimed all over the place as it searched for them.


    With his back pressed up against the maintenance facility wall, Quenser said, ¡°Damn am I glad that thing is so low-tech. A standard Object would have had plenty more sensors to track us with.¡±


    ¡°Surely even that piece of junk has wipers installed, right? I¡¯ve never head of an Elite crying and raising the white flag because of a bit of mud.¡±


    Quenser glanced down at the Hand Axe in his hand.


    He poked just his head out from behind the maintenance facility and focused on the thick cable hanging down to the ground from the Object¡¯s armor.


    ¡°(That¡¯s definitely a weakness, but do you honestly think I can get close enough to attach this?)¡±


    ¡°(If you¡¯ve been working out enough that your muscles can deflect shells, then you should be fine.)¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± cursed Quenser.


    He had a general plan. He knew what its weakness was. He had every tool he would need to use. However, he still could not defeat the Object. That giant machine was not something to be defeated by such small things. Its overwhelming firepower was a thick barrier in the way of the path to victory.


    Quenser clenched his radio in his hand.


    It was meant to be used to detonate the Hand Axe, but it could be used for other purposes as well.


    He could contact his allies.


    ¡°(Hey, would it be okay to make a transmission with this thing?)¡±


    ¡°(I¡¯m sure the Generation 0.5 would notice right away, but I doubt it would be able to pinpoint our location. The real question is whether the princess and the Information Alliance Elite will be able to get here anytime soon. The Great Sandy Desert is pretty far away.)¡±


    ¡°(So are we going to be stuck running away until they get here?)¡±


    ¡°(That would make an excellent diet. The only real problem is that you¡¯d die 100 times over before losing a single pound.)¡±


    Despite Heivia¡¯s words, Quenser still hit the switch for the radio.


    The Generation 0.5 was not an opponent they could defeat with standard methods.


    Part 11


    The black thundercloud-like noise of an Object moving using static electricity reverberated throughout the Oceania night.


    After reaching an area near the Great Sandy Desert, the Objects of the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Information Alliance came to a stop.


    The princess checked on a magnified image of her target.


    The Oceanian artificial greening project had only just begun in that area, so most of it was practically a wasteland of sand dunes. In the center of that was a collection of concrete constructions. It looked like a large scale supply station centered around a gas station located along a long, long desert road. In fact, it was officially registered as just that. However, the abandoned-looking buildings were in fact an Oceanian military facility.


    The Elite called ¡°the princess¡± by her allies aimed at the facility with one of her main guns. She was 10-13 kilometers from her target, so she was obeying the instructions her comrades had given her.


    With a great explosive noise, a line of light shot out from the low-stability plasma cannon. The line of light stabbed into the main concrete building, spreading bluish-white explosions about. Her distance was a bit too great to pierce the armor of a high-spec Object because the plasma energy had time to dissipate, but it was more than enough for a mere concrete building or the armor of the low-tech Generation 0.5.


    After she fired on the same building a few more times, an even larger explosion occurred. The prototype reactor had exploded.


    The scale of the explosion was smaller than she had expected.


    The blast only had a radius of 300 meters, so even the alterations to the reactor to make it go critical must have failed. The small explosion seemed to signify just how low the Oceanian military nation¡¯s level of technology was.


    The princess received a transmission from a Legitimacy Kingdom communications soldier.


    ¡°According to the report from the satellite division, no sign of anything that could be a functional Object can be seen within the wreckage of the facility. Most likely, this was a dummy using a prototype reactor, but our orders are to check the facility out just to be sure.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that your job, not mine?¡± the princess replied.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. They are asking us to remain on standby in case an Object emerges from the wreckage. It is something like being a pool lifeguard.¡±


    The princess felt it was a waste of time.


    Just then, she received a transmission from an unexpected person.


    ¡°...Ksshh...This is Quenser. We have confirmed the Oceanian military nation¡¯s Object is in the Tanami Desert. I repeat, we have confirmed the Oceanian military nation¡¯s Object is in the Tanami Desert! As the electronic simulation division predicted, its tech is only at a Generation 0.5 level. With our cutting edge models, a single shot from the main gun should finish it off! We request reinforcements. We don¡¯t care who from! Just send an Object with a giant gun our way!!¡±


    ¡°Whoever gets here first, wins!! If you don¡¯t hurry up, we¡¯ll take all the glory for ourselves!!¡± cut in Heivia¡¯s voice.


    She could also hear some of the soldiers muttering their disbelief that the Object was actually there.


    The princess started to turn her Object around, but another transmission came in.


    ¡°No. No reinforcements are to go to the Tanami Desert. That is a direct order.¡±


    The princess froze in place.


    (Whose voice is that?)


    From the frequency being used, it seemed to be someone from the Legitimacy Kingdom military, but...


    ¡°I repeat, the transmission from the Tanami Desert is a trap. No one is to do as it says. Quenser and Heivia have headed off on their own and seem to have become confused.¡±


    (Wait, this voice is...)


    She recognized the voice as belonging to the Councilor Flide.


    The Councilors led the Legitimacy Kingdom and he was said to be the one who had put together the coalition force and sent them to Oceania for the sake of his election. However, that identity held another great meaning for the princess.


    ¡°As you can tell from our data, Oceania¡¯s Object truly was in the Great Sandy Desert. The prototype reactor and the Object were both in the same facility. The Oceanians were afraid of our attack and hurriedly had the Object escape while leaving the prototype reactor behind. The real Object is still out there in the Great Sandy Desert somewhere. We must not let it escape. If we turn back for the Tanami Desert now, the Generation 0.5 Object will disappear again.¡± As the soldiers listened on in bewilderment, Councilor Flide continued. ¡°Quenser and Heivia know this, but they are afraid of having to fight the Object, so they are intentionally trying to have us waste our time on the dummy facility in the Tanami Desert. They will soon be arrested, but the Generation 0.5 Object in the Great Sandy Desert comes first. Do not be deceived by Quenser and Heivia¡¯s words.¡±


    Whether the Tanami Desert facility was a dummy or not should have been immediately obvious from the satellite.


    When moving slowly, an Object and a gas tank could be difficult to tell apart, but if Quenser and Heivia were facing the object in a fight for their lives, the Object would be moving much more quickly. Even the slower Generation 0.5 would not be mistaken for a gas tank with treads.


    (There is something more to this...)


    The princess finished turning her Object in the direction of the Tanami Desert.


    Acting on their orders, the soldiers following her tried to stop her, but normal firepower could do nothing against an Object.


    The princess ignored them and headed on, but then her Object came to a sudden stop.


    Only one thing in that area held the firepower necessary to make her stop.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Aren¡¯t you supposed to obey the orders of your superior officers?¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    The Information Alliance Object was pointing its main rapid-fire beam cannon Gatling gun toward her as the princess glared at it through her sensors. The soldiers must have thought the two Objects were going to enter a direct confrontation because they broke rank and scattered.


    ¡°A possible enemy Object¡¯s Elite must not be allowed to act on her own discretion. This is not a concept unique to the Information Alliance. It is common to all militaries that use Objects. Oh ho ho. Your actions could lead to a great slaughter. I cannot overlook an Elite disobeying her orders.¡±


    ¡°Councilor Flide lead the Legitimacy Kingdom. You have no reason to do what he says.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. That may be true...¡±


    The Information Alliance Elite showed no sign of moving her rapid-fire beam cannon Gatling gun.


    The princess moved her arm-shaped main guns.


    They both aimed their main guns at the other¡¯s reactor.


    The eerie dark thundercloud-like noise reverberated across the area from the bottom of the princess¡¯s Object.


    ¡°...but I was ordered to record our joint actions together to investigate the technology of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Object. Normally, that would have been done while we fought alongside each other, but if you are picking a fight, I will gladly take the opportunity. Oh ho ho.¡±


    Part 12


    Quenser¡¯s face paled when he heard that ominous transmission.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. What is going on!? What was that about us being confused!? How can we be confused about the Object right in front of us!?¡±


    ¡°Councilor Flide, hm? If I recall, he used to work in the munitions industry and holds an important position related to the Objects. He manages all of the positions related to improving the talents of our Elites.¡±


    The two frowned while they wondered why he would be interfering.


    And then they received their answer from the radio.


    ¡°You two have betrayed our expectations,¡± said Councilor Flide.


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    They had not expected him to contact them directly.


    ¡°This transmission is being sent only to you two who betrayed our expectations.¡±


    ¡°Your expectations? Did we do something that harmed your chances of getting reelected?¡±


    ¡°Sending this coalition force to Oceania was part of your plan, wasn¡¯t it?¡± added Heivia. ¡°Are you saying we¡¯ll ruin people¡¯s impressions of this war if our muddy faces are broadcast into people¡¯s living rooms?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite. You two have done too well. If only you could have been a bit more incompetent,¡± replied Councilor Flide in a smooth voice. From his tone, it sounded as if he was reading from a prepared script. ¡°Flesh and blood soldiers destroying an Object is a wonderful story that gives hope to those with none. However, the carefree residents of the safe countries are not the only ones this gives hope to. Had you realized that the guerillas and terrorists continuing reckless fights around the world have become more active recently?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This hell in Oceania was created by you two,¡± said Councilor Flide.


    The two boys listened to the words of that man who was likely their enemy.


    ¡°It is true that the coalition forces ¨C including the Legitimacy Kingdom forces ¨C have spent the last two years doing very little, but the war should have ended a month ago when so many Objects were brought in. That was right when you were fighting that Object in Alaska. Modern wars are quite simple. The winner and loser can be easily calculated from the quality and quantity of Objects on either side. If you have one Object and your enemy has three, you decide that fighting will gain you nothing. As such, you quickly retreat to lessen the damages as much as possible. War was nicely built up so the loser would give up right away.¡±


    That was how the war in Oceania had been supposed to turn out.


    The military nation possessed a single Generation 0.5 Object while the coalition force had over 20 cutting edge Objects. Normally, the second that many Objects were spread out across the continent, Oceania would have raised the white flag. That would have brought the war to a quick end.


    In fact, that was exactly what Oceania had done up until then.


    All they had been able to do was just barely keep their prized Generation 0.5 hidden.


    However, they had instead planned and begun to carry out a military strategy using the Generation 0.5. They had even used their prototype reactor as a trap.


    ¡°Yes, this is all thanks to the amazing results you two produced.¡± His tone was one of scorn. ¡°War is no longer just about Object vs. Object. Flesh and blood humans can destroy an Object. What you two proved in Alaska is seen as hope by guerillas, terrorists, and old-style dictators. This hope has robbed them of their sole chance to raise the white flag. This has led to the war continuing on much longer than we ever expected. The benefit for my campaign has become overshadowed by the costs of the battlefield. We can¡¯t have that. Is it really that surprising that some wish to correct this new deviation in how the world sees war?¡±


    ¡°So you want us to die here?¡±


    ¡°You specifically want us to be killed by an Object, don¡¯t you? If the news gets out that the heroes that destroyed Objects were themselves killed by an Object, the flesh and blood troops would give up, deciding that our victories were just flukes.¡±


    ¡°War needs certain fundamental understandings if it is to be smartly ended in the shortest amount of time. No one wants extended conflict on the battlefield. What you two are doing will only needlessly lengthen wars and increase the numbers of the dead.¡± Councilor Flide''s voice did not waver. ¡°Originally, the plan was to cause a split between the forces in the coalition base and have you two get caught up in a battle between cutting edge Objects. However, it seems you have done us a favor and found the Oceanian Object on your own. We would prefer not to damage our precious Objects, so we will not stop you from having the Oceanians play the dirty role.¡±


    On the surface, Councilor Flide¡¯s argument may have been just.


    It may indeed have been true that Quenser and Heivia had played a role in lengthening the war in Oceania. It may indeed have been best to leave all fighting in wars to Objects while leaving the flesh-and-blood soldiers and civilians to be nothing but side characters.


    However...


    ¡°If you let the Oceanians kill us here, that Object will then head off and attack nearby villages. How can you be okay with that!?¡± shouted Quenser.


    ¡°We are tracking the Generation 0.5 with the satellite. This will be the final massacre for the Oceanians. Afterwards, we will finish it off with one of the coalition Objects.¡±


    After hearing how readily the man said that, Quenser had the proof he needed.


    The Councilor was thinking nothing of justice or peace.


    ¡°You two need to realize that you have become dangerous enough that a plan to eliminate you must be carried out even if it requires that level of sacrifice. If it is merely between Objects, war can be carried out smartly. That way, no needless harm will be done. Your hope has gotten in the way of that.¡±


    (Yeah fucking right.)


    It was true that the winner and loser were decided solely by the Objects in that kind of war. However, that did nothing to eliminate the slaughter of the rest of the soldiers. Quenser and the others had almost been slaughtered when they had lost their Object in Alaska. In the Strait of Gibraltar, all of their bases had been destroyed just because the princess had been a little late. On the battlefield, there was no kind rule that said the rest of the soldiers would be overlooked just because they had lost their Object.


    Quenser summed up his thoughts on the Councilor¡¯s argument in his next statement.


    ¡°Only someone who has never lost could make that argument.¡±


    ¡°You only want to protect your own interests,¡± said Heivia. ¡°You just want to hold onto this world where the countries with the most Objects hold all the power. The countries without Objects and the normal soldiers being targeted by an Object all realize there is something wrong with the world. They realize that Objects are nothing but weapons used to slaughter people as efficiently as possible.¡±


    The idea that the fight was over before it had even begun was just plain wrong.


    It was living human beings that picked up their guns and fought.


    No matter how puny they were, they still fought with everything they had.


    It was wrong to say they had lost before the fight even began. The world was not so boring that it did not allow for coincidences and unlikely wins.


    Councilor Flide was one of the people who had invested massive amounts of money in constructing Objects and made even more money from their victories in wars. His argument was merely the argument of the people like that who wished to keep their important positions in the world.


    ¡°Say what you will,¡± said Councilor Flide in the tone of voice of one who held many Objects in his control and felt untouchable. ¡°Either way, you two will die there. We will monitor the Generation 0.5 as it carries out its attack and send a coalition Object to utterly destroy it. This way this war will end up being what we had originally planned. It will show a cutting edge Object conquering all that gets in our way.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s make a bet.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia both spoke into the radio to pick a fight with the leader of the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    ¡°If we lose to the Generation 0.5, you get what you want.¡±


    ¡°But if we win, it¡¯s over for you.¡±


    Quenser turned off the radio and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Shit, this means we aren¡¯t getting reinforcements! There are coalition Objects all across Oceania, and not even one of them is coming!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. What about the princess?¡±


    ¡°She might come if we asked, but then the rest of the coalition would be her enemy. Also, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if the Councilor has some kind of safety device installed to keep that from happening.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess we have to do this on our own!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s make sure to survive at least long enough to get a punch in on that damn Councilor!!¡±


    While hiding behind the building, the two checked on what they had to do.


    They knew one thing for sure.


    They were not obedient enough soldiers to die there like their leader wanted.


    Part 13


    However, Quenser and Heivia were not superhuman enough to charge straight at the Object like comic book heroes.


    ¡°(I¡¯d feel like an idiot if we got shot just trying to get near it. Heivia, let¡¯s take a shortcut through this building to get closer to the Generation 0.5.)¡±


    ¡°(You can get as close as you want, but how are you going to blow it away?)¡±


    Quenser and Heivia moved along the back wall so the Object would not see them. They finally found the back entrance and it was unlocked. In fact, the door itself had been blown away. It must have been due to the explosion within.


    They entered and found a wide, open area.


    They were within the Generation 0.5 Object¡¯s maintenance facility.


    Everything needed to maintain the giant Object was there, but it was all bent up. Cranes lay collapsed on the ground and meters larger than industrial refrigerators had been discolored by the intense heat. Corpses lay here and there. Lots of corpses. Around 40 people wearing military or work uniforms had been almost completely cooked.


    Quenser¡¯s feet almost stopped as he entered, but he had no choice but to head on. If he turned back there, the Generation 0.5 Object would create even more tragic corpses.


    ¡°(What are you looking around for, Quenser? Let¡¯s go. Or are you that interested in those horrid corpses?)¡±


    ¡°(No, it¡¯s just that this is the Generation 0.5¡¯s maintenance facility, so...)¡±


    ¡°(So you¡¯re looking for a spare of its main gun or something? Even if we found one, we¡¯d need an energy source to run it with. If a convenient prototype reactor was lying around here somewhere we might manage, but...)¡±


    ¡°(No, I was wondering if the Object¡¯s plans might be lying around here somewhere. We might be able to find a weakness if we had those.)¡±


    The two split up and searched through the large maintenance facility.


    When they had snuck into the enemy base in Alaska, they had found mountains of static electricity-producing turbines that had turned out to be the Water Strider¡¯s weakness. Similarly, they might be able to find a special weakness of the Generation 0.5 from its spare parts or its plans.


    ¡°(Hey, what¡¯s the Object doing? It didn¡¯t go off to attack a nearby village because it lost sight of us, did it?)¡±


    ¡°(Of course not. I think it¡¯s cleaning the mud off its cameras. It seems to be letting it dry and then deflecting the powdered mud away with a negative electric charge. I think it¡¯s a similar technique to those masks that don¡¯t let pollen near.)¡±


    Heivia peered out through the large open shutter the Object had exited from. A cutting edge Object would have been able to find people in a building with its sensors, but the Generation 0.5 did not seem to have that functionality.


    Most likely, the Oceanians had mostly wanted an Object to show off to the international community as soon as possible, and having it function well in an actual war had been a secondary priority.


    ¡°(Hey, do you think this might be what blew up?)¡± asked Quenser.


    Heivia returned from peering outside and found Quenser pointing at some large container-like objects lining one wall of the building. The containers were connected together with thick cables.


    ¡°(What are those? Batteries?)¡±


    ¡°(I think they might be giant capacitors. They¡¯re probably the external power source they used to interfere with the Generation 0.5¡¯s reactor. They used diesel generators to gather energy, amplified it, and then sent it to the Object.)¡±


    One of the containers had exploded from within. The blast had filled every nook and cranny of the sealed maintenance facility. The people within had had nowhere to run.


    However...


    ¡°(Hey, does that mean it was this amplifier that exploded and not the Object? In that case, the Object might not actually be damaged at all!!)¡±


    ¡°(Come to think of it, if the blast had originated from the center of the Object, its thick armor should have been buckled outward. Well, we know it isn¡¯t going to be easy to take it out, so let¡¯s look for the plans in the maintenance computer.)¡±


    ¡°(Damn, I hope the computer wasn¡¯t destroyed in the blast.)¡±


    They glanced around the area, but did not see the computer at first.


    However, they then noticed the large computer on a second floor passageway hugging the outside wall. To reach it, they would have to climb a flight of stairs that had been almost broken in the blast. Luckily, the computer was located in an area the Generation 0.5 could not see.


    ¡°(This LCD screen has melted. It¡¯s useless.)¡±


    ¡°(Here¡¯s a usable monitor. Hook up the cable.)¡±


    The computer itself still seemed to be functioning and the Generation 0.5¡¯s maintenance information appeared on the replacement monitor once they hooked it up.


    Then Quenser frowned.


    ¡°(Huh? This key layout is weird. This isn¡¯t shift?)¡±


    ¡°(Tch. They¡¯re using a different OS than we use. I think this is an old Information Alliance OS.)¡±


    Quenser had some difficulty operating the computer, but he managed well enough once he realized the major differences. The keyboard was a bit discolored from the heat, but it functioned well enough.


    ¡°(Hey, Quenser. We targeted the legs and such on the Water Strider in Alaska and the Tri-Core in Gibraltar, right? Should we try that again?)¡±


    ¡°(From what I can see, the Generation 0.5 uses steel wheels like a train. The structure is simple enough that there are no real weaknesses to target.)¡±


    ¡°(Wheels? So it doesn¡¯t use an air cushion at all? Can that really support a giant Object? Even with giant steel wheels, wouldn¡¯t the wheels warp or the axle break?)¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°(To distribute the weight of the Generation 0.5, it has around 500 wheels. It¡¯s like those torture chairs covered in spikes. If you calmly sit on it, your weight will be distributed enough to avoid getting skewered.)¡±


    ¡°(Yeah, but no one¡¯s actually volunteered to prove that, right? I thought it was just an urban legend.)¡±


    ¡°(It was just an example. I¡¯m not telling you to try it out. I have no idea what would happen to you if you did.)¡±


    Theoretically, if they could destroy two thirds of the steel wheels, the rest of them would be crushed under its weight. However, flesh and blood soldiers could not carry that out.


    ¡°(We could probably melt the armor with a direct hit from a nuke, but we don¡¯t have any of those handy.)¡±


    ¡°(Even with it only being Generation 0.5, it¡¯s still suicide to try to take it on with a frontal assault. We need to find some kind of hole in its defenses we can attack through. Oh...?)¡±


    Quenser¡¯s hands suddenly stopped on the keyboard.


    The screen was displaying the inner workings of the device that quickly activated the Object¡¯s reactor using an external power supply. It was a new technique that not even the Legitimacy Kingdom military had developed before, but a proper Object kept its reactor running at all times, so it was unnecessary.


    ¡°(This is it. Using this is how the Oceanians here were killed by their moronic leader.)¡±


    ¡°(Hey, while its primary use is to start up the reactor with an external battery, it looks like it also emits excess energy to protect the reactor. A device to emit the energy as electrical power has been attached.)¡±


    ¡°(That may have been what failed. Raising the rotation speed is one thing, but it must have gotten too high to control.)¡±


    ¡°(Meaning?)¡±


    ¡°(Meaning control of the reactor may be lost again if another massive dose of electricity is sent into that plug.)¡±


    As he spoke, Quenser moved away from the computer. He looked down from the second story passageway and at the container-shaped capacitors.


    Suddenly, the wall right next to the two boys was blown away in a stream of fire.


    It was likely from the Generation 0.5¡¯s coilgun.


    The holes in the wall moved from right to left...toward Quenser and Heivia. The angle the shells were coming from was odd. The Object must have slowly circled around the building as part of its warm up exercises.


    ¡°Get down, Quenser!!¡±


    ¡°You idiot, we¡¯d be killed by the fragments of the wall! Jump down!!¡±


    The two jumped over the railing and down to the first floor. The very next instant, the wall up at the second floor was blow away in a horizontal line. Sparks flew from the large computer and it exploded.


    ¡°Shit! I guess we can¡¯t look anything else up!¡±


    ¡°We can only try out what we know. Let¡¯s get those capacitors up and running!!¡±


    However, they did not have time to do so.


    With the wall completely destroyed at the second floor level, the maintenance facility itself had tilted some. However, the Generation 0.5 seemed dissatisfied with the lack of blood. It fired some more at the building.


    Railguns, laser beam cannons, coilguns, and rapid fire beam cannons.


    All of its various types of weapons turned the giant maintenance facility to Swiss cheese in no time at all. Quenser and Heivia were unable to move. If they lifted their heads, they would likely be blown away by a giant shell.


    Luckily, they were not hit directly by any of the blasts.


    However, they heard a dull roar.


    The walls had been utterly destroyed and the roof no longer had much support. The giant ceiling came crumbling down, crushing what was left of the walls. It came crashing down straight for Quenser and Heivia who were inside.


    ¡°You have got to be kidding me!!¡±


    They had no time to even think about avoiding it.


    With a great roar, Quenser¡¯s consciousness was mercilessly blown away.


    Part 14


    Quenser seriously thought his heart had stopped, but apparently it had not.


    ¡°(Dammit. Hey, Quenser! Wake up!!)¡±


    ¡°(What? We weren¡¯t crushed?)¡±


    ¡°(The roof was supported by multiple columns like a gym and we seem to have managed to get in one of the gaps those created.)¡±


    The roof was cracked enough that they would be able to crawl out.


    However, they were not stupid enough to exit without thinking.


    At the very least, the Elite piloting the Generation 0.5 thought Quenser and Heivia were dead. As long as he thought that, he would not continue his attack. Now was their only chance to prepare for their counterattack.


    ¡°(But what exactly are we going to do? Him thinking we¡¯re dead is great, but he¡¯s going to head off and attack the nearby villages at this rate!!)¡±


    ¡°(You saw that firepower. We can¡¯t face it head on. The only way is to destroy the reactor via that plug.)¡±


    ¡°(Did you see that firepower!? We won¡¯t have time to walk up and plug in the power cable like we¡¯re working at a power station for electric cars!! How are we supposed to get close!?)¡±


    ¡°(We just need to get the electricity there without getting close. C¡¯mere.)¡±


    Quenser stuck his head out of the cracked roof.


    He could see the giant form of the Object in the dark night. Its 70 odd sub weapons were making slight movements, but it did not seem to be searching for them.


    ¡°(Is it continuing its warm up exercises before heading out to attack those villages? God dammit.)¡±


    ¡°(It¡¯s possible the reactor is acting up a bit due to being powered up for the first time in 2 years. Let¡¯s go.)¡±


    ¡°(Hey, you never told me what your plan is!)¡±


    Quenser climbed up out of the cracked roof and crawled along it. He wanted to move more quickly, but that would have caused too much noise. If the Object noticed them, it was all over.


    Luckily, the cameras were the Object¡¯s only major sensors. It had poor reception of sound. The fact that the cameras numbered in the 70s was a problem, but they could escape the Elite¡¯s notice by blending in with the darkness of the night.


    Quenser eventually reached what had originally been the maintenance facility¡¯s wall.


    There, the large container-shaped capacitors were lined up. Most of them had been crushed by the roof, but a few were still functioning.


    Heivia crawled up shortly thereafter and whispered to Quenser.


    ¡°(Are you seriously planning to take that cable and charge in at the Generation 0.5!? You¡¯ll die!!)¡±


    ¡°(That¡¯s not my plan. Hey, is there any water around here? Even just a storage tank or a fire hydrant would work. I just need enough water to create a pool on the ground!!)¡±


    ¡°(What are you talking abou-...Wait, you mean...!?)¡±


    ¡°(Exactly. The torn power cable connected to that plug is dragging along the ground. If we create a huge puddle of water and run the electricity through it, it¡¯ll pass through that cable and into the Generation 0.5¡¯s reactor!!)¡±


    Suddenly, they heard a sound coming from the Generation 0.5¡¯s main gun.


    ¡°It noticed us!!¡±


    ¡°Quenser, over there! There¡¯s a water storage tank!!¡±


    It must have wanted to finish them off with its main gun because the Generation 0.5 was going out of its way to turn around.


    Meanwhile, Quenser stabbed an electronic fuse into some Hand Axe and threw it as hard as he could in the direction Heivia was pointing.


    A rusted water storage tank lay in that direction. Instead of being located on the building¡¯s roof, it was on top of its own steel tower.


    Just as the bomb was about to strike the tank, Quenser sent the detonation signal.


    With a loud roar, the tank ruptured and the steel tower itself collapsed.


    However...


    ¡°It was empty!! Was that just part of the dummy facility disguise!?¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Meanwhile, the Generation 0.5 Object had finished turning their way.


    With a slight creaking noise, the main coilgun finished its last bit of careful aiming.


    They were doomed.


    At the same time, the steel tower struck the ground. The tower had merely been a fake to fool the satellites, but the impact of it striking the ground tore up the earth below it. Dust flew into the air and dirt flew above Quenser and Heivia¡¯s heads.


    However, that was not all.


    It must have burst a water pipe buried in the ground. A pillar of water erupted from the ground. It could not have been a normal water pipe. The water erupted a few dozen meters up into the air and rained down on the entire area.


    (Was that an industrial water pipeline? Did they use a machine tool that used water to cut out the parts for the Object?)


    Really, Quenser did not particularly care what they had used it for.


    A great amount of water rained down on the ground, connecting the cable hanging down from the Generation 0.5¡¯s body with the large capacitors in the crushed building.


    ¡°Ruuunnnn!!¡± shouted Quenser as he turned from the Object and ran.


    Heivia followed just behind him.


    They were not fleeing from the Generation 0.5¡¯s coilgun.


    That was not something they could escape from on foot.


    They were fleeing from the quickly expanding pool of water.


    And then a clear path was created between the crushed building and the Generation 0.5.


    Immediately afterwards, they heard a great explosive noise.


    At first, Quenser thought the ground had exploded in brilliant light.


    However, that was not what had happened. The massive amount of electrical power stored up in the large capacitors had spread through the pool on the ground. In an instant, it had raced 200 meters across the ground and directly to the Generation 0.5.


    The target was the power cable dragging along the ground. Twenty or thirty percent of the high voltage current entered the Object and forcibly activated the laser emitters used to heat the reactor.


    The main body of the Object seemed to swell from the inside.


    However, Quenser did not have time to keep watching.


    Heivia tackled him to the ground and covered both his eyes with his hand.


    ¡°You idiot! You¡¯ll go blind!!¡±


    Just before Quenser managed to grasp what Heivia meant, he heard a loud roar.


    At the same time, a brilliant flash of light stabbed into his retinas despite Heivia¡¯s hand covering his eyes. His vision and his consciousness were filled with nothing but pure white. An intense pain stabbed through his ears and into the center of his head. He then thought he felt a liquid oozing back out. He didn¡¯t know where he was hurt, but he must have been bleeding.


    He had no idea how long it took for his vision to recover.


    It was possible he had lost consciousness a few times before it happened.


    He was not even sure of that.


    ¡°Quenser! Open your eyes, Quenser!¡±


    As Heivia shook him, Quenser finally opened his eyes.


    He could vaguely see Heivia¡¯s face.


    ¡°The Generation 0.5? What happened to it...?¡±


    ¡°Take a look,¡± said Heivia as he pointed with this chin.


    Quenser looked over and saw the Oceanian Object ripped open from the inside. The spherical body had folded outward like a blooming flower, and its 70 odd guns were scattered about and stabbed into the ground. Due to the explosion of the reactor, the huge pool of water was gone. It had all been evaporated. The eruption of water from the ruptured industrial water pipeline had stopped. It was possible the ruptured portion had melted and sealed once more.


    There was no question what had happened to the foolish leader piloting the Object.


    Even if he had used an escape device, he would have been roasted in the air as he floated down in a parachute.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This isn¡¯t just an issue of an Object or two. The war in Oceania is now over.¡±


    The two sat there blankly for a bit, but they finally stood up.


    Then, not one, but both of them said, ¡°Now let¡¯s do something about that damn Councilor.¡±

 Volume 1, Epilogue

    Volume 1, Epilogue


    Councilor was essentially the highest position in the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    The true top of the Legitimacy Kingdom was the Sovereign Parliament which was made up of the monarchs of the various cultures and civilizations making up the kingdom. However, before making any decisions, those monarchs would listen to the opinions of a council made up of otherwise employed people. Those Councilors held the highest position that an elected official who had no royal blood could attain. In some cases, they could indirectly alter the monarch¡¯s views, so they truly were seen as rulers.


    One of those rulers, Councilor Flide, was sweating profusely as he wondered how someone of his position had been so thoroughly cornered.


    He was in one of the most advanced of the advanced nations known as safe countries. More specifically, he was within a skyscraper that gained a special tax reduction due to being registered as a military facility while actually being his private office.


    ¡°This has become quite a problem,¡± said a soldier named Froleytia from within the same room.


    She may have had a position high enough to put together military operations and command her subordinates on the battlefield, but to a Councilor like Flide, she was nothing. Or so it should have been. However, Froleytia was showing no respect to him. In fact, she was glaring down on him with a look of scorn. She played with the long, narrow hairpin modeled after a Japanese kanzashi in her silver hair, and she held a Japanese-style kiseru in her mouth despite the entire building being a no smoking area.


    A few documents were lined up in front of Flide.


    They detailed the plan he had advanced in secret within Oceania.


    ¡°It seems you wanted to create a world where the result of any battlefield was solely decided by the quantity and quality of the Objects, but I¡¯m not so sure that method can be called ¡®smart¡¯. The transmission you sent when our Object was about to head back to the Tanami Desert from the Great Sandy Desert clinched it. You say it was to ¡®conveniently¡¯ kill Quenser and Heivia, but sending a false order that would save the Oceanian Object and put our troops in a state of confusion sounds like treason to me. My only advice is that ¡®I thought that information was correct at the time¡¯ isn¡¯t going to cut it in a military trial.¡±


    ¡°I had my reasons. Also, I was given authority to carry out that operation by the Sovereign Parliament. I did nothing that warrants the criticism of a soldier like you. It was nothing but a military operation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve come up with that excuse, and it may have held up had this only involved our military. However, you made a mistake when you sent the transmission out to all of the coalition forces and tried to command them as well. The Sovereign Parliament only holds authority over the Legitimacy Kingdom. They hold no authority over the Information Alliance military or the rest of the coalition. The other forces seem to be rather upset over that false information. Now, what do you think the Sovereign Parliament is going to do? Saying it was a secret Legitimacy Kingdom operation isn¡¯t going to convince the Information Alliance or the others of anything. If the Legitimacy Kingdom gives no official announcement regarding this issue, it could cause some political sparks that could light some unwanted fires.¡±


    ¡°What do you know about this, anyway?¡± said Flide, sounding like he was squeezing out his voice. ¡°We are only able to advance wars smartly because of the overwhelming firepower of the Objects. Those two have destroyed that balance!! This world needs the pillar of support the Objects provide!! I acted to protect my country, no, to protect the world!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m sure the others on the Council and the Sovereign Parliament have a similar opinion. They see Objects as wonderful weapons that allow them to end wars smartly. However, your actions were still ill advised. If Quenser and Heivia had been killed by the Oceanian Object, it would have gone on and slaughtered villagers. Your actions would be seen as a leader of the Legitimacy Kingdom aiding that slaughter for the advantage of his own country. For those who wish to keep our image as one of a country that uses its Objects to end wars cleanly, that would be very, very bad. In fact, that may have left us in a worse political position than where we are thanks to Quenser and Heivia destroying the enemy Object.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s over for me? For me!? After all I¡¯ve done to solidify the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s place in this world where the power balance is decided by Objects!?¡±


    ¡°You can complain all you want,¡± said Froleytia. Her voice then dropped and her gaze grew deadly cold. ¡°But I am the type who takes care of the children the families of our country leave under my care. Whatever the situation may be, I feel I must finish this for them. So we can finish this in the trial. Don¡¯t think you can recover from this.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh. I see. In that case, I suppose I must bring out my trump card.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I took control of the military¡¯s Elite training division? That way, I can train an Elite in secret to use for my own purposes.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia had returned to the most powerful of the nations known as safe countries. It was an advanced nation that belonged to the Legitimacy Kingdom and that was often referred to as the home country.


    After the end of the war in Oceania, they had fully intended to retaliate against Councilor Flide, but approaching one of the leaders on the Council was not such a simple task. Froletyia had a different means of attack, so she had told them to let her deal with it and then disappeared into the office building owned by Councilor Flide.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we got all our previous achievements taken from us as punishment for disobeying orders and heading to the Tanami Desert. We ended the war! All the honor and medals are just gone. It¡¯s like having your life savings disappear in an instant.¡±


    ¡°You should be glad that was all that happened. Normally, we would have been court martialed.¡±


    ¡°Even though we ended the war? If we hadn¡¯t headed to the Tanami Desert, that Object would have attacked the nearby villages and then disappeared again. The war might have continued for years!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If they admitted that, they would be justifying any kind of attack that people felt they had a just cause for. They would be condoning people ditching the military and carrying out independent attacks.¡±


    ¡°We wanted to leave the military after our commendation for Alaska. They¡¯re the ones that kept dragging us back to the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°They may have wanted it to all even out in the end.¡±


    The two then fell silent.


    Before them was Councilor Flide¡¯s private office that Froleytia had disappeared into. As it was officially a military base, the large building sat in the middle of a wide open area within the city.


    ¡°Oh, did you receive an email from the princess like usual?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I also got one from that ¡®oh ho ho¡¯ of the Information Alliance. How did she get my address? Did I get marked by their spies for trying to ask about their Object?¡±


    ¡°Perk up. This could be the start of history¡¯s first lover¡¯s quarrel that involves Objects.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser frowned slightly.


    ¡°Froleytia certainly is taking her time. She already has the summons, so doesn¡¯t she just have to order some soldiers to drag that bastard Flide out of there?¡±


    ¡°Uh, oh. I have a bad feeling about this,¡± said Heivia as his expression stiffened.


    Suddenly, a loud rumbling surrounded them.


    A portion of the wide open area around the office building started to crumble and a giant Object appeared from below.


    The two exchanged a glance and then they received a transmission from Froleytia over the radios they had never expected to use in the home country.


    ¡°Dammit! Quenser, Heivia, you have a new job!! I had wondered why that bastard Flide had his office in such a wide open area, but I never expected it was for this!!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. We have to fight in a city now!?¡±


    ¡°We get the general gist of the situation, but we¡¯re actually going to have proper support from an Object this time, right!?¡±


    ¡°You idiot! If we called the princess in here, half the capital would be rubble before we had time to send out an evacuation warning!! You two will have to do something on your own! You wanted to deal with Flide yourselves, right!?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    ¡°We can kill him, right?¡±


    ¡°By the way, he is only a passenger aboard the Object. The Elite is a 12 year old girl. If possible, I want you to recover her without killing her. I can justify taking that risk because a Legitimacy Kingdom Elite is quite valuable, but the real reason is I¡¯d rather we saved the girl. Can you do it!?¡±


    ¡°Why does this always have to be so complicated!?¡±


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t exactly say no if it¡¯s a 12 year old girl, now can we!? Now that he¡¯s used someone like that as a shield, we definitely have to kill that bastard!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s see if we can find a way to activate the evacuation device. That way we can stop the Object without killing the little girl!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia ran toward the spacious base as the Object appeared from within a cloud of dust and prepared for its desperate attack on the city.


    As he headed toward the hellish battlefield, Quenser said, ¡°Looks like we¡¯re back to square one. I need to at least regain the academic background and authority of a battlefield student at the end of his deployment! Actually, will we get a new commendation if we resolve this!?¡±


    In response Heivia said, ¡°It should all work out. After this is over, let¡¯s quit the military for good. I¡¯ve had enough of fighting Objects!! I¡¯ll take over my noble family. I¡¯ve fought in wars against Objects, so if my family complains, I¡¯ll bring the war to them!! When I think about it, that should be way easier than this!! What the hell have I been doing all this time!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a point. I probably would have had a much easier time of taking normal entrance exams rather than going for the battlefield student route!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry!! We can finish this discussion after saving the little girl and killing Flide!!¡±


    As they spoke, the two boys charged into the battlefield.


    Before them stood a fifty meter Object.


    They had only tiny explosives and a rifle.


    That had become a normal day for them.


    The two special combat engineers had another monster to fight.

 Volume 1, Afterword

    Volume 1, Afterword


    To everyone who has picked up this book: welcome.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    Five years after my debut, I am introducing a new series. This one is about ultra large weapons. Mechs that are not humanoid robots is my personal preference, but don¡¯t get me wrong; I have no real problem with the humanoid type. I made this choice because I felt more irregularly shaped machines would be more intimidating in this kind of story.


    At 50 meters and 100,000 tons, they are quite large.


    Their weight is probably about the same as two Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. If you add in the weight of the weapons, it¡¯s probably even more than that.


    Having things like that going through careful martial arts-esque footwork at speeds of 200-500 kph may seem a bit ridiculous, but even existing weapons can do some pretty unbelievable things.


    As I said before, even with how huge the Objects are, they are still only the size of two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. When those nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are constructed, ridiculously huge cranes are used to lift the parts and numerous pillars are used to support its weight on land. With the smaller 8000 ton Aegis ships, they have large vehicles that can hold and move the entire thing. I find the creative power of humans to be amazing, but what do you all think?


    Anyway, I wanted to give priority to a sense of exhilaration with this book and I used various techniques to make things more exciting. For example, I made the main character a student rather than a soldier to make him a little easier to identify with and I purposefully showed as little of the thoughts and feelings of the enemies as I could.


    Most likely, many of you found some of the things the main characters said a little odd. If you think carefully, I think you will find that is partially because they showed relatively little difference in how they treated the lives of enemies and allies. I see that as the war on the macro scale playing tricks on the human mind on the micro scale. I will be glad if you simply enjoyed the story and even more so if you thought this showed just how twisted a thing war is.


    I give thanks to my editor Miki-san and my illustrator Nagi Ryou. I feel this was probably quite a taxing novel to illustrate for. I am truly thankful they stuck with me to the end.


    I also thank all of the readers who have read this far. Thank you so much for picking up this first novel of a new series to see if it is any good.


    By the way, there is not just the one way of destroying the Objects Quenser and Heivia fought this time. If you have time, it might be fun to try to find a method they did not use.


    And so, I think I will end this here.


    I lay down my pen while hoping this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    Is it just me or were the main characters the truly unbelievable ones this time?


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 2, Prologue

    Volume 2, Prologue


    The accepted theories of history are easily overturned.


    Take iron for example.


    In what era and by what culture was iron first used?


    Anyone who answered ¡°the Hittites in the 1400s BCE¡± are outdated. Since the materials created when iron is smelted were excavated in ruins even older than that in Western Asia, it became clear that theory was incorrect.


    It is possible some old textbooks do not contain this newer information, so be careful.


    However, there is no way to be sure these Western Asian ruins are the correct answer either. It is possible that iron will be discovered in even older ruins a few years down the road. Once that happens, the information written here will be the same as those old textbooks.


    This is nothing special.


    It happens in every field.


    And Objects are no exception.


    The main bodies of those giant machines alone are over 50 meters and the length of the main cannon brings that total even higher. They weigh over 200,000 tons. Those monsters have thick nuclear shelter-level armor, their JPlevelMHD reactors have much greater outputs than nuclear reactors, and that great energy is used to fully power over 100 weapons.


    Currently, Objects are said to be the strongest.


    Be it the army, the navy, or the air force, no military force can stand up to them, so those giant weapons have become known as synonymous with war. War has become battles between Objects and the winner of the war is decided once one of the two machines ceases to function.


    It is quite the established theory.


    People believe that no one will ever overturn that theory.


    However, no one can ever know when an established theory of history will be overturned. It is possible that someone from a few years in the future would laugh at us if they heard this conversation.

 Volume 2, 1: It is Only Natural to get Muddy in an Obstacle Course >> Battle to Control Antarctica

    Volume 2, Chapter 1: It is Only Natural to get Muddy in an Obstacle Course >> Battle to Control Antarctica


    Part 1


    I have an exceedingly important mission for you two!!


    ¡°...¡±


    Heivia, a boy of a solid build with short brown hair, thought back on the words of his superior officer as he silently moved his fingers with a look in his eyes reminiscent of a dead fish.


    He was in a cramped room.


    Inside the room was a table with a pile of small metal devices on top of it. Quenser, a boy with blond hair that did not quite reach his shoulders, sat across the table performing a similar task.


    Instead of chairs, they were sitting on cases used to store the shells for the smaller railguns used by Objects. Heivia had no idea how many shells fit inside, but each case was the size of a sofa for three.


    The table was also not really a table; it was a large wooden box. It was empty, but it had been crammed between the railgun shell cases to create a work space.


    They were loading ammunition.


    They had been handed a large number of empty assault rifle magazines, and they were using their fingers to cram bullet after bullet inside. While an inefficient clicking noise was coming from Heivia¡¯s magazine, Quenser was using his slender fingers that were like those of a sheltered maiden to systematically carry out the job.


    They had started only 15 minutes ago, but Heivia was already down for the count.


    He kicked his heels against the railgun shell case he was sitting on and said, ¡°Hey, I can¡¯t go on. This isn¡¯t war!! With those Objects that can keep moving after a nuclear blast, loading these puny little bullets isn¡¯t going to be of any use!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, redo that magazine. You used too much force and bent the spring into an S-shape. I can tell from the sound.¡±


    ¡°Why do you look so happy!? This annoying work is going to drive me insane!!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Doesn¡¯t this kind of trivial job soothe your heart? I¡¯d say running around the wilderness with a heavy rifle is more messed up than this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize you Object design students were insane. And what point is there in this? Can¡¯t the munitions companies load the bullets in the factories before packaging them and shipping them out?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t storing them inside for so long loosen the spring, increasing the risk of malfunctions? That¡¯s why we have to load only the necessary bullets when they¡¯re needed and remove them again if they aren¡¯t needed anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t that just the same as printer ink? I¡¯m betting you could keep them in there forever without issue, but they tell you these things so we¡¯ll keep buying more.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, that magazine¡¯s spring is messed up. You need to remove the bullets and redo it.¡±


    ¡°Gahhh!!¡± he shouted out of utter annoyance, but Quenser naturally ignored him.


    Heivia was not the type to back off because he received no reaction, so he pointed toward the many cardboard boxes placed next to the large wooden box they were using as a table.


    ¡°How are we supposed to finish all of these!? And isn¡¯t this something a machine should be doing!? If they got just one machine to do this, we could just set the magazines in it and press a button. Then they would all get loaded automatically like with a soft serve ice cream machine!¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they just trying to save on their budget? Everything war-related is centered on the Objects these days. Normal soldiers don¡¯t fight anymore. When would a loaded rifle bullet actually be used? To them, it makes more sense to use their idle soldiers for this than to bring in a ridiculously expensive machine.¡±


    ¡°You really have a way of wearing away people¡¯s motivation, you know that?¡±


    Fed up with it all, Heivia tossed the assault rifle magazine on the wooden box they were using as a table. He arched his spine backwards as he stretched and glanced behind him.


    He spotted a small cupboard.


    Heivia casually glanced through the items lined up there, but then...


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Look at what I just found.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a single porn video mixed in with the training videos.¡°


    Part 2


    After pushing an incredibly boring job onto two boy soldiers under her command with a smile on her face, Froleytia had headed back to a special officer room prepared on the base. However, the base was really a large scale convoy made up of over 100 large special vehicles, so even her office was similar to a blocky container.


    Quenser and Heivia were both 17 and Froleytia was 18. The average age in units was continuing to lower, but that was just a sign of the times. That silver-haired girl was a minor, but no one found it odd that she was commanding a large group of around 800 people. That was simply how things were done.


    Currently, Froleytia was using a tablet connected to her computer to recheck the invasion route of her force on their next mission.


    As she did, she glanced over at a different monitor.


    With a microphone and video camera attached to the computer, it was something like a video chat device. On the other end was a guest from the safe country that was a great distance from the battlefield.


    She could have just had two windows open on her laptop rather than preparing two computers, but Froleytia had a reason to not do that.


    This guest was the kind of person that would find it rude to even have her face covered by another window. She only had a rank of three stars, but she acted like it was five stars.


    ¡°I see. So how is Heivia doing?¡±


    ¡°Oh, fine. After all, he is the heir to the well-known Winchell family. He would never be put in danger by being sent to the front lines.¡±


    Froleytia said that to move the conversation along, but the truth was that she had used Heivia for everything from loading puny rifle bullets into empty magazines to destroying 50+ meter Objects.


    (Well, I¡¯m living quite the unfortunate life myself...)


    The guest displayed on the monitor was not aware of any of that. She was a blonde girl of about 15 who was wearing a dress that did not belong in the modern era. However, the corset and other important points had been modified enough that it could be put on without needing someone else¡¯s help. Even if she was a noble girl, it seemed her upbringing had not been so sheltered that she used her servants for everything.


    She scratched at her cheek with her index finger and said, ¡°That is fine. Even for me, it would be a waste if he died before that grand ceremony could be held.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, but I thought the engagement was fiercely opposed by both the Winchell family and the Vanderbilt family.¡±


    ¡°The greater the obstacle, the more it burns within me. You should try falling in love sometime, miss soldier.¡±


    Without thinking, Froleytia shrugged at having that pointed out by an influential noble girl. She shook her long silver hair and tried to change the subject.


    ¡°But was this really such a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Was what such a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Having Heivia treated as a private first class. As the heir to the Winchell family, shouldn¡¯t he have at least been an officer such as a second lieutenant? This may sound rude, but a private first class is a bit...¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure there were various reasons that went into it. I really don¡¯t know. I do not really care and I have no real knowledge of military ranks, so it really is not my place to comment on it. And if you are going to bring that up, you are the daughter of a noble family and yet you are firing weapons on the battlefield.¡±


    Froleytia cleared her throat.


    She had tried to avoid unnecessary trouble by changing the subject, but she had only dug up something worse.


    ¡°So may I speak with Heivia?¡± asked the girl.


    ¡°Honestly. I¡¯ll connect the video chat, but keep this a secret. All the others are looking at photos of their lovers and saying they will marry them once they return home.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and I thought that only happened in movies,¡± said the blonde girl as she fixed her bangs and checked over various parts of her dress. It seemed she was a bit nervous about speaking with Heivia.


    (I guess she can be cute at times.)


    As Froleytia had that exceedingly rude thought, the noble girl gave one last demand.


    ¡°Please connect me to Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. He is in the third ammunition storage¡¯s spare work room. I¡¯ll connect you there.¡±


    Part 3


    Quenser and Heivia were facing a computer in a corner of the room. They put in the disk for the porn video and sat tensely while the media player software started up.


    And then plenty of pink porn filled the screen.


    ¡°Okay!! I, Jessica the genius intellectual woman soldier, will now make men out of you new recruits who are too afraid to move!! This is an order! Everyone who no longer wants to be a child, leap into my cheeeeeesssssst!!¡±


    ¡°C-commander!!¡±


    ¡°Me too, commander!!¡±


    ¡°I...I...commander...commander!!¡±


    ¡°Wah ha ha ha! Okay, I, Jessica, will do something about this, so everyone come here!!¡±


    While listening to the continued laughing, shouting, and grunts of exertion and watching the flesh and flesh and sweat and flesh and sweat and sweat and flesh and sweat displayed on the monitor, Quenser frowned. He looked back at the package and noticed it was titled ¡°A Cool Female Soldier¡¯s Secret Training of Pleasure and Tits¡±.


    He turned back toward his fellow soldier who had found the video and said, ¡°Um, Heivia? Are you the type of person that enjoys being bossed around by a female commander?¡±


    ¡°No, you idiot!! I was just saying we should enjoy what I found. I wasn¡¯t the one that hid it here!!¡±


    Quenser turned away from the images that were more gaudy than erotic and went back to putting rifle bullets into empty magazines. But...


    ¡°...Huh? What? Huh? For some reason I¡¯m working faster than before. Why?¡±


    ¡°Quit slacking off, boy!! Who said you could take a break!? How many times do I have to tell you not to stop until I, Jessica, tell you to!?¡±


    ¡°Waahh!! I feel really motivated for some reason!! I thought this was supposed to be sexy, but I¡¯m making incredible progress by working to the rhythm of her voice!¡±


    ¡°What? My hands are moving on their own. Why do I have this natural feeling that it would be wrong to take a break!? Do you think they could make an effective diet video by having a drill sergeant yelling at you!?¡±


    ¡°Quit yapping and move your fingers faster!! Don¡¯t leave me, Jessica, bored for even an instant!! If you are men, then outdo even my expectations for you!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander Jessica!! We will do exactly that!!¡±


    ¡°Commander! We will show you that we are competent soldiers!! Commander!¡±


    The two boys¡¯ hands started moving faster and faster until they were cramming rifle bullets into empty magazines at what looked like the speed of a sewing machine. As Quenser and Heivia took that task to its limit, they threw off all idle thoughts and became machines that did nothing but accurately put bullets in magazines while breathing heavily.


    ¡°Fnhh!!¡±


    ¡°Yesss!!¡±


    Suddenly, they thought they heard the small electronic tone denoting an incoming video chat, and a new window opened over the porn video.


    And...


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± said an adolescent blonde girl in a dress with a cold voice and gaze.


    ¡°Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia screamed in unison and leapt over to grab the mouse and close the video player playing the porn video.


    However, the blonde girl in the window pointed with dull eyes and said, ¡°Heivia, I see a suspicious package lying on top of that wooden box.¡±


    ¡°Kyaaahhh!!¡±


    That tough, experienced soldier screamed like a girl and knocked the porn video case off of the wooden box acting as a table.


    Quenser leaned over and whispered to Heivia in order to gather some intelligence.


    ¡°(Hey, Heivia. Who is that girl? She seems to know you.)¡±


    ¡°(I¡¯ll explain more later, but she¡¯s the only daughter of the Vanderbilt family. Her family has about as much power as my own, but she can use pretty much all of her power as a noble while I¡¯m relatively alone and helpless. I can¡¯t let my guard down, so you be quiet and let me do the talking. This isn¡¯t someone a commoner should be angering!!)¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have such a short temper,¡± said the girl.


    ¡°I see. But if what milady says was true, I would not have had so many difficulties in the past.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about. Anyway, I do not need a reason to speak with you. As we are engaged, it is unnatural for us to even spend a day without speaking. In fact, if you would contact me, I would not need to do this, Heivia. It is not right for me to have not heard from you ever since you left for the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Please give me a break. Any emails I write even to relatives are monitored in order to prevent information being leaked. They would find out I use all sorts of cute emoticons.¡±


    Heivia spoke as if he was annoyed, but Quenser realized his tone was different from normal. It lacked its usual edge. Quenser decided it would be best to remain silent, so he went back to loading bullets. He was not one to butt into a conversation between a couple.


    ¡°But what kind of room are you in? I thought you were on the front lines performing valiant deeds to gain the right to succeed as the head of your family. Does the Winchell family determine its heir with side jobs?¡±


    ¡°Oh, things can be complex out here. A young lady sipping tea in the safe country probably would not understand how things work on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh. You would think that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ahn? What? You aren¡¯t relaxing in a Paris mansion? ...Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re on your way here or something.¡±


    ¡°Not even I would be so impolite as to enter a base and throw everything into confusion while a war is going on. It is quite the opposite. I am currently headed to the place farthest in the world from this planet¡¯s wars. In this place, the colors of national flags are irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you manage to prove yourself on that muddy battlefield and finally convince those hard-headed members of the Winchell family, you come here too. It is a bit too inconvenient for a primary residence, but it is perfect for enjoying every once in a while.¡±


    And then the door to the room opened wide without so much as a knock.


    Quenser and Heivia spun around at the loud noise.


    Their long silver haired commander, Froleytia, stood there.


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia, we have an urgent job. We need to gather in the conference room.¡±


    ¡°??? Why did a major like you head here directly? Couldn¡¯t you have sent a message?¡±


    ¡°This room is oddly sealed, so radio signals can¡¯t reach it. Also, this video chat was given priority, so I wouldn¡¯t have been able to cut in until the transmission from the Vanderbilt family ended. I only realized that a bit ago. It was my mistake, so I came to get you.¡±


    Froleytia then turned toward the computer¡¯s monitor.


    She grabbed Heivia by the back of the neck and said, ¡°As I am sure you heard, I have to borrow him.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the blonde girl in the dress with a slight nod. ¡°Work him as hard as you can without killing him, so he can finish with the military quickly.¡±


    Part 4


    Froleytia threw Quenser and Heivia into the conference room and began the meeting with the soldiers who had already gathered there.


    ¡°Our stage this time is Antarctica,¡± said Froleytia as she projected a large map onto a whiteboard. ¡°One of our Legitimacy Kingdom survey planes was targeted by a surface-to-air missile while it was flying along the coast of the Ross Sea. It was exposed to a locking laser.¡±


    ¡°Is our mission to rescue the crew that crashed in Antarctica?¡± asked Quenser but Froleytia shook her head.


    ¡°Fortunately, the plane was equipped with emergency flares. One of those broke the enemy¡¯s lock and they escaped out of their range. The problem is that some idiot in Antarctica was targeting them with a missile,¡± said Froleytia while grinning. ¡°We directly contacted the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, the Faith Organization, and the other world powers to check, but none of them seem to know who it could have been. Whether they were telling the truth or not, this is being internationally treated as an attack by terrorists not associated with any world power. In other words, no one can complain if we take them out.¡±


    Hearing that, Quenser and Heivia began whispering to each other.


    ¡°(Terrorists, hm? I had heard the ones in the Western European safe country could be more frightening than a battlefield where Objects deal with everything.)¡±


    ¡°(Yeah, I¡¯ve heard it said the special forces in the police have a lot more training in direct combat. In fact, dealing with terrorists isn¡¯t really a job for the military.)¡±


    ¡°(The police can¡¯t head out to Antarctica. That¡¯s probably why we¡¯re being sent in.)¡±


    Heivia raised his hand and spoke to his commander.


    ¡°So we¡¯re getting them back?¡±


    ¡°This is nothing so uncivilized. The predicted location of the surface-to-air missile from the aiming laser is nearby an unmanned Legitimacy Kingdom observatory. We need to see if it has been destroyed, and if it has not, eliminate the threat to keep it that way. ...Simple, right?¡±


    ¡°(So we¡¯re killing them regardless,)¡± muttered Heivia upon seeing Froleytia¡¯s smile.


    Paying him no heed, the commander continued her explanation.


    ¡°As I said, the direction the aiming laser came from was used to estimate the location it was fired from. That location is at the base of Mount Erebus which is along the coast of the Ross Sea. We will send out a unit and attack. If possible, we would like to capture them alive to get their objective out of them, but if not, don¡¯t worry about it. It seems killing them all would be no big deal.¡±


    A stir utterly devoid of tension spread through the conference room.


    Those monstrous 50+ meter weapons known as Objects were synonymous with war.


    Objects had a certain characteristic. While they had over 100 weapons, those weapons were powered by a high output reactor and the weapons were primarily along the lines of laser beams, low-stability plasma cannons, railguns, and coilguns.


    No one bothered putting surface-to-air missiles on them.


    In other words, the odds of the supposed terrorists having an Object were quite low. And the Legitimacy Kingdom military could send out an Object filled with their latest technology at any time.


    Their victory already seemed assured.


    An Object could not be stopped even with a nuclear weapon, so small arms and missiles could do nothing. It was their understanding of that fact that led to all tension leaving the soldiers¡¯ shoulders.


    ¡°Oh, right. I have one warning,¡± said Froleytia. ¡°We cannot use the princess¡¯s Object on this mission. Keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡± said Quenser without thinking.


    He thought he must have heard her wrong, but Froleytia awkwardly continued.


    ¡°Once again, we cannot use the princess¡¯s Baby Magnum. Objects are monstrous weapons that weight over 200,000 tons. Putting one on that icy continent could easily lead to the thick ice cracking and the Object falling through. Then how are we supposed to get it out? I certainly don¡¯t know of a crane that can lift something that heavy.¡±


    ¡°U-umm... I thought we were supposed to be a maintenance unit that ensures the Object can quickly and accurately deploy. What are we supposed to do without the Object?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°Well,¡± said Froleytia as she tapped at the map with a baton. ¡°I expect you to fight the terrorists with smaller weapons.¡±


    Part 5


    And so they headed to Antarctica.


    The terrorists were supposed to be hiding at Mount Erebus which was near the sea, but Quenser and the others used a boat to land on the coast rather than fly directly there. From there, they and about 100 fellow soldiers slowly approached in a circle around the area. The soldiers taking part in the operation usually acted as guards around the base. As they were also using tanks and attack helicopters, they seemed like a force from an earlier age.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± muttered Heivia as he walked alongside Quenser. ¡°This is Antarctica. Let me say that again: Antarctica. What am I doing? I was supposed to work in a base for 3 years in order to become the next head of my family. What am I doing here? Has that giant-breasted commander of ours forgotten that I¡¯m a radar analyst?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, I came to the base as a battlefield student in order to study the Object, so why am I on this ice continent that doesn¡¯t have the first thing to do with Objects?¡±


    ¡°God dammit. We¡¯re just human antennae. They could just use drones for this.¡±


    ¡°With this gusting wind, UAVs would be hard to use. Also, the radio signal is easy to intercept, so they probably aren¡¯t a good idea for dealing with terrorists.¡±


    ¡°What kind of serious response is that? Did you awaken to your masochist side under that beauty of a commander?¡±


    ¡°I just want to finish this so we can leave. I really don¡¯t care about a job that has no connection to Object designs. Heivia, you need to learn how to just get things over with like an adult,¡± said Quenser in a bored tone of voice, but it did not seem Heivia was listening.


    Heivia looked up into the white sky and said, ¡°By the way, this is Antarctica, right? There¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve been wondering for a bit now. Mind if I ask it?¡±


    ¡°The wonders of nature are outside my area of expertise. If you want an explanation, ask one of the environmental protection organizations.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing tricky.¡±


    Antarctica was an ice continent. In some places, the temperature was as low as 50 below zero, making it a true area of frozen earth. In that white land, water spent more time of the year as a solid than as a liquid. The same went for humans. If a flesh and blood body was thrown out into that extreme environment, it would be frozen solid more often than not.


    Or so it should have been.


    ¡°Why is it so damn hot in Antarctica?¡± groaned Heivia as he removed the hood of his cold weather coat.


    He awkwardly wiped the sweat from his brow and looked around. In the animal documentaries he had seen, the area had been a flat land of pure white, but they were currently standing on a ground made of black stone. Also, white steam could be seen coming up from the ground in places. A powerful crosswind was blowing through and white snow continued to fall from the clouds above, but the steam kept them from feeling cold and the snow melted just before it touched the ground, so it did not accumulate. Nothing matched the image he had had in his head.


    Meanwhile, Quenser looked down at the reading from a digital thermometer.


    ¡°The seasons in the southern hemisphere are reversed, right? It¡¯s almost summer here. Even so, the air temperature is -3.9 degrees. You¡¯d get cold in no time if you took off your coat.¡±


    ¡°No way. This is below zero? I feel like I¡¯m in a sauna.¡±


    ¡°This is a volcanic area, so a strange heat does temporarily come from the ground. I remember a major eruption 2 years ago that made news by majorly changing the crater. You¡¯re just feeling hot because of that. If you stay still, you¡¯ll start to get cold, so you should put your hood back up.¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!¡± laughed Heivia without warning.


    Quenser looked over with a confused look and Heivia pointed in a certain direction.


    ¡°Look, Quenser!! It¡¯s a hot spring. We¡¯re in Antarctica and yet there¡¯s a hot spring coming up from the ground!!¡±


    ¡°...I already told you this was a volcanic area.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s a hot spring! In Antarctica!! This place is destroying everything I thought I knew about it!!¡±


    As he spoke, Heivia removed his thick gloves. He crouched down at the edge of the pool of water that had white steam rising from it and stuck his hand in.


    ¡°Oh...wow. It feels like it¡¯s a perfect 40 degrees.¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Heivia. If we got in a hot spring, we would just stop caring about this war.¡±


    They were reluctant to leave, but Froleytia was sure to yell at them if they fell into the trap of that hot spring. So the two headed onwards.


    The 100+ other soldiers were heading along too, but the circle was so wide Quenser and Heivia could not see any of the others.


    They walked across the land of hard, black stone based on the map displayed on their handheld devices. After travelling some distance, the dark ground became covered in white snow and ice. The ground seemed flat, but it was actually sloped gently down to the extent that a ball would roll slowly forward if it was placed on the ground. The temperature seemed to be slowly falling as well. The white land continued as far as they could see in every direction and they could see no obvious landmarks. Merely looking away from the map was enough to make them feel lost.


    Quenser looked down at the small pieces of ice that crunched under their feet as they walked.


    ¡°Oh, now this is more like what I expected of Antarctica.¡±


    ¡°Ow!? This isn¡¯t just cold; it hurts! Hey, Quenser. There¡¯s something weird about my face, can you see anything odd there!?¡±


    ¡°The sweat on your face is freezing. I¡¯m guessing it hurts because it¡¯s pulling at your skin.¡±


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit!!¡± shouted Heivia as he frantically brushed the tiny bits of ice off his face and pulled up his hood. ¡°Dammit! If it¡¯s suddenly going to get Antarctica-like, why can¡¯t it just be something cute with penguins!?¡±


    ¡°This much ice is quite a sight. You¡¯d probably get sick of it after a few days, though.¡±


    ¡°Why are you taking this so well, Quenser? Are you from some cold country?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m more fed up with ice than anything,¡± said Quenser with a shrug. ¡°When I was in my safe country school, we did all sorts of experiments with breaking rectangular sheets of ice to teach us the basics of Object armor. We would see how the cracks would run through it by striking it in different places.¡±


    ¡°Why ice? Object armor is made of steel.¡±


    ¡°With water, it¡¯s easy to reuse. With a freezer, the experiment can be repeated as many times as you want. Also, we just needed to learn the basics of how the cracks worked, so there was no reason to use steel plates fine-tuned with highly flame resistant reactive material that requires an expensive artisan. By mixing in some chemicals to increase the viscosity before freezing it, it cracks the same way. We also performed experiments where we found more efficient means of absorbing impacts by destroying the balance of the viscosity,¡± said Quenser with a sigh.


    It was due to how boring he found those school lessons that he had actually headed out to the battlefield.


    Quenser then changed the subject.


    ¡°Come to think of it, what are the terrorists doing in the middle of nowhere like this? Did they get a surface to air missile just for some sightseeing?¡±


    ¡°You know nothing, Quenser,¡± responded Froleytia over the radio. ¡°Antarctica has been an area of intense competition between many nations over who has rights to what areas even before the UN was destroyed.¡±


    ¡°...? I thought Antarctica had no national borders?¡±


    ¡°Because it has none, various forces have tried to claim it for themselves and have gotten in fights over it. Antarctica has iron and coal mines after all. The ocean also has plentiful areas to fish. It has plenty to compete over,¡± explained Froleytia offhand. ¡°Currently, the powers claiming rights to Antarctica are the Oceanian military nation that was destroyed before, Western America¡¯s Central Valley area of the Capitalist Corporations, the Chonos Archipelago area of the Information Alliance, and the southern Great Britain area of the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    Quenser frowned at that.


    ¡°Oceania and the Chonos Archipelago are in the southern hemisphere, but West America¡¯s Central Valley is around Los Angeles, right? And southern Great Britain is where London is... Those areas have no connection with Antarctica.¡±


    ¡°They are bringing out their pioneering spirit and insisting the people who first discovered the continent have a claim. If it went in the order the expeditions were sent out, they would have the best claim, but that thought process does not take the concerned parties into account just like during the Age of Exploration.¡±


    That meant the terrorists (or so they were officially being called whoever they might actually be) must have targeted the Legitimacy Kingdom survey plane with a surface-to-air missile due to trouble related to either Antarctica¡¯s territories or resources.


    (But that is not the real issue. In this age of Objects, the soldiers like us being forced to run around with a gun have it worst...)


    ¡°Do you have something you would like to say, Quenser?¡± asked Froleytia.


    ¡°N-no!! Nothing at all!!¡±


    ¡°I have one piece of good news for you. You need not get into a firefight with the terrorists once you find them. Our wonderful Object is on standby at the Ross Sea, so our cute waitress can blow them away with a long distance barrage once you get us their location.¡±


    ¡°Then,¡± said Heivia with his breathe showing up white in the cold air. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just used a military satellite instead of having us walk all the way there? In this day and age, you can get a villa on the moon and shuttles are either launched by laser space elevators or mass drivers. Satellites are as plentiful as empty cans on the side of the street. But I suppose I can¡¯t expect a commander giving orders while sipping hot cocoa on the bridge of an assault landing aircraft carrier to understand how we feel shivering in the cold.¡±


    ¡°Things get a bit tricky when it comes to the Arctic or Antarctic,¡± Froleytia replied smoothly while completely ignoring that last disagreeable comment. ¡°A geosynchronous satellite using the centrifugal force of the earth to hang near the equator can¡¯t see this far. Some satellites do orbit perpendicular to the equator, but they can only monitor an area during a specific time of the day.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they have satellites that stay exactly over the earth¡¯s axis outside the atmosphere?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that is right in the middle of an area of disputed ownership. ¡®Exactly over the earth¡¯s axis¡¯ is practically a pinpoint, so only so many satellites can be there. The Legitimacy Kingdom has a powerful advantage over the North Pole, but that also means we do not have a single satellite over the South Pole.¡±


    ¡°And so you are making up for that lack of equipment by shoving this insanely inefficient workload onto us human soldiers,¡± said Heivia with a sigh and a frown. ¡°This isn¡¯t something a civilized human should be doing.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, civilized humans have something known as manners. Do you get my meaning?¡± replied Froleytia.


    Heivia was about to give a light reply, but before he could...


    A rifle bullet struck the ground between Quenser and Heivia.


    (An enemy attack!?)


    The two immediately tried to take cover, but they realized the snowy plain gave them nothing to hide behind. Heivia grabbed Quenser¡¯s shoulders and forcibly pulled him backwards. Even on that flat plain, the ground has slight ups and downs. They retraced their steps a few meters to a protrusion in the snowy plain and hid behind that cover created by the icy ground.


    ¡°(What, what, what!? Is this those terrorists!?)¡±


    ¡°(Who else would it be!? We almost died out here in Antarctica. If it hadn¡¯t been for this strong crosswind, one of us would definitely have been killed by that initial shot!!)¡±


    ¡°(This area is both volcanic and ridiculously cold, so it has major temperature differences. They¡¯ve been here longer than us, so the metal of their gun barrels or sights may have altered somewhat.)¡±


    As they spoke back and forth in hushed voices, rifle bullets intermittently struck the white ground and sent ice crystals up into the air. The impact points were scattered. It may have been due to the crosswind that they could not hit their targets as Heivia had said, or it may have been due to numerous other smaller reasons piled on top of each other.


    Still lying on the ground, Heivia held up his rifle with the sight attached that could pick up data from various sources such as the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.


    ¡°(Their distance is 200 meters. There are 7...maybe 8 of them. The rifles they are using are those ones with the wooden stocks. They have forcibly attached grenade launchers with electrical tape.)¡±


    ¡°(Can you take them out?)¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°(Why do you make it sound like you¡¯re just a spectator? You should be pulling out your handgun or PDW!!)¡±


    ¡°(Sorry, but I don¡¯t have any guns. I only have the usual explosives.)¡±


    ¡°(What are you even here for!?)¡±


    Heivia was about ready to strangle Quenser, but then a rifle bullet struck the ground nearby. He frantically lowered his head and fired his own rifle back to hold the enemy in check.


    ¡°(Shit, shit, shit!! I¡¯ll strangle you later, but I still need to ask! Why did you head off to fight terrorists without a single bullet!?)¡±


    ¡°(To be honest, I really did want to bring some!)¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, Quenser,¡± cut in Froleytia. ¡°A student who has not finished training cannot be authorized to carry a soldier¡¯s firearm.¡±


    ¡°(Yeah, but doesn¡¯t it take even more delicacy to handle explosives?)¡±


    ¡°You used explosives in your anti-shock experiments related to the shape of Objects back in your safe country school, didn¡¯t you? That is why you have authorization for those. Also, that line of thinking is the sign of a boy who does not know how frightening an accidental discharge is.¡±


    ¡°(I see...)¡± responded Quenser faintly just as a terrorist bullet shot chunks of snow into the air right next to him.


    At that point, Heivia snapped.


    ¡°Quit sitting around and do somethiiiinnnngggg!! Why am I the only one risking his life to fight back!? We know where the enemy is, so have the princess use her Object to blow them awaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, that¡¯s right,¡± said Quenser as he set his radio¡¯s frequency to contact the Object.


    The response he received was brief and clear.


    ¡°At that location, the shockwave and radiant heat would blow you two away as well. Are you okay with that? Over.¡±


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, fuck!!¡± shouted Heivia as he gave repeated quick bursts of 2 or 3 shots with his rifle.


    Meanwhile, Quenser contacted their allies in the area, but none of them were in a position to arrive any time soon.


    ¡°Dammit. They aren¡¯t lying about their position to avoid getting caught up in this, are they?¡±


    He wanted to throw his weapon down and leave, but with the bullets flowing above, carelessly lifting his head would likely get him killed. Two hundred meters was relatively close range for rifles, so it was only due to the powerful crosswind and the plain white area affecting their visual comprehension that kept either side from hitting the other.


    The enemy soldiers must have been more used to it because they were gradually spreading out. Only a few meters had opened up between the enemy soldiers, but they were clearly trying to circle around via different routes.


    Quenser almost lifted his head up in shock, but Heivia held him down. Immediately afterwards, a bullet flew directly over his head.


    Still covered in snow, Quenser said, ¡°This is bad, Heivia!!¡±


    ¡°You mean that the enemy is splitting up to circle around on either side!? I already know! The problem is that there is nothing we can do about it!!¡±


    ¡°No, not that!! A penguin!!¡±


    ¡°Hah!? Who cares about a penguin right n-...A penguin!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a baby! A baby penguin!!¡±


    With a shocked look, Heivia looked over in the direction Quenser was pointing. A small gray baby penguin was waddling awkwardly across right in the middle of the area between the soldiers firing rifles at each other.


    It was going to be caught up in the firefight, but they could not exactly stop either.


    Just as the veins in Heivia¡¯s temple were bulging out in anguish, something odd occurred.


    Just as he was about to remove his finger from the trigger, the terrorists stopped firing as well.


    The only motion left on that white land was the baby penguin continuing to waddle along while paying no heed to the soldiers on the front line of a battlefield.


    With sweaty palms, Quenser and Heivia watched its progress.


    ¡°(C¡¯mon!! You can do it, baby penguin!!)¡±


    ¡°(Wait, why is it just the baby!? Doesn¡¯t the parent need to be watching over it!?)¡±


    And then the baby penguin tripped.


    ¡°Waahh!!¡±


    ¡°No, Heivia!! No human intervention is the rule of nature!!¡±


    Heivia very nearly rushed out to help, but Quenser frantically stopped him. Meanwhile, the baby penguin used its small wings to force itself back on its feet.


    ¡°Gyah!¡± came a new avian cry.


    ¡°An albatross!?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t going to eat it, is it? It isn¡¯t going to attack from the sky, is it!?¡±


    Yet the rule of nature came into play again.


    While Heivia was trying to aim his rifle at the sea bird and Quenser was trying to stop him, the albatross spread its wings wide and readied its aim from up in the heavens. The baby penguin that¡¯s silhouette looked like a fluffy ball had no idea that it was being targeted.


    And then the albatross attacked.


    The penguin¡¯s natural enemy soared down from the sky like a spear. Its deadly beak was accurately targeting the baby penguin.


    Everyone envisioned the color and scent of blood.


    Quenser and Heivia forget about fighting over the rifle and brought their hands up to cover their eyes.


    But the tragedy they expected did not occur.


    ¡°Kmyaaaaaaaahhhhh!!¡± came a new cry from the side.


    ¡°!? Wh-what was that, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°I think the mother is here. It¡¯s the penguin¡¯s mother!!¡±


    Frightened by the warning cry, the albatross¡¯s aim was thrown slightly off. The beak just barely grazed the baby penguin and it gave a high pitched cry for its mother.


    The albatross did not seem willing to give up. It soared back up into the white sky, flew in a wide arc, and then aimed for the baby penguin once more.


    However, the baby was no longer alone.


    The large mother rushed over to act as a shield.


    There was no guarantee the mother could save the baby.


    The sea bird¡¯s sharp beak and talons were enough of a threat for an adult penguin.


    Even so, the mother penguin¡¯s gaze did not waver.


    It spread its wings that were meant for paddling through water, opened its beak as wide as it could, and let out warning cry after warning cry as loudly as it could.


    Quenser and Heivia both held their breath.


    The terrorists across the snowy plain were also silently watching on.


    And then...


    The albatross circled above the two penguins¡¯ heads a few times before giving up. It left its previous trajectory, gave a defiant cry, and flew off into the white sky.


    The penguin mother had protected its child.


    In that instant, a great cheer as if from a stadium erupted within Antarctica. It sounded as if all of humanity was letting out a cry of joy at the familial love of those penguins. Quenser and Heivia embraced each other and the enemy soldiers could be seen lifting their rifles up in both hands like barbells in a show of passion. The spiral of joy surrounding the penguins seemed to surprise them. The baby hid in the small space between its mother¡¯s legs and the two animals quickly left the area. Normally the male would have been doing this, but for some reason it was the mother.


    After about 10 minutes, the penguins had cut across the battlefield, headed down a slight slope, and completely disappeared from Quenser and Heivia¡¯s view.


    Before long, the penguin fever quietly came to an end.


    Immediately afterwards, both sides began the firefight anew without hesitation.


    Quenser and Heivia hid as best they could. As Heivia pulled the trigger, he cried out with bloodshot eyes.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!! Fire fire fire fire fire!!¡±


    ¡°Dahhh! Dammit! I guess we really can¡¯t come to an understanding!!¡± yelled Quenser as he operated his handheld device.


    In Antarctica, everything was white no matter where you went, so he zoomed in and out of the map repeatedly to double check everything.


    Seeing that, Heivia cried out in an annoyed voice. ¡°What good will checking the map do us!? We can¡¯t get help from the princess! The enemy is just going to split up and circle around!!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take care of them before that happens.¡± Quenser pulled some Hand Axe plastic explosive out of his bag. He stabbed the radio-receiver-equipped electric fuse into it. ¡°When I give you the sign, fire like crazy to hold them back. I¡¯ll throw this during that time.¡±


    ¡°Do you know how far away they are? That¡¯s 200 meters. Not even a long throw with a regulation baseball can go that far.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain! Do it now!!¡±


    ¡°Already! Shit!!¡±


    Still complaining, Heivia held up his rifle. Instead of carefully aiming for one enemy, he fired across all the enemies while swinging the rifle barrel in a fan shape.


    As a result, his accuracy dropped even further, so his bullets did not even come close to hitting. However, it frightened the enemy soldiers enough to send them behind cover.


    Quenser lifted himself up and threw the plastic explosive with all his might. The Hand Axe flew through a long arc, but it did not reach the enemies just as Heivia had expected. Also, the wind prevented it from flying exactly straight forward. Given how powerful the crosswind was, it must have taken quite some effort to throw it over 50 meters as Quenser had done. It landed on a patch of thick ice, so the Hand Axe slid along even further like a curling stone. The gradual slope of the snowy plain in that direction also helped, so the plastic explosive gained even more distance as it slid across the ground.


    Even with all those factors, 120 meters was its limit. It was nowhere near the 200 meter distance of the enemies.


    Heivia clicked his tongue and shouted, ¡°Dammit! I told you!!¡±


    ¡°This is fine! This is what I wanted!! Get down, Heivia!!¡± Quenser shouted back as he used his thumb to send the detonation signal via his radio.


    Heivia was doubtful, but the result came immediately thereafter.


    With a great roar, a 200 meter long portion of the white earth ahead of them caved in.


    It was like a giant pitfall. The earth crumbled and collapsed down a few hundred meters. The snow, ice, and soldiers on top were all swallowed up.


    There was nothing they could do about it.


    The enemy soldiers who had been firing bullet after bullet fell into the pit with shouts of surprise.


    ¡°Good, that seems to have worked,¡± said Quenser with a sigh of relief as he took his thumb off of the radio he had used for the detonation. ¡°All I want to know about is Object design, so why do I keep learning new ways to kill people?¡±


    ¡°...Um, what just happened?¡±


    ¡°The area they were standing on was really and truly ¡®on top of the ice¡¯. A thick sheet of ice was covering the gap in a V-shaped stone cliff and nothing but a giant gap existed below. Thanks to the volcanic activity in this area, the space below had become something like a river. It was thick enough that a diesel snowmobile could have passed over without it budging, but it was not enough to withstand military explosives.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you were checking the map.¡±


    ¡°I can see why they won¡¯t send the Object out here.¡±


    Quenser looked into the depths of the ice cliff he had created. He could not see the bottom within the deep, deep darkness. If an Object broke through that ice, a crane that could lift 200,000 tons would be needed. And of course, humanity had no such thing.


    ¡°Come to think of it, you did mention performing experiments with breaking sheets of ice back in your safe country school.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing this rough,¡± said Quenser with a shrug. ¡°But aren¡¯t you glad I brought these explosives?¡±


    ¡°Either way, I still feel like strangling you.¡±


    Part 6


    Quenser and Heivia trudged on through the snowy plain.


    Before long, they arrived at their destination.


    The ring of soldiers surrounding the area had tightened in enough at that point that they could catch glimpses of their fellow soldiers approaching via different routes. When an ally waved at him from across the white landscape, Quenser waved back.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, it really is a relief to have so many familiar faces around.¡±


    ¡°You idiot! There are other ways of giving signals!! Waving your hand now is like using a smoke bomb to tell the enemy where we are!! We just killed some of them, so they¡¯re probably on high alert!!¡±


    The fellow soldier must have received a similar warning because he was struck over the head and dragged out of sight.


    Heivia trembled and his breath was white in the air as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of Antarctica. It¡¯s too damn cold!! I thought the southern hemisphere was supposed to be heading into summer!! I¡¯m having a hard time believing global warming is actually happening right now! It¡¯s plenty cold here!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only because you don¡¯t know the average temperature here. At the very least, I certainly wouldn¡¯t want to take a walk at night here.¡±


    As they muttered to each other, a transmission came in over the radio. It was from the princess as she waited at the Ross Sea in the Baby Magnum.


    ¡°With all the heat produced in this airtight area, I am roasting. I want this over with as soon as possible. Quenser, did you mess up the maintenance on the air conditioner?¡±


    ¡°Dammit, the princess¡¯s castle sounds as wonderful as ever.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, it is so hot. No one can see, so maybe I should strip off this special suit. I doubt I will have to deal with any high speed battles.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to raise our body temperatures through our imaginations?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    As Quenser frowned, Heivia seemed to have truly lost all motivation.


    ¡°I would like to again point out that this is crazy,¡± he groaned. ¡°We¡¯re soldiers that are meant to protect the area around a safe base. We aren¡¯t suited for special missions where we¡¯re sent out to attack a terrorist stronghold.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are there different kinds of foot soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. That isn¡¯t something I want to hear from someone on the front lines! At the very least, you should know that the jobs you should get are very different from the ones I should get!!¡±


    ¡°You seem pretty full of yourself, Heivia. I may just be a student, but the others are soldiers in the same base as you.¡±


    ¡°We may call them all soldiers, but we became soldiers in different ways. Some go to a military academy and others go through a short-term training course. Depending on what area of the military you want to go into, your route changes. Most of those in the base went through a yearlong training school. Not many went through the 6 month training course like I did.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the ones that trained for twice as long be stronger?¡±


    ¡°Quenser, do you think someone who sat in a desk for a year would be stronger than someone who crawled through the mud for 6 months? Also, most people have to repeat the short-term training course at least twice before passing. The ones like me who graduate in just the 6 months are quite rare.¡±


    ¡°Either way its something like an amusement park compared to back in my day when we had to run around with a rifle,¡± cut in Froleytia.


    Her phrasing made it sound like she was some old woman, but she was really only 18. Quenser had to wonder just how long she had been on the battlefield.


    ¡°By the way, why did you choose that muddy course, Heivia?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°Ahn?¡±


    It was either due to the sense of calm after ending one firefight and confirming no enemies nearby or due to their wanting to procrastinate having to head to the next battlefield, but Quenser and Heivia continued chatting.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a noble, right? Surely there¡¯s some special course for nobles. One where you get to be a 2nd lieutenant as soon as you graduate.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that would be the military academy. Even commoners can get into those. Once you get up to the generals, you find almost nothing but nobles, but a commoner can make it as far as brigadier general if they work hard.¡±


    ¡°So why are you at the very bottom as a private first class?¡±


    ¡°Various reasons. To have the rights to my family, I need to show off that I¡¯m actually fighting to defend a base and aiding the country rather than watching on from some grand post.¡±


    ¡°But you just laze around the base regardless,¡± added Froleytia.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t tell them that. It¡¯s all about appearances. Also, it¡¯s not like the actions of a single soldier on an Object-dominated battlefield is going to ¡®aid the country¡¯. I never expected to be kicked out into the middle of Antarctica like this.¡±


    ¡°Nobles sure have it tough. Whenever I hear about this kind of difficulty, it makes me glad I¡¯m a commoner,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°I¡¯d be more worried if I was a commoner. Even if the parliament has been opened up somewhat recently, nobles still have control of the center of government. Doesn¡¯t it worry you that you have so few opportunities to let your voice be heard by the government?¡±


    ¡°Politics is such a pain. As long as someone is taking care of it, I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    ¡°Really? I guess that¡¯s what they call the apathetic demographic.¡±


    As they continued to speak quietly to each other, they suddenly stopped walking.


    After a low hill was the base of Mount Erebus.


    Quenser and Heivia naturally hid atop the snow and viewed the area through binoculars and a rifle scope respectively.


    However, the base area was quite large. The snow being blown by the crosswind made the area hard to see. What they saw through their respective lenses was a sharp slope after a few kilometers of flat plain.


    Similar to a gate leading to a road up the mountain, a single rectangular building sat at the point between the plain and the slope. It must have been the Legitimacy Kingdom unmanned observatory. On the snowy plain near it, cylinders 80 cm thick and about 9 meters long lay on their sides. It was not just two or three of them. At set intervals, about 50 of them were placed such that they spread across a few kilometers.


    Quenser and Heivia looked puzzled.


    ¡°(Supposedly, the targeting laser for the surface-to-air missile that attacked the survey plane was around here.)¡±


    ¡°(Where are the rest of the terrorists? Don¡¯t tell me they couldn¡¯t stand the cold and left.)¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re keeping warm in the unmanned observatory, we can just attack them, but this could be a pain otherwise,¡± said their commander, Froleytia.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be ordered to search for these terrorists even if they might not be here anymore. We¡¯ll have to search for them in every nook and cranny of this freezing continent. Even if the terrorists are long gone from Antarctica, we might have to continue the search until we are absolutely sure.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Hey, Quenser, let¡¯s go check the unmanned observatory already. If we let them get away, we¡¯ll end up freezing to death. Hurry, hurry. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s hurry this up so we can get back to some warm blankets and heaters.¡±


    ¡°No, Heivia. Rushing like that will get you shot in the head.¡±


    As they argued in hushed voices, Quenser and Heivia crawled slowly along the snowy plain. They caught occasional glimpses of others moving along in the same way. They were other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers and their reactions had been about the same. They wanted to get the job over with, but they were also wondering what those huge cylinders were.


    As if to say what they were all thinking, Heivia said, ¡°In this age where 50 meter Objects fight, flesh and blood soldiers running around shooting each other with guns is utter nonsense. Whatever strategy our enemy might have, they can¡¯t win with the princess¡¯s Object waiting in the Ross Sea. Really, they should just give up. Dying for something like this is just stupid.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. I¡¯ve been wondering about something,¡± said Quenser as he looked around while still lying on his belly. They had crawled about a kilometer through the snow at that point. ¡°What are those weird cylinders lying around the unmanned observatory?¡±


    ¡°Ahn? Aren¡¯t they just antennae used for the observatory? They¡¯re probably put down like that because of the strong crosswind,¡± said Heivia offhandedly, but he really had no confidence in his answer.


    And then Quenser got his answer from a different source.


    The 80 cm thick, 9 meter long cylinders all moved as one, centered on a single point.


    A giant gun battery supported by a platform with a low center of gravity had suddenly turned its sights in Quenser and Heivia¡¯s direction.


    ¡°...Hah?¡±


    In that instant, Quenser and Heivia were unable to move their bodies as they wished. Even as they stared blankly, they were able to comprehend what the scene before them meant.


    They had seen that scene before.


    They knew what it was that was targeting them.


    It was...


    The spares for the giant cannons created to be put on a giant Object.


    The 50 cannons that were lined up at even intervals all aimed at the snowy plain where Quenser and the other soldiers were.


    ¡°Oooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia realized what was happening, they shouted, and they rolled across the snowy plain as quickly as they could.


    Immediately afterwards, the cannons roared.


    It seemed the ones installed there were railguns.


    Countless shockwaves erupted out and Quenser¡¯s body floated up into the air. A few seconds later, he was slammed back down into the cold snow and started rolling but this time not because he wanted to. The cannons had not directly hit him. If any of them had, his body would have been blown to pieces. His puny body had merely been struck by the shockwaves created when they were fired.


    However, it had been enough to stop his breathing.


    ¡°Gh...bh!?¡±


    He bent his back like a bow and somehow managed to suck in some air. It was likely due to the cold freezing over the moving parts of the cannons that he had not been directly hit. However, the heat caused by the motors would soon eliminate that. Miracles like that would not continue forever.


    (I¡¯ll be killed!?)


    Standing up would just get him shot, but that flat plain had no real place to hide either. The enemy had lured them out there for that very reason.


    (Dammit. Why do they have railguns prepared!? They used an old fashioned surface-to-air missile when they targeted the Legitimacy Kingdom plane!!)


    Quenser had no idea what to do.


    As he panicked, he heard Heivia¡¯s voice call out to him.


    ¡°Quenser!! Get down here!!¡±


    He did not know what that meant, but figured it out once he looked around the area. The first wave of shockwaves had opened a huge crack in the earth. It was over a meter across. Heivia had climbed down into that naturally occurring trench and was sticking his head out to shout.


    Quenser rolled across the snowy plain and entered the crack that passed nearby.


    Just as he fell inside, the railguns began their second wave.


    The after-effects alone created a noise like an aerial bombing and all oxygen was squeezed from Quenser¡¯s lungs even inside that crack.


    Heivia noticed and ran over to him.


    ¡°Damn, this is no joke. Those terrorists have prepared a ton of Object spares. Was this supposed to be like an anti-tank position from wars in the old days!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°We had boring lectures on various forms of classic warfare during the history lessons in training. Battle positions where they would lure in enemies and bombard them from both sides were used in wars in the old days. Back then, they used anti-tank guns, but they sure have changed that. Shit!! Isn¡¯t this a bit much for foot soldiers!?¡±


    Quenser wondered how many of their allies had crawled into cracks as well. He hoped all of them had gotten into some crack or another, as any that hadn¡¯t had likely been killed.


    Heivia leaned up against the wall of the crack and asked, ¡°Do you know what the worst thing about this is, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°That those Object cannons can fire in any direction despite being spares?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Heivia with his brow covered in sweat. ¡°If they¡¯re using Object cannons, they must have a reactor capable of powering them.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean...¡±


    ¡°Like hell these are terrorists!! They have an Object!! They have one hidden somewhere and have some thick power cable connecting to these railguns. Even if we escape here, we might find an Object waiting for us!!¡±


    Hearing confirmation from someone else sent a chill down Quenser¡¯s spine.


    The giant weapons known as Objects had thick armor on the level of a nuclear shelter and reactors with outputs that outdid even nuclear reactors. And they used that great electrical output to create a storm of lasers or low-stability plasma cannons. Only another Object could stand up to that. No matter how much a flesh and blood soldier struggled, it was exceedingly difficult to do any damage to one.


    However...


    ¡°Heivia. Sorry, but we don¡¯t have time to discuss what to do next.¡±


    ¡°Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Look down!! The shockwaves are spreading the crack! At this rate, we¡¯ll fall down so far we can never crawl back out again!!¡±


    Heivia looked down toward his boots in shock. The crack was indeed widening, and quickly. However, carelessly crawling out would only have them fall victim to the countless railguns. They were damned if they did and damned if they didn¡¯t. If they did not resolve the problem quickly, they would be killed.


    ¡°What do we do, Quenser? Those cannons are giant lumps of steel. A rifle isn¡¯t enough to destroy them!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I don¡¯t have enough Hand Axe to blow up each and every one of those things. Not to mention that I can¡¯t think of any safe way of approaching them.¡±


    ¡°Can we break the ice beneath them like with those terrorists?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, they¡¯re on top of ground with proper bedrock. And even if we could, we would be caught up in the middle of it all as well.¡±


    Having said that, Quenser altered the frequency of his radio.


    He was contacting the princess who was waiting in the Object floating in the nearby Ross Sea.


    ¡°Calling Baby Magnum. Do you have our position? Can you take out some of the cannons from there?¡±


    ¡°The mountain is in the way, so I cannot target them directly. I could fire a coilgun in a large arc to avoid that, though.¡±


    ¡°What would your accuracy be?¡±


    ¡°About 50/50. I could blow them all away with a carpet bombing, but that would blow you away too.¡±


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s main cannons were intended to directly fire on enemy Objects rather than fire in long distance arcs. With the irregular winds at high altitudes, pinpoint accuracy would be very difficult.


    Meanwhile, the railguns¡¯ third and fourth waves shook the ground beneath Quenser and Heivia¡¯s feet. The enemy likely knew they were hiding in the cracks and were trying to bomb them out.


    Quenser grimaced as the vibrations hurt his eardrums, but then he suddenly raised his head.


    ¡°Baby Magnum! Even if you can¡¯t target accurately, you can still reach this area, right!?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. I can do that, but...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you instructions on the grid!! Using Coordinate 000212 as the standard, target W-11, J-18, G-26, M-19, L-27, B-20, and R-12!! Even with the wind, that should avoid any allies with a margin of error of plus or minus 5! Send those huge coilgun shells raining down right away!!¡±


    ¡°I do not think that will hit the enemy either.¡±


    ¡°Just do it!! That will solve everything!!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    The princess still had no idea what he was after, but she seemed to realize it was an emergency situation where every second mattered. Even without an explanation, she followed those instructions.


    A different loud noise from before reverberated throughout the area. Due to being between two mountain-like walls, it sounded a bit muffled to them.


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s coilguns were supposed to be fired at a speed much faster than the speed of sound, but these were being fired at a lower speed (and therefore lower power) so they could fall in an arc on a specific point. For once, the sound arrived before the shells.


    However, it was no time to be impressed by something like that.


    Quenser grabbed the edge of the crack with both hands and shouted to his fellow soldiers through the radio as he dangled down.


    ¡°Hang on!! The cracks are probably about to widen and collapse!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, what was the point of this!?¡±


    Heivia did as instructed while utterly bewildered, but there was no time to explain.


    The coilgun shells rained down from above.


    The masses of steel mercilessly stabbed into the bedrock and shook the ground like an earthquake.


    The shells weighed easily a ton and were just under a meter across. They were falling down from a height of 3800 meters, so they naturally had an unbelievable amount of kinetic energy.


    With an explosive noise, snow and bits of ice were blown up into the air and poured down into the cracks like an avalanche. Quenser had been holding on tight, but his hands still almost slipped from the edge of the crack. However, he could no longer feel anything at his feet. The shock of impact had widened the cracks and the ground he had been standing on had disappeared. The very bedrock of Antarctica had split like broken glass.


    ¡°Shit!! Whether they¡¯re from an enemy or an ally, Object cannons are insane!! You could probably see this crater from a satellite!¡± spat out Heivia as he desperately got his legs up on the edge of the crack and crawled out. ¡°Hey, Quenser. I don¡¯t like what your request did! Honestly, I can only hope the shockwave was enough to knock over those-...¡±


    He suddenly trailed off.


    He had seen it.


    Giant shells that weighed in the tons had rained down from high altitude. The shells had cracked the bedrock of Antarctica, a great shockwave had blown out, and an avalanche had even occurred on the distant mountain.


    However, the 50 cannons had not been directly hit.


    They were covered in quite a bit of snow and pieces of ice, but it did not seem enough to keep them from functioning.


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s throat dried up. Crawling up from the crack would result in nothing but getting them blown to pieces. However, they could not hide within the crack because the bombardment had widened it and turned the ground within into a cliff.


    Quenser then climbed out from the crack and shouted, ¡°Just climb up!!¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re saying!?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll die!!¡±


    Quenser climbed fully above ground as he shouted what sounded like nonsense. He then used his radio to tell his other allies the same thing. Heivia was unsure what to do, but the wall of the crack that had become a cliff had no protrusions to put his feet on. If he lost strength in his fingers, he would certainly die. He decided to crawl up before he lost the upper body strength to do so and climbed up to the surface half out of desperation.


    Of course, the countless railguns then targeted them.


    They were not something a flesh and blood human could avoid.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Knowing it was useless, Heivia brought up his rifle.


    But then Quenser said, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Heivia wanted to reply, ¡°How is this even slightly okay?¡±, but the enemy made their move first.


    The tremendous sound of the railguns being fired struck Heivia¡¯s eardrums and squeezed at his heart.


    A single shot from one of those could bend an Aegis ship in two.


    Heivia almost squeezed his eyes shut, but the result came even before that reflex could kick in.


    ¡°...Hah?¡±


    Heivia stared blankly at the scene before him.


    He had indeed felt pain.


    However, that had merely been from the shockwave. If a shell had hit him, he would have died instantly.


    The railguns fired in their direction had not hit them. Instead, they had flown off in a completely different direction. And that was not all. Some of the cannons had lost to the recoil and rolled backwards, others had fallen over, and some had even launched backwards like rockets. The collection of railguns had collapsed like an incomplete layout of dominos.


    Heivia¡¯s head was filled with questions.


    ¡°Wh-what? What just happened?¡±


    ¡°I made sure the anchors stabbed into the ground to support the railguns aren¡¯t working anymore.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Specifically, it was the bedrock itself that was destroyed rather than the anchors.¡± Quenser got up from his lying down position. ¡°The railguns and lasers used for Objects are designed to be installed on those 200,000 ton bodies. When they¡¯re fired, the shockwave and radiant heat is scattered about. They aren¡¯t used to directly defend bases because, with them, allied attacks are just as dangerous as enemy attacks.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with this?¡±


    ¡°When placed on the ground, the power of these things is so great that the shockwave will knock over the railgun itself. They had to have planted anchors that go over 10 meters down into the ground to ensure they don¡¯t collapse. But...¡±


    ¡°The princess¡¯s bombardment broke the bedrock itself...¡±


    ¡°The anchors are no longer functioning. The first shot didn¡¯t hit either because it caused the cannons to tilt. After that, it was like having a child shoot a magnum one-handed. They took themselves out. While avoiding the line of fire of the collapsed cannons, we need to go sever that power cable. Some of them might still be functioning.¡±


    ¡°Then we just have to find the people who were controlling them.¡±


    ¡°I think I have an idea regarding that.¡±


    Quenser used his chin to point toward the Legitimacy Kingdom unmanned observatory where things were getting rather lively. Apparently, the enemy had been remotely controlling the cannons while taking advantage of the heat there. Their last resort had now been utterly destroyed, so they were naturally panicking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a better position before they start returning fire,¡± said Quenser as he tapped Heivia on the shoulder. ¡°Once a real firefight breaks out, I won¡¯t be of any use, so you take the lead, Heivia.¡±


    Part 7


    After silencing the countless cannons, Quenser and Heivia joined with the other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. They had lost fewer allies than they had expected.


    And the flow of battle afterwards was as clear as day.


    The terrorists in the unmanned observatory were eliminated without much trouble. It seemed the anti-tank position using the spare Object cannons had been their primary focus and they had not given much thought to the possibility of an enemy making it past them. The terrorists were low in number, so they had little chance of winning in a straight fight. That may have been why they had relied so heavily on the remotely controlled cannons.


    They also found the missile launcher thought to have targeted the Legitimacy Kingdom survey plane. The launcher itself was located atop an armored vehicle. Eight missiles were loaded atop a swiveling turret. Four firing tubes created a set and two such sets were lined up next to each other.


    The missile launcher itself used a laser sight, but a separate specialized radar vehicle had been prepared. However, the angle at which the radar vehicle was set was odd. Most likely, the anti-aircraft setting had been forcibly altered to search for Quenser and the others on the ground.


    ¡°We ended up killing them all, so we still don¡¯t know what they were after. I can already see Froleytia¡¯s displeased expression,¡± said Heivia in annoyance.


    In a situation where great damage could occur to either enemy or ally, capturing the enemy alive was exceedingly difficult. If the enemy soldiers managed to make preparations while they waited around, they would be in trouble. As such, Heivia and the others used their firearms to their fullest and ended up killing every single one of the enemy soldiers.


    ¡°Now we don¡¯t even know if this was all of them or if there are more hiding somewhere else. Are we going to end up shivering in the cold as we search this white continent even though we won?¡±


    ¡°Mount Erebus is an active volcano, so this area seems to be warm like the area we disembarked at.¡±


    Quenser pointed down at their feet. Instead of the white of snow and ice was hard, black rock.


    Heivia looked at the white steam rising from the rock and said, ¡°Dammit. This is no situation to be searching in. No matter how hard we work, our pay is the same. We took out the terrorist¡¯s scouts and silenced their anti-tank position. Wouldn¡¯t you say we¡¯ve already done more than our fair share of work? It would be rude to steal the rest of the credit from the others.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re giving up already? Froleytia will give you an earful.¡±


    ¡°Look down, Quenser. That¡¯s a hot spring. And it¡¯s at a perfect 40 degrees. I¡¯m not about to leap in naked, but I don¡¯t see what¡¯s wrong with taking off my boots and socks and soaking my feet.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, I don¡¯t want to search through this white continent any more than you do. This has nothing to do with studying Object designs.¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom forces were searching the area around the unmanned observatory. The existence of an Object that was powering the anti-tank position was still a mystery, but those two idiots no longer cared. They stuck their feet in the pool of hot water that was about a meter across and 30 cm deep, sat on the rock, and let a completely laidback mood overcome them.


    ¡°By the way, why did the terrorists use a surface-to-air missile?¡±


    ¡°Ahn? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°They were using all those spare Object weapons, right? Couldn¡¯t they have used them to shoot down the plane? And if they really have an Object that was powering those spares...¡±


    ¡°How should I know? They used that anti-tank position as a surprise attack, so maybe they purposefully used a worse weapon to keep us from knowing about their better weapons.¡±


    ¡°And how is this supposed Object not showing up on the princess¡¯s radar? Objects are 50 meter monsters. It would be difficult to hide one.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. I highly doubt it, but we don¡¯t have some Stealth Object on our hands here, do we?¡±


    ¡°Wow, that would suck. But how much would it cost to add advanced stealth functionality to something that big? And on top of the development costs, they would have to spend money like water on the maintenance.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d have to ask the enemy about all that. All these 2nd generation designs just go to the extreme in some way or another. Of course, that¡¯s only if this Stealth Object actually exists.¡±


    They could not ask the enemy and they did not even know what the terrorists¡¯ objective had been. What had they come to Antarctica to do?


    ¡°Well, that isn¡¯t our job. Our huge-breasted commander can worry about that kind of thing,¡± said Heivia offhandedly. His entire body was relaxed as he absorbed the heat of the water through his soaking feet and the heat of the steam through the rest of his body. ¡°Dahh...This feels so good that I¡¯m about to fall asleep...¡±


    ¡°Hey, please let me tell you you¡¯ll die if you fall asleep. I¡¯ve been wanting to.¡±


    Quenser did not intend to keep thinking about things unrelated to Object designs either. He turned his head around as he enjoyed the heat of the water on his feet.


    And then he noticed a silver mass.


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser stopped moving and looked back that way again.


    It was in the middle of the blizzard blowing in the crosswind. About 50 meters away was a rock about as tall as a person. Some large mass was half-hidden behind it. It seemed to be in the spot that protected it from the blizzard the best.


    ¡°Oh, I wish I hadn¡¯t spotted that.¡±


    ¡°Why are you finding things, you idiot!? Now we have to actually do some work!!¡±


    ¡°I wish all the trouble was occurring on the opposite side of the globe.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in Antarctica, so the opposite side of the globe would actually put the safe country in danger.¡±


    Utterly annoyed at the turn of events, Quenser and Heivia pulled their feet from the hot water, and properly wiped the moisture from them before putting on their socks and boots.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. There¡¯s quite a bit of what looks like white steam rising from the other side. Is this really okay?¡±


    ¡°If we deal with this problem, we can get back to relaxing all the sooner. Think of it like that to work up some motivation.¡±


    They muttered to each other as they headed for the large mass behind the rock.


    It was a square box about 80 cm across.


    ...Or so it looked at first. It actually had crab-like mechanical legs attached to either side. It was a robot. Upon closer inspection, cameras and sensors could be seen attached to the top of the box. The metal cover had been removed and a waterproofed laptop was attached by cable.


    Heivia frowned.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°An observation robot. I remember making one of these back in my safe country school to learn about the fundamental structure of Objects or something like that,¡± said Quenser with great interest as he approached it and viewed it from various angles. ¡°It looks like a robot used to get information from areas like the crater of an active volcano that a human can¡¯t go to.¡±


    ¡°Developing UAVs and unmanned weapons has gotten pretty popular even in the military, but would they really leave their survey work to a handmade robot like this?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s needed for something like this is a lot less than the robots sent to Mars. Also, it¡¯s easier to make a robot to enter a high temperature volcanic crater than a suit to do the same,¡± readily replied Quenser. ¡°Since it also has to withstand the cold of Antarctica, it must be designed for both extremes. It has a parabolic antenna, so it¡¯s probably radio controlled and sends the data it receives back to a laboratory or research boat via satellite.¡±


    ¡°I see. But that isn¡¯t what bothered me.¡± Heivia circled around behind the robot and pointed at a certain spot. ¡°The cover has been removed and a strange computer is attached by a cable.¡±


    ¡°Hm, it does have proper external connecters. I don¡¯t see why the person who put together the robot would go out of their way to remove the cover to connect a computer.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean someone other than its designer forcibly connected it?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    This may have been the terrorist¡¯s objective.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Can you tell anything from the computer¡¯s display?¡±


    ¡°Should we even be touching it?¡±


    ¡°What, do you want to ask Froleytia what to do? I don¡¯t want to be like a newlywed wife attending a cooking class. Y¡¯know, the ones that call the teacher over even if they¡¯re just putting some oil in the frying pan.¡±


    ¡°Well, if anything goes wrong, you¡¯ll be the one getting the lecture, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. Dammit, Quenser. Are we a young wife who doesn¡¯t even know how to put on an apron?¡±


    With how quickly his response came, Heivia must have truly been afraid of that commander.


    Quenser set the frequency on his radio and concisely explained the situation regarding the Antarctic probe robot and the laptop.


    Froleytia¡¯s answer was clear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send the staff from the electronic simulation division there. Don¡¯t touch anything until they arrive.¡±


    ¡°Keh. So once again, our achievement is being taken by someone else,¡± said Heivia with a displeased look.


    However, from his complaining not too long before, it was possible he was upset about having to wait around in the middle of Antarctica rather than about their ¡°achievement¡±.


    As Heivia emitted an aura of wanting to hurry up and leave, Froleytia spoke in a light tone lacking any worry.


    ¡°Oh, did you not think that some empty space in the robot could have been filled with plastic explosives? If you make a mistake, it could explode.¡±


    ¡°I want to leave!! I want to leave right now!!¡± shouted Heivia with tears in his eyes, but Froleytia indifferently ordered them to stay and ended the transmission.


    Quenser and Heivia were left to nervously stare at the robot.


    They both naturally distanced themselves from it bit by bit.


    But...


    ¡°...Huh?¡±


    ¡°Hey, is it just me, or did it just start doing something?¡±


    The two of them suddenly stopped moving.


    Their eyes moved toward the laptop connected to the robot.


    Specifically, to its screen.


    New windows had started to appear at an alarming rate.


    Heivia¡¯s desire to flee was growing by the second.


    ¡°Did this just get very, very bad?¡±


    ¡°This goes beyond bad...¡±


    Quenser was following the lines of text in the windows with a serious expression on his face. Unlike Heivia, he rushed over to the waterproofed laptop. He frantically brought his fingers to the keyboard.


    He opened various windows himself and checked what they said.


    ¡°This probe robot is controlled from a remote laboratory via satellite and its data is sent back via the same route. It looks like something is interfering with the communications line that goes through the satellite.¡±


    ¡°You mean they¡¯re stealing classified data through here?¡±


    ¡°No, not that! Shit!!¡± Quenser suddenly shouted as he stared at the windows. ¡°They¡¯re after the satellite!! The satellite it uses for communications is also equipped with various devices used for experiments in space. One of those experiments involves burning the surfaces of nearby asteroids with a laser and analyzing the data taken of the light emitted. The entire system for that experiment has been taken over!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Quenser, but you¡¯re going to need to explain that in a way I can understand.¡±


    ¡°Simply put, they¡¯ve hacked in so they can freely target whatever they want with an experimental laser!! It¡¯s powerful enough to burn through a 30 mm metal plate!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!! They can do that? I thought satellite¡¯s had strict security!!¡±


    ¡°They can. This isn¡¯t a satellite made for national projects that was built using a massive budget. This is a small, cheap satellite made with personal funds at a university. The system it uses is only a slightly improved version of a commercial OS with some freeware added on. And that goes for the security as well!!¡±


    ¡°But this is a laser that burns the surface of asteroids in space. Even if it targets the earth, wouldn¡¯t the atmosphere attenuate it and the ozone layer refract it before it reached a building or the surface?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but only if its target is the earth,¡± said Quenser as he pointed at the screen. ¡°The terrorists are targeting an area on the moon¡¯s surface filled with a special grade of villas.¡±


    ¡°The moon!?¡± shouted Heivia in a hysterical voice.


    Quenser pointed at the data on the satellite laser¡¯s targeting angle displayed on the monitor. It was clearly in the opposite direction of the earth¡¯s atmosphere. It was targeting a different celestial body.


    ¡°The moon...? You shouldn¡¯t joke like that, Quenser. This is a good opportunity to tell you there are some things you really shouldn¡¯t joke about.¡±


    ¡°Stop denying reality! The satellite laser really is targeting the moon right this instant!! Specifically, it¡¯s targeting the Blind Net set up as a terraforming experiment on the moon¡¯s surface!!¡±


    ¡°? The Blind Net? That¡¯s the thing known as an optical second atmosphere, right? They make two ridiculously huge hemisphere-shaped net-like structures out of semitransparent wires made of variable photonic crystal, one larger than the other, and use them to freely regulate the amount of sunlight that reaches the surface, right? I remember hearing a rumor that it would be used in the ReTerra Project to combat global warming.¡±


    ¡°The moon does not have a thick atmosphere like the earth, so there is no protection from the effects of sunlight! In a single day, it varies from freezing temperatures of dozens of degrees below zero to blazing temperatures of a few hundred degrees!! Do you have any idea what will happen if the terrorists use the laser to destroy the Blind Net!?¡±


    Humanity had continued its development of the moon, but it still did not have an atmosphere like the earth¡¯s. The villas were solid buildings surrounded by thick walls. Even so, the buildings had been built on the assumption that the Blind Net would be protecting them. They were not made to withstand the extreme extraterrestrial environment.


    ¡°Without the Blind Net, the buildings will receive those extreme variations in temperature. Who knows what this will do to those villas! And even a crack of a few millimeters is enough to leave the people inside to a death in the hell of a vacuum!!¡±


    The radiation coming from the sun was another problem. The giant net-like Blind Net also polarized the radiation pouring down on the moon¡¯s surface.


    Sounding fed up with it all, Heivia shouted, ¡°What the hell!? This the first large-scale attack on the moon in the history of mankind, isn¡¯t it!? I think that has more to do with no one ever thinking about doing it than us not having a way, though!!¡±


    ¡°The plan is underway as we speak. We need to do something about the satellite and quickly!!¡±


    The terrorists that had been in the unmanned observatory may have been planning to buy enough time for the attack on the moon to end before they fled. It had not been found yet, but there may have been a boat hidden somewhere which would have allowed them to get away.


    ¡°Not good!! From the orbit of the satellite, the direction the moon is facing, and their position related to the sun, we can tell about where the hole is going to be opened up. If we don¡¯t get the celebs in that general area to evacuate, this will leave a really bad taste in my mouth!!¡±


    ¡°On our authority!? Can you give orders to people rich enough to have villas on the moon!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know. When in doubt, contact your commander. We need to get Froleytia¡¯s help!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia went to their radio for further instructions.


    Froleytia responded with a voice filled anger that seemed to blaze hotter than the flames of hell.


    ¡°I thought I told you not to touch anything until the electronic simulation division arrived...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. But this is hardly the time!!¡±


    ¡°You have guts to give an order of precedence to your commander¡¯s orders, Quenser. But...villas on the moon, you say?¡±


    Her tone was meditative, but a hint of impatience could be heard mixed in.


    ¡°Wait just a second,¡± Froleytia said and ended the transmission.


    After a few minutes, she contacted them again and calm had returned to her voice. She may have had the electronic simulation division make some predictions for her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start with the conclusion: we don¡¯t need to worry about the satellite. We have estimated the target of the laser, but the general area targeted by the hole in the Blind Net is called Rock Castle. An interesting VIP happens to be there.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°A major general of the Capitalist Corporations, one of the world powers on par with the Legitimacy Kingdom. The Legitimacy Kingdom has tried to assassinate him a few times, but failed. If the terrorists are going to kill him, that actually solves a problem for us. The higher ups are of the opinion that we should let them do this. I agree. If the alternative is to have my subordinates killed on an assassination mission, I would rather turn a blind eye here.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance. They began to feel foolish for having been so worried before. It would of course have been bad had there been Capitalist Corporations civilians in the villa, but they had no obligation to save the life of someone who gave orders to kill people and watched on from above.


    ¡°Anyway, you do not need to do anything regarding the satellite. You did touch the computer connected to the probe robot, though. Well, we can send it to the intelligence department afterwards and have them make it look like it naturally failed due to the extreme environment, so that won¡¯t be a problem. If you understand, head back immediately.¡±


    Having said that, Froleytia ended the transmission.


    Heivia limply sat down on top of the ice.


    ¡°Sigh... I feel like all my energy is gone all of a sudden. What were we fighting for this whole time? How are the ones who fell prey to that anti-tank position supposed to rest in peace now?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser gave no response to Heivia¡¯s offhand comment.


    He seemed to be thinking about something.


    ¡°Hey? C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get going. Or are you still worried about what happened to that baby penguin from before?¡±


    ¡°Heivia, can I ask you something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Before we came to Antarctica, you had that video chat in the maintenance base¡¯s ammunition storage, right? Y¡¯know, the one with that blonde girl in a dress from the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s something-or-other family.¡± Quenser chose his words carefully as he spoke. ¡°Do you remember when she said where she was going? Something about the place farthest in the world from this planet¡¯s wars, right?¡±


    ¡°...Wait a second. Wait just a second!¡±


    ¡°I think she also mentioned the colors of national flags being irrelevant. That means it has to be somewhere outside the boundaries of any of the world powers.¡±


    There were of course a few general areas that could be.


    For example, international waters, the area 200 nautical miles from land. Or Antarctica where Quenser and Heivia currently were. There were a few different paradises that belonged to no one, but one of those was...


    ¡°H-Heivia. We don¡¯t know this for sure. In fact, odds are good we¡¯re worrying over nothing here, but can you at least contact her over the internet?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. We have no proof. Wait, can we even use the internet here?¡±


    Due to the flood of research stations from different world powers, the internet was surprisingly easy to come by on Antarctica and the Legitimacy Kingdom had the assault landing aircraft carrier waiting in the ocean.


    Heivia pulled out his handheld device and switched on the wireless LAN.


    ¡°Quenser, we¡¯re cut off from external access during missions, but can you hack your way through that?¡±


    ¡°If I could do that, I wouldn¡¯t be here as a battlefield student. But the special access for that girl might still be active. If it is, you might at least be able to connect to her.¡±


    ¡°Oh! It worked, it worked! But I have a feeling it¡¯s only a matter of time before Froleytia notices and gets really pissed!!¡±


    After some simple operations, Heivia had connected to a familiar girl who was in an unknown location.


    His first question was, ¡°Where are you right now?¡±


    It was a simple question and it received a simple reply.


    ¡°That should be obvious. I am in a villa on the moon named Rock Castle.¡±


    Immediately afterwards, the son of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s well-known noble Winchell family, Heivia, let out a yell with the veins in his temple bulging out.


    ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkk!!¡±


    ¡°Th-that is quite the straightforward proposal! I-I do not particularly mind such proposals however,¡± said the girl.


    Quenser almost cried out, ¡°You don¡¯t mind!?¡±, but he stopped himself at the last second because he did not want to anger the daughter of a noble family.


    Heivia and Quenser started a whispered emergency strategy meeting so the young lady could not hear.


    ¡°(So what is going on, Quenser? Do the higher ups want to kill this Capitalist Corporations major general badly enough to kill the only daughter of a noble family in the process!?)¡±


    ¡°(If her family is influential and does not view the Capitalist Corporations as an enemy even while we are at war with them, some of the military higher ups may want to get rid of them. But I doubt Froleytia knows there are civilians there. If she did, she would not have given the order so calmly.)¡±


    ¡°(Either way, the result is the same. With a military order, we cannot mess with the satellite without being penalized. But if we do nothing...!!)¡±


    ¡°What are you two whispering about?¡±


    Her voice made them both jump.


    Quenser jabbed Heivia in the arm with his elbow.


    ¡°(Heivia. Hey, Heivia.)¡±


    ¡°(What is it!? This is kind of an emergency!!)¡±


    ¡°(We can say your hand slipped. Do it, do it!!)¡±


    ¡°Bfh!?¡± Heivia spat out in shock. ¡°(Do you have any idea what you¡¯re saying!? If we did that, you would be penalized along with me!)¡±


    ¡°(Hurry! The laser will fire in another 30 seconds!!)¡±


    ¡°(Fine, I¡¯ll do it!! But I don¡¯t want to hear you complaining afterwards!!)¡±


    Heivia took a deep breath to focus himself and then turned toward the laptop connected to the probe robot.


    ¡°Whoops! My hand slipped!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, you idiot! That¡¯s the wrong way!!¡±


    As they shouted at each other, they both turned toward the computer and desperately altered the satellite¡¯s orbit.


    ¡°Just what have you two been doing? It is rather disturbing.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re playing the role of hero together!! And preparing ourselves for a rather unexciting danger to our lives to come!!¡±


    Part 8


    It went well beyond the level of whether she was mad or not.


    Quenser and Heivia had been called to the officer¡¯s room in the assault landing aircraft carrier being used as a sea headquarters. What they found waiting for them there was Froleytia¡¯s raging lecture special. It was exactly what they expected, but on a much greater scale. Quenser could not help but wonder when the Japanese shuriken decorating her desk would come flying his way.


    After the long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long string of abuse had ended, over 120 minutes had passed. Froleytia herself must have realized how long she had been speaking because she took a cough drop before speaking again.


    ¡°Well, you are lucky this was an unofficial additional mission. Since this operation was never supposed to exist in the first place, they cannot publicly make you take responsibility. Otherwise, you would be behind bars right now.¡±


    ¡°Sigh... Yeah...¡±


    ¡°...Dammit. I fight to save the heroine, and all I get is a lecture.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia¡¯s faces looked like the plastic bag after all the cream had been squeezed from it.


    With the cough drop melting on her tongue, Froleytia asked, ¡°So how did the lady in question react?¡±


    ¡°You should ask Heivia about that, not me.¡±


    Quenser passed the question along to Heivia. Heivia looked uncomfortable, but he had to answer without averting his gaze since his commanding officer had asked the question.


    ¡°She seemed really happy.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Froleytia¡¯s expression had been one of anger for the past two hours, but now it changed.


    With a bitter smile, the two boys¡¯ commander said, ¡°Then I guess I do not need to ask anything else.¡±


    Part 9


    With his job complete, Heivia left Froleytia¡¯s officer room and parted ways with Quenser. That constant companion of his was a student after all. He had not undergone the training of a soldier, so he was too tired to do anything else after moving around at the same pace as Heivia.


    Also, Heivia wanted to be alone for a bit.


    The bedrooms were four to a room, so he could not head there. In the end, he opened a hatch on the ship sailing near Antarctica and stepped out onto the cold deck.


    He used his handheld device to begin a video chat over the internet.


    He was calling the daughter of the Vanderbilt family who was on that moon villa.


    Froleytia surely knew that special access was still valid by that point. That she had not yet ended it may have been her way of showing discretion.


    Most likely, the special access would end after this final call.


    That was why he was going to say everything he wanted to while he could.


    ¡°Have you calmed down a bit now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Y-yes. You cannot blame me though. Anyone would have panicked if they heard the villa on the moon they are in is being targeted by terrorists.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Heivia with a bitter smile.


    He had once again ended up distancing himself from the valiant deeds he needed to inherit his family. However, Heivia did not regret it. If he had lost her there, those deeds would have been meaningless.


    ¡°Why?¡± the girl suddenly asked. ¡°I understand that inheriting the Winchell family is no ordinary matter. Even more so given the fact that the others in your family have reason to shun you. But still...¡±


    ¡°Are you saying the things I am doing are too dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Today, I saw a glimpse of what you are doing. I thought the right to your inheritance would come after three years spent in a safe base, but this is completely different. If you keep doing things like this, something bad will eventually happen. And...if you gave up on you-know-what, you could inherit the Winchell family at any time without having to deal with all this. So...why?¡±


    The others in your family have reason to shun you.


    If you gave up on you-know-what...


    Hearing that, Heivia narrowed his eyes slightly. The look on his face was more serious than any he had ever let Quenser, Froleytia, or the Baby Magnum princess see.


    ¡°Listen. My Winchell family and your Vanderbilt family are so hostile to each other that they wish for each other to be destroyed. You understand that, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes...¡±


    ¡°Yet neither you nor I wish to be pushed around by that ridiculous feud. You still feel that way, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But...but...!!¡±


    ¡°That is all I need to know.¡± Heivia smiled. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll end up like something from a Shakespearian tragedy. However, I have no intention of letting things end like that. I will continue struggling until I have snatched the right to inherit my family from those who would take it from me. Once I do, I can silence everyone in my family and bring an end to this ridiculous feud.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So you wait there. I will make sure I have the right to what is mine. Why do you think I refused to go to a military academy and resigned myself to start as a private first class? It was so I could do what I must do.¡±


    Heivia Winchell.


    As he spoke of his goals through that video chat, he made one more silent decision that he neither spoke nor let show on his face.


    ...And I will even fight Objects to accomplish this if necessary.


    Part 10


    The princess, the pilot elite of the Baby Magnum Object, stared at one of the monitors in the cockpit.


    She was in the Ross Sea just off the coast near Mount Erebus, which had been a battlefield not too long ago.


    A few motorboats were stopped there. They likely belonged to the terrorists. They may have been planning to use them to escape to Oceania or wherever once the attack on the moon using the probe robot was over.


    However, that was not the issue.


    On the ocean surface right next to the motorboats was a bundle of a few dozen thick power cables. They were the ones used to power the spare Object cannons used in the anti-tank position.


    Normally, they would be connected to an Object, but there was no sign of one.


    The princess checked her Object¡¯s radar, but she could not find anything large enough to be one.


    She thought for a bit and then gave a frank report.


    She was speaking to Froleytia who had command of the area.


    ¡°As expected, I could not find the reactor used. It is unknown how it was transported in secret. It is possible it was an Object that can dive underwater.¡±


    ¡°I would think a 50 meter spherical mass under the water would cause enough of a disturbance in the currents to pick up on sonar.¡±


    ¡°Then it may have stealth functionality.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling something that large would be visible with the naked eye even if it did not show up on radar. Well, if we couldn¡¯t find it, we couldn¡¯t find it. And we have a good lead as to who these terrorists were from a different route.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°From those railguns used in that anti-tank position, from the low resistance cables used to power them, and from the surface-to-air missile unit that locked onto the survey plane. All the enemy soldiers may be dead, but there are several things leftover that can provide hints. From what those show us, the power behind this is likely...¡±


    Froleytia trailed off.


    It may have been because she had no real proof.


    Or perhaps she did but was still reluctant to say it.


    Whatever the reason, she finally finished.


    ¡°The Mass Driver conglomerate, an extremely large organization within the world power of the Capitalist Corporations.¡±

 Volume 2, 3: In a Cavalry Battle, Destroy Your Opponent’s Footing >> Total War in Amazon City

    Volume 2, Chapter 3: In a Cavalry Battle, Destroy Your Opponent¡¯s Footing >> Total War in Amazon City


    Part 1


    Seven or eight assault landing aircraft carriers were travelling north through the Atlantic Ocean centered on the flagship Charlemagne. They were headed for the Amazon district of South America which was Legitimacy Kingdom territory. Their destination was the sea near Port Braganca just below the equator.


    A young male maintenance soldier slowly walked across the flat deck while occasionally leaning over. He was checking the takeoff catapult to ensure it had not warped due to heat. It had of course been designed to take into account a certain level of expansion and contraction just like rails for a train, but it was crucial to be extra sure. If that catapult lost functionality, the assault landing aircraft carrier would lose its value.


    The maintenance soldier removed his helmet and looked up at the sun in annoyance.


    ¡°Shit, I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s so hot when we¡¯re past Halloween. If we were given permission to enter port, we would have a plastic roof blocking the sun. This is a Legitimacy Kingdom port. They should let any Legitimacy Kingdom citizens in whether we¡¯re civilians or military.¡±


    As the maintenance soldier muttered, he heard the sound of the elevator. However, this was not the elevator of a high class department store where a young woman pressed the button for you. It was bringing up a small delta wing fighter. He could see the pilot waving from within the cockpit.


    The fighter carried only one person.


    That was likely due to the research for Object cockpit layouts being used. In that age, fighters were obsolete. With wars fought by Objects, military development was centered around them. All weapons tended to be designed such that they could also be used for Objects.


    The maintenance soldier heard the pilot¡¯s voice come over his headset.


    ¡°Quit complaining. Although I¡¯ll admit I would rather not think about the fact that the port has enough vending machines and stores for us all to have as many cold drinks and ice cream as we could want.¡±


    ¡°As usual, you¡¯re covered in more jamming devices than missiles. Do you really need to be that worried? The enemy Object was destroyed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a habit. ...And I didn¡¯t join the military to take part in dogfights. Do you think you could spare me the life saver and training wheels?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one. These days, the entire air force is like that.¡±


    The maintenance soldier checked the catapult with measurement tools.


    ¡°With Objects implementing anti-air lasers, gaining air supremacy has lost its popularity.¡±


    "There is a plane paradise in Scandinavia where Objects are internationally banned from entry.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no point in that though. It¡¯s like being an animal in a cage at the zoo,¡± replied the maintenance soldier, sounding bored. ¡°The modern job of the air force is to transport personnel and equipment, to perform low altitude reconnaissance when chaff missiles have made the satellites unusable, and for aerial acrobatics at ceremonies. Which is your specialty?¡±


    ¡°The acrobatics. When I was going through aviation school, I did hope to get into dogfights or perform precise bombings though.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been away from the battlefield for a while, hm?¡± The maintenance soldier took his eyes away from the measurement equipment and gave the success sign from the check sheet. ¡°How does it feel nowadays?¡±


    ¡°I want to get a chance to actually do something, but I also don¡¯t want to be stuck in a situation where I have to do something.¡±


    Someone else was listening in on that radio conversation from elsewhere.


    It was the Charlemagne¡¯s captain sitting on the ship¡¯s bridge. He cut off the frequency his subordinates used to chat and focused on the frequency used for official transmissions.


    On the other end was Froleytia, the commander of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion that the Baby Magnum belonged to. She had headed inland to the Amazon district ahead of time.


    Also on the channel was the commander of the Legitimacy Kingdom military base that protected the Amazon district.


    ¡°After losing their Object, the remnants of the Mass Driver conglomerate have moved north from the blank region and across national boundaries. Reports say they have entered the Amazon district which is our territory. Is that correct?¡± asked the captain to make sure.


    The local commander replied, ¡°We have not engaged in direct combat and have instead focused on evacuating the civilians from the general area. As a result, we allowed them to enter, but...¡±


    That was when Froleytia cut in.


    ¡°Where is the Legitimacy Kingdom Object that protects the Amazon district? Our Baby Magnum was heavily damaged, so we would like to request a joint operation if possible.¡±


    ¡°Our Object, the Forest Roller, is undergoing scheduled maintenance. As for other units, one Object is undergoing emergency maintenance after taking heavy damage in a different operation and another is currently engaging a Faith Organization Object. We do not have any military force to spare for this problem. ...Our Object was scheduled to be protected by the Bright Hopper while this maintenance took place, but it was destroyed in the previous battle. And ever since, its Elite, Major Halreed Copacabana, has insisted he return to the home country and refuses to listen to anyone saying otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Tch. Now that he¡¯s been forced to wait, that dog is of no use.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    The captain frowned slightly at Froleytia¡¯s strange comment. The local commander was likely making a similar expression. Froleytia ignored this and continued speaking.


    ¡°Understood. As originally planned, our Baby Magnum will deal with the remnants. However, we are not in prime condition either. The armor plates have been replaced, but the rest is not so easy. Three of the seven main cannons are unusable and the propulsion device was damaged, so it cannot carry out high speed battle.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you gain supplies from the Amazon district base? They are both Legitimacy Kingdom Objects, so don¡¯t they have the same standards?¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡± replied the local commander. ¡°While the armor plates are interchangeable, the main cannons and propulsion device are almost entirely custom made. The equipment at our base is specialized for our Forest Roller. It is unlikely we can meet the needs of the Baby Magnum.¡±


    ¡°I know. That just means we have to do this as is,¡± said Froleytia.


    She was unable to entirely hide her disappointment.


    Her next statement seemed to be intended to sweep away that disappointment.


    ¡°Do you understand our situation now, Charlemagne? We would like as much military strength as we can get. We would like help from your fighters as planned.¡±


    ¡°I do not mind providing that.¡± The captain chose his words carefully. ¡°However, we only have outdated fighters. They may not be able to keep up on this modern battlefield.¡±


    ¡°??? I thought the Mass Driver conglomerate Object had already been destroyed,¡± said the local commander in confusion.


    The captain gave no clear reply.


    (...I hope that¡¯s the case.)


    Some reactor had been used to provide the massive power needed for the spare cannons in Antarctica and on the Iguazu district coast. That raised a question as to the number of Objects owned by the Mass Driver conglomerate.


    Froleytia likely had similar doubts.


    He heard her mutter, ¡°Unconfirmed object X. If it really exists, things could get rough out there once more...¡±


    Part 2


    Quenser and Heivia were completely unaware of that dangerous conversation as they helped construct the maintenance base zone. So that it could be set up anywhere in the world, the Baby Magnum¡¯s base was made up of a group of more than 10 large vehicles. By linking the vehicles together front-to-back and side-to-side, setting up block-shaped rooms on top in multiple layers, and stringing up wires to support the weight like with a tent, buildings could be quickly constructed.


    The two of them were not helping with the construction of the buildings. They were carrying boxes of packed equipment into the empty buildings that had already been constructed. They were doing the same thing as movers.


    While he walked down a hallway carrying a cardboard box, Quenser said, ¡°How can we know the remnants of the Mass Driver conglomerate won¡¯t escape while we¡¯re moving this base along so slowly?¡±


    Heivia walked along beside Quenser and occasionally glanced down at Quenser¡¯s feet. Quenser¡¯s sprain had healed, but he may have still been a bit mindful.


    ¡°If they do, the princess¡¯s Object can move in to deal with them. From what I heard, they¡¯ve started to build a base in the ruins of Amazon City about 20 kilometers ahead. Apparently, they hope to put up a counterattack here so they can cut off all pursuit before fleeing.¡±


    ¡°...What¡¯s Amazon City?¡±


    ¡°The world¡¯s biggest ghost town.¡± Heivia set his cardboard box heavily down on the floor of a strategy room. ¡°There are a lot of things in the jungle. Coal, oil, iron, gold, jewels, and a lot more. There were also people who planned to use the rare location to make medicines from special plants and extracts taken from insects. The Legitimacy Kingdom set up an entire mining city.¡±


    ¡°But you said it had become a ghost town, right? Did the project fall through due to economic issues?¡±


    ¡°It was nothing that cute.¡± Heivia turned back to the hallway after Quenser set down his box. ¡°While the jungle was being mined, they ran across a horrible virus. Apparently, it completely overturned what we knew about immunology. In order to keep the losses to a minimum, the Legitimacy Kingdom completely abandoned Amazon City and pulled out.¡±


    ¡°W-wait a second. Isn¡¯t that where we¡¯re headed?¡¯


    ¡°All of that happened 20 years ago. A research group wearing protective suits came in a while back, but they could find no trace of the virus. And if that virus was still wreaking havoc on the area, we wouldn¡¯t have to go to all this effort. We could just wait for it to wipe out the Mass Driver conglomerate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right...¡± muttered Quenser, but he could not get rid of a strange feeling of unease.


    Heivia entered a room filled with cardboard boxes and said, ¡°Antarctica, that blank region, and now a city being swallowed up by the forest. Areas a lot of people have an interest in really do invite war. Ugh, what a pain.¡±


    Heivia sat heavily in a large chair sitting next to all the boxes. It was covered in the plastic used for packaging, so they could not see it, but it seemed to be quite a nice chair.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. If that¡¯s an officer¡¯s chair, you might want to get up. What if it¡¯s Froleytia¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°That Japanese-obsessed woman wouldn¡¯t bring a chair like this into her room. And besides, my job is to analyze enemy Objects and yours is to learn about Objects. The problem lies with them for pushing this physical work on us.¡±


    At that point, an unexpected new face arrived.


    It was the Baby Magnum¡¯s Elite princess.


    ¡°Nn? Oh, it¡¯s here.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia turned toward the princess and she replied with no facial expression.


    ¡°That chair is to go in the cockpit.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? These hard things at my shoulder blades are electrodes for a low frequency medical device, right? Is that what Objects are like these days?¡±


    ¡°According to the old lady, this is one method of ensuring my concentration does not drop during long battles.¡±


    ¡°...And I heard you had a fridge and a microwave in there too,¡± said Quenser in slight shock.


    Heivia shrugged while still sitting in the chair and said, ¡°That¡¯s quite the comfortable battlefield. How about you install a home theater system and a popcorn machine?¡±


    He had meant it as a joke, but the princess seemed to take him seriously. She pulled a high spec handheld game system from one of her miniskirt-style pockets.


    ¡°I can watch anything I want with this.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!! You can just do anything, can¡¯t you!? And do those headphones have a vacuum tube on them!?¡±


    Both Quenser and Heivia had actually brought the same handheld game system along with their personal items, but they were unable to resupply with the latest movie disks each month. There was a way to purchase and download digital copies of the movies, but they were not allowed to use it over the military line.


    Meanwhile, Quenser patted the plastic-covered chair with a low frequency medical device installed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never used a low frequency machine before. Do they really work?¡±


    ¡°Only one way to find out,¡± said the princess as she moved Heivia out of the way and removed the plastic.


    She connected the power cable to a jack that connected to a normal household power outlet and plugged it into the wall.


    ¡°Should we really be doing this?¡±


    ¡°It is no real problem,¡± replied the princess, so Quenser went along with her suggestion.


    Unlike a normal chair, this one had very low resistance, so it felt like his body sank into it and was fixed in place. He felt something hard that must have been the electrodes for the low frequency medical device against his back and legs. He began to wonder if it would really work over his uniform.


    ¡°Here goes.¡±


    The princess pressed a few buttons on the chair¡¯s armrest.


    Immediately afterwards, a feeling Quenser had never felt before rushed across his entire body.


    ¡°Hohhhhhh nyaaahhhhhhh!? Ahh, anthahh...fnyahhh. Styop, styop. Wyait, thyis! Styop it, styop-...fnyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s entire body started to pulsate unnaturally.


    Heivia frantically pressed the stop button.


    With bloodshot eyes, he shouted, ¡°What the hell kind of noises were those!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me!! Just try it! You try it too, Heivia!! You¡¯ll be making the same noises! It¡¯s completely involuntary!!¡±


    Quenser pulled his body out of the low resistance material and Heivia took his place.


    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot. A simple low frequency massage chair isn¡¯t enough to get a reaction out of me.¡±


    ¡°Okay, switch on.¡±


    ¡°Kyawynn!? Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnn!? Wai-...wyait, wyait jyust a second!! Quyenser, I thyink thyis myassage chyair is syupposed tyo be used thyrough thye pryincess¡¯s syuit!! The byuttons of my uniform are vyibrating in syome weird places!!¡±


    ¡°See? This is no normal massage chair.¡±


    ¡°I gyet it!! S-syo!! Dyon¡¯t turn up thyat switch! Fwooohhhhhhhhh!! Hyaaaaaaahh!! Hehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    Private Heivia¡¯s body twitched in pleasure.


    When the princess saw the disgusting mess of sweat and such the two boys had left on her chair, she slowly pulled out her radio and covertly spoke into it.


    ¡°...Medical team. I need you to discard one of the cockpit chairs ASAP.¡±


    Part 3


    After they had carried all the boxes to their respective locations, Quenser gained a bit of free time.


    Technically, that time was used to check on the wiring for the computers and radars, but that was a task for the specialists. There was nothing to do for the normal soldiers during that time.


    Quenser parted ways with Heivia and headed to the supply area. He received a few flavorless rubber-like rations before running across Froleytia.


    When she saw Quenser, a tremendous frown appeared on her face.


    ¡°...Do not stand behind me without permission. I am never allowing you to catch me by surprise again.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, but did you have any other ideas for getting yourself out of that situation?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s shoulders drooped limply and the middle aged man at the supply area looked at him with a puzzled expression. Froleytia cleared her throat once and returned to what she had come there for: obtaining a small container of shampoo. With that task complete, she left the supply area with Quenser.


    As they walked through the passageway, she said quietly, ¡°I would have a hard time coming up with anything else, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can just do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, how did things go after that? It seemed that Copacabana guy gave up on the political marriage, but that¡¯s all I know.¡±


    ¡°Right now, my perceived value has fallen by an amazing amount. There are still some old men who don¡¯t care so much about an heir that are still sticking with it, though. Well, I wouldn¡¯t be out here in this war if this could be solved so easily. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Froleytia sighed and leaned her back up against a nearby door. ¡°However, I¡¯m also in a bit of trouble since my Capistrano family isn¡¯t contacting me. Dammit. If I just out and out deny it, some of the candidates are sure to return, but everyone will treat me like a slut if I don¡¯t do anything. I just don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to-...¡±


    Suddenly, Froleytia trailed off.


    The door she had leaned against had already been half open, so she had pushed it the rest of the way open. It led to a small room used to store the design documents needed for maintaining the Baby Magnum. It was also the room Quenser spent a lot of time in studying as a battlefield student.


    ¡°Whoops,¡± said Froleytia.


    She managed to avoid falling over, but she ended up stumbling two or three steps into the room. A bookshelf right next to the door was filled with training video disk cases. However, a single porn video was mixed in.


    Froleytia froze in place as she read the title on the package.


    It read: A Cool Female Soldier¡¯s Secret Training of Pleasure and Tits


    She fell silent for a bit while squeezing the Japanese-style kiseru in her hand.


    ¡°...Quenser, is this your personal preference?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve got it all wrong!! I didn¡¯t bring that here! I only grabbed you in order to help you! But why is that here!? That¡¯s the video that was on the bookshelf in the ammunition storage when we were loading magazines!! Is it just really popular in the Legitimacy Kingdom military right now!?¡±


    Quenser was met with a great mystery, but Froleytia did not seem to trust him at all. She was slowly backing away from him with the look of someone who was faced with a wild beast.


    ¡°...Umm, I¡¯ll be going then,¡± he said.


    ¡°No, I have work to do as well. I cannot alter my schedule due to my personal feelings. I have no choice but to accompany you partway.¡±


    And so Quenser and Froleytia started walking down the passageway once more. They were walking alongside each other, but they were keeping an odd distance between each other.


    ¡°So what is the plan for dealing with Amazon City?¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯ve learned those ruins are where we¡¯re fighting.¡± Froleytia sighed. ¡°Around 500 people remain to the Mass Driver conglomerate. Previously, it seems the pilot Elite of the Object was commanding them, so their command structure has changed thanks to the Object¡¯s destruction. With this change, the command has probably shifted to Sladder Honeysuckle. When the princess¡¯s Object attacks the ruins of Amazon City, we need to make sure we at least kill him. Without him, the rest will not be able to put together a proper strategy. Then we can slaughter them in the confusion.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°He has various titles. He is an Object designer for the Mass Driver conglomerate, one of the world¡¯s leading investors, as well as a military advisor for the powerful president of one of the conglomerate¡¯s companies.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser¡¯s eyebrows twitched at the word ¡°designer¡±.


    However, he specifically avoided that and asked about something else.


    ¡°Military adviser?¡±


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations take military actions at the approval of company shareholders. For this reason, they hire specialist strategist. The same goes for the Mass Driver conglomerate even if it has a different structure from the other companies.¡±


    At that point, Froleytia fell silent.


    Finally, she spoke quietly as if speaking of her own worries.


    ¡°This should be a simple task if we really are only up against a maintenance base that has lost its Object. But...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors.¡± Quenser frowned. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the possibility of a second Object that was powering the spare cannons in Antarctica and on the Iguazu district coast, right? ...But is that even possible? Objects are monstrous weapons 50 meters across. How could one of those escape notice by radar, satellite, and the naked eye?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Froleytia shook her head.


    At the same time, she spoke as if to herself.


    ¡°But that¡¯s exactly why jack-in-the-boxes are so scary. You need to be careful too. If you take this lightly, you might not get by with a simple sprained ankle this time.¡±


    Part 4


    And so they headed out for the attack on Amazon City.


    However, Froleytia was not commanding the operation from the front lines. She was in the maintenance base zone constructed in a location far from the battlefield. With the kiseru in her mouth, she checked on the progress of the unit on a monitor.


    Froleytia liked things in the Japanese style, but the interior of her room was relatively lacking in such things. This was due to the maintenance base having been almost completely destroyed by the Mass Driver conglomerate Object in the Iguazu district. She was having a new collection brought in with the additional supplies, so she must have had quite a bit stored away in the European home country.


    (...The stage this time is a jungle ghost town filled with buildings. It¡¯s the perfect environment for hidden soldiers.)


    That would not be an issue in a battle between Objects. After all, an Object was simply too large. With the exception of mountainous regions like in the Iguazu district, those giant machines could not be hidden by the terrain.


    However, using one of those monstrous weapons to search for puny humans hidden in the jungle was a different story altogether.


    Of course, Objects had various forms of sensors, so they could search for hidden people via body heat or magnetism. However, the jungle was filled with living things, so a massive number of objects would be found even when searching for human-sized living creatures.


    (Now then. Can we solve that problem by having foot soldiers work with the Object? Or should we focus on trying to pick up on human noises such as voices and footsteps?)


    With the sensors on full power, the presence of allied soldiers could actually get in the way. The specific method could be handled by the people on the scene, but Froleytia had to take care of any problems that might arise because of that.


    To make sure that she did not overlook even the smallest sign, Froleytia stared intently at the monitor once more. However, she then received a transmission.


    It was from the princess who was piloting the Baby Magnum.


    ¡°I have a question for you,¡± said the princess.


    ¡°Has the situation changed since the strategy meeting?¡±


    As far as Froleytia could tell, nothing had changed, but she asked to make sure. As expected, the princess denied that possibility.


    ¡°No, it is nothing like that. I suppose this is a more private sort of question. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    (This is unusual for her.)


    Before Froleytia could realize what was odd about the princess, the princess herself cut to the chase.


    ¡°...Is it true you were groped by Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Bfh!?¡±


    It felt like the long, narrow kiseru almost shot from her mouth.


    However the princess had interpreted that response, she fell silent.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t just fall silent. Don¡¯t tell me you feel like your mental condition has dropped because of that! You know just how much the mental state of the Elite can affect the outcome of a battle, right? If we lose the war here, it will end up in textbooks. If that happens due to whether someone was groped or not, the higher ups of the military will faint and the history buffs will laugh their asses off!¡±


    ¡°...Oh, dear. You aren¡¯t even trying to deny that you were groped.¡±


    Froleytia wiped an unpleasant sweat from her brow as she felt a dangerous tension in the princess¡¯s oddly low tone of voice. Froleytia felt like something had been off about herself ever since that incident.


    Part 5


    The advance on the ruins of Amazon City began.


    Quenser and Heivia joined a group of about 200 people and headed to the ruins on off road vehicles. They did not head directly into the city. Instead, they got off about 3 kilometers away, and split up further before heading to the city on foot.


    From the point they stopped the vehicles on, they were heading through tropical jungle. Beyond the thick trees was a group of concrete buildings. That was the ruins of Amazon City. After it had been abandoned, it had become buried in green.


    They had known the jungle was just south of the equator, but it was worse than they had been expecting. The heat and humidity was trapped there like inside a plastic greenhouse. When they breathed in, a lukewarm feeling gradually spread through their bodies.


    Heivia looked fed up with it almost instantly.


    ¡°...Dammit. So we¡¯re acting as human antennae again.¡±


    ¡°The Baby Magnum isn¡¯t at 100%, so they probably don¡¯t want to send it straight in.¡± Quenser wiped sweat from his chin with the back of his hand. ¡°This place is horrible. The ground seems so soft. Isn¡¯t there a better way to this place?¡±


    ¡°We would be a lot more comfortable using the remains of the highway created for Amazon City, but that would put us in plain view of the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. What¡¯s that on the front of your rifle?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell? It¡¯s insecticide.¡±


    ¡°...Heivia, is the type of person that can¡¯t touch bugs? To be fair, I can¡¯t stand roaches myself.¡±


    ¡°You idiot.¡± Heivia brought his hand to his forehead. ¡°This is the Amazon. It¡¯s the world¡¯s biggest jungle. There are rare and dangerous bugs that¡¯ll sting you and bite you here. The giant spiders jump at you, so it¡¯s dangerous to try to stomp on them with your boot. But it would be a waste of ammo to shoot at all of them. Also, it would be stupid to let the enemy know your location because of a bug. That¡¯s why we need insecticide to deal with any dangerous bugs. Since we¡¯re going for a bold attack here, we don¡¯t have to worry about leaving any traces of our presence with dead bugs.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I just hope it doesn¡¯t leave a strange smell that military dogs can follow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be pretty excited to run across a Hercules beetle.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia continued through the jungle as some strange bird cried overhead.


    As Heivia used the various sensors attached to his rifle to check for hidden soldiers or traps, he said, ¡°And what is that you have in your pocket? Looks like a book. Is it a camping manual for if we get stranded out in the jungle?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s just a wild west novel. I was thinking I could read it if we had to wait around for the enemy to appear.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, Quenser. We¡¯re taking part in a war involving giant Objects. Why are you reading a story about people shooting at each other with tiny pistols?¡±


    ¡°Heivia, you mustn¡¯t forget the danger a single bullet can present.¡±


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re one to talk. You don¡¯t even carry a single handgun. With how much you love to study, I would have thought you would be staring at Object designs during your breaks.¡±


    Heivia spoke in light tones, but Quenser fell silent.


    He could not tell Heivia he had been reading a paper by Sladder Honeysuckle.


    That man was not normal.


    All Quenser had been able to get his hands on was what was released online to the Legitimacy Kingdom. The Capitalist Corporations and the Legitimacy Kingdom were at war, so the information was likely of little importance. However, Quenser could see a fragment of that man¡¯s genius hidden within.


    Even a child could give a twisted response to a predetermined theme.


    But that was only by using nonsense arguments.


    An idea forced out while knowing it would never be useful in reality was no more valuable than an idle chat.


    However, the place Sladder started from and where he kept his focus was not normal. He mentioned things Quenser had never noticed until then. Despite starting from some twisted idea that was something like a trompe l''oeil, the argument he constructed was perfectly logical and well-reasoned. He went through the proper steps needed to efficiently implement the theoretical idea.


    The finished paper left its readers with a deep impression of a certain type. It was similar to seeing someone fit every single piece of a veritable mountain of luggage into a small storage box. It was close to that feeling of ¡°oh, so you could put it in at that angle¡±.


    However, Sladder¡¯s text did not end there.


    He also included a certain ¡°possibility¡±.


    If what he imagined was ever completed, it would be something unthinkable. And yet the reader was left with the desire to see a world where the ideas written there were made a reality. Even if that would only help the enemy.


    That was the type of text it was.


    It opened up a brand new dimension that would be unachievable just by memorizing the information in some textbooks.


    It was no ordinary task to fight and win against someone with a brain as twisted as his.


    Quenser was trembling in fear at the prospect, but Heivia did not notice. Instead, he held up his insecticide-equipped rifle and glared hatefully up at the sky.


    ¡°God dammit. This formation is assuming a counterattack. We¡¯re scattered about to reduce the losses in a bombardment.¡±


    ¡°If the princess¡¯s Object was at 100%, there might have been a smarter way of doing this.¡± Quenser wiped sweat from his face. ¡°But it¡¯s odd.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°If the Mass Driver conglomerate had that high power railgun, why didn¡¯t they just use it to target the moon base? They didn¡¯t have to go with that roundabout method of using the satellite via the probe robot in Antarctica.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to know what they¡¯re thinking? Maybe they felt there was meaning in carrying out their terrorist attack with a laser,¡± said Heivia offhand. ¡°Also, their Object¡¯s main cannon kept breaking up in midair due to frictional heat. They might have not thought it would make it out of the atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think about this so much. The Object is gone. It doesn¡¯t matter to us how the Mass Driver conglomerate insists on using their Object.¡±


    ¡°I hope we can be that optimistic.¡±


    ¡°Ahn? ...Oh, are you talking about the possibility of the Mass Driver conglomerate having a second Object?¡± Heivia sounded annoyed. ¡°Only an Object can defeat an Object. I guess that¡¯s why they want to preserve the weakened Baby Magnum. But sending us forward to check for an Object is more dangerous than removing landmines.¡±


    ¡°It would be quite a tragedy if we carelessly sent the princess in and she was destroyed by a surprise attack. We would lose our piece for checkmate. Do you want to continue on with a war of attrition that will never end?¡± asked Froleytia over the radio. She continued as if to make doubly sure. ¡°Listen. Whether there is a second Object or not is vitally important to know, but we also can¡¯t let the enemy scatter. We need to keep as many from getting away as possible and kill them here. At the very least, we absolutely must kill their leader, Sladder Honeysuckle. If he gets away, we cannot end this war here.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. Is this Honeysuckle guy really that much of a problem?¡±


    ¡°He is the Mass Driver conglomerate¡¯s prided Object designer. There is a risk of him even beginning construction on a new Object if he can make the proper preparations.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re kidding, right? Doesn¡¯t an Object cost at least 5 billion dollars?¡±


    ¡°He can raise that 5 billion on his own. He is a large shareholder and one of the most famous investors even in the Capitalist Corporations. I¡¯m sure you know, but Object designer is a popular occupation because they receive massive rewards. He knows ways of taking that massive amount of money and making 10 or even 20 times the original amount. All transactions under the name Honeysuckle will have been frozen, but rumor has it that he has enough funds on hand for constructing an Object to be a real possibility.¡± Froleytia sounded annoyed. ¡°That said, constructing an Object from scratch takes three full years. Unless he remains in hiding for a very long time, there may not be any real danger of this happening.¡±


    ¡°But if he joined forces with a third country that wants his skills, this could get bad,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± replied Froleytia. ¡°I have no intention of letting this war grow any further. Let¡¯s exterminate these idiots as quickly as possible and stop the convoy near a hot spring....But to do that, we need to kill the Mass Driver conglomerate here. We cannot let Sladder Honeysuckle escape no matter what. We need to make sure to get a picture of him, as well as get his fingerprints and a blood sample. We can negotiate with the Capitalist Corporations afterwards and use that information to confirm we completed the mission.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only if the Capitalist Corporations go along with that.¡±


    ¡°We just need to create a situation where they have to.¡±


    A different signal came in over Quenser¡¯s radio.


    He could hear a jet engine far, far above. The radio transmission was coming from there.


    ¡°This is Burning Alpha. We could scatter landmines around Amazon City to block their escape. We can drop them from the sky at any time.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the suggestion, but no. I don¡¯t want to contaminate our own land with mines. That would create a dangerous land that threatens to blow off someone¡¯s leg even 50 years from now,¡± replied Froleytia.


    ¡°These are smart mines, so they can be detonated remotely.¡±


    ¡°If you can guarantee that not even one of those safety devices will fail, I will give approval. However, if one of them does fail, your unit will be plowing those fields. Do you still recommend this, Burning Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke. Our job is to fly through the sky. We¡¯re not used to trudging through the mud.¡±


    Quenser looked up at the contrail overhead.


    ¡°Is the assault landing aircraft carrier helping out too?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Everyone is desperate to make sure the damaged Object can function. I thought Objects were synonymous with war. Did we find our way back to a war from a few decades ago?¡± complained Heivia.


    Meanwhile, the texture of the ground changed. Instead of the soft, wet humus, they were now walking on a cracked asphalt road. They had made it to one of the countless roads that connected to the ruins of Amazon City that had been swallowed up by the jungle.


    They were near the city that would be the battlefield.


    Heivia frowned and looked up for no real reason.


    ¡°Wait, are we just going in? Isn¡¯t the Object going to blow away the buildings in the way first? We have no idea how many enemies there are in these buildings.¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t hide an Object in them though. We can ignore anything that can¡¯t,¡± replied Froleytia coolly. ¡°The princess¡¯s Object was damaged in the battle against the Break Carrier and her railgun and coilgun shells have not been replenished. We want to avoid any unnecessary firing. And only a high power attack from another Object can damage it. It won¡¯t be destroyed from a portable missile fired from a window.¡±


    ¡°...We¡¯re in trouble, Heivia. It doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re thinking about any protection for soldiers like us,¡± said Quenser with a sigh.


    At the same time, he heard a great roar as many trees were knocked over.


    He turned around to see a giant mass of steel approaching from behind. It was the Baby Magnum.


    ¡°Seriously? Let¡¯s just destroy the entire environment here, why don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°This is a lot more ecological than when they practiced slash-and-burn farming.¡±


    Their field of vision was opening up.


    They had entered the ruins of Amazon City.


    Quenser and Heivia were standing on a surface covered in gray asphalt and concrete. However, the artificial ground had giant cracks running through it and trees were growing through those gaps in the center of the road. Most of the windows on the buildings were gone and plenty of the buildings were leaning. The traffic lights and streetlights were of course not lit. The rusty street signs were so worn down it was impossible to tell what had been written on them.


    The one other noticeable characteristic was....


    ¡°This is a damn wide road. It has 3 lanes on each side, but it looks 80 meters across overall. I think the road takes up more area than the buildings,¡± muttered Quenser.


    Heivia replied offhandedly, ¡°The main street was probably designed to accommodate a parade featuring an Object.¡±


    Looking up, Quenser could see power lines running high in the sky between building rooftops. The power network was likely constructed from a combination of underground cables and those high cables so as to not get in the way of an Object parade. The subway and water system may have been set up to not pass below the main street for that same reason.


    Half in shock, Quenser said, ¡°It is true that a lot of large cities in safe countries are designed for those ridiculous parades, but it isn¡¯t normal to keep that width for the roads other than the main street.¡±


    ¡°This city was made for jungle mining. They needed the roads to be wide and durable enough to allow the large machinery to pass smoothly through.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. The dump trucks for that kind of thing are as tall as a school building, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the driver needs to climb a staircase to get in.¡±


    Suddenly, they heard distant gunshots ringing through the blue sky. As if lured out by those gunshots, more gunshots followed. If they focused, they could notice a vague difference in the pitch of the gunshots.


    Two different forces were firing at each other.


    Heivia reached for the switch for his rifle¡¯s sensors and said, ¡°So it¡¯s begun.¡±


    ¡°The princess is nearby too, so I guess we don¡¯t really need to try so hard to remain so covert.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia were not in the middle of the road. They were slowly moving along while keeping next to a pile of rubble a few meters tall that had likely once been a building wall. They were watching their surroundings closely as they advanced.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°We can probably ignore anything from above. As Froleytia said, I doubt there are any weapons that can critically damage an Object.¡±


    ¡°But those spare cannons that attacked us in Antarctica and on the Iguazu coast were railguns meant to be used on Objects. So...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and they¡¯re meant to be attached to a 200,000 ton Object when fired. When attached to the ground, you need to put an anchor over 10 meters deep into the ground to fix them in place. If you attached them to the floors of these rundown buildings, they¡¯d knock the entire building over when fired.¡±


    ¡°Understood. So we just need to worry about snipers in a window while we search for any spare cannons on the ground.¡±


    At that point, the princess contacted them over the radio.


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia, plug your ears.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I have received an order to assist with a bombardment. If you do not hurry up, your eardrums will be blown out.¡±


    ¡°God dammit!!¡± the two idiots shouted.


    They did not only plug their ears, but also leaped down to the ground.


    Immediately afterwards, a tremendous noise and shockwave rushed toward them.


    A coilgun shell ripped through a few buildings ahead and flew off into the distance. It was one of the smaller cannons on the Object, but the word ¡°small¡± only applied when talking on the scale of that monstrosity of a weapon.


    Quenser got up within a cloud of dust and coughed.


    ¡°Cough, cough. Dammit, I think that kind of assistance is as dangerous as the enemy...¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯d certainly want to get 100 to 200 meters away from where it hits at the very, very least.¡±


    That was the strength of a unit with an Object.


    The strength of those foot soldiers was not just the assault rifles they held. As long as they could call in the coordinates, the Object could blow away the target with pinpoint accuracy. They were merely borrowing the power of the Object, but there was still nothing more frightening for their enemies.


    Quenser looked around the area and said, ¡°It¡¯s possible there are hidden enemy soldiers or spare cannons around here. And now we have to be careful to make sure our own Object doesn¡¯t blow us away with that shockwave. ...Dammit. What ever happened to leaving war to the Objects?¡±


    Froleytia¡¯s voice then came from his radio.


    ¡°Those spare cannons are relatively small when it comes to Object armaments. They aren¡¯t main cannon class, so I doubt they can shoot through an Object¡¯s armor. You do not need to be on the lookout for them.¡±


    ¡°Then remind me why we¡¯re out here again.¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that the Baby Magnum is damaged? One of the damaged areas is the propulsion device. Right now, it is possible the Baby Magnum cannot move across excessively tall piles of rubble. If that happens, the combat engineers are needed. You need to use your explosives to blow away those shackles as quickly as possible.¡±


    Meanwhile, the princess¡¯s Object had entered the city. The main street had been constructed to accommodate an Object parade, but the street signs and traffic lights would likely have been removed beforehand. They did not have time for that at the moment. The Baby Magnum simply smashed those obstacles as it advanced.


    Heivia had been speaking over his radio, but he now turned to Quenser.


    ¡°It seems the others have entered the city from different points. We¡¯re going to head inwards, slowly tightening the circle, until we have searched our way to the center of the city. The frequency of gunshots will likely increase as times goes on.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are we going to do? Are we going to head into each and every building to search for enemies?¡±


    ¡°First, we¡¯ll destroy their transportation.¡± Heivia shrugged. ¡°With 500 people, the enemy is on the level of a company. It can¡¯t be easy to transport all of them. They must have a large convoy somewhere, so we just have to blow that up. That way, they can¡¯t escape these ruins. We can take our time searching them out then.¡±


    Quenser looked up at the contrails overhead.


    ¡°Can¡¯t they find that from the sky? Y¡¯know, using satellites or fighters.¡±


    Even then, the delta-winged fighters flying through the blue sky were dropping large bombs into the middle of the ruins. Low rumbles were passing below Quenser and Heivia¡¯s feet.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy,¡± said Froleytia over the radio in an annoyed voice. ¡°The satellite confirmed a large group of vehicles entered an underground parking garage in the middle of the city, but there is no guarantee there are no other vehicles. They might have additional transportation hidden ahead of time in a different underground parking garage.¡±


    ¡°So we need to start searching any underground areas?¡±


    ¡°You should also check any abandoned vehicles you come across. They might merely be disguised to look abandoned and Sladder Honeysuckle could escape using one.¡±


    Multiple gunshots sounded in the distance.


    There was no combat occurring near Quenser and Heivia, but that may have been because no enemy soldiers had been in the area by mere coincidence or because they had left formation to distance themselves from Baby Magnum.


    ¡°If Honeysuckle suggested that plan when they¡¯re cornered, wouldn¡¯t he just end up being ganged up on by the others? We see Honeysuckle as an important figure we must not let escape, but would they really see that as a means of victory? What the Mass Driver conglomerate wants is a safe place to head to. If they were putting their lives on the line and then their commander headed for the goal on his own, I doubt the others would accept just being cast aside.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, let me tell you something. It does not matter what they think,¡± replied Froleytia with a short sigh. ¡°We just need to achieve our own objective. Even if Honeysuckle was truly thinking of a means for world peace, we would shoot him and call it a day. All of this has surely led them to resent us. If they gain power once more, the odds are good they will turn their sights on the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Our cool, beautiful commander is frightening,¡± said Heivia casually with a twisted smile on his face as gunshots and explosions sounded in the distance.


    But then...


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    The two of them came to a stop.


    The path before them had turned black. It began about 20 meters ahead. At first they thought some past earthquake had ripped up the asphalt and exposed the black soil beneath. However, they realized they were wrong as they approached.


    Something like black tar was flowing from the entrance to a building on the side of the road...or so it looked. The black stain was flowing thin and wide so that it covered the entire width of that large runway-like road.


    Yes.


    That was what it looked like, but...


    ¡°Are you kidding me...?¡± groaned Heivia.


    When they looked closely, it became clear it was not a black liquid that was spreading out. Many, many small objects were crawling up and down. Someone who watched some of the more unusual documentaries might recognize what the collection of tens if not hundreds of thousands of small black objects was.


    It was a swarm of army ants.


    Quenser and Heivia both quickly moved instinctually back away from it. The great number of small bugs caused a physiological revulsion inside them and the smattering of knowledge they had caused fear to well up within them.


    ¡°Wait just a second! Aren¡¯t these those things that move in groups of tens of thousands and will swarm over any cows or pigs nearby and eat them!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Amazon for you. Nature is on an entirely different level here!!¡± shouted back Heivia as his eyes raced about the area.


    He had no intention of charging into an area that had been taken over by the army ants. He was hoping to find a side road to head down, but...


    He heard a rustling sound like a plastic bag being balled up.


    It was the sound of a large tree growing near the two boys falling over so as to block the path back. The inside of the tree had been entirely rotten, but the confusion of branches growing out from it created natural intercrossing bars to block their escape. It was too thick for them to climb over or crawl through.


    Heivia¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    ¡°Shit!! What the hell is going on!? That thing was sticking up through the asphalt just a second ago!!¡±


    ¡°It might have just been barely standing and the shockwave of the princess¡¯s bombardment shook it a little too much...¡±


    At any rate, they could not fall back any further than 30 meters.


    The roads in the ruins of Amazon City were quite wide, but the giant tree was half broken so that it formed a V-shape on the asphalt. Between the building walls and the remains of the giant tree, Quenser and Heivia were completely trapped. Their one escape was through the area controlled by the army ants.


    Quenser tapped Heivia on the shoulder as he stared at the swarm of insects.


    ¡°This is bad! If we don¡¯t do something soon, we¡¯ll be part of the ant and the grasshopper¡¯s winter reserves!!¡±


    ¡°What exactly do you suggest we do!? If I tried shooting that group of tens of thousands, I¡¯d run out of ammo in no time at all. And if we tried stomping on them with our boots, they¡¯d probably just climb up our legs and counterattack!!¡±


    Quenser pointed at the object attached to the end of Heivia¡¯s rifle.


    ¡°How about you use that insecticide you have there?¡±


    ¡°Oh!! I did supply myself with this special item, didn¡¯t I!?¡±


    Heivia must have completely forgotten he had it, but now he finally held up his rifle. He pulled the trigger of the insecticide attached like a bayonet.


    The swarm of army ants had already approached about 10 meters.


    The cloud of insecticide forcefully struck them. Instead of spreading out like a spray, the insecticide flew in a direct trajectory like a powerful water gun. Quenser optimistically thought about how it could be used to blind an enemy temporarily.


    But then...


    ¡°Gyahh!? The insecticide just sent the army ants on a desperate rampage our way!¡±


    ¡°Get back, you idiot! We need to get some distance!! If they catch up to us, we¡¯ll be bitten all over!!¡±


    While fleeing with Heivia, Quenser frantically shouted into his radio.


    ¡°Baby Magnum! Can you fry these ants with a small laser beam or something!?¡±


    ¡°I can, but...¡±


    ¡°Then hurry! Do it now!!¡±


    ¡°If I fire it at the ground that near you, the light will make the light from welding look like nothing. Most likely, the two of you will be permanently blinded.¡±


    ¡°Agh, dammit!! So we¡¯re blocked at every turn!!¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, this is a pretty lame war we¡¯re fighting if we¡¯re about to be killed by ants!!¡± shouted Heivia as he sprayed about the water gun-like insecticide.


    Quenser looked at a nearby building and said, ¡°What do we do!? Should we head upstairs in a building and wait for them to pass!?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the ant colony come from within one of those buildings!? And if the ants happen to head inside the building we flee into, we¡¯ll be cornered eventually!!¡±


    Quenser recalled the feeling of the bag he wore on his back. It was possible he could throw a plastic explosive and blow them away.


    (But could I really take out all of those tens of thousands of ants? I could probably blow away a portion of them, but...)


    At that point, Quenser reached for the smoke bombs inside Heivia¡¯s uniform. The sudden action surprised Heivia.


    ¡°Kyahh, pervert! What are you doing, you molester!!¡±


    ¡°You still have the mental leeway to joke, Heivia?...Anyway!! Hand over smoke grenades and smoke bombs for contacting helicopters!! Just hand over everything that emits smoke!!¡±


    ¡°What, why? How are you going to target the smoke toward them?¡±


    Without responding, Quenser pulled the pins out of the drink can-sized objects and threw them one after another.


    In shock, Heivia shouted, ¡°You really suck, you know that!? Half of those didn¡¯t even land in the ant colony! And the smoke¡¯ll head up, so it¡¯ll barely affect the ants crawling on the ground!!¡±


    ¡°This is fine.¡±


    Quenser hurriedly reached for the Hand Axe plastic explosives in his bag, carefully adjusted the amount, and stabbed an electric fuse into it. This time he threw the mass straight up. It flew up a few dozen meters.


    ¡°And now a bomb?¡±


    ¡°This is to make sure that smoke doesn¡¯t go to waste.¡±


    Heivia frowned in confusion and Quenser hit the switch on his radio.


    The Hand Axe detonated in midair.


    The smoke that had flown high into the sky was slammed back to the ground.


    It was like a giant fist had dropped down on top of it.


    Depending on the model, the smoke grenades and smoke bombs let out white, red, yellow, and other colors of smoke. All those colors dropped back to the ground at once as if struck by that giant hand. When they struck the ground, they spread out in every direction.


    The many ants panicked and tried to scatter in every direction, but they did not have enough time. After about 180 seconds in the smoke, they lost their momentum, started only twitching, and finally stopped moving altogether.


    ¡°...Ow... If that had just been a normal blast, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell how much explosive was used.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Are those things really dead? They¡¯re not just playing dead, right?¡±


    ¡°How about you use that insecticide to check?¡±


    Heivia cautiously sprayed the insecticide from a distance, but he got no response. The two boys finally breathed a sigh of relief, but they still didn¡¯t enjoy the prospect of walking through that swarm of ants. They kept as far away from the middle as they could. In other words, they timidly headed across the carpet of dead ants while pressed up against the side of a building.


    After crossing that carpet of ant corpses, Heivia looked around.


    ¡°We need to hurry. The Mass Driver conglomerate will head here to check on that explosion and the smoke. Even if a firefight is inevitable, I¡¯d rather not be surrounded. We can at least leave a bomb or some kind of trap, though.¡±


    ¡°...No, look at that.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Heivia looked puzzled, but Quenser pointed inside a window of one of the buildings.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those Mass Driver conglomerate soldiers that are collapsed there? See, they¡¯ve been bitten all over and have swollen up.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? ...I guess that explains why we were the only ones to avoid a firefight.¡±


    ¡°War really can be pretty lame sometimes.¡±


    Part 6


    Froleytia was on standby in the maintenance base zone that had been set up well back of the battlefield. The commander¡¯s office prepared for her was properly covered in tatami mats ordered from the Japanese islands and a short table had her laptop sitting on it.


    Froleytia was using that laptop to monitor the progress of the battle, but then she received a video chat. She placed her long, narrow Japanese kiseru in a Japanese tobacco tray and then opened a new window.


    A solidly built middle aged man was displayed in the window.


    It took some effort on Froleytia¡¯s part to keep her expression passive upon seeing the rank insignia on the shoulders of his military uniform.


    (A Capitalist Corporations major general!! I had a feeling they would be calling before long, but...)


    ¡°I am Major General Buffer Planters calling on behalf of the Capitalist Corporations military. It has come to our attention that you are pursuing our Mass Driver conglomerate.¡±


    (Buffer Planters...)


    Froleytia recognized the name.


    (Dammit. That¡¯s the VIP that Quenser and Heivia carelessly saved from that moon villa attack.)


    ¡°I am Major Froleytia Capistrano, the commanding officer here. So you will not waste your time, let me inform you ahead of time that we will not discuss the means by which we will end this.¡±


    As ranks went, there was a huge difference between major and major general, but Froleytia did not particularly care. What mattered more was that they were soldiers of enemy nations.


    It seemed the man felt the same.


    ¡°Girl, we are not talking about ridiculous honor here. We would like to talk about profit.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid we will gain information on Mass Driver conglomerate technology after we crush them?¡±


    If the Capitalist Corporations was worried about something, it would be that.


    It was also possible they wanted to make sure Sladder Honeysuckle, the Object designer involved in the construction of the Break Carrier, did not defect to the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    ¡°Even if Honeysuckle surrenders to us, we will shoot him, so do not worry. In the Legitimacy Kingdom, we value honor and law above all. After someone has opposed us as he has, we have no system by which to receive them with open arms.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not what we are worried about.¡± Buffer shook his head slowly. ¡°For one, if the Mass Driver conglomerate truly intended to defect to the Legitimacy Kingdom, they would not have fought with your unit like that.¡±


    ¡°True enough, but...¡±


    Froleytia finally began to frown.


    In that case, why had that Capitalist Corporations military leader contacted her?


    Not caring about the technological information Sladder Honeysuckle had was not like a modern soldier who sent Objects to the battlefield. If there was anything else he was thinking about, it had to be...


    (Money...?)


    Sladder had received massive compensation for his Object designs and he supposedly carried out massive stock trades using that money. He was such a massive investor, it was said he could prepare an Object and start a war all on his own. It was possible the Capitalist Corporations would insist that money belonged to them. But...


    (Is that really more important than the Object development race? It is true the Capitalist Corporations supposedly prioritize human rights by the amount of money people have saved, but does that thought process go so far as to...?)


    ¡°Oh, how rude of me. Did I confuse you by any chance?¡± Buffer Planters shook his head once more and then gave a bitter smile. ¡°I merely said we are not worried about Honeysuckle defecting ¡®to the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°This is no longer an issue of only two forces,¡± continued Buffer as if to reinforce Froleytia¡¯s fear. ¡°The Mass Driver conglomerate has requested assistance from the Information Alliance.¡±


    Her face grew pale.


    The Information Alliance was one of the world powers on par with the Legitimacy Kingdom that Froleytia belonged to. Naturally, many nations and Objects belonged to that force. And these Objects would not be like the princess¡¯s. Those monstrous weapons would be in perfect condition and polished to look as good as new. Not only did the Information Alliance have plenty of Generation 1 Objects, but they also had plenty of Generation 2 Objects.


    They were quite skilled on the technology front and it was said their military software surpassed even that of the Legitimacy Kingdom military. They were the ones putting the most research into projects to create unmanned Objects using AI.


    (...Not good. If that¡¯s true, we can¡¯t have them interfering given our current exhausted state!!)


    Froleytia clenched her teeth and pictured an image of the layout of power in South America. Currently, the Baby Magnum, Quenser, and the others were deployed in the Amazon district. The Parima district that was ruled by the Information Alliance lay right next to it.


    Buffer Planters continued, ¡°At this rate, the Information Alliance military is sure to send aid to the ruins of Amazon City. The one question is whether that aid will be nothing more than supplying firearms and additional supplies or if it will include a large scale movement of personnel, weapons, and at least one Object.¡±


    Part 7


    Soldiers who had been taken out by the army ants were collapsed here and there.


    It seemed they had been in the middle of setting up a gun platform hidden behind a building. One of the spare Object railguns and a crane equipped with a boring device for driving the 10 meter+ anchor into the ground were left with the work half complete.


    In shock, Heivia muttered, ¡°Were they so focused on their work that they didn¡¯t notice the ants drawing near?¡±


    Even on a battlefield ruled by Objects, soldiers would check their surroundings. However, they would focus on the routes by which people could approach. If a swarm of army ants suddenly came pouring out of a manhole directly below the equipment, that would easily slip through a gap in their guard.


    Heivia crouched down and peered at one of the convulsing soldiers.


    A bite from a mosquito would cause a slight swelling. The soldiers had similar marks covering their entire bodies two or three times over. The small ants had bitten them again and again. Even so, they had been fortunate enough to not have run across the types of army ants that would eat them down to the bone.


    Quenser counted the soldiers.


    ¡°...It looks like they¡¯re still alive. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Tie them up and abandon them.¡± Heivia replied offhand. ¡°If they don¡¯t intend to fight, we can just leave them alone. I¡¯d rather not go through and shoot mostly incapacitated people one by one.¡±


    ¡°Well, I doubt they would be able to fight even if fellow Mass Driver conglomerate soldiers found them, cut their ropes, and give them guns.¡±


    ¡°But I see no reason to worry too much about the possibility of some other animal or insect coming by and biting them while they¡¯re tied up.¡±


    ¡°...Can¡¯t we treat them or rescue them?¡±


    ¡°After it¡¯s all over, we can come back to pick them up if we remember,¡± said Heivia as he looked around. ¡°But this is strange.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the Mass Driver conglomerate backed themselves into a corner?¡± Heivia pointed at the partially set up spare railgun. ¡°There¡¯s no advantage for them in setting up something like this and trying to hold out here. The longer they spend here, the more time the Legitimacy Kingdom has to send in more Objects. Even if they have a second Object, this strategy will only shorten their lives.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it...they are doing this backwards. What they want is a way of escaping, not a way of putting up a fight in a single spot. In fact, what did they come to the ruins of Amazon City for in the first place?¡± Quenser thought for a second. ¡°What if we assume they are sticking with the original plan of escaping?¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re setting up these spare cannons to put up a final fight to the end. And even if they try to sneak away, the military satellites will see them. Then we just have to send an Object after them. ...What are we doing running around on our own two legs?¡±


    ¡°Maybe there is some route the satellites can¡¯t see. That would be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Ahn?¡± Heivia looked puzzled, but Quenser pointed down at the ground.


    ¡°The subway.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re kidding...¡±


    ¡°Amazon City was originally created to be a large city. They must have put some effort into the transportation network. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if there was a direct subway connection to some other city.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! So they¡¯re setting up these spare cannons to....!?¡±


    ¡°To buy time! While we¡¯re panicking up here, the Mass Driver conglomerate is going to try to flee through some long tunnel!!¡±


    Quenser pulled out some of the Hand Axe plastic explosive and looked around the area. He quickly found a stairway leading down to the subway. He had no idea if he could make it in time, but he had to destroy that subway line.


    ¡°Hey, Amazon City was a large city meant for a million people. The subway has to run all over the place like a spider web, right!?¡±


    ¡°In the city, yes. But there will only be so many lines connecting to other cities. Most likely, there are only 2 or 3! Heivia, you get on the network and find a subway map from when the city was occupied!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit, this has gotten to be a real pain in the ass!!¡±


    Heivia frantically tried to contact Froleytia, but he also kicked an assault rifle lying on the ground at the same time. It had belonged to one of the Mass Driver conglomerate soldiers who had been taken out by the army ants.


    Heivia froze in place when he saw the magazine come out from the impact.


    ¡°What is it, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°Um...The Mass Driver conglomerate is a Capitalist Corporations organization, right? They should be getting their weapons from there, right?¡± As he spoke, Heivia poked at the magazine with his foot. ¡°But these are 7.62mm bullets from the Spear Rifle Company. Isn¡¯t that Information Alliance ammo?¡±


    As Heivia was muttering that, a transmission came in from Froleytia.


    ¡°All units, hurry up in this pursuit!! The situation has begun to change. If we do not take out Sladder Honeysuckle right away, the flames of war could spread!!¡±


    ¡°Froleytia?¡± Quenser looked confused, but then he recalled what he had to do. ¡°I know how Honeysuckle and the others are going to escape. Most likely, they¡¯re using the subway tunnels! They¡¯re setting up spare cannons around the city to buy time while they use the subway to escape while hidden from the satellites!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s wrong, Quenser. This isn¡¯t going to be so easy,¡± replied Froleytia without a second¡¯s delay. ¡°The Mass Driver conglomerate hopes to defect to the Information Alliance. If we do nothing, the Information Alliance will advance into the Amazon district in order to ¡®rescue those who wish to seek refuge¡¯. Apparently, the defection has already been officially recognized. In their opinion, it is wrong for Honeysuckle to not be with the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°You mean...¡±


    ¡°They really do intend to put up their final fight here!! If we do nothing, the Information Alliance will be here with an Object and all its strength as a world power, so they just have to hold out until then!! Dammit! It really is a simple plan on their part!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s crazy...¡± groaned Heivia.


    Protecting refugees who had already safely crossed the national border was one thing, but Quenser had never heard of a country crossing national borders like this to rescue someone who technically belonged to an enemy nation. If this kind of thing was permissible, national boundaries would lose all meaning.


    But...


    ¡°Heivia, you saw how they used their Object, right? They must really want that technology. And the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance are already in conflict. If things between us are so bad they can hardly get worse, advancing into one of our countries isn¡¯t completely out of the question for them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Quenser,¡± said Froleytia. ¡°Also, the Capitalist Corporations fear their Object technology will be leaked to the Information Alliance if Honeysuckle defects. If the Information Alliance military does advance into the Amazon district, the Capitalist Corporations military is prepared to send an Object of their own into the Amazon district to stop this defection at all costs.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? This was bad enough with just two sides!¡± Heivia shouted.


    If what Froleytia said was true, the Amazon district could turn into a hell in which Objects from four different forces clashed: The Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Mass Driver conglomerate. Only ruins were left of Amazon City, but it was possible everything within those national boundaries could be swallowed up by a storm of destruction if the flames of war spread. This would of course affect the civilians as well as the soldiers.


    Quenser frantically opened his mouth. ¡°I-if that happens, how many Objects will there be here!? Will we get reinforcements!? Will we gather all our Objects in the Amazon district!?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all either tied up in other operations or undergoing maintenance. Either way, this is not a situation where we can count on reinforcements. If we had Objects to spare, we would not have used the princess¡¯s Object in its damaged state.¡±


    ¡°Could this be any worse...?¡± muttered Heivia.


    Froleytia must have agreed because her tone was one of annoyance.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to crush Honeysuckle as quickly as possible so we can end this on our own. If the Mass Driver conglomerate is completely destroyed, the Information Alliance will lose its reason to interfere. That will in turn take away the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ reason. If we can¡¯t do that, we will be the ones cornered. You know what condition the Baby Magnum is in, right?¡±


    ¡°Dammit. This is bad, Quenser,¡± groaned Heivia.


    The princess¡¯s Object had been heavily damaged in the battle with the Break Carrier. And it had been sent here before receiving proper repairs. It was more than enough firepower to take care of the remnants of the conglomerate, but not so much when it came to a clash against cutting edge Objects sent in by other world powers. If her Object was at 100%, the outcome would have been unknown, but it was obvious what would happen in this damaged state.


    Quenser felt like his vision was going dark, but he forced his dizzy head to start working again.


    ¡°Froleytia, what¡¯s the time limit? Do we know how long we have until the Information Alliance military is coming?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any real information on their timetable. However, they have no reason to wait around. If it was me, I would head out as soon as possible. The satellites have confirmed the Information Alliance is constructing temporary prefab buildings on the border of our Amazon district and their Parima district. That is likely their Object¡¯s maintenance base zone. Once that is complete, they will likely send their cutting edge Object across the border.¡± Froleytia must have been tapping her fingers on her desk because a slight tapping noise could be heard as she carefully chose her words. ¡°The base zone will likely be complete in 2 hours. If we do not crush the Mass Driver conglomerate and kill Sladder Honeysuckle in that time, both the Information Alliance and the Capitalist Corporations will invade.¡±


    ¡°Shit!!¡± swore Heivia. ¡°If the Mass Driver conglomerate has a second Object hidden somewhere, our odds would normally be 50/50 at best! But now that we have to rush this, we could make a fatal mistake!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. Since they were going to use a spare railgun here, that means they have an Object to power it, right?¡± Quenser checked around the partially set up railgun. ¡°If we follow the power cable, we might find the Object.¡±


    ¡°Well, we need to hurry it up. Even if we find their Object, who knows if we can deal with it in such a short time!!¡±


    However, that work was rendered needless.


    They heard a heavy explosion in the distance. The low rumbling resounded deep in their guts as, a few kilometers away, gray dust shot up behind the intervening buildings.


    ¡°Wh-what!?¡±


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia!¡± shouted Froleytia. ¡°Get away from there!! The Mass Driver conglomerate has made its move! They¡¯ve used explosives to blow a huge hole in the roof of the underground mall!!¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Heivia was confused, but Quenser pulled out his handheld device and called up the satellite map. Quenser was left speechless, so he could not explain what he was seeing, but Froleytia¡¯s pressured voice continued from the radio.


    ¡°They¡¯re doing the same thing as in Antarctica or on the Iguazu district coast. It¡¯s a spare Object cannon. But this one is different! They¡¯re using a spare of the high power railgun used as the Break Carrier¡¯s main cannon!!¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    The two boys were frozen in shock.


    That demonic cannon had pierced straight through an Object in a single shot from 500 kilometers away. If that was fired, the princess¡¯s Object could be taken out instantly, not to mention the soldiers like Quenser and Heivia.


    ¡°What do we do, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°We can still make it in time...¡± Quenser grabbed his radio while frantically keeping in mind the map that was about to disappear. ¡°Baby Magnum!! The cannon is just over 3000 meters away! That¡¯s well within range of your main cannons! Take it out before it takes you out!!¡±


    She must have been thinking the same thing because the princess immediately took action.


    Several buildings stood between the Baby Magnum and the high power railgun. Even if the princess fired a main cannon there, the obstacles would very likely alter the trajectory of her shots. However, the Break Carrier¡¯s main cannon held enough destructive force to fly in a straight line while ignoring the obstacles.


    She could not do it there.


    The princess came to that conclusion and then began moving her Object in a sideward slide. She was moving in a large circle with her target in the center. Once she reached the straight highway, there would be no obstacles. If she fired her low-stability plasma cannons or something then, she could finish it off.


    But...


    ¡°...!?¡±


    A gasp came from the princess over the radio.


    Either due to the Object¡¯s sudden movement or due to natural deterioration, one of the nearby buildings had suddenly fallen over. Quenser and Heivia frantically fled into a back alley to avoid getting hit by the debris. The 10 story building had broken in half at the center and fallen into the road. The mountain of concrete acted as a giant barricade.


    A tsunami of dust swallowed up Quenser and Heivia a few seconds later.


    ¡°Ugh...cough!? Heivia, Heivia!?¡±


    ¡°Quenser, don¡¯t move!!¡±


    Quenser could not see, but he could tell Heivia¡¯s voice was coming from an unnatural direction.


    It was coming from directly below.


    ¡°The shock of the building collapsing caused the back alley to collapse. If you aren¡¯t careful, you¡¯ll be headed straight to the underground mall!!¡± From the sound of Heivia¡¯s voice, he likely had not received any serious injuries in the fall. ¡°I can¡¯t climb back up from here. I¡¯ll search for a different exit, so don¡¯t you die before we can meet up again!!¡±


    He said nothing more.


    Most likely, he had left just as he had said he would.


    Quenser was worried about Heivia, but he had other concerns. He altered his focus and spoke into his radio.


    ¡°Cough, cough. Baby Magnum! How are things on your end!?¡±


    ¡°I cannot get over the rubble!! At this rate...!!¡±


    As he listened to the princess¡¯s bitter voice, the dust finally cleared up. While paying careful attention to his footing, Quenser ran out. As he headed for the Baby Magnum, he pulled out some Hand Axe plastic explosive, but he stopped moving before he could stab the electric fuse in.


    It was too much.


    The mountain of concrete blocking the road was nearly 10 meters tall. With that much, a single combat engineer did not have enough explosives to blow it all up.


    ¡°Baby Magnum! Can you blow away the wreckage with your main cannons!?¡±


    ¡°Not from here...!¡±


    ¡°Then try moving back a bit and-...!!¡±


    Having realized something, Quenser trailed off.


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s propulsion device was primarily located on a reverse Y-shaped part extending below the spherical main body. The bottom of that part produced massive amounts of static electricity to make the giant Object hover. Then laser reflection was used to rapidly expand the air and move it forward. However...


    ¡°Shit. Are the ¡®legs¡¯ trapped in the rubble!?¡±


    ¡°Quenser, you don¡¯t have to blow it all up. Could you just take care of the rubble that is keeping me from moving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try!!¡±


    Quenser looked up at the rubble that had piled up like a mountain. It did indeed seem simpler to use the explosives rather than trying to move the rubble. However, there was no guarantee that it would free the Baby Magnum. It was possible that removing that portion of the rubble would only cause more to slide down and trap it once more.


    All the while, the Mass Driver conglomerate high power railgun would be rotating its barrel their way.


    Quenser grabbed at the rubble that looked like a stone wall destroyed in an earthquake.


    ¡°What will you do once you get your ¡®legs¡¯ out of this rubble!? Can you go around another way!?¡±


    ¡°There are not many paths large enough for an Object, so I would have to go well out of my way...!!¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± swore Quenser as he tried to climb up to a spot where he could set up a bomb. To blow away the rubble holding down the reverse Y-shaped propulsion device, he had to climb up over 7 meters.


    However, he could not do it.


    The mountain of rubble was not a single piece of rock like the cliffs rock climbers loved. The concrete he grabbed as a handhold crumbled and Quenser fell back down to the road.


    ¡°Quenser!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Would it be faster to just throw the bomb up there!?¡±


    The destructive power of a bomb changed depending on how it was set up. To destroy such a large amount of rubble, it would be more effective to bury the bomb in the rubble than to just place the bomb on top. He was unsure if he even had enough to blow it all away under the best conditions, so he could not be negligent in how he used the explosives.


    ¡°Quenser go into the building to your left. It would be quickest if you climbed onto a protrusion of the rubble from a 3rd story window and then climbed down!¡±


    ¡°Shit. Do I have time to do that!?¡±


    Quenser got up and ran into the building as he gritted his teeth. There was a large area inside. The first few floors created an atrium.


    And then he was left speechless once more.


    He could of course not use the elevator, but the escalator used in place of stairs had crumbled partway up. He could not reach the third floor.


    (Is there...Is there an emergency staircase somewhere!?)


    Quenser looked around, but he was in such a rush that he found nothing.


    Three thousand meters away, the Mass Driver conglomerate Object might have been beginning to send out its targeting signal.


    But then...


    ¡°This is Burning Alpha calling Baby Magnum. From what I can hear, you seem to be in trouble. I have a 500 kilo bomb here, so do you need me to drop it on top of that rubble?¡±


    Quenser was left in shock at that transmission from the fighter flying through the sky.


    It would be great if he could use that huge bomb, but in all likelihood he could not. The odds were good he would be shot down by the Mass Driver conglomerate¡¯s anti-aircraft fire before he was able to drop the bomb.


    Quenser frantically grabbed his radio and said, ¡°Burning Alpha! A spare Object cannon has been confirmed to be operational in the ruins of Amazon City!! They likely have anti-air lasers, too! Get out of here! If you fly in here, you¡¯ll be shot down in no time at all!!¡±


    ¡°I know that, baby!¡± The fighter pilot smiled as he replied to Quenser. ¡°That just means I have to choose a course that won¡¯t let it get a lock.¡±


    Part 8


    With the partially set up railgun and the spare Break Carrier main cannon hidden in the underground area prepared, it was highly likely that the anti-air laser beam cannons equipped on Objects were set up in the ruins of Amazon City as well.


    Normally, a fighter had no way of resisting anti-air lasers that flew at the speed of light.


    The instant after a lock was made with electromagnetic or infrared targeting, the aircraft made of composite materials would explode. The pilot would not even have time to pull the ejection lever.


    However, there were a few exceptions to this.


    The first was to use jamming devices, chaff, or flares to prevent the Object from getting a lock. Since Objects used multiple methods of gaining a lock, this was not always successful. But with some luck, the fighter could escape for a few seconds or even a few dozen seconds.


    The second was to fly at an exceedingly low altitude.


    Lasers were made of light. At low altitudes, there was a lot of dust in the air, so the power would often decay and the trajectory would often be thrown slightly off. Above asphalt, the urban heat island phenomenon could even cause mirages, so the odds shot up that the laser would miss its target. However, flying at low altitude was no guarantee of safety, so the fighter usually flew at full speed.


    However...


    That meant it would be flying at over 1200 kph through a city riddled with countless buildings and complexly crisscrossing power lines.


    Staccato Raylong, the Legitimacy Kingdom pilot codenamed Burning Alpha, poured all his concentration into his right hand gripping the control column.


    He was only 5 meters off the ground. The shockwave created by flying at supersonic speeds blew away trees growing from the cracks in the city, but Staccato did not have time to notice.


    Mach 1 or 1200 kph meant he travelled more than 300 meters every second. As he travelled down the center of the straight highway, he occasionally turned his fighter so that the main wings created a vertical line in order to cut between buildings and occasionally flew beneath rusted pedestrian bridges. All the while, he flew through the ruined city at tremendous speed.


    (This is practically suicide.)


    A large building drew closer and closer.


    The building grew to fill his vision like a giant monster opening its maw to devour him. This time, he could not avoid it.


    (Unfortunately, it¡¯s my love for this kind of thing that led me to becoming a pilot!!)


    The small delta wing fighter flew straight on.


    However, it did not crash.


    The building had lost all of its windows, and the fighter flew in at the 4th floor. It flew across that entire floor and back out through a window on the other side.


    The small fighter Staccato was piloting was used on assault landing aircraft carriers. The runway it had to land on was 150 meters long. That was about half the length of the runway on old style aircraft carriers. For that reason, the small delta wing fighters Staccato and the other pilots used had several sensors on the bottom to accurately measure the distance to the ground or the runway.


    Staccato was using those sensors.


    Before flying into the city, he had fired a laser in a completely straight line to confirm he had a straight shot through. That included the path through the building.


    However, flying through the building was close to acrobatics because the floor and ceiling drew as close as 50 cm away at the tightest point. He placed his faith in the sensors that drew accurate information on his location from the surroundings shooting by at high speed and boldly charged straight through the empty building without hesitation. If he had not had the piloting skill to control his position down to the millimeter, he would have immediately slammed into the side of the building.


    No sane person would have attempted it.


    However, Staccato opened the throttle up even more with a savage smile on his lips. He lit the afterburners to truly bring out the fighter¡¯s full speed.


    His reason was simple.


    (Objects rule the battlefield. There aren¡¯t many places left for fighters to shine.)


    As Staccato gathered information from both his vision and from the sensors, he piloted the fighter with frightening accuracy.


    (Sometimes, I want to play the lead role!!)


    Staccato flew through several empty buildings at supersonic speed and then felt as if his vision had suddenly expanded.


    Before him was one of the giant Objects that symbolized war. Below the Object was a veritable mountain of rubble.


    Staccato used a fingertip to release the safety on the 500 kilogram bomb.


    They would only cross paths for an instant.


    Staccato dropped the bomb directly above the rubble, but it felt more like he was placing it in the air than dropping it.


    Part 9


    While Quenser was looking around the abandoned building for a usable emergency staircase, the small delta-winged fighter passed by above him in an instant.


    The fighter flew in through a window that was missing its glass, through the fourth floor portion of the atrium, and out the other side.


    Immediately afterwards, the shockwave of supersonic speeds knocked Quenser over three meters through the air. The pain shooting from his ears and deep into his head was worse than the pain of landing back on the ground. Quenser almost cried out in pain, but he did not have time.


    Outside.


    At the very top of the mountain of rubble blocking the Baby Magnum¡¯s path.


    Something was floating a mere 2 meters above it. No, it was falling. The object was a giant capsule about 3 meters long and made of black, shining steel. If what Burning Alpha had said was true...


    (That¡¯s a 500 kilo bomb!?)


    With that realization, Quenser forced his body up even as it rolled across the floor and then leaped into the staircase leading to the abandoned building¡¯s basement.


    Immediately afterwards, there was a brilliant flash of light and all noise disappeared.


    A tremendous blast of wind rushed through aboveground. Even after fleeing to the basement, Quenser¡¯s body was knocked a few meters by the shockwave. However, that was better than the alternative. A great amount of rubble poured down from the floor above and landed in the spot he had been in a split second before.


    He could not even hear a ringing in his ears.


    Quenser placed a hand against the wall, walked along the rubble, and climbed up to the surface through a hole in the ceiling that had already been there due to deterioration. He left the building through a nearby back entrance.


    ¡°Dammit. Was that pilot trying to kill me!?¡±


    The mountain of rubble had been piled up almost 10 meters high, but it had been blown away without a trace. Baby Magnum could freely move once more. However, the surrounding buildings had begun to collapse due to the blast. The princess¡¯s Object moved before the rubble could block her path once more.


    ¡°I am going to fire a low-stability plasma cannon, so get down, Quenser!!¡± said the Princess over the radio.


    In order to avoid putting herself in the sights of the enemy and to gain a straight line-of-sight path to the enemy, she moved the Baby Magnum in a giant circle with the high power railgun 3000 meters away at the center.


    It took about 5 seconds to reach the giant bypass.


    Three of the princess¡¯s 7 main cannons had been destroyed in the battle with the Break Carrier. She moved the remaining 4 main cannon arms to accurately aim.


    At that moment, a chill ran down Quenser¡¯s back.


    Something wasn¡¯t adding up.


    The Break Carrier¡¯s main cannon was indeed powerful. That had been proven when it had destroyed a cutting edge Object in one shot at a distance of 500 kilometers when the target had been moving at high speed. It was quite a threat even while not installed on an Object.


    However...


    (Can a cannon with that much power really be fixed to the ground?)


    Objects were equipped with over 100 weapons both large and small. The ones used in Antarctica or on the Iguazu district coast had been the smaller models of railguns. And yet they were still large enough to require anchors over 10 meters long to be stabbed into the ground.


    So how long an anchor would be required for a main cannon of monstrous size that fired at Mach 25 and could destroy an Object in a single shot? And could they even get something like that?


    (Don¡¯t tell me...)


    Quenser¡¯s head was still swimming a bit thanks to the shockwave of that 500 kilo bomb, but the fear welling up within him forced in some clarity.


    (Don¡¯t tell me...this is a trap!)


    Quenser moved his aching body and looked in the direction of the princess¡¯s Object.


    At that point, Quenser had already abandoned the possibility that the Mass Driver conglomerate had a mysterious second Object. If they did, they would not use the Break Carrier¡¯s high power railgun like that. It would be more effective to install it on the other Object.


    That meant the Mass Driver conglomerate did not have an Object.


    But something had supplied that massive power in Antarctica and the Iguazu district coast.


    When it came down to it, the source of that power was quite simple.


    (A prototype reactor!!)


    Quenser gritted his teeth and grabbed his radio.


    A prototype reactor was created to ensure the JPlevelMHD reactor that was the heart of an Object was constructed properly. Most likely, the dozen or so meter prototype reactor had been placed aboard a submarine or something and had been supplying power to the railguns with power cables stretching up from the sea.


    ¡°Baby Magnum...¡±


    And...


    The enemy¡¯s intention here...


    Was to force the high power railgun to move despite the fact that they could not fire it...


    To draw the princess out to the easiest point to destroy the high power railgun from.


    And the most efficient way to use that treasured prototype reactor of theirs was...


    ¡°The enemy railgun is a trap!! A prototype reactor is likely hidden underground!! They¡¯re going to intentionally make it go critical to blow away the Object!!¡±


    On the other end of the transmission, the princess froze up as she operated the Baby Magnum.


    However, she had no time.


    If the reverse Y-shaped propulsion device had been at 100% and she could use the static electricity and lasers to their fullest, she might have been able to avoid it.


    However, that was not the case.


    A giant explosion erupted below the princess¡¯s Object.


    Part 10


    A bit before the prototype reactor explosion, Froleytia was sitting in her commander¡¯s office with a bitter expression.


    The expression was caused by the laptop sitting atop a short table. A video chat window was open, but she was no longer speaking with Major General Buffer Planters of the Capitalist Corporations. She was speaking with someone who was even more of a pain to deal with.


    Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito of the Information Alliance military.


    She was a brown skinned woman of about 20 who had silver hair. From the medals on her chest, it seemed she had spent an even longer time on the battlefield than Froleytia who had worked her way up from being a child soldier.


    ¡°Let me be blunt. We have no interest in whether Sladder Honeysuckle survives. We merely want the technological information he possesses. It just so happens that the most efficient way to get it is to support his defection.¡±


    ¡°And if you send an Object across national boundaries and into our Amazon district to do that, you will be causing a war on all sides. This is no mere skirmish. This could lead to our home countries being targeted. Do you understand that? Is this really that valuable to you?¡±


    ¡°There are a few different ways of avoiding that. For example, you could attack the Mass Driver conglomerate base yourself and hand over any data on Honeysuckle¡¯s technology that you might find. I believe that would solve this problem.¡±


    ¡°...Do you really think the Capitalist Corporations would go along with that?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The image of Lendy on the screen smiled. ¡°But such trivial matters are none of our concern. Even if war breaks out between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Capitalist Corporations, that does not affect us in the Information Alliance any.¡±


    ¡°I suppose not,¡± agreed Froleytia.


    But that was exactly why she had no duty to cooperate with them.


    ¡°What is it you are prepared to go this far to get?¡± asked Froleytia.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°It is true the high power railgun that acts as the main cannon of the Break Carrier ¨C that is, the Mass Driver conglomerate Object ¨C is powerful. Its construction likely requires the application of the mass driver which is a crystallization of space development technology. However, it would be in the format of the Capitalist Corporations military. It may not conform to the standards and compatibility of an Information Alliance Object. Is it really worth going this far for?¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand. It is not that high power railgun we are after.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°This is the ¡®Mass Driver¡¯ conglomerate we are talking about. What we want is space launch technology. Many agencies and organizations are continuing research into the construction of electromagnetic space development bases. However, due to a lack of technology, a lack of development funds, a lack of safety, and unease due to the worldwide format shifting toward laser space elevators, they have all come to a standstill. We can create railguns as weapons, but we cannot use that technology to create mass drivers that can safely, cheaply, and stably transport goods and personnel. It is rather ironic.¡± Lendy spoke smoothly. ¡°Currently, no one but that conglomerate has successfully mass produced them on a practical level. It would be such a shame to let that technology die out. We respect their technological culture and have determined it to be worthy of preserving. That is why we are gladly accepting Honeysuckle¡¯s defection after he tried and failed to get that mass driver technology adopted.¡±


    Froleytia frowned at the Information Alliance lieutenant colonel¡¯s words.


    What she was saying was odd.


    ¡°Are you trying to confuse me? I thought the Information Alliance¡¯s new shuttles used laser space elevators just like ours. Gaining that railgun-focused mass driver technology will serve you no purpose.¡±


    ¡°Yes, for now.¡± The silver-haired brown woman named Lendy Farolito¡¯s words seemed to hold deep meaning. ¡°At the moment, laser space elevators are the more efficient method. However, we have no idea how long that established theory will last. ...It is not unusual for weaknesses and problems to be discovered in such things. If we have no alternative once that happens, we will be in trouble. That is what the mass driver technology is for.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Froleytia remained silent.


    There was some sense to what the other woman said.


    However...


    ¡°You are willing to take actions that have a 100% chance of causing a war in order to resolve a problem that may or may not ever even occur?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Lendy without hesitation. ¡°When you have a weapons development race, it seems you scrap the loser. However, we find that to be too much of a waste. If the two technologies rival each other, it is best to preserve both of them. And we do not merely store the data away. We preserve even the familiarity with the technology on the worker¡¯s fingertips. That way the information is ¡®alive¡¯ and can be used at any time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That massive and overwhelming collection of data may seem meaningless at first glance, but it serves to protect us from unforeseen worldwide trouble. If you loathe wasting bullets and hold back on your barrage of the enemy, you cannot stop the enemy¡¯s advance. Even if it is meaningless at first, the thicker that barrage becomes, the safer we are.¡±


    ¡°Perfect browsing...?¡± muttered Froleytia in annoyance.


    The Information Alliance was trying to create a system that would display how to resolve a worldwide crisis just by typing a string of text into a search engine.


    ¡°However, you will lose any reason to go ahead with that plan of yours if you lose the ability to take in Sladder Honeysuckle,¡± said Froleytia. ¡°This will all be over if we kill Honeysuckle and destroy the Mass Driver conglomerate¡¯s data before the Information Alliance Object being prepared on the Parima district border is ready. If you are sure to gain the mass driver technology, that is one thing. However, I doubt your superiors will approve a mission that will cause a war if the odds of acquiring the desired information are exceedingly low.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± admitted Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito. However, her smile remained as she continued. ¡°But can you really do that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If Sladder Honeysuckle were to destroy the Legitimacy Kingdom Object, you would have nothing left to stop our advance.¡±


    After ending the transmission with the Legitimacy Kingdom, Lendy Farolito sank down in the sofa. The Parima district was also just below the equator, so it was hotter than 30 degrees. Those who were not an officer like her were likely dripping with sweat due to having to work without air conditioning.


    Lendy got up from the sofa and pulled some brandy out from a small refrigerator similar to those in hotels. She used her brown fingers to pour the liquid in a large glass while using voice recognition mode to connect to the maintenance base zone¡¯s hangar.


    Her question was straight and to the point.


    ¡°How much longer until our Generation 2 Gatling 033 can head out?¡±


    ¡°I can be out there annihilating anything and everything in another half hour. Oh ho ho.¡±


    Part 11


    He thought his body had been roasted from the inside.


    Lying on his back, Quenser tried to groan, but no sound whatsoever escaped his lips. His throat was oddly dry. An afterimage seemed to cover his vision in a white screen and it would not go away. Intense pain ran through his ears and he did not even hear a ringing.


    The LED on his radio was blinking.


    After a few seconds, Quenser was finally able to hear the sound.


    His brain sent a signal to his fingers and he grabbed the radio from the ground with motions reminiscent of a poorly-made robot. He did his best to move his cracked lips.


    ¡°...Are you...okay? For an instant, it almost looked like the Object was floating...¡±


    ¡°How are you Quenser?¡±


    ¡°I somehow managed...to avoid getting roasted like in a grill where the flame is too high...¡±


    He of course should have been killed instantly.


    However, the prototype reactor placed beneath the princess¡¯s Object had been set so the blast would travel upwards. The same was done for normal bombs. Depending on how the bomb was set, the destructive force would change. To destroy a more solid target, a cup-shaped metal plate would be placed around the bomb to focus the blast on a single point.


    Of course, no normal metal plate could do anything to alter a blast from a prototype reactor going critical.


    (Did they use a spare piece of Object onion armor?)


    ¡°Everything below me was completely taken out, so I can¡¯t move,¡± said the princess.


    ¡°Dammit. So the blast took out the entire propulsion device. Does that mean we have to put together a plan that only uses your cannons?¡±


    ¡°No, the countdown has begun.¡±


    ¡°The countdown?¡±


    ¡°The system has determined it needs to prevent the enemy from capturing the Object. I am working to cancel the command, but I do not think I can keep up with the speed of the system.¡±


    ¡°A self destruct system...!?¡±


    When the giant weapons known as Objects were being used, one thing had to be avoided at all costs: letting the enemy capture one of your Objects and analyzing the technology. The princess¡¯s Object had a self destruct system installed to prevent that from happening.


    The system would gauge the damage done and make the decision automatically to account for the possibility of the pilot Elite being knocked unconscious.


    The princess had said she could not stop it.


    At the current rate, the Baby Magnum would explode. The explosion would likely cover even more distance than the one from the prototype reactor. The blast from a bomb on the surface would spread farther than one buried underground.


    And then the princess added, ¡°Pattern B does not activate the self destruct.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Apparently, the automatic anti-capture safety system had a few different levels. If the program determined that nothing at all could be done, the Object would be blown up from the inside as soon as the Elite was ejected in order to prevent the leakage of technological information. However, Pattern B did not go that far.


    Pattern B only ejected the pilot Elite. After that, the humans could decide if the Elite would pilot an identical model or successor Object or if the damaged Object would be recovered and repaired. If the situation worsened and it seemed the enemy would capture the Object after all, the Elite could send a commander class signal to blow up the Object remotely. Normally, the Object shut out external signals to prevent hacking, but the numerous hatches were opened in an emergency. This allowed a radio signal to reach it.


    After explaining all that, the princess said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Quenser. I knew losing the Object here would put a major burden on you and the others, and yet...¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s okay. We¡¯re the ones that made you fight despite the damage done by the Break Carrier. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±


    Despite what Quenser said, he could not hide his unease.


    Objects were synonymous with war.


    Everyone knew how much more likely soldiers were to die once theirs was lost.


    The Mass Driver conglomerate had been fighting with a prototype reactor rather than a 2nd Object, but they could not let their guard down. Without their Object, they would be forced into a war between flesh and blood soldiers. They had no idea who would win in such a conflict.


    And it was also possible cutting edge Objects would be coming in from the Information Alliance and the Capitalist Corporations. If that happened, they had no way of winning without an Object of their own.


    Quenser placed a hand on the wall and slowly stood up.


    (This means we really do have to end this as quickly as possible. We need to incapacitate the Mass Driver conglomerate to prevent anyone else from joining the fray...)


    ¡°At any rate, we need to get away from here. It¡¯ll eject you automatically, right? Can you send your estimated landing point to my handheld device? That way I can meet up with you as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sending it to you now. I will be ejected in 700 seconds.¡±


    Hearing that, Quenser pulled out his handheld device. He then ran in the direction of the princess¡¯s estimated landing point. The course took him right by the side of the Object.


    The cityscape had been utterly destroyed for about 200 meters in every direction from the Object. The asphalt had been ripped up and the empty buildings had collapsed. One building was tilted to the side. It was only still partially upright because the princess¡¯s Object was supporting it. The bottom half of the Baby Magnum¡¯s spherical body had melted.


    (I should ask for help from the other soldiers.)


    Quenser made his request in a businesslike manner over the radio.


    The ruins of Amazon City were huge. The soldiers had been spread throughout the entirety of the city and would contact the princess¡¯s Object if they discovered enemy soldiers or important facilities. That way the Object could immediately attack. That meant the soldiers were very spread out. At the very least, Quenser saw no sign of other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers as far as he could see.


    He sent his request, but he doubted any reinforcements would arrive any time soon.


    He had also received no word from Heivia after the other boy had fallen down through the cracks and into the underground mall. Since the prototype reactor had been set up underground, that silence was not exactly comforting.


    (Dammit, this gives me a bad feeling. That bastard had better not have gotten himself killed.)


    Due to his previous experiences, Quenser had one fear.


    A pilot Elite that had lost her Object became a top priority target for the enemy troops. Whether any Objects of same or similar models existed or not, the possibility that the Elite could pilot another Object made it crucial to eliminate her immediately.


    And...


    The Mass Driver conglomerate had calculated everything out beforehand so the princess¡¯s Object would be destroyed at that exact point.


    (They don¡¯t have an anti-aircraft gun or something set up at the point they expect her to land after ejecting, do they!?)


    With that thought in mind, Quenser ran as quickly as he could. As he did, he naturally looked up at the majestic Object. The princess would be shot diagonally up in a parabola from the upper back portion of the spherical body.


    But...


    (What is that?)


    Quenser stopped running and froze up in shock.


    (There¡¯s something spread across blocking the ejection point!? What is it? A...steel net?)


    Normally, Objects had several anti-air lasers used to accurately shoot down fighters or ballistic missiles. However, that prototype reactor explosion had just occurred. While it had robbed the princess of her senses like a stun grenade, someone may have fired a bazooka to place that net there.


    The net would not do any damage to the Object.


    In fact, it was likely a weapon meant to capture people, not kill them.


    However...


    (It¡¯s blocking...the ejection point?)


    Quenser pulled out a small pair of binoculars and checked on the area around the ejection point.


    The net was attached so that it dug into the ejection point hatch. This made the automatically opening hatch unable to open.


    An Object was 50 meters across.


    The long ramp leading from the center to the ejection point automatically moved the Elite at extremely high speed. But if the hatch did not open at the end...


    (She¡¯ll run into it at over 100 kph!?)


    ¡°Wait a second, princess! Can you stop the ejection countdown!?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Someone has intentionally blocked the hatch! If the ejection system activates now, you¡¯ll be slammed into a thick steel plate!!¡±


    He heard her gasp.


    Most likely, she did not have time to stop the automatically determined course of action.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Quenser clicked his tongue and started running again.


    He felt heat on his skin as he approached the center of the blast.


    The prototype reactor explosion had caused many buildings to collapse. One of those buildings was leaning diagonally against the Baby Magnum. Quenser charged into the building, leapt into an elevator shaft that no longer had a door, and ran through the leaning building. Luckily, the shaft¡¯s wall had plenty of uneven portions due to metal beams and the like, so it functioned similar to a staircase with the building tilted.


    The countdown continued.


    Only a few minutes remained until the ejection.


    Quenser reached for the bag on his back and pulled out a rectangular plastic explosive. He stabbed an electric fuse into the Hand Axe.


    Just as he was moving to switch the radio channel for the detonation, he heard a violent clanking noise come from the speaker.


    The cockpit¡¯s automatic ejection system had activated.


    There were a few dozen meters to the ejection point, but that distance would be covered in only a few seconds. And once she reached there, it was all over. She would collide with the metal plate at over 100 kph.


    At that same time, Quenser saw what functioned as an exit to the tunnel. It was originally where the elevator opened up onto the roof of the building, but it was missing its door.


    But he was not going to make it.


    He could see the exit, but it would take him too long to reach it.


    (Dammit...)


    ¡°Make iiiitttt!!¡± screamed Quenser as he threw the plastic explosive as hard as he could. It flew through the rectangular exit and left Quenser¡¯s vision.


    It was a desperate gamble.


    Quenser hit the switch on the radio and the Hand Axe detonated.


    An explosion roared.


    Gray dust flew in through the exit.


    During it all, Quenser continued to run.


    A few seconds later, he finally exited to the diagonal rooftop. The concrete floor had crumbled away at the point he exited at and his feet struck the steel body of the Object instead.


    And...


    He heard something being ejected. He looked up into the blue sky and saw the princess wrapped in the special suit of an Elite. At the last second, the blast had blown away the net blocking the ejection point hatch. If he had been even an instant slower, she would have been killed by her own safety device.


    (She¡¯s...safe...?)


    The princess¡¯s parachute opened and Quenser breathed a sigh of relief.


    But then he heard a noise. He turned around and saw someone else standing on top of the Object¡¯s spherical body over 10 meters away from him. A man stood hidden behind one of the Object¡¯s weapons. It was one of the smaller weapons, but it was still a few meters tall.


    The man wore a white lab coat over a military uniform.


    That lab coat had multiple types of spray paint sprayed on it to create camouflage.


    His rounded face had a slight beard as well as a look of weariness that was likely thanks to his life on the run. However, the most overwhelming impression he gave was that of a wild beast.


    He held a handgun.


    And he was aiming it at the princess as she floated down on her parachute.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Quenser pulled out some Hand Axe plastic explosive, but he did not have time to put in the electric fuse. He simply threw the clay-like mass through the air in a parabolic arc.


    The man noticed it immediately.


    And he mistakenly assumed it was going to explode.


    The man frantically jumped behind a different cannon. In so doing, he lost his chance to shoot. After a second or two, he must have realized it was a fuse-less bluff because he then turned the gun on Quenser.


    (Shit!?)


    Quenser frantically hid behind yet another cannon.


    Lead bullets caused sparks to fly from the steel cannons that stuck up with a certain regularity like roadside trees.


    ¡°From the Legitimacy Kingdom military, are you?¡± said the man as he hid behind the pillar without letting his guard down. ¡°It seems that young lady is quite well liked by this unit.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Quenser as he pulled a plastic explosive from his bag and actually put in an electric fuse this time. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    He received no response.


    Instead, more 9mm bullets came his way. Sparks flew from the steel cannon Quenser was hiding behind, so he instinctually ducked down.


    It was best not to let the other man know he had no gun.


    If he realized Quenser was a combat engineer who only had bombs, he would make a more proactive attack.


    As Quenser came to that conclusion, the man¡¯s words reached his ears.


    The man had either learned what little Quenser could do from the previous exchange or he had a relatively steady personality. Whatever the reason, the man¡¯s voice showed no sign of worry.


    ¡°Sladder Honeysuckle.¡±


    That changed the look on Quenser¡¯s face.


    And the next comment made him frown even further.


    ¡°I am a military advisor for the powerful president of one of the Mass Driver conglomerate¡¯s companies, one of the Capitalist Corporations leading investors, an Object designer...and the man you in the Legitimacy Kingdom most want to kill.¡±


    Part 12


    Sladder Honeysuckle.


    If he was taken out, the war that had begun in Antarctica could be brought to an end. It seemed a bit strange for a VIP like him to be on the front lines, but Quenser¡¯s mind was focused on something else.


    He was an Object designer.


    Was that why he had been able to take advantage of the princess¡¯s Baby Magnum¡¯s weaknesses and defeat it? Would he have been unable to achieve such results by simply putting together a plan and having other soldiers carry it out?


    (We¡¯re the same...)


    Quenser lowered his gaze to the plastic explosive he had put an electric fuse in. On a few occasions, he too had used his knowledge as a student of Object design to destroy those giant weapons.


    There was no sign of any other soldiers either ally or enemy.


    The explosion of the prototype reactor had been so large scale that it had likely been obvious the Baby Magnum was seriously damaged even from a distance. However, the soldiers still had to continue with their firefights. They could not break formation and reorganize.


    From the status of supplies and the number of soldiers, the Legitimacy Kingdom should have had the overwhelming advantage. However, it seemed unlikely they could end it immediately. There was nothing else for them to rely on as they fought with all of their ability.


    ¡°Can you really just take your time like this?¡± asked Sladder in a voice void of concern.


    (He¡¯s checking on what I have available to me.)


    Sladder had let Quenser know where he was with his voice, but Quenser did not fire a single shot at him. That would tell Sladder that Quenser did not have a gun.


    ¡°If you do not kill me right away, the Information Alliance and the Capitalist Corporations will invade. If they learn the Legitimacy Kingdom Object is no longer functioning, they can use that to claim they are merely trying to ¡®protect the neighboring countries from a terrorist organization¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you¡¯re after?¡±


    ¡°Do you think it is?¡±


    They were about 10 meters apart. Quenser was hiding behind one of the cannons that stuck up with a regularity similar to roadside trees. Sladder was hiding behind a different cannon.


    Ten meters.


    Even if handguns had a relatively short range, that was close enough for him to have almost perfect accuracy. Quenser looked around the area, but even moving to a neighboring cannon would be a risky move. If Sladder circled around, he would be in trouble.


    Quenser pressed up against the cool steel of the cannon and wet his lips with his tongue.


    If he did not buy time using conversation, use the enemy¡¯s voice to determine his location, and put together a plan to overwhelm the enemy, he would be cornered in no time.


    (Dammit. If only Heivia was here with his rifle...)


    Would Heivia even be able to come if Quenser contacted him over the radio? In fact, Quenser and Sladder were standing atop a giant Object. Heivia might not have to come all the way there. It was possible he could snipe with his rifle while still on the ground.


    With that thought in mind, Quenser operated his radio so Sladder would not notice and opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°Give up. The Mass Driver conglomerate no longer has an Object. That high power railgun in the center of the city is too big to shoot from the ground. Not to mention that you no longer have your prototype reactor. Even if you defeat us here, you have no future.¡±


    ¡°How pessimistic. I thought you knew that we of the Mass Driver conglomerate had asked to defect to the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think they¡¯ll live up to that?¡±


    Quenser felt an urge to click his tongue as he looked at his radio.


    He was sending a signal to Heivia, but he was getting no response. It was possible Heivia¡¯s radio had broken or that he had been knocked unconscious.


    ¡°When you get there, it is likely nothing but torture that awaits you. Once they get as much information on mass driver technology as they can get out of you, they¡¯ll hand you over to the Capitalist Corporations. Some other country isn¡¯t going to trust someone who betrayed their original country. You should know that.¡±


    ¡°True enough.¡± Sladder¡¯s voice was as unworried as ever even as the faults in his life plan were pointed out. ¡°But only if information on mass driver technology was my only present for them.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I went to all this effort?¡± Sladder fired two or three more shots at the side of the cannon. ¡°If we had wanted to, we could have sent our Lisolette out at once. Her maximum range is 3000 kilometers. If we had her waiting in the Antarctic Ocean, we could have destroyed your Object instantly.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lisolette.


    For an instant, Quenser thought that was the name of the enemy¡¯s Elite, but an instant later he realized it was the official name of the Mass Driver conglomerate Object that the Legitimacy Kingdom had called the Break Carrier. The Capitalist Corporations had a tradition of giving Object¡¯s female names. It was likely an extension of the tradition of giving hurricanes female names.


    Quenser toyed with the Hand Axe in his hand.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Destroy an established theory,¡± replied Sladder briefly. ¡°Objects are synonymous with war. Modern wars are won or lost based on the specs of the Objects. If it is known that one side will have one more Object than another, the winner can be known before the fighting even begins. This clarity does make these wars very safe in a certain sense of the word, but there are plenty of people who wish to overthrow that theory.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°Defeating an Object without using one yourself. That is the desire of all those who wish to deny that theory. And I have taken action to make it a reality. The anti-tank position made up of small spare cannons in Antarctica, the high power railgun used as a decoy, and the explosion of the prototype reactor. After testing out all of that, I have some data the Information Alliance should be very interested in.¡±


    Objects were said to cost 5 billion dollars at the very least. But what if you could destroy one with only the parts rather than an assembled Object? That would only be a fraction of the cost, if not a fraction of a fraction.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization.


    The modern wars fought between those world powers were not on the ridiculous scale of a total world war. They were made up of small scale skirmishes, the Object development race that supported those skirmishes, and the acquisition and loss of funds or economic power. The standard method of carrying out these worldwide wars was to drive the enemy power into an economic situation where they could no longer keep up the war.


    In that situation, the technology to assuredly destroy an Object that costs over 5 billion dollars at a fraction of the cost would be an incredibly valuable card to have in your deck.


    That is of course only if such technology existed.


    ¡°Too bad. The primary damage done to our princess was not due to your tricks. It was the Break Carrier¡¯s bombardment in the Iguazu district. If it wasn¡¯t for that, she might have been able to avoid your prototype reactor.¡±


    ¡°The Break Carrier? Oh, that¡¯s your codename for Lisolette.¡± Sladder somehow seemed to be enjoying himself. ¡°That is merely an issue of degree. I am not a researcher in that field. I merely needed to protect myself and acquire something I can use to gain safe refuge somewhere where I can freely develop mass drivers. For that reason, it was actually more effective to not pull it off perfectly. It is much better to be a few steps away from perfecting this dream come true for them. After all, if it was already perfected, some of them might just want to torture it out of me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If the incredibly valuable technology still required some more research, they would have to keep Sladder alive so he could continue that research. They could not just torture him or hand him over to the Capitalist Corporations. Sladder had intentionally made his results so-so, so that the entire Mass Drive conglomerate would not be abandoned by the Information Alliance.


    It was a dangerous gamble.


    If he did too well, they might determine they could make Sladder¡¯s research a reality without him. However, if he did not do well enough, they might determine that Sladder¡¯s ideas were nothing more than a pipedream.


    When faced with the overwhelming power of an Object, he had needed to produce results that were in that sweet spot between too much and too little.


    That was many, many times more difficult and dangerous than simply recklessly heading in to destroy an Object with some bombs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it,¡± said Quenser. ¡°You let the Break Carrier be destroyed for that? Did the Break Carrier¡¯s pilot agree to that?¡±


    ¡°To be honest, it wasn¡¯t all planned out to that extent.¡±


    Sladder¡¯s tone dropped a bit.


    He may have been recalling the face of that Elite.


    ¡°I only started seriously thinking about securing refuge with the technology to destroy an Object without an Object after Lisolette was destroyed. The plan at the time was to negotiate with the Information Alliance using Lisolette. That long distance bombardment using a combination of a method of aiming using the chaff missile clouds and the high power railgun is a good bargaining chip, don¡¯t you think? Our Elite could control it best and we could maintain it best. You could say what we actually used was the Plan B we had prepared ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    (The Mass Driver conglomerate passed through Central America. To get to the Iguazu district, they had to pass by the Parima district at the northernmost part of South America. If their plan was simply to ask the Information Alliance for help, they would have had no reason to go to the Iguazu district. That means they were either planning to create their own independent nation or that they still needed data on the Break Carrier or the non-Object tactics to use in negotiations.)


    Had Sladder simply been very lucky?


    Or had his excessive preparedness saved him?


    Quenser had a feeling it was both. By taking in everything he could by coincidence or necessity, that monster had gained the nature of the ultimate pawn. That was not something that could be gained merely by natural talent or merely by hard work.


    ¡°None of it really matters,¡± said Sladder Honeysuckle the Strategist quietly. ¡°All that we want is an environment in which to develop mass drivers. It does not matter to us if the balance of the current Object-oriented battlefield is destroyed. Those giant things can do nothing but kill.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± Quenser checked on the plastic explosive in his hand once more. He toyed with the Hand Axe in his hand. ¡°It seems we cannot come to an understanding.¡±


    ¡°What part of that did you have a problem with?¡±


    ¡°The part where you want to hide in the shadows and benefit from the Objects and Elites that are fighting on the battlefield. And the part where you have no problem blaming others and viewing yourself as blameless when your own Object is destroyed.¡±


    He spoke with conviction.


    It was because he felt that way that Quenser was standing there at that moment.


    He had come there to force open the blocked ejection point hatch rather than abandoning the princess and her destroyed Object.


    However...


    His words only made Sladder laugh.


    As they were both hiding behind upwards-pointing cannons, Quenser could not see his expression, but he heard his laugh. Sladder¡¯s shoulders were likely moving up and down.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk.¡±


    Sladder¡¯s tone of voice gave Quenser an ominous feeling.


    Quenser naturally tensed up even more.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that has ended several wars with the smallest amount of damage by blowing up the Objects from the very beginning. Isn¡¯t that right, Quenser Barbotage?¡±


    (How does he know my name!?)


    Quenser was utterly shocked, but he was not given time to respond.


    Gunshots rang out and sparks flew from the upwards-pointing cannon he was hiding behind.


    However, this was no threat or warning.


    He also heard approaching footsteps partially masked by the gunshots.


    (He¡¯s coming!?)


    Quenser immediately leaned out from behind the cannon to throw the plastic explosive in the direction of the noise.


    But he got kicked instead.


    Quenser was crouched on one knee to throw the bomb, but a heavy strike struck his face before he could.


    ¡°Gah...!?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s head was horribly shaken and he was knocked rolling backwards. The bomb he had been about to throw fell down onto the Object¡¯s spherical body.


    And then Sladder aimed his handgun at close range.


    ¡°You¡¯re more famous than you think. ...Especially among those who gather the best of their technology to create Objects.¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Quenser did not have time to get up, so he frantically rolled to the side in order to evade. However, he gained more momentum than he had expected. A second later he realized he was starting to roll down the slant of the spherical body.


    (Not good... If I roll any further, I¡¯ll be headed straight for the ground!!)


    Quenser managed to stop his momentum, but then a gunshot rang out.


    At the same time, a blazing pain ran through his left shoulder.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get so worked up. It only grazed you. It didn¡¯t even take out the joint.¡±


    Quenser clenched his teeth as he held his burning shoulder with his other hand.


    At the same time, a twinge of doubt entered his mind.


    Sladder should have had no reason to hold back.


    ¡°I had no real reason.¡± Sladder Honeysuckle smiled calmly. ¡°I started out as an engineer. To be honest, I¡¯m almost entirely self-taught when it comes to guns. I tried shooting at you as you rolled and I just so happened to hit your shoulder.¡±


    They were only 3 meters apart.


    Someone well versed in a specialized martial art might have been able to take the gun from him. However, a student like Quenser had no such ability.


    Meanwhile, Sladder accurately aimed the gun at him.


    ¡°So I will make sure to kill you when the time comes. Oh, and it seems that time is now.¡±


    ¡°...Then you should have shot every bullet you had rather than just shooting once.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t put every effort into this, people can take advantage of it like this.¡±


    As he spoke, Quenser held out his uniform¡¯s jacket to show the inside.


    Sladder assumed he had a gun, so he immediately prepared to pull the trigger, but then he stopped.


    A clay-like object was hanging from Quenser¡¯s belt.


    It was a Hand Axe plastic explosive with an electric fuse inserted.


    ¡°Kh!?¡±


    ¡°Should you be taking aim like that?¡±


    As he spoke, Quenser held his thumb against the switch on the radio he held in one hand. Even if he was accurately shot in the head, he could very well press the button when he collapsed. That would blow Sladder away as well.


    (Damn you!!)


    Sladder leapt behind a nearby upward-pointing cannon to avoid the blast.


    However, he then realized something.


    It was about that detonator Quenser had.


    He had been using a radio to send the detonation signal.


    A radio.


    Yes.


    (Wait a second. Would he really have that switch set on a direct connection with the bomb hanging from his belt!?)


    That worry brought unease and the unease grew into fear.


    However, Quenser did not wait.


    He unhesitatingly pressed the switch.


    A great noise and a shockwave exploded out.


    However, they came from directly behind Sladder as he hid behind the upwards-pointing cannon.


    When Sladder had kicked Quenser¡¯s face, the bomb Quenser had been about to throw had fallen onto the Object¡¯s body. They were now down where Quenser had almost fallen off whereas that bomb had still been up nearer to the top of the Object. Quenser had kept the focus on himself while detonating the bomb directly behind Sladder.


    There was a good distance between Sladder and the bomb, but the blast was still strong enough to send him flying through the air. Sladder flew a few meters before striking the spherical body made of steel once more. From there, he rolled. He finally came to a stop near Quenser.


    Quenser crouched down to pick up the handgun Sladder had dropped.


    He then held the barrel against Sladder¡¯s head.


    Sladder let out a groan, but Quenser uttered only one word.


    ¡°Checkmate.¡±

 Volume 2, Epilogue

    Volume 2, Epilogue


    With their leader, Sladder Honeysuckle, captured, the Mass Driver conglomerate¡¯s morale and ability to continue with its operation dropped considerably.


    The Baby Magnum could no longer continue fighting, but the ¡°unrefined old-fashioned methods of fighting war¡± such as foot soldiers and tanks allowed the Legitimacy Kingdom to succeed.


    And so the war with the Mass Driver conglomerate that began in Antarctica and continued into the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Amazon district was finally over.


    The Mass Driver conglomerate had originally been a large organization that supported a large part of the Capitalist Corporations. The Capitalist Corporations insisted the Mass Driver conglomerate had gone on a rampage they had been unable to stop, but they were still unable to avoid all responsibility. Most likely, the Legitimacy Kingdom would be able to gain a few advantageous treaties with the Capitalist Corporations.


    Similar responsibility could not be tied to the Information Alliance. They had intended to advance their military across national borders and into the ruins of Amazon City to carry out Sladder Honeysuckle¡¯s request, but intentions were no more than intentions. They had not actually carried out those intentions, so they were able to evade any responsibility.


    ¡°It seems the Mass Driver conglomerate will be judged under Legitimacy Kingdom law,¡± said Heivia.


    Quenser and Heivia were inside an Object manufacturing plant in the Amazon district. The princess¡¯s Object was undergoing repairs for all the damage it had taken during the various battles. The giant box-like facility was similar to the ones in shipyards. However, they had not brought the Object to the plant. Instead, the plant had been broken down into parts and set up around the damaged Baby Magnum.


    As he watched giant cranes removing the broken and unmoving main cannons, Quenser replied to Heivia.


    ¡°Well, we did manage to end this in our territory.¡±


    ¡°It seems both the Capitalist Corporations and the Information Alliance have requested we hand over Sladder Honeysuckle and the others, but they both know it¡¯s a ridiculous request. Going along with it would be the same as admitting extraterritoriality,¡± said Froleytia as she smoked her long, narrow Japanese-style kiseru languidly while leaning against a metal railing.


    Quenser looked at the face of his bluish silver-haired commander.


    ¡°...Honeysuckle and the others? ...So what¡¯s going to happen to the Mass Driver conglomerate now?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. Even here in the Legitimacy Kingdom people are arguing over whether we should simply execute them or if we should try to get technological information out of them. If you had just shot him there, this would have been a lot simpler. I told their major general that we would do just that.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Did you not shoot him because your circumstances were similar?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Quenser shook his head.


    Sometimes he felt like doing what he was doing was taking a hugely roundabout course. He had left his safe country school to come to the battlefield as a battlefield student in order to learn about Object design. He had felt at the time like he was doing something similar to skipping a few grades, but he now sometimes felt like it would have been faster to have just continued studying at the school.


    However, there may have been things one could not learn in a school.


    For example, the faint hatred Quenser had glimpsed in Sladder. And the feeling of not being able to pull the trigger at the last second. Those things would not necessarily be of any use, but they were also things he was unlikely to ever forget.


    Especially if he ever actually designed Objects to send to the battlefield.


    ¡°But it did make me think about why we are fighting.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I wondered if it was really necessary to kill Honeysuckle back there in order for us to survive.¡±


    ¡°You soft bastard,¡± muttered Heivia.


    Quenser agreed with him.


    The princess had been carrying out some work elsewhere, but now she approached them. She had likely been informing the maintenance soldiers how she liked the ¡°feel¡± of the controls so they could carry out the overall repairs of the Object. She had been the one in the most danger during the entire incident. Her expressionless face looked more weary than usual.


    ¡°They say the repairs should take 2 weeks. We cannot move until then,¡± she said.


    ¡°I did call in another Legitimacy Kingdom Object from another area. Even if something unexpected happens, we won¡¯t be forced to deal with it ourselves,¡± said Froleytia as if she was double checking the schedule.


    The princess turned to Quenser and said, ¡°Thank you for everything.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± said Quenser before looking up at what was in the center of the plant.


    It was the giant weapon known as an Object.


    While looking up at that mass of steel that had been damaged too badly to move due to numerous attacks, Quenser muttered, ¡°...The destruction of an established theory, hm?¡±


    That was what Sladder Honeysuckle had said his objective was.


    However, it might have been Quenser and Heivia who had pulled that trigger.


    Yes.


    It was them who had been destroying Objects with plastic explosives.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t just us. More and more people are starting to think about destroying Objects without using one themselves.¡±


    ¡°The established theories of history are overthrown surprisingly easily. Textbooks saying iron was first used by the Hittites in 1400 BCE said something completely different the following year.¡±


    ¡°Is this really a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡± Heivia shrugged. ¡°But this Object-focused world is the result of something from the past being overthrown.¡±


    ...And after that nice ending line, Heivia suddenly grinned.


    ¡°Hey, by the way, Quenser. Didn¡¯t we do quite well this time?¡±


    ¡°Ahn? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You blew away that Break Carrier Object, right? And I stopped the explosion of the Iguazu Dam. Not to mention that you captured the Mass Driver conglomerate¡¯s commander alive. We prevented a three-way war between the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Information Alliance, so do you think we¡¯ll get medals?¡±


    ¡°Oh!! You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right! It was pretty much all positive things!! The positives weren¡¯t cancelled out by negatives brought in by the odd expectations of the higher ups this time! Now I can get a full bank account and draw closer to being a designer. And you¡¯re that much closer to inheriting your noble family! Hooray! Hooray!!¡±


    As those two idiots cheered and raised their hands in the air, their silver-haired, large-breasted commander cut them off while puffing out some sweet smoke from her long, narrow kiseru.


    ¡°...What are you saying? It was the princess that finished off the Break Carrier, not Quenser. That doesn¡¯t count in your favor.¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    ¡°And I may personally commend you for the defense of the Iguazu Dam, but from a purely ¡®chain of command¡¯ perspective, Corporal Bilany Saronno¡¯s front lines scouting unit will likely be determined to be in the right. In other words, you were obstructing an official operation, Heivia. Especially since I never officially gave you permission.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°And the operation in the ruins of Amazon City was carried out by the entirety of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion. You may have just so happened to be near Honeysuckle, but it was not an independent action, so you get no special commendation for it. The entire unit might, though.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, we did all this and get nothing?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re kidding, right? Please tell me you¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. You altered the trajectory of that small satellite in Antarctica which made us lose the chance to kill the Capitalist Corporations major general in that moon villa. That counts against you.¡±


    ¡°Uuh!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, and it seems you were treated to food and drink at a local coffee plantation in the Iguazu district. I said you could rest somewhere, but receiving goods from foreign civilians during a military operation is another minus.¡±


    ¡°Uuuh!?¡±


    ¡°And Quenser, you grabbed my breasts and slandered your commanding officer. That is a major minus.¡±


    ¡°What the hell did you do, Quenser you lucky bastard!?¡±


    ¡°Um, there were various circumstances that played into it...and don¡¯t you have a fianc¨¦e!?¡±


    As the two idiots started arguing, a cold look entered the princess¡¯s eyes. However, Quenser was completely oblivious to this change.


    Meanwhile, Froleytia continued speaking as if none of that was going on.


    ¡°Overall, the minuses are more prominent than the plusses. You need some military training in order to preserve the order of the unit. I¡¯m thinking something like 300 lashes with a horse whip.¡±


    ¡°That would tear open our entire body!! We¡¯d be so covered in red no flesh color would remain!!¡±


    ¡°...Froleytia, are you still holding a grudge about that tits thing!? I¡¯ll admit that feeling was well above average, but aren¡¯t you putting too high a value on your breasts!?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. If you like, I could go with 10 lashes with a horse whip and 1 candle.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! That would turn us into wax models!!¡±


    ¡°No, this has gone well beyond the level of kinky. This has made its way to the absolutely bizarre!! I¡¯ve never done anything to my commanding officer¡¯s breasts, so why do I have to receive the same punishment as Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you want to die?¡±


    The two idiots shook their heads at Froleytia¡¯s question.


    Their commanding officer smiled and said, ¡°Then win back my trust with results. Do your job. Take a quick ride on a transport plane and destroy a certain god damn Object in a distant country.¡±

 Volume 2, Afterword

    Volume 2, Afterword


    The second volume!!


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    The battlefield still changed with each chapter this time, but I tried to make it feel more like one single novel than the previous volume did. How did you like the fight against the Mass Driver conglomerate?


    A mention of the moon villas could be glimpsed in Volume 1¡¯s prologue, but I focused more on that part this time.


    There were fewer direct battles against Objects than in Volume 1, but did you notice that there were about as many Objects present overall in this one?


    Sladder Honeysuckle¡¯s strategy was not to use a completed Object, but to use the separate parts that make up an Object to their fullest. He used the main cannon, the secondary cannons, the armor, the reactor, and even the idea that ¡°the enemy has an Object¡± individually.


    I would say the idea to split apart a completed Object like that comes from the irregular way of thinking unique to designers of that world. It was a bit of a different approach from Quenser who mentally disassembles the enemy Object to search for a weakness.


    The actual results were as you saw in the novel, but if Sladder¡¯s strategy had succeeded, it might have overturned the theory of war in that world. Perhaps Sladder could have been the protagonist of a different story.


    ...As the author, my intention was to focus on each individual part to demonstrate to the readers the grand scale of the completed Objects from various different angles. Do you think I pulled it off?


    I view the relationship between the mass driver and the laser space elevator as being similar to the competition in the race to develop new fighter planes. The Mass Driver conglomerate was a loser of that race that refused to stop. Whenever I hear about the race to develop stealth fighters or something, I have similar thoughts to what the Information Alliance lieutenant colonel said. It probably just shows that I know nothing about the topic, but I always feel it is such a waste for the loser because it is probably quite good too. Of course, there would probably be all sorts of problems if you tried to enter the production stage with both of them. That¡¯s why the competition to get chosen exists in the first place.


    Also, I touched just a bit on the situation of the characters of Heivia, Froleytia, and Sladder. This may have made them seem more human when compared to Volume 1. However, what I wanted to get across first and foremost was the exhilaration of destroying the enemy. I would be lying if I said I was not worried this would have the opposite effect. So which way is better? Quenser, the princess, and even the old maintenance soldier lady have stories like that, but I am trying to think of ways to tell those stories while still bringing out that exhilaration.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagiryo-san and my editor, Miki-san. I am certain that it is the illustrations that get the cuteness of the heroines and the grandness of the Objects across to the readers. As before, I am truly thankful.


    And I would like to thank the readers. I learned a lot from this novel as well. It is certainly thanks to all of your support that I had the chance to try out this more experimental story. Please continue your support in the future.


    This time, they got a lot of help from the Object, but it might be fun to think of ways to defeat the Break Carrier without that help.


    And so, I think I will end this here.


    I lay down my pen while hoping this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    Mach 25 goes well beyond a speed you can imagine in your head, doesn¡¯t it?


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 3, Prologue

    Volume 3, Prologue


    Hey.


    Which one do you belong to?


    The Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, or the Faith Organization?


    There are many different world powers. There are even more if you include more unusual places like the moon and blank areas that belong to none of the others.


    Well, it really doesn¡¯t matter which one you belong to.


    You can just choose which one best matches your principles and your tastes.


    That¡¯s all that really matters.


    Almost half the world is covered by safe countries where no other weapons exist and that are protected by the powerful Objects owned by their respective world powers. And if you go to the moon, a blank area, or anywhere else that is deemed to be away from any major trouble based on the flow of worldly matters, you can have a similarly peaceful life.


    However...


    If you are looking through the world powers in search of a perfect paradise that lacks any of the problems of this world...well, let me stop you right now.


    It isn¡¯t that simple.


    A place like that may exist in the world, but I certainly have never heard of one.


    There will always be problems.


    There will always be faults.


    Ha ha. What¡¯s with that sullen look? An excellent reaction. Those are the eyes of someone who has not yet given up hope. To be honest, I¡¯m jealous. Since you made me jealous, I¡¯ll tell you a bit of a story. Oh, don¡¯t worry. Someone with that look in their eyes won¡¯t be swayed even slightly by a little story like this.


    Yes.


    That¡¯s right.


    Okay, how about I get started?


    This is a story about the shadows of those world powers you believe in so much.

 Volume 3, 3: Honor is Priceless >> Emergency Interception at Victoria Island

    Volume 3, Chapter 3: Honor is Priceless >> Emergency Interception at Victoria Island


    Part 1


    Froleytia stood within a cargo plane.


    There were a few dozen of them in all and they were all filled with various vehicles and equipment. The one Froleytia was on had nothing but high quality furnishings that were privately owned by a certain officer. In fact, the entire plane had been added specifically for her things.


    Froleytia felt there was no need to split it apart like that, but the air force group that had supplied the cargo planes seemed to enjoy providing that kind of hospitality. As flashy dogfights had fallen out of fashion, they had learned the etiquette of making deliveries.


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom military¡¯s 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion and the Second Generation Indigo Plasma it controls seem to be trying to return to Europe by passing through Alaska and heading over the Atlantic Ocean. Currently, they are headed east while breaking through the thick ice in the ocean around the Queen Elizabeth Islands in the Arctic. They should soon realize that is inefficient and head up onto land. The nearby Victoria Island seems the most likely landing point.¡±


    As Froleytia listened to the female operator from the electronic simulation department, she quietly exhaled some tobacco smoke.


    ¡°...I can¡¯t believe it is taking us so long to attack. If we had just blockaded the Bering Sea, we could have cut off the Indigo Plasma and the 24th. Then they would surely have run out of material. Due to our slow response, they were able to meet up with the unit hidden in Alaska and resupply. They might very well be throwing a victory party right this very instant. ...I wonder if the higher ups in the Sovereign Parliament are secretly negotiating with both sides.¡±


    ¡°This is a rare occurrence even in historical terms. The 24th may have taken that into account when they made their plan.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, we had the CS broadcast team here for the interviews. That gives us video evidence for the entire thing from beginning to end. I doubt the production staff for a variety program thought the footage they were taking would ever reach scowling top-level military officers, nobles, or royals.¡±


    ¡°The coast guards who could only sit idly by and watch as a clear enemy passed by might be seeing the scene again and again in their nightmares for months.¡±


    ¡°Soldiers zealous enough to do that are rare these days. And I am not one of them.¡± Froleytia gave a mocking smile. ¡°But the 24th are finally officially considered our enemy. We can now blow them away with impunity. Even if they are an entire battalion with an Object of their own, they only have one.¡±


    ¡°Yes. At the very least, I do not think they have enough strength to handle the entire Legitimacy Kingdom military.¡±


    ¡°What about our strength? How many Objects can we use?¡±


    ¡°Three are currently deployed to the Alaska district. Our Baby Magnum, the Snow Quake, and the Active Sledge. In a week¡¯s time, it seems 5 more in Europe should be able to cross the Atlantic and reach us.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sure those 5 are primarily there because the VIPs on the Council put self-preservation above all else so they want to build a defensive line across the Atlantic. They will not be cooperating with us. Even if our Objects are destroyed, they will be ordered to not take a step in our direction.¡±


    Also, it did not take an entire week for Objects that moved at around 500 kph to cross the Atlantic Ocean. They would claim that transporting the equipment needed for the maintenance bases was what was taking so much time, but it was clear what their real reason was. They wanted to keep that large force in the Atlantic Ocean.


    ¡°More importantly, the Snow Quake or the Active Sledge are not going to join the 24th¡¯s side, are they? We could easily be shot in the back in this situation. Just because they see this disorder in our ranks does not necessarily mean the other forces will take action.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, but do you really think anyone else would agree with the 24th¡¯s radical views? Black Uniforms are being sent to those other units for barrier duty, but it is likely a waste of tax money.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I guess this is just the crazy ideas of a noble.¡±


    ¡°So how shall we carry out the interception of the 24th?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Froleytia looked over at the giant map attached to the whiteboard. She took the quill sitting on the table and forcefully stabbed the tip into a point on the map as if she was throwing a dart.


    ¡°If they continue on, they should end up at Victoria Island. That is where we will blow the Indigo Plasma to pieces.¡±


    Part 2


    Quenser and Heivia stepped down from the open back of a cargo plane and onto icy land.


    They were at a hastily constructed airfield on the Arctic Victoria Island in the northern portion of the Alaska district.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they can land somewhere this frozen. Is this supposed to be a runway? You could play ice hockey on it,¡± said Heivia in shock, but he frantically moved out of the way when a truck horn blared.


    Several large military vehicles were driving down the lowered cargo door and onto the runway.


    Quenser held his arms around his body for warmth even with his heavy coat on.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the princess?¡±


    ¡°She got here long ago. We came later to construct the maintenance base. We don¡¯t get sent to the front lines every time,¡± said Heivia before bringing a hand to his forehead and staring straight up. ¡°I thought the Indigo Plasma was doing some crazy things, but I never thought that was the infamous Prizewell City Slicker¡¯s unit. I hadn¡¯t heard much about him for 2 or 3 years now. I wonder when he was scouted and secretly started heading down the path of an Elite.¡±


    ¡°Who is he?¡±


    ¡°A hardcore lineage advocate. Basically, he¡¯s the stereotypical example of the kind of noble you don¡¯t want to have to deal with,¡± cut in Froleytia from the side with her long, thin kiseru in her mouth. She must not have had much to do until the maintenance base was constructed because she looked bored. ¡°Basically, he¡¯s an idiot who has mistakenly decided his ultimate objective should be to ensure a set group of people centered around him controls the wars and government. He advocates reinstating the slave class that was utterly abolished a few decades back. He claims the stagnation of the Legitimacy Kingdom economy is due to a lack of a working force.¡±


    ¡°He is trying to use language to bring about this reform in social classes. City Slicker is an ardent language preservation activist.¡±


    ¡°You mean he discriminates based on whether you can speak the language or not?¡±


    ¡°Yes. City Slicker fears the decay of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s official language more than anything else. He is rumored to have been behind a few terrorist attacks involving things such as assassinations of foreign language band members and bombings of foreign language schools. There was never enough evidence, though,¡± said Heivia.


    Quenser frowned and said, ¡°It is true that you occasionally hear about languages dying out because not enough people used it and it was not passed on to enough people, but this is the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s official language City Slicker is talking about, right? It¡¯s the official language of one of the major world powers. It isn¡¯t going to die out so easily.¡±


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s official language is primarily based on French with influences from the languages of the other European cultures added in. You know that much, right, Quenser?¡± With a smile, Froleytia tapped her shoulder. A few letters were written on the unit insignia there. ¡°But what language is used on the military¡¯s unit insignias?¡±


    ¡°...English.¡±


    ¡°Things like military jargon, internet tags, and programming languages are often based around English even now. It is a relic of an age before the arrival of Objects, but I would be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t easier to just keep using the existing terminology. But City Slicker will not allow that. Unless everything down to the last restaurant menu is in the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s official language, he will not be satisfied.¡±


    ¡°It sounds more like he¡¯s the one destroying a linguistic culture. So did that bastard Nutley shoot us in the back over that?¡±


    ¡°If you add in some clever seasoning, language preservation activism can seem like quite a beautiful thing,¡± Heivia said, grinning. ¡°If nobles and commoners spoke the same language, everyone could get along. Men could get along with women, adults could get along with children, and people of every skin color could get along. If we could just speak to each other in the same language, everyone could smile together. Isn¡¯t that just wonderful!? ...Their sales pitch is something like that.¡±


    ¡°Of course, they don¡¯t bring up the reverse side of the coin. That worldview shows that you have no intention of smiling together with those who cannot speak your language. In fact, it shows you do not even intend to treat them like fellow human beings.¡±


    ¡°Nutley was black.¡±


    ¡°True, but Cookman was black, too. And Myonri was Asian. The Legitimacy Kingdom may be based on the culture of a bygone era of kings and knights, but black nobles are not exactly rare these days. There doesn¡¯t really seem to be a foundation for those words to work off of and lead him astray.¡±


    ¡°It does not matter if the foundation actually exists or not. As long as Nutley had even the slightest doubts along those lines, Prizewell City Slicker just had to find them and use them.¡±


    ¡°But you also said City Slicker was a lineage advocate...¡±


    ¡°Yes. Just like with the mafia, he surrounds himself with blood relatives. Deep down, he will never trust a stranger. He uses language when choosing his ¡®pawns¡¯.¡±


    That talk left a bitter taste in Quenser¡¯s mouth.


    City Slicker may have seen it as nothing more than using tactics from his field of expertise.


    ¡°He does not care about anyone besides himself,¡± muttered Froleytia in an evaluation of the leader of the 24th. She gently blew out some smoke. ¡°That is why he did not fit in even among the nobles. That made him feel the need to rush things. This entire incident seems to be his attempt to gain more of a right to speak within the Legitimacy Kingdom through his military contributions. Then, he can continue with his language preservation activism. ...But you saw what happened. His slaughter of the Faith Organization civilians was stopped and he failed to create the spark he wanted. His information manipulation that was meant to take advantage of the confusion also failed. His political maneuvering was exposed and his influence has plummeted. Before long, his position as a noble will likely be officially revoked and will be treated as a pitiable ¡®fallen noble¡¯.¡±


    ¡°But he took action before that could happen,¡± muttered Quenser.


    Froleytia shrugged lightly and said, ¡°He might be hoping to cross the Atlantic, threaten the Sovereign Parliament, and correct his political trajectory, or he might be hoping to attack an Information Alliance city in eastern America to restore his influence. Whatever he plans to do, it is nothing but a nuisance and the higher ups of the military do not want any of it to happen. After he came so far, I almost feel sorry for him. Not that I intend to hold back,¡± she said offhandedly. ¡°Prizewell City Slicker¡¯s goal is not to overthrow the Legitimacy Kingdom. He simply wants to retain his position within the current system. From there, he wants to obtain a position that gives him overwhelming military force that he can use to prod the Sovereign Parliament in the direction of his own views.¡±


    ¡°They only have the Indigo Plasma, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but this area is something like Prizewell City Slicker¡¯s manor. Rumor has it he privately owns an unofficially operated weapons factory somewhere around here. It is possible they were resupplied while on the move and that the Object is now equipped with weapons not in the diagrams we have. If we let our guard down, we could run into a most unwelcome surprise.¡±


    ¡°But we have three Objects while they have just the one,¡± said Heivia to Quenser in a joking tone. ¡°Whatever equipment they may have gained, the numbers are just too different. Our victory is ensured. The only real problem is the bad taste shooting fellow Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers will leave in our mouths.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will almost assuredly achieve victory in the end,¡± agreed Froleytia. ¡°But do not forget that we could take damages in the process. The son of the Winchell family does not intend to get killed by a stray bullet with victory before his eyes, does he?¡±


    Heivia¡¯s jocular expression froze in place at Froleytia¡¯s cold tone.


    Part 3


    A few hours later, the maintenance base zone made up of a convoy of large vehicles had been constructed. Froleytia gathered the members of the unit and began the pre-mission briefing.


    ¡°The enemy will be here soon.¡± She used a projector to display a map on the screen behind her. ¡°We are up against the 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion and the Indigo Plasma. There is no need to think of them as fellow Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. They sullied the name of the Legitimacy Kingdom enough for the Sovereign Parliament to officially declare them an enemy force. To prevent any unnecessary damages such as any to civilians, we must eliminate the unit and its leader Prizewell City Slicker.¡±


    This did not cause a stir in the crowd.


    They had all clearly seen the true nature of the Indigo Plasma when it tried to slaughter civilians on the Kamchatka Peninsula, even if those civilians were from an enemy nation. Modern war made a clear distinction between safe countries and battlefields. The true nature of Froleytia and the 37th she commanded had also been made clear when they had led the civilians to the submarines even when doing so had no real merit for her unit. A force that crossed that line had to be destroyed before it could grow any more powerful.


    ¡°As its name would suggest, the Indigo Plasma is a Second Generation Object that specializes in the use of low-stability plasma cannons. It is quite powerful on its own, but it seems tactics have been put together for it that include working together with a unit of foot soldiers. ...That is because they were part of the Legitimacy Kingdom military. They analyzed our victories and tried to add that into their own force.¡±


    A few people in the crowd gave some sarcastic applause, but Quenser was taken aback. He had not been fighting Objects in order to help slaughterers grow more powerful.


    To get rid of the heavy atmosphere, Quenser asked, ¡°What exactly will we be doing?¡±


    ¡°Basically, we will take them out here on the coast of Victoria Island. The Baby Magnum and the Snow Quake will obstruct their path on land while the Active Sledge will cut off their retreat on the sea. The 24th will not try to take us on in a straight fight. Their foot soldier unit will likely try something. They have no chance while it is 3 to 1, so they will enact a strategy meant to destroy our unity.¡±


    ¡°Is there any information that needs special attention?¡±


    ¡°The 24th is taking this action because they believe they will end up with better odds even than 1 on 1 if we sabotage each other. I doubt the battle will go exactly as they wish it to, but there is a real danger of unnecessary confusion causing damages to spread farther than necessary. If you do not wish to die needlessly in a battle we end up winning, make sure to stay on your guard.¡±


    After that, she explained specifically what different units would be doing. More foot soldiers were being deployed than usual. The fact that Froleytia was sending out over 100 foot soldiers showed just how worried she was about the 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s foot soldier unit.


    When the pre-mission briefing was over, Heivia slipped into the group of soldiers heading for the exit and worked his way over toward Quenser.


    ¡°Hey, hero. What area are you headed to?¡±


    ¡°Area F.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll be together.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re setting bombs along the 24th¡¯s route to stop their foot soldiers and vehicles, right?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon now, stop that. Reconfirming what we¡¯re doing right before we head out is just going to make us more nervous. When did you get to be so smart?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be treating this like I¡¯m cramming before the night of an entrance exam. Hating things like that was what led me to becoming a battlefield student. But I might die if I don¡¯t do it. Rumor has it the Indigo Plasma has had additions using private funds. If that¡¯s true, the Legitimacy Kingdom military¡¯s blueprint won¡¯t be reliable. Just the other day with the Wing Balancer, we saw how dangerous misreading an Object¡¯s abilities is.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, no one expected to find an Object that could actually jump,¡± said Heivia in disgust.


    As they left the assembly room, they spotted a few unfamiliar men sitting with their backs against the corridor wall. Their clothes made it clear they were not military men. They could only be described as dirty middle-aged men.


    As they passed the men, Quenser asked Heivia, ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°The CS broadcast staff I would assume. The one for that military show. We came straight here from the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Black Uniforms withdrew to help with the mission, but there was no time to deal with the TV crew. They have to stick around here until the cargo planes head back to a safe country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised the media isn¡¯t restricted from coming outside while a scandal like this is going on.¡±


    ¡°Normally, they would be thrown into detention cells in the name of intelligence preservation. Our huge-breasted commander may be generally frightening, but one of her good points is her ability to be oddly allowing about these kinds of things.¡±


    ¡°...But a battle is about to start, right? Is that really okay?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? But they came to a maintenance base on the front lines, so they had to have been prepared for some kind of trouble to occur. At the very least, it would have been written in tiny letters at the bottom of whatever paperwork they signed. Otherwise, that huge-breasted commander would never have allowed it.¡±


    (So is she kind or is she not...?)


    Quenser turned around once and looked at a cameraman who looked entirely exhausted. Had they been expecting a clean battle between Objects that was like an official sports competition?


    However, there would be no point in speaking to them.


    Quenser did not have the authority to send them back to a safe country and he could not pilot a cargo plane.


    ¡°...Does that mean their star is still here too?¡± wondered Quenser.


    ¡°Oh, she was amazing. She reminded me of a nostalgic idol from the old days. She had white and pink camouflage on. She must have been preparing for a firefight in a glass of strawberry milk.¡±


    ¡°I wonder if it would be inconsiderate of me to ask for her signature in this situation.¡±


    ¡°You can probably manage it during the confusion of the victory party.¡±


    Suddenly, the princess walked around a corner of the corridor while holding a few ration packages. She spotted Quenser and Heivia and approached them.


    ¡°Oh, are you on your way to board the Baby Magnum?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, those rations look as disgusting as ever. Hey, how about we go on strike when things are a little more peaceful?¡±


    The princess ignored Heivia¡¯s suggestion that could have been interpreted as treason and looked over at Quenser.


    ¡°...The old lady was acting oddly.¡±


    ¡°Hah?¡±


    ¡°I guess you do not know what is happening either.¡±


    The princess gave a heavy sigh. She must have been worried.


    Heivia must have overlooked how serious she was taking it because he said, ¡°Everyone gets a little nervous just before a mission. This time there will be a lot of foot soldiers on the front lines in addition to the Objects. Maybe she¡¯s worried about us like we¡¯re her family.¡±


    ¡°Could it really just be that?¡± said the princess with a puzzled look as she headed to the Object maintenance area.


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser stared at her back as she left, but then...


    ¡°Ahn? Hey, Quenser, where are you going? We¡¯ll be heading out soon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a detour.¡±


    ¡°I see. Go off and hear out that old lady¡¯s worries if you like, but be quick about it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that softhearted. It¡¯s just that all these battles have left me with little time to study Object design. I have enough time to make a quick visit to the maintenance area. I need to cram my head full of as much knowledge as I can.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the excuses, lady killer. Go make that old woman¡¯s heart go all aflutter.¡±


    Ignoring Heivia¡¯s one-sided conclusion, Quenser headed for the maintenance area. The princess must have headed for the Object as quickly as she could because he did not catch up to her on the way.


    The flow of time felt different inside.


    Everything was much, much faster.


    The speed at which things and people moved was much greater than normal.


    A fair amount of damage had been taken in the battle with the Wing Balancer on the Kamchatka Peninsula. And now they had another battle coming up. They wanted to repair that damage as much as possible. After all...


    (We are up against a traitor that has left the Legitimacy Kingdom. The normal rules of war no longer apply. We cannot use the white flag, so a loss means a slaughter.)


    It was like there was a cliff one step behind them. The desire to get as much done as possible was understandable.


    ¡°Boy,¡± said a voice from behind him.


    He turned around and found the old maintenance lady approaching with a toolbox.


    ¡°This is an emergency battle preparation. I do not have time to lecture an amateur.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always telling me to steal as much information as I can using my eyes. I came here to test just how much I can absorb during the real deal.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± said the old lady before making a motion telling Quenser to follow her and then beginning to walk once more.


    As the princess had said, she was not being very talkative. Also, it seemed to be more than just pre-battle jitters. The other maintenance soldiers were in oddly high spirits as they forced themselves into an explosion of activity. Their attitude was the more common one for maintenance soldiers.


    The old maintenance lady did not head for the metal framework of scaffolding around the Object¡¯s main body. Instead, she headed for a crane a bit away from the Object. It was one of the types used at ports and shipyards that had the operator¡¯s seat located a few dozen meters up into the air.


    Instead of lowering the crane¡¯s operator¡¯s seat to the ground, the two of them jumped from scaffolding sticking out into empty air and onto the open area attached around the operator¡¯s seat. The method was not exactly good to Quenser¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Th-this isn¡¯t the usual type of crane we use.¡±


    ¡°It is a Legitimacy Kingdom military format, but it is one of the pieces of equipment we borrowed from the unit already on Victoria Island. We could hardly fit everything aboard the cargo planes.¡±


    That meant a few of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s proper vehicles had been left behind on the Kamchatka Peninsula.


    As Quenser thought about that, the old maintenance lady tossed him a pair of binoculars.


    ¡°You can steal with your eyes best if you¡¯re high up, right? Also, we can¡¯t have someone who doesn¡¯t understand the rhythm of things wandering around down there.¡±


    ¡°You sure are harsh...¡±


    Quenser entered the enclosed area that contained the crane¡¯s operator¡¯s seat.


    It was a large area. He felt like an entire 10-person van could fit inside. A single seat was installed in the center and various buttons and levers were installed around it. Also...


    ¡°Wow, the floor¡¯s transparent. If you threw someone who was afraid of heights in here, they¡¯d probably tell you anything to be let out.¡±


    ¡°Cranes like this need some way to see what is going on down below.¡±


    ¡°But is this crane really being used? I see an electric hot water dispenser, magazines, sleeping bags, and other small things in here. It looks like people are living in here.¡±


    ¡°As I said, we borrowed it. A lot of the equipment they use is not all that useful here. We thought it could at least function as a break room.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Quenser as he looked around.


    There were a lot of tools to kill time scattered about. A few board games were spread out on the floor. He saw a few mechanically-focused magazines he did not recognize strewn about. He also saw a horseracing magazine that let you buy tickets online. It had things highlighted throughout. Amid it all was a digital picture frame. It showed an ephemeral-looking girl with black hair.


    Quenser picked it up and asked the old lady, ¡°Whose is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°Hehh. So is this your daughter? Or your granddaughter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°!!!???¡±


    Quenser quickly looked up from the digital picture frame and then back down at the image data.


    ¡°...D-do you have the special ability to turn young again on nights with a full moon?¡±


    ¡°You idiot. This was taken a long time ago. You should be able to tell that from the cityscape in the background. That kind of scenery no longer exists on the Japanese Islands.¡±


    ¡°Eh...?¡± Quenser froze in place. ¡°The Japanese Islands?¡±


    The old lady clicked her tongue at that question. She seemed to regret letting that slip out.


    Finally, she sighed and said, ¡°I am an immigrant from the Capitalist Corporations. You could even say I was a refugee.¡±


    Yes, the Japanese Islands were Capitalist Corporations territory.


    They were actually divided between east and west. The western portion of the islands was controlled by a power that wished for a revival of the Imperial Court system and they had made a large-scale secession to the Faith Organization. The Faith Organization and the Legitimacy Kingdom were in conflict over whose power the Imperial Court system should be reinstated under. Also, the Capitalist Corporations side had their values change whenever maintenance was done to their advanced information infrastructure and they were mocked as beginning to transfer over to a more Information Alliance-like system. All in all, it was a very unclear and possibly explosive situation. However, the Japanese Islands were officially known as belonging to the Capitalist Corporations.


    ¡°But as you can clearly see, I am not a pure Asian.¡±


    ¡°Well, they did start letting in a lot of immigrants to combat the effects of the low birthrates and high age of the population.¡±


    ¡°Historically, that is what helped allow the technological information on Objects to spread so widely.¡±


    ¡°So what was this about being a refugee?¡±


    ¡°It was due to my daughter and her husband.¡± Quenser had expected her to refuse, but she answered quite readily. ¡°They did some charitable work. Specifically, they worked to bring steady agricultural technology to areas short of food. They advertised their work with the phrase ¡®We can save people suffering due to a lack of crops simply by lowering the grade of the convenience store bentos we eat for lunch¡¯. That was what led to us becoming refugees.¡±


    ¡°Why? There¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes there is. The Capitalist Corporations is a world power where the economy and the corporations control the government and the wars. A large convenience store group grew angry. They treated it as information terrorism that was applying serious damage to the economy using words. My daughter and her husband were very nearly shot by the police¡¯s anti-terror suppression unit.¡±


    ¡°...Wow.¡±


    ¡°We were left with no option but to move somewhere where the Capitalist Corporations could not reach us. Even so, the Legitimacy Kingdom was hardly a paradise given the importance it puts on lineage. Immigrants with no established lineage are at a disadvantage in everything. To live a proper life, you must have some kind of necessary skills that are enough to blow away those disadvantages.¡±


    If she said she had no regrets about leaving the Capitalist Corporations or the Japanese Islands behind, she would probably have been lying. The look on her face made that clear enough. However, she had abandoned it all in order to protect her family. It was possible her life had been a path covered in fights more dangerous than the battle that lay ahead.


    ¡°So where did your daughter and her husband end up? The South Great Britain district?¡±


    ¡°...An immigrant residential city on the eastern end of Victoria Island.¡±


    As that was right in the middle of the current battlefield, Quenser regretted asking that question.


    That must have been why the old lady was acting so oddly.


    ¡°During the battles with the Water Strider and the Rush, the city was temporarily evacuated to Europe. They had only just returned after things had calmed down.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to ask, but how is the evacuation going?¡±


    ¡°Right now, not even the CS staff in the maintenance base have had time to leave. Do you really think there was enough time for an entire city to evacuate?¡±


    Part 4


    Quenser was excitedly watching on as the special gas used in the low-stability plasma cannons was loaded into the main cannons, but he got a little too heated up and none of the crucial technological information made it into his head. Wondering why his studying was not going well, Quenser left the maintenance area and met up with Heivia who had just finished cleaning the inside of his rifle¡¯s barrel.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser, did you get the old lady to fall for you?¡±


    ¡°It seems that old lady has lived a fairly heavy life. But with how much Froleytia is obsessed with Japan, her eyes would probably light up with excitement hearing that story.¡±


    ¡°Ahn?¡±


    Heivia looked puzzled, but there was no time to explain further. He and Quenser could not take things easy any longer.


    They had used the cargo planes to circle around ahead of the expected path for the Indigo Plasma, so the enemy would surely be coming. Lazing around would leave them at a serious disadvantage.


    When they left the barracks that were constructed from those large vehicles, a middle-aged lieutenant was allocating the troops. They were being split into teams which then boarded different vehicles.


    ¡°Teams A through D will use the helicopters, and Teams E through H will use the trucks! Team I, you have a covert mission, so you use the electric snowmobiles! Before leaving, make sure to check the chains as well as the decibels they produce while running!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, god. We¡¯re stuck with the trucks. That¡¯s the most unrefined option. They treat us like we¡¯re potatoes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fighting an Object that¡¯s equipped with tons of anti-air lasers, so I¡¯d say the trucks are better than the transport helicopters.¡±


    ¡°True. And they fly too low for parachutes to be of any use.¡±


    ¡°I heard a rumor that they were developing a unit that lowered your fall speed by ejecting water using compressed air. Do you know if that¡¯s true?¡±


    The middle-aged lieutenant yelled at them for chatting, so Quenser and Heivia frantically ran over to climb into the back of the military truck headed to Area F. Over 20 soldiers climbed aboard the covered bay of the truck.


    ¡°Quenser, a guy over here has a deck of cards. Let¡¯s play poker to kill time.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in playing when I have nothing to bet.¡±


    ¡°But you suck at poker,¡± spat out Heivia before joining the poker group.


    Quenser blankly thought while watching the frozen landscape through a gap in the cloth covering the back of the truck.


    (If I tried to keep track of numbers with this truck shaking so much, I think I¡¯d get carsick in no time.)


    Part 5


    ¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t care about your situation. Continue the mission like normal!!¡±


    Twenty minutes later, the soldiers were close to vomiting thanks to carsickness. The response they got from Froleytia was more or less what Quenser had expected.


    ¡°...Dammit. I didn¡¯t need another reminder that our huge-breasted commander is a real sadist,¡± said Heivia.


    ¡°This was your own fault.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so blameless. If you knew this would happen, you could have warned us.¡±


    ¡°I am not one to speak out against how others use their personal time.¡±


    Almost half of those getting out of the stopped military truck were carsick. Those who had not taken part in the card game and those with a higher endurance were fine.


    Quenser pulled some Hand Axe plastic explosive out of his bag and said, ¡°I¡¯ll set up the explosives along the road here. You go take some deep breaths while keeping watch.¡±


    The higher ups seemed to have learned their lesson at the Kamchatka Peninsula because the radios they had been issued this time were much more powerful. Just the one Quenser had could cover a wide area.


    Quenser was setting up explosives along a single small road cutting a line down the vast snowy plain. The road was not paved. It was nothing more than hard-packed dirt.


    In vast areas of nothingness like that, people had a great tendency to head along roads or other paths. Fallen trees and sharp rocks threatened to puncture a tire and the tires could get stuck in a muddy patch.


    In a freezing Arctic area with nothing as far as the eye could see, the risk brought by such troubles was unimaginable.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so clever, what do you plan to do if they jam the signal, making those useless?¡±


    ¡°The point of the bombs is not to blow up all of the targets,¡± replied Quenser. ¡°The trick is to throw doubt into their minds so they do not know where explosives might be set up. The more fearful they are of bombs, the less freedom they have in their actions. As that continues, we can keep getting the first attack. These just need to stop them from moving. Naturally, the battle will be ended by the princess.¡±


    ¡°I see. Ugh... Damn. Maybe I¡¯d feel better if I just vomited once.¡±


    Heivia crouched down groaning, but Quenser ignored him and got back to his work. He stabbed electric fuses into the Hand Axe and buried it in the unpaved road. As the purpose was to frighten the 24th¡¯s foot soldier unit and then retrieve them later to ensure a clean battlefield, it was most effective to purposefully cover it up with dirt and snow.


    ¡°A clean battlefield, hm? That really is a phrase for the ones with all the power. It wasn¡¯t too long ago that we were fighting Objects.¡±


    ¡°Are you in such a bad mood because you feel like vomiting? The times change from moment to moment. I hear the evacuated residents have already returned to the prefab city to the east.¡±


    ¡°Is this really okay? There are rumors that the soldiers abandoned when the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance militaries evacuated from the Alaska district have built igloos out in the snowy plain...Ugh.¡±


    What they were preparing was not exactly meant to finish off the front line soldiers. If they saw any sign that the enemy foot soldier unit was coming to directly attack the maintenance base zone, the enemy vehicles on the road would be blown away or stopped. In the time that this bought, they could build up their defenses further.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to seal up another route.¡±


    ¡°What if the 24th gets scared and decides to avoid the road?¡±


    ¡°There are fallen trees, sharp rocks, holes hidden by snow, and muddy patches. We just have to pray they get caught in those natural traps. Also, they have no idea what rules we used when setting up these bombs. They will be afraid regardless of which route they take, and that will slow them down.¡±


    The carsick group was reluctant to get back on the military truck, but they were forced back on. Quenser and the others then headed out along the unpaved road once more. Each time they stopped at an intersection that connected multiple routes, they would set up explosives.


    ¡°It¡¯s the princess.¡±


    Heivia was staring off into the distance. Quenser looked over and saw the 50+ meter mass of metal heading their way. It had been forced into a harsh battle against the Wing Balancer on the Kamchatka Peninsula, but its maintenance seemed to have been completed en route. It looked as good as new.


    Quenser and the others waved and the princess must have picked it up on the cameras because she waved a main cannon back at them. She headed on to the coast in order to wait for the Indigo Plasma.


    Quenser lowered his raised hand and said, ¡°Where are the other Objects. If I recall, the Snow Quake is going to attack the traitor from land.¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡±


    Quenser looked in the direction Heivia was pointing and spotted a giant form passing by on higher ground a few kilometers away. There was not much something that large could do about it, but it seemed to be giving no thought whatsoever to hiding from enemy eyes as it moved. As a foot soldier who could be killed by a single bullet, Quenser was jealous.


    ¡°The Active Sledge is likely approaching along the sea route the Indigo Plasma is thought to have used. I don¡¯t see how this can go wrong.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve set up all the bombs, so what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°We join Teams A through D. That means exterminating the 24th¡¯s foot soldier unit that is hiding around the Indigo Plasma in the hopes of sabotaging us in some way. It¡¯ll be a lively firefight filled with mud and soot.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I kind of wish someone would give me a gun. I¡¯m a student; I don¡¯t have anything to protect myself with.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m a radar analyst. Radar! Do you see any radars around here!? And yet that huge-breasted commander of ours is probably getting pizza delivered right about now!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia continued complaining as they began moving. They were only a few kilometers away from the front line on the coast. Once that close, it would be more dangerous to use the trucks which would show up as large metal objects on an Object¡¯s radar. The 20+ soldiers of Team F split into 2-4 man groups and headed toward the coast with each group waiting to head out until some time had passed from the last group heading out.


    ¡°Wait, why are we the first group to head out?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just assume it means they think we¡¯re reliable. The ones coming up behind us are the ducklings.¡±


    ¡°And that brings me back to wishing I had a gun. If I just had two handguns, I bet I could start shooting enemy soldiers 360 degrees around me.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia,¡± said Froleytia over their radios. ¡°Cut the pointless chatter and get going. Team B has engaged the 24th¡¯s foot soldiers.¡±


    (Why do our radios have bidirectional mode on!?)


    With that thought, Quenser and Heivia grimaced. That meant she had heard all of their complaining. Froleytia¡¯s tone seemed colder than usual.


    ¡°Team B is having a bit of trouble, so go help them to earn some battlefield friendship.¡±


    ¡°What a pain.¡±


    ¡°Tell those side characters not to die before the protagonists arrive.¡±


    A low rumble reverberated across the snowy land of Victoria Island. The Baby Magnum had likely begun fighting the Indigo Plasma at the coast.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. This battle¡¯ll be over before long anyway, so don¡¯t you think it would be wisest to dig a random hole somewhere and hide until then?¡±


    ¡°Afterwards, Froleytia would probably beat the shit out of you, so I can hardly call that a safe plan.¡±


    As they were about to pass over a low hill, Quenser and Heivia slowly got down on the ground. The coast lay directly ahead. Beyond about 300 meters of gently-sloping land was the white, frozen sea.


    And on the coast, they saw...


    ¡°There they are. It looks like 20 of ours against 20 enemies.¡±


    The sounds of the Objects firing almost drowned it out, but Heivia was watching a firefight. Team B must have had its helicopters shot down just before they landed, because they were holding rifles while hiding behind a few helicopters that were lying on their side. The soldiers from the 24th were using 4WD vehicles and armored vehicles for cover.


    The 24th¡¯s foot soldiers¡¯ uniforms were not the standard Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms. They wore octopus-like protective masks and short but wide suits that made the contours of their bodies unclear.


    As Quenser watched the firefight from the side like a tennis umpire, he said, ¡°What are those? Powered suits?¡±


    ¡°If so, they wouldn¡¯t be using cover. They¡¯d be headed straight towards Team B. They¡¯re probably just some kind of protective suit.¡±


    ¡°...They aren¡¯t going to use germs or poison gas, are they?¡±


    ¡°Those suits don¡¯t look airtight enough for that. It might be for some kind of flamethrower. They look a lot like firefighters.¡±


    Quenser then noticed large gas cylinders on their backs. A hose was attached to the back of their large rifles. If it was not oxygen, it must have had something like naphtha for a flamethrower. Quenser did not want to think about the possibility, but it was possible the gun barrel doubled as a flamethrower nozzle.


    ¡°But...¡±


    Heivia adjusted his grip on his rifle as he lay on the ground, switched on the various sensors he needed for midrange sniping, and attached a suppressor that was about as large as a 500 milliliter bottle.


    ¡°Time to get to work. Let¡¯s work hard so we can get that large-breasted commander to kindly tread on us later.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to do.¡±


    ¡°Use your binoculars to confirm where my bullets hit.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too bothered by the fact that this is a fight with the Legitimacy Kingdom on both sides.¡±


    ¡°This is a fight between our enemies and our allies. I can¡¯t speak for everyone, but I certainly feel no sympathy for them. It¡¯s the same as when we fought Flide.¡±


    ¡°We sure have gotten stronger. I miss when you were trembling as you looked through the scope in Alaska.¡±


    Heivia ignored him and pulled the trigger.


    The 24th¡¯s cover was a line of vehicles parallel to the coast, so it only functioned as a shield against the soldiers beyond it. It had no effect against Heivia¡¯s sniper shot from the side.


    With the muffled sound of firing, one of the protective-suit-wearing soldiers was knocked to the side as he hid behind an armored vehicle.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Heivia frowned and looked at the barrel of his rifle. ¡°This cheap piece of junk. It let out too much noise.¡±


    The counterattack came immediately thereafter.


    A great roar of gunfire rang out. Quenser and Heivia frantically crawled backwards to use the hill as cover. The 24th knew exactly where they were. However, if they tried to escape Heivia¡¯s sharpshooting by heading to the other side of the vehicles they were using as cover, they would expose themselves to fire from Team B.


    It was a stereotypical example of crossfire.


    With nowhere to run, the 24th¡¯s soldiers were sinking into the snow-covered earth in no time at all. With Heivia continuing his sharpshooting, it took less than 5 minutes to suppress them.


    Heivia removed the suppressor from his rifle barrel and said, ¡°Suppression complete. I will commend them for not having a single person raise their hands to surrender.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check their radios. They use the same type as we do, so we can intercept their transmissions if we know the frequency and encryption method they use.¡±


    ¡°Digging through their corpses right after a firefight? You¡¯ve come a long way, too.¡±


    While remaining on the lookout for any remaining snipers, Quenser and Heivia headed down to Team B. They then checked the defeated 24th foot soldiers and the vehicles they had been using for cover. However, they were not able to obtain what they needed to intercept the enemy¡¯s transmissions. The radios were locked with a passcode.


    ¡°These gas cylinders still bother me.¡±


    Quenser looked over at the gas cylinders on the backs of the 24th¡¯s foot soldiers. The hose connected to their rifles and the gun barrel seemed to double as the nozzle. It really did seem to be some kind of flamethrower.


    ¡°There were similar tanks in the vehicles. And they weren¡¯t just to refill the ones the soldiers have. There¡¯s a turret on the roof like a water truck used for riot control. The vehicles were clearly made to spray whatever¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Quenser frowned. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have any effect against an Object that can withstand a nuclear explosion. Or were they trying to directly attack our maintenance base zone?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? Technically, we don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s really a flamethrower.¡±


    A great roar rang out.


    As the Baby Magnum, Snow Quake, and Indigo Plasma continued to battle, they were moving slowly closer.


    The Indigo Plasma.


    As its name suggested, that Second Generation Object had been developed to draw out as much power from low-stability plasma cannons as possible. All of its 100+ weapons were a threat, but the two main cannons sticking out parallel to each other from the front of the Object were the most characteristic aspect of the machine. What seemed to be spare tanks to supply the special gas required were lined up on the side.


    Its propulsion device used static electricity just like the princess. It used two ski-like parts on the front and five on the back to move as if sliding across the ground.


    However, there was an overwhelming difference in speed. Even while trapped between the Baby Magnum and the Snow Quake, the Indigo Plasma seemed to dance around the other two Objects.


    ¡°What the hell? Its output must be insanely high.¡±


    ¡°It uses static electricity to keep afloat like the princess, but it uses a different method to detonate the air and move forward. It uses low-stability plasma cannon tech for that,¡± said Quenser as he checked on his handheld device.


    The Indigo Plasma was a Legitimacy Kingdom Object. Its basic design was stored in the database.


    Heivia frowned and said, ¡°If it¡¯s that useful, I wish they¡¯d let our princess use it.¡±


    ¡°It gives excellent speed, but it brings up heat-resistance issues. Basically, it produces too much heat. The Indigo Plasma seems to get over that with some electronic control, but it would normally result in melting the bottom of the Object.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, I thought it specialized in working alongside foot soldiers. It looks like it¡¯s sending out some tremendous blasts of blazing wind. The foot soldiers would be wiped out by that.¡±


    They were only able to speak so calmly about it because they had two Objects on their side. The Indigo Plasma was indeed powerful. The princess could not keep up when it came to speed. However, the Indigo Plasma would not be able to keep fighting unless it kept up that high speed constantly.


    Keeping up that extremely high speed would cause the Elite piloting the Object to suffer. Other than some rare exceptions like the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush, those monstrous weapons were piloted by humans. If the pilot was worn down via physical exhaustion, the movements of the Object would dull. Once the Indigo Plasma¡¯s movements fell below an acceptable level, the princess and the Snow Quake would not hesitate to destroy the traitor with their main cannons.


    Just as Quenser and Heivia were thinking that, they heard an electronic beep.


    Before they could check to see where it was coming from, they heard a noise similar to a gas line being twisted open. The noise seemed to come from all around them and a strange smell reached their noses. It was a stink similar to melting plastic.


    ¡°Cough cough!? Hey, Quenser, what is this!?¡±


    ¡°Shit, it¡¯s the corpses of the 24th¡¯s foot soldiers!! Something¡¯s coming out of the rifle barrels acting as nozzles for the gas cylinders! And from the vehicles!!¡±


    ¡°How!? Corpses can¡¯t operate nozzles!!¡±


    ¡°How should I know!? Maybe someone opened them via remote control!!¡±


    The air at Quenser¡¯s feet wavered like sugar water being mixed. It seemed to be some kind of colorless and transparent gas.


    ¡°Dammit, is this some kind of chemical weapon!?¡±


    ¡°If they were using some kind of special gas, just a condom¡¯s worth would kill us ten times over! This is something else! It seems to be heavier than the air, so let¡¯s run up onto that hill over there!!¡±


    Hearing Quenser¡¯s words, Heivia gestured to tell the other soldiers to get to the hill. Then the two boys began to run. The 40+ soldiers of Teams B and F followed. They were about 300 meters from the top of the hill.


    Quenser grimaced as he tried to shake off the horrible smell that was clinging to his uniform.


    (It can¡¯t be...)


    Those gas cylinders had not contained poison gas or flammable gas.


    The Indigo Plasma used low-stability plasma cannons for its main cannons.


    That weapon used the massive amounts of electricity produced by the reactor to artificially create high temperature plasma out of a special gas.


    (You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!!)


    Due to a difference in muscular strength, Heivia reached the top of the hill first. He turned around and looked at Quenser with a relieved expression as he gasped for breath.


    Quenser shoved the other boy down with all his strength.


    Quenser then leapt over to the other side of the hill.


    ¡°Gweh!? Dammit, what¡¯re you-...!?¡±


    ¡°Get down!!¡± Quenser shouted to the other soldiers while ignoring Heivia¡¯s complaint. ¡°The 24th¡¯s foot soldiers were scattering the special gas for a low-stability plasma cannon!! It will detonate in response to the Object firing its cannons!!¡±


    One of the Indigo Plasma¡¯s cannons moved slightly as it continued to fight.


    It was one of the smallest cannons it had.


    It was being used almost as an afterthought in a gap in the main fight.


    Nevertheless...


    An explosive beam of light shot towards the coast.


    When the low-stability plasma cannon struck, the entire area the gas had been spread over blew up all at once.


    Had it been 100 meters? 200 meters? 300 meters?


    Quenser was not sure how far the blast had spread. He had more pressing issues. Painful shocks stabbed into his eyeballs and eardrums simultaneously. His arms and legs convulsed, preventing him from even writhing around. His back bent of its own accord and it took him a while to remember how to straighten it out. He even lost track of which way was up.


    And yet it could have been worse. Given the wind, the special gas should have covered a larger area. There must have been an ideal concentration for an explosion.


    ¡°Kh...hah...¡±


    He could not speak properly. His throat was dry.


    Quenser forced his throat to move and just barely managed to suck in some air. He looked around. The snow on top of the hill had been blown away and some of the ground hidden below it had melted slightly. He could not imagine what it must have been like on the other side of the hill. There had definitely been enough energy to turn the dirt and sand into another material altogether.


    ¡°Heivia. Hey, Heivia. Are you alive?¡±


    ¡°...God dammit. I think that Elite is the type who scorches the meat black when grilling.¡±


    ¡°Please stop talking about food when we have nothing but those flavorless rations.¡±


    With that annoyed comment, Quenser grabbed Heivia¡¯s arm and helped him up. None of the other soldiers from Teams B or F stood up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they were all taken out...¡± muttered Quenser blankly, but Heivia approached one of the collapsed soldiers and checked on his condition.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t taken out by the heat. The shockwave just knocked him unconscious. He does look a bit burned, but it isn¡¯t even enough to leave a scar.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, can you take care of first aid? I¡¯m going to contact the princess. If I don¡¯t tell her how the 24th¡¯s foot soldiers are being used, she could be hit by low-stability plasma from a blind spot!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, that was targeting the princess!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what the equipment is for. The Indigo Plasma holds the enemy¡¯s attention while the foot soldiers spread around the special gas. Once an area has been regulated to the proper concentration, it can be detonated as an invisible bomb to bare its fangs against the Object from an unexpected direction. That is how the 24th uses its foot soldiers!!¡±


    At the same time, another giant explosion occurred beyond the hill. A flash of light and explosive noise blasted out, and Quenser and Heivia were knocked down by the shockwave that swept across the ground. They had the hill to act as a wall and were still quite a distance away from the Objects. Nevertheless, those shockwaves that were nothing more than side effects squeezed painfully at Quenser and Heivia¡¯s bodies.


    ¡°Shit...Were we too late!?¡±


    Quenser stood up on unsteady legs and headed for the top of the hill.


    A large area hundreds of meters across had been torn up on the other side of the hill. The area was glowing orange. Once it cooled, the ground could very well turn to glass. Walking over to that area would be a good way to get oneself burned to death.


    And...


    Quenser stood still and looked through his binoculars. A few kilometers ahead, the three Objects were battling. A similar orange crater existed below the Snow Quake. Serious damage must have been done to the Snow Quake¡¯s propulsion device because its movements were dulled. The Indigo Plasma¡¯s two main cannons were accurately aimed at it.


    The Baby Magnum slammed into the side of the Snow Quake.


    The Snow Quake¡¯s static electricity device that kept it afloat must have still been functioning because its 200,000 ton mass slid to the side without resistance. The dynamic scene was almost humorous in how it looked like a giant game of billiards.


    The Indigo Plasma¡¯s main cannons moved slightly in the next instant.


    (Not good...!)


    In the instant after Quenser frantically took his eyes away from the binoculars, a flash of light stabbed into his retinas. Having immediately taken evasive actions, the Baby Magnum was merely scratched. Some of its armor was blown away and one of its seven main cannons melted like a sugar sculpture.


    ¡°Dammit!! Why is she so softhearted!?¡±


    Quenser used both hands to protect his face from the shockwave that arrived belatedly.


    Compared to the explosions from before, it was nothing much. He was not knocked from his feet. There was a difference in the strength of shockwave and heat between an explosion that spread out evenly in every direction and one that was focused in a different direction by a cannon.


    The Indigo Plasma¡¯s special combo had failed.


    And the Baby Magnum and the Snow Quake were not going to take it sitting down.


    The Indigo Plasma frantically resumed its high speed movements, but it was receiving fire from the other two Objects¡¯ main cannons. It just barely managed to avoid having its central reactor hit, but a large portion was gouged out of the side of the spherical main body.


    (Are they going to pull it off...?)


    The severe damage to the Snow Quake¡¯s propulsion device was a problem, but the Active Sledge was approaching from the sea to help. The two Objects used all their installed cannons and the princess was gaining the upper hand in the battle. The Indigo Plasma would soon be destroyed.


    Or so Quenser thought.


    He then heard some unbelievable words over his radio coming from a controller back at the base.


    ¡°The Active Sledge has been destroyed!!¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°I repeat, the Active Sledge has been greatly damaged and has sunk!! The pilot Elite is confirmed to have escaped. The Object cannot continue fighting!!¡±


    ¡°How!?¡± shouted Quenser as he grabbed at his radio. ¡°The Indigo Plasma was supposed to be the 24th¡¯s only Object!! So how was the Active Sledge sunk!?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. It was suddenly blown away. We are checking the satellite imagery as we speak!!¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± swore Quenser as he pulled out his handheld device.


    He could view the GPS map, too. He called up the data on the area of sea the Active Sledge had been passing through. Sure enough, the friendly Object had disappeared. It had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.


    What Quenser could see was something he simply could not understand.


    He saw 6 giant forms.


    As if to replace the Active Sledge, six shapes just as large as the Active Sledge could be seen.


    That was what had blown away the friendly Object.


    Quenser could not believe it, but they could only be...


    ¡°Are all these 6 things...Objects...?¡± gasped Quenser.


    He then heard the controller speaking from his radio.


    ¡°We went back through the footage and checked. They came from the sea. They rose up from within the sea!! Radar signals on the sea are attenuated by the thick ice, so they have difficulty reaching the waters below. The satellite and radar have difficulty staying in focus when trying to target an Object in the sea. We should have been on our guard for submarines coming from the sea!!¡±


    ¡°From the sea?¡± Heivia looked like he had just heard a really bad joke. ¡°What do you mean from the sea!? Did these Objects take a replicant inspiration from orcas or dolphins!?¡±


    ¡°Dammit...¡±


    As he stood atop the hill, Quenser looked blankly off into the distance.


    He could see something gigantic approaching beyond the white horizon.


    ¡°I can see them!? They really are Objects. The 24th really does have 6 more Objects in addition to the Indigo Plasma!!¡±


    The overall silhouette was similar to the Indigo Plasma¡¯s. The two main cannons had been reduced to one and the 5 ski-like parts on the back had been reduced to two, but the design was still basically the same.


    And an Object was an Object.


    No one could stop their advance.


    The six Objects forcefully broke through the ice covering the ocean surface in a straight path for Victoria Island. They had isosceles triangle-shaped floats for moving along the sea, but they automatically detached when they approached the beach. With a thick metallic noise, the six Objects separated from the floats and smoothly moved up onto land and to the front line of the battlefield.


    Quenser and the others could not do anything.


    There was nothing they could even hope to do.


    As the Objects approached, Quenser leaped to the side. He lay flat on the ground and placed his hands over the back of his head. The 50+ meter machine passed by relatively nearby. It paid him no heed whatsoever.


    ¡°Heivia? Hey, what is it? Pull yourself together!!¡± shouted Quenser.


    Heivia remained on the ground, refusing to stand up. His arms and legs were trembling eerily. Six new Objects had joined the battle. Heivia was in a state of shock at the new development.


    Even as he shook Heivia¡¯s shoulder, Quenser¡¯s mental state was pushed to its limits.


    He had no idea what had happened.


    He could not understand what they had done wrong to end up in that situation.


    He started having trouble breathing and it felt like the connections between thoughts in his mind started to snap.


    But...


    The seven Objects of the 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion took action to end the battle before anyone had time to think.


    First, they fired through the Snow Quake that¡¯s movements had dulled due to its damaged propulsion device.


    Now that it was isolated after losing its two friendly Objects, the Baby Magnum was attacked.


    Even with the power of an Object, it was left helpless while on its own.


    Low-stability plasma cannons fired from multiple directions at staggered intervals ripped away piece after piece of the princess¡¯s armor. It lost all ability to function in less than 60 seconds.


    (This is insane...)


    Quenser could not even force out his voice.


    The Objects had been destroyed before he could even think about assisting.


    The destruction had not had the same impression of overwhelming and savage violence that Objects had had up until then. It was pure division of labor. It had even had a bit of the same empty feeling as when a giant cake is evenly sliced up so that a single slice can be brought to your table.


    (So this is how the 24th fights. It¡¯s just too fast. It¡¯s so over-optimized that you can¡¯t read any human emotion in it at all.)


    After having turned the two Objects to scrap metal scattered across the snowy plain, the seven Objects of the 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion calmly left the battlefield.


    ¡°What...?¡± muttered Quenser blankly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they finish off the princess?¡±


    The seven Objects of the 24th had thoroughly stripped away the Baby Magnum¡¯s outer shell, but they had not destroyed the reactor or cockpit in the center. They could have easily destroyed it if they had wanted to, but they had spared her.


    Quenser could see no logical reason for doing so.


    However, the answer came to him from a surprising source.


    It came from Quenser¡¯s radio.


    Part 6


    A staticky voice came over the radio.


    However, the joy in the deep, male voice could be heard even through the static.


    ¡°To all my respected allies in the Legitimacy Kingdom military. This is Prizewell City Slicker, the Elite of the Legitimacy Kingdom military¡¯s 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion.¡±


    In her officer¡¯s room back in the maintenance base zone, Froleytia grimaced.


    ¡°It seems there has been a bit of a misunderstanding, so allow me to make an announcement that should clear everything up. We are not enemies of the Legitimacy Kingdom. We have taken action to ensure the victory of the Legitimacy Kingdom in this worldwide war.¡±


    As the CS broadcast reporter girl ate canned lasagna in the passageway, she looked over at the radios of the soldiers heading around on patrol.


    ¡°Needless to say, the driving force behind war is the economy. And the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s economy has stagnated. Why is that? It is caused by a lack of speed at which information spreads throughout the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    The old maintenance lady stopped working on her preparations for a pit stop in the Object maintenance area.


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom has an official language, and yet we continue to use a great diversity of languages at once. That is lowering the speed at which information spreads. The world economy changes minute by minute and second by second, so that slight delay causes vital losses. If the Legitimacy Kingdom is to continue fighting and to achieve victory in the end, we must do something about this problem.¡±


    The 24th had 7 Objects and had destroyed the Baby Magnum, Snow Quake, and Active Sledge.


    Prizewell spoke with great strength as if to emphasize that advantage.


    ¡°In other words, we must exterminate those other languages.¡±


    His tone seemed to declare that there was no one who could argue with him.


    It was a proud declaration that his 7 Objects could breach the 5 Objects protecting the Atlantic Ocean as the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s second line of defense.


    ¡°The proper language will bring about the proper economy. The speed at which information spreads will improve and we will be able to keep up with the ever-changing world economy. ...This also means that those who do not speak the proper language have no right to take part in the economy.¡±


    His were the words of a ruling class.


    No matter what would happen, his position could not waver. It did not matter what troubles that caused for those around him. His was the tone of a man who felt that way.


    ¡°And that is why I must act. I must redistribute the proper citizens of the Legitimacy Kingdom to their proper place while putting the others in their proper place as well.¡±


    However, he could not be stopped.


    The overwhelming military might that 7 Objects gave him meant he could get away with any atrocity he wished.


    ¡°This redistribution will be carried out based upon the bare minimum of what is needed for the Legitimacy Kingdom: a proper language.¡±


    Froleytia heard a controller say something about the Objects approaching.


    ¡°All units evacuate!! The enemy is after the ability to maintain the Object. They did not care about our flesh-and-blood soldiers from the very beginning!! Everyone is to leave the buildings and the base zone ASAP!!¡±


    ¡°Those who speak the proper language will be accepted as citizens. Those who cannot speak it but are putting all their efforts into learning it will be granted the right to live as slave laborers. ...However, those who cannot speak it and make no effort to learn it are not worth wasting the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s resources on. I have no intention of allowing such parasites to exist.¡±


    Numerous low-stability plasma cannons fired on the maintenance base zone.


    The bombardment had been given after a plentiful delay.


    He did not intend to kill those inside.


    After all, they were all from the Legitimacy Kingdom military.


    (Did he give us time to escape in order to prove he is just!?)


    Froleytia gritted her teeth as she watched the base zone erupt into a sea of flames.


    ¡°I have already transmitted the necessary report to the highest institution in the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Sovereign Parliament. The sovereigns who rule the people need only do as the report says and carry out a language test in schools all across the Legitimacy Kingdom. If they do so, we will have no need to cross the Atlantic Ocean to have direct talks in the European home country.¡±


    The giant forms of the 7 Objects passed by the remains of the ruined base zone. Afterwards, the trucks transporting the 24th¡¯s foot soldiers and the bare minimum of maintenance vehicles met up with them. It looked like a victory parade.


    They were all smiling.


    Some of them aimed their guns at Froleytia and the other helpless people from the 37th and then jokingly pretended to pull the trigger.


    They were no longer the 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion from the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s military database.


    The size of the force and the morals of the troops were simply not the same.


    It was simply not normal for a single battalion to have 7 Objects.


    ¡°However, we have a plan in case you refuse,¡± continued the enemy as they passed by. ¡°We will carry out a small military exercise to ensure you understand just how serious we are and just how powerful we are.¡±


    A military exercise.


    That term had a truly horrible ring to it.


    The traitors made it very clear who they would be targeting with their 7 Objects.


    ¡°There is an immigrant residential city located on the eastern end of Victoria Island in the Alaska district. As those living there have come from lands under the control of other world powers, they are merely a burden that has no intention of becoming a part of our culture. We will begin by carrying out an exercise using them so that you may understand the vision we strive for. Depending on your answer, the same thing may happen in Europe. We beg the Sovereign Parliament to take the results of these actions into account when deciding on their answer to us.¡±


    Prizewell City Slicker stated his goal.


    It was not a war.


    The other side did not possess the military strength needed to resist.


    And he was well aware of that fact.


    ¡°We will now carry out this exercise using our seven Objects to demonstrate the power of an attack performed using multiple Objects. Also, these seven are not our only force. A second group is nearing completion in manufacturing plants.¡±


    They held an overwhelming military force.


    They exhibited more power than any individual should possess.


    ¡°We have also developed a system to efficiently mass produce Elites. The proper language will provide proper knowledge. These results are a clear demonstration of our ideals.¡±


    It was quite the demonstration.


    And Prizewell City Slicker summed it all up in his next statement.


    ¡°Those who use the proper language shall be citizens, those who cannot use it but work towards learning it shall be slaves, and those who cannot use it and have no intention of learning it shall receive death. That is the only way for the Legitimacy Kingdom economy to grow and lead us to victory.¡±


    The transmission ended there.


    All that was left now was a large-scale slaughter.


    Most of those who came from other cultures would be unable to speak the official Legitimacy Kingdom language. That was to be expected and it was no real problem. However, a language preservation activist like Prizewell would not allow it. His love for the ¡°proper language¡± would lead him to mercilessly fire the Object¡¯s cannons at just a slight error in intonation.


    And he was also a lineage advocate. He would never accept immigrants who had come from elsewhere. In his vision, those people would be forced to choose between being subordinates, slaves, or dead.


    (Can we get reinforcements from the home country...?)


    For a split second, Froleytia considered that, but she then shook her head. In all likelihood no additional Objects would come. Now that all of the Objects in the Alaska district had been taken out, the higher ups in the home country would definitely put their own safety above all else. The current situation left the efficacy of the defensive line on the Atlantic in doubt. No matter how many Objects the home country had, they would all be sent to defend the Atlantic. They would never be sent to the Alaska district.


    (But we cannot allow the 24th to carry out this atrocity.)


    The situation looked grim, but Froleytia grabbed her radio. She set the frequency and contacted her subordinates who were scattered around the area.


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia!! Can you tell how much damage was done to the Objects!?¡±


    ¡°It seems the Elite ejected from the Snow Quake. The princess was able to stick with it. Her armor is in pieces, but it seems she can still move.¡±


    ¡°Understood. If our control equipment is still functioning, we can monitor the data. Maintenance soldiers!! Dig up as much usable equipment as you can find in the rubble!!¡±


    A flustered maintenance soldier replied to Froleytia¡¯s command.


    ¡°Eh? Wait a second. Eh?¡±


    ¡°Load up as many vehicles as you can and carry out the pit stop directly on the front line!! No matter how much of an advantage they have, only the Baby Magnum has a chance of stopping the 24th¡¯s Objects!! We need to repair the Baby Magnum to as close as working as possible before those nutjobs attack the city!!¡±


    ¡°No, no!! Please wait. ...Hey, what is going on!? Where did the chief go!?¡±


    That last bit seemed to be directed at someone other than Froleytia.


    Froleytia frowned and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t seem to find the chief!!¡±


    Froleytia looked over at the surrounding sea of flames with a bitter expression.


    ¡°...Did she not get away in time?¡±


    ¡°N-no, she did!! She was here just a second ago!! We were all listening to City Slicker¡¯s transmission...or rather, declaration of war together!! But we looked away for an instant and-...!!¡±


    (...Wait.)


    Froleytia narrowed her eyes slightly when she heard that.


    ¡°That old lady wasn¡¯t originally from the Legitimacy Kingdom, was she? I recall hearing that she is an immigrant from the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Japanese Islands.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. What about it?¡±


    ¡°What about her daughter and son-in-law?¡±


    The maintenance soldier did not respond to Froleytia¡¯s question.


    She asked again.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t come alone, right? She had her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter with her. Where do they live? Where in the vast Legitimacy Kingdom do they live!?¡±


    The maintenance soldier still did not respond.


    However, it seemed Froleytia¡¯s fears got across to him.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be...¡± he said.


    ¡°The immigrant residential city. This is an unpleasant coincidence.¡± Froleytia took a deep breath and scratched at her head with one hand. ¡°What does that old lady hope to do against 7 Objects!?¡±


    Part 7


    Quenser¡¯s face paled when he heard the transmission from Froleytia.


    ¡°So that old lady headed off to save her family in the immigrant residential city!?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Honestly, she¡¯s lucky the Black Uniforms are elsewhere. If they had caught her, she would have been shot on sight.¡±


    From the sound of her voice, Froleytia must have been utterly shocked. She seemed to have thought she only had two people in her unit stupid enough to do something like that.


    ¡°I will be sending the maintenance unit¡¯s vehicles to where you are. Help treat the wounded and make the necessary preparations. Check for any remaining enemy soldiers and use explosives to blow away any obstacles that will get in the vehicles¡¯ way. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Will we make it in time?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but luckily the 24th¡¯s Objects are travelling along with the foot soldiers. They have to match the speed of the military trucks and armored vehicles. If we can repair the princess¡¯s propulsion device, she might be able to catch up. That is why we need to keep the time loss to an absolute minimum. Do not cut corners in these preliminary preparations.¡±


    The transmission ended there.


    However, Quenser and the others had nothing more to do. The wounded had already been treated, and they could see no obstacles across the vast snowy plain. All they could do was stay put.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser!! I heard that transmission. What do you think about what our giant-breasted commander said!?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter!? We¡¯re the only ones that can move right now. If we¡¯re going to save that old lady or protect the immigrant residential city, we have to act now!!¡±


    ¡°Wait. Sorry, but I was kind of hoping you would take this more in the direction of ¡®Froleytia ordered us to wait here, so we have no choice but to give up this time¡¯! Ah, what!? Hey, stop that! What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°Just listen, Heivia,¡± said Quenser as he grabbed at the collar of the idiot who always seemed to chicken out when it mattered. ¡°The 24th is approaching the immigrant residential city as we speak. Nothing says the Objects have to stay with the foot soldiers. If they head out at full speed on a whim, they will be there in no time at all. ...Do you really think we have time to think about this? We need to act now. And you are the only one who can drive.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid! Don¡¯t get caught up in the situation!! You don¡¯t seem to get this, so let me explain it to you. Seven Objects. The enemy has seven Objects!! How are we supposed to stand up to that with just the two of us!? We wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything even if it was just one of them!!¡±


    Heivia shook Quenser¡¯s hand off of his collar and shook his head. He seemed to be letting out the trembling that he had been forcing down until then and his expression looked like that of a frightened child.


    ¡°What is our purpose in this war!? I¡¯m working to gain the honor I need to inherit my noble family and you are working to become an Object designer as quickly as possible, right!? We¡¯re not running around out here with rifles just to get killed!! We don¡¯t need to do this! We¡¯ve done plenty already!! Why are we the ones that have to head down into hell every single goddamn time!?¡±


    That was the overwhelming fear people had of Objects.


    That unreasonable situation held the underlying assumption that it could never be overturned.


    What Heivia was saying was perfectly natural for anyone of that day and age. It was the people who felt nothing when suggesting they stand before those monstrous weapons that had something wrong with them.


    Quenser understood that.


    However...


    ¡°Calm down and think, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°How the hell am I supposed to do that!? Do you have any idea what you¡¯re saying!?¡±


    ¡°Heivia, do you really think they have 7 Objects!?¡± shouted Quenser.


    Hearing that, Heivia suddenly stopped speaking. It was not that his emotions had cooled down. He was simply so confused he could not figure out what to say.


    ¡°How many people does it take to keep the Baby Magnum running? It takes an entire battalion. That¡¯s 800 people. You need 800 people for a single Object. If they are using 7 of them, how many people, how much equipment, and how much money would they need? And how much time do you think it takes to raise a single Elite? There is no way they have been spending that much money this whole time!!¡±


    ¡°Then what are you suggesting!?¡±


    ¡°The Oceanian military nation!!¡±


    Quenser suddenly spoke an unrelated term.


    But it was not actually unrelated.


    He continued, ¡°They used gas tanks to look like nonexistent Objects!! Operations that attempt to throw the enemy into disarray with misleading appearances are hardly rare!!¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be... They shot off the princess¡¯s armor.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was gas tanks this time.¡± Quenser shook his head. ¡°But I doubt these are cutting edge Objects as that would require too great a constant expenditure. They are likely a budget model. Something lower than a Generation 0.5. The armor does not have proper craftsmanship, so it is much thinner and more brittle than a normal Object¡¯s. Who knows if any of the non-main cannons are functional. They prepared a number of low-cost dummies to confuse the princess!!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t know that!! What you¡¯re saying makes sense. It isn¡¯t normal for seven Objects to suddenly appear. But we have no proof! This is just speculation!! If they turn out to really be cutting edge Objects, our odds of survival are 0%! This is too much of a risk to base off of conjecture and speculation!!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll prove it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait. Where are you going!! Hey!!¡±


    Quenser headed for the coast while avoiding the areas heated by the low-stability plasma cannons. On the beach were the abandoned floats used by the six Objects that had come from the sea. As a designer, he was a bit interested in the device that allowed it to be easily attached or removed, but that was not the time to be caught up in that kind of thing.


    ¡°...Their basic form is that of an isosceles triangle. The sides are 50 meters and 20 meters. They¡¯re 3 meters tall. The thickness is probably...and the material used is...¡±


    ¡°What is it? What are you checking on, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°I think the area inside the armor is filled with a gas lighter than air. By using something like AB-22 kept in liquid form, it could gain the buoyancy it needs by vaporizing the amount needed. But that doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an issue of volume. Floats this size cannot allow a 200,000 ton mass to float even if filled with AB-22. 50,000 tons would be its limit. Do you understand what I¡¯m getting at here?¡±


    ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°These floats can only carry 50,000 tons, so do you think they were attached to 200,000 ton Objects!? If a real Object sank down into the ocean with floats this small, it would never come back up! Their formation is a bluff!! They don¡¯t actually have 7 Objects¡¯ worth of military power!!¡± said Quenser as he lightly tapped on the side of the float with the back of his hand. ¡°The armor must be less than a quarter as thick! And if they¡¯re going to cut corners there, it won¡¯t have the artisan-made high-level heat resistance!! The flexibility of the onion armor must be much lower than normal! Who knows if the reactor provides a proper output! They may be travelling with the foot soldiers to mask the fact that they can¡¯t move any faster than that! If so, the non-main cannons may not be able to fire properly!! It¡¯s possible we can penetrate its armor without using an Object!!¡±


    Heivia remained silent for a bit.


    He must have been thinking over what Quenser had said. Some of his thoughts were likely focused on the uglier side of the debate such as ¡®what do I do to survive this?¡¯ and ¡®what choice do I get the most out of?¡¯


    Heivia finally slowly opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°If we ended up blowing up 7 Objects at once, we would get quite a reward, wouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And I need to do something that leaves quite an impact if I want to hurry up and take over my noble family rather than smoldering out here, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°If the alternative is moving from battlefield to battlefield facing Objects, wouldn¡¯t your highest odds of surviving in the end lie in finishing things here once and for all?¡± Quenser shrugged. ¡°And if we don¡¯t do anything about City Slicker, he might cross the Atlantic Ocean and arrive at Europe. I doubt the home country would fall, but a conflict that escapes the boundaries of a ¡®clean war¡¯ could create an economic crisis. Commoners would not be the only ones to suffer from that. How would your family fare? Can you be certain it wouldn¡¯t decline greatly before you could even inherit it?¡±


    ¡°Damn you,¡± swore Heivia. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go along with this!! But this is the last time!! This time, I will do enough to become the head of the Winchell family! This is the end! I¡¯ve had it with war!! I¡¯m never going to make a gamble with my life again!!¡±


    ¡°We need a vehicle. We should be able to figure out their route using the GPS map.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. The dummies left their floats here, right? So how are they planning to cross the Atlantic?¡±


    ¡°City Slicker supposedly has a weapons factory somewhere around here. There might be another unit waiting to attach the floats on the eastern end of Victoria Island.¡± Quenser lightly tapped on the side of the abandoned float with the back of his hand. ¡°I have no intention of giving them a chance to use anything like that or to attack the immigrant residential city. That¡¯s why I need a vehicle, Heivia. We need to head after the Indigo Plasma as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Where are the drivers? I need the key. Don¡¯t tell me the key was melted by those low-stability plasma cannon blasts.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just hotwire one like in movies?¡±


    ¡°I could if I wanted to, but it¡¯s all over if I mess up. It would be easier to just use the key.¡±


    As they spoke, Quenser and Heivia started back in the direction of the hill where the injured soldiers were resting.


    Suddenly, gunshots rang out.


    Sparks flew from the side of the float just ahead of where they were.


    (...Are there still some of the 24th¡¯s foot soldiers left!?)


    ¡°Get down, Quenser!!¡±


    But before they could search for cover, more bullets were fired accurately at the ground just in front of them. It was an obvious warning. And it did not come from just one direction. They could not escape just by crouching down.


    Quenser stubbornly looked around while halfway crouched down to the ground. It was unclear if the key was in it, but there was a 4WD off-road vehicle stopped a bit away.


    In the next instant, the off-road vehicle exploded, sending out flames and a shockwave.


    Despite how far away he was, Quenser instinctually brought both hands up to protect his face. He belatedly realized a portable antitank missile had been fired at it.


    The battle formation was already complete.


    Quenser saw no way for them to fight back.


    The two boys slowly put their hands up. The ground looked level at first, but it actually had small undulations like the waves on the ocean surface. A group of five foot soldiers were hiding behind those undulations.


    ¡°(They have midrange sniper rifles and a portable antitank missile launcher. This is bad, Quenser. If we make any odd moves, we¡¯ll be in heaven the next thing we know. We need to get permission before even sneezing to ensure there are no misunderstandings.)¡±


    ¡°(What¡¯s with those ridiculous uniforms? And more importantly, the model of gun they¡¯re using.)¡±


    ¡°(I know. It makes no sense. Why would the Capitalist Corporations show up here?)¡±


    ¡°Okay, enough whispering, you two,¡± said one of the Capitalist Corporation attackers in an oddly cheerful voice.


    She was a girl with blonde hair and brown skin. She appeared to be a bit older than Quenser. Her outfit...was strange. The materials it was made out of were the same as a military uniform. However, its design was similar to that of a maid uniform. She even had cat ears on. Quenser could only think that it was meant to mock the enemy much like the faces painted on the noses of fighter planes.


    All 5 enemies were girls of the same age. Paying no heed to Quenser or Heivia, they spoke among themselves.


    ¡°Will this be enough of a present?¡±


    ¡°It should be fine. At least I hope it is.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost out of rations, so we need to get a hit here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. At any rate, we need rescue to come for them.¡±


    Quenser had a very bad feeling about what was to come, so he spoke with his hands still in the air.


    ¡°Hey, what is going on? Who are you people? What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°We are a battlefield cleanup service,¡± replied the blonde-haired, brown-skinned girl with a smile. ¡°We are a type of PMC. You know what those are, right? They are mercenary companies. These outfits are...well, they were a request. That is one of the downsides of the service industry. We are out of business cards, so don¡¯t ask for one. ...However, we are not a big enough PMC to take over the maintenance of an Object. We are basically employees dispatched to help out a little.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re money-obsessed freaks from the Capitalist Corporations...¡± spat out Heivia, but the brown girl did not seem to mind.


    ¡°Really, we ended up in a lot of trouble thanks to your Legitimacy Kingdom military taking control of the Alaska district. The Legitimacy Kingdom and the Information Alliance were supposed to wear each other down enough that we in the Capitalist Corporations could send in our Object. But instead you easily defeated the Information Alliance and took control of Alaska.¡±


    ¡°You mean when our princess was fighting the Rush¡¯s ¡®Oh ho ho¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Hm? You use boring names like that in the Legitimacy Kingdom? ...At any rate, the Capitalist Corporations forces here were left in quite the panic. Some communications mistake in the confusion of the large-scale withdrawal operation resulted in the transport plane we were supposed to be on taking off without us. Do you understand? We were left behind!! We had to risk our lives living out here with enemies everywhere and days that never got above freezing. This was no laughing matter. We have no choice but to make our way back to the home country on our own. ...Anyway, we were in a bit of trouble because our armored vehicle¡¯s fuel did not seem like it would last until the border. Western America is just too far away.¡±


    Quenser clicked his tongue.


    He had heard the stories of soldiers left wandering the Alaska district after a failed withdrawal operation. It seemed those five were some of those.


    Heivia spoke while choosing his words carefully.


    ¡°...If you would like some hot soup and a blanket, just surrender. You will be temporarily treated as prisoners of war, but a deal can then be made between governments to have you returned to the Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    ¡°Doing that would affect people¡¯s trust in the company. We decide people¡¯s human rights based on the size of their bank account, remember? We wouldn¡¯t be able to advertise after that.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you plan to do?¡±


    ¡°Deal with that,¡± said the brown girl as she pointed at the distant Baby Magnum. Even if the details were unclear, it was obvious even from that distance that it was damaged and unable to move. ¡°We can probably get the Elite to eject by pretending to be maintenance soldiers, don¡¯t you think? We just have to say the reactor has been damaged and is about to go critical. Then we can capture the Elite.¡±


    ¡°...Wait.¡±


    ¡°We know the current situation in the Alaska district. That is the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s last Object. The seven owned by the traitors will soon head out into the Atlantic Ocean. What happens then? The Alaska district will be empty. The Capitalist Corporations will be free to return. The sooner that happens, the better for us. Every day and every hour counts. ...Our rations are just about gone, and we have no guarantee we can kill a deer or reindeer whenever we need one.¡±


    (This is bad.)


    They were from the Capitalist Corporations. They did not care in the slightest about the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s situation.


    ¡°...Just to double check, but you said you knew the current situation, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It was announced in an unencrypted transmission. But that does not matter. There may be some from the Capitalist Corporations among those immigrants, but they changed nationality of their own will. We have no reason to worry about them. ...And most importantly, worrying about them will not make us any money.¡±


    That last comment was likely the true reason.


    That mercenary logic that took only money and profit into account made Quenser want to struggle. However, he just barely managed to hold himself back.


    Instead, he said, ¡°You¡¯re mercenaries, right?¡±


    ¡°We are a PMC, so yes. If you have a request, please use the form on our official website. The payment plans are a tad complex, but do not worry. It is programmed to automatically calculate it all out for you.¡±


    ¡°We have no time. I will hire you right here. If I do, you¡¯ll fight for us, right? That¡¯s all we need.¡±


    Quenser responded seriously to her joking words.


    ¡°Quenser!!¡± shouted the noble named Heivia in an attempt to stop the other boy, but Quenser paid him no heed. He merely stared the brown girl straight in the eye.


    In response the girl sneered at him.


    ¡°Ha ha ha!! Are you stupid!? It seems you don¡¯t know what prices this kind of thing goes for, boy!! Your allowance is not enough to hire us!!¡±


    As she smiled, the girl grabbed Quenser¡¯s collar.


    She drew him in close and some anger filled her smile.


    ¡°We view wealth and economics as above all else, so we hate it when people make a mockery of money. Our fee is a sincere reward given in exchange for the work we perform. The mere thought that we would lower it in a time of crisis out of a sense of charity or justice is an insult. You are essentially saying the value of our lives can change based on your own convenience.¡±


    ¡°I never said that,¡± replied Quenser as he stuck a hand into the pants pocket of his military uniform.


    The brown girl overlooked it because she had gotten too close to him. The other mercenaries responded by raising the barrels of their guns, but Quenser ignored them and pulled out the contents of his pocket and threw it at the brown girl¡¯s face. It was a small rubber box.


    The next thing he knew, he had been punched.


    While looking down at Quenser as he lay collapsed on the snow, the brown girl spat out, ¡°It seems you still do not understand where your place is.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that still does not understand,¡± replied Quenser with a smile. He pointed at the small rubber box that¡¯s latch had come undone when it had fallen to the ground. ¡°I am an important customer.¡±


    ¡°Wait. This is...¡±


    ¡°I would assume someone from the Capitalist Corporations like you would be more knowledgeable about this kind of thing than me. Or do you use too much cash and electronic money, so you know nothing of jewels?¡± said Quenser to the brown girl who was staring at the clear beads scattered across the snow. ¡°They¡¯re diamonds. They are from a military mine on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The Faith Organization hid the existence of the diamonds while mining them to fund their military.¡±


    ¡°Charm.¡±


    The brown girl called out someone¡¯s name and one of the mercenaries pulled out a special loupe. She picked up the clear beads, rolled them around in her gloved hand, and looked at them through the lens.


    ¡°They look real. And it does not seem any fakes are mixed in. I believe there are 15 carats here. Their grade is not bad either. The lack of a certificate is a major point against them, but by laundering them, we could likely get 80% market value on them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ll pay you up front. You could always just shoot us and take them, but there are two more identical rubber boxes hidden below a rock near our maintenance base. If you help us, I will give you the remaining two regardless of the outcome of the operation. ...What is the market value of a mercenary? How many years would it take you to make this much? Actually, would you even be able to make this much before you died?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The brown girl started trembling.


    The trembling was clearly caused by a positive feeling such as joy. It was true that their trustworthiness as mercenaries would lower by helping an enemy nation. However, it would not matter if they received fewer jobs afterwards if they made two or three times the amount they could hope to make in their entire lives otherwise. In the Capitalist Corporations, people¡¯s human rights were decided by the size of their bank accounts, so how much money was needed to simply retire and live an enjoyable life?


    ¡°You said before that your fee is a sincere reward given in exchange for the work you perform. That is exactly right. And that is why we are prepared to pay this much. What will you do? Will you accept our request?¡±


    After Quenser uttered those final words, the brown girl knelt down, clasped her hands before her face, and gave her response with her eyes sparkling.


    ¡°You should have said so sooner, master!!¡±


    Part 8


    The small Capitalist Corporations PMC that specialized in battlefield cleanup used a 10-wheeled armored vehicle. It had quite a bit of space inside, but it could not take sharp turns. The model seemed to prioritize transporting troops more than suppressing an enemy with installed firearms.


    Quenser frowned slightly when he entered.


    ¡°...It smells like a girl¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Come in, come in!! I apologize that it is so cramped, but we will show you our best hospitality!! Charm! Do we have any tea left!?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that hasn¡¯t been used twice already. We do have drinking water made from melted snow and enough rations to make chazuke.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re useless. Oh, excuse me. I forgot to mention, but my name is Wydine Uptown! We will do anything from reconnaissance and bombardment support to shoulder massages and ear cleanings!!¡±


    ¡°I-I see. Well, we mostly just need you to get us to the immigrant residential city.¡±


    Wydine¡¯s excessively wide smile made Quenser draw back a bit. As per his request, Wydine called out to the driver and the vehicle was off. Heivia then cut in from the side with a big grin.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. If they¡¯re willing to do anything, we might as well get what we can. I think I¡¯d like an ear cleaning while resting my head on her lap!!¡±


    The smile disappeared from Wydine¡¯s face


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear anything from you. Go sit over in the corner.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you treating me differently?¡±


    ¡°Because he is a customer who has properly paid us while you are a piece of shit that hasn¡¯t given us a single cent¡î You should be grateful we even let you aboard.¡±


    ¡°Fine then! I won¡¯t expect anything from you!! But know this: I¡¯m the type of guy that gets excited when a girl looks down at him with cold eyes!!¡± As Heivia started sulking, he suddenly realized something. ¡°Wait, couldn¡¯t we have used the Hand Axe rather than the diamonds to make a contract with this PMC? Each gram is supposed to be worth more than a gram of platinum.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the catalyst used in its production that costs so much. The completed explosive isn¡¯t worth that much,¡± said Quenser offhandedly before changing his train of thought.


    His thoughts turned to the 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion and its 7 Objects.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit late, but I was thinking about the situation here. I may have hired you with those diamonds, but this will likely be a difficult battle.¡± Quenser sighed. ¡°Six of the seven Objects are likely dummies that are lower than a Generation 0.5, but they can still use their main cannons. And the Indigo Plasma is a real Second Generation Object. That is a true monstrous weapon.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it,¡± cut in Heivia as he glanced over at Wydine. ¡°Even if those are budget dummy models, how did they get the Elites to pilot them? Or are they forcing regular soldiers to pilot them?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Those are probably strategic AIs, not Elites,¡± said Wydine.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Quenser frowned and Wydine called out to one of her fellow mercenaries.


    ¡°Lemish, explain it to our customer. Use the screen to make it simpler.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± A pigtailed mercenary girl sat next to Quenser and showed him a handheld device. ¡°These red arrows indicate the actions taken by the six Objects as they came ashore. Can you see the common trait among all of them?¡±


    ¡°They move in unnaturally straight lines... Although, that could just be them staying in formation.¡±


    ¡°And this is their leader, the Lily Maria...or the Indigo Plasma as I believe you call it. Look at the ring around it. Once the six dummy models enter a circle with a radius of 5 kilometers around the leader...¡±


    ¡°Their actions...change!?¡±


    ¡°They switch over to the much more flowing movements of a living being. Likely, they are normally piloted by strategic AIs but the leader can manually control them to make corrections. ...If it had not been a surprise attack, the Object on the sea may not have been destroyed so easily.¡±


    ¡°So they can switch back and forth between auto and manual. First the Information Alliance and now the Objects of the 24th. Strategic AI development sure has gotten popular of late.¡± Quenser looked over at Heivia. ¡°If the dummies really are using strategic AIs, can we use the Angelina List to stop them like we did with the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush?¡±


    ¡°There are too many problems,¡± was Heivia¡¯s negative response. ¡°The Rush¡¯s Elite was focused solely on the princess. That was why we were able to move freely. But that isn¡¯t the case here. If we ran around the area, their main cannons would blow us away. Also, we got lucky with the Object remains scattered about last time.¡±


    ¡°The Active Sledge sank into the sea, but what about the Snow Quake?¡±


    ¡°The numbers are just too different,¡± spat out Heivia in annoyance. ¡°The Water Strider had 8 main cannons. I actually used 3 of those. We had three pieces of wreckage for the one Object. The wreckage outnumbered the Objects. ...On the other hand, we have just the one piece of wreckage to use against 6 dummies and the Indigo Plasma. Even if we managed to get full usage of the Snow Quake wreckage, their AI would not consider it a threat. They would just surround the wreckage and blow it to pieces to make sure it could no longer function.¡±


    ¡°Now, now,¡± cut in Lemish out of nowhere to cut off Quenser and Heivia¡¯s negative thoughts.


    She then turned the conversation in the direction she wanted it to go.


    ¡°What matters is the 5 kilometer range in which the AI can be manually corrected. Most likely, infrared or electromagnetic signals are used for the remote control. And if so...¡±


    ¡°...I get it. That means we might be able to use that to our advantage if we get that close.¡±


    ¡°Sir, our PMC has a full assortment, of weapons, ammunition, provisions, communications equipment, and electronic jamming equipment.¡±


    Wydine kicked over a large plastic box and a large number of firearms spilled out.


    She smiled and said, ¡°If you need anything, just tell us.¡±


    ¡°Even if most of them are dummy models, this is still a formation of 7 Objects where one is Generation Two. Also, Prizewell City Slicker is crazy. He will not hold back even if we raise the white flag. Once we head out, we can¡¯t give up partway through.¡±


    ¡°We will do anything as long as you pay us. And you have already given us plenty.¡±


    Part 9


    Ayami Cherryblossom, the Object maintenance chief of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion, stopped her off-road vehicle and jumped out onto the ground.


    Ayami was commonly referred to as the old maintenance lady.


    She had originally been from the Capitalist Corporations.


    The mindset of all value being based on economics and money had deeply dyed her heart and she saw nothing wrong with the preference of human rights being based on the size of people¡¯s bank accounts. Even when she had trained in Object maintenance, she had held no pride in the actions themselves. She had held pride in the profit she gained from the actions.


    When she had first learned of the actions of her daughter and son-in-law, she had simply thought they were being stupid. Talk of providing agricultural support for areas that did not have enough food may have brought tears to people¡¯s eyes, but it had no more value than that. Going through with it was nothing more than spending actual money on something that would bring no profit. In the Capitalist Corporations, even a young child who had yet to start school would tell you that was a waste of money.


    When her daughter and son-in-law¡¯s actions had led to them being chased out of the Capitalist Corporations, Ayami had punched her own daughter. But then she had grabbed her hand. She had been unable to abandon them. She had realized that attachment that went beyond economics or money may have been a part of what led that couple to provide that agricultural support.


    They could not stay in the Capitalist Corporations. They had to flee to some other land. During that flight, she had become intensely aware of the presence of the giants that were the world powers.


    And this went beyond realizing just how great a shadow the Capitalist Corporations cast.


    She also realized that the Legitimacy Kingdom they were fleeing to cast just as great of a shadow.


    Even once they reached that goal, it would not be a happy life awaiting them.


    Whether they turned back or continued on, nothing but hardships awaited them.


    But...


    The more she was trampled on by those giants, the stronger one feeling grew within her.


    She was determined to protect her family from those large shadows no matter what.


    And she would even use the military or Objects to do that.


    ¡°Shikibu!! Iekazu!! Are you in there!?¡±


    The old lady shouted some names in front of a family apartment building. Even in that peculiar area of the city, that apartment building was different than those around it. It was a pale prefab building just like the others, but it was a proper high rise building. It was fully equipped with elevators and self-locking doors. The walls and floors had the same double-layer insulation usually used in windows. The building was not made of prefab because of a lack of resources. The entire city was made that way out of choice. The nameplates and signs were a mix of hiragana, katakana, kanji, and other scripts, all of which were a strange sight in the Legitimacy Kingdom. It was just the type of thing that would irritate Prizewell City Slicker.


    The old lady called the names of her daughter and son-in-law, but received no response. However, she had no time to wait around. She climbed the stairs to the third floor and headed for a specific door.


    At the same time, her daughter, Shikibu, opened the front door.


    The black-haired woman in her late twenties looked utterly shocked when she saw the old lady.


    ¡°What are you doing here, mother? I thought you didn¡¯t get time off until-...¡±


    ¡°Is Iekazu here? And what about Orihime, my granddaughter!?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. This is a weekday. Papa is at work and our daughter is at elementary school. Honestly, has the military left you unable to tell what day of the week it is?¡±


    ¡°Contact them,¡± said the old lady, sounding at her wits¡¯ end. ¡°Hurry!!¡±


    ¡°What? What? Ehh? If you¡¯re coming over to play, you should call ahead, mother.¡±


    The old lady forced her way in the front door and picked up the receiver of the landline phone located near the entrance. She called the number she had memorized beforehand, but...


    ¡°No good. The phone isn¡¯t going through.¡±


    For an instant, she thought the 24th had cut the phone lines, but that was not it. Things were getting noisy out front. Objects were over 50 meters tall, so their advance would be visible even from afar.


    ¡°The phone lines must be congested...¡±


    ¡°What is going on?¡± asked Shikibu while blinking. ¡°The TV suddenly switched over to a test broadcast and then the internet wouldn¡¯t connect no matter what page I tried to go to. And I needed to check a recipe for lunch.¡±


    ¡°The home country must have cut it off to prevent a panic. They¡¯re cutting everything off starting with the thickest lines. Even if it wasn¡¯t congested, we probably couldn¡¯t use the phone.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Shikibu, remain calm and listen to what I have to say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that seems to be panicking.¡±


    ¡°Some Objects will be arriving here soon,¡± said the old maintenance lady as slowly as she could manage. ¡°It is a formation made up of the Indigo Plasma and 6 others. The Legitimacy Kingdom military cannot stop them!! We need to get out of here as quickly as possible! Those monstrous national level weapons will soon turn this city into a sea of flames!!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Wait...¡± Shikibu put on a smile. She had yet to fix her bad habit from the Japanese Islands. ¡°What do you mean Objects will be arriving? I didn¡¯t hear anything about a parade.¡±


    The old lady ignored her and pulled out her radio.


    She set it to a military frequency and simply turned up the volume.


    ¡°Hurry up the repairs on the Baby Magnum!! No one expects you to completely fix it! At the very least, we need a single main cannon functioning. The Indigo Plasma¡¯s formation is headed toward the immigrant residential city as we speak. If we take too long, we can¡¯t catch up!!¡±


    Shikibu¡¯s smile remained.


    But she started trembling while still smiling.


    ¡°Where are Iekazu and Orihime?¡± asked the old lady with a serious expression. ¡°We need to get them and leave the city before those 7 Objects arrive!! You need to make your preparations. You have 10 minutes!!¡±


    ¡°Wait. What is going on!? What is going on!? What is going on!?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I have time to explain everything!?¡±


    ¡°We need to tell the neighbors... No, not just them!! We need to tell everyone in the apartments...no, everyone in the city to escape!!¡±


    Shikibu suddenly stopped speaking after that.


    The old lady had slapped her.


    ¡°We can¡¯t. We would never make it in time. Even if they took us seriously, that would just lead to widespread panic and traffic congestion. All forms of transportation would grind to a halt and no one would be able to escape.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should abandon them!?¡±


    ¡°Curse me all you want.¡± With her daughter glaring at her like that, the old lady took a challenging step forward. ¡°But I will protect my family. I will do anything to do so. If it will make it more difficult for you to escape, I am prepared to leave this entire city to die.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°Then are you willing to abandon Iekazu and Orihime? If they learn the truth, everyone living around here will fight to take any vehicle they can find. Once that happens, no one will be able to collect those two. Nor would we be able to escape ourselves!! Are you fine with that!? Are you willing to sacrifice your own family to rescue some complete strangers!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I am not. That is why I went as far as to run away from my unit to come here. What about you? Are you fine with letting Iekazau and Orihime be burnt away to nothing? I know what Objects can do. Believe me when I tell you this: Object bombardments are relentless. They do not even leave a corpse to be buried.¡±


    Without speaking a word, Shikibu struck the wall once.


    The loud noise silenced the old lady and Shikibu quickly headed further into the room. She was likely headed to pull a suitcase from a closet.


    They had no time.


    A panic was already beginning within the city.


    If they did not act before it had a serious effect on transportation, they would be trapped within the city. If that happened, they would be on the receiving end of a bombardment from 7 Objects.


    After about 5 minutes, Shikibu returned to the entranceway.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°I think I am doing something horrible.¡±


    ¡°Do not bear that weight. This is my sin. Those 7 Objects should have been stopped by my unit.¡±


    They had no time to wait for the elevator. They used the stairs to head quickly down to the first floor where they climbed aboard the military off-road vehicle. The rubber of the tires screeched across the road surface as they took off.


    ¡°Who¡¯s closer, Iekazu or Orihime?¡±


    ¡°Papa would be closer. But it isn¡¯t that different. They¡¯re both within 5 kilometers of here.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll start with Iekazu. Tell me how to get to his company.¡±


    She drove the off road vehicle while ignoring traffic lights and one-way signs. However, no one seemed to care. They had their own things to worry about. A panic was already beginning. If they had stopped at a red light, people would likely have tried to jump in through the windows.


    ¡°How could this be happening?¡± muttered Shikibu.


    The old lady ignored her and continued pressing down on the accelerator.


    Iekazu worked at a mid-size menswear company. The company rented out a portion of a double-layer prefab building.


    ¡°How do we call for him?¡±


    ¡°Even if the external lines are down, the internal lines should still work. Where is the company¡¯s reception desk?¡±


    ¡°There is a general reception desk on the first floor. Visitors for any of the tenants make a request to the external operator and...¡±


    ¡°Then head there. Make something up about forgetting to give him his bento or whatever. Just get them to let you use the internal phone. Have Iekazu come down to the first floor and then bring him out here.¡±


    ¡°What about you, mother?¡±


    ¡°If we both left, the off-road vehicle would be stolen. You go. Or do you have the guts to use this to keep any thieves away?¡±


    As she spoke, the old lady pulled something out from the area next to the gear stick. It was a Legitimacy Kingdom military submachine gun.


    Shikibu paled and nodded repeatedly before getting out of the vehicle and running toward the general reception desk on the first floor.


    The old lady watched Shikibu through the clear automatic door for a while.


    Finally, Shikibu returned with a man wearing a suit. Like a proper employee, he was wearing the menswear made by his own company. The old lady clicked her tongue lightly when she saw the timid-looking man.


    ¡°You took too much time.¡±


    ¡°I have heard the general situation, but...¡± started the man.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to discuss this,¡± said the old lady as she slammed down the accelerator, sending the vehicle off once more. ¡°I can think of no reason why it is okay to let Orihime die.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The spread of confusion in the city accelerated as time passed. The old lady had no idea what they were thinking, but it seemed some idiots had even set fire to some buildings. She could see black smoke in the distance. She doubted there was much worth stealing in Orihime¡¯s elementary school, but she still felt an unpleasant pressure in her chest. There was no longer any safe place in the city.


    ¡°You¡¯re going too fast!! Slow down! You¡¯re going to hit someone!!¡± shouted the man.


    ¡°Shut it, you fool!!¡±


    ¡°Waah!! That man is shouting something. Wait, what is that he¡¯s pointing this way? That¡¯s a gun!¡±


    The old lady ignored him and pressed down even harder on the accelerator. The needle on the speedometer made a large jump. A few dry gunshots rang out, but the vehicle was not so much as scratched. The man out there had likely not actually been willing to shoot someone.


    They arrived at the elementary school.


    They drove right in through the front gate, made a sharp turn into the faculty parking lot, and came to a quick stop. It seemed classes had already been called off, but the children were not being let out. They could see a lot of faces peering out through the windows. They were all filled with worry.


    Given the confusion in the city, the faculty had made the right decision. But it was not enough. That would not save the children from the seven Objects led by City Slicker.


    ¡°Shikibu, Iekazu. Go get Orihime. If the teachers try to get in the way, use this.¡± The old lady held a submachine gun out toward Iekazu. ¡°But don¡¯t pull the cocking lever. I¡¯ve emptied the chamber. As long as you don¡¯t do that, there is no way for it to fire.¡±


    ¡°Please, no. This has nothing to do with if it can actually fire.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. Just hurry it up. Otherwise those 7 Objects will get here first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but...¡±


    Iekazu trailed off as he got out of the off-road vehicle.


    ¡°I know,¡± said the old lady, cutting him off.


    Iekazu seemed unable to stand the worried gazes of the other children. The old lady felt the same. She would be leaving those children to die in order to allow her family to escape.


    ¡°I know!! But there is no perfect choice here!! Hurry up. We need to get Orihime out of here!!¡± she shouted.


    Iekazu frantically ran off toward the door to the school. Shikibu followed him.


    Suddenly, the old lady heard an ominous thundercloud-like rumbling in the distance. She grimaced. She recognized the noise. It was static electricity. That was the sound of the massive amounts of artificially produced static electricity that was used to float the giant form of an Object.


    It was not coming from the Baby Magnum.


    That left only one other option.


    (Did we not make it in time...!?)


    If she could hear it from where she was, the 7 Objects must have already arrived at the outskirts of the city. They could fire at any moment. The great slaughter in the name of language preservation activism would begin. Once it started, no one would be able to escape. Buildings would fall, overpasses would crumble, and all forms of transportation would be cut off. The off-road vehicle would be of no use whatsoever.


    The old maintenance lady gritted her teeth.


    And then...


    ¡°Hey, old lady! Are you still alive? The knights in shining armor have arrived!!¡±


    The familiar voices of two boys came in over her radio.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. This really is a horrible part to play!! No matter how you rationalize it, fighting seven Objects just isn¡¯t normal!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Heivia. This is our big moment. Let¡¯s finish this in some flashy way and become the heroes once again.¡±


    ¡°You always act like this! The nobles doing nothing but eating snacks back in the safe countries could learn a thing or two from you!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, you always complain, but you always pull through in the end.¡±


    (How can they do this?)


    The situation was about as bad as it could get. Fighting even a single Object was considered out of the question, and this time there were seven. So how could they possibly choose to stand up to them? It did not help Quenser¡¯s dream of becoming an Object designer in the slightest.


    ¡°Old lady, I can¡¯t have you dying,¡± said Quenser. ¡°There¡¯s still so much I need to steal from you with my eyes. Losing such an excellent technician would get in the way of my dream. Not to mention...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Our princess is in a bad mood. She says she can¡¯t get motivated if you aren¡¯t doing her maintenance. If the Baby Magnum can¡¯t fight, we¡¯re done for. That¡¯s why we need your help.¡±


    ¡°You...¡± muttered the old woman.


    When she had seen the destroyed unit, the old lady had abandoned them all. She had violated military regulations to protect her family. But they were different. Froleytia¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion was still functioning.


    They had not given up.


    They were still working to save everyone in the city.


    ¡°We are about to engage the 24th Mobile Maintenance Battalion. Our objective is to defend the immigrant residential city! And it isn¡¯t just us. The Baby Magnum will be running before long. So don¡¯t you dare die until we blow away that bastard Prizewell City Slicker.¡±


    The battle was about to begin.


    A battle between seven cutting edge Objects and some puny flesh-and-blood soldiers.


    Part 10


    ¡°Oh, how passionate.¡±


    It was obvious it was an act, but the brown mercenary named Wydine rubbed at her eyes as the armored vehicle came to a sudden stop.


    ¡°Your hot-bloodedness has moved me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s just part of the service you provide, but it kind of annoys me,¡± replied Quenser as he leapt out onto the snowy plain from the rear hatch of the armored vehicle. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°First, we must bring them to a stop. We will draw their attention so the Objects aim their cannons this way. At the very least, we need to make sure the battle occurs outside the city.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!!¡± frantically cut in Heivia. ¡°Are you stupid!? What do you mean draw their attention!? Are you going to shoot them with a portable antitank missile!? Once they know where we are, they¡¯ll turn us all to ash in a single shot!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you mooching bastard. I never said we would be firing it. We can manage by using a Bird or Animal.¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡± asked Quenser and Wydine¡¯s face lit up.


    ¡°The specialty unmanned vehicles of our battlefield cleanup service!! Bird is an aerial vehicle and Animal is a 6-wheel ground vehicle. They are primarily used as radio-controlled reconnaissance devices, but they can be equipped with a single-shot rocket launcher. Think of them as mobile mortars. The shock caused by firing the rocket does sometimes destroy the machine, though.¡±


    The mercenaries named Charm and Lemish pulled two small units out from the back of the armored vehicle. One was an aerial vehicle with wings about 50 cm long and the other was a flat ground vehicle about 40 cm long. The ground vehicle must have had a few optional parts because it had something like a sled forcibly attached to the bottom.


    ¡°How many do you have in total?¡±


    ¡°One Bird and 10 Animals. The radio signal can be used to determine our location, so we also need to set up a few dummy antennae. That way, we will not be blown away when we perform a surprise attack.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡± Quenser approached the unmanned vehicles lined up on the snow. ¡°What can we do to help?¡±


    ¡°They use a Capitalist Corporations format, so we will take care of setting them up. Could you perhaps set up the dummy antennae? It would help a lot if you set them up at random locations within a radius of 500 meters of here.¡±


    Wydine gave a look to Lemish and the other mercenary girl brought out a few cases. They were something like attach¨¦ cases 30cm by 30 cm and 5 cm thick.


    ¡°You do not need to open the cases. When you place them, make sure this gray side is facing down. If you then use your thumb to flip the switch near the handle, you are done. The frequency is already set, so you do not need to do anything else.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, let¡¯s get to it.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. But do you think you could pay me with some jewels, too?¡±


    ¡°When will we begin? If we don¡¯t hurry, the Indigo Plasma will start attacking the city.¡±


    ¡°Setting up the antennae will take 5 minutes. It will take another 5 minutes for Bird to make it in range. The Animals will be travelling along the snow, so it will take even longer for them. They will be used to deal with the foot soldiers after they have noticed us.¡±


    ¡°So 10 minutes at the soonest.¡± Quenser divided up the dummy antenna cases between Heivia and himself. ¡°This is cutting it close.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we must do it.¡±


    ¡°Exactly right. Let¡¯s go, Heivia. I¡¯ll head to the east and you head to the southwest.¡±


    ¡°God dammit. I¡¯ve really had enough of making full speed dashes through the snow.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia then ran off in different directions. Even then, the seven Objects accompanying the foot solider unit were approaching the immigrant residential city. They had no time.


    Quenser had three dummy antennae. It would be meaningless to put them all in almost the same place. But simply spreading them out in a circle around their actual location would tell the enemy where they were at first glance. What was important was to set them in random locations to make it impossible to tell which was the real one.


    (Shit. Are we going to make it in time!?)


    The thick snow slowed Quenser down more than he had expected and it wore down his stamina. He flipped the switch near the case¡¯s handle and set the dummy antenna by practically throwing it.


    (This isn¡¯t going to cut it. At this rate, the Indigo Plasma will fire on the city before the Bird can fire its rocket! We don¡¯t have time to keep this completely safe!!)


    As Quenser ran toward the location to put the next dummy antenna, he pulled out his radio and contacted Wydine.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wait. Send out the Bird now!!¡±


    ¡°Eh!? We can¡¯t. They will detect our location from the radio signal. They will aim for the dummy antennae first, but if you are not yet far enough away from them...¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!! If they start the bombardment while we wait, this is all for naught!! Hurry!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me if something happens to you!! I doubt your life insurance company would be happy about this!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re forgetting that this puts me in the same danger!!¡± added Heivia.


    Quenser flipped the switch of the second dummy antenna and threw it. He looked into the distance and saw Lemish aim a bow gun-like launching device diagonally up and pull the trigger. The Bird shot smoothly up, propellers meant for models began to spin, and it flew along at only 15 meters up. After its altitude stabilized, it headed straight for the Indigo Plasma.


    ¡°What is its top speed?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°170 kph. Once it gets up to speed and stabilizes, it will be there in no time. There is a danger of a powerful crosswind causing it to lose speed, though,¡± said Wydine. ¡°You two need to quickly get away from the dummy antennae!! Once the rocket is fired, the Objects will counterattack!!¡±


    When he heard that, Quenser flipped the switch on the third and final dummy antenna and threw it to the side. It seemed less like he was placing it in an optimal place and more like he was throwing away an obtrusive weight.


    He heard a sound like a champagne cork being removed.


    It was the sound of the explosive being fired from the rocket launcher attached to the bottom of the Bird. However, the 40 millimeter shell never struck the Object¡¯s armor. Before it could, the Indigo Plasma fired a small laser. With an orange beam of light, the rocket exploded in midair. The vehicles of the infantry unit accompanying the Objects suddenly braked, but the entire unit did not come to a stop. There had been no actual damage done.


    And...


    No matter how small it was, an Object would naturally react to anything that tried to attack it. With the slight damage from the previous battle still intact, the Indigo Plasma immediately turned around.


    Several of its cannons moved slightly. It was clearly searching the area. In the meantime, Quenser continued to run. The thick snow slowed him down and he almost tripped several times, but he continued running as quickly as he could away from the dummy antennae.


    And then the Indigo Plasma fired.


    With a deep noise as if from a large drum, a giant shell flew at over the speed of sound, scattering shockwaves as it went.


    ¡°Was that a railgun!?¡±


    He had heard the sound first because of the trajectory of the shell. It was not aimed at the ground. It was aimed up in a large arc similar to a long throw in baseball. It flew about 100 meters above Quenser¡¯s head.


    The railgun shell suddenly stopped.


    A parachute had opened.


    Wydine must have been using binoculars or a scope to check on it from afar because her voice came in over the radio.


    ¡°I¡¯m checking on the shell!! It is something like a cylindrical metal drum!! Its diameter is 70 cm and its length is 150 cm!! There appear to be countless holes along the sides!!¡±


    ¡°What is it...?¡±


    As Quenser ran, he heard a sound like steam being sprayed out from somewhere. It was coming from the metal drum hanging down from the parachute. The air distorted like sugar water being mixed.


    ¡°A gas...Is that the gas for the low-stability plasma cannon!?¡±


    After their fight with the 24th¡¯s foot soldiers, Quenser and Heivia knew what that special gas could do. It was heavier than air. When disseminated up in the air like that, gravity and wind would spread it over a large area.


    Yes.


    That would create a field that could be turned into a hell of light and heat from a single shot of a low-stability plasma cannon.


    The main cannons of the six dummy models creaked as they aimed in that direction.


    ¡°Quenser!! They¡¯re clearly aiming for the dummy antennae in your direction!! You need to find a hill or whatever kind of cover you can find and get down!!¡±


    (I can¡¯t escape gas pouring down from above by doing that!!)


    The area covered by the special gas had exceeded 100 meters. It would be difficult to get out of the range with all the thick snow around. Quenser pulled a Hand Axe plastic explosive out of his bag. He stabbed in the electric fuse and threw it as far above his head as he could manage.


    When it reached its highest point, Quenser hit the button on his radio.


    With an explosive noise, a shockwave spread out above his head.


    The shockwave blasted the gas away from the area.


    In the next instant, the 6 dummy models fired their low-stability plasma cannons. They fired them at the point 50 meters up where the special gas was the most concentrated.


    A flash of light burned into Quenser¡¯s eyes and a great noise stabbed into his brain.


    He was slammed down to the ground like he was being crushed from above. Despite wearing a thick coat for the cold climate, he could feel a stinging pain on his skin. That pain told him that he was lightly burned. Despite being burned, he never did feel the normal sensation of heat.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    His vision was partially impaired so that it looked like a white film had been placed over his eyes. Quenser writhed around on the ground as pain assaulted him from all over. He felt like he was lying in a giant mud puddle. The snow around the area had been completely transformed into lukewarm water.


    But it could have been much worse.


    If he had not used that bomb to blow away most of the special gas from the area, that ¡°misfire¡± would not have occurred. The surface of the ground would have turned to glass and Quenser himself may have been turned to ash.


    And all of that was just from the first shot.


    Naturally, the enemy would not stop there.


    ¡°Quenser!! Get out of there! That Hand Axe told them where you are!!¡± shouted Heivia over the radio.


    Quenser got up from the unpleasant mud and rolled down the slope of one of the nearby rolling hills.


    He just barely made it in time.


    A large number of dry, firecracker-like noises filled the battlefield.


    It was not coming from the Objects.


    The 24th¡¯s foot soldiers had gotten down from their military trucks and had begun to fire their assault rifles. 5.56mm pointed rifle bullets scattered from 70-80 rifle barrels which shot dirt into the air from the hill Quenser was using as a shield.


    A second round did not immediately come from the Objects because the scale of their attack was so large they must have decided it was too much of a pain to aim at such a small target.


    Or perhaps...


    (With 7 Objects, they have a total of over 700 cannons. If they fired with all of them, it would be over for me. That must mean the dummy models¡¯ reactors are not perfect. They can only just barely fire their main cannons, so the secondary weapons are just decorations.)


    The foot soldiers continued to fire so Quenser could not move from where he was. At that rate, the Objects would fire and it would all be over. But he simply could not carelessly poke his head out amid that shower of bullets.


    Suddenly, the Indigo Plasma moved.


    ¡°Dammit! It¡¯s that railgun again!!¡±


    As Quenser watched, the drum-like shell arced up into the air. The foot soldiers had only been meant to keep him in place. They were working together, but it was clear who was in charge. Even while piloting the Indigo Plasma, Prizewell¡¯s personality could be seen.


    However, the metal drum fired by the railgun never reached its place far above Quenser¡¯s head.


    Before it could, a portable anti-tank missile was fired from the ground. The missile was shot by a laser before it could reach the railgun shell, but the effects of the blast could not be ignored. The metal drum¡¯s trajectory sharply changed angle and its parachute did not open. It landed halfway between the foot soldiers and Quenser.


    ¡°Sir! We cannot have you dying before you pay us the rest of our fee!!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Wydine. I respect that honest-to-a-fault way of living.¡±


    The fallen metal drum would likely disseminate the special gas from its place on the ground, but its effective range would be much smaller than from in the air. Also, it was downwind of Quenser.


    But...


    ¡°Hey, Quenser!! The Indigo Plasma¡¯s main cannon is moving!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding...!¡±


    The low-stability plasma cannon fired the instant after Quenser shouted that.


    It caused a white explosion.


    Quenser¡¯s body was blown directly backwards. He flew several meters through the air before hitting the ground. He felt a pain like his internal organs were being squeezed. The flash of light was so bright he was amazed he did not go blind.


    ¡°...That bastard,¡± said Quenser as he lay on his back. ¡°He didn¡¯t even hesitate to blow up his own subordinates, did he!?¡±


    Quenser did not have the heart to see what things were like on the other side of the hill. That had been an overwhelming low-stability plasma explosion, a blast that created enough heat and force to shoot through an Object¡¯s armor when concentrated. The destruction had to go beyond what the word ¡°catastrophe¡± could express.


    ¡°He¡¯s insane. Why would the 24th follow a despot like him!?¡±


    ¡°Because they have no other choice now. If they surrendered, they would still be charged with the crime of treason. Whatever happens now, their only path to victory is to prevent the 24th from losing no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Here they come. It¡¯s all 7 Objects this time!! That bastard is planning to crush the corpses of his comrades as he advances!!¡±


    Hearing Heivia¡¯s cry, Quenser slowly stood up. He could not stop where he was. The seven Objects had to know where he was.


    ¡°The enemy is sending the six dummy models along in a horizontal line with the Lily Maria following behind!!¡±


    ¡°That bastard doesn¡¯t hesitate to treat his subordinates as expendable, but he¡¯s damn careful when it comes to his own life!! This pretty much confirms that the dummy models are running on a strategic AI!!¡±


    In Quenser¡¯s estimation, the dummy models¡¯ reactors had a low output so all weapons but the main cannon were mere decorations. That was most likely correct. And those main cannons were not suited for targeting a puny flesh-and-blood soldier.


    Which meant...


    ¡°Oh, shit. He¡¯s heading forward to crush me!!¡±


    ¡°Those monstrous weapons keep their 200,000 ton weight afloat using static electricity. The massive amount of electricity creates a tremendous force!! And a portion of the propulsion device is supposed to use plasma!!¡±


    With the Objects lined up horizontally, Quenser was reminded of a giant piece of agricultural equipment leveling the ground. It was like a tractor that was 300 meters wide. There was no way he could escape by running to the left or right.


    And then a rocket was fired from the ground.


    The explosive was fired from so close that the dummy model had no time to react. The dummy model closest to Quenser was targeted. The fact that the explosive directly hit the spherical main body could only mean that the non-main cannons truly were not functioning. Thin pieces of the armor peeled off and stabbed into the ground.


    The dummy model that had been attacked stopped moving and its main cannon started to aim. In the next instant, the area the rocket had been fired from turned pure white. The low-stability plasma cannon had been fired.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!¡±


    ¡°That was an Animal! Do not worry!!¡±


    Immediately afterwards, five dummy models and the Indigo Plasma passed by Quenser. Due to the hole opened by the one that had stopped to shoot the Animal, Quenser¡¯s body was not blown to pieces by a massive amount of static electricity.


    ¡°I guess the strategic AI really is just a massive collection of prioritizing routines.¡±


    The Indigo Plasma was directly controlled by Prizewell, so he should have been able to manually change course to kill Quenser.


    He was either playing around or he was testing the AI.


    ¡°There is a cave 20 meters to your WSW! Run to there for now!! If they cannot use anything but their main cannons, it is possible the strategic AI will be unable to deal with the situation!!¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll just pray I¡¯m not blown to pieces by some misbehaving cannon!!¡±


    At the same time, Quenser spotted a torn metal plate lying on the ground. It was a fragment of armor torn off of the dummy model when it had been hit by the rocket. It was about 30 cm square and 12 cm thick. It was heavy, but not so heavy that he could not pick it up with both hands.


    (This is surprisingly light. This isn¡¯t just not up to the standards of an Object. Even regular steel would be denser than this.)


    He looked closer and noticed that the actual steel plate was only about 5 cm thick. The rest was made up of some pale gray substance. The edge where it had broken off looked more like crumbled stone than metal.


    Normally, someone like Quenser who did not weight train would have been unable to pick something like that up. Normally, a rocket would have been unable to destroy a metal plate that thick. And yet Quenser was holding the fragment.


    There could be some secret hidden there.


    ¡°Quenser, hurry!! The dummy models are regrouping!! They¡¯re headed your way again!!¡±


    ¡°Understood. And don¡¯t think you¡¯re safe either!! Don¡¯t do anything that will let them know where you are!!¡±


    Urged on by Heivia, Quenser started running while carrying the fragment. The thick snow, the damage he had taken, and the fragment of armor all lowered his speed. A dull pain ran through his elbow. Again and again, he heard whisperings in his heart telling him to throw away that piece of junk.


    But he ignored it and continued moving his legs.


    He heard a sound like approaching thunderclouds. Quenser¡¯s heart wanted him to move faster than his physical body could manage. This created a gap between his ideal and reality. Where he wanted his legs to be and where they actually were grew confused in his head and he almost tripped. He was just about at his limit. He could not continue on much further. Some armor fragment of dubious usefulness was not worth dying over. He was just about to let go of it.


    But then he finally arrived at the cave entrance.


    Despite the hard ground within, Quenser dove inside. He rolled down a gentle slope. He continued rolling for around 20 meters.


    He had scrapes all over his body and he had light burns covering his skin. But those things hardly bothered him at the moment.


    (Dammit. The Indigo Plasma and the 6 dummy models will be here soon!!)


    Quenser pulled some Hand Axe from the bag on his back, stabbed in a fuse, and threw it in the direction he had come. He did not have time to hesitate. He pressed the switch on his radio almost immediately.


    An explosive blast roared through the closed space.


    ¡°Gah!?¡±


    Quenser was sent rolling around the cave, but that was better than the alternative.


    The plastic explosive had lowered a shutter of stone.


    He could feel a heavy vibration come from beyond that shutter. The Indigo Plasma had likely fired near the entrance of the cave. If he had not crumbled the bedrock to cut off the path, a great blast of heat would have swept through the cave and roasted Quenser.


    (That didn¡¯t feel big enough to be a main cannon.)


    Quenser analyzed the situation as he felt a chill run down his spine.


    He had been fortunate that one of the Indigo Plasma¡¯s anti-personnel cannons had been used rather than the main cannons of the other 6 Objects. This was not due to any kind of decency on the enemy¡¯s side. Prizewell had likely just decided the main cannons were too difficult to use against a single person. If he had used a main cannon, the inside of the cave would likely have been completely roasted.


    Quenser tried to use his radio, but he could not connect. The bedrock was cutting off the signal. He had no choice but to search for a different exit. He could also try to use explosives to blow a hole in the collapsed entrance, but the odds were good the shockwave would injure him in the enclosed cave.


    Quenser picked back up the fragment of armor and used the backlight of his radio¡¯s LCD screen as a light.


    He moved the faint light around to investigate the cave.


    The battle was still continuing.


    There was plenty he still had to do.


    Part 11


    The cave appeared to have been slowly carved out by the power of water. A slight trickle of water ran down a slope at Quenser¡¯s feet. He could keep his feet perfectly dry by walking by the wall. That was how little water there was.


    Quenser had been quite worried at first, but he easily found an exit after travelling about 2 kilometers. The trickle of water met up with a river. By the time Quenser made it to the bank of the river, his arms were beginning to go numb, so he dropped the armor fragment to the ground. It almost fell over onto his feet, so he frantically jumped back. Even if it was strangely light for steel, it was still heavy enough to shatter the rocks on the river bank.


    ¡°...¡±


    There was something about that armor. It was made of a steel plate and that mysterious gray material, and it was clearly different from normal Object armor.


    However, Quenser was only a battlefield student. He did not know how to properly examine the armor plate under normal circumstances and here he had to make do with the equipment he had on him.


    He could not manage it on his own.


    After thinking for a bit, Quenser changed the frequency on his radio. He was not contacting Heivia or Wydine.


    The person he needed to speak with was...


    ¡°Old lady!! Can you hear me? It¡¯s Quenser! I need your help!!¡±


    ¡°Boy...?¡±


    He received a reply.


    That must have meant the Indigo Plasma and the dummy models had yet to attack the immigrant residential city.


    ¡°I think I may have a clue to new information related to the Indigo Plasma! But it¡¯s too much for a student like me!! I need the help of a pro like you!!¡±


    ¡°You idiot. Don¡¯t say any more! I am not with the military right now. If you tell me the situation on the battlefield, you could be charged with a crime as well!!¡±


    ¡°Then we can spend time in the detention barracks together!! Just help me!! We¡¯re the only ones who can protect the city!!¡±


    Protect the city.


    Quenser heard the old lady¡¯s breath catch in her throat when he said that.


    ¡°Six of the seven Objects are dummy models. I have a fragment of armor that was blown off of one of those dummies. It has two layers: steel and...some kind of gray material. At any rate, it¡¯s unusually light. And not just lighter than proper Object armor, it¡¯s lighter than normal steel. I think they have done something to cut down on costs. Please tell me how to examine what kind of material this is!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s go through this in order. Dummy models? Material examination?¡±


    ¡°This might be necessary to turn the situation around!! So hurry!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The old maintenance lady fell silent for a moment, but she then started giving Quenser instructions. First she asked Quenser what equipment he had to see what was available to perform the material examination.


    ¡°Okay, you have your handheld device and radio, right? Then you can use the electromagnetic method. First, dig a hole underneath the armor plate fragment. Just something like digging a small tunnel in a sandbox. After that, open up your handheld device¡¯s wireless LAN and place it underneath the fragment from the side.¡±


    Quenser was on the rocky bank of a river, so he stuck the handheld device in the gap between two large rocks underneath the fragment.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°Next, set the frequency on your radio. Set it to the same frequency the wireless LAN uses. Then place the radio on top of the fragment and send some arbitrary signal for 10 seconds.¡±


    Quenser could hear a distant rumbling. Heivia and the others were still in a desperate situation. Quenser felt the desire to rush things, but he kept telling himself that carrying this task out accurately would lead to the quickest path to the solution.


    ¡°Done. What next!?¡±


    ¡°Pull out the handheld device, call up the system screen, and check the signal reception. That should give you a broad percentage.¡±


    ¡°Percentage?¡±


    ¡°Just get to it!! I thought you were in a hurry!!¡±


    Quenser frantically looked down at the screen and read the number displayed there.


    ¡°It says 34.2!!¡±


    ¡°Hm. With the proper heat resistance, that much of the signal would never have gotten through. That is an inferior product that lacks proper craftsmanship,¡± calmly analyzed the old lady over the radio. ¡°But with the two different layers, it is hard to say anything for sure. Boy, can you tear apart the two materials?¡±


    ¡°It may be a dummy model, but it¡¯s still Object armor.¡±


    ¡°Then all I can give you is speculation that may be horribly inaccurate.¡± The old lady gave a slow sigh. ¡°The gray material is likely ceramic. The spherical main body is formed from ceramic and then thin metal plates are used to make it look ¡®Object-like¡¯.¡±


    Ceramics had both strength and a certain amount of flexibility. They may have been trying to use that to provide the same ability to absorb and distribute impacts that onion armor provided.


    However...


    ¡°If that was all it took to reproduce Object armor, things would be a lot easier for us. The dummy models are nothing but inferior models that could be destroyed by a nuke,¡± said the old lady.


    ¡°I analyzed the floats they used and I estimate the 6 dummy models each weigh less than 50,000 tons. ...From the weight of this armor fragment and the ratio of steel to ceramic, the dummy models¡¯ armor is likely a third the thickness of normal Object armor. And it is not steel with the proper heat resistant reactive materials. If they are made out of nothing but cheap ceramics, then their actual strength would be...¡±


    ¡°They got us,¡± groaned the old lady. ¡°We were tricked by the initial impact of their appearance. If she had calmly responded and dealt with one at a time, our princess¡¯s main cannons could have stabbed straight through them. Their victory came from the idea of seven Objects causing us to completely lose our cool.¡± The old lady paused for a second. ¡°Do you understand what this means, boy?¡±


    ¡°Eh? That the armor is a lot thinner than normal Object armor, right?¡±


    ¡°Not just that.¡±


    Some static then entered the transmission.


    It did not sound like naturally occurring interference. The static grew louder and louder.


    ¡°It is an issue...of heat resistance. ...Their main cannons...are low-stability plasma cannons. And...this is...the Arctic...Alaska...district... They...are acting...like the...ulti...mate...weapons...but...they came here...with their...greatest...weak...ness already...¡±


    ¡°Old lady? Old lady!? Wait...damn!!¡±


    The static grew louder and Quenser could no longer hear her voice. It was hurting his ears, so Quenser pulled the radio away from his face.


    ¡°Did they start jamming radio signals to stop the rockets from unmanned vehicles? I thought the Indigo Plasma manually corrected the dummy models using a radio signal!!¡±


    Quenser headed away from the river bank and into the snowy plain once more. As he approached the battlefield, he operated his radio. This time he tried to contact Heivia and the others. But first he set the output to maximum.


    ¡°Heivia, Wydine!! Can you hear me!?¡±


    ¡°Ksshhh...I would really prefer not to respond!! Those monstrous weapons are...searching for us by using microphones and...tracking radio signals!!¡±


    ¡°Sir!! Thank goodness you...are okay! That means we will...get the rest of our fee!!¡±


    Despite the static, the transmissions were still making it through. The immigrant residential city was much farther away. That may have been why he had been unable to contact the old lady there.


    (Heat resistance. Low-stability plasma cannons. The Arctic Alaska district. Ceramic armor plates that use no high heat resistant reactive materials and do not properly function as onion armor. Where did the dummy models come from? What route did they make their surprise attack from?)


    ¡°Wydine, how many of the unmanned vehicles are left!?¡±


    ¡°The Bird was...shot down. I can...still detect...three Animals. But the Objects...have begun...wide range jamming. The radio...signal is...receiving a lot of...interference!!¡±


    ¡°I need you to find a way to carry out another rocket attack. I¡¯ll send you the location using my handheld device. Tell me your address!!¡±


    ¡°Wow. A chance to get...personal information from...such an excellent customer!! Today is...my lucky day!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be encrypting it when I send it of course.¡±


    Using the address he was given, Quenser sent map data with a mark on it to Wydine.


    ¡°This is...?¡±


    ¡°If you do as I say, they will get caught up in it. This plan only works because the small unmanned vehicles don¡¯t show up on the anti-personnel sensors. Do you think you can manage it?¡±


    ¡°A half-destroyed...Animal is...right nearby. They think...they have destroyed it...so I can target...whatever I want. I will have to...send out quite...a powerful signal...to force through...the jamming...so there is more of a...risk...of them determining...our location.¡±


    ¡°Please do this. Also, the Indigo Plasma¡¯s jamming probably has a hole. That way the frequency used to manually correct the dummy models is not interfered with. Analyze the jamming signal and find that hole. That will be the line that connects the leader with the dummies. If we use it well, we might be able to cause some interference of our own.¡±


    ¡°Ksshh...As you wish...sir¡î ...C¡¯mon get to work, you moocher!!¡±


    ¡°Quenser, once this...battle is over...I have some choice words for you.¡±


    About 2 kilometers away, the 7 Objects were moving. The Animal was located right in the middle of the group of Objects. Heivia and the others seemed to be hiding about a kilometer to the west of the center. If they were found, it would all be over, but they still had a chance. The 24th¡¯s strategic AI that was controlling the dummy models was not that advanced.


    ¡°So basically the plan is to...ksshh...provoke them to accidentally fire their...low-stability plasma cannons into the center of their formation. That way, the ones with...thin armor will be blown away,¡± said Wydine.


    ¡°But the Indigo Plasma is a Second Generation...Object. Ksshhh...Just having it left is enough of a threat,¡± warned Heivia.


    ¡°We¡¯ll manage somehow. Just do as I tell you for now. If they change their formation, this will all be for naught!!¡±


    Quenser urged them on while checking the situation on his handheld device¡¯s GPS map.


    At that moment, one of the dummy models suddenly changed direction. It was aiming its main cannon at the hill Heivia and the others were hiding behind.


    (Not good. They were located from the upped output on the radio signal!!)


    But the dummy model stopped moving. Intense static came from the radio and the GPS map stopped updating.


    (Did they find the hole in the jamming signal and blocked the line connecting the Indigo Plasma to the dummies!?)


    An explosive noise rang out.


    However, it did not come from the Objects. It was much too small for that. The Animal at the center of the 6 dummy models had fired its rocket. The rocket had struck the armor of one of the dummies and exploded.


    The strategic AI immediately reacted.


    The program made a decision from its list of priorities and began a counterattack against what had attacked it.


    Yes.


    It used its one functioning weapon, the low-stability plasma cannon it used as a main cannon.


    A pure white explosion occurred.


    The explosion grew so large it swallowed up the 6 dummy models. Despite his great distance, Quenser was temporarily blinded as if he had looked directly at a magnesium ignition. It was not simply the power of the low-stability plasma cannon fired at the ground near the dummy models. The 24th¡¯s foot soldiers had already been roasted, but they had been equipped with gas cylinders and tanks of the special gas in order to work in conjunction with the Objects. Those had caused the explosion to grow even larger.


    But...


    ¡°Dammit.¡±


    The jamming from both sides was gone.


    Heivia¡¯s curse of despair came through clearly.


    The reason for his despair was the seven giant forms he could see.


    Their surfaces had melted slightly, but their overall silhouettes were still intact.


    The enemy could still move.


    ¡°It was no good. It didn¡¯t work!! It¡¯s not just the Indigo Plasma left! The six dummy models weren¡¯t destroyed either! Even if their armor was thinner than normal, they still aren¡¯t something flesh-and-blood soldiers can deal with!!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Quenser said into the radio. ¡°Those 6 were enveloped by the explosion as planned. This is checkmate.¡±


    ¡°How is this checkmate!? The surface of the armor was melted a bit, but they can still move!! ...C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get out of here. What does the reward matter if you die, right!?¡±


    That last bit seemed to have been spoken to Wydine and the others, but the mercenaries did not seem to agree. A PMC focused on profit took that kind of thing seriously.


    ¡°They had a major weakness this entire time,¡± said Quenser slowly in an attempt to calm down Heivia who was about to panic. ¡°The armor has no high heat resistant reactive material in it. Nor does it function as onion armor. It¡¯s just a mass of cheap ceramic. In other words, it has a poor resistance to extreme changes in temperature.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°Their main cannons are low-stability plasma cannons. Those create a lot of heat. And this is the Alaska district. Being below the freezing point is normal here. And to top it all off, the dummy models made their surprise attack from the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. They would have been completely cooled down. The heat caused by their low-stability plasma cannons would have sent their temperature skyrocketing. And that means...¡±


    Quenser stopped and took a deep breath.


    He then began speaking again.


    ¡°The properties of the ceramic would have changed greatly! Once that distortion grows large enough, they should collapse under their own weight!!¡±


    A loud noise like a metal joint coming out of place could be heard.


    Cracks started running through the 6 dummy models like a glass sculpture that had been dropped on the floor. They shattered in in a way that ignored how the original pieces were joined together.


    Quenser glanced down at his handheld device


    He could hear his fellow soldiers speaking.


    ¡°I have heard that when forged blades are made, the heating of a furnace and the cooling of water are used to alter the properties of the metal in order to make it stronger. The most famous example is the katana from the Japanese Islands,¡± said Wydine in admiration. ¡°But it has the exact opposite effect when not carried out by a skilled craftsman. I believe just opening and closing the door to the workshop can create enough of a temperature difference to cause the metal to be too brittle, making the sword a failure.¡±


    ¡°Normally, an Object designed to operate in these conditions would have heating elements in between the armor plates to ensure it does not cool down too much, but I doubt they went that far after cutting so many corners on the armor¡¯s thickness.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt your celebration,¡± cut in Heivia. ¡°But the Indigo Plasma is still doing just fine!! That thing is a legit Second Generation Object that cost 5 billion dollars! It isn¡¯t going to shatter from that!!¡±


    Quenser could hear an ominous creaking.


    Two kilometers away, the slightly damaged Indigo Plasma was moving its main cannon. Even if they had been dummies, it had lost a large portion of its military power with the loss of those 6 Objects. Its Elite, Prizewell City Slicker, must have been quite angry.


    As if to display that emotion, the low-stability plasma cannon aimed at a puny flesh-and-blood soldier.


    Yes, it aimed at Quenser.


    (I guess he finally managed to track me from my radio signal.)


    ¡°Heivia. Wydine, and the rest of your mercenaries, he¡¯s done for. Cover your ears and get down on the ground if you don¡¯t want to go blind or deaf due to a simple explosive blast.¡±


    ¡°Quenser!!¡±


    ¡°Sir!?¡±


    Quenser ignored the shouts trying to stop him. Running would hardly help him at that point.


    Quenser then heard what sounded like thunderclouds approaching.


    Approaching from behind him.


    ¡°I was waiting for you, princess,¡± he muttered.


    When he had checked his handheld device after the six dummy models blew up, he had been checking on the location of the Baby Magnum.


    He had known the princess would make her move when such a large change occurred to the situation.


    ¡°No, Quenser...¡± said Heivia in dull surprise. ¡°The Indigo Plasma is a true Second Generation Object! Even if the princess had all 7 of her main cannons functioning, she would have trouble destroying that monster!! Right now, she only has one. And it¡¯s not at full power either!! Even a direct hit isn¡¯t going to stop Indigo Plasma here!!¡±


    And when that first strike did not finish things, they would be blown away by a counterattack.


    However, Quenser¡¯s expression did not change.


    ¡°This is enough.¡±


    Quenser held his radio in one hand and used the other to hold his handheld device straight out like a handgun. He was not sure if it would actually aid in targeting any, but he aimed the communications infrared signal coming out the end toward the Indigo Plasma.


    It looked like he was stabbing at an enemy with the point of a rapier.


    ¡°Get him, princess. Finish off that discriminatory bastard.¡±


    Immediately afterwards, the two Objects fired their main cannons at exactly the same moment.


    Yes.


    They both fired low-stability plasma cannons.


    The six dummy models had ¡°shattered¡± around where the Indigo Plasma was and the special gas for their low-stability plasma cannons had filled the area.


    The result was obvious.


    The Indigo Plasma was swallowed up by a pure white flash of light.


    Even if they had been dummies, their main cannons had still functioned. Enough special gas to power six main cannons had surrounded the Indigo Plasma. In response to the Indigo Plasma firing its own main cannon, the special gas had immediately exploded. The explosion may not have had the directionality provided by a cannon, but the scope of the explosion was simply too great. Even without the temperature being intentionally regulated to the optimal point, natural fluctuations and diffusion caused enough of it to be at the proper concentration to be ignited.


    The armor could not withstand the tremendous blast.


    Object armor was said to be able to withstand a nuclear weapon or two, but it melted like a sugar sculpture here. And once it had grown soft, the princess¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon blast stabbed into it. This caused critical damage to the reactor that produced such tremendous amounts of electricity, which led to an even larger explosion.


    ¡°...!!¡±


    Quenser was quite distant from it all, but his vision and hearing were not working properly.


    However, he realized soon thereafter that it could have been worse.


    At some point, a giant wall had interposed itself between Quenser and the explosion. That wall was an Object. The battered Baby Magnum had acted as a shield for him.


    ¡°Hello, are you still alive?¡± asked the princess.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m about to die...¡±


    ¡°How about you worry about us!?¡± shouted Heivia. ¡°We only had half the distance from that explosion than you did!!¡±


    The princess seemed to have decided to simply ignore Heivia¡¯s complaints.


    ¡°Where is City Slicker?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dead, I¡¯d think. You saw that explosion. Even if he ejected, he would have been roasted in midair.¡±


    ¡°Then we have just one more thing to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Quenser into the radio. ¡°We need to tell that old lady everything¡¯s okay.¡±


    Part 12


    Chaos had begun within the immigrant residential city.


    It started with the TVs. The normal stations had stopped their broadcasts, but a military antenna on the Baby Magnum was used to force a pirate broadcast through. The wreckage of the seven monstrous weapons was displayed on the screens. After a bit, it switched over to footage of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s soldiers letting out a cry of victory. The CS broadcast staff helped film it all.


    At first, some people thought it had been faked.


    But the Object wreckage could be seen from the edges of the city with binoculars, so fear began to leave the atmosphere of the city. The dark enthusiasm faded away to the point that it was hard to believe how frantic everyone had been just moments before.


    ¡°Hey, old lady. Your chauffeured ride is here,¡± said Heivia as he stopped the off-road vehicle within the immigrant residential city. The old lady caught Quenser¡¯s eye where he sat in the passenger seat, but the student just shrugged.


    The old lady was with her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.


    She walked away from her family and toward the vehicle.


    ¡°I am prepared. What is my punishment?¡±


    ¡°That will be determined later,¡± said Quenser, passing on information from their commander. ¡°As the emergency caused control of the unit to be lost temporarily, Froleytia has a lot of reports to write, but she told me to pass on a message to you: any failures can be overwritten by results, and you are fortunate enough to have the technical skills needed to make her hesitant to get rid of you.¡±


    ¡°...I see,¡± was all the old lady said.


    Her heart was likely filled with various emotions she could find no way to express in words.


    ¡°Grandma,¡± called out the girl who seemed to be her granddaughter. The girl pointed at something in the distance and asked, ¡°Did you make that, grandma?¡±


    She was pointing at the Baby Magnum as it travelled along outside the city. One of the princess¡¯s telephoto lenses must have picked up the girl pointing because one of the main cannons waved back at the girl.


    The old maintenance lady remained silent for a bit.


    ¡°...Yes,¡± she finally replied. ¡°That is the robot of justice I made and these are my wonderful comrades.¡±


    As he lightly stroked the steering wheel, Heivia whispered to Quenser in the passenger seat.


    ¡°(Aren¡¯t you going to make a joke about that?)¡±


    ¡°(I think we can let this one slide.)¡±


    The old maintenance lady climbed aboard and the off-road vehicle left.


    It headed outside the immigrant residential city.


    It headed for the maintenance base zone where the princess waited.

 Volume 3, Epilogue

    Volume 3, Epilogue


    With most of its vehicles gone, the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion was forced to temporarily stay at a military airport in the Alaska district. They were currently having the parts they could use brought in from the Legitimacy Kingdom maintenance bases for the Snow Quake and Active Sledge.


    The balance of power in the Alaska district had grown unstable once more.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom had controlled it up to that point, but they had now lost every single one of their Objects there. It was the perfect chance for another world power to strike back.


    However, there was no reason to be pessimistic.


    A few of the Objects waiting in the Atlantic Ocean had switched over to acting as a defensive line for the Alaska district. With the Indigo Plasma, the dummy models, and the rest of the 24th¡¯s military power gone, there was no longer any reason to keep those other Objects away.


    And so...


    Having decided all danger was gone, Quenser sat in the military airport¡¯s mess hall with his upper body limply lying atop the table.


    ¡°Eh? So the TV show filming here was CS¡îMilitary Channel!?¡±


    ¡°What? Are you a fan of the idol?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not a fan. Oh, man. This is bad. This is really, really bad. There¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t hold a grudge against me. She was as haughty as ever even after her family fell to ruin.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Heivia frowned.


    He was unaware that Quenser had known a former noble girl when he was young. Naturally, he also knew nothing about how that former noble girl¡¯s family had hid in his storehouse.


    ¡°Ugh, how horrible,¡± said Froleytia as she rubbed at her own shoulder. ¡°The higher ups are still arguing over who gets to take credit for this. The Snow Quake and Active Sledge insist they contributed to the victory, so they want to be treated favorably. Well, they need to have their Objects reconstructed, so I understand that they need any help they can get. I just wish they wouldn¡¯t get me involved. There is a ton of paperwork for this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed you didn¡¯t snap and punch one of the higher ups.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, what kind of person do you think I am? I am Froleytia Capistrano, a kindhearted, peace-loving, persistently-just, pure, and lovely female commander. Do you really think I could do anything as immodest as that?¡±


    ¡°...If you were really the kind of person you claim to be, you wouldn¡¯t have captured us and then lectured us for over 3 hours while we were still exhausted from battling the Indigo Plasma.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, if you do not like lectures, perhaps you would rather be thrown into the detention barracks without a word. Arctic prisons are said to be worse than Abashiri.¡±


    Froleytia then placed a few pieces of paper on the table.


    ¡°What are those? Do we have to write a ton of reports, too?¡±


    ¡°No, this is from that military CS broadcast crew. They want us to fill out a survey to give them material to talk about back in the studio. Well, after getting such exciting footage, I¡¯m sure the members of the staff are shedding tears of joy.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯ll be allowed to air footage of a conflict between Legitimacy Kingdom battalions.¡±


    As Quenser and the others looked down at the survey, the princess walked up. She had clearly been worn down physically by the consecutive battles.


    She circled around behind Quenser and read the survey over his shoulder.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°A survey for that TV show.¡±


    Quenser, Heivia, the princess, and Froleytia read through the questions prepared by the TV station.


    One read:


    Question 4: In recent years, the age of soldiers in the military has grown remarkably younger. Do you see anything wrong with having minors head to the front lines?


    The four muttered the same thing in unison.


    They seemed truly puzzled and did not realize the darkness they carried.


    ¡°...No, not at all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± said Froleytia as she lit her long, narrow Japanese kiseru after they had finished with the surveys. ¡°Quenser, I hear you hired a small Capitalist Corporations PMC on Victoria Island.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Sensing a new lecture on the horizon, Quenser¡¯s shoulders jumped. ¡°Wh-what are you talking about...?¡±


    ¡°Supposedly, you paid them with jewels you stole from the diamond mine on the Kamchatka Peninsula.¡±


    ¡°Kyaaaaahhhhh!?¡±


    She knew it all.


    Quenser paled as he was sure he would be stuck in the seiza position with a boot digging into him until morning. Various circumstances were likely going to make him lose any reward he might have gotten for destroying the Objects. At the very best, he would break even. However, hiring Wydine¡¯s small Capitalist Corporations PMC had been his only option at the time. If he had not, the immigrant residential city would have been turned into a sea of flames. Quenser was not about to overestimate his own abilities.


    ¡°The lecture can wait until later, but I would like to check on something first. Quenser, what was the name of this small PMC?¡±


    ¡°B-Battlefield Cleanup Service...I think.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. So what I heard over the radio was accurate.¡±


    Quenser finally realized Froleytia had learned about it from the radio transmissions. However, Froleytia did not seem particularly mad. Her expression was one of doubt, not anger.


    Yes.


    Doubt.


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure the name of the small PMC you hired was Battlefield Cleanup Service? Are you sure that was its official name and not just a nickname?¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know any of the specifics. But they used it kind of like a name.¡±


    ¡°Listen closely.¡± Froleytia¡¯s expression suddenly grew serious as she puffed out some smoke. ¡°When compiling the documents I need for the post-mission debriefing, I contacted the Capitalist Corporations military. They base all their actions in wealth and economics. Their military is entirely made up of PMCs. Everything from Object maintenance to bodyguards are registered with mercenary companies. But they have no record of a small PMC with a pleasant name like Battlefield Cleanup Service.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°My contact with the Capitalist Corporations military may have been feigning ignorance, or the Battlefield Cleanup Service may simply be unlicensed. However, we do know that the Capitalist Corporations military does not officially have a mercenary company by that name. I plan to hand this over to the intelligence department, but then our unit will likely never learn of the answer.¡±


    Froleytia gave a bitter smile of resignation when she saw the look on Quenser¡¯s face.


    She ended the conversation with one last comment.


    ¡°It seems you have met some troublesome people without even realizing it, Quenser.¡±


    A 10-wheeled armored vehicle returned to its maintenance base zone. The back hatch opened and five female mercenaries climbed out. At the front was Wydine, a girl with blonde hair and brown skin.


    ¡°Hello, we¡¯re back.¡±


    A female officer came out to meet them. That would not normally be necessary, but she must have had nothing better to do. She may have just wanted the exercise. Her exercising had gone from being a hobby to being a daily quota.


    The female officer gestured toward the armored vehicle. Realizing what she meant, Wydine headed over to the side of the vehicle.


    ¡°Whoops. Charm, Lemish. Peel off this label for the Battlefield Cleanup Service.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is a fake name.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but some of it isn¡¯t coming off. How about we leave it as a code name? At the very least, we need to get the other label off. Don¡¯t forget to peel off the Capitalist Corporations label.¡±


    ¡°We made a lot of money this time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I never thought we would end up with diamonds. These intelligence operations would be a lot more fun if they always turned out like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more normal in the Capitalist Corporations. How about you head there?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke. I¡¯m just saying it makes for a nice bonus. I never said I wanted to live a life of being manipulated by money.¡±


    They continued speaking as they worked to remove the labels from the armored vehicle. Before long, it no longer looked like a vehicle from the Capitalist Corporations.


    The female officer then said, ¡°What about the dummy Objects that used a strategic AI?¡±


    ¡°They were blown to pieces,¡± replied the girl who used the fake name Wydine. ¡°I was worried some of the data or integrated circuits would remain, but that low-stability plasma explosion was enough to ensure nothing can be recovered. That was individual research of Prizewell City Slicker rather than something officially developed by the Legitimacy Kingdom military, so destroying those should prevent it from spreading to the rest of the Legitimacy Kingdom. ...Speaking of which, what happened to the 24th¡¯s development department?¡±


    ¡°A different unit found them and destroyed them. All research data related to the strategic AI was lost.¡±


    ¡°They certainly are petty,¡± said Wydine with a grin. ¡°Just because his position in the Legitimacy Kingdom was in danger is no reason to send a spy to one of our Information Alliance military projects and steal information on strategic AIs.¡±


    ¡°They may have had the link between the main Object and the dummy models, but their failure lay in being unable to mass produce the Elites they needed.¡±


    ¡°The strategic AIs represented by Juliet are the specialty of the Information Alliance, so we refuse to allow another world power to develop their own.¡± Wydine pulled out the rubber box filled with diamonds, checked on the contents, and shrugged. ¡°How horrible.¡±


    ¡°Just as they cast their shadow in the Legitimacy Kingdom, we cast our shadow in the Information Alliance.¡± The female officer did not seem to mind. ¡°A utopia is not created so easily.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that did not sound like something you would hear from a commander entrusted with troops to protect such an ideal, Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito.¡±


    The female commander smiled at hearing her name.


    Wydine looked around and asked, ¡°Where is our idol Elite? Has that misunderstanding been resolved yet?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, somehow or other. That Legitimacy Kingdom student must like his irony to use information to damage people like us who specialize in information. I have gained a slight interest in him.¡±


    The clank of a footstep was then heard.


    It came from somewhere quite a ways up above them.


    They turned to look and saw the Second Generation Gatling 033. It had been lost in Alaska, but a project under construction had been taken over to replace it. The armaments had been rearranged to make an essentially identical machine. The soldier who was to become its Elite and its maintenance unit would hold a grudge, but they could not overturn an official decision from the higher ups. It was likely the Strategic AI Juliet that led to the higher ups siding with them.


    Maintenance scaffolding was set up around the Gatling 033 and a girl of about 10 stood on it.


    Thorns could be seen in her gaze as she spoke to Wydine and the others via radio.


    ¡°See? He is quite the fascinating gentleman, isn¡¯t he? Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He is both generous and clever. I think I might have fallen for my customer?¡±

 Volume 3, Afterword

    Volume 3, Afterword


    I made it to the third volume.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    ...This may be the third volume, but I wrote this series with a certain idea in mind. I thought the first volume could be something like a starter pack that explained the basic setting and actions of the characters as well as the makeup and values of the different parts of the world. Then the subsequent volumes could be something like expansion packs. My intention was to have a timeline that continues with each volume, but where you can pick up and enjoy any volume so long as you have the basic information from the first volume. I hope you readers can check to see if I was successful or not.


    This time, I think I will divide the afterword up by chapter.


    The novel is essentially a collection of short stories, but I intentionally used a more irregular type of construction where plotlines begun in one chapter would be resolved in another.


    Regarding Chapter 1:


    Up until now, I had always been writing about how amazing the monstrous weapons known as Objects are, so I wrote this chapter as a story describing how amazing the Elites who pilot those Objects are. This was also the first time the protagonist Quenser actually rode inside an Object.


    I had wanted to have the princess and the ¡°oh ho ho¡± fight, and I made the entire chapter have a fairly light atmosphere.


    From the beginning, I had designed the ¡°oh ho ho¡± as an idol that people could get emotionally invested in despite her being a virtual existence.


    I came up with the idea of the Information Alliance¡¯s strategic AI when thinking about how scary false detections and false decisions of security software could be. What did you think?


    Regarding Chapter 2:


    For the first time, I put a spy in this story.


    With all the fighting left to Objects and infantry not doing as much, I think spies like this would become more common.


    I added in the idea of an overall conspiracy here, but if it that was all there was, the overall theme of ¡°fighting Objects¡± would have been lost. For that reason, I left it at just a taste.


    I had always wanted to use an Object that could jump so nimbly it seemed like a joke, so I did that here.


    The diamonds that were acquired in a comical manner in this chapter became a very important item in the next chapter.


    Regarding Chapter 3:


    This was the final battle against the ridiculous enemy of 7 Objects.


    I made the key to this chapter be how to strike back at an enemy that seems far too much to handle at first glance.


    Prizewell City Slicker¡¯s strategy was something like the exact opposite of Sladder Honeysuckle¡¯s from Adoption War with a more offensive and powerful slant than the Oceanian military nation.


    It was never specified just how much they cut down on costs, but the use of Objects may have greatly changed had they won that battle.


    Any readers who thought the Battlefield Cleanup Service appeared rather suddenly are quite perceptive. Their identity and goal become clear in the epilogue. Basically, they had their reasons for being so willing to head into battle against Objects despite living in a world where flesh-and-blood soldiers would never think of doing such a thing.


    In Adoption War, I put a lot of focus on speaking with the enemy, but I almost completely ignored that in this story. Be aware that that is not an essential part of this series¡¯ theme.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagiryo-san and my editor Miki-san. This novel is part of an annoying genre that requires them to pay attention to a lot of small details that do not necessarily show up in the text. I am truly thankful for their help this time, too.


    And I give my thanks to the readers. My intention with this series that I mentioned at the beginning of the afterword was an experiment that required at least 3 volumes to attempt. I truly thank you.


    And so, I think I will end this here.


    I lay down my pen while hoping this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    ...I really have given the Information Alliance a lot of amusing characters, haven¡¯t I?


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 4, Prologue

    Volume 4, Prologue


    It happens once every few years or every few decades.


    Surely you have heard that near-urban legend that is announced again and again.


    Yes.


    I am talking about the idea that the Earth¡¯s resources will dry up in the near future.


    But so far, it has never happened. In fact, humanity would fall into ruin if it did happen. The only question is how it would happen. Would people continue to evenly divide everything up until the storerooms were empty so everyone starved together? Or would wars break out over the last remaining resources causing humanity to destroy itself before the resources actually ran out?


    So why is it?


    Talk of resources running out is quite common. It even has a certain credibility to it. The Earth is slowly producing resources even now, but the rate of consumption is clearly greater. There is no avoiding the fact that the resources will ¡°eventually¡± and ¡°surely¡± run out, but for some reason it has not yet happened.


    Even with the wars being waged using those ridiculously huge Objects, the resources have yet to run out. I am sure you know just how plentiful resources are and how constantly they are being consumed. The resources never seem to run out and yet it is clear this planet we call earth has a limited capacity.


    So let me ask again.


    Why?


    Do these plausible announcements that keep coming actually have no basis in reality? Or do we keep conveniently finding a new mine of resources just when the current resources seem like they are about to dry up?


    What I want to know is...


    What do you think?

 Volume 4, 1: What Should Have Been a Pure Blue Ocean >> Unofficial Battle in the Loyauté District

    Volume 4, Chapter 1: What Should Have Been a Pure Blue Ocean >> Unofficial Battle in the Loyaut¨¦ District


    Part 1


    The air was oppressively hot.


    Buckets of torrential rain poured down on his head.


    The large leaves of the tropical trees growing thickly around him caused a rumbling similar to a percussion instrument being struck repeatedly.


    In all seriousness, Heivia Winchell wanted to check to make sure his neck was working properly. That was how heavy the rain constantly falling on his head was.


    ¡°...Dammit. Everything stinks of mud. Whatever happened to the coral ocean?¡±


    The time was just before midnight.


    He was in complete darkness. No artificial lights were lit and the thick rain clouds above his head cut off any light from the moon or stars.


    As Heivia crouched down below a thick palm tree, another boy dressed in the same uniform crouched next to him. The other boy was named Quenser Barbotage. Instead of a rifle, he carried a bag filled with explosives.


    ¡°I thought we were supposed to have a champagne party after the princess blew away the Faith Organization¡¯s Generation 1 Object. Why are we going through this mental training out here in the rain?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the additional radio announcement?¡± asked Heivia in annoyance. ¡°This is the Loyaut¨¦ district, an archipelago right next to Oceania. Due to the multinational coalition attack, the dictatorship in Oceania was destroyed and the area is in the process of being restored. You know that much, right?¡±


    ¡°Well, we were the ones to blow up the dictator in question.¡±


    Quenser recalled hearing something about Oceania having plenty of resources, so it could earn money so long as the facilities needed for mines and refineries were brought in.


    Little by little, Oceanian coal, steel, and platinum was scheduled to be taken to the Legitimacy Kingdom, but that meant it was no longer just an area requiring protection. It was an area that could have business negotiations and enact trade.


    ¡°Well, the Loyaut¨¦ district is being used as a midway Object resupply base. For that reason, the Oceanian resources are being brought through the Loyaut¨¦ district where they are moved to different boats before heading out to the world.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with us being neglected out here?¡±


    ¡°There will always be idiots who start scheming over this kind of thing. For example, some might attack the transport ships to steal the valuable resources.¡±


    ¡°...What does that have to do with this?¡±


    ¡°The media is referring to them as Hyena. In this age of ¡®clean wars¡¯ that use Objects, the higher ups would lose face if they were done in by that analog method, so they sent these orders down to our unit.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with this!? I don¡¯t know anything about Hyena! This isn¡¯t a war; it¡¯s a crime. They should send in uniformed police officers!!¡±


    ¡°These are our orders. And what clean freak police officer is going to come to an unstable area like this?¡±


    ¡°But we have Objects we could be using. Oceania is right there. The coalition is still intact, so we have plenty of Objects. I thought the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Deep Optical was dealing with cleanup on the sea. Isn¡¯t it a brand-new Generation 2 that uses tons of laser technology?¡±


    ¡°Why are you grinning like that while thinking about enemy weapons?¡±


    ¡°At any rate, this isn¡¯t our kind of job! It just doesn¡¯t have the right sense of intelligence to it. We¡¯re more suited for some kind of smarter mission!!¡±


    ¡°I would like to get to sleep, too,¡± cut in their commander Froleytia over the radio. ¡°But this is the sad side of a Multi-Role Generation 1 Object that is seen as a convenient tool for any job. The Baby Magnum can fight people as well as vehicles, so the higher ups view it as more suitable for this kind of thing than the specialized Generation 2s. ...So let¡¯s just crush these island platinum thieves and get to bed. You two, get down and cover your eyes. It¡¯s about to begin.¡±


    ¡°...Seriously? The ground is stickier than some chocolate out in the summer sun.¡±


    ¡°I think this much mud might make my skin a little too shiny and healthy...¡±


    Without the tension of facing enemy troops, the two took a bit too long to take action.


    They regretted this soon after.


    The darkness was blown away by a flash of light as an Object bombardment roasted the earth.


    It came from the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s Generation 1 Object known as the Baby Magnum.


    The giant weapon had 7 main cannon arms stretching up from behind and over 100 other giant cannons covering its main body.


    It had not just fired one of its main cannons. That had been a variety of the other cannons attached all over its spherical main body.


    It fired laser beam cannons, rapid-fire beam cannons, coilguns, railguns, and low-stability plasma cannons.


    They came roaring down like a shower of light, but Quenser and Heivia were unable to leisurely watch the sight as if it was a show in a concert hall.


    ¡°Ow!! Damn, the light is stabbing into my eyes!!¡±


    ¡°Rolling around on the ground isn¡¯t going to make your sense of pain go away! Let¡¯s just get our job over with, Heivia!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia headed on while meaninglessly rubbing at their eyes.


    The Baby Magnum was bombarding an area about 5 kilometers away where Hyena had a beach bunker in which armored vehicles and high-speed patrol boats were hidden.


    A thumb-sized piece of stone fell at Quenser¡¯s feet amid the great squall.


    It was a piece of the bunker/hangar made of quick-dry concrete.


    (As usual, that is a level of firepower I do not want to have as an enemy!!)


    They were afraid to get any closer, but they had a job they had to complete.


    ¡°Quenser, do you have that kit?¡±


    ¡°I can set it up in 7 places in 10 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Well, hurry. Hyena will be fleeing in this direction after being woken up by that horribly flashy alarm clock.¡±


    And so Quenser pulled out a few devices known as Cursors. They were cylinders 5 cm across and 10 cm long mostly made of reinforced plastic.


    He checked the Cursors¡¯ frequency with his radio and then bound the cylinders to trees in the area using wires.


    After setting up a few Cursors, he heard a few dull noises.


    They were coming from palm trees that had been torn to pieces by the Baby Magnum¡¯s bombardment.


    ¡°(Quenser, get down! They¡¯re coming to show us their hospitality!!)¡±


    ¡°(Isn¡¯t this sooner than expected? I¡¯ve only set up half of them!!)¡±


    ¡°(You should know by now that this always happens. Just get down!!)¡±


    The undergrowth in the area trembled from something other than the torrential rain.


    (Is it Hyena?)


    Quenser looked around as he hid behind some trees.


    Their job was supposed to have been setting traps to take out Hyena when they ran off in confusion due to the Baby Magnum¡¯s bombardment.


    However, something else was happening.


    Foot soldiers would not affect the undergrowth to such a great extent and the Baby Magnum was attacking a point over 5 kilometers away. Quenser doubted they could have made it that far so quickly.


    Which meant...


    ¡°...Look, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t raise your head. Do you want me to shoot you in the back of the head?¡±


    ¡°Is that thing noisily headed this way a tank?¡±


    Heivia kicked the trunk of a palm tree without thinking and then curled up, holding his toes.


    ¡°(That damn large-breasted commandeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!)¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there is any job here where you can make a lot of money while remaining in complete comfort. We¡¯d just give up if there was.¡±


    ¡°But pay is even across a rank!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, what about an antitank missile?¡±


    ¡°That would be fine if a single shot could take care of it, but its sensors might detect the lock. Also, the missile would probably hit a tree before reaching the tank in this forest.¡±


    Quenser clicked his tongue.


    Naturally, a normal rifle could not pierce tank armor. And Quenser¡¯s explosives would need to be brought close enough for the tank to be in range of the blast.


    Of course, the odds were good the tank would notice him before he could get close enough to throw it and then he would end up being mowed down by a light machinegun.


    ¡°What do we do, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to bring out some beer and have a round with them. This killing is wrong. The world should be at peace.¡±


    ¡°...Pacifistic ideals tend to come from the losers, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess they wouldn¡¯t go along with that.¡± Heivia sighed as he scratched at his soaking-wet hair. ¡°Then I guess we have no choice but to go through with this. Quenser, what about that kit?¡±


    ¡°Cursor?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Heivia pointed at the device attached to a palm tree. ¡°It¡¯s an infrared trap that sends targeting information to the Object. Its sensors are directly linked to the Object¡¯s lock data, so the target caught in the trap has an almost 100% chance of being hit. Let¡¯s hurry up and set up that invisible net of lasers and blow them to pieces.¡±


    Part 2


    By midnight, Hyena had been successfully eliminated.


    ¡°Sounds like Baby Magnum has finally ended its bombardment.¡±


    ¡°I need some eye drops. There¡¯s something wrong with my eyes. Hey, Quenser. Do you think they have Lasik surgery pamphlets at the base?¡±


    A few armored vehicles had been sent out from the site of the bombardment, but most of them had been roasted by the Baby Magnum¡¯s laser beams. The others had been destroyed by the mobile maintenance battalion infantry and armored divisions surrounding the base.


    The tank Quenser and Heivia had blown away using a Cursor had been one of those.


    ¡°I¡¯m more afraid of friendly fire than a tank. The armor fragments blown off very nearly killed us.¡±


    ¡°That explosive reactive armor is dangerous. Once it scatters around, the pieces are like land mines.¡±


    In that age, foot soldiers who had an Object on their side did not play the traditional role of infantry.


    The soldiers could indirectly use the firepower of those gigantic weapons by transmitting targeting data, so they could conquer the battlefield with overwhelming speed.


    Even if it was borrowed power, it still led to almost assured victory so long as they were able to borrow it.


    However, the inclusion of Objects in infantry and tank conflicts meant that nigh unstoppable power was lost if the gigantic weapon was no longer there.


    As the two boys leaned against palm trees in the soaking rain, a transmission came in from Froleytia.


    ¡°Thank you for a job well done. We have lowered Hyena¡¯s numbers enough that they should have difficulty taking further action or even reviving their numbers. Do a sweep of the area and then head back.¡±


    ¡°(Once we get back, it¡¯ll probably be time for the debriefing and weapons maintenance, Quenser. And that includes the armored vehicles and fighters that people as low on the ladder as us never get to make use of.)¡±


    ¡°Hm? If you want to kill some time, Heivia, I recommend you search Hyena¡¯s base,¡± said Froleytia. ¡°You can join the intelligence team.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you!! I¡¯m not gonna investigate an enemy base after an Object blew it to pieces! Those monsters are famous for taking even dignity from corpses!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a corpse that had dignity. Do you want them to be decorated with whipped cream and strawberries? But if you don¡¯t want to, then come back. If you two hang around out there, I don¡¯t get to rest either.¡±


    ¡°(I think that¡¯s the real reason right there.)¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and come back,¡± said Froleytia resolutely. She may have heard that comment. ¡°We were supposed to be off duty once the princess blew away that Faith Organization Generation 1 Object. I want to get the unit to Oceania¡¯s coral ocean and white sand beach as soon as possible. Those damn old men keep forcing this extra work on us, but they refuse to push the final day of our leave back when they do. In other words, every second that passes is one second less we get off. So hurry up and get back!!¡±


    Froleytia ended the transmission, but Quenser and Heivia did not look remotely upset.


    They had learned something quite valuable.


    ¡°Did you hear that, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°It sounded to me like the entire unit is going on leave.¡±


    ¡°And in the southern hemisphere, December is midsummer swimsuit season.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    ¡°That means...That means this is what they call a swimsuit episode, Heivia!!¡±


    ¡°We get to see the wonderful collaboration of the princess¡¯s plain but lovely swimsuit and our large-breasted commander¡¯s almost unairable swimsuit, Quenser!!¡±


    ¡°I know. I know! I really like the idea of some time off. We¡¯ve been working way too much lately!! What¡¯s with this human vs. Object nonsense!? They should give more thought before putting together wrestling death matches!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with chatting in the classroom on occasion!!¡±


    The two idiots began throwing their hands in the air and shouting ¡°Hooray!!¡± repeatedly.


    However, they suddenly heard metallic noises coming from all directions.


    The noises were coming from rifles being aimed at them by numerous people who were oozing killer intent.


    Quenser and Heivia froze in place at about the ¡°hoo¡± part of ¡°hooray¡±.


    The leader of the local armed group said, ¡°If you have free time, then come with us.¡±


    Part 3


    The Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization.


    The clean wars of the modern era were skirmishes between those world powers that each owned several Objects. The core of these wars was the clash between Objects that possessed overwhelming firepower. All other forces were used to keep the Objects running smoothly.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom was completely ruled by a monarchy.


    The Information Alliance determined good and evil by the amount and quality of information.


    The Capitalist Corporations let economic activity surpass even human life.


    The Faith Organization controlled society with religious faith.


    The conflict between these new collective organizations that appeared upon the collapse of the UN showed absolutely no sign of ending. It was unclear if this was due to no one knowing how to bring it to an end or if there were those who did not wish for it to end.


    Now...


    Since Hyena was active on the Loyaut¨¦ islands which had been used as a foothold for the destruction of the Oceanian military nation it would be easy to assume otherwise, but they were not affiliated with any of the world powers that owned many Objects.


    They belonged to an area that barely had a government. Such areas were commonly referred to as blank areas.


    As the area was not dyed in any of the colors of the world powers, the coalition army had decided to use it as a foothold.


    In other words, even though the area had cooperated with the destruction of the Oceanian military nation and was being used as a relay point for the resources being brought from Oceania as it was restored, the people living in the Loyaut¨¦ district were hardly friends of Quenser and the rest of the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    With all of that in mind, Quenser and Heivia had their hands bound behind their backs and their heads stuck in burlap sacks as they were brought to some unknown place.


    The bags were taken from their heads, but they could not tell where they were just by looking around.


    ¡°Bhah!? Dammit, these bags were originally used as sandbags, weren¡¯t they!? My mouth was so full of dirt I couldn¡¯t breathe!!¡±


    ¡°You have guts to put a bag over our heads when we aren¡¯t the type to put a woman¡¯s stockings over our heads!!¡±


    The two immediately lashed out vocally, but they calmed down once they had rifle barrels jabbed into their chests.


    ¡°Why the hell do we have to be captured while we¡¯re on leave of all times?¡±


    ¡°I think we should just be grateful this is some different organization from Hyena. If these were the remnants of Hyena, we would have been treated as outlets for their anger.¡±


    Dawn had come.


    As soon as the sun came up, they were wrapped in humid but cool air.


    However, the rain had yet to stop, so they could still hear a percussive noise coming from the ceiling over their heads.


    Quenser and Heivia were in a wooden house made of logs and large leaves that was different from a Western European log house. The two boys sat in the center with a ring of swarthy-skinned men encircling them. The men all possessed rifles of an outdated model.


    ¡°If I¡¯m gonna be surrounded, couldn¡¯t it be by girls in palm leaf bikinis?¡±


    ¡°Open your eyes to reality, Heivia. Also, wouldn¡¯t those hard leaves tear some delicate areas to pieces?¡±


    ¡°Can we get down to business?¡± asked a quiet voice.


    A man who seemed to be their leader sat down directly in front of the two idiots who had had all of their equipment confiscated, from their weapons to their disgusting rations.


    It was possible the man was not their leader but instead the only one of them who could speak a language those of the Legitimacy Kingdom would likely understand.


    ¡°We hope you can see our sincerity in the fact that we have invited you here in one piece.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of ransoming us, give it up now,¡± said Heivia immediately. ¡°Unfortunately, I am a noble where bloodline and honor trump all else. If you try to ransom me, my family will certainly abandon me. They will simply say I died in the line of duty. So let¡¯s not waste either of our time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a commoner. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worth much more than a 3000 Euro a month salary.¡±


    ¡°We know very well who you are. And we know how impudent you can be,¡± said the leader smoothly. Their comments had not bothered him at all. ¡°Quenser Barbotage. Heivia Winchell. You both belong to the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion and have destroyed several Objects without using an Object yourself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser and Heivia sighed heavily because they had a good idea what the men likely wanted of them.


    ¡°Let me warn you: About 80% of what you read in the newspaper and on the gossip sites are utter lies.¡±


    ¡°If all of that was true, it would mean we had destroyed Second Generation Objects with nothing but our clenched fists.¡±


    The leader continued nonetheless.


    ¡°We have one demand,¡± he said flatly. ¡°The Capitalist Corporations have a Second Generation Object stationed here in the Loyaut¨¦ district. I believe you call it the Deep Optical. We would like you to destroy it.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s lips twitched.


    He had wanted to get a look at the Deep Optical once even if from afar, but he had not thought it would turn into something like this.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait,¡± said Heivia to cut off the man. ¡°I don¡¯t know what crazy rumors you people have heard, but we¡¯re just flesh-and-blood humans!! If you just drop us in front of one of those monstrous weapons, no miracle is going to occur. You aren¡¯t mistaking us for androids made out of some kind of special alloy, are you!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Also, don¡¯t just assume the enemy of your enemy is your friend!! And once you¡¯re taking on an Object, you have a war on your hands! The two of us can¡¯t just start a war between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Capitalist Corporations!!¡±


    The leader snapped his fingers.


    One of the men surrounding them pressed his rifle barrel against Heivia¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°The enemy of your enemy is...?¡±


    ¡°M-mwy fwiend! P-pwease wet us do thwis!! E-eh heh heh...¡±


    Heivia was putting on the world¡¯s ugliest fake smile and seemed to be completely useless, so Quenser tried not to look at him.


    The leader said, ¡°The Deep Optical is a Second Generation Object specialized for naval battles and will likely become active around Oceania for the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ own interests once its current maintenance is complete. In other words, you have a reason to defeat it now.¡±


    ¡°...And what is your reason?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°If you just can¡¯t stand to have an Object stationed nearby, you would have the same complaint with our Baby Magnum. Why are you targeting the Deep Optical first?¡±


    ¡°Blank areas have their own issues to deal with,¡± said the man. ¡°I do not care if you believe us or not, but we have no reason to attack the Legitimacy Kingdom or the Baby Magnum. That is why we are asking for help. You can see our good intentions in the fact that we are not simply ordering you.¡±


    (Asking, hm?)


    If anyone truly believed they were being asked while surrounded by a dozen men with rifles, they were either honest to a fault or they had some kind of fatal flaw in their personality.


    ¡°So has the Deep Optical done anything to make you want to attack it?¡±


    ¡°Explaining it would be simple enough.¡± The man looked away from Quenser for an instant. ¡°But it would be even simpler to show you.¡±


    Part 4


    The horrid squall continued outside.


    When they exited the wooden building, Quenser could tell they were in a cleared area of the forest with several similar buildings.


    From the barbed wire surrounding the area and the wooden watchtowers, it was obvious at first glance that it was no normal facility.


    Quenser and Heivia were led across the wet red clay and into a different building. They regretted looking inside the instant they did so.


    The leader spoke from behind the two boys.


    ¡°The Deep Optical¡¯s actions have certain side effects.¡±


    The room was not exactly large and it was crowded with small beds.


    They heard groans.


    They saw bandages that looked anything but sanitary.


    From the odd smell, self-grown medicinal herbs must have been used in place of disinfectant.


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations has been carrying out missions within the Loyaut¨¦ district in the name of eliminating armed forces and defending its maintenance base and infrastructure facilities. The Object goes to areas of the ocean around the islands and fires its cannons at the islands.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°We have heard that it is nothing more than an act to give the illusion of tension so that their sponsor company will provide them with additional national defense funding. Unlike you, they are not working to eliminate a clear enemy. They are merely firing their lasers into empty areas to fulfill a quota,¡± said the leader plainly. ¡°But it is firing lasers that belong to an Object, the weapon that is said to be more convenient and more powerful than a nuke. I hope I do not need to explain how much secondary damage is done by firing at a nonexistent enemy with such a weapon. As I said before, it is simplest to just show you.¡±


    Lying in the small beds were children with the same light brown skin as the leader.


    The youngest was around 10 and the oldest was around 15. They had other aspects in common.


    This was not a simple case of the children having bandages wrapped around them.


    They were not whole.


    They clearly missed things that whole people like Quenser had.


    ¡°We would like for you to stop this,¡± said the man.


    Perhaps because he could not resolve the situation on his own, there was a sadness in the man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Could you please help destroy the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Second Generation Object, the Deep Optical?¡±


    Part 5


    Quenser and Heivia left the wooden building.


    The storm showed no sign of letting up.


    Heivia sighed as the bottom of his boots sank uncomfortably into the wet red clay.


    ¡°Do you think we could run away now?¡±


    ¡°With guards carrying sniper rifles in those watchtowers? Even if we slipped past the guards, how far from the maintenance base are we? If they went mountain hunting in an off-road vehicle, they¡¯d catch up to us in no time.¡±


    ¡°I know. I just had to ask. I guess we have to just wait for our huge-breasted commander. This group doesn¡¯t seem to be that large. A group of 10 foot soldiers armed with the latest weaponry and a single attack helicopter for support would be able to handle them easily.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not going to give us the time for that. And who knows if Froleytia will see ordering a search as a top priority.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡± asked Heivia.


    Quenser fell silent for a bit before saying, ¡°Have you heard of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Second Generation...Deep Optical was it?¡±


    ¡°Only our huge-breasted commander complaining about it. Once this leave of ours is over, it might be our next opponent. Officially, it is cooperating with the restoration of Oceania, but it has begun to go beyond that. Basically, it has begun to cause some small conflicts around the area of Oceania,¡± replied Heivia. ¡°It¡¯s completely unofficial, but our intelligence division has already begun reconnaissance on the Deep Optical. Of course, we can¡¯t let anyone know that is who we would be crushing next. They would be disciplined if they were caught.¡±


    ¡°So as long as we aren¡¯t caught, doing some reconnaissance isn¡¯t an altogether bad idea.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, are you serious?¡± asked Heivia in shock. Some slight fear could be seen hidden behind his expression. ¡°This is an Object we¡¯re talking about. They¡¯re telling us to fight that monster! And they¡¯re having us do it at gunpoint!! I don¡¯t want to die for something like that! We¡¯re just normal humans!! We aren¡¯t super heroes who can shoot strange beams from our hands! This isn¡¯t a difficult concept. We may not know exactly what kind of monster the Deep Optical is, but there is no doubt in my mind that fighting it would be hell. So wouldn¡¯t it be easier to survive this by using what power we have to deal with this armed group!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know if we can get anywhere near this Object!! We aren¡¯t receiving proper support here. This armed group¡¯s information may be outdated and useless. They aren¡¯t going to have much in the way of weapons and equipment!! We won¡¯t have a strategy put together by an expert commander based on all sorts of data from an electronic simulation department!! And we don¡¯t have the protection of the Legitimacy Kingdom, so the theory of the clean battlefield does not hold here. If we raise our hands in surrender, they¡¯ll shoot us. If we¡¯re caught, the treaties regarding prisoners of war will not apply to us. Do you really understand what this means!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware this is not a normal situation.¡± Quenser brushed aside his wet bangs in irritation. ¡°But you saw that, didn¡¯t you, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a reason.¡± Heivia shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s true a tragedy occurred here, but that is no reason to put our own lives in danger! I didn¡¯t join the army to be some hero of justice. It was to gain the valorous deeds I need as a noble. And you¡¯re a student who is only here to learn about Object design!! So shouldn¡¯t you be focusing your efforts elsewhere!?¡±


    ¡°Heivia.¡± Quenser sighed softly. ¡°If you truly felt that way, wouldn¡¯t you be working to escape on your own instead of arguing with me?¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    Quenser looked around and spotted a guard in a watchtower looking their way.


    ¡°Either way, we can¡¯t return to the maintenance base zone right now. And we need to face the Deep Optical eventually. So is it really that bad to get it over with now? And we even have the precedent to call it an unofficial recon mission.¡±


    ¡°That may work for us personally,¡± said Heivia in a tone that made it clear he was still not convinced. ¡°But isn¡¯t that bad from the point of view of the organization as a whole? This will still be a military operation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a soldier, I¡¯m a student.¡±


    ¡°Tch. You always have that escape route that only works for you. Just so you know, that excuse isn¡¯t going to keep working forever.¡±


    ¡°What do you say, Heivia?¡±


    Heivia did not reply to Quenser¡¯s question for a while.


    He muttered some things under his breath and hesitated for a while.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. God dammit, I¡¯ll do it!! But I¡¯m not the only one heading into this hell!!¡± After shouting that, he lowered his tone of voice and panted as he spoke. ¡°After all, I don¡¯t see any other option. And this is for those kids who lost an arm or a leg. I joined the army to earn medals and honor. This is a bit of a roundabout method, but a moving tale like this might be useful against my family.¡±


    (Okay.)


    Now that they had made up their minds, they only needed to take their one-way ticket to hell from the grim reaper.


    ¡°Quenser, let¡¯s start by asking them if they have any weapons we can use. They captured us after we had finished our normal work and some overtime. Our equipment doesn¡¯t have enough ammunition for another mission.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Quenser.


    Rare of an idiot like him, there was a clear note of killer intent in his voice.


    ¡°But first there is something else I need to ask them.¡±


    Part 6


    When Quenser and Heivia said they accepted the request, the leader showed them to another wooden building.


    Several metal containers were kept inside.


    ¡°You can use equipment and firearms from the Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°The Deep Optical¡¯s maintenance unit is resupplied by air. Containers are dropped down by parachute. However, not all of them fall where they are supposed to. When the wind blows them off course, a third party can easily take them. But anything too high tech is not well suited for us.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s Capitalist Corporations stuff, this would be...damn...it¡¯s low-penetration 5.56 mm ammo. Well, whatever. Let¡¯s take a pair of uniforms while we¡¯re at it. I doubt it will completely fool them, but we¡¯ll be less likely to get shot than if we keep on these Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms.¡±


    ¡°I hope we can find an explosive with similar properties to Hand Axe.¡±


    As the two muttered to each other, they opened the door of a container and pulled out the equipment they needed.


    Naturally, the light brown men kept their rifles aimed at them the entire time.


    However, there was a blind spot.


    Specifically, behind the opened door of the container.


    A clay-like explosive could be attached in such a way to send the fragments of the steel door towards the men.


    (In 3 seconds.)


    ¡°Did you really think we would overlook your signs?¡± said the leader.


    The surrounding men frantically adjusted their aim.


    The leader narrowed his eyes and asked Quenser and Heivia, ¡°What do you think are you doing?¡±


    ¡°If I detonate this, you are the ones who will be blown away. And yes, I have made sure that the fragments and the blast will not touch us inside the container.¡±


    ¡°I asked you what you are doing,¡± repeated the leader calmly.


    Even if Quenser and Heivia killed all of the people there, plenty of guards surrounded the facility. They would come running if there was an explosion and the two boys would certainly be cornered.


    Quenser had no intention of running away by force.


    ¡°If I did not set up this farce, I doubt you would have answered my question. Especially because I want the raw truth rather than some disgusting whitewashed answer.¡±


    ¡°...What do you want to know?¡±


    The leader had paused slightly before asking that.


    He may have gotten a bad feeling about what the question was.


    Quenser spoke without hesitation.


    ¡°Your claim is that those children lost limbs due to the Deep Optical¡¯s meaningless bombardments, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and?¡±


    ¡°Like hell they did,¡± replied Heivia clearly. ¡°Not even an old First Generation Object¡¯s bombardment is that easygoing. If someone was hit by a stray shot, they wouldn¡¯t even leave behind a proper corpse. There¡¯s no way an Object would cause so many injuries on a level that would cause pain in others more than even a corpse would.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you intercepted some radio transmission or you found out in some other way, but you knew the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion was coming to the Loyaut¨¦ district from a very early stage.¡±


    Quenser could feel his breaths growing shallow.


    He was not controlling his emotions as well as he thought he could.


    ¡°And so you made them yourself. You made the materials you thought would get us to help you. If those injuries were not caused by an Object, then I can think of only one other cause.¡±


    He took a deep breath.


    It did not help.


    Even so, he continued on.


    ¡°You carved those children apart yourselves, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The leader remained silent for a bit.


    Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke.


    ¡°Yes, we did.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Quenser quietly. His voice then grew to a yell. ¡°Were you that intent on having us take on the Deep Optical!? We¡¯re nothing more than a student and a foot soldier!! What value is there in setting up the Deep Optical as some horrible villain with some sob story!?¡±


    ¡°You understand nothing!!¡± shouted the leader as if to drive back Quenser¡¯s voice. ¡°We have our reasons why we had to make this so simple to understand! Do not claim to understand how it feels to be forced to take a blade to the children who are supposed to be the next generation!!¡±


    ¡°What possible reason could-...¡±


    ¡°In reality, it is much worse than that!!¡±


    Even the air in the room seemed to come to a standstill.


    The leader continued speaking as he breathed heavily.


    ¡°Just as you said, an Object¡¯s stray shot does not leave even a corpse. But you do not understand. You have not seen the true effect the Deep Optical has been having on this land.¡±


    ¡°So you made it visible because we couldn¡¯t see it?¡± groaned Heivia. ¡°You were dragging us up to a level where we could discuss it by dropping it down to a level we could understand? Do you really think that justifies this?¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you up front. We never forced this on them. That tragedy was put together out of volunteers.¡± The leader must have felt at least somewhat guilty because he began speaking more rapidly. ¡°But there have been dozens or even hundreds of actual tragedies. They are still occurring even now in the Loyaut¨¦ district. ...If those wounds were enough to work up your anger, then you should be even more enraged over what is actually happening. Their atrocities have reached a level well beyond that.¡±


    ¡°Fine then,¡± muttered Quenser. ¡°We¡¯re going to face the Deep Optical eventually. The only question is whether it is sooner or later. Of course, that difference could decide whether we get rewarded or punished for it, but I will turn a blind eye to that. Just don¡¯t think this is going to have a happy ending.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Whatever your reasons may have been, you did what you did. Do not forget that the day will come when you must pay for it.¡±


    Part 7


    And so Quenser and Heivia were finally able to leave that area of red clay surrounded by barbed wire.


    The two of them walked through a thick jungle while wearing Capitalist Corporations military uniforms and armed with Capitalist Corporations weapons. The continuing squall had created small rivers of water between the trees and they tried to leave as little trace of their passing as they could as they walked through those rivers.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t getting paid for this. There are no beautiful women around. And yet we¡¯re being told to go fight a Second Generation Object with nothing but puny rifles.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but our savings here will let us go nuts once the day of swimsuits arrives.¡±


    After chatting a bit, the two boys lowered the tones of their voices.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t just going to let us run off. They¡¯re watching us from a distance. We could probably spot a few of them, but we have no way of knowing if we¡¯ve spotted them all. The locals would probably know better how to hide around here than we would.¡±


    ¡°They can keep an eye on us all they like, but if they don¡¯t tell us where they are, we¡¯ll have to deal with them as soldiers of unknown affiliation if we spot them.¡±


    Since Froleytia was not watching over them, Quenser had a relatively low-recoil 9mm submachine gun hanging from a sling belt.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± said Heivia who was more used to the smell of gun oil than Quenser. ¡°If we make a mistake, we make a mistake. ...To be honest, I have no intention of protecting them. If we accidentally shoot one of them, I can only see it as one less annoyance we have to deal with.¡±


    There was a great difference in the extent of their actions, but Quenser and Heivia may have been as much outsiders as the Deep Optical was.


    However, Quenser and Heivia could hardly be blamed for having a bad impression of the locals from the beginning.


    ¡°How far until we reach the destination?¡±


    ¡°15 kilometers. But we have this torrential rain and wet red clay to deal with. A normal vehicle wouldn¡¯t be able to get through and something with too much horsepower would make too much noise. ...If only we had something with a powerful electric engine.¡±


    ¡°With the weather the way it is, the enemy probably doesn¡¯t want to be out in it either. The patrol routes are set in stone in the documents, but the actual soldiers may not be covering them properly.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pray they¡¯re watching a 3D porn movie or something in the checkpoint log house. When it isn¡¯t gonna get you paid any more, heading out with the possibility of getting caught in a landslide just to be on the lookout for enemy soldiers who probably aren¡¯t even coming will do nothing but earn you an early grave.¡±


    Their commander Froleytia would have hated to hear that, but that was how people felt in the age of the clean battlefield filled with Objects.


    ¡°Our goal is the Deep Optical, not the maintenance base. We can¡¯t sit around here forever, so let¡¯s get a move on. We can¡¯t spend too long on just the first step.¡±


    ¡°Heivia,¡± said Quenser as he looked down at the ground.


    With a look of confusion, Heivia said, ¡°What? Are you worried about the footprints you¡¯re leaving in the mud? Don¡¯t be so worried. They¡¯ll be washed away 10 minutes from now.¡±


    ¡°No, not that. ...I think I see some kind of box sticking up.¡±


    ¡°Ahn?¡±


    Heivia looked back down where Quenser was looking and spotted something made of plastic sticking up from the red clay mud. It was a box about the size of a computer¡¯s AC adapter.


    ¡°...Not good. Isn¡¯t that an anti-personnel landmine? And it¡¯s one of the horrible nonmetal types. It can escape detection by a magnetic mine detector.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t tell us about this! If there are mines, they should tell us!!¡±


    Of course, mines were meaningless if not hidden. But if you did not set them up so that you knew where they were, you would end up blowing your own leg off.


    That was why the trees would normally have some kind of sign on them or the area would be divided into a safe zone and a dangerous zone. However...


    ¡°It¡¯s this rain. Some of the mines must have been swept away from the signs.¡±


    ¡°So no one knows where they are? And we have to walk 15 kilometers through this!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably not even worth reporting for them. And that includes any legs that might be blown off,¡± said Heivia in disgust. ¡°What ever happened to the modern battlefield being a clash between two Objects? Why are they using landmines that blow off people¡¯s legs? Where did that clean battlefield go?¡±


    As he spoke, Heivia reached for the switch to the sensors on his assault rifle.


    Quenser frowned.


    ¡°I thought you said a mine detector wouldn¡¯t work?¡±


    ¡°I said the magnetic ones wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°So we die when the sensor¡¯s batteries die...¡±


    With Heivia in the lead, the two boys headed on into the forest.


    Thanks to the tremendous squall, there were few bugs, but the chill of early morning disappeared as time went on. All that was left was the horrid heat of a bath with a broken ventilation fan.


    As expected, the Capitalist Corporations soldiers were not performing their guard duties with much enthusiasm. Footprints might be washed away, but the tire tracks of trucks did not disappear so quickly. However, they saw very few of those.


    ¡°Everything is soaking wet. Who knows what areas could crumble under our feet.¡±


    ¡°With the risk of landmines and landslides, it¡¯s no surprise they don¡¯t want to go out on patrol. Everyone wants to shove any dangerous work on the Objects and the Elites that pilot them.¡±


    Heivia looked down at a Capitalist Corporations handheld device that contained only the bare minimum of data.


    ¡°I think we just passed the defensive line for the outermost checkpoint.¡±


    The area seemed more like a mountain than a forest.


    The slope of the ground made the rainwater flow even faster past their feet.


    Quenser pulled a clear bag out of a pocket of his waterproof military uniform.


    ¡°Dammit, Capitalist Corporations rations are actually good. This one tastes like Salisbury steak.¡±


    ¡°Stop it. Getting too excited will just make it worse when we get back. ...Wait.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia stopped moving and slowly crouched down.


    The trees of the forest and the pouring rain of the squall made it hard to tell but there were some figures hiding behind some thick tree trunks about 300 meters ahead.


    From what they could see, there were 3 of them.


    As they were all wearing the same uniform and armed with the same guns, they were likely all part of the same unit.


    They were all women, but that may have had something to do with their unit.


    It was unlikely they would be able to hear him from that distance, but Quenser still whispered as he spoke to Heivia.


    ¡°(It doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯ve noticed us. Are they from the Capitalist Corporations?)¡±


    ¡°(No. Look at their guns. They¡¯re from the Faith Organization. And those are short-range sniper rifles...)¡±


    ¡°(Short-range sniper rifles?)¡±


    ¡°(They¡¯re for shooting robbers who have taken hostages in an urban setting. Their penetrative power is purposefully kept low so the bullet won¡¯t cause any damage to the surroundings after hitting someone.)¡±


    ¡°(If the bullet stays in the target¡¯s body, couldn¡¯t you also say it¡¯s designed to make the wound as bad as possible?)¡±


    One of the distant figures turned its head in their direction.


    Quenser and Heivia could not move carelessly. Even the smallest movement on their part would cause a surprisingly large movement in the underbrush around them. The squall was still pouring down heavily, but an unnatural movement would still stand out.


    ¡°(But where are they expecting urban warfare to take place? In a safe country?)¡±


    ¡°(They must not be a military group. My guess is they¡¯re some kind of police special forces. Maybe they¡¯re the group known as Valkyrie. That¡¯s a global divine punishment group that goes around to various Faith Organization owned areas and eliminates those who breaks religious rules. They use specialized equipment and the group is entirely made up of women.)¡±


    ¡°(Valkyrie, hm? It looks like they¡¯re wearing something like a garter belt over their uniform...and is that a shell cup bra? A bra that doesn¡¯t actually cover up the breasts is kind of getting your priorities backwards, isn¡¯t it? Are they wearing that for some kind of ideological reason?)¡±


    ¡°(It¡¯s probably just the tastes of the higher ups. Dammit, it¡¯s a shame they¡¯re from the Faith Organization. That is one nice ass.)¡±


    ¡°(You should probably stop that. Valkyrie is basically the enforcer of public morals in the Faith Organization. I get the feeling they wouldn¡¯t appreciate jokes like that.)¡±


    ¡°(That depends on their specific religious sect. If they worship a god of fertility or a mother goddess, they can be rather proactive about sleeping around a lot. The stories about the Greek Dionysus are pretty amazing.)¡±


    ¡°(...So they¡¯re police rather than soldiers, hm?)¡±


    Soldiers left all the fighting to Objects while the police often had shootouts in urban areas. This meant it was entirely possible that a police officer working in a safe country would be more skilled than a soldier.


    ¡°(Why are they here?)¡±


    ¡°(Well, I doubt they¡¯re working with the Capitalist Corporations. They wouldn¡¯t be sneaking around like that if they were.)¡±


    ¡°(They do tend to not get along with the Capitalist Corporations who try to use religion for nothing more than to make money or the Information Alliance who use the internet to publish scientific analyses of traditional stories.)¡±


    The woman who appeared to be the leader of the three Valkyries had some kind of cloth wrapped around her arm. It was possible they had already had a few run-ins with the Capitalist Corporations soldiers. Either that or they had other enemies.


    Quenser calmly observed them.


    ¡°(But they aren¡¯t allies of the Legitimacy Kingdom either. We could end up in a firefight if we aren¡¯t careful.)¡±


    ¡°(It would be difficult to take them out here.)¡±


    The three they could see already outnumbered them and there could be more hiding. Also, gunshots would likely draw in the Capitalist Corporations soldiers protecting the Deep Optical.


    Heivia slowly held up his rifle.


    ¡°(Hopefully, we can get past them without being noticed.)¡±


    One of the figures gave instructions to the other two with a gesture.


    The two subordinate women silently moved out of a short thicket.


    ¡°(Slowly, slowly. Good, they¡¯re leaving. Damn. Now the trees are in the way and I can¡¯t target them.)¡±


    After the two subordinates moved on ahead, the third figure headed after them.


    They were headed in a different direction from Quenser and Heivia. They either had no business with the Deep Optical or were circling around using a different route.


    ¡°(Looks like they¡¯ve gone.)¡±


    Just as Quenser was wiping away some of the rainwater running down his chin, one of the figures stopped and looked back around the area.


    ¡°!¡±


    ¡°(Wait, Heivia!!)¡±


    Quenser called out to stop Heivia as his trigger finger twitched.


    The figure remained still for a bit, but finally disappeared into the forest.


    ¡°(Looks like we made it.)¡±


    ¡°(What is Valkyrie doing here anyway?)¡±


    Heivia¡¯s question was a good one, but they had no time to think about it.


    Deep Optical was enough of an issue on its own.


    Part 8


    As Quenser and Heivia headed further into the forest, the ground grew sloped. The water from the pouring squall caused enough resistance to obstruct their path somewhat.


    ¡°What ever happened to the blue ocean and white beach?¡±


    ¡°You complained about that same thing back when we were dealing with Hyena.¡±


    ¡°It just pisses me off to think the rest of the unit is having a nice vacation while we¡¯re trudging through the mud.¡±


    As they chatted, a red dot of light appeared on Heivia¡¯s chest.


    It was the laser sight of a sniper rifle.


    He held his hands up and the red light disappeared.


    ¡°...I guess that was a warning from our guards. God dammit.¡±


    ¡°Are they listening to us with the microphones on their rifles?¡±


    (Idiots,) thought Quenser in his heart.


    In the pouring rain, the light of the laser could be seen by the naked eye from the side as well as straight on. It may have made the armed group seem to be in complete control, but it also gave an opportunity for a counterattack.


    ¡°We really would have been in trouble if they had given us one of those warnings while Valkyrie was nearby.¡±


    ¡°We can only hope they¡¯re smart enough not to do that.¡±


    While being mindful of the unseen gun barrels, they continued on toward the Capitalist Corporations maintenance base zone.


    As they came to a spot that was more of a hill than a cliff, Heivia realized something.


    ¡°Oh, crap.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Look down at the bottom of the cliff. There¡¯re some Capitalist Corporations soldiers.¡±


    Quenser checked too while hiding behind a tree trunk.


    They were at the top of a cliff only a few meters high and the Capitalist Corporations soldiers were at the bottom. An electric armored vehicle was stopped in an old dry riverbed that had a new stream of muddy water flowing through it. Two or three foot soldiers were gathered around it.


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯re delivering ammo or batteries. The high energy use is a major problem with modern equipment. I guess there are some willing to head out into this squall.¡±


    ¡°Do you think we can take them?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know we¡¯re here, but it would still be tough. But that armored vehicle worries me. Look at all the sensors on its roof. After the delivery, I bet it¡¯s going to head out on a patrol to do a thorough scan of the forest.¡±


    ¡°So we have to do something,¡± said Quenser. ¡°But starting a firefight would just bring more soldiers here. Blowing up the armored vehicle would be even worse. Who knows how far the sound would spread.¡±


    ¡°Then we just have to do it naturally, Quenser.¡± Heivia pointed at the wet soil beneath his feet. ¡°Naturally.¡±


    Part 9


    A Valkyrie member named Sarasa Gleamshifter moved silently through the forest. The rainwater that had gotten inside the cloth wrapped tightly around her right arm was making the wound on that arm hurt, but her expression did not change in the slightest. However, she was on her guard. The slightest scent of blood could lead carnivorous animals to her and that could in turn gather the enemy soldiers¡¯ attention.


    Sarasa suddenly stopped.


    She had heard the loud noise of a dirt wall collapsing. She then heard various transmissions being sent back and forth coming from the device she was using to intercept Capitalist Corporations radio transmissions.


    ¡°A landslide to the southwest. It seems a Capitalist Corporations armored vehicle and soldiers were caught up in it,¡± reported her subordinate Rachel.


    ¡°I heard them,¡± snapped back Sarasa.


    Their objective was not the Capitalist Corporations; it was an old man named Oldnick who had fled to the area. However, they had not bothered getting permission for their search, so a firefight would break out should the Capitalist Corporations spot them. For that reason, nothing could be better than to have the Capitalist Corporations soldiers¡¯ attention focused elsewhere. However...


    Sarasa Gleamshifter did not simply give in to this good fortune.


    It made her feel uncomfortable and raise her guard.


    She sensed the cause of this uncomfortable feeling via her nose.


    They were located downwind of the landslide.


    ¡°...I smell explosives,¡± muttered Sarasa. ¡°And this isn¡¯t from gun ammunition. This is the smell after some form of plastic explosive has been detonated.¡±


    After thinking for a bit, Sarasa gave some instructions via gestures.


    They would determine the cause.


    They were a Faith Organization special unit that was sent around the world to deal with those known as ¡°enemies of god¡± who had broken the rules of their religion. Due to the actions of their target that had fled there, they had no choice but to immediately pursue. The old man was trying to spread twisted treasures throughout the world that were in opposition to god¡¯s providence, so they had to punish him no matter what.


    And any irregular elements that got in the way of their pursuit would be eliminated even if said irregular element¡¯s actions had nothing to do with the target.


    The Capitalist Corporations soldiers had likely gathered at the point of the landslide by then.


    Valkyrie circled around that area as they headed for the direction from which the explosion had occurred. After about half an hour, they arrived at their destination.


    The Capitalist Corporations soldiers were attempting to save their comrades at the bottom of the cliff, while Valkyrie was at the top of the collapsed cliff.


    Sarasa crouched down and touched the dirt with her hand.


    (The surface is wet, but it is much harder deeper down. And the quality of the dirt is even. A landslide would not normally occur here.)


    She could see no footprints in the area, but the squall would have soon washed away any that were there.


    Sarasa Gleamshifter searched around for any other traces and clicked her tongue when she spotted something unpleasant about 10 meters away.


    A Capitalist Corporations first aid kit was placed among the tree branches such that it was just at eyelevel. The plastic bag to an eaten package of rations had been placed over it to keep out the effects of the squall.


    ¡°...¡±


    Sarasa looked down at her right arm.


    She didn¡¯t know who, but someone had noticed them. And whoever it was had caused that landslide, so they were not from the Capitalist Corporations.


    After careful observation to ensure it was not a trap, Sarasa confirmed that it was nothing more than a first aid kit. This brought her anger to its peak.


    Leaving behind the first aid kit showed whoever it was was looking down on her even more than someone giving a piece of candy to a small child.


    ¡°Damn you!!¡±


    Sarasa knocked the first aid kit to the ground and searched further into the forest.


    However, she spotted something else unpleasant 5 meters in.


    It was a trap using wires.


    It was a simple type that activated with a tripwire. Sharpened wooden stakes were set on a well-bent branch so that they would attack their prey with tremendous speed.


    However, there was an electronic fuse set at one end of the wire.


    The fuse was normally used to set off some other explosive by causing an exceedingly small explosion.


    However, it could also be used to sever a wire remotely.


    ¡°Shit...!?¡±


    However, cursing was not going to stop the fuse.


    This enemy would kill her if she made an enemy of them.


    They were not so benevolent that they would continue to show compassion to one who had turned aside their previous show of kindness.


    Part 10


    Quenser and Heivia were observing her through their rifles¡¯ scopes.


    ¡°Oh, shit! She¡¯s still alive! Damn is she ever still alive!! Oh, god. Why do girls¡¯ personalities change so much when they¡¯re angry!?¡±


    ¡°So she didn¡¯t accept. Well, I doubt she can track us down from this distance.¡±


    They had carried out the explosion that caused the landslide after already getting a good distance away. It seemed the Faith Organization¡¯s Valkyrie was trying to hunt them down with a demonic expression on her face, but finding them would not be easy where they were.


    However...


    ¡°...What is this indescribable chill? I get the feeling we should start running away just to be absolutely sure.¡±


    ¡°A woman¡¯s grudge is a scary thing. If only they weren¡¯t so bewitchingly beautiful.¡±


    After that sidetrack with a Faith Organization opponent that had not been stated on any concrete information, the two boys got back to their actual mission.


    After walking for a bit longer and crossing a small mountain, they spotted their objective.


    Over half a day had already passed since they had left the headquarters of that armed group.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the Capitalist Corporations maintenance base for the Deep Optical.¡±


    Instead of the convoy used for a Legitimacy Kingdom base, the forest had been cleared out and actual buildings had been constructed. The buildings were mostly made of the thin, light metal often used in prefabs.


    ¡°...I¡¯m surprised they went this far. Just keeping the area deforested must take a lot of work. The vegetation around here is extremely fertile, so the base would be overrun before long if they left it alone.¡±


    ¡°I see burned spots here and there, so maybe they¡¯re burning it away.¡±


    In the base was a single building made of thick concrete that was much, much larger than the rest.


    It was likely the Object¡¯s maintenance building.


    While taking a broad view of the base, Heivia said, ¡°I thought it was a Second Generation specialized for naval battles. Why would they build the base in the middle of the jungle?¡±


    ¡°It uses an air cushion, so it might be able to move throughout the island while it¡¯s flooded from this squall. We would have to see it ourselves to know for sure, though.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯d rather deal with it before it heads out again,¡± said Heivia as he shed an unpleasant sweat that was distinct from the squall¡¯s rainwater. ¡°Even if it can¡¯t move, it¡¯s still an Object. If it notices us, it¡¯ll aim its countless cannons directly at us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re sneaking around to avoid...although this is going to be a real pain.¡±


    As Quenser spoke, Heivia observed the area around the maintenance base through his rifle¡¯s scope.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like we can sneak in easily. The guards near the base are actually doing their job. I guess they¡¯re more likely to get caught with the higher ups so nearby. I don¡¯t think we can sneak in without anyone noticing.¡±


    ¡°If that was possible, the armed group would have already done so. They know the terrain better than us.¡±


    Since the armed group had apparently never succeeded, it must have truly been impossible.


    ¡°From what I can see, the guards in different areas wear different color armbands. The guards outside the base and inside it are wearing different armbands. Even someone from the Capitalist Corporations will immediately be suspected if they¡¯re wearing the wrong color.¡±


    And of course, the armbands would be more than simple pieces of cloth.


    They likely had a magnetic tape or IC chip that contained electronic information.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible the inside of the base is divided up by sections that use different colors. If so, we¡¯ll still be in trouble even if we get in safely.¡±


    As expected, getting in was not as simple as wearing a Capitalist Corporations military uniform. This was a base protecting an Object that cost 5 billion dollars. Plus, they were not on a clean battlefield. This was an area with armed groups. They would make sure not to leave any openings.


    ¡°That means...¡±


    ¡°We need to find an ¡®unseen opening¡¯.¡±


    And so the two boys pulled out a directional microphone.


    Part 11


    After sunset, Quenser and Heivia remained still as the rain continued to pour down on them in the jungle.


    They were pointing a special microphone that was shaped like a handgun toward the base.


    With the headphone in his ear, Heivia moved the microphone over toward the officer¡¯s rooms.


    ¡°That won¡¯t get you anything, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Ahn? But listening in on the officers would be fastest to get information on the base.¡±


    ¡°The people who know the value of the information will make sure they aren¡¯t bugged. They¡¯ll have a gap in the wall with a vacuum in it to keep the sound from getting out and the windows will have motors attached to vibrate them.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t go straight to the source, we have to try a more roundabout method. We target the soldiers on patrol.¡±


    ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll get much information from what they say.¡±


    ¡°No, not from one. But that changes when we listen in on dozens or even hundreds of them. If we bring all the small pieces of information together, we might gain some bigger piece of information about the base as a whole.¡±


    And so they continued their remote bugging and jotted down every little thing they heard that they thought could be useful in any way. The rain prevented them from using paper, and they had to avoid using a handheld device because of the backlight. They were forced to use permanent markers to write the information down on the insides of their waterproof military uniforms.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t hurry up, maintenance will finish on the Deep Optical.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Capitalist Corporations rations really are good.¡±


    While they occasionally quietly spoke to each other, dawn came, the sun passed overhead beyond the thick rainclouds, and darkness came once more. All the while, they gathered small bits of information.


    ¡°Hm, the maintenance building is ceramic compressed using quick-dry concrete. An Object cannon could easily handle it, but it could probably stand up to four or five shots from a normal tank.¡±


    ¡°God, these Capitalist Corporations rations are good...¡±


    ¡°When the hell did you make a class change to a gourmet character? And quit eating them all! Leave some for me!!¡±


    This lasted for about two days.


    Quenser and Heivia took turns taking quick naps in the pouring rain while leaning up against a tree trunk as they continued to pick up on the faint voices.


    Before the second dawn, Quenser gave voice to the fruit of their labors.


    ¡°The Shadow Code.¡±


    Part 12


    All the while, others were monitoring Quenser and Heivia.


    These were the snipers of the armed group that had asked them to destroy the Deep Optical. They were hiding beneath ghillie suits created from old rags sliced up with a knife and then covered with multiple layers of different colors of spray paint. They were getting tired of watching Quenser and Heivia sit around doing nothing.


    What were they doing?


    That was the question all of the guards were asking. The two boys had approached the maintenance base zone well enough, but now they showed no sign of taking even one more step.


    The snipers had been impressed when the two boys had dealt with the Capitalist Corporations armored vehicle in the landslide, but they were getting irritated since the two boys had accomplished nothing since. The snipers wondered if they had been overcome with fear upon seeing the maintenance base zone.


    The armed group knew bits and pieces of Quenser and Heivia¡¯s past activities from news sites, but they knew nothing of the methods used. They simply assumed the two boys would head to the battlefield and that would be that. They had assumed the situation would be resolved within the day once the two boys headed out. That was how they had viewed Quenser and Heivia.


    This was nothing more than the process that led to people complaining about athletes simply ¡°having more talent¡±. These people had no idea how much hard work and effort the athletes had put into it all because the people had merely seen biased and summarized information of the athletes¡¯ results.


    However, a further problem existed here. These snipers had sniper rifles they could use to shoot Quenser and Heivia at any time.


    What would they do?


    Would they continue watching or would they act?


    The snipers of the armed group gave it careful thought. It would be simple enough to decide that Quenser and Heivia had chickened out, but firing that close to the maintenance base zone could easily bring danger to the snipers. And if they killed Quenser and Heivia, the Deep Optical would remain. The efforts of the ¡°volunteer¡± children used to create the needed situation would all be for naught.


    (Just a warning should be enough.)


    A warning using the laser sight was relatively low risk when compared to actually firing a shot. However, they had used that method once already. The more they used it, the less of a psychological effect it would have.


    What should they do?


    As his patience wore down, one of the snipers continued to think.


    That may have been why he did not notice something else.


    A different shadow was silently closing in from behind him.


    Part 13


    Quenser and Heivia sorted through the information they had.


    They had discovered a possible way in.


    ¡°Their commander has a certain item known as the Shadow Code brought in through a separate route from normal supplies. Well, I do understand why he would be worried about that.¡±


    ¡°This Shadow Code doesn¡¯t go through the standard route. It isn¡¯t brought in with the other supplies, and it isn¡¯t officially authorized. That would leave behind data the commander would prefer not be there.¡±


    ¡°The secret transporters have an implicit understanding with the soldiers of the maintenance base.¡± Quenser went over the conditions one at a time. ¡°That means the secret transporters can get through the base without worrying about the sections divided up by armband.¡±


    They knew what items they needed to sneak into the base.


    Just as Quenser and Heivia were about to take action, they heard a rustling in the underbrush directly behind them.


    ¡°!?¡±


    But the noise came from too close behind them.


    Quenser and Heivia frantically tried to turn around, but the attacker charged over at Quenser¡¯s side.


    ¡°Quen-...!!¡±


    Heivia cried out and tried to aim his rifle over, but he froze in place.


    He had noticed two short-range sniper rifle barrels aiming at him from two different directions.


    ¡°You are not from the Capitalist Corporations. ...Your equipment is made to look like it, but I see no reason why you would be hiding and spying on your own base,¡± said the attacker who was straddling Quenser.


    It was a low, female voice.


    When he saw her, Heivia brought a hand to his face.


    ¡°(Trade with me, Quenser!! Why is it always you!?)¡±


    ¡°(Are you saying you want a knife pressed against your throat!?)¡±


    ¡°That accent... So you¡¯re from the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡± The attacker let some of her weight off of Quenser, but the knife blade remained at his throat. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°So was the first aid kit not enough of a clue to stay out of this?¡±


    ¡°Shut it, kid. You may be trying to sound cool, but it just makes you sound immature. Answer my question.¡±


    ¡°What about you? What reason does Valkyrie of the Faith Organization have to let us live?¡±


    Quenser was referring to the fact that they could have simply shot him and Heivia from a distance.


    No matter how many weapons the women had, the fact that they had needlessly approached showed that they were not all that intent on killing them. And if they simply wanted to use blades to avoid loud gunshots, Quenser¡¯s throat would have already been slit.


    ¡°A slight bit of thanks.¡± The Valkyrie woman then got up off of Quenser. ¡°That last one hurt, though.¡±


    ¡°So what do you want?¡±


    ¡°If my judgment is accurate, you are about to attack the Capitalist Corporations maintenance base.¡±


    The Valkyrie woman gave a thin smile.


    It was most certainly not a smile of friendship.


    ¡°We are searching for an enemy of god that has fled to this area. However, they are in our way. If you are going to be causing them some trouble, we can use that. We simply wish to know when it will take place.¡±


    ¡°You are willing to ask the Legitimacy Kingdom for help?¡±


    ¡°You are better than the Capitalist Corporations or the Information Alliance. The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s ceremonies such as the coronation are often based on religious ceremonies. ...But more importantly, you are neither enemies of god nor are you obstructing our search. For now at least.¡±


    ¡°(Damn. I¡¯m glad I didn¡¯t make a crude joke when she climbed on top of me.)¡±


    Even as Quenser felt a bit of quiet relief, another aspect worried him.


    Quenser and Heivia were being monitored by the local armed group to prevent them from running off. Making contact with a unit from a world power could be seen as preparations to flee. It was possible they would be shot from afar.


    When she noticed Quenser¡¯s eyes racing around the surroundings, the Valkyrie woman said, ¡°You do not need to worry about them.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°We eliminated the others. We will use those who can be useful, but we have no reason to spare the ones who are of no use or who will hinder us later.¡±


    Quenser heard a clanking noise.


    The Valkyrie woman pulled out several scopes. They all had broken lenses and a dark red liquid splattered on the side.


    ¡°Would fingers or ears have functioned better as proof?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He had known the woman was bad news before, but Quenser felt a chill run down his spine once more.


    No matter how he thought about it, they were clearly enemies.


    They would not be their allies.


    He was also amazed at their ability to eliminate all of the snipers who had been hidden in the jungle.


    He started to wish he and Heivia had gone further with the traps earlier.


    ¡°(Quenser. Hey, Quenser!!)¡±


    ¡°(What, Heivia?)¡±


    ¡°(If the guards from the armed group are gone, can¡¯t we just run away now? We don¡¯t have to go after the Capitalist Corporations Object!!)¡±


    Heivia had a point.


    With those guards killed, the armed group would take some other action. It was possible they would decide Quenser and Heivia had betrayed them and send out an additional unit.


    However...


    If they did nothing about the Deep Optical, more disasters on a scale too large to see would occur in the Loyaut¨¦ district.


    That armed group might once more use children as a shield in negotiations with someone else. And if that did not work, they might do something even worse


    And most importantly...


    ¡°(Are we really free to leave?)¡±


    ¡°(What do you mean?)¡±


    ¡°(Do you think Valkyrie took the risk to approach us for nothing? They¡¯re hoping to use us. So if we refuse...)¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± groaned Heivia.


    The Valkyrie woman could hear everything they were whispering, but she was letting it all go.


    ¡°So what exactly is your plan?¡± expressionlessly asked the woman who made the decision to kill based on whether the person could be of use to her or not. ¡°I do not care what you are trying to do, but the bigger the disturbance and the longer it lasts, the better for us. If you need anything, just ask.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡± said Quenser as he concentrated on keeping his breathing regulated. ¡°We need some bottles. I¡¯ll tell you the brand, but they can be empty. You can probably find them in their trash. Also...¡±


    Not only was Valkyrie surprised at what Quenser said, but so was Heivia.


    Looking puzzled, the Valkyrie woman asked, ¡°Is that really all you need?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much equipment. We don¡¯t even have that.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± she said, accepting his request. She then lowered her voice. ¡°But if you are captured by the Capitalist Corporations, do not speak of us. If you do, we will thoroughly research who you are, infiltrate your safe country, and kill every one of your relatives.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to threaten us. We don¡¯t even really know if you¡¯re from Valkyrie or not. We aren¡¯t who our uniforms say we are either.¡±


    ¡°Very well then.¡± The Valkyrie woman gave a wicked smile that almost seemed to be blasphemous in itself. ¡°You two do as you wish. If we can make use of it, we will.¡±


    Part 14


    Quenser and Heivia¡¯s strategy was not all that thoroughly planned out.


    They directly approached the small gate while trying to stand out as little as possible.


    ¡°Wait a second. Stop. Yes, you two over there.¡±


    When they arrived at the gate, an amplified voice called out from over 100 meters ahead. A giant light near the gate shined on them and an off-road vehicle equipped with a machine gun approached.


    Two soldiers got out of the vehicle as it idled.


    They wore the same Capitalist Corporations uniforms as Quenser and Heivia and had the same assault rifle as Heivia.


    Quenser covered his face with one hand to block the bright light.


    ¡°Hey, stop that. You¡¯re gonna give me a headache.¡±


    ¡°Are you with the unit?¡± One of the soldiers stared at Quenser and Heivia¡¯s uniforms. ¡°What are you doing here? It isn¡¯t time for the night shift patrols to return. And where are your armbands? You should have one on your right arm.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t wear them since we¡¯re on a job that doesn¡¯t allow it,¡± replied Heivia quietly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The soldier frowned.


    Heivia leaned in close to the soldier and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s in both of our interests to end this discussion about the armbands. Surely you¡¯ve heard of the commander¡¯s Shadow Code.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that...¡±


    The soldier looked away from Quenser and Heivia with a bitter expression.


    He was looking over at what the two boys were transporting.


    It was a handcart.


    The soldier used an LED flashlight to peer inside the canopy. Quenser spoke up to him from behind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shine the light on it too much. It¡¯s like tea in that light can destroy the composition without even opening it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. But...dammit.¡± The soldier groaned and turned off the flashlight. ¡°So the commander is ordering diet drinks again!?¡±


    ¡°He uses the ridiculous name Shadow Code, so no one knows what it is. We have to work our asses off all day while he¡¯s eating and drinking enough that he has to worry about getting too fat. It pisses me off, but that¡¯s just how the world works.¡±


    ¡°Our 4WD vehicle got stuck in the mud. Normally, we would have called for help, but we can¡¯t given what we¡¯re carrying. Thanks to that, we had to stay out this late trudging through the mud. We¡¯re supposed to be part of the day shift, so I want to get to bed already.¡±


    The soldier clicked his tongue.


    He must have felt it would be best not to cause a commotion, so he gestured to have the bright light from the gate shut off.


    ¡°Understood. Head through. The night shift can get a bit on edge, so try not to stand out once you get inside.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only ones who will be in trouble if that doesn¡¯t reach the commander.¡±


    The soldiers moved the barricade made of a metal framework and barbed wire and then opened the steel gate. Quenser and Heivia pushed the handcart into the maintenance base while everyone watched on.


    ¡°(What do we do now?)¡±


    ¡°(If we managed to get into the Object maintenance building like this, we would be better off defecting to the Capitalist Corporations and becoming Hollywood stars. We need to head to the barracks to borrow some armbands. We need to make sure we won¡¯t look suspicious around the maintenance building.)¡±


    ¡°(The armbands are divided up by color, right?)¡±


    ¡°(A beautiful woman¡¯s ass is one thing, but I wouldn¡¯t spend dozens of hours staring at these boring muscular men for no reason. I know what color toothpaste they use.)¡±


    Meanwhile, the two boys headed through a few different sections of the base.


    Occasionally, a powerful light from a watchtower would move towards them and they would start sweating, but the circle of light would humorously move away the instant it touched their handcart. It seemed the base truly did have an implicit understanding.


    They stopped the cart behind the barracks in a spot the watchtowers could not see, but no voice called out to challenge them. They then slowly opened one of the windows lined up on the barracks wall.


    Of course, the window would normally be locked and would have sensors.


    ¡°All the information is proving accurate. When the Shadow Code reaches the gate, they secretly unlock one of the windows.¡±


    Just to be sure, they removed one of the diet drink bottles from the cart as a good luck charm and climbed into the barracks.


    It was nothing but one of the empty bottles Valkyrie had procured with filthy, germ-filled jungle water in it, but no one was going to double check the contents even if they found it suspicious.


    People had a lot of complexes about diet drinks. If the commander thought someone was giving it undue attention, he could very well hold a grudge.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, if we actually delivered them to the commander, he might get food poisoning and the base¡¯s chain of command would come crumbling down.¡±


    ¡°They would just stick someone else in charge. Directly targeting the Deep Optical is still our best bet.¡±


    The two boys chose a room in the barracks to enter.


    They of course chose their target from the name plate for the room.


    All the data they had gathered was enough to know what that person¡¯s duty was and that no one would be inside at that time.


    Quenser and Heivia quickly started digging through the belongings inside to find the armbands they needed.


    ¡°Each individual person doesn¡¯t have just one armband! Counting spares, they¡¯re given three! We just need to find the right color!!¡±


    ¡°Which color!?¡±


    ¡°Blue or green! Blue is for the guards and green is for the technicians!!¡±


    Given how Quenser and Heivia were dressed the blue for a guard would be more natural. Also, the person who stayed in that room was a guard.


    ¡°Maybe we should change out of these soaking wet uniforms into new ones.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not officers. You don¡¯t see regular soldiers walking around with an umbrella. More importantly, we need those armbands! Dammit. Are we not just going to find blue or green ones around!?¡±


    Suddenly, Quenser and Heivia heard approaching footsteps.


    ¡°(Shit. This is bad, Quenser.)¡± Heivia lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°(We can¡¯t find the armbands. It¡¯ll look suspicious to stop by here with a diet drink! We¡¯re cornered!! Anywhere we go is a dead end!!)¡±


    The footsteps continued.


    They were clearly headed for the room they were in.


    Quenser suddenly spoke up.


    ¡°(Heivia, hand me the diet drink bottle.)¡±


    ¡°(What?)¡±


    ¡°(We have nowhere to hide!! We just have to keep doing what we¡¯ve been doing, so just hand it over!)¡±


    Heivia tossed the bottle and Quenser caught it in one hand. Quenser then wrapped a new uniform jacket and the one he already had around the bottle.


    The door opened without a knock as he was doing so.


    A middle aged man wearing an expensive-looking uniform that seemed ill suited to actual combat looked at them suspiciously. He had quite a heavy-set build like the type of soldier that simply drew arrows on maps. To be blunt, he was the type of officer the bottom-rung soldiers would dislike.


    ¡°What are you doing here? Is this your room?¡±


    ¡°W-we¡¯re hiding. We have our reasons.¡±


    The middle-aged man clicked his tongue in annoyance when he saw the item Quenser was trying to hide


    ¡°If you¡¯ve arrived, then hurry up and deliver them. If they are on the base, we can¡¯t have the delivery seen as incomplete. ...Also, even if this is the Shadow Code, make sure to return what you used for packaging.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia passed by the middle-aged man¡¯s side and attempted to quickly leave the room.


    He called out to them.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    ¡°...Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°Since you have it here, we can open just the one now, right? We¡¯re just eating rations, so we need to look after our health too.¡±


    Quenser almost jumped.


    The bottle was filled with filthy jungle water.


    ¡°We...¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t overweight enough for it to be worth opening it.¡±


    ¡°If you say so...¡±


    ¡°W-well, we¡¯ll be going.¡±


    The middle-aged man gave a slightly bitter smile and waved Quenser and Heivia off like he was shooing away a dog.


    Heivia breathed a sigh of relief upon exiting the room.


    ¡°...We¡¯re safe for now, but what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Good question.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t hang around forever with nothing but the diet drinks. Also, that old man is in the room we thought we could find the armbands in. Without green or blue armbands, we can¡¯t approach the Deep Optical¡¯s maintenance building. If we can¡¯t do that, getting in the base was meaningless.¡±


    It was possible they could find the armbands they needed in other rooms, but they had no information to base it on. Searching over a hundred rooms would take time and it would seem suspicious. More importantly, they would be unable to avoid a fight if they accidentally opened the door of a soldier who was on break.


    If that happened, they would never survive.


    ¡°If only there was a way to destroy the Deep Optical without touching it.¡±


    ¡°Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Heivia, let¡¯s go back over the information we gathered with the directional microphone over the past 2 days. What maintenance is the Deep Optical undergoing?¡±


    As Quenser spoke, they headed back to the window with the security deactivated in order to leave the barracks.


    ¡°If we know that, we might be able to find something we can do.¡±


    Part 15


    ¡°The Deep Optical is a Second Generation Object using a laser beam for its main cannon,¡± said Heivia as they left the barracks through the window and hid behind the handcart. ¡°But that main cannon is a tricky one. Eight excitation lasers are used in conjunction with a liquid prism for the stimulated emission, but if the refractive index within the liquid is off even slightly, the laser beam will tear the main cannon apart.¡±


    ¡°And the maintenance is related to that?¡±


    ¡°I think they¡¯re defragging the electronic control program that automatically regulates the density of the liquid in the liquid prism. It seems software problems will crop up periodically. Their method of dealing with that seems to be to perform frequent maintenance of the memory clusters.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh, but don¡¯t get your hopes up. There is absolutely no way stopping this maintenance could make the Deep Optical blow to pieces,¡± said Heivia just to make sure. ¡°As I said, this is nothing but software maintenance. If we interfered with work on the JPlevelMHD reactor, even foot soldiers like us might be able to blow up the Deep Optical, but this is just the program controlling the main cannon. It isn¡¯t enough to blow it up.¡±


    Of course, the Object had around 100 other cannons at its disposal even without the main one. Any one of those held enough destructive power to obliterate a tank or battleship, not to mention a flesh-and-blood human.


    ¡°Are you recalling what we did to the Water Strider?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°That was planting a bomb on parts to be put in the Object which we subsequently detonated. But we can¡¯t do that here. This is software maintenance, so no parts are even being replaced. Not to mention that we can¡¯t approach the Deep Optical or even the area filled with the spare parts.¡±


    ¡°...Where are the spare parts kept?¡±


    ¡°At almost the exact opposite corner of the base from these barracks. But it¡¯s too far away for the diet drink excuse to work. The armbands there are red. Not that it matters since we don¡¯t have any color.¡±


    For the Deep Optical¡¯s maintenance building, they needed blue or green armbands.


    For the storage area for the Object¡¯s spare parts, they needed red armbands.


    There were no exceptions to that. Having the diet drinks would not get them through. In fact, it would seem even more suspicious.


    ¡°...What color armbands do we need for the storage area for non-Object supplies?¡±


    ¡°Yellow. And we might be able to sneak into somewhere like that. But what does it matter? We aren¡¯t going to find Object parts in a normal storage area. Even if we set a trap, it would never reach the Deep Optical. It¡¯s meaningless.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± said Quenser. ¡°Basically, we just have to make sure the Deep Optical can¡¯t fight.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s a bigger issue. Heivia, I want to compare my information with yours.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Quenser?¡± asked Heivia.


    Quenser carefully chose his words as he replied, ¡°Do the people of this maintenance base keep to the standards of the modern clean battlefield?¡±


    Part 16


    A Capitalist Corporations commander named Lieutenant Colonel Rockbelt Deansgate clicked his tongue.


    When the Shadow Code arrived at the gate, specified soldiers were instructed to inform him. However, it had not been that long since the last Shadow Code delivery. This had made him suspicious and the fact that the items had still not arrived furthered his suspicions. After a quick patrol, he had found the handcart abandoned behind the barracks.


    Rockbelt grabbed one of the bottles and brought it close to his face. That was all it took to tell him they were fakes. He did not even need to test the taste or smell. He threw the bottle to the ground and switched on his radio.


    The bright lights turned to face inside the maintenance base rather than outside.


    As he pressed his back against the storage building¡¯s wall, drops of liquid that were clearly not from the squall appeared all over Heivia¡¯s body.


    ¡°Damn, they¡¯ve caught on!! The entire area¡¯s lit up brighter than midday!!¡±


    ¡°Just as expected. When the diet drinks failed to show up and the soldiers delivering them completely disappeared, anyone would realize something was up. Once they checked the contents of the bottles, they would know for sure.¡±


    ¡°Was it really worth heading out to this storage building?¡± said Heivia as he looked at the building with an expression showing he did not think so. ¡°It¡¯s true that almost no one heads out to this end of the base, so we could head straight here without a yellow armband. But as I said before, there¡¯s nothing related to the Deep Optical here! No matter what sabotage we carry out, none of it will reach the Object!!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not targeting the Deep Optical.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We may not be able to directly destroy that Second Generation Object, but we can stop the maintenance.¡±


    Some intruders had gotten in.


    Rockbelt Deansgate immediately thought of the maintenance building for the Deep Optical...or as they called it, Charbetty. As he ran through the irritating rain, he contacted the soldiers inside the maintenance building over his radio.


    ¡°No, everything is normal here! There are no records of any suspicious people entering and Charbetty¡¯s readings are completely normal.¡±


    (I suppose it would be impossible to get within those thick walls using normal methods...)


    However, the same could be said about the maintenance base itself and the intruders had already made it inside the base.


    Rockbelt himself was part of the reason for that, but that fact never crossed his mind.


    Suddenly...


    ¡°Wah!?¡± said the soldier on the other end of the radio.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Charbetty¡¯s defragmentation speed suddenly dropped. This is strange. We¡¯re using quite a large computer for just this task!!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t target the Deep Optical itself. Who knows if we could even destroy it with every ounce of explosives we have. To stop the maintenance, we have to target the large computer helping with the defragmentation,¡± said Quenser. ¡°As long as we know how the Deep Optical and the computer are connected, we have various methods we can use. If it¡¯s located away from the maintenance building, we just have to dig up the underground cable or jam the wireless signal.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯ll make sure there is as little opening for sabotage as possible, right? After surrounding the building with such thick walls, it would be safest to keep everything necessary inside.¡±


    ¡°Why has the processing speed dropped!? Is it hardware trouble or could this be a cyber attack!?¡±


    ¡°The hardware used for the defragmentation is not connected to the network! And it has no external media attached!! It is most likely a hardware problem!!¡±


    (This is bad.)


    They could not stop the defragmentation of the main cannon¡¯s electronic control program. Doing so would require redoing everything from the initial settings which would take days to complete. If the other world powers caught wind of it, other Objects might very well attack.


    ¡°Should we continue the process?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°The only possibilities I can think of are overheating, external interference from powerful electromagnetic waves, severed wires within the machine, or simply an unexpected breakdown of the machine.¡±


    ¡°An electromagnetic attack sounds the most like something intruders would do, but it can¡¯t be that. If that was happening, we would hear some kind of horrible static over the radio.¡±


    ¡°To prevent damage to the data being defragmented, I can distribute the work over several processing systems. We don¡¯t have anything else on the level of the large computer being used now, but I can think of some pieces of hardware we could use.¡±


    ¡°Can you do so while continuing the current task without interrupting it?¡±


    ¡°It will take a fair bit of acrobatics, but yes.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Rockbelt almost continued with ¡°do it¡±, but he felt a chill run down his spine.


    ¡°...Are the subsystem machines inside the maintenance building?¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡± The soldier sounded less confident now. ¡°These other machines are not currently being used, so they are being stored in one of the storage buildings.¡±


    (So that¡¯s it!!)


    ¡°Listen, second lieutenant. Do not go ahead with your subsystem idea. Continue the defragging with the current system.¡±


    ¡°B-but...!?¡±


    ¡°No matter what happens, do not open the door to the maintenance building!! Even if it¡¯s me asking you to! That is what the intruders are after. They are causing this problem so that equipment and personnel are brought into the maintenance building!!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°Anyone coming in could be spies carrying bombs and any computer you bring in could have explosives hidden in it!! So do not open that door no matter what!! As long as that door remains closed, the intruders cannot do anything to Charbetty! Do you understand, second lieutenant!?¡±


    ¡°I do, lieutenant colonel!!¡±


    Upon hearing his subordinate¡¯s response, Rockbelt laughed quietly in the rain.


    He had been planning to head into the maintenance building himself, but remaining outside was safest for the unit as a whole.


    The maintenance base zone was large. However, it was still a limited space.


    The intruders could not hide forever.


    Once the defenses of the maintenance building were fortified, they just had to carry out a thorough search.


    Then it would be checkmate.


    ¡°But can we really get into the maintenance building so easily?¡± Heivia was skeptical. ¡°They know that¡¯s the most important spot on the base. Once something goes wrong, won¡¯t fortifying its entrance be the first thing they do? We won¡¯t be able to sneak in during the confusion or send in a bomb-laden piece of equipment.¡±


    ¡°True, sending in someone or something would be difficult,¡± said Quenser as he dug through the items in the storage building. ¡°But that just means we have to use something that can pass through the building¡¯s thick walls.¡±


    ¡°Ahn? You mean we¡¯ll use some kind of electromagnetic weapon?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing as over-the-top as that,¡± said Quenser as he left the storage building.


    In his hand, he held...


    ¡°A gas burner to burn away vegetation?¡±


    ¡°Quick-drying concrete meant to withstand explosions and compressed ceramic cubes will resist heat. ...However, the heat will pass straight through the wall if enough is accumulated.¡± Quenser lightly waved around the device that was made up of numerous connected tanks and pipes. ¡°That is why I wanted to know where the computer is. Even if it¡¯s in the thick walls of the maintenance building, it will be kept against the wall so it doesn¡¯t get in the way of their work, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    And their invasion began.


    Quenser and Heivia were behind the maintenance building.


    Rockbelt and the others fortifying the entrance would not think to look there. Even if an Object cannon could destroy the sturdy walls, they could not be destroyed by the amount of military explosives a combat engineer could carry around. Once you were sure no one could blow a hole in the walls, your focus naturally stayed with the existing entrance.


    ¡°How did you figure out where the computer is?¡±


    ¡°From the vapor coming out of that pipe on the wall. That¡¯s likely from the cooling system,¡± replied Quenser. ¡°As I said before, heat will pass through the wall. The same goes for cooling. Basically, the coolest spot will be where the equipment they want to keep the coolest is. That means we just have to check the temperature with our hands. Using the burner there will be perfect.¡±


    Bluish-white flames spewed from the pipe-shaped opening of the device Quenser was carrying.


    When it first touched the thick concrete wall, the moisture on the surface audibly evaporated. Afterwards, the surface of the concrete turned white...and then to the orange of heated stone.


    This was the cause of the fall in the large computer¡¯s defrag speed that Rockbelt and the soldier had discussed.


    The correct answer was overheating.


    Quenser and Heivia had been heating the wall with the burner the entire time.


    Quenser and Heivia did not get to see the change firsthand.


    The first people to notice were naturally the maintenance soldiers working on the Deep Optical on the other side of the wall.


    ¡°What? Why is there black smoke over there...?¡±


    ¡°Shit! The computer¡¯s outer casing is melting!!¡±


    ¡°Stop, don¡¯t get near it! Wah!?¡±


    A maintenance soldier who frantically attempted to approach the large computer convulsed as if he had been struck by lightning and then a roar as if the air were being split reverberated throughout the maintenance building.


    There was an electric leak.


    As soon as the maintenance soldiers realized that, the monitors they were focused on became wrapped in darkness.


    Yes.


    The monitors displaying the progress of their Object¡¯s defragmentation.


    And naturally, determining the cause was not difficult once that result was seen.


    Lieutenant Colonel Rockbelt Deansgate hurried to the back of the maintenance building accompanied by several soldiers.


    ¡°Freeze!!¡±


    The intruders continued to fire the flames of the burner into the concrete wall up to the instant he let out that shout.


    The one intruder finally switched off the burner and casually tossed it aside.


    He then said, ¡°If you¡¯re in that much of a hurry, I assume we managed to stop the defrag. You must be pretty worried about how much the cluster damage spread to the Object.¡±


    ¡°Do you understand your situation here?¡±


    ¡°Do you?¡± asked the other intruder. ¡°If this is a true clean and safe battlefield, you are the ones in trouble.¡±


    ¡°This is the age of Objects. Victory is decided by the Objects, so soldiers do not die needlessly,¡± said the first intruder, sounding as if he was enjoying himself. ¡°But when those rules are broken, it all breaks down into total war. That means we throw every military force we have at each other. And which side is in trouble if that happens? Your precious Deep Optical can likely destroy most weapons without using its main cannon...but that does not include other Objects. Not even a nuke can destroy an Object¡¯s armor. The firepower of another Object¡¯s main cannon is needed.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Rockbelt understood what the intruders were trying to say.


    They seemed to belong to a unit of one of the other world powers.


    (From recent developments, my guess would be the Legitimacy Kingdom unit that crushed Hyena.)


    ¡°Are you telling me to let you go?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re fine with a deadly battle breaking out, you don¡¯t have to, but keep in mind that we have the upper hand. After all, we have a usable Object and you do not. Surely you can see that your entire base will be slaughtered if you don¡¯t go along with our demands no matter how unreasonable they may be.¡±


    ¡°If you like, we can call in our cute princess. Oh, and if you kill us here, the footage will reach the Object. Are you willing to fight a pissed-off monstrous weapon?¡±


    ¡°It would only take one shot.¡± The first intruder made a gun sign with his hand and held the index finger up to his temple. ¡°The decision is yours. Take the shot if you like. But if all-out war begins, you won¡¯t be able to use the white flag.¡±


    If both of their Objects had been in working order, Rockbelt could have ignored everything the intruders had to say.


    But that was not the case.


    It had been clear from the moment he had shouted ¡°freeze¡±.


    Once their Object had been rendered unusable, the battle was over.


    He could hardly admit it, but he had been looking for a point of compromise.


    (Fortunately, Charbetty was not completely taken out. If we redo the main cannon¡¯s defragmentation, she can head back to the battlefield. It is crucial that I keep the damages here to a minimum.)


    Rockbelt forcibly clenched his back teeth as he forced down his anger as he said, ¡°Fine then. We will go along with your proposal.¡±


    ¡°But!!¡± shouted the second lieutenant who worked as Rockbelt¡¯s aide.


    When the Charbetty¡¯s defragmentation had been forcibly stopped, the second lieutenant had opened the door to the maintenance building and joined Rockbelt.


    ¡°They say this is a safe and clean battlefield, but they are the ones that broke the rules first! They have no right to force their demands on us!!¡±


    ¡°Second lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°Just do it! No, I will do it!! If our information is accurate, our enemy will likely be the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s First Generation Object. Even when not at full capacity, Charbetty¡¯s odds of winning are greater than 0%!! We need to remain resolute and-...!!¡±


    Rockbelt clicked his tongue.


    He pulled a handgun from the holster at his waist and unhesitatingly fired a bullet between the second lieutenant¡¯s eyes.


    Rockbelt did not even hear a scream.


    The man was dead before the gunshot had faded. Afterwards, a silence that made one forget about the squall filled the area.


    ¡°You do not stand up to them because the odds are not 0%, second lieutenant. You quickly fall back because the odds are not 100%.¡±


    Rockbelt sounded like he was spitting out the words because the second lieutenant¡¯s actions could easily have put the lives of the entire unit at risk.


    Rockbelt had quickly dealt with the threat, but that had not quelled his personal feelings.


    It was the intruders who had created the situation in which he had to do so.


    ¡°I will give in this time,¡± said Rockbelt in a frighteningly chilly voice. ¡°But just this once. This alone has created enough of a reason for our unit and the Second Generation Charbetty to attack you. Once you leave here and find some safe place, you can curl up in the corner and think about what that means. But it would be best to assume there is nowhere safe.¡±


    Part 17


    And thus Quenser and Heivia succeeded in applying a certain level of damage to the Deep Optical.


    The Capitalist Corporations was desperately attempting to hide the fact that the Deep Optical could not use its main cannon, but the armed group intercepted radio transmissions saying it was headed for the Capitalist Corporations block of the coalition troops in the Oceania district for official repairs.


    In other words, it had been successfully driven out of the Loyaut¨¦ district.


    ¡°Wonderful!! We had heard the rumors, but we never really thought you would drive away that Object!!¡± said the leader of the armed group as he proudly welcomed Quenser and Heivia back. ¡°Now the Deep Optical will no longer wreak havoc on the Loyaut¨¦ district! The tragedy you saw and the tragedies you could not see will no longer occur!!¡±


    His words were completely truthful, but there was one thing he failed to mention.


    He had a hand behind his back in which he held a large handgun.


    Once their role was complete, he had no more use for heroes.


    He could not have the two boys asking for any kind of a reward and they had seen too much of what the armed group had done.


    ¡°Today is a day for drinking!! With the Deep Optical gone, the foundation of our income should return! This is a celebration of your success and the better times on the horizon, so do not hold back!!¡±


    ¡°There is one other thing we must tell you first,¡± said Quenser quietly.


    The change in tone made the leader tense up. He clenched the handgun behind his back unnecessarily tight.


    But that indescribable feeling was fleeting.


    Before he could figure out what it was, a much greater feeling drove it away.


    He felt multiple gazes on him from the trees all around him.


    The leader frantically looked over at the watchtower, but he could only see the guard¡¯s upper body hanging over the railing with a gunshot to the head.


    In the next instant, explosions occurred at various points along the barbed wire surrounding the base and soldiers charged in.


    They were Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers.


    ¡°I told you not to think this would have a happy ending.¡±


    The soldiers moved quickly through the small base and either shot the members of the armed group or had them surrender. A few tried to take up defensive positions and fire at the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers from blind spots, but each one was eliminated by either a sniper¡¯s bullet or a distant mortar.


    Despite all this, the leader attempted to fight back.


    However, he stopped moving shortly thereafter.


    The reason for this was simple.


    One of the Legitimacy Kingdom soldier¡¯s assault rifles had a sensor attached to the end that was oddly large for some kind of targeting assistance.


    It was a Cursor that was linked with the Object so the area the rifle aimed at would be accurately bombarded by the Object.


    The leader of the armed group had no way of knowing this, but Quenser had asked one other thing of the Valkyrie woman in addition to acquiring the diet drink bottles.


    If you have a long-range radio, give my ID number to the Legitimacy Kingdom maintenance base zone and tell them the following: We will be finished soon, so come to get us at Point RN in 10 hours¡¯ time.


    And they had done so.


    They had come to rescue Quenser and Heivia from their kidnappers.


    And to make the leader of the armed group pay for his crimes.


    It had been entirely possible Froleytia could have followed military regulations and left Quenser and Heivia for dead, but their risk was nothing compared to that of the armed group and its leader.


    The Elite princess that piloted the Baby Magnum and Froleytia who gave the princess her orders both had no reason to show any mercy to or hold back against the armed group.


    It was not an issue of Quenser and Heivia. The 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion had already shown they would not allow such armed groups to exist with their overwhelming suppression of Hyena.


    ¡°Whatever your reasons may have been and regardless of whether they volunteered or not, you still cut off those children¡¯s limbs to further your goal.¡±


    The Object that was providing indirect firepower finally became evident on the battlefield.


    Specifically, its static electricity propulsion device could be heard. How did that low rumbling as if from distant thunder sound to the armed group and its leader?


    The large handgun dropped to the muddy ground while his hand was still hidden behind his back.


    He could have shot Quenser and Heivia in desperation, but he dropped the gun instead.


    That was how much awe-inspiring fear he felt.


    That firepower could grab at the human soul in a fundamental way as if the monstrous weapon stood at a higher point on the food chain.


    As he had faced Objects several times before, Quenser knew exactly what kind of pressure was squeezing at the leader¡¯s chest.


    ¡°And I also told you not to forget that the day would come when you had to pay for this, remember?¡±


    Part 18


    It all came to an end in no time at all.


    The wooden building Quenser and Heivia informed the princess of over the radio was the only one left completely unscathed by the Baby Magnum. That was where the children were kept. Everything else was blown to pieces.


    The Baby Magnum did not even need to appear directly on the battlefield.


    The princess merely aimed her laser beams at the points provided by the foot soldiers¡¯ targeting information.


    She targeted people, equipment, and buildings.


    As he watched things turn to black ash and be torn apart and turn to red flames and disappear, Quenser felt the power human beings used to support each other fading away.


    Most likely, what Quenser and Heivia had been doing was nothing more than a game of cat and mouse to the Baby Magnum.


    With the power of those monstrous weapons that could carry an entire war and influence the course of history, that armed group would not have had to rely on Quenser and Heivia or turn blades on their own children.


    Those weapons moved history.


    They changed the flow of history.


    There was a great difference between those that had them and those that did not.


    ¡°He said those children volunteered,¡± muttered Quenser quietly. ¡°Will those children hate us for destroying the world they believed in that much?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? That isn¡¯t for us to decide. Only those children can do that,¡± said Heivia, but his words were not very clearly spoken. He took a deep breath before speaking again. ¡°Hey, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If I...If I really do gain control of the Winchell family one day, I could use some extra money to...¡±


    ¡°And if I become an Object designer...No...that isn¡¯t the way to do this.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°...We can start now. Even if it isn¡¯t much.¡±


    The squall of pouring rain came to an end.


    One of the children shivering in the wooden building walked out using a cane. He spotted two shining objects.


    They were sparkling in the warmth of the sun.


    Would he ever realize what feelings were held within those two coins?

 Volume 4, 2: Christmas on a White Sand Beach >> Furlough Garrison Battle (?) in Oceania

    Volume 4, Chapter 2: Christmas on a White Sand Beach >> Furlough Garrison Battle (?) in Oceania


    Part 1


    The Oceania district.


    With the dictatorship that had held a tyrannical rule over that land destroyed, the coalition-led restoration had accelerated.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom''s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion''s convoy made up of over 100 large vehicles was stationed there and a "cityscape" had cropped up around it.


    "We can''t have everything spreading out like this," said Froleytia Capistrano as sweet-smelling smoke drifted up from her narrow kiseru.


    She was speaking with the old lady who led maintenance on the Baby Magnum.


    "Yes, but it is only natural for shops to set up in areas where money is likely to change hands."


    "We purposefully distanced ourselves from the urban areas to keep the civilians out of any unforeseen dangers, but we can''t stop them from setting up a market made up of tents and RVs. Someone could easily use this to sneak in close and fire a shell at the base."


    "Even if we move the convoy away, they will simply follow us. That is probably why they are using shops that are so easy to set up and take apart. If they make money, they will be happy. And this will prevent the conspiracy theories surrounding the secrecy over Object technology. Just think of this as an advertisement in that fashion."


    Froleytia and the old lady were sitting on a sheet spread across the sandy ground within the maintenance base with a parasol stuck into the ground next to them.


    However, a hellish scene of sweat and tears existed just 3 meters away from their vacation mood.


    "Quenser, the water filtration devices come in sets of 15 boxes. Once you have confirmed their arrival, make an entry in the database and carry them all to storage."


    "...O...kay..."


    "Quenser, that box is full of champagne bottles. You can use the dolly if you like, but I will kill you if they get shaken up. Also, make sure you do not leave the cold room''s door open."


    "...Pant...pant..."


    "Queeeeennnnsssseeerrrr, that one is my Japanese sword and that one is my Japanese armor and helmet. That one is my set of Japanese dolls and that is my Japanese furisode. Be careful as you carry them. We aren''t often part of a coalition force. I need to find all the best deals while the market is in chaos."


    Quenser Barbotage collapsed in the middle of the sandy ground.


    "...I-I can''t. I can''t go on. I''ve been doing nothing but physical labor for three days now... I thought this was supposed to be paid leave. We finally managed to get back, so what happened to the swimsuits?"


    "What? Was Quenser, the boy who ignored several war treaties to go off to fight the Capitalist Corporations'' Second Generation Object, just saying something to me, the one who had to write report after report frantically emphasizing the damage to the Deep Optical and forcing a smile as I put up with the jokes of those old men higher up the ranks that are at least borderline sexual harassment to somehow avoid having you court martialed?"


    "Gyahhh!! I''ll do anything! I''ll go along with whatever you say for the rest of my life, commander!!"


    Quenser raised his sand-covered face and screamed.


    "...It almost looks like he''s enjoying this," muttered the old lady, but it seemed no one heard her.


    As Quenser wiped the sand from his body, he asked, "B-By the way, where is Heivia?"


    "Cleaning the bathrooms, cleaning the bath pipes, cleaning the washing machine drums, and cleaning the convoy''s engine rooms. And that''s for every single one of the base''s over 100 vehicles."


    "Y-You''re kidding! Nothing but cleaning!?"


    Quenser could only raise a prayer for the different sort of hell Heivia had been sent to as he still had to deal with his own hell.


    Froleytia paid him no heed and said, "Once you finish that...Oh, I know. The Japanese paulownia wood chest I bought yesterday should be delivered to the base soon. The civilian deliveryman won''t be able to get inside the base, so bring it to my room after its security check at the gate."


    "I want a powered suit for this!!"


    "After that...Oh, right. There is that other important matter."


    "I''ll die. I''m really going to die!! Wait, I get it. The final boss this time is my huge-breasted commander!!""


    "What, is it really that bad?" Froleytia calmly breathed out some smoke. "The princess wants to go swimming at the Great Barrier Reef, so she needs some bodyguards. But if you would really prefer to stick around the convoy and its stench of oil and exhaust, suit yourself."


    "Please let me go!!"


    Part 2


    Meanwhile, Heivia was also finally released from his hell. He was currently relaxing outside the maintenance base zone.


    "God dammit. Everyone knew I was being used as that huge-breasted commander''s toy, so they all forced their ridiculous demands on me too."


    At a coffee shop made out of an RV, Heivia sipped at an iced coffee that did not seem the type of thing a noble would drink. With the double punch of heat caused by the roasting sun above and the reflected sunlight coming from the sand below, he could hardly order a hot drink.


    The "cityscapes" that developed around a maintenance base zone during times like that were quite a different thing from a standard safe country city or an Oceanian city.


    Not a single concrete building could be seen.


    Everything was made to be set up or broken down within half an hour. The Object and its maintenance base zone could set up or move out immediately to match the military situation, and those making up the "cityscape" were hardly going to let any chance to make money slip by.


    As Heivia sipped at the iced coffee that no longer had any ice in it, he heard a high-pitched girl''s voice.


    "Welcome, internet viewers!! Welcome to the Oceanian Live ¨C Class A!! Oh ho ho ho ho!!"


    He looked over and saw a 3D projector set up in the store displaying an Information Alliance idol concert that had been held a few days prior. It was free to watch for a week after the event, but would it really draw in any customers?


    (Well, it looks more like the guy running the store is the only one watching.)


    The 3D image was not displayed on a screen. Instead, the it appeared directly in empty space. Quenser likely could have excitedly explained exactly how it worked, but Heivia did not know. He had a feeling it was something along the lines of sending out light waves from multiple directions to display the image with the increase and decrease of the light waves'' amplitudes.


    The image only appeared 3D from head on. When viewed from the side, the images for the right eye and left eye were out of sync which made for a dizzying sight.


    "Diffracted waves are used to create the separate images. This is the latest model," explained the shop owner who must have been bored.


    He seemed more proud of the projector than the idol who was passionately singing a popular song.


    (Why can''t it just be the students who are proud of their machines?)


    With that thought, Heivia changed the subject.


    "Do you like idols?"


    "Better than other Elites at least. The Information Alliance''s idols seem friendlier than the patriotic heroes and the million dollar players."


    The idol dancing in the 3D image was tall, had ringlet curls, and had G-cup breasts. As Heivia watched, he decided the dance moves were definitely designed to make her breasts jiggle.


    Meanwhile, the shop owner stealthily added one last thing to his comment.


    "...And this one has big breasts."


    "So that really is your reason!! Well, I can''t deny that I wish our princess would do this kind of thing."


    As Heivia spoke, the writing and patterns on the dancing G-cup idol''s special suit changed in real time.


    No normal material could do that.


    A musical score made of ribbons appeared in midair and wrapped around the G-cup idol''s bewitching body in sync to her singing.


    "Class A sure is showy," said the shop owner. "The A stands for ''augmented reality''. Most likely, the actual idol is dancing in all blue or all green tights, but it sure does look nice like this. Then again, the completely fictitious Class V takes it a step further."


    "I prefer R for reality. All of Class A''s panty shots are prearranged, right?"


    "You say that, but you can''t seem to take your eyes off her thighs."


    "Sorry, but I prefer tits," said Heivia with a perfectly serious expression.


    The fact that the writing and patterns of the idol''s outfit could be freely altered also meant the figure of the idol could be directly altered in the footage, but Heivia''s imagination did not seem to reach that far.


    Heivia brought the cheap iced coffee back to his lips as his gaze was drawn to the chest of the 3D image, but then...


    "Oh, it''s Heivia. If it isn''t Heivia."


    "Bff!?"


    Heivia very nearly spat out the iced coffee because he recognized the girl who had called out to him. She was the daughter of the Vanderbilt family as well as Heivia''s fianc¨¦e. However, she was only unofficially his fianc¨¦e for the moment due to various circumstances. Normally, she would never be seen outside of an inner room of a mansion within the Legitimacy Kingdom''s home country.


    Heivia began to tremble when he saw that girl wearing a dress covered in jewels that did not suit that market that had a mixed and gray atmosphere.


    "Y-You...? Why are you here...?"


    "Why do you find it so odd? Oceania''s military regime was destroyed and the coalition invasion has come to an end. This is a safe country now. There is no problem with civilians coming here."


    "(The resolution of the issue with the military nation is now leading to skirmishes between the members of the coalition to see who gains the most power here, so things are actually more strained here than ever.)"


    "Did you say something?"


    Heivia shook his head.


    "Wait, where are your bodyguards? Don''t tell me you came here on your own."


    "My family would not stop complaining about how I was acting, so I gave them the slip."


    "That just makes this worse!! Now I can''t just get back to my military work after chatting with you!!"


    "Oh, but isn''t it only because I slipped away from them that we can have such an elegant chat? Right, Heivia...or should I say Romeo?"


    "Well, ''Juliet'', I get the feeling your guards are going to track you down and then shoot me when they find me with you."


    "Oh, dear. You do not seem very moved over a chance meeting with your fianc¨¦e." The girl frowned slightly. "I sincerely hope some horrible woman has not gotten to you while I have been away."


    "Absolutely not!! In fact, every time a good opportunity comes up the useless guy who is always with me gets it!!"


    "So you admit that some ''good opportunities'' have occurred."


    "..."


    Heivia''s eyes swam to the side like two synchronized swimmers.


    The daughter of the Vanderbilt family gave a gentle smile.


    "Heivia, I am not an intolerant woman. You are a noble man. You are free to have mistresses. That is merely a type of status symbol." After a short pause, the girl''s voice grew cold. "However, if you put anyone above me even for an instant...you know what will happen, don''t you?"


    "Y-Y-Yes, I know very well. You don''t have to specify. Really, you don''t."


    "I will have to use the tower collection¡î"


    "But that''s nothing but the whips, wooden horses, and the like that tyrannical relative of yours used!! Your family claims to only keep them around to make sure you never forget the past that destroyed your family!!"


    A sense of intimidation of a different sort than that given off by his large-breasted commander caused a chill to run down Heivia''s back.


    His fianc¨¦e was a cute girl, but she unfortunately seemed to have some "tsun"[1] and "yan"[2] to her.


    Part 3


    The princess swimming in the ocean.


    The princess in a plain but lovely swimsuit.


    From the moment Froleytia ordered him to join the pilot Elite''s bodyguard unit, the driving force running Quenser had entered an odd mode. It was similar to running a gasoline engine on rocket fuel. He had not slept for three days, but his sleepiness gauge had circled all the way around and he no longer felt like sleeping at all and felt a bit uneasy. With his good fortune having finally reached its peak, he may have subconsciously wanted to burn every last instant of it into his mind.


    "...Quenser, you are joining my bodyguards?" asked the princess.


    "Seems that way, miss swimsuit!!"


    "?"


    "Let''s go let''s go let''s go! The beach the beach the beach! You know what is expected of you, right, miss swimsuit!?"


    Quenser eagerly pushed at the princess from behind to get her into the backseat of the military 4WD vehicle.


    While the beach was close to the base, it was still outside of its defensive range. Their 4WD vehicle was at the center and two more were placed to the front and to the back. Also, an armored vehicle protected them on either side. This was commonly known as a sabre formation.


    The formation could only be used in the desert where, unlike an urban area, the width of the road could be ignored. While it would stand up to a sudden attack from an anti-tank missile, it would be of no use against an Object.


    "So you wanted to go to the Great Barrier Reef? That''s the world''s largest coral reef, right?"


    "I do not care where. I just want to swim in something other than a bathtub."


    The princess pinched at the special suit clinging to her body and tugged as she spoke. The suit was supposed to be perfectly air conditioned, but it seemed she still found it somewhat uncomfortable.


    The small convoy reached the beach without coming under attack.


    The beach was covered in smooth, white sand that was clearly different from earthen color of the desert. Just looking out at the sea that looked like blue and green dissolved together was a wonderful sight and the richly-colored tropical fish below the surface would be yet another type of heaven.


    However, Quenser ignored it all.


    "Okay, miss swimsuit!! The time has come for you to show us your majestic form!! If you''re going with the standard, it will be a plain but lovely one piece swimsuit. But if you want to push the unexpected angle, it could be a revealing bikini! Or even a custom-made one-of-a-kind sexy swimsuit!! So what is your answer, princess!? Give me your answer!!"


    He may have been there in the name of protecting the princess, but Quenser''s muscle tone and level of equipment was clearly lacking compared to the other bodyguards. Heaven had answered his prayers and he had been rewarded with the duty of looking at a slender girl in a swimsuit, so he had no intention of focusing on anything else. If an Object attacked right that instant, he would likely have completely ignored it.


    Meanwhile, the princess was completely oblivious to his expectations.


    "?"


    "Oh!! But this isn''t a properly maintained beach! There are no motels around here, so there is no safe place to change! I guess you''ll have to hide behind the 4WD vehicle and blush with embarrassment as you use it as a changing area! What is this? Just the swimsuit would have been more than enough of a reward, but it seems the feast begins even before that!!"


    Quenser''s seemingly endless excitement was partially fueled by the princess''s normal outfit.


    The special suit was completely skintight, so it was not all that bad. However, its defenses were too tight and he never had a chance to see her soft skin. And it was her uniform, so she wore it year round. That ultra-perfect wholesome defense ensured that Quenser never saw anything even remotely approaching a glimpse of her panties. With the thought "Isn''t it about time you moved on to the next step, boy?" in his mind, Quenser''s brain had gone a bit crazy at the chance to see her in a swimsuit where various odds were greatly changed. However, the way he was acting could all be filed under the category of "it can''t be helped".


    "Okay, miss swimsuit!! Your answer! It''s time for your answer!! I''m ready. Right now, I''m willing to accept pretty much anything. Nothing but large bandages would be fine. So what is your answer, miss swimsuit!? Please give me your answer!!"


    "What is a swimsuit?"


    .........................................................................................................................................................................................................


    In that instant, it was not just Quenser who froze in place. The bodyguards who were spread around the area seriously carrying out their duties secretly did as well.


    That was a bad start.


    With that thought, Quenser frantically tried to keep the situation from switching over to a different set of rails.


    "P-Princess...? You shouldn''t answer a question with a question."


    "I did not bring whatever a swimsuit is with me."


    Hearing that response, Quenser''s eyes opened up wide.


    He was intent on keeping things pointed in the direction of bare skin even if he had to force it.


    "So you''re going nude!? I see, I see. I certainly did not expect your answer to go that far!!"


    "I am going to swim like this. An Elite''s special suit is made to withstand any environment, so there is no problem with swimming in it."


    "No!!!!!" Due to the Japanese comedy routines he had seen in Froleytia''s officer room, Quenser''s shout had an odd intonation to it. "You, um...can''t do that!! That special suit is wonderful. I can''t deny that! But wonderful though it is...this isn''t the place for it!! This is a scene for something out of the ordinary!! Just as we would be really pissed if an Object showed up now, you simply can''t choose the special suit here!!"


    "?"


    "No, don''t tilt your cute little head to the side like that!! Wait, it''s not too late! If we head back to the market around the base, we can find all sorts of cute swimsuits, sexy swimsuits, and even sexier swimsuits!! Let''s go, princess. I am perfectly fine with having to start from the stage of you blushing in embarrassment as you choose a swimsuit!!"


    But as soon as Quenser grabbed the princess''s hand and tried to run off, the entire bodyguard unit aimed their guns at him.


    They seemed intent on preserving the initial time schedule.


    "...I really don''t think there''s anything wrong with wanting to at least get a school swimsuit here."


    The bodyguards agreed with him there.


    Part 4


    "Oh, ladies, are you from the Faith Organization? If you have any dietary restrictions, tell me now," said the owner of a restaurant of the type that could be found anywhere in Oceania those days.


    A tent made of waterproof cloth created a simple roof under which a large metal plate, a few chairs, and a cooler full of seafood were set up.


    One of the customers showed a thin smile that completely failed as a polite smile.


    She was Sarasa Gleamshifter of Valkyrie.


    "No, our doctrines require no such restrictions."


    "We can chow down on octopus and squid."


    "We''re more used to wild boar, though."


    Her subordinates, Rachel and Maria gave their own opinions. Maria''s response was more halfhearted as she was watching a 3D image of an Information Alliance idol Elite.


    The restaurant owner smiled and said, "Then I don''t have to hold back. Since you''ve come down to the southern hemisphere, you might as well make some memories by choosing something more unusual."


    "We will be paying in the Faith Organization method. Is that okay?"


    "Let''s see, the Faith Organization puts more focus on precious metals than paper money, correct? The exchange rate with foreign currencies is set using platinum and diamonds as their value is more fixed, I believe. I''ll have to call in an appraiser which will make this take longer, but I can manage."


    "No, we will be using Faith Organization paper money," replied Sarasa. "Unfortunately, we cannot rely on platinum at the moment."


    Sarasa paused briefly before that last comment, but the restaurant owner did not seem to notice.


    "Well, the conclusions of an appraiser can easily be argued with. Real money that is accepted around the world is best."


    The man prepared some small fish of a coloration Sarasa had never before seen and then placed them atop the heated metal plate. She had no idea what he intended to do with them, but he did not gut them. He placed them in a small bowl with some strong seasonings and mixed it all together.


    Cooking on a metal plate like that was a type of show.


    As the restaurant owner cooked the tropical fish in a skillful manner that functioned as a form of entertainment, he gave a bitter smile and said, "I would have a wider variation of dishes if I had beef, but it''s just too expensive."


    "Come to think of it, the natural balance in Oceania has yet to be restored," commented Rachel as she was caught up in watching the food dance across the metal plate. "The dictatorship was pushing the extreme forestation while the local tribes resisted it in favor of the original desert. Because the environment was so radically changed again and again in some areas, the coalition has to carefully regulate the quality of the soil. There are a lot of restrictions on grazing land to prevent the balance between vegetation and desert from collapsing."


    "Yes. Thanks to that we have to rely on importation despite how large the country is. But lately platinum mining has really grown. Rumor has it the Information Alliance is bringing in tons of domed livestock facilities and container-shaped animal feed factories. If they can do that, it doesn''t matter if the entire area''s a desert. The local tribes won''t like the imported feed, but it shouldn''t be too much of an issue as long as it all stays isolated within the containers. If it all works out, solar power generation can be used to create a huge sterilized farm in the middle of the desert. The food shortage will be resolved in no time at all." After delightedly explaining all that, the restaurant owner suddenly realized something and added an additional comment. "Oh, do people from the Faith Organization oppose that kind of technology that creates manmade food sources? Y''know, genetically altered crops and the like."


    After all, the Faith Organization was well known for accepting the theories of evolution and the big bang yet insisting that a nonhuman supernatural trigger had to have caused those scientific coincidences.


    It was true that they were not fond of manmade recreations of natural works.


    But Sarasa readily shook her head.


    "The Central Religious Assembly''s conclusion on the 89th issue regarding food sources resolved any such issues. Also, the Faith Organization is not as unyielding as others seem to think."


    "Is that so?" muttered the man vaguely as he continued to move his hands over the metal plate.


    Sarasa went on to say, "For example, let us say man has created a material that does not exist at all in the natural world. Do you think the Faith Organization would find fault in this?"


    "...Well, yeah. Don''t you say that denies god''s providence, or brings an impurity into the world god created, or something like that?"


    "We are not so sensitive as to take up arms over the creation of plastic." Sarasa smiled lightly. "We compromise. If you use oxygen and hydrogen to create water, the materials you have used were taken from the world that god originally created. For that reason, the water you have created is nothing more than a derivation of what god has created. You have not brought an impurity into the world god created. The same reasoning can be used to permit plastics and carbon nanotubes."


    "I see."


    "We do not start conflicts because we wish to. If we are able to compromise, we will do so to avoid needless conflict."


    At that point, all expression suddenly disappeared from Sarasa''s face and she muttered something under her breath.


    "(But when people set foot into a territory that allows for no compromise like that old man, we will assassinate them no matter what.)"


    "?"


    The restaurant owner did not seem able to hear what she had said.


    With the conversation ended but the man''s focus still on them, Sarasa changed the subject and asked a question.


    "How about by boat?"


    With that alone, it was hard to tell what she meant.


    However, the man immediately replied.


    "I wouldn''t count on it. Recently, you probably could have gotten away with poaching fish, but there aren''t many boats now. Of course, that means I have plenty of customers from those large groups, so I''m not complaining."


    "...How about by air?"


    "Are you trying to transport people or goods rather than fish? That could be tough. This is Oceania. Multiple world powers have Objects here. If you send out a helicopter of unknown affiliation, it will be shot down by anti-air laser. And if you get one world power to allow you through, a different one might not allow you through."


    After thinly slicing the cooked fish, the man added a sauce that smelled strongly of blood. Sarasa stabbed her fork into the slices and asked a question.


    "You said a boat would have worked recently. What changed?"


    "The Legitimacy Kingdom," replied the restaurant owner as he pulled a sea cucumber out of the cooler and sliced it up with his knife. "An Object of theirs...the Baby Magnum I think it''s called...is on leave near the beach, so the layout of their surveillance network has changed a lot. From what I hear, the routes connecting Oceania with nearby islands are cut off. But as I said, the military brings in a large group of customers, so I''m welcoming them with open arms."


    "So cargo from the Loyaut¨¦ district cannot get here?"


    "Exactly. Honestly, it''s scary how quickly Objects can be deployed. An area that was completely safe yesterday can be the front lines today."


    "..."


    Sarasa narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched the metal spatula dance in front of her.


    They had failed on that island.


    That meant her target was now...


    Part 5


    It had been one hell of a day.


    By the time Quenser and Heivia met up near the maintenance base zone, it was nearing evening.


    "...How''d things go for you?"


    "...How about for you?"


    From that exchange, it was clear they had both had a large catch get away from them.


    Quenser sighed and said, "Where did I go wrong? The setting should have been perfect. So what was it...? What went wrong...?"


    "After returning a rich girl ignorant of how the world works back to her guards, I had those same guards chase me around with handguns for 3 hours..."


    Those two weary souls suddenly felt their handheld devices vibrate as they received an email.


    "I don''t want to read it!! That has got to be the sign that Froleytia''s ridiculous demands have begun anew!!"


    "Quenser, I''ll lend you my handgun, so will you please shoot me in the leg?"


    That was how far they were ready to go in order to get out of more work, but they found something else entirely when they actually read the email.


    I want to have a Christmas party to give us all a break, but I can''t let a civilian bartender into the maintenance base.


    For that reason, all but the bare minimum required for the current shift are to meet up at point YI.


    Let''s go nuts drinking tonight.


    "..."


    "..."


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a wordless glance.


    They then silently but strongly clenched their fists.


    "We still have a chance!!"


    "Wait, wait, wait!! This is a Christmas party with the princess and our huge-breasted commander. And December is summertime in Australia!! We''ll never see a normal Santa Claus here!! This''ll have bare skin, miniskirts, bare thighs, and bouncing breasts!!"


    Point YI was not far away.


    There was no way congested traffic would make them miss it.


    They may have missed out on any swimsuits, but the chance still remained for a sexy Santa.


    The two idiots named Quenser and Heivia immediately took action to get to that heaven of changed odds.


    A bright red bus and a blue taxi stood before them.


    "I''ll take the red bus!!" said Quenser.


    "Then just for fun, I''ll take the blue taxi!!"


    And thus their fates were divided...


    Part 6


    When Quenser arrived at point YI where the party was located, he glanced around.


    He was not inside some shop.


    Due to the "cityscape" being made up of mostly tents and RVs, there were no shops in which one could leisurely sit around.


    A portion of the market was opened up into a plaza and a large number of tables covered in food had been carried in. The free mobility of the shops making up the "cityscape" was a major advantage. They had likely opened up the space to accommodate such important customers.


    (Looks like Heivia hasn''t arrived yet.)


    Soldiers wearing the same uniform as Quenser had already begun to partake in the food and alcohol, but Heivia was nowhere to be seen.


    "Oh, there''s the old lady."


    "What? Shouldn''t you be speaking with someone younger at a party like this?"


    "I thought you would be on standby in the maintenance area in case the Object had to be scrambled."


    "The princess is off duty, so there wouldn''t be much point. This is a coalition force, so other Objects are taking care of defense....But wouldn''t this be a perfect opportunity for you to observe the Object?"


    "There isn''t much to learn when no one is working on it. I need to see it when it''s actually fighting. If I''m just going to stare at its surface, I might as well just go to a military magazine site."


    "What a boring person. Your ideas lack style. You''re the type of person that wouldn''t ask for a souvenir from someone heading overseas."


    "I''d take some platinum as a souvenir of Oceania. I hear they''ve been mining a bunch of it lately."


    "I see you''re pretending to be some wealthy merchant again. And platinum is old news. The days of it having a stable value are over. Research is progressing in ways to mass produce industrial platinum."


    "Eh? They''re using the platinum for industrial uses?"


    "It''s used in Objects, too. You need to study some more, student."


    As the two spoke, Froleytia approached them from behind with a cocktail glass in hand.


    "Oh, you two haven''t started eating yet? Who knows when we''ll have another chance to eat anything but those flavorless rations. You should eat some while you can."


    "Then can''t you do something about those ratio¡ª...bfh!?"


    Quenser had a good reason for freezing in place the instant he turned around.


    Major Froleytia Capistrano had become a miniskirt Santa. Also, her upper body was covered in nothing but a bikini-style piece of clothing that had very little surface area. Her cleavage and midriff were on full display.


    After facing postponement after postponement with the princess''s swimsuit feint, Quenser very nearly lost control of his emotions at all that bare skin.


    "A surprise projectile attack!?"


    "I have no idea what you mean, but those military uniforms are hardly suited for the desert."


    "Honestly, it''s going to get cold once the sun sets. You have no one to blame but yourself when you catch a cold after dressing like that," said the old lady in exasperation, but there was a hint of amusement on her face.


    With a confused look, Froleytia asked, "Wait, where is Heivia? Is he not here yet?"


    "That''s the thing..."


    Just as Quenser started to respond, a small electronic tone came from his radio.


    (Who could that be? Someone from the maintenance base?)


    Quenser moved away from his commander and hit the switch on the radio.


    "It''s me!! It''s me!! It''s Heivia!!"


    "Where did you get off to? I''m already at the party. You should have chosen the red bus..."


    "I''ve gotten caught up in some kind of incident!! Tonight, I''m gonna be the hero!! But I have one request for you!"


    "If you want help, you can forget it!! I''m not taking a step away from this party!! And if you want to know why, it''s because there''s a well-endowed Santa right in front of me!!"


    "That''s fine, that''s fine!!"


    "?"


    "I don''t see how I can avoid a firefight in the middle of the city. But we aren''t in a battle right now, so this is technically a job for the police....To be blunt, we could be in trouble if that huge-breasted commander catches wind of this!!"


    "No, not ''we''. I''m not part of it this time!!"


    "After what happened in the Loyaut¨¦ district, this would be a third yellow card!!"


    "Have we really gotten that many yellow cards?"


    "At any rate, we''ll be in real trouble if we get any more!! I''ll take care of this issue on my own, but you need to buy me some time!!"


    "...Hm? It''s rare for you to be so motivated. The problem is that your motivation isn''t always a good thing."


    Quenser''s long radio conversation must have seemed suspicious because the Santa that was likely going to give him some wet dreams frowned and asked, "Quenser, who are you speaking with? Almost everyone is here."


    "Eh? O-Oh, um..."


    "Just distract that huge-breasted commander!! Don''t let her realize I''m not there!! We''re in real trouble otherwise. If I don''t deal with this, the Oceanian civilians will be the ones in danger!!"


    (Wait. If Heivia is enthusiastically working at something rather than coming to the party, this must be a major issue on an unprecedented level. If an Object shows up, I really am just going to ignore it.)


    At any rate, the situation had gotten troublesome.


    For one thing, Quenser did not see how he could defeat Froleytia Capistrano via any ordinary means.


    "Quenser, answer my question. Who have you been speaking wi¡ª...cough."


    Some sand must have been blown in by the wind because Froleytia held her throat.


    (This is my chance!!)


    Quenser grabbed a glass filled with a clear liquid from a tray held by a civilian waiter passing by.


    "Are you okay, Froleytia? Here, have some water."


    "Oh. Thanks, Quen¡ª...bbhhh!!!???"


    When the miniskirt bikini Santa gulped down the contents of the glass all at once, she let out a noise that Quenser had never thought he would hear from her.


    The reason was simple.


    "Que¡ª... You!! This is vodka! And straight vodka at that!!"


    "I''m sorry, Froleytia!! I must have grabbed the wrong glass! Here, this one is oolong tea!!"


    "Honestly I can''t believe you¡ª...ugbh!? Th-That was malt whisky!!"


    "Oh, no!! Froleytia, I won''t get it wrong again! This time, it''s mineral water!!" said Quenser as he handed her a cup filled to the brim with tequila.


    (C''mon, get drunk!! Get dead drunk!! If she keeps drinking these drinks with such high alcoholic content at such a high rate, even a heavy drinker like her has to get drunk!!)


    "...Hic."


    After a few more cups, Froleytia was silently hanging her head. Beads of sweat were trailing down her bikinied chest and her skin had grown rather red. The core of her body had grown limp and she was swaying back and forth even while standing still.


    (Was the plan a success!?)


    Quenser was celebratory at first, but another thought then entered his mind.


    (Wait, what happens once she''s drunk?)


    That question then started eating into the boy''s mind.


    (This is bad. This might be really, really bad! Froleytia is a complete tyrant when sober, so what''s going to happen now that all her limiters have been removed by alcohol!?)


    "...Qwensher..."


    The low tone and drawn out way that she called his name frightened him.


    As an unpleasant sweat began flowing down Quenser''s entire body, he could do nothing but stand at attention.


    "Y-Yes!? What is it, commander!?"


    For a while, Froleytia said nothing.


    She was already quite close to Quenser, but she silently yet unsteadily drew even closer to him.


    He seriously thought she was going to grab his collar.


    And then...


    Right in front of him...


    Froleytia Capistrano opened her mouth to speak.


    "Sob. Why are you always so mean to me, Quenser?"


    "?????"


    Quenser''s thoughts completely stopped for an instant.


    That was not the role of the cruel commander known as Froleytia. That was a line suited for a timid childhood friend who always carries around a stuffed animal.


    But he realized what was happening shortly thereafter.


    "I-Is she the type that gets sad when she drinks!?"


    "Are you mad, Quenser? Are you? I''m so sorry I''m such a terrible commander. I''m sorry I always need you to save me. I know it isn''t right. If I did a better job and used the princess to her full potential..."


    "Wait, wait!! You can''t get like this in front of people!! This is where people will half-jokingly take cell phone pictures, so you need to have some self-control!!"


    "...Are you mad, Quenser?"


    "Gyaahhh!! Don''t press up against me like that!! Don''t wrap your arms around my neck!! Have you forgotten how you''re dressed!?"


    "...You''re mad..."


    "I''m not!! I''m not mad!! Dammit, I have no other option while in public like this! I wouldn''t really, but if we were alone I could probably get away with all sorts of things!!"


    "You really aren''t mad?"


    "I''m not!! Really! Trust me!!"


    "..."


    Froleytia pressed her large breasts forcefully against him and brought her face in so close he probably could have kissed her had he simply pursed his lips, but she fell silent and did nothing further.


    This all placed a tremendous mental burden on Quenser, but Froleytia finally spoke once she had worked something out in her mind.


    "Quenser...you''re something like a big brother to me."


    "You''re a little sister character now!?"


    Part 7


    Meanwhile, Heivia Winchell was running through the "city" as the sun began to set.


    The situation was as follows:


    While the blue taxi waited at a simple traffic signal of the sort used at construction sites, a middle-aged man dove in from the side with enough force to break the window.


    "What the hell? Why do things like this always have to happen to me!?"


    Thinking the man might be a robber, Heivia pulled out a large handgun from the holster at his waist, but then the man spoke while bleeding from the face.


    "You''re a Legitimacy Kingdom soldier, right!?"


    "What?"


    "I have something to report! I''ve run across some terrible information. You need to do something!!"


    "Wait, wait, wait. No!! The peace of Oceania is for police special forces to deal with, not the military. This isn''t my job! And more importantly, I''m on my way to see a huge-breasted Santa!! This is no time to be dealing with¡ª...!!"


    "The Legitimacy Kingdom is their target!!"


    "Seriously!? But it''s still not my jo¡ª..."


    "And the ones chasing me will be here soon."


    "Tell me that part first!!"


    Heivia frantically pulled the middle-aged man out of the taxi and fled into the congested traffic. Just as he did, the blue taxi was turned to Swiss cheese by gunfire from multiple submachine guns. The driver had fled the instant the middle-aged man had jumped in so he was not hurt, but Heivia still did not like it.


    As they ran, the middle-aged man said, "You can call me Royce. I''m an Information Alliance journalist."


    "No, don''t introduce yourself!! That almost guarantees I''ll be forced into getting involved in this!! Also, I don''t want to be on a first name basis with someone I just met when it''s a guy!"


    "I would like to hand this off to you and get back to my normal life."


    "If you try to force this onto me and run off, I will ignore all war treaties and shoot you in the back!!"


    It seemed Royce''s pursuers were following him in a vehicle. That gave them speed, but prevented them from making tight turns among the crowds of people and impromptu buildings. They realized the disadvantage the vehicle gave them and got out, but Heivia and Royce had gotten quite a ways away by then.


    The two decided they had lost the enemy for the moment, so they exchanged information.


    "So why is an Information Alliance journalist here?"


    "Both for business and private reasons." As he spoke, Royce lightly touched the cell phone hanging from a strap around his neck. "My daughter was deployed here. I wanted to see what kind of place it was for myself."


    "Deployed? So is she in the military?"


    Heivia looked skeptical, but he then recalled that he himself was a minor out on the battlefield due to the situation in his noble family. The average age of those in the military had dropped, so it was not too surprising.


    The reason Royce was subconsciously toying with his cell phone may have been because he had its background set to a photo of his daughter.


    "Yes, and she hasn''t even entered junior high school yet. She may be a bit too skilled," said the self-proclaimed journalist. "At her age, she should still be dreaming of being a princess of the Legitimacy Kingdom... The adults around her egg her on just for fun which has led to her domineering speech patterns and laugh. The way things are going, she will keep laughing loudly on top of the stage forever. I have no idea how she acts within her unit, though."


    "Does that have anything to do with why you are being chased?"


    "No, the current situation has to do with my job."


    "What were you doing?"


    "My original goal was to do some civilian level research into whether the Information Alliance military is performing its duties suitably. That said, all I can really do is intercept radio transmissions."


    Hearing that, a bitter look appeared on Heivia''s face.


    "Did you pick up someone else''s transmission?"


    "It wasn''t from any of the world powers. It was from an anti-establishment group. It seems they are opposed to the overwhelming firepower of Objects, and my curiosity got the better of me. I analyzed the signal and located a base of theirs. They noticed me when I was observing it from afar. And you can see where that got me."


    "An anti-Object group," muttered Heivia in annoyance.


    He knew people with those views existed all around the world and he could hardly deny that the destruction of the Oceanian military nation had caused such sentiments to spread. Also, Quenser and Heivia...or rather, the stories of them destroying Objects had pumped vitality into the anti-Object groups whether the two boys wanted it or not.


    "So these people want to destroy an Object, and they just so happened to choose our Legitimacy Kingdom Object as their target?"


    "If the information I intercepted is correct, yes."


    "How do they plan to do it?" asked Heivia. "Destroying an Object is easier said than done. Even if they attack it while it sits motionlessly in the maintenance area, they aren''t likely to even damage it. Even if they hit it directly with a large H-bomb, they can''t get through that armor. How are they going to destroy that monstrous weapon?"


    "There is a way," cut in Royce. "If there wasn''t, I would not be working this hard to stop them...and they would not bother hunting me down to stop me."


    Part 8


    While wearing her usual special suit, the princess had headed to an impromptu arcade a bit away from where the party was being held. A tent had been set up to create a roof and several arcade machines were lined up underneath.


    She had intended to spend only 10 or 20 minutes there to kill time until the party began.


    However, the game she had chosen turned out to be a one-on-one multiplayer action game with an Object theme. Among all the Objects of various affiliations, the Baby Magnum had unfairly (or so she felt) low parameters in the game. Also, there was something about her opponent sitting at the machine opposite hers that bugged her. As such, the princess was unable to stop playing.


    Because the two competing machines were facing each other, she could not see her opponent''s face.


    That meant her opponent could not see her either.


    However...


    "Oh ho ho!! Oh ho ho ho ho ho!! It seems you truly cannot stand up to the Gatling 033!! The specs of the original model and ¨C more importantly ¨C the view the people hold of it are simply that much greater!!"


    "This game was made by the Information Alliance, so it is not surprising that the parameters would be skewed in their favor!! In fact, you should be ashamed of being unable to step into the ring without such handicaps!!"


    "Oh? I have no idea who you are, but you must be truly unrefined to support that unrefined Legitimacy Kingdom Elite! Oh ho ho!!"


    "I have no clue who you are, but no sane person would give any praise to that Information Alliance Elite!!"


    The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance bodyguards hiding around the area using the two arcade machines as their defensive lines sensed that a firefight could break out at any moment. Nevertheless, both sides had the same thought in almost perfect unison.


    ...I don''t care who wins this game, but please end it so we can be freed from this job.


    At the same time, Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito of the Information Alliance held a video camera in one hand as she filmed the back of her unit''s Elite who was giving that arcade game her all.


    The silver-haired, brown-skinned woman had completely lost her usual look of a formidable tactician.


    "Oh, dear. 50 wins and 53 losses. Is she finally losing her focus? Ah. It looks like she lost interest in the game and is walking off. No, stop shaking that cute butt like you''re a baby duck. You''re going to fall, you''re going to fall. Ah! You fell. Oh, dear..."


    A female subordinate of Lieutenant Colonel Lendy''s cut in with some advice while making sure to stay out of the frame of the video camera footage. (She knew getting caught in frame would lead to a truly horrible fate.)


    "Umm, I know this is something like being a doting parent, but you should not be filming her even if you are her commander. The Elite herself is considered valuable information by the military."


    "What are you saying? Looking after the pilot Elite''s mental health is part of our job. We cannot peer into people''s hearts, so we have to gather that information from their everyday casual behavior," replied Lendy without hesitation. "By the way, why are you wearing a maid uniform?"


    "Because I am a Capitalist Corporations mercenary. I do not want to have to carry around a sign all the time."


    The blonde-haired, brown-skinned "mercenary" girl also had cat ears on her head.


    However, Lendy was too focused on filming the Elite to look over at the "mercenary".


    When the target of her filming headed off and hid behind something, she finally stopped filming.


    "Huh? Where are you headed?" asked the "mercenary".


    "Somewhere where maids and mercenaries are not needed."


    Lendy Farolito pouted her lips, but still acted based on the information she had collected beforehand like anyone from the Information Alliance would.


    "I am a bit upset with that Legitimacy Kingdom unit that keeps taking advantage of that poor girl."


    Part 9


    Three men carrying submachine guns with a caliber of over 5mm came to one section of the "cityscape". They were there to eliminate Heivia and Royce who had fled.


    The "cityscape" was primarily a collection of tents and RVs, so it contained little that was sturdy enough to use as a shield in a firefight.


    However, there were some exceptions.


    For example, the area the trash was collected in.


    A number of mining dump trucks made of steel were parked on the outskirts. For a fee, the trash from the area was gathered there. Afterwards, it was taken to a proper incinerator in one of the actual cities.


    As the dump trucks were the type usually used for mining, they were as tall as a three story building. The tires were taller than a person and a twisting staircase was needed to reach the driver''s seat. With a number of them lined up, the area was essentially surrounded by steel.


    In the midst of it all, repeated short gunshots rang out.


    The garbage men ran off, but the three men paid them no heed.


    "(Kicker, Nexa. We need to escape afterwards, so we can''t spend more than 5 minutes here. We need to finish this!!)"


    "(But that guy has a rifle. His range is too great!)"


    "(I''ll fire like crazy to keep him in place. You two circle around behind the dump truck and shoot him!!)"


    Suddenly, the sound of the gunshots coming from behind the dump truck changed. The noise was much higher-pitched and more cheap-sounding than before.


    (He switched from his rifle to his side arm?)


    As soon as they came to that conclusion, the three men moved forward to take the offensive.


    "(He''s out of ammo! We can overwhelm him now...)"


    A strong, deep gunshot rang out and Nexa''s head was smashed to pieces.


    "Wha¡ª...?"


    While still in shock, two more bullets blasted into Kicker''s gut and chest, knocking him to the ground.


    The gunshots had most certainly not belonged to a handgun.


    They had been the louder gunshots of the rifle that had supposedly run out of ammo.


    (Shit! Did he purposefully switch over to his handgun despite having rifle ammo left to throw us off our guard!?)


    The last remaining man tried to fall back, but it was too late.


    With the advantage of numbers lost, the range and power difference between an assault rifle and a submachine gun was just too great.


    Heivia Winchell silently drew closer without allowing even the slightest chance of a counterattack.


    "You were right," said Heivia to Royce as he looked through the contents of the handheld device he had found in the armed men''s belongings. "They''ve prepared a chemical combustion warhead. It''s a bomb that mixes together naphtha, various fuels, and some chemicals to create flames that cannot be put out with water and spreads those flames 3 to 5 kilometers in every direction."


    "It''s basically the same thing as a Molotov cocktail. I''ve seen videos of it online."


    "The warhead appears to be handmade, but the cruise missile it''s loaded in and the mobile launcher are both Oceanian. The military regime had tanks and fighters deployed to areas around the country excluding where they had the Generation 0.5, so there was no lack of such items."


    "The Craft Salamander III?"


    "Sounds like some bland convenience store cream pasta, doesn''t it? Well, weapon names have to be brought down to a level where even an idiot gets it. The point is to show off your obvious hostility," said Heivia as a cruel smile came to his lips. "The maximum range should be 1500 km. I believe it has a terrain calculation guidance system."


    The one remaining question was how they planned to destroy an Object with it.


    Even a direct hit from a large hydrogen bomb would not destroy an Object''s armor. Also, chemical combustion warheads were anti-personnel weapons. Heivia did not see how one could destroy an Object.


    Royce answered that question.


    "Most likely, their target is not the Object itself."


    "What?"


    "Basically, they just have to make the Object unusable. And they can do that without attacking the thick armor of the Object. They can accomplish their goal by targeting the much more vulnerable human beings."


    "...Are they after the Elite?"


    It was not entirely impossible, but Heivia was still skeptical.


    Anyone could tell there was a danger of an Elite being targeted when outside of the Object. That was why they always had a special unit of bodyguards with them and were constantly accompanied by an armored vehicle with a perfectly air tight interior in case of firefights, explosives, or chemical and biological weapons.


    Even if a cruise missile loaded with a chemical combustion warhead was headed straight for the Elite, she simply had to climb aboard that armored vehicle the instant it was detected. That would negate any damage from heat or smoke.


    "No," replied Royce. "Their target is the maintenance soldiers. It does not matter if they do not have any particularly important duties or information. The chemical combustion warhead can cover several kilometers in every direction with flames. If the maintenance soldiers are gathered in a single place, a large majority can be eliminated. If hundreds of maintenance soldiers are lost all at once, the Object can no longer function. Even if it still has a pilot and a commander, the Object cannot function without those at the bottom who keep it running."


    "So they''re stopping it by destroying the Object''s surroundings rather than the Object itself, hm?"


    However, something bothered Heivia about that.


    (That isn''t too different from our idea to destroy that computer in the Loyaut¨¦ district.)


    That gave Heivia a bad feeling, but he continued the conversation.


    "The crucial Elite and commander are one thing, but the unit can hardly have bodyguards for every single maintenance soldier. They might actually have a chance if they really are trying to crush them all at once." Heivia thought for a bit and then changed the subject slightly. "Since they prepared the mobile launcher and cruise missile, they are probably planning to detonate it in midair."


    "I would assume so. If it is not detonated in midair, its effects would not spread as far....But I only know what I was able to find on military websites."


    "The Craft Salamander III," said Heivia. "From the range of the missile, and the locations of the city and the maintenance base, they will most likely be targeting the maintenance base zone and the cityscape spread out around it....Hah. It seems they aren''t directly targeting anyone from your Information Alliance."


    "So? What I must do remains the same."


    "Why would you help protect a Legitimacy Kingdom military facility?"


    "I have both business and private reasons for that." Royce wiped sweat from his face. "As a journalist, I cannot simply sit by doing nothing as a threat like this approaches the people of Oceania. If spreading information would increase the danger, temporarily holding it back is good manners, but that does apply here. However, spreading the information now would not give people enough time to evacuate, so I feel I should use the information I have received in a different way in order to avert this catastrophe."


    "And what is your private reason?"


    "I told you my daughter has been deployed to Oceania, remember? Preserving the concept of the clean battlefield will help preserve the safety of my daughter. I cannot have that concept lost due to some terrorist attack."


    "I see," muttered Heivia.


    He could trust a real reason like that much more than some sterilized "for the greater good" reason.


    "We need to find out where the launcher is located," said Heivia in a low voice. "If we know that, we can try to attack before the missile is launched or intercept it if it has already launched."


    "Fine, but we have no time," said Royce to make sure Heivia understood. "From the fragments of information I picked up over the radio, their attack is going to begin soon. It is probably because the majority of the group is preparing the attack that we had so few pursuers."


    Part 10


    After wasting more time than she had expected at the arcade, the princess walked along the tent-filled "cityscape" on the way to the Legitimacy Kingdom party.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom bodyguards were still spread out around her and an armored vehicle also accompanied her, but she still decided to travel on foot.


    The unorganized layout of the tents and forceful flow of pedestrian traffic prevented the smooth travel of the vehicle. She felt she would make better time on foot.


    The princess recalled the exchange she had had back in the arcade.


    To the very end, she had never seen her opponent''s face.


    (Honestly. I do not know if that was some sightseer from the Information Alliance or what, but the way they control all information about Elites and treat them like idols is like some kind of creepy brainwashing.)


    The Legitimacy Kingdom treated their own Elites like patriotic heroes and rallied support from the people by spreading doubtful stories about them being part of legendary bloodlines that stretch hundreds of years into the past. Both were completely ridiculous ways to treat them, but it is hard to notice how odd the environment one has been immersed in all one''s life is. It was similar to not noticing the smell of one''s own house.


    As the princess walked among all the tents and RVs, she suddenly stopped.


    Her bodyguards all thought "Don''t tell me there''s something else!?", but the target of their protection had the right to choose what she did.


    The princess looked over at a store filled with joke goods.


    Due to the season, it contained a lot of Christmas-themed trees, wreaths, and red boots. It also had some Santa Claus costumes for sale.


    (...)


    When she had gone swimming earlier that day, Quenser had seemed incredibly disappointed for some reason.


    She still had no idea what he had been hoping for, but it seemed wearing her work outfit while on leave was not the right thing to do.


    She guessed it had something to do with everything having a proper time and place.


    "Santa Claus... Santa Claus," muttered the princess as she headed into the store.


    The tanned shop owner seemed especially courteous because she was wearing the special suit of an Elite. That meant she was the representative of a nation which in turn meant she would have a lot of money.


    He was not wrong in that line of thinking, but the princess had no interest in money and so she had no idea how much money she had in her bank account.


    The princess''s bodyguards starting showing an interest in her actions as they secretly began to wonder, "Oh, is our princess finally awakening to her sex appeal?"


    "Could you put together a Santa Claus outfit for me?" she asked.


    What she got in return was an overly standard Santa Claus outfit made up of a baggy red shirt, pants of the same color, and a fake white beard.


    "Don''t go with that boring thing!!" shouted the bodyguards in their hearts, but that expressionless girl was not going to absorb the ideas of Japanese moe so quickly.


    However, the look in the princess''s eyes changed when she glanced over at a 3D monitor that used diffraction sitting in a corner of the tent.


    It was playing footage from an Information Alliance idol Elite''s concert from a few days ago.


    "Yayyy!! This may be a bit early, but I think I will give you the gift of a night of dreams about a sexy miniskirt Santa!! Oh ho ho!!"


    It was unclear how much of the footage was real and how much was VFX, but the image underwent a dazzling change. The blonde ringlet curl, G-cup idol shook her body while wearing a red and white Santa costume that appeared to be a modified Elite special suit.


    For a while, the princess''s expression grew even more expressionless than usual, but she finally pointed at the screen and spoke to the shop owner.


    "Give me something that outdoes that."


    After being transformed into a miniskirt Santa for the tropical southern hemisphere, the princess headed to the Legitimacy Kingdom party.


    (This does not seem like a very practical outfit.)


    The princess looked down at her clothes.


    (Well, as long as Quenser likes it. But will he really like this???)


    The party seemed to have already begun. The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had divided up into groups where they chatted as they drank and ate. Everyone''s eyes turned toward the princess and they subsequently did nothing but stare at her. The princess could not tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing that they were acting like they had seen something they could not believe.


    (Where is Quenser?)


    After glancing around, the princess spotted the person she was looking for at one end of the party.


    However...


    "It''s not the same!! My actual siblings may try not to hurt my feelings, but they never say anything against how my family treats me!! You''re the only one that does, Quenser!! I was saying that you''re the most like a big brother to me!!"


    The princess froze in place when she spotted Froleytia dead drunk and Quenser being held tightly by that large-breasted commander.


    Also...


    At that time, Lendy Farolito arrived at the party.


    The mood of the Legitimacy Kingdom party was naturally ruined at the arrival of an enemy officer accompanied by Information Alliance soldiers. It was a potentially explosive situation, but they were in a cooperative relationship due to the coalition and the party was not located within the Legitimacy Kingdom base.


    They had no legitimate reason to turn her away.


    Lendy herself had not hesitated to head into the party because she was well aware of that.


    An Information Alliance commander had arrived.


    How would the Legitimacy Kingdom commander react?


    Naturally, everyone''s attention turned to Froleytia.


    "I won''t let you have him!! Quenser is my big brother and I won''t let anyone else have him!!"


    "Remember your position here. I''m the small, cute one."


    A large-breasted miniskirt bikini Santa and an expressionless miniskirt Santa were fighting over a single boy. Lendy Farolito froze in place when she saw the Legitimacy Kingdom major who was otherwise occupied.


    And then...


    "Outta the way!!"


    "Oh, man. This catfight will make an excellent gamble!!"


    "Yeah, it''s not like any of us would ever have a chance with beauties whose positions and ranks are so much higher than ours."


    A portion of the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers who saw the fight as a chance to make some money quickly moved to the center of the disturbance and circled them. Lendy''s path to the other commander was lost.


    (I took a risk and tried to contact her in a way that would garner as much attention as possible, but they aren''t paying any attention to me!!)


    The Information Alliance found value in the authenticity of information and in the methods used to disseminate and acquire such information, so that was a regretful turn of events.


    When Lendy realized the person Froleytia had both her arms latched onto was the very same combat engineer boy that had secretly drawn the attention of a certain Information Alliance Elite, Lendy''s emotions quickly reached their limit.


    "Y-You womanizer!!"


    "Now someone I don''t even know is giving me an incredible title!! If I ever get business cards made, I''m definitely putting that one on there!!"


    Froleytia then realized Quenser''s attention had turned toward someone other than herself.


    "Who the hell are you?...I won''t let you have Quenser! He''s my big brother!!"


    "I do not wish to have him!!" shouted Lendy while just barely managing to remain civil. "One of your men has been taking advantage of our Elite, so I thought I would stop by in the name of scouting him while actually having some fun throwing your human relations out of order. I never thought he was this dangerous, though... I must report this. I need to have a family meeting with that girl tonigh¡ª...cough cough!!"


    Lendy started choking a bit from yelling too much and reached over for a drink, but no civilian waiter was walking nearby.


    Froleytia grabbed a glass filled with a clear liquid.


    "Here, have some water. Honestly, can''t you do anything for yourself?" she grumbled.


    "Hm? That glass..."


    The combat engineer boy being held by Froleytia seemed to realize something, but Lendy had already gulped down the contents of the glass.


    And...


    "Cough!? Cough cough!! Th-This isn''t water! It''s vodka!!"


    "What!? How dare you refuse to drink the water my big brother prepared!"


    "Damn you. You have some nerve to do this to an officer from the Information Alliance where the truth and untruth of information is directly linked to right and wrong..."


    The expressionless miniskirt Santa then passed her another drink.


    "Calm down. Have another glass to wash the bad taste out of your mouth."


    "Oh, excellent idea. I think I can actually trust yo¡ª...bbhh!! Th-Th-This one is shochu!? Hic."


    Her complaint suddenly trailed off.


    Just as Quenser started to get a very bad feeling about what was to come...


    "And another thing!!" shouted Lendy.


    "Wah!?"


    "What are you thinking!? You''re tearing down the framework of the Information Alliance and Legitimacy Kingdom for that poor girl!! Do you understand how much of an incredible tragedy this is for her!?"


    As Lendy Farolito approached with long strides, Froleytia seemed to sense some kind of danger.


    She squeezed herself against Quenser even harder than before.


    "I won''t let you have my big brother!!"


    "I didn''t say anything to you!! I was clearly speaking to that womanizer!"


    "Don''t look at her, Quenser! Look at me!!"


    "Out of the way, drunk!! I need to lecture that womanizer!!"


    Despite their words being directed at Quenser, the two drunks were looking only at each other.


    "..."


    All the while, the princess increased her wordless and expressionless intimidating presence.


    A veritable storm was brewing.


    Quenser could clearly feel it coming, so he tried to come up with a way to have the situation settle down. With how the princess looked subtly displeased while secretly entering dangerous territory, Quenser doubted she fit into any existing category of Japanese moe, but he had to do something about the danger before his eyes instead of focusing on that.


    "W-Wait, you two. Why don''t you calm dow¡ª..."


    "I hope you''re prepared to fight!!"


    "If it''s a fight you want, it''s a fight you''ll get!!"


    With that exchange that seemed more a form of a greeting than the beginning of a fight, Froleytia Capistrano and Lendy Farolito began glaring at each other at extremely close range.


    That was when the soldiers of the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance witnessed a bizarre phenomenon.


    They could not explain it with any standard means.


    The boy who had come to the battlefield to study Object design had his head disappear.


    Or to be more accurate...


    His head was completely buried in the large breasts of the two women grabbing at him.


    Part 11


    Given the situation, Heivia and Royce had to act on their own, but they had no real reason to keep the information to themselves.


    As they took action, they contacted the police special forces and a Legitimacy Kingdom Object other than the Baby Magnum and its Mobile Maintenance Battalion. They made a request for the Object to prepare its anti-air lasers. If Heivia had gotten Froleytia to do that, it probably would have gone a lot smoother though.


    And then...


    They heard a major change to the situation come in via a radio transmission.


    "Speed Killer is ready. We can use the anti-air lasers at any time. Even if a cruise missile is fired at the city, we can intercept it with 97% accuracy."


    "Wait, wait!!"


    "According to the satellite, the mobile launcher is located 20 kilometers northwest of where the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion is stationed. If we know the starting point and ending point, we know its flight path. There is no way it will slip past us."


    "Is this information correct!? Are you sure their cruise missile is targeting that convoy of some VIPs travelling 30 kilometers southeast of here and not the maintenance soldiers scattered throughout the impromptu cityscape!?"


    "It seems they are conversing over cell phones that use a civilian satellite as well as via normal radio. However, we have people with special devices to intercept those signals. We got the information from there. There is no mistaking this."


    "And..." Heivia chose his words carefully. "Is there also no mistaking the fact that the Object''s anti-air laser defense is set to shoot down the cruise missile halfway through its flight?"


    "Halfway?...That would mean it''s right above the impromptu cityscape!" shouted Royce, but Heivia had already figured out what they were after when he had asked the question.


    The commander in charge of the Speed Killer replied, "The convoy being targeted is carrying a lieutenant general and a brigadier general. That chemical combustion warhead must be shot down."


    "..."


    "A chemical combustion warhead only has its intended effects when the proper materials are mixed together and mixed with the air upon detonation at the proper altitude. If it is shot down by an anti-air laser, there is almost no chance of a large, several kilometer explosion occurring."


    "But there is still some chance, right?"


    "Even so," immediately replied the commander. "The Elite and commander will have airtight armored vehicles accompanying them that can withstand biological and chemical weapons. As long as the bare minimum is protected, that is all that matters. And of course the Object itself will not be destroyed by anything of that level. Also, I am putting you under a gag order to prevent a panic. Any further communications are¡ª..."


    Heivia clicked his tongue and switched off his radio.


    Royce then shouted at him with such force that he almost grabbed at the boy.


    "What is going on!? Are they planning to let everyone in this city die? And if those airtight armored vehicles can withstand the heat and flames, what does it matter if the cruise missile directly hits that convoy!?"


    "Don''t ask me. He was probably forced into this decision by those higher officers....And I get the feeling this is exactly what the ones using the chemical combustion warhead want."


    "?"


    "They used the satellite cell phones to purposefully allow the military to intercept the transmissions. As they expected, the military plans to set up a defensive line to shoot the missile down halfway through its flight....And that is in the perfect spot to roast all the maintenance soldiers in my unit as you predicted."


    "It can''t be...But that means..."


    "If you simply shoot a cruise missile in Oceania, one of the many Objects will shoot it down before it reaches its target. But that just means you have to create a plan based on the assumption it will get shot down."


    "But that horrible commander said the odds are low a large explosion will occur if the cruise missile is shot down with an anti-air laser!"


    "If they know it will be shot down, they can change those odds," Heivia searched through the handheld device belonging to one of the armed men he had shot. "I saw this diagram of the warhead before, but now that I look closer, something is off about it. The different chemicals are packaged separately. If it reached its target like this, nothing would happen."


    "Wait, you mean the chemicals will only be mixed together in midair if it it''s shot down?"


    "From this design, I''d say they want it shot down. The chemicals are stored under high pressure which I guess is to ensure they scatter everywhere when the container bursts. If we leave this to the Object''s anti-air lasers, this city will be swallowed up in a sea of flames!!"


    They knew where the enemy''s mobile launcher was.


    Without getting permission, Heivia borrowed a Legitimacy Kingdom off-road vehicle that was parked on the road with the key in the ignition.


    Royce shouted, "What are you going to do!?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? We came this far on our own, so we just have to finish it that way!! Royce, if you want to help, fill that drum up with gasoline!!"


    Royce followed Heivia''s instructions, but he still had questions.


    He climbed into the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle and they drove out of the impromptu city.


    "I know we have to stop this, but do you really think we can destroy that mobile launcher!? We had enough trouble with just those 3 pursuers. Their main force is going to be concentrated around that launcher!!"


    "Shut up! We don''t have time!!"


    A cloud of sand blew into the air as the off-road vehicle drove off into a dry wasteland.


    They were still 20 kilometers from the mobile launcher.


    The armed group would have its firepower concentrated around that launcher. Also, they had no reason to wait. They would be launching the cruise missile as soon as possible.


    "Shit! That light!!" shouted Royce.


    A bright flash of light could be seen beyond the horizon and a signal flare-like point of light shot up into the night sky. However, the distances were simply too great. A signal flare would not produce enough light.


    "They fired it!! That was the cruise missile loaded with the chemical combustion warhead!!"


    "Tch. Can we make it in time!?"


    Heivia slammed on the brakes and drove in an S-pattern as the tires slid. In the end, he finally managed to stop the off-road vehicle safely.


    He then jumped down onto the sandy ground.


    "We weren''t on our way to attack the armed group and destroy the launcher!?"


    "I never thought we would make it in time for that!!" shouted back Heivia, bringing a look of shock to Royce''s face.


    Royce then thought Heivia must have been running away before the explosion to save himself, but Heivia headed to the back of the off-road vehicle.


    "As long as we keep the missile from continuing on its intended course, we can prevent the impromptu cityscape and the maintenance soldiers from being sacrificed! If it flies off in some other direction, their plan involving the anti-air laser will fail!!"


    "Are you planning to jam it?"


    "The Craft Salamander III''s guidance system uses terrain calculations. It measures the ups and downs of the terrain it passes over to determine what corrections need to be made to its course. As long as it has 3-5 pages of documentation on the terrain between the launch point and the arrival point, it can aim itself quite accurately."


    "Does that documentation come from satellite photos?"


    "Normally. Simple aerial photos should work just as well. But in that case, the documentation cannot be updated in real time, so it all has to be researched beforehand and the launch location cannot be changed," explained Heivia. "Naturally, if aerial photos to determine its course are inputted, no communication is needed after launch. While GPS navigation requires a constant exchange of information with the satellite, this method has no risk of being stopped with jamming."


    "Then what can we do!? How are we supposed to oppose a cruise missile flying at supersonic speeds!? Don''t tell me you plan to aim your rifle into the air and shoot it down!!"


    "I''ll be doing something a little flashier than that."


    Heivia used both hands to pick up the drum filled with gasoline that had been loaded in the off-road vehicle.


    He opened the large metal container, tipped it over, and spread the gasoline around the wasteland.


    "Be mindful of the wind. It can carry vaporized gasoline."


    "What are you doing? The cruise missile is already in the air!! It will pass by overhead before too long!!"


    "As I said, the Craft Salamander III''s guidance system uses terrain calculations. It periodically compares the data held in its chips to the actual ups and downs of the terrain below it to correct its course." After the last of the gasoline had left the drum, Heivia casually threw the empty container to the side. "That just means we have to make sure it can''t compare the two sets of data."


    He then pulled out a cigar lighter from the driver''s seat of the off-road vehicle.


    He glanced out at the hot, red ground.


    "We just have to do something like this!!"


    The instant after Heivia threw the cigar lighter, a giant explosion filled a portion of the wasteland.


    In an instant, a massive amount of light and heat was produced along with a shockwave.


    Afterwards, black smoke rose up into the night sky. The black smoke filled the entire area the explosion had encompassed.


    A white point of light shot by above their heads with tremendous speed.


    "What? That isn''t the right direction."


    "The flash of light and the smoke prevented it from checking on the terrain," said Heivia as he held a hand in front of his face to protect his eyes from the orange light. "If it can''t correct its course, there''s nothing to worry about. Now we just have to wait for the Speed Killer to deal with it. It doesn''t matter if the anti-air laser brings the chemical combustion warhead down over empty desert." He collapsed into a sitting position and wiped sweat from his brow. "I can get things done too when I don''t have to face one of those monstrous weapons."


    Part 12


    After saving the Oceanian people and the rest of his mobile maintenance battalion, Private First Class Heivia Winchell finally made it to the Christmas party.


    "I made it...I finally made it to utopia!! Thank you, me!! The great Heivia is simply too powerful!! Now, time to eat, drink, and enjoy the view of a huge-breasted Santa!! We''re gonna have some fun tonight and maybe have some enjoyable incidents to keep as memories!!"


    But...


    The large table that should have had plenty of food lined up on it was covered in nothing but large, empty plates. The plates had a bit of red sauce on them, but the waiters were in the process of removing them from the table.


    No food or drink could be found.


    Heivia refused to accept that truth and shook his head.


    "Don''t tell me it''s already ov¡ª...No, no, not yet!! The most important part is still left! Santa''s time to shine is after all the good children have gone to bed!! There has to be one around here somewhere. After overcoming all that danger, there has to be some reward for me!!"


    Heivia searched around the party area with his eyes as wide as plates, but he found nothing but waiters cleaning up. Every single one of the soldiers who had surely been celebrating there had left and a huge-breasted Santa was nothing but a dream within a dream. Heivia could not even spot a single waitress.


    For an instant, Heivia''s face lost all expression.


    But in the next instant, his face twisted as if he was about to cry tears of blood and he shouted, "This is a desert!! This is nothing but a dried-up desert!!"


    It was at that moment that Heivia spotted Quenser Barbotage trudging toward him with legs just as unsteady as Heivia''s. Seeing his companion''s face, Heivia brought up his guard.


    "Don''t tell me you had to head through a battlefield of your own. No, wait!! I was the hero tonight! I''m the most exhausted! And that''s why the biggest reward should go to me!! I won''t give any of it up even to you!!"


    However, Quenser was too far gone to hear him.


    Before he made it over to Heivia, Quenser collapsed down onto the hardened sand of the ground. Heivia approached in confusion and Quenser tried to speak with his mouth moving open and closed.


    "Ti..."


    "What is it, Quenser? ''Ti''? What do you mean ''ti''!?"


    "...Tits village..."


    All strength left Quenser''s body and his face grew even paler. Heivia let out a cry of lamentation.


    "What kind of dying message is that!? There''s too much deep meaning there!! What happened? Hey, Quenser! Quenseeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!"


    References and Translation Notes


    1. ¡ü Tsun from Tsundere.


    2. ¡ü Yan from Yandere

 Volume 4, 3: The Treasure of the Sea Dyed Deep Red >> Defensive Battle in the Solomon District

    Volume 4, Chapter 3: The Treasure of the Sea Dyed Deep Red >> Defensive Battle in the Solomon District


    Part 1


    His name was Cardinal Roybelz Oldnick of the Faith Organization.


    "So he was the idiot that made those problematic statements," muttered Froleytia as she looked at the photo displayed on her laptop while distracted by her hangover headache.


    While she was alone in the officer room, she was not speaking to herself. A voice chat application was running on the laptop.


    Instead of someone from the military, she was speaking with the aide of a politician who dealt with diplomatic issues back in the home country. Basically, the situation had grown complicated enough that a politician like that had to get involved.


    An elderly voice spoke over the voice chat, "The Faith Organization began by advocating any and all religions. The religious power that lost the most in that deal was the Christian church. After all, when religions of an older era are revived, the amount of land and number of people they have effective control over will become further divided. It was only natural that some spoke up in fears of their power weakening."


    In reality, they were not having their power taken away from them. Instead, the balance of power was being restored to how it had once been. However, after 2000 years had passed, they no longer saw it that way.


    Froleytia put her long, narrow kiseru in her mouth and said, "So this cardinal who feared losing his power took control of the military and went nuts. He caused a civil war with a Greek power and ended up being utterly defeated in a counterattack."


    "It sounds simple enough when you put it like that, but over 5000 people died in the process. The conflict did not fall within the boundaries of a clean war. A lot of civilians from safe countries charged into the battlefield based on some inappropriate remarks he made."


    "Yes, and Oldnick says he merely said the words and he cannot be held responsible for how people interpreted them. What a joke."


    The words of those with power would spread and therefore those people had to be more responsible about the things they said.


    It was clear what would happen if some idiot who did not understand that repeatedly made careless statements during a time of war.


    Oldnick was a truly dangerous speaker. He had made repeated inappropriate off-the-cuff statements which had led the military and civilians to take action. Many had died from this, but Oldnick only made worse and worse statements when he tried to explain away his previous statements and escape any blame. It all continued to escalate like a snowball rolling down a hill.


    For someone with no power, the statements would have been nothing worse than an old man finding fault with a baseball player while watching a game on TV, but things changed when it was someone with the power to move an entire nation.


    "The Christian power within the Faith Organization insists the entire incident was Cardinal Roybelz Oldnick''s individual actions, but they are primarily saying this to avoid further investigation from the central power of the Faith Organization. Oldnick has already been excommunicated from the Christian church, and they agreed to send Valkyrie after him as the central power suggested."


    "And now this old man has started shouting even more nonsense now that he is in real danger."


    "At the very least, he wants to avoid being assassinated by Valkyrie. That is how he has been acting ever since the Loyaut¨¦ district."


    "Does anyone really believe this nonsense about the Legitimacy Kingdom being an ally of the Christian power within the Faith Organization because the ceremonies for royalty and knights have Christian elements to them?"


    "If any idiot truly believes that, they need to be taken to the hospital immediately. However, there are plenty of people who will claim it is true to take advantage of the situation. These people think this skirmish is an excellent opportunity to attack some Objects."


    Even in a clean war, a battle between Objects was still expensive.


    Part of war was striking a balance between income and expenditures. If that could not be done, the idea of the clean war would come crumbling down.


    The elderly voice said, "We do not wish for people to head to war based on the nonsense coming from this cardinal. Even if a conflict with the Faith Organization cannot be avoided outright, we would like for it to be based on something with more value to us."


    "So..."


    "We need you to quickly silence this problematic statement emitter. You have three days. How you eliminate him does not matter so long as his identity can be confirmed via DNA."


    Part 2


    "So even our Christmas break went exactly as the higher ups had planned."


    Quenser and Heivia were speaking within the Baby Magnum''s maintenance area.


    The princess was listening in with as little expression on her face as ever.


    "This Cardinal Oldnick had contacted Hyena from the Loyaut¨¦ district. Some data we found in their headquarters after blowing them away made that clear enough."


    "But why? I would think a cardinal would insist on keeping things clean. Would he really contact a group that is using the restoration of Oceania as a chance to rob people?"


    "We still don''t know what he''s after. He''s causing quite an uproar, but we still can''t figure out what he hopes to achieve in the end. It''s possible he''s just fleeing to save his own skin," pointed out Heivia offhandedly. "It''s possible he wanted to use them against the Faith Organization''s Valkyrie. Those grim reapers are quite something, but they''re still flesh-and-blood soldiers. There is a chance he was planning to use Hyena to deal with Valkyrie."


    However, Quenser and the rest of the Legitimacy Kingdom had eliminated Hyena before they and Valkyrie could cross paths.


    Since Oldnick himself had not been turned to ash, he must have detected some kind of harbinger of the bombardment and fled.


    "We know Valkyrie was lurking around the Loyaut¨¦ district, but I guess he must have escaped them."


    "He must have. After escaping the island, Oldnick likely tried to escape to Oceania where he could slip in amongst the confusion of restoration. With the coalition force confusing everything, a single organization has a harder time moving around than elsewhere. He probably hoped to escape to somewhere else of his choosing after losing Valkyrie in Oceania," said Quenser as he leaned up against a large piece of machinery. "But before he could, our unit came to rest at the north end of Oceania...and that was exactly where Oldnick was expected to land. That meant he couldn''t land without being blown out of the water, much less disappear into the confusion. Since we had already crushed all of Hyena after he contacted them, Oldnick would have been cautious about approaching us. Just as the higher ups hoped, he had no choice but to head north by sea."


    Roybelz Oldnick was currently using a civilian charter boat to head to the Solomon district which was north of both Oceania and Loyaut¨¦.


    "The reason he isn''t using an airplane is likely that he is afraid of being targeted with anti-air lasers, but that changes little. Objects can travel at over 500 kph on the sea. Even if the charter boat is a high-speed hydrofoil, he can''t escape."


    The princess then cut in.


    "By the way, Quenser."


    "What?"


    The princess pointed at one wall of the maintenance area and asked her question while still expressionless.


    "Why is Heivia writing curses on the wall while speaking with you?"


    "I honestly couldn''t tell you..."


    "Like hell you don''t know!!" shouted Heivia while he glared at and grabbed Quenser. "I heard what happened!! I know what you were doing while I was struggling to save Oceania and our unit! You were keeping all the best parts to yourself!! Why do I keep hearing about a huge-breasted miniskirt bikini Santa!?"


    "...That was a type of hell in its own way."


    "You and your damn ''let them eat cake'' attitude!! You monster!! Are you asking for a fight!?"


    Heivia then realized that all the yelling in the world would not get rid of the empty feeling within him, so his mood dropped to a point three times lower than before.


    The princess also seemed slightly miffed, but those two idiots were completely oblivious to that fact.


    "I honestly think I was the hero this time. I was shining in the spotlight. That cruise missile targeting the maintenance soldiers was similar to our idea of destroying the computer in the Loyaut¨¦ district to make the Object unusable. The Deep Optical''s unit from the Capitalist Corporations had to be behind it somehow, so I felt like I was opening the first page of some grand epic of a story!! But now that I think back on it, something wasn''t right about the whole thing! Why wasn''t there a single beautiful girl in that story!! All I got was some middle-aged guy named Royce! What the hell kind of miscasting is that!?"


    Suddenly, an electronic tone came from one of their radios.


    However, it did not come from Quenser or Heivia''s.


    It came from the smaller, more expensive one used to inform the princess it was time to scramble the Object.


    "What?"


    "The situation has changed. Our plan was to intercept that troublesome old man as he headed north through the ocean in the Solomon district, but a Capitalist Corporations Object has appeared cutting off our route."


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    "It is the Deep Optical, a Second Generation Object from the Client Security company. I had a feeling we would be engaging it in the near future, but this timing is odd. It is possible Roybelz Oldnick has some connection with them."


    "What exactly is the change to the plan?" asked the princess.


    "We had planned to simply have you pursue Oldnick, but we will now have you face the Deep Optical. A separate group will head after Oldnick, but I will explain it all in more detail at the pre-mission briefing."


    Quenser had a question, so he simply asked it.


    "Froleytia, do you think the Deep Optical is standing in our way for more than a personal grudge against us?"


    He then heard an odd clattering noise come from over the radio.


    It sounded like Froleytia had tried to draw back from the radio but had failed as she was sitting down. As a result, she had fallen back in her seat.


    "...Qu-Quenser...You were there?"


    "Um, Froleytia? Is there a prob-..."


    "No!! Don''t say anything!!"


    For some reason Froleytia shouted back at him before he could finish speaking.


    "Forget everything that happened yesterday!! I don''t remember a thing, so I have no idea what I may have said, but I can tell it was something horrible from the reaction of those around me!! So don''t say a single thing about it!!"


    Something had been said that was causing Froleytia to blush out of delighted embarrassment. When Heivia heard that, his self control finally reached its limit and he punched Quenser.


    Part 3


    Quenser used the short time until the pre-mission briefing to skim through a science magazine.


    The old maintenance lady walked over in annoyance.


    "If you have time to read that, how about you learn about a real Object?"


    "I''ve been feeling some desire for infidelity lately."


    "?"


    The old lady looked confused, but Quenser showed her a page of the science magazine.


    "This is about the Capitalist Corporations'' liquid prism technology. The Legitimacy Kingdom still hasn''t developed that tech far enough to make a practical weapon. They say the end product ups the output of laser beams by quite a bit."


    "The Legitimacy Kingdom is carrying out research on this. They are a standard component of laser space elevators. They are used to send lasers fired from multiple oscillators in the same direction."


    "Eh? So we do have the actual technology?"


    "Yes, but only when it does not have to stand up to the high speed battles Objects go through," she replied. "Liquid prisms are created by filling transparent containers with a special liquid. The inside of the container is covered with electrodes and electrochemical control of the chemical interface is used to artificially alter the concentration of the liquid. Differences in concentration are used to bend the light."


    "I see. But what does that have to do with high speed battles?"


    "Sudden turns cause high G forces that will disturb the liquid within the liquid prism. The artificial alterations to the concentration of liquid within the container will be undone, bringing the liquid back to an even concentration. That is why it is difficult to put liquid prisms on an Object that makes quick movements and shakes with the firing of shells. Another problem is that the high temperatures created when the laser passes through will agitate the liquid as well," explained the old lady. "The key to the Capitalist Corporations'' technology is not the liquid prism technology itself. It is the shock resistance technology and temperature countermeasures used to prevent external interference with the liquid prism. For example, they could use laser vibration detectors, fast-acting coolants, or cartridges. But even with all those technologies, an Object with a liquid prism aboard will have limited combat options. It will avoid making quick movements like our princess does. That means liquid prism technology has limited uses for Objects. Or at least it does not match the needs of our unit."


    "It''s a shame the technology doesn''t fit in more nicely than that."


    "If there was no risk to using it, Objects around the world would be using them. Also, that science magazine will only have the information they see no problem with letting the public know about. I would say there is more value in watching maintenance on an actual Object rather than reading that thing."


    "It''s in my nature to try to find a shortcut."


    With a grumble of complaint, Quenser stood up.


    Once again, it seemed his only option was the standard path.


    Part 4


    The pre-mission briefing began.


    A projector displayed a map of the ocean in the Solomon district. Froleytia spoke as a few arrows were added on top.


    "Our primary target is Roybelz Oldnick who is travelling north through the Solomon district sea. Do not forget that every action during this mission should be taken in order to carry out that objective."


    However, a giant shape had interposed itself between the north of Oceania and Oldnick''s boat.


    "But the real danger lies in the fact that the Capitalist Corporations'' Deep Optical has been deployed in order to cut off our path. Unless we do something about it, we cannot finish off Oldnick before he flees. As such, the Baby Magnum must engage the Deep Optical."


    Heivia asked a question.


    "Are we to remain on standby until our princess has sent the Deep Optical to rest on the bottom of the ocean? Or are we going to head after Oldnick by taking a large detour around the Object while the princess is drawing its attention?"


    "That would be the best option, but we do not have time." Froleytia added an arrow pointing to the west of Oldnick''s boat. "An unidentified submarine has surfaced. We do not know if it belongs to the Deep Optical''s unit or if it belongs to the remnants of Oldnick''s military force, but this could become much more difficult if Oldnick''s boat rendezvouses with the submarine."


    "So we have to crush him before that happens....But how?"


    Froleytia''s shoulders stiffened a bit at hearing Quenser''s voice, but her self control won out.


    "As I said, the princess will engage the Deep Optical." Froleytia added another arrow heading right along the arrow indicating the shortest route. "But there is more to the ocean than the surface. A different group will head straight there while travelling deep under the ocean. Currently, we have no other way to catch up to Oldnick."


    Froleytia drew a large circle around an area of sea even further north of where Oldnick was.


    "One other thing. Just north of the operation area is an precious metal ocean mining plant financed by the Legitimacy Kingdom. Simply put, small filters are used to collect the metals dissolved into the ocean water and the metals are then condensed. The higher ups fear that valuable tungsten deposits will be lost in this battle. Make sure you do not forget that."


    Part 5


    After the naval battle floats were installed, the Baby Magnum travelled north from Oceania and through the Coral Sea.


    The Capitalist Corporations'' Deep Optical was waiting at a point that cut off its path to the Solomon district where Oldnick had fled.


    This was a true battle. It was a fight to the death. And like the battles in the many wars of the past, the girl piloting the Object exchanged no words with her opponent. She did not even know if the pilot of the enemy craft was male or female.


    In a way, it was a clean battle. In a way, it was an empty battle.


    The two faced off at a distance of about 10 kilometers.


    "The intelligence group has carried out unofficial reconnaissance operations concerning the Deep Optical, but we still do not have any complete information. Do not get carried away in attack. Keep evasion a priority at all times."


    "Understood," replied the princess.


    In the next moment, the Deep Optical began to move.


    They were 10 kilometers apart.


    The Object fired a brilliant white laser beam at that range.


    "...!?"


    The princess just barely managed to evade by predicting the action from the subtle movements of the targeting lenses and other equipment.


    An explosive noise followed the beam of light.


    The laser beam roasted the dust and moisture in the air which produced a massive amount of heat, causing the air to expand explosively.


    The Deep Optical had a very unique shape. Eight legs spread out directly below its spherical main body. All eight of those legs functioned as air cushion engines so it could remain accurately level even amidst waves.


    For a main cannon, the Deep Optical had a giant laser beam cannon on its upper right side. Also, eight thick cylinders were attached to the spherical main body with the base of the main cannon at the center as if they were the face of a clock. The energy produced by those eight cylinders was likely collected for the main cannon.


    According to some footage the princess had seen during the pre-mission briefing, it had two giant parts attached to the back. They were thought to be cooling devices.


    It also had countless lenses unnaturally positioned on the front of the spherical main body like some kind of crop circle. The Object gave an overall ominous impression.


    "Do not falter. The enemy''s main cannon is a laser beam! Its strength is attenuated with distance, but its speed remains the same. Approaching will only put you at a disadvantage!!"


    "I know that!!"


    After somehow managing to avoid the first shot, the princess forced the Baby Magnum on forward.


    At the same time, she moved the main cannon arms.


    The Baby Magnum could change what type of main cannon it used to match the situation. The backs of the barrels rotated like revolvers to choose laser beams just like the Deep Optical used.


    The princess fired without hesitation.


    The Deep Optical reacted immediately.


    But its evasion speed was slow. It moved at only half the speed the Baby Magnum had. The princess saw no way it could avoid the laser beam like that. However...


    "What...!?"


    "..."


    As everyone watched on, the laser beam the princess had fired suddenly changed trajectory. It headed off into the empty sky rather than to the Deep Optical.


    "The heat produced by the laser altered the refractive index of the air!!" concluded the princess.


    "Not good. Are they calculating it out using a super computer?"


    The back of the seven barrels rotated once more as she chose the coilgun.


    As she was directly firing a metal shell, the heat of the air would have minimal effects.


    All seven main cannons fired in unison.


    As before, the Deep Optical''s evasion speed was low. It only moved far enough out of the way to protect half of its body.


    However...


    Bright white beams of light burst out.


    "Again!? The Deep Optical altered the course of the shells just before they hit!"


    "It must have focused its smaller laser beam cannons on them. By gouging holes in the side of the shells, air resistance would cause them to fly off course!!"


    Simply put, it was a type of laser parry.


    It was a stunt only possible with dozens of weapons that travelled at the speed of light.


    The princess fired the coilguns several more times, but the laser parry was very accurate. Even at the close range of 1 or 2 kilometers, it proved difficult to do any damage with metal shells.


    All the while, the enemy''s tremendous laser beam cannons fired back at the princess.


    As this intense battle progressed, the princess calmly continued to analyze the situation.


    Suddenly, one of the giant coilgun shells deflected by the laser parry landed in the ocean right next to the Deep Optical.


    (Does it not have accurate control over what direction they are deflected in?)


    Just as an explosive splash of water threatened to flip the Deep Optical over, something strange happened.


    The Object regained its balance with an unnatural movement. It was as if its center of gravity was located in the wrong place like with a self-righting doll.


    "We detected high power lasers coming from the side of the spherical main body when it recovered its balance. It must have a system to explosively expand the air and use the momentum to forcefully right itself. It can likely right itself even when tipped as far as 70-80 degrees to the side."


    With that in mind, the Deep Optical seemed to be a craft that was designed with a focus on stability.


    It would stay in one place and fire its accurate and powerful laser beam cannons. Speed was sacrificed to ensure its main cannon would not malfunction. It seemed to be designed to have the upper hand when it came to the speed of its weapons rather than the speed of the entire Object''s movements.


    (If Quenser saw this, he would probably get excited.)


    "That must mean the Deep Optical does not have much in the way of quick bursts of speed."


    "Its top speed probably is not too bad, but it may only be able to reach those speeds via smooth acceleration. Laser technology can be delicate. It may have to be careful in order to ensure that it does not destroy itself with the G forces created by its own movements."


    That meant...


    "I can defeat it by drawing in close and firing relentlessly!!" shouted the princess as she accelerated the Baby Magnum forward.


    She knew the enemy could interfere with the laser beam and coilgun options for her main cannon, but the Baby Magnum still had one trump card left.


    The low-stability plasma cannons.


    She could avoid the Deep Optical''s main cannon by monitoring the subtle actions made before firing. If she could fire her seven main cannons again and again while not getting hit herself, she could sink the Deep Optical.


    Or so she thought.


    (Huh?)


    Doubt came to her mind.


    The princess was taking evasive actions based on the subtle movements of the enemy''s sensors, lenses, and cannons. With an enemy like the Deep Optical that used laser beam cannons, it was impossible to evade if the princess only detected it once the cannon had fired. To do that, she would have to overturn the theory of relativity.


    But that was exactly why the princess found something odd.


    She was evading the main cannon and the other laser beam cannons perfectly well. She was reading the subtle movements of the lenses and sensors just fine.


    And yet...


    The crop circle-like group of lenses on the front of the Deep Optical was not moving at all.


    Unless they were simply malfunctioning or they were just a bluff, the enemy still had some kind of trump card remaining.


    It was at that time that all of the lenses on the front of the Deep Optical moved at once.


    (Here it comes!!)


    The princess focused every nerve ending in her body.


    By her estimation, it was likely a system to drastically raise the enemy''s accuracy. For that reason, she concentrated more on taking evasive actions than on attack.


    However, her estimation was incorrect.


    No sound was made.


    And yet the Deep Optical multiplied.


    (What...?)


    There were exactly ten of them.


    When the princess saw the many Deep Opticals that suddenly appeared in a line, the princess''s thoughts stopped for a moment.


    (No, the Deep Optical has not multiplied.)


    "Is it using 3D images!?"


    A simple fake image would be meaningless. The Baby Magnum could use several methods to perform a lock, so she merely had to use her infrared sensors or her ultraviolet sensors to see which one was real.


    However...


    (The lock cursor is reacting to all 10 of them? I see. It is also manipulating infrared rays and ultraviolet rays to fool my computer!!)


    In the next instant, the image blurred greatly.


    Only one of the Deep Opticals was real.


    The trick was especially insidious because they moved like the real one would and a virtual image was created to cover the location of the real Deep Optical as well.


    The trick used high level 3D images and optical interference to confuse the other sensors as well. The princess determined the situation outside via her monitor, so this trick had the same effect on her as some mysterious ninja technique.


    And...


    (Oh, no. I can''t just sit here!)


    Even if she should have taken action sooner, the loss of data to base her decisions on put her at a serious disadvantage regardless.


    The princess frantically moved straight to the side while ignoring the intense Gs this put on her body, but the Deep Optical''s main cannon blast still struck one of the Baby Magnum''s main cannon arms. The laser beam created from combining 8 main cannon-class laser beams blew away the Baby Magnum''s main cannon arm like it was a sugar sculpture.


    Part 6


    "Damn. Is it using diffractive waves to create 3D images!? The principle is used in commercial 3D projectors, but they''ve altered the naked eye 3D image to work on an Object''s lenses!! As it is creating diffractive wave image data to match the number of lenses used by the Object, you might be able to cause a flaw in the image by cutting off a portion of your lenses, but they can simply detect which lenses are active from their subtle movements and immediately recreate the image accordingly!!"


    Merely listening to the military radio frequency was enough to grasp the complexity and depth of the problem.


    "My infrared and ultraviolet locks are being fooled as well!!"


    "Use a radio lock! Do not rely on optical data!! Determine the truth using radar!"


    "The radar is not functioning right either!! The number of blips is increasing!!"


    "Dammit. In a broad sense, both light and radar are electromagnetic waves, so are they dealing with them all at once!? And your directional microphone and sonar will be obstructed by the wall of air that explosively expands whenever they fire their main cannon!!"


    As he listened to the transmissions on a small boat stopped in the sea to the south of the operation area, Heivia naturally looked over toward where the Baby Magnum was fighting...and then he started to feel dizzy.


    He brought his hand to the handrail and said, "Ugh...dammit. Does that really look like a realistic 3D image to her? From here, it looks like some twisted aura you would expect to have coming from Cthulhu."


    "Just like the normal 3D images which are created using diffractive waves with an image for both the right eye and the left eye, the various images simply become chaos when not seen from the princess''s vantage point. Also, that is not meant for the naked eye. It''s creating images for all the many lenses on the Object, so it just looks like a mess to humans like us."


    "The Information Alliance idol Elite I saw in Oceania was a hell of lot nicer than this."


    "I kind of want to see a strip show displayed on this scale."


    However, Quenser and Heivia had more important business to take care of.


    They were part of the separate group that had changed out of their normal military uniforms and into black diving suits. The rest of the group was jumping out of the small boat and into the sea one after another.


    They would dive down below the area in which the two Objects were fighting and pursue Oldnick.


    "Dammit. I know bringing a large submarine this close would get noticed by the Deep Optical, but Oldnick''s boat is over 20 kilometers from here. That isn''t a distance flesh-and-blood humans should have to swim."


    "Yeah, and there''s nothing pretty about a bunch of filthy guys swimming through the ocean."


    Quenser and Heivia had oxygen tanks on their backs and plastic fins on their feet. However, that was clearly not enough for them to reach Oldnick. For propulsion, they had aqua scooters. Simply put, they were something like kickboards with giant motors attached.


    Supported by that electric power, the group of about ten including Quenser and Heivia travelled through the sea.


    During peaceful times, that clear blue ocean water with tropical fish poking their heads out from the gaps in the coral would have been a wonderful sight to see, but they had no time to focus on such things.


    Even with the electric propulsion, the long period of time spent underwater seemed to rob them of their sense of time.


    They could not actually see their target and they had nothing but their compasses to tell them they were even headed in the right direction.


    Also, this was no calm rest in a cradle. The clear risk of death was pressing against their backs the entire time. They felt a silence that seemed like it would drive them mad if it continued for too long.


    All the while, giant shadows would occasionally pass over them and block out the light of the sun.


    Needless to say, those were the Objects. As the Deep Optical used air cushions for its propulsion device and had no shark anchors, it did little to disturb anything but the very surface of the water, but a sharp trembling still wrapped itself all around their bodies. The bombardments above the water also caused slight vibrations to spread throughout the ocean water.


    And...


    "Shit!! The princess has those naval battle floats and shark anchor attached, doesn''t she!? She''s agitating the water like crazy!!"


    "Continue on! If we turn back, our fate will be no different from a plastic doll that gets swept into the drain!!"


    Quenser and the others continued their desperate pursuit of Oldnick even as their ally seemed more likely to kill them than their enemy.


    The Deep Optical could not capture humans under the water because it was a Second Generation Object specialized for fighting other Objects.


    "I beg you. Don''t fire any stray shots this way. If all the water around us suddenly boils, we''ll have no way to escape."


    "These vibrations in the water aren''t going to destroy the oxygen tanks'' valves or the aqua scooters'' motors, are they?"


    Suddenly, the Deep Optical fired its main cannon while moving above them at high speed.


    Laser light could not actually be seen by the naked eye when viewed from the side. However, it roasted the dust and moisture in the air which was not something one wanted to look directly at.


    For that reason, Quenser and the others kept their heads down and looked toward the depths of the ocean like someone in a swimming race.


    And yet the brilliant white light stabbed into their eyes nevertheless.


    "Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"


    Quenser let out a meaningless cry as he felt an intense pain as if his eyes and even his skull had been pierced.


    He lost his sense of up and down.


    It did not matter if he looked at it directly or not. Even the light that could find its way around was enough to rob a flesh-and-blood human of his senses.


    "Quenser...Don''t let go of your aqua scooter!! Focus on that feeling!!" shouted Heivia.


    Quenser grabbed the aqua scooter tighter as if he was clinging to it and his numbed head finally began to feel gravity once more.


    "Damn. We''re only 100 meters away. That is way too close to a monster with that much laser technology."


    "If you can see, help me with the others. Some unlucky idiots were looking straight up at the surface. They have their oxygen tanks, so they won''t drown right away, but we still need to give them support."


    At Heivia''s urging, Quenser grabbed the arm of a middle-aged woman who had started to sink towards the bottom of the ocean. She must have been in pain because she was screaming, but Quenser had already shut off the personal channel on his radio. Listening to it would do no one any good.


    And the Baby Magnum and Deep Optical''s battle continued on above the surface


    "I''d rather not have the side effects of their battle crush me any further. If we can just get away from them, the negative effects of the optical weapons will lessen. We need to get away from this area of sea as quickly as we can."


    Quenser and the rest of the group somehow managed to escape the area of intense fighting as they trembled in fear.


    However, they did not head up to the surface even then. They were not about to underestimate an Object''s sensors. At the very least, they had to get far enough away that the enemy Object''s focus on the princess would take precedence.


    "Look, Heivia. Isn''t that Oldnick''s boat!"


    "Tch. He''s gotten pretty close to the sub!!"


    The two decided they were far enough away and rose to the ocean surface.


    They removed their goggles and took the oxygen hose out of their mouths, but the submarine''s hatch had already been opened and a crew member had just stuck his head out. An old white man jumped down from an expensive-looking charter boat, but messed up his landing. However, he managed to climb up onto the submarine just as it looked like he would be swept away by the waves.


    "The end is finally in sight!"


    "Let''s finish this with a hole in one."


    But the distance was too great.


    The submarine was about 1500 meters away.


    "Damn, I can''t shoot him with my rifle at this range!!"


    "Heivia, what about an anti-tank missile!?"


    "I thought it might come to that. A hole in one might be tough, but I can try for an albatross."


    "Aren''t albatrosses actually harder?"


    "Yeah, but people get more excited about a hole in one."


    As they spoke, Heivia pulled out a large tube that was inside a clear plastic bag that had been sealed with duct tape. He tore apart the packaging and threw it away. That sort of weapon was not too affected by a bit of water, but that could change if water got into the targeting computer or the path for the combustible gas. At the very least, it did not hurt to keep the water out.


    Heivia rested the missile launcher tube on his shoulder as he treaded water.


    "Shit! I can''t aim right with these waves!! Quenser, hold me in place!!"


    "No!! I don''t want to embrace a guy in this blue sea!!"


    "I don''t want you to do it either!! But if that troublesome cardinal reaches the submarine''s hatch, we''ll be getting a bogey rather than an albatross! That''ll just get us another lecture from our huge-breasted commander! If you don''t want that, then help me!!"


    Quenser seriously thought he would much rather have that beauty''s boots digging into him, but the situation required some sacrifice. Since a position behind Heivia would get him blasted by the missile''s blowback, he supported Heivia from the side.


    "Here goes! Hold on tight to make sure I don''t get knocked over!!"


    "Just get it over with!!...Oh, god. I need to find a way to invite the princess out swimming so I can blot out these memories."


    With the roar of compressed air searching for a path out, the explosive shot towards the submarine.


    The submarine was designed to withstand extreme water pressure, so something like that was not about to sink it.


    However, they had made a mistake in opening the hatch to let Oldnick in.


    When the crewmember saw the projectile, he frantically attempted to close the hatch, but the missile struck the wall just below the hatch before he could. A shockwave burst out along with an explosive roar, but the metal hatch survived the blast. However, the intense force pushed the hatch closed even though the crewmember still had his upper body leaning out of it.


    Heivia winced slightly when he saw that human body being "eaten" through the sight. However, he did not have enough of a conscience to regret his actions.


    "I got lucky!! I hit with the first shot! Heivia, the genius, beautiful, and rich noble, is just too amazing!! It looks like that bastard Oldnick was knocked off. He fell into the ocean."


    "The sub is leaving."


    "They must have decided it isn''t worth sticking around....Damn that old man!! The lucky bastard is still moving!! Quit finding fault with Heivia, the genius, beautiful, and rich noble!!"


    "I guess an albatross was too much to hope for. I hope we can at least make par."


    Oldnick waved at the submarine in hopes that it would save him, but the black ship showed no sign of responding.


    The cardinal continued waving for a bit, but he finally gave up. He then desperately moved his arms and legs to take him in a different direction.


    "What now? Is he just swimming off in desperation?"


    "No, isn''t there a precious metal ocean mining plant financed by the Legitimacy Kingdom just north of here? It uses various filters to draw out and condense the tungsten dissolved in the ocean water."


    "Not good... Not good! That place is like a bunker!! And if it gets caught up in the battle, that huge-breasted commander is going to completely erupt!!"


    "Heivia, can you directly target that old man with a missile?"


    "I can''t reload in the ocean like this." Heivia reequipped his goggles and oxygen tank, and then grabbed his aqua scooter. "Life isn''t always that easy. Our only option is to get close and shoot him with a normal bullet."


    "I suppose this is still better than having the enemy Object head this way. Getting out of the bunker isn''t going to be easy, but we may still be able to get an eagle."


    Part 7


    Froleytia gritted her teeth in her officer''s room.


    The higher ups had hoped to deal with Roybelz Oldnick in the same way they had fought Hyena, but things had ended up being completely different. She had no idea how the old man had arranged it, but now that the Capitalist Corporations'' Deep Optical was involved, the problem had turned into a war.


    On top of that, the Deep Optical had a special blinding weapon that interfered with their ability to take evasive actions.


    It had created a number of clones of itself.


    It created images using diffractive waves and used optical interference to disturb the various locking sensors.


    Froleytia and the others back at the base constantly received information from the Object, so they understood what the princess was seeing.


    Froleytia opened a line to the electronic simulation department as she tried to think up a countermeasure.


    "Do you know how that blinding weapon works!?"


    "It can freely emit 70 types of light waves at once and it can change the wavelengths as needed!! By simultaneously sending several wavelengths at one point in space, the normal light waves and the diffractive waves come together to create the image that is viewed as three dimensional. At the same time, it interferes with the infrared rays, ultraviolet rays, and every other optical device used to make a lock and the electromagnetic data from radar and the like!!" explained the operator from the electronic simulation department. "The angle of emission and distance are unknown! But with enough distance, the diffusion of the light waves would interfere with each other, so it should be within a few kilometers!!" The operator was practically yelling. "Also, a normal 3D image brings together footage for the right eye and the left eye, but this is using enough images for the number of lenses equipped on the Baby Magnum and is regulated by the diffractive rays. Intentionally cutting off a portion of the lenses should cause a disturbance in the image. That could be used to determine where the real one is, but..."


    "They can immediately determine which lenses are active from their subtle movements and recreate the image to match, right?"


    "The time until that happens is getting shorter! If the parameters of the 3D image continue to be changed liked this, even that slight ''out of place feeling'' could disappear!!"


    For the moment, the princess was not fooled at all. It was partially due to the fact that she would never believe that a single Object had suddenly become 10 Objects. The princess was seeing through the false footage and continuing the battle.


    But...


    "With 1% of doubt, you lose the ability to trust the remaining 99%," commented Froleytia.


    "The false images are obviously false for the moment, but if a false image that is harder to tell apart from the real one is mixed in once she grows accustomed to these, the risk of the princess being caught off guard grows!!"


    And the time spent with the false images continued to grow.


    Being able to see through the false images was important, but looking at the false images for too long was a problem too.


    "Right now, she is just barely managing to take action in advance because she knows her sensors are being interfered with, but if she does not make it in time, she will take a direct hit..."


    The blinding weapon displayed its greatest effects within a range of a few kilometers. In that case, the princess could escape the threat by falling back further than that and beginning a bombardment from there.


    But...


    (No. The first shots from 10 kilometers were easily thrown off course. That 5 kilometer range is the best range for the princess to defeat the Deep Optical. Also, I doubt the Deep Optical would let her leave. If she tried to, it would do whatever it could to stop her.)


    "What if we link the foot soldiers'' cameras and the satellite to the Object to provide different points of view!?" suggested the operator.


    "Those would have a slight lag and some noise. She wouldn''t be able to keep up with the high speed of the battle while relying on those!!"


    They had no options.


    This was not an offensive cannon or defensive armor. The 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion''s predicament was caused by something else entirely.


    But then...


    "...?"


    Froleytia frowned.


    The Deep Optical should have been drawing in and attacking repeatedly, but it was merely sitting in place and only occasionally firing. It was clearly overlooking an opportunity. In fact, it was actively moving backwards away from the princess whenever it had a chance.


    Its actions seemed completely meaningless.


    (What? Why would it abandon its advantage here and begin to retreat...?)


    What was behind the Deep Optical?


    What was to the north?


    What lay beyond the battlefield?


    Part 8


    Even though it was funded by the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Solomon district had long been treated like a blank area due to the confusion over the tyrannical regime in the Oceanian military nation. In other words, it was not defended by a dedicated Object. An Object was deployed to the precious metal ocean mining plant in times of political unrest, but it did not have a unit stationed there for its defense.


    That was where Roybelz Oldnick arrived at the end of his swim.


    The plant itself was similar to a cultivation facility. The entire facility floated in the ocean. Over 80% of it was made up of 10 meter square frames. The frames were made of reinforced plastic and they floated from the multiple drums that were attached to them. The insides of the frames had hundreds of filters hanging into the ocean. Those filters would gather the tungsten dissolved into the seawater.


    "Cough...cough!! Cough cough!!"


    Oldnick had arrived at one of the frames at the very outside of the facility.


    A man working in the plant hesitated over whether he should help him or report him, but he was unable to even let out a scream when Oldnick held a handgun out toward him.


    "Do you have a helicopter here?" asked the old man with bloodshot eyes. "Or a motorboat. Anything will do. Do you have any kind of transportation!? I need to get away from here as quickly as possible. This is a blank area. If I can lose them here..."


    Suddenly, a high-pitched gunshot cut off Oldnick''s thoughts.


    A bullet hole appeared in one of the drums keeping a nearby frame afloat.


    From 500 meters away in the ocean, Quenser shouted, "You suck at this, Heivia!!"


    "I can''t brace myself or aim properly when treading water in these waves, dammit!!"


    Their target seemed to have resolved himself to shooting the worker who could get in his way.


    Quenser pulled some Hand Axe plastic explosive out of the bag on his back and shouted as loud as he could.


    "Jump in!!"


    The worker immediately dove headfirst into the middle of one of the frames, but Oldnick moved to fire a bullet after him into the ocean water regardless.


    After stabbing an electric fuse into it, Quenser chucked the Hand Axe toward the old man.


    As Heivia had said, he could not brace himself while treading water. He had tried to throw it in a long arc, but the explosive did not even make it 50 meters.


    He hit the switch on his radio regardless.


    A loud explosive noise rang out and Oldnick got down on the ground despite being well out of range of the blast.


    However, it had been meant as a psychological attack in the first place.


    Oldnick did not seem like the type of person who was used to running through the battlefield. He had no idea what the range of danger from an explosion was, so he seemed to have frantically chosen retreat from just the slight pain on his skin and ears from the shockwave.


    He looked over at the two boys and fired an occasional shot from his handgun (knowing he could not hit from that range) as he jumped from frame to frame. As there was no cover to be found in that area, he felt the need to make some preparations before a real firefight occurred.


    While 80% of the plant was made up by those frames, the remaining 20% was different.


    "When we climb up onto land will be the most dangerous part. Even if he just has a handgun, we''re goners if he targets us while we''re defenseless."


    "We have our oxygen tanks and aqua scooters. Let''s dive down and use the ocean water as a shield."


    Quenser and Heivia moved stealthily through the water. The outside of the square frames was made up of thin pieces of cloth one meter wide and a few dozen meters long. With all the frames lined up in a grid, those cloths stretching down looked something like rectangular pillars. They stretched straight down despite the slight rocking of the waves, so they must have had some kind of weight attached to the bottom.


    "(Amazing. Is that stuff glittering like aluminum foil all tungsten? It looks like you could make all the construction equipment for a mid-sized automobile factory with just one of those filters.)"


    "(Heh. It''s almost as dazzling as my sexy face)" commented Heivia.


    "(Man, I kind of want to take a souvenir home with me.)"


    Meanwhile, Oldnick ran down a pathway on the exterior of the frames and entered a facility made of steel. Even that facility was built atop the type of large float that was commonly used for floating airports.


    (My odds are not good in a straight fight.)


    The former cardinal came to that conclusion.


    After all, he was up against a professional military unit with the backing of a world power. They had better equipment and more ammunition. A soaking wet old man with a single handgun could hardly hope to oppose them.


    He had also been abandoned by the submarine.


    As a cardinal, he was supposed to be a symbol of the holy and just, so something was wrong from the moment he had to stretch out his arms in a desperate attempt to grasp any means of escape.


    (I have always been right. I have always been on the right side.)


    And yet he had shaken hands with Hyena, a group that had no problem with attacking civilian convoys and facilities that distributed cargo.


    (If nothing was done about the expansion of the Greek power, the Christian Church would have lost its land, funding, people, and culture, one after another. I stood up to protect those things.)


    To escape Valkyrie, he had shouted to the Capitalist Corporations that the Legitimacy Kingdom was Valkyrie''s ally and had brought about a real war in the sea to the south.


    (My actions will shine brilliantly within the history of the Faith Organization! Everyone will sing my praises and revere my name! That is how it should be. Anything else would be nonsense! Yes, utter nonsense! It would be unjust! No one is looking at this properly!!)


    However, Oldnick had been abandoned by his allies'' submarine, he had aimed his gun at a civilian worker of that plant, and had fled through the sea to save his own skin.


    But the old man did everything he could to avert his gaze from that pathetic reality.


    His hopes had not yet been completely destroyed.


    He still had a trump card. So long as he had that, the Capitalist Corporations'' Object was on his side.


    Oldnick arrived at a piece of equipment that was likely used to help with air traffic control for helicopters. He set the frequency on the large radio to contact the Capitalist Corporations military.


    Of course, he was using a civilian piece of equipment that could not encrypt the signal, so Quenser and Heivia could easily intercept it.


    The two boys recognized the voice that came in response.


    A bit of age could be heard in the voice, but it maintained a core of discipline.


    It belonged to the commander they had run into in the Loyaut¨¦ district.


    "Cardinal Oldnick. Do not use that device. Our transmissions must be properly encrypted. We gave you a radio to contact us with."


    "If I could use that, why would I be using this roundabout method!?"


    Quenser and Heivia had already arrived at the bottom of the plant. They were now searching for a point they could safely surface and climb out of the water at.


    "Send the Object this way as soon as possible!! I thought you were going to cut off the path of any Legitimacy Kingdom pursuers! How did these ones get through? Also..."


    "You want to know why that plant you are in has yet to be destroyed, cardinal? Not all operations go precisely as planned. We are currently working to fulfill our quota."


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance while underwater.


    That comment had made it sound like the destruction of the plant had been part of the plan all along.


    "Listen." While too worried to even think about the possibility of his soaking wet state putting him in danger of electrocution, Roybelz Oldnick shouted into the radio microphone with an almost hysteric tone to his voice. "If I die here, you cannot acquire what you are after. Do not forget that!"


    "And don''t you forget that just knowing the method does not allow you to produce it. Keep in mind that no one will give you better terms than us."


    After deciding on a point to surface, Heivia removed the scope from his rifle and poked it out of the water like a periscope in order to check for any guards.


    While listening to the radio, Quenser muttered, "Platinum."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Oldnick first came into contact with Hyena. They were stealing the Oceanian made platinum. And now he''s targeting a plant used to acquire tungsten. I can only think of one reason." Quenser seemed to hesitate before continuing. "I''ve heard of a project that is attempting to create platinum atoms by artificially combining carbon and tungsten atoms. It''s called the Treasure of Electron Mathematics. It''s a technique in which an atom with an unstable number of electrons is stabilized by combining it with another atom. The old lady said research was being taken into mass producing industrial platinum, so I searched the military database for information on it."


    Basically, it was the technology to create incredibly valuable platinum out of 2 completely different types of atoms.


    "Tungsten is classified as a rare earth, but it still isn''t as valuable as platinum."


    "While they are creating as much synthetic platinum as they want, they also want to drive up its value by obstructing any other means of producing it. The destruction of the tungsten plant is likely a means of keeping others from using the same method as themselves."


    While sending out his transmission from the control equipment, Oldnick started audibly grinding his teeth. He then reached out for the last thin life line remaining for him.


    It was a connection made out of nothing but money.


    The old man knew how risky that was.


    However, no card was more effective in dealings with the Capitalist Corporations military.


    "Once the system for producing platinum is in place, I will once more be able to stand on the center stage. A single Object costs more than 5 billion dollars, but that means one can start a war after gathering that much money. I will recover my territory from the hands of that Greek power."


    "Do you wish for a comeback that much? I thought the church council had yet to come to a definitive decision over whether this method of production was in violation of divine providence or not. I thought there was a danger that this constitutes bringing impurities into the world created by god."


    Most religions believed that god had either created the world or was largely involved in its origin and therefore all materials would have been unable to exist without having been created by god.


    In that case, was it acceptable for humans to create materials that did not exist in the natural world?


    Would that not be nothing more than bringing unnecessary impurities into the world god had created?


    Many had whispered of that problem, but the central authority of the Faith Organization had not spoken out against the creation of things like plastics.


    Creating water from oxygen and hydrogen was nothing more than rearranging a portion of the world god had created. The central authority felt that was nothing more than an extension of the world god had created and it therefore did not violate providence.


    "But that reasoning does not apply for the Treasure of Electron Mathematics. Instead of combining atoms to create a molecule, the number of electrons between atoms is manipulated to create a different atom when two atoms are combined. That is different from simply using the atoms as building blocks."


    And that was not the only problem.


    The created atom was not some brand new material. The fact that already existing platinum was being created was key.


    "Even though this material is created by combining a tungsten atom with a carbon atom, it is exactly the same as a natural platinum atom. This foreign atom is completely indistinguishable from the real deal. Not only is an artificial substance being brought into the world created by god, but this artificial substance fits right in without any problems whatsoever. That may have caused the church to oppose this much more strongly than simply creating some toxic new substance."


    This was different from artificially recreating a natural environment to create an artificial diamond out of carbon.


    This was a case of taking two non-platinum atoms and creating a single platinum atom.


    It was not merely creating a different form of platinum that was seen as blasphemous.


    It was the exposure of the vulnerability of the universal system of atoms and molecules that was seen as blasphemous.


    However, Oldnick responded immediately.


    The instantaneous response made it seem like he was only focusing on what was convenient to him rather than speaking from a deeply-held conviction.


    "I will reclaim the land, assets, and people those savages stole. There is no valid reason to criticize me for that."


    "Even if you have the money, there are many other barriers to producing an Object."


    "It does not matter if I do not reach my goal of an Object in the end. Did you know that the Faith Organization''s exchange rate has been fixed? In order to deal with the exchange rate of the world market, transactions using diamonds and platinum are growing more common than those using our own currency."


    "Yes, but economic analysts have called that a roundabout method of dealing with it."


    "Greek''s primary exchange rate is tied to platinum. If its value crashes, their culture will fall into chaos. My true desire would be to personally send an Object in, but it does not necessarily have to be me who fills that role." Roybelz Oldnick gave a cunning smile. "They expanded their influence through rather forceful methods. That has earned them a lot of hatred. Once their momentum has been slowed with the chaos over platinum values, others will tear into them."


    Quenser and Heivia approached the facility through the sea in that old man''s blind spot.


    They double checked the point and then grabbed onto the edge of the giant float, but then a high-pitched gunshot rang out.


    The edge of the float burst open slightly.


    The two boys frantically let go and hid in the ocean once more.


    "What the hell was that!? That wasn''t Oldnick! It came from the wrong direction!!"


    They could not see far through the moving ocean surface. However, sticking their heads above the surface would bring the risk of being shot.


    A bullet ripped apart the ocean surface and shot by Quenser and Heivia while accompanied by something like a spear made up of air bubbles.


    "It looks like they don''t know exactly where we are." Quenser and Heivia swam away from that spot while thinking about what to do. "Have some comrades of Oldnick''s arrived?"


    "Or have some guards from the Capitalist Corporations been sent out here?"


    Heivia floated up near the surface and poked just the scope of his rifle out of the seawater.


    Using it like a periscope, he checked around the area.


    "Not good. I don''t think those are Capitalist Corporations soldiers."


    "What do you mean?"


    "It''s Valkyrie. Some of those Faith Organization elites are clinging to one of the plant''s frames!!"


    Quenser moved up next to Heivia and took the scope from him.


    He checked for himself.


    Sure enough, some women wearing familiar uniforms were there. Valkyrie was not running along on top of the frame. They were aiming their short-range sniper rifles with their elbows pressed against the frame for stability.


    "It seems they''re as aware as us that there is really nowhere to hide."


    A small submarine could be seen sticking up above the water a bit away from them.


    Quenser handed the scope back to Heivia.


    "But why is Valkyrie here? Since they''re from the Faith Organization too, is it related to Oldnick!?''


    "If so, this could be even worse than running across some Capitalist Corporations'' soldiers. But at the same time..."


    Heivia trailed as more gunfire rang out.


    The two boys hunkered down, but the bullets were not headed in their direction.


    "What? Are they targeting our other comrades?"


    "No, they aren''t... They''re firing at the giant float Oldnick ran onto!!"


    "Why!?"


    "That''s their standard job. Valkyrie is a global divine punishment group that executes any ''enemies of god'' who have violated religious rules. They''re targeting Oldnick as members of the Faith Organization!!" Heivia reattached the scope to his rifle and then checked to make sure it was working right. "But we can''t assume the enemy of our enemy is our friend. Valkyrie is after the same target as us. At this rate, we can''t avoid a conflict!!"


    They were targeting the same person, but any argument between them could provide Roybelz Oldnick with a chance to escape. And any extra time spent gave Capitalist Corporations'' troops more time to arrive to defend him.


    "..." Quenser thought for a bit. "Heivia, hand me your rifle."


    "What? You''ve never had any marksmanship training. How the hell are you going to be of any use here!? Do you think they can''t hit us at this distance because they have short-range sniper rifles? With their skill, they can hit us easily!!"


    "No, not that." Quenser shook his head. "I know a more effective method than bullets."


    When he told Heivia what that method was, Heivia expressed his disapproval just as Quenser had expected he would.


    "That''s crazy. I already told you, the enemy of our enemy is not our friend! We''re after the same target, so..."


    "Just leave it to me." Quenser knew it would make the contents unusable, but he opened his survival kit underwater. "As with everything, it depends on how you do it. So just hand me your rifle, Heivia."


    Part 9


    Valkyrie member Sarasa Gleamshifter clicked her tongue while clinging to a tungsten plant and commanding a small number of subordinates.


    (I never expected to run into the Legitimacy Kingdom at this stage.)


    Roybelz Oldnick''s reckless comments were the same as ever, but she got the feeling he had intentionally gotten the Legitimacy Kingdom involved in order to help him escape Valkyrie.


    He had intentionally disrupted the flow towards checkmate by causing a conflict between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Faith Organization so that he could complete his escape to somewhere safe.


    Normally, making a direct enemy of an Object was suicidal, but he could just barely get away with it by having the Capitalist Corporations eliminate it for him.


    (We were deployed because those impudent ideas of his reached a level where they violated our religious rules. But our reasoning means nothing to the Legitimacy Kingdom. We cannot avoid a conflict here.)


    "Maria, Rachel." Sarasa gave instructions to her subordinates over the radio. "We must finish them off quickly. Prepare your 50 mm mortar. I will intentionally fire well off target. Once they know we are using short-range sniper rifles, they will assume we cannot hit them at this range and grow negligent. Fire at them once their heads surface."


    "Understood. We can hold the mortar one-handed, so the setup takes no time at all."


    "If we don''t take care of this quickly and get out of here, we might even end up with that Object pursuing us."


    After seeing Maria and Rachel dive under the water, Sarasa peered through her scope once more.


    She then noticed something strange sticking up from the ocean surface


    It was the standard issue assault rifle of the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    She would have understood if just the barrel was sticking out, but for some reason, it was sticking out with the portion of the stock that pressed against the shoulder up. Also, some kind of white cloth was tied to the stock. She had no way of knowing, but the cloth came from a survival kit. The cloth could be used as a bandage for a wound, as a sling for a broken arm, or to hold a sprained ankle in place.


    (Is that supposed to be a white flag?)


    Sarasa frowned as she could not determine what they were trying to do.


    When she looked at the rifle sticking up out of the water once more, she noticed something written in permanent marker on the white cloth.


    It was a number several digits long.


    She thought for a second and then pulled out her radio.


    "What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to determine my location from the signal?"


    "Thank goodness you have plenty of curiosity."


    When she set the frequency, she heard a voice that clearly did not belong to anyone in her unit. For one thing, it was male.


    The voice likely belonged to a Legitimacy Kingdom soldier.


    "We are also targeting Roybelz Oldnick. However, only one of us can kill him. That issue could start an unnecessary firefight that will just give Oldnick a chance to escape....Am I right in assuming you see this the same way?"


    "It seems you are not an idiot." Sarasa gave a thin smile. "I assume you are not thinking the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Valkyrie will eliminate any enemies of god no matter what. We have no intention of giving you his head. I do not like that he set this up, but we cannot avoid a conflict over this."


    "You can have his head," replied the Legitimacy Kingdom soldier immediately. "We just need to get DNA evidence. After Oldnick is dead, we''ll give you some time. You can chop off his head, but leave the rest of him for us. We''ll retrieve that."


    "..."


    Sarasa thought for a bit.


    "I will deem that an official proclamation. If you do anything that works against our interests, we will officially register you and your unit as enemies of god. It does not matter if it is intentional. If a single stray bullet hits me or my subordinates, the Faith Organization will pursue you for all eternity."


    "That''s fine." Whether he truly understood what it meant to make a promise with Valkyrie or not, the Legitimacy Kingdom soldier did not hesitate. "Our orders were simply to confirm that Oldnick is dead. Unlike you, it does not matter to us who kills him. Also, I''m not about to fall into our enemy''s trap and get into a pointless firefight during this age of clean battlefields. The fewer corpses in the end, the better."


    Part 10


    Valkyrie of the Faith Organization aimed toward the giant float and fired their short-range sniper rifles again and again. They did not use full auto, but this was not in order to raise their accuracy. They wanted to be constantly firing, and so they wanted to lower their rate of ammunition consumption.


    As could be seen by the fact that they were not particularly concerned with accuracy, Valkyrie were not trying to hit their distant target.


    They were providing cover fire for Quenser and Heivia as they climbed out of the water and onto the giant float.


    They were ensuring that Oldnick would not shoot the two boys during that dangerous period by preventing him from coming out from behind cover.


    "Shit!! They''re firing pretty intensely!! Are you sure this is cover fire? They''re not actually using this as a chance to kill us, are they!?"


    "They can''t aim too accurately at this distance with those short-range sniper rifles. Of course, that isn''t exactly reassuring even if they aren''t intentionally targeting us."


    Quenser and Heivia climbed aboard the giant floating plant and headed for the control equipment while keeping low to the ground. Quenser pulled out a clay-like bomb, attached it to the center of the metal door leading into the facility, and stabbed in an electric fuse.


    That was when Oldnick noticed them.


    He aimed his handgun at the door and fired several times.


    Quenser and Heivia frantically leapt out of the way.


    "Shit! Let''s get away from the door, Quenser!! That way you can blow it out of our way!!"


    "I hope this kills him!!"


    While remaining down on the ground, Quenser hit the switch on his radio.


    With an explosion, the steel door was blown off its hinges and into the room. It did not hit Oldnick directly, but the shockwave seemed to have hit him. They saw him thrown forcefully against the communications equipment inside.


    Heivia fired his rifle into the now-doorless entrance and sparks flew from several devices within. But Oldnick moved his unsteady legs and ran towards the staircase further within the facility.


    "That persistent bastard!!" shouted Heivia as he ran for the stairs after Oldnick.


    Repeated gunshots rang out.


    They did not come from Heivia''s rifle; they came from Oldnick''s handgun.


    When Heivia arrived on the 2nd floor, he leaned up against a corner in the passageway. Oldnick was periodically firing his handgun, so Heivia could not carelessly poke his head around the corner. When he did take a peek around the corner despite the danger, he saw that the old man had knocked over all the furniture along the wall of the passageway to create a simple barricade.


    "What a pain in the ass." Heivia brought his radio''s microphone to his mouth. "Quenser. Hey, Quenser!! Give me one of your electric fuses! Toss one up to me right away!!"


    "Why? And what about the explosive?"


    "Just toss it up the staircase!!" shouted Heivia.


    Quenser did as he was told and tossed the pen-like fuse from the bottom of the staircase. Heivia crouched down to pick the fuse up from the ground, and pulled out the spare round for his handheld anti-tank missile launcher. He then stuck the end of the electric fuse into the connector on the side.


    He could now detonate it remotely.


    "Just fucking die already!!"


    While drawing back from Oldnick''s gunfire, Heivia stuck just his arm around the corner of the passageway and threw the explosive.


    Heivia immediately pressed his back against the wall and used his thumb to flip the panel off the switch on his radio.


    He could detonate it at any time.


    Even if Oldnick survived, the barricade between the two would have been blown away. Heivia could easily finish off the enemy while his movements were dulled by the shock.


    Just as Heivia was about the hit the switch...


    "Wait! Wait!!"


    The old man''s voice suddenly came from down the passageway.


    Heivia could not peer around the corner. He preferred not to be shot between the eyes.


    "I can give you information on the Capitalist Corporations Object!!" said Oldnick. "You aren''t from Valkyrie, are you!? You must be from the Legitimacy Kingdom then. You need information on the Capitalist Corporations Object you are fighting, right!?"


    "Planning another slip of the tongue, are you? Sorry, but our primary target is you, not the Deep Optical. You really need to learn how to keep your mouth shut. Also, without you, the Legitimacy Kingdom and Capitalist Corporations have no reason to continue fighting."


    "This time, maybe. But you will meet again on the battlefield someday. Wouldn''t it be better to learn how that Second Generation Object works now?"


    (Tch. He knows where we stand. Has he gotten some information on us from somewhere?)


    "Also, the information could be used in developing your own Objects. It uses a liquid prism to safely combine multiple laser beams and it uses laser vibration detection to help absorb any shocks. Information on those technologies could help make them exclusive to the Legitimacy Kingdom."


    It was true that information on Object technology could earn someone massive amounts of money. A hopeful designer like Quenser might even drool at the thought.


    Oldnick continued speaking as Heivia remained silent.


    "Stay your hand here. I will wait here for things to calm down. I do not wish to make an enemy of the Legitimacy Kingdom. All I care about is destroying Greece. And if that means I must oppose the entirety of the Faith Organization, it could work to your advantage."


    "...I see."


    Not only would he hand over information on some Object technology, but he would also destroy a major power within the Faith Organization.


    After thinking on it, Heivia came to his conclusion.


    "Then I think you need to die."


    "Shit!?"


    Just before Heivia unhesitatingly pressed the button on his radio, Oldnick leaped to the side in an attempt to get as far away as possible from the explosive. When he landed, he slid across the ground like a baseball player sliding headfirst into base.


    With an explosive noise, dust was blown into the air.


    "Gaaaahhh!?"


    "Tch. So he can still scream!!"


    The type of explosive and distance from the explosive were also important factors, but Heivia had seen a report saying the deadliness of an explosive blast differed by over 70% depending on whether the target was standing or lying down.


    Oldnick tried to pull up his hurting body, but it would not move the way he wanted it to. The old man could only breathe heavily as he lay on the ground.


    "You...idiot. Do you not know a good deal when you see one!?" said the old man.


    "It''s true that nothing could be better for us than for the Faith Organization to weaken itself with internal conflicts." Heivia carefully walked out from behind the corner and kept his rifle aimed at the old man. "But you aren''t distinguishing between the battlefield and the safe countries when you say you are going to destroy this Greek power. I have no intention of helping someone like that."


    "...!?"


    Meanwhile, Quenser remained in the room filled with large communications equipment on the first floor of the facility.


    (Dammit, Oldnick. I know you don''t want to die, but where do you think your goal is here?)


    Quenser searched for a map of the facility to see if there was a heliport on the rooftop.


    A handheld device sat atop the control panel. The plastic exterior was cracked, but the display was still lit.


    (Is this Oldnick''s?)


    Quenser picked it up.


    (It might have some information on him. If we know the scope of his power and what exactly he is after, we can figure out what to do next!!)


    He found external links and collections of encryption codes, but the device''s wireless functionality was broken, so he could not access any information stored on external servers. However, he did find a few temporary files still on the device. Quenser worked for a bit and finally found a way to read those temporary files.


    Changes in the Value of PlatinumHow to Use TungstenThe Treasure of Electron Mathematics


    He found a few fragmentary titles, but he could not access the full documents they linked to. Quenser clicked his tongue and called up more information.


    OceaniaDomed Livestock Facilities = Information Alliance MadeThe Food Supply SituationSelf-Sufficiency and Importation


    "What...?"


    Quenser frowned.


    He found some data on Oceanian agriculture. Yet he had thought the Capitalist Corporations and Oldnick''s connection was based on the Treasure of Electron Mathematics that created manmade platinum using tungsten. He saw no connection to agriculture or the food supply.


    (No, wait...)


    The Unstable Balance of Oceania''s Natural EnvironmentThe Impossibility of Future Dairy Farming Based on Grazing Land70% of Meat Imported from the Capitalist CorporationsThe Effect of Manmade Livestock Facilities Supplied by the Information Alliance


    Quenser audibly gulped.


    "Due to the unstable balance between vegetation and desert in Oceania, grazing land was banned. This meant they had to rely on imported meat which mostly came from the Capitalist Corporations. But Oceania plans to use the funds from the platinum mined there to purchase dome-shaped livestock facilities from the Information Alliance. That means..."


    A certain world power did not want Oceania to use artificial livestock facilities.


    They wanted to drive down the value of the source of funds for those large-scale dairy farming facilities.


    To do that, they had to destroy the value of platinum.


    It was in the Capitalist Corporations'' interests to cause a crash in the value of platinum using the Treasure of Electron Mathematics.


    However...


    The Information Alliance-made livestock facilities were needed to improve the unstable food supply situation.


    Robbing them of that option meant...


    The Negative Effects of CyclonesWorries Over the Possibility of Import Routes Becoming BlockedSevere Food ShortagesEstimated Starvation Levels of Over Half a MillionUp to 750,000 Could Die Before a Solution is Found


    "Those monsters!!!!!"


    Just as Quenser very nearly crushed the handheld device in his grip, a staticky voice came in over the large communication equipment that had been partially damaged in the firefight.


    "Oh, right." The speaker must have thought he was still speaking with Oldnick. "Cardinal, there is one last thing I would like to make clear. It is about the method of creating manmade platinum you call the Treasure of Electron Mathematics. The truth is, we do not really need it."


    "..."


    "Basically, we just need the price of Oceanian platinum to plummet. The thing about the market is, an expected crash is enough to cause a panic even if there was never any real threat."


    Quenser knew what the man was trying to say.


    His face paled as the man continued to speak.


    "And so we do not actually need to learn the details of the method from you, cardinal. We just need it to be known that we worked with you in some way or another. In fact, if you are captured or killed by the Legitimacy Kingdom or Faith Organization here, some might decide you never actually managed to give us information on the Treasure of Electron Mathematics. That would be a problem."


    "Heivia!!" Quenser brought his own small radio to his mouth. "Get out of here now! Now that Oldnick is cornered here, the Capitalist Corporations is going to-...!!"


    "In that case, wouldn''t the best way to keep those useful doubts alive be to turn you to ash there?" continued the man.


    Quenser had no time to wait for Heivia''s response.


    He ran out of the facility as quickly as he could and leaped into the sea. Seawater got in his mouth, but he did not care. He covered his eyes with his right arm.


    In the next instant, a great flash of light exploded out. It seemed like the light of welding multiplied several dozen times.


    Even with his arm covering them, the light stabbed into his eyes. He could not even calmly deduce that the light came from a massive laser beam burning the structure away.


    In all seriousness, Quenser went blind for a bit.


    That violently bright light was the proof that it was an attack from a ridiculously huge weapon.


    It was a Second Generation Object.


    It was the Deep Optical.


    (Uuh...!?)


    "Cough!! Cough cough!!"


    His vision started to come back, but an afterimage remained as if a film was being draped over his eyes.


    Quenser started to panic. He completely forgot about the tube right next to his mouth leading to the oxygen tank on his back and headed for the ocean surface for air.


    When his face breached the surface, the change to the environment became abundantly clear.


    The giant, lightly-colored float had been polished like a silver mirror.


    Except that was not what had happened.


    (A portion of the steel facility was vaporized!?)


    The metal had turned into a hot vapor, had been sprayed across the giant float, and then had cooled and hardened there. That made the surface of the float shine like it had been silver-plated.


    (God dammit...)


    As always, Object cannons were in a league of their own.


    Quenser knew he had escaped the blast, but fear still filled him from the tips of his fingers and toes to the very core of his body upon seeing those effects. He could not feel any relief over having avoided it. He had to use his intellect to its fullest in order to come up with a plan to survive, but he could feel his thoughts falling to pieces in the face of his emotions.


    That was when the upper floors of the facility fell to the ocean because the middle floors had been destroyed.


    The sudden waves this caused tossed Quenser around, but he managed to not drown thanks to his oxygen tank.


    When he surfaced once more, he spotted Heivia''s head sticking out of the water nearby.


    He had likely jumped out a window just before the laser beam struck.


    "I almost died! Dammit, I almost died!! I can''t think straight and I can''t feel pain properly!! I still have all my arms and legs, right!?"


    It seemed Heivia had begun to panic.


    Quenser then heard a female voice come in over his radio.


    It was from Valkyrie.


    "Hey, we saw what just happened! What happened to Roybelz Oldnick!?"


    The reply came from Heivia who had been pursuing the man up to the very last second.


    "How the fuck should I know!? That old man was acting like he had all the answers while talking about liquid prisms and laser vibration detectors, but he sure got blown away with the entire 2nd floor easily enough!! I doubt there''s enough left of him to feed a single fish!!"


    "Tch!!"


    Quenser heard someone click their tongue and then the radio transmission cut off.


    Quenser tried contacting them again a few times, but he received no response.


    "I think they ran off..."


    "I want to join them!! Our huge-breasted commander told us not to let anything happen to the plant, and look what happened!! How many yellow cards is that now!? Can you even stock up red cards!?"


    Quenser ignored Heivia and muttered to himself to gather his thoughts.


    "Valkyrie was after nothing but Oldnick from the start. They have no reason to stick around to help with the Capitalist Corporations or Deep Optical."


    But Quenser and Heivia were not so lucky.


    The Deep Optical was fighting with the Baby Magnum. If the princess lost that battle, Quenser and Heivia at the very least would be persistently pursued if not the entire mobile maintenance battalion.


    After all, they had given the Deep Optical enough of a reason to focus its fire on them with what they had done in the Loyaut¨¦ district.


    They had no idea when the Object''s main cannon would be fired at them in the name of destroying the plant to drive up the price of tungsten.


    "As always, we have to charge through the heart of hell in order to survive."


    "Oh, what the hell! Why is it always an Object in the end!? We''re getting a little too close to actually ending up in heaven here!"


    While cursing their luck, the two boys reequipped their goggles and the mouth pieces for their oxygen tanks, and then dove down once more.


    They were headed for the Capitalist Corporations'' Second Generation Object.


    They would not leave alive unless the Deep Optical was destroyed.


    Part 11


    As Quenser and Heivia headed through the ocean with their aqua scooters, the bombardment from the Deep Optical continued. Naturally, the bombardment was targeting the tungsten plant.


    "Shit!! Our huge-breasted commander just won''t stop yelling! We didn''t manage to retrieve Oldnick''s body and now the plant is being attacked. This is getting worse and worse!"


    "If I have to choose between becoming fish food and being treaded on by a beautiful woman, I will always choose the latter! So let''s focus on surviving this, Heivia!!"


    The Deep Optical was unsuited to high-speed movements, so its strategies focused around deciding things quickly with its giant laser. However, it was now attacking the plant while holding the princess''s Baby Magnum off almost casually.


    It was clear which Object had the upper hand.


    The Baby Magnum had not been directly hit by the enemy''s main cannon, but it continued to just barely avoid it. The side effects of the giant laser had to be doing damage bit by bit. That Deep Optical seemed to have nothing to worry about.


    But...


    "How odd. They''re only targeting the giant float with that facility on it while completely ignoring the frames that make up the majority of the plant."


    "They just want to make the entire plant unusable. Afterwards, they can retrieve the filters and take the tungsten for themselves. It''s a very Capitalist Corporations way of thinking."


    The one piece of luck was that this strategy kept the rest of the group meant to pursue Oldnick from being targets as they helped the civilian workers evacuate via ship.


    However, they could hardly relax.


    "Either way, only one fate awaits us if the princess loses. The rest of the unit might survive, but we have given them enough reason to hunt us down."


    Quenser was of course referring to the incident in the Loyaut¨¦ district.


    Sounding annoyed, Heivia said, "I know we have to do it, but how are we supposed to oppose that monster?"


    "It''s specialized for naval battles, so it uses an air cushion propulsion device. Its armaments are centered around laser beams. That gives us a few starting points." Quenser let his body float in place thanks to the buoyancy provided by the program-controlled oxygen regulation inside his diving suit. "The air cushion propulsion device keeps the craft afloat using the power of air, so the situation between the floats and the ocean surface can greatly affect its balance"


    "Yeah, it remains stable by keeping the air between two large flat surfaces."


    "And it loses its balance if that is destroyed," said Quenser. "Luckily, this is the ocean rather than solid ground. That gives us a chance. We need to take a large chunk of the ocean water out from under the Deep Optical. If we do, it will capsize and sink....A few years back, a Second Generation Object specialized for naval battles was sunk by a freak wave."


    "But we can''t just cause a freak wave," said Heivia in disapproval. "Freak waves are large enough to sink tankers and they occur unexpectedly. The exact conditions that cause them are unknown. It''s true that they''re like the grim reaper to ships on the sea, but how are we supposed to cause one when no one knows what exactly causes them?"


    "That was just an example. Also, the Deep Optical has laser beam emitters on its side that it can use to detonate the air and recover like a self-righting doll."


    "What other ''starting points'' do you have?"


    "That high power laser beam. Its main cannon indirectly helped us out in the Loyaut¨¦ district. It gathers the energy of 8 laser beams and fires it all at once. If something goes wrong with the control of that energy, it might blow itself apart."


    "What, are you going to climb up onto that main cannon?" Heivia shrugged within the seawater. "Even if it''s a relatively slow Object, it still moves at over 200 kph. If we tried to grab onto it, it would rip our arms off."


    "Can we interfere with it from a distance?"


    "There''s no way we can get a hole-in-one firing an anti-tank missile down the barrel of the main cannon."


    "What about interference with its programming?"


    "If that was possible, the electronic simulation department would have tons of medals."


    Quenser fell silent.


    Heivia had plenty of negative opinions, but he was good at viewing the situation rationally (when it meant saving his own skin). Quenser had plenty of positive opinions, but he was bad at seeing the risk when he thought he had a way of winning.


    Quenser was thankful for those characteristics of his comrade in arms. Your personality was not something you could change even if you were aware of its negative aspects.


    Quenser suddenly stopped his thought process and spoke once more.


    "Then there is one last thing we can rely on."


    "Ahn?"


    "Just to double check, Oldnick mentioned a liquid prism and laser vibration detectors before he died, right?"


    "Yeah, he made it sound like the liquid prism was used to combine the 8 lasers and the laser vibration detectors were used defensively."


    "...I see." Quenser thought for a bit. "In that case, we might have a chance. We need to think up a way to get up on that thing."


    "What could you possibly do on top of it!?" Heivia''s eyes opened wide. "Even if you climb up on top of the Object''s spherical main body, the pilot Elite is hardly going to open the hatch to the cockpit. And the puny guns and explosives we have can''t damage that main cannon!! Those monsters are specifically designed to keep that from happening!!"


    "With its focus on lasers, the Deep Optical likely cannot keep its defenses up to the level needed in a real battle just with thick armor. Laser beams are delicate enough as they are, but they''ve combined 8 of them together. That main cannon is filled with delicate parts. It''s like building a pyramid of cards higher and higher."


    "So what!?"


    "We can use that." While underwater, Quenser pulled out his handheld device. "We overheard tons of information related to the Deep Optical before heading into the maintenance base in the Loyaut¨¦ district. We can use some of that data here. But to use it, we have to get up on the Deep Optical first."


    As he spoke, Quenser held a hand out toward Heivia.


    "Hand me your knife, Heivia. The tiny little cooking knife in my survival kit isn''t going to cut it here. I need your pointlessly large combat knife."


    "What are you going to do with a knife!?"


    "Get us something to use in place of a rope. The tungsten filters should do the trick. They''re several dozen meters long and are more than strong enough to support our weight."


    "Are you serious? Are you seriously thinking of using a rope to climb up that Object as it moves around the sea at over 200 kph? You''ll just end up looking stupider than someone wiping out while water skiing!! And even if you do get up on it, the Deep Optical will just fling you off when it makes a wide turn!! This is not an environment conducive to rock climbing!!"


    "I never said I was going to do that." After checking on the information he needed, Quenser put his handheld device away and pulled his radio out in its place. "We can just take the elevator."


    Part 12


    As the Baby Magnum moved around at high speed, the Deep Optical moved at much slower speeds, parried with its various cannons, and bought time with its blinding weapon. All the while, a tremendous exchange of shells continued.


    But then a change came over the Baby Magnum''s actions.


    All seven of its main cannon arms had been using the low-stability plasma cannon option, but one of them rotated like a revolver and switched over to the coilgun.


    Amidst the many low-stability plasma cannon shots, a single giant metal coilgun shell was fired.


    It was not targeting the Deep Optical itself. If it did, it would just end being deflected by a laser parry.


    The princess was targeting the ocean surface below the Deep Optical. A crater several dozen meters across was created and a spray of water that was closer to an explosive blast than a wave dyed the air white.


    The Deep Optical floated in the air using its air cushions, but it could still be greatly affected by the condition of the ocean surface.


    As more and more metal shells were fired, the Deep Optical very nearly capsized.


    But it managed to recover.


    It fired a large number of lasers from its side to cause an explosive expansion of the air beneath the falling side of the spherical body. This pushed it back up. This momentum was used to force the craft back up from an almost 80 degree tilt.


    How did the Deep Optical interpret that attack?


    Had the Baby Magnum been attempting to slow the Deep Optical''s evasive speed by destroying its footing?


    Had the Baby Magnum been trying to damage the delicate equipment within the Deep Optical by shaking the entire Object?


    Many ideas must have passed through its pilot''s mind.


    But all of them were wrong.


    What the princess had been instructed via radio to do was...


    Part 13


    Quenser and Heivia stood near the very top of the Deep Optical''s spherical main body. The filter cloth was bent in a U shape around one of the relatively small cannons. It was supporting them in the place of a rope.


    "Shit!! The surface is wet so I keep slipping! If we fall from this height, even the ocean is deadly!!"


    "You should be thanking your luck that there''s seawater here to slip on! If the residual heat from a laser firing was still here, we might have been turned into human torches!!"


    The two had not simply climbed up the side of the spherical main body.


    They did not have the time for that and even if they had attempted it, the magnetic sensors and other sensors would have detected them and they would have been immediately shaken off.


    They had taken a simple shortcut.


    "I can''t believe you would think to wrap the filter around a cannon on the top in the instant the Deep Optical lost its balance. As always, your ideas use our lives as collateral!!"


    "But thanks to that, we could use the Deep Optical righting itself to pull us to the top all at once."


    The princess''s attack had brought the Deep Optical down by 80 degrees. In other words, it had very nearly fallen horizontally to the ocean surface. There had only been just over 20 meters between the ocean surface and the top of the spherical main body. With a weight on the end of the filter, they had been able to throw it that distance.


    "Anyway, we need to hurry to the main cannon! When the Deep Optical has had to right itself like that previously it has focused on evasion and disturbance tactics, and does not use its main cannon for a few minutes. But once its automatic scan is over, it will begin the fight anew. If that happens with us here, the radiant heat will roast us!!"


    "What exactly are we going to do!? The main cannon is covered in thick armor. Our rifle and explosives can''t damage it!!" shouted Heivia as he headed after Quenser.


    Quenser arrived at a portion of the main cannon''s base to the upper right of the Object. He pulled some Hand Axe plastic explosive from his backpack, tore off a small bit, and stuck it on the side of the base. Once he was done, he stabbed an electric fuse into it.


    Heivia brought his hand to his forehead.


    "That''s nowhere near enough to get through Object armor!!"


    "You help too, Heivia!!" shouted back Quenser as he tossed a package of explosive to Heivia. "We don''t have time!! We need to set up 20 more just like what I did here!!"


    "God dammit. This isn''t going to do anything!!" swore Heivia as he moved up next to Quenser.


    As he continued the work, Quenser said, "Make the explosives small. Don''t make them too big. That would be pointless."


    "What? Don''t we need them to be as big as possible to have even the slightest chance of doing any damage to the armor?"


    "I''m not trying to break through the surface."


    They heard a metallic creaking noise.


    The Deep Optical''s main cannon was starting to perform minute adjustments to its aim.


    "Time''s up, Quenser!! If we don''t get out of here, the heat''ll kill us!!"


    "Just 7 more!!"


    "We''re gonna get roasted!!"


    "3...2...Okay, done!!"


    Quenser stood up and immediately started running down the side of the spherical main body. In other words, he ran down a steep slope heading to the sea.


    Heivia lost his cool.


    "You have got to be kidding me! You don''t have a gentler means of escape!?"


    "Hurry!! If that main cannon fires, we''ll be burned more horribly than a newlywed wife''s home cooking!!"


    After seeing Quenser run off ahead, Heivia followed suit while half in tears.


    The slope of the spherical main body gradually grew steeper and Heivia''s feet eventually got tangled up on each other. He just barely managed to get the footing to take one last step and leap towards the sea.


    He jumped from a height of over 30 meters.


    He felt weightless for a few seconds, but an unpleasant pressure soon filled his stomach.


    He struck the ocean surface in the next instant. Heivia felt a shock more powerful than if he had run full tilt into a sheet of plywood.


    He very nearly passed out in the ocean, but a pure white flash of light that seemed to crush his eyes forced back his consciousness.


    The Deep Optical had fired its main cannon.


    "Cough!! Cough cough!!"


    "Heivia, you have your oxygen tank, right!? Don''t panic and use it!!"


    Heivia heard Quenser''s advice over the radio, but he could not respond. Quenser then reached a hand over from nearby and brought the mouthpiece to Heivia''s mouth.


    Once Heivia had regained oxygen and calm, he wrapped his hands around Quenser''s neck.


    "Die!! This is why I never want to go along with your horrible plans!!"


    "Stop it, Heivia!! Are you in such a panic you want to cling to a guy!? Our job isn''t over yet! If we do nothing, the Deep Optical will defeat the princess!!"


    "But what can we do with those tiny explosives?" asked Heivia as he finally removed his hands from Quenser''s neck.


    Quenser pulled out his radio and said, "Remember all the information we gathered on the Object in the Loyaut¨¦ district? The Deep Optical is a mass of laser technology with unbelievable firepower, but that also means it contains a mass of delicate equipment inside. They have to worry about shocks to the outside and even the G forces created by high-speed movements."


    "And?"


    "Just making the armor thick isn''t enough to protect that delicate equipment."


    Quenser moved his thumb repeatedly, and each time an explosive noise reverberated through the water.


    The princess aboard the Baby Magnum heard every radio transmission between the two boys and could see the explosions.


    And she probably knew the exact numbers involved better than the two idiots who had set up the explosives.


    That level of explosion could not so much as scratch the Object''s armor.


    In fact, it was not even enough to blow up your average tank.


    (What are they after? I hope that is not all they have. If so, I wasted my time helping them do it!!)


    She then heard Quenser continue his explanation over the radio.


    "That is why it has devices installed to electronically absorb the shocks. They keep a large gap in the armor and any shocks to the outer layer are sensed with laser vibration detectors. They can then counterbalance the shockwave running through the armor and cushion the inner armor. The shock will transfer through the countless pillars, but the lasers are faster. By cutting off any shocks that exceed the allowable limit, they can protect the delicate equipment."


    "That just means their armor is more of a pain to deal with than just a thick wall, right? That just means the explosions will do even less damage!"


    "Not necessarily," replied Quenser immediately as he continued the seemingly meaningless explosions.


    The princess frowned as she zigzagged the Baby Magnum around.


    She still could not tell what he was after.


    "The laser vibration detectors are meant to detect vibrations coming in from outside, but it is best not to move around too much if you want to up the accuracy. In other words, if you have it reacting to every little vibration, you run the risk of a delayed response to a larger shock you truly need to deal with. To keep the accuracy high, the shocks too small to have any negative effects on the delicate equipment are overlooked."


    As the high heat caused when the lasers passed through ran the risk of disturbing the liquid, it was likely that either a fast-acting coolant was used or the liquid prism itself was divided into cartridges. But what if vibrations came from somewhere the designers never expected?


    "The explosives send just a slight shock into the armor. By pumping in small shocks like that repeatedly, we can shift the position of the delicate equipment bit by bit. It may not even amount to a hundredth of a millimeter."


    "What good is something on a level only a craftsman cares about?"


    "Plenty. The liquid prism collects the optical energy for the main cannon. The light is bent by intentionally altering the density of the liquid inside the container by electrochemical means. By sending repeated vibrations into it, the intentionally-altered density will become uniform. And that means..."


    Each individual shock made it to the prism.


    And the result was as follows:


    In the next instant, the Deep Optical''s main cannon became wrapped in a brilliant flash of light and disappeared.


    At that moment, the energy from 8 carbon dioxide lasers within the Deep Optical''s main cannon was being gathered at the base of the giant main cannon.


    Lasers were emitted by exposing excited electrons to external light. The stronger that light, the stronger the emitted laser.


    In a way, the Deep Optical''s main cannon was a laser beam weapon that created a massive stimulated emission by pumping in the optical energy of 8 standard main cannon laser beams.


    A mere mirror could not be used to gather the energy from all eight.


    It required a device called a liquid prism. A special liquid inside a clear container that had its density intentionally altered electrochemically so that the light was bent like a sugar sculpture.


    The liquid prism could freely bend the light with changes in the liquid''s density, but without an irregularity to the density in the clear container, it could not function properly.


    What would happen if a set shock was continually applied to that clear container containing a liquid with an altered density?


    The answer was simple.


    The shaking of the container''s contents would even out the density of the liquid that was supposed to be of irregular density.


    And without that irregular density, the light would no longer be bent.


    The light that was supposed to be bent would pass straight through it.


    And this would tear the Deep Optical''s main cannon apart from the inside.


    The light of the explosion assaulted Quenser and Heivia''s eyeballs even through their closed eyelids.


    "Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"


    Quenser shouted in pain, but he breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. His plan had worked. The Deep Optical''s main cannon had been blown off, and the energy of the explosion had to have done serious damage to the Object as a whole. Even if the entire Object had not been destroyed, it was no match for the princess without its main cannon.


    But...


    "What...?" muttered Heivia in confusion.


    The Deep Optical tilted to the side. The energy from the explosion was pushing it to the side and it was beginning to capsize. Not only had the main cannon been torn apart from the inside, but it had completely melted and the armor of the main body had been torn up near where it had been.


    There was no way it could continue fighting.


    In fact, it was entirely possible it was too damaged to use its lasers and right itself.


    And the Deep Optical did not even try to recover from its tilt.


    It simply rotated around.


    ...Almost as if it was switching to another mode.


    "Wha-...!?"


    Its silhouette changed. The two large parts on the back of the spherical main body opened up and spread out like curved wings. It was still hovering above the surface of the water, but it was no longer using air cushions; it was using nothing but the power of lasers. Lasers were reflected between the ocean''s surface and the bottom of the craft to explosively expand the air. The ends of the portions that had functioned as "legs" up until then opened up and lenses for laser weapons could be seen within.


    While staring in blank shock, Heivia shouted, "It transformed!! What the hell!? Are the reactor and cockpit installed like gyroscopes!?"


    "Dammit."


    They had thought it was finally over.


    They had thought they could return to the maintenance base zone and continue their vacation.


    But...


    "Does this mean we''ve only now made the Deep Optical get serious about this!?"


    They had finally reached a turning point.


    The Capitalist Corporations'' Second Generation Object began its counterattack.


    Part 14


    When Quenser and Heivia fought an Object, they were usually entirely ignored as actual threats by the enemy.


    If the Object took actions to kill them from the very beginning and kept them in the center of its sights as a priority target, there was no way flesh-and-blood soldiers had any hope of winning.


    They would be unable to run away or evade even if they tried. No cover would be of any use.


    But...


    Even if the Deep Optical had escaped any trouble by transforming, it was unlikely to ignore the people who had destroyed its original main cannon.


    "Shit. Here it comes. That monster is headed this way, Quenser!!" shouted Heivia, despite the fact that there was nothing the two of them could hope to do.


    One of its new main laser beam cannons turned toward them. Without hesitation, an orange beam of light flew directly towards Quenser and Heivia.


    Just before it did, the princess''s Baby Magnum interposed itself between them and the beam.


    "Quenser!!" shouted the princess.


    "Can''t you be worried about me, too!?" complained Heivia, but it was hardly the time for that.


    The overall impression given off by the Deep Optical had changed.


    While creating great explosive noises, it slid back and forth and fired laser beam after laser beam at the Baby Magnum. Its speed had undergone a great change. Before, the Deep Optical had been unable to move faster than about 200 kph, but now it was dancing around the Baby Magnum at speeds 4 or 5 times greater. It was easily handling the Baby Magnum which had proven it could handle your average Generation Two in the past.


    "Shit!! What is going on!?"


    "Those C-shaped wings on the back of the Deep Optical are used to reflect lasers. It uses those to intentionally detonate the air and give it quick bursts of speed. This gives it acceleration you could never hope to get with rocket boosters!!"


    "I thought it avoided sudden movements because of the delicate equipment in the lasers!"


    "It must want to overcome this situation even if it ends up destroying its own main system! These main cannons are likely solid-state lasers that use YAG. That''s the very first optical weapon ever developed and it therefore has the simplest design."


    "Solid-state lasers have high outputs but can''t be fired for long, right?"


    "Yes, and as you can see, it can''t put out as much heat, so the princess''s armor can withstand a few hits. When the previous lasers roasted the dust and moisture in the air, it created a pure white beam, but this has fallen to orange." Quenser calmly analyzed the situation. "Most likely, it fires repeatedly similar to a machinegun in order to make the best use of the short firing time. If it fires at the same spot repeatedly, it might be able to tear open the armor. However, the armor can hold up for a while if the princess makes sure it hits at skewed points."


    "But either way the princess will be taken out eventually!! And once our shield is gone, we''re dead!!"


    "..."


    Quenser thought for a bit and then took out some plastic explosive.


    "Princess, how much time can you buy us against the Deep Optical?"


    "Not enough to call it anything as cool as ''buying you time''."


    "Just give us 10 minutes," said Quenser as he breathed a sigh of relief that she was calm enough to joke about it. "That should be enough."


    Part 15


    The first to notice the oddity was Froleytia Capistrano as she monitored the Baby Magnum and the battlefield as a whole.


    "What?"


    She could hardly be blamed for being confused.


    An explosion had suddenly occurred amongst the frames that made up a large portion of the plant. And the explosion did not spread out evenly. It was vertical. A few of the frames were blown to pieces and a pillar of water shot a few dozen meters straight up into the air.


    "Is there anything explosive there?"


    "N-no! Most of the plant is filled with filters meant to collect tungsten from the ocean water. Gas turbines are used to draw in the filters, but an entirely different machine does that. It is not normally attached to them. There should be nothing explosive there."


    As Froleytia received that report from the electronic simulation department, a second and third explosion occurred.


    "Explosions from within the sea..."


    "Even if the Legitimacy Kingdom funds it, that is essentially a civilian facility in a blank area. I have never heard of any sea mines being placed in the ocean around it. We are performing a satellite search to determine whether it is an enemy UUV or fish robot!"


    Froleytia had a bad feeling about what it might be, so she opened a few new windows on her laptop.


    (I need the test firing report lists for official Legitimacy Kingdom armaments...)


    She called up a diagram displaying the test results of various explosives.


    It contained data on the spread of the blast, fragmentation, heat, and other effects when detonated under various environments, in different forms, and under different conditions.


    (How does the blast spread when the Hand Axe plastic explosive is detonated underwater?)


    When she set those search conditions, detailed numerical data and a simple diagram of the spread of the blast appeared on the screen. It seemed the diagram would change in real time if she entered the amount of explosive and the depth under the water.


    When Froleytia saw it, she felt a bit dizzy.


    It was almost exactly the same as the pillars of water she had just seen.


    "Those brats... Why in the hell are they blowing up the plant they''re supposed to be protecting!?"


    Part 16


    As Quenser detonated the plastic explosives from a safe distance, he spoke to Heivia who was looking through his rifle scope.


    "How high were those!?"


    "The first one was 27.1. The second was 30.5! That''s just barely there, right!? How are things going on your end!?"


    "Well enough. Now it''s just up to the princess."


    "Hey, Quenser. Our huge-breasted commander has been screaming at us over the radio for a bit now. What are we supposed to tell her?"


    "You''re still connected to the channel? I cut it off a while ago."


    "Sometimes I am truly in awe of your guts..."


    As they spoke, the two boys moved on to the next step.


    Even then, the Deep Optical was trying to attack Quenser and Heivia, and the Baby Magnum was taking the hits to act as their shield.


    The princess used her brilliant talents (that she had been artificially given) to keep the lasers from hitting the same spot too many times, but the entire spherical main body had begun to glow orange.


    They had no time.


    "Heivia, you dive down and remove the weights from the bottom of the filters! I''ll cut off the filters with the knife!!"


    "Tch. I''m not gonna get decompression sickness am I!?"


    As the filters were cut loose, the cloth floated up near the surface of the water. Quenser cut loose several dozen, so they quickly spread out amongst the surrounding water.


    Quenser contacted the princess via radio.


    "I''ve scattered some filters packed full of tungsten. Don''t pass over them!!"


    "How are you going to destroy the Deep Optical with filters?"


    "Isn''t it obvious? The shiny surface of the filters will reflect the lasers."


    However, the Deep Optical was covered in various sensors.


    It had surely noticed the large number of filters floating near the ocean surface.


    It made quick movements back and forth to avoid the filters. And it did so with its propulsion device that detonated the air using lasers.


    The princess gasped and said, "It''s no good. They have noticed them!! You cannot interfere with the lasers keeping the Deep Optical afloat!!"


    "Those aren''t the ones I''m after," said Quenser as he reached for the switch on his radio.


    Yes.


    The switch that sent the detonation signal to the electric fuses for the Hand Axe plastic explosives attached to the filters.


    "I''m targeting the giant wings it uses for quick turns!!"


    As he shouted, several plastic explosives detonated simultaneously. Instead of spreading in every direction, the underwater explosions shot pillars of water straight up.


    And they brought the shattered fragments of the filters with them.


    Some of them made it within the C-shaped wings on the back of the Deep Optical''s spherical main body. At the same time, powerful lasers were being reflected around within the wings causing the air to explosively expand.


    The tungsten that was blown into the middle of it all threw the reflection of the lasers out of order which in turn caused a massive error in the angle of the Object''s turn. And this was at the same time that the Deep Optical was making repeated small curves to avoid the filters that it had mistaken for sea mines.


    In the middle of one of those quick turns, it lost its balance.


    The entire Object tilted far to the side.


    Before, it had used reflected lasers to detonate the air and recover, but it could no longer use that once it had transformed.


    That left only one fate for the giant weapon.


    It had to sink.


    It could not right itself and it could not rotate 180 degrees and transform.


    While sending a great spray of water into the air like someone wiping out while water skiing, the Deep Optical attempted to recover.


    But then one last strike finished it off.


    This strike came from a low-stability plasma cannon equipped on the Legitimacy Kingdom''s First Generation Baby Magnum.


    And it exploded.


    With a brilliant flash of white light, a great shock rushed across the surface of the ocean.


    It was not clear if it was caused by the Deep Optical sliding across the ocean surface or if it was caused by the giant explosion that occurred afterwards, but a tremendous wave spread out across the area. And the wave did not just affect the surface. Quenser and Heivia had dived down below the surface, but they were still tossed around like ice in a glass being shaken.


    "Cough!! Cough cough!!"


    Quenser had a stable source of air from his oxygen tank, but the sudden loss of any sense of up or down confused him so much he felt like he had forgotten how to breathe.


    "Is it over?"


    "We still haven''t gotten the white flag signal from the Capitalist Corporations. It seems they still wish to fight," replied the princess.


    "Sink their lifeboats or something. They''ll change their minds once they see firsthand that nothing but a watery grave awaits them if they don''t surrender here."


    With that comment, Quenser headed for the bright ocean surface.


    He could not think of a single reason to stay in the dark depths any longer.

 Volume 4, Epilogue

    Volume 4, Epilogue


    While soaking wet, Quenser and Heivia were recovered by a Legitimacy Kingdom motorboat.


    When they exchanged information on the incident, Heivia frowned.


    ¡°So the Capitalist Corporations unit controlling the Deep Optical was trying to intervene in Oceania¡¯s food supply problems?¡±


    ¡°Due to the unstable balance between vegetation and desert in Oceania, grazing land was banned. Almost all of their meat was imported by the Capitalist Corporations. The Capitalist Corporations didn¡¯t want the Information Alliance¡¯s artificial livestock facilities to rob them of that source of money.¡±


    But in reality, a serious risk of widespread hunger existed if natural disasters like cyclones did large-scale damage to the farms and cut off the air and sea routes. Simulations showed as many as half a million people starving to death.


    ¡°Was that ever resolved?¡± That seemed to be Heivia¡¯s primary question. ¡°We may have blown the Deep Optical to pieces, but that does not solve everything. As long as that unit and the backbone they set up remains, they can still interfere with the food supply, right?¡±


    ¡°That would certainly be a problem,¡± admitted Quenser. ¡°But if this was a Capitalist Corporations-wide project, don¡¯t you think a few more Objects would have been sent in as reinforcements? The battlefield was right next to Oceania where plenty of Objects are stationed as part of the coalition. And that of course includes Capitalist Corporations Objects. And yet only the Deep Optical was deployed for this.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Meaning the interference in Oceania¡¯s food supply will all come to an end with the Deep Optical and its unit out of the picture.¡±


    ¡°But how do we pull that off? Don¡¯t tell me you think the two of us should head off on our own to attack the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ maintenance base zone.¡±


    ¡°...Do you think we could do it?¡±


    ¡°No for two reasons,¡± said Heivia simply. ¡°First, they are still an entire battalion even if they have lost their Object. Super heroes though we may be, it¡¯s reckless to think just the two of us can take on 1000 soldiers. And second, think of our position here. We are the winners with the Object while the Capitalist Corporations unit is the loser that had their Object destroyed. If we go in for a further attack now, international society will see it is an unrelentless and merciless slaughter. We would be making enemies of the majority that want to maintain the concept of the clean war.¡±


    ¡°But there is always an exception.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°If someone becomes enough of a problem, there are special forces to assassinate that target. This is a case for a police-type force, not a military one. Luckily, we met some of those and we know how to contact them. That Capitalist Corporations unit joined forces with Roybelz Oldnick for their own profit. That should be enough to make them a target, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°You mean Valkyrie? Do you really think they would help? Are you sure they aren¡¯t going to attack us because we didn¡¯t hold up our end of the bargain?¡±


    ¡°We made a deal with the local fishermen, remember? If we¡¯re lucky Oldnick¡¯s DNA will show up in a fish¡¯s stomach.¡±


    ¡°...The fishermen really didn¡¯t seem to like that.¡±


    ¡°Please respond,¡± said Quenser once he set the frequency on his small radio.


    His attempts to contact them earlier had failed, but they had to at least recognize the frequency.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Do you really think the Faith Organization will act on this?¡±


    ¡°The unit¡¯s interference with the food supply was expected to leave to over half a million dying in the case of an irregular cyclone. ...That would include people from the tribal religions native to Oceania, so they can¡¯t exactly refuse.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia had ended the battle in a decidedly cool fashion, but a slight problem arose when they went back over the information.


    They had been unable to bring back the body of their target Roybelz Oldnick, they had damaged the Legitimacy Kingdom-funded precious metal ocean mining plant, and serious damage had been done to the Baby Magnum as it acted as a shield for them.


    Also, there was no guarantee that any of Oldnick¡¯s flesh would turn up in a fish¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Th-this is bad. We have no good to cancel out the bad!! I don¡¯t see a single oasis in the middle of our huge-breasted commander¡¯s lecture!!¡±


    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t always conveniently even out to nothing. But that also means the plus side might come out on top someday. We can¡¯t give up.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia spoke as they headed down the path to the execution room (aka Froleytia¡¯s officer room).


    ¡°But y¡¯know, this had to do with platinum, tungsten, the Treasure of Electron Mathematics, beef, and artificial livestock facilities...It was all resources, resources, resources. It makes me sick.¡±


    ¡°And you could say we¡¯re human resources,¡± said Heivia with a grin. ¡°In a certain island nation with an aging population and a low birthrate, children are a valuable growing resource. Just like wine and art, their value goes up if you let them age. A company will create prestigious schools under its direct control and search out the most gifted children to raise the most valuable people to contribute to the company in the future. Meanwhile, rival companies will try to either abduct or kill anyone they think will become a top class contributor in order to do damage to the first company¡¯s future.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so great about dividing everyone up by their grades?¡±


    ¡°That is what the companies need for now,¡± said Heivia. ¡°The days of heating up a pot with charcoal are over. But once activated charcoal began being used in water purification systems, what counted as ¡®cutting-edge technology¡¯ took a step back. There are no absolutes when it comes to dividing up resources. And that is why we have yet to run out of oil despite everyone always saying we are about to run out. How we use it is changing almost daily, so the relative value we use against the absolute amount of remaining deposits is constantly changing.¡±


    ¡°And does that also go for the food supply and the people who eat that food?¡±


    ¡°If someone wants to use it, anything can become a resource. That¡¯s what it means to live in a world of greed. ...In a world like that, even the value of the life of a soldier could change. It all depends on how we use soldiers and if that changes.¡±


    They arrived before Froleytia¡¯s officer room.


    Quenser and Heivia gave a hesitant knock, opened the door, and prepared themselves for a hellish lecture time.


    The first thing their commander said to them was, ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t drive down your value as a resource any further. If it drops any more, I won¡¯t be able to cover for you.¡±

 Volume 4, Afterword

    Volume 4, Afterword


    If all goes as planned, this should be Volume 4. When writing multiple volumes at the same time, it can be a little unclear which one will be released first...


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    Swimsuits!!!!! No, actually this was a Christmas story.


    The theme was resources. You could even view Chapter 1 as a story that begins with the human resources named Quenser and Heivia being stolen.


    In the world of these novels, they have a few different methods of acquiring food and rare earth elements. The Treasure of Electron Mathematics method of creating artificial platinum is based on a similar technique that actually exists, so check it out if you are interested.


    As all of the Objects so far had been based on high-speed battles, I wanted to have a Second Generation Object that had all sorts of abilities allowing it to function without using high speed movements. The Deep Optical here is even slower than the Tri-Core from Volume 1.


    The laser weapons themselves have no issue with speed. In fact, you would need to break the light speed barrier to be faster than them. The real problem was that I had to add on several weaknesses to keep it from being too overpowered to play its role in the story.


    Just like a railgun, this weapon is not just some fantastical piece of technology. It is a type of weapon that could very well become standard one day, so perhaps it is our role as fiction writers to have several countermeasures stocked up.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagiryo-san and my editor Miki-san. ...As always, I get the feeling the backgrounds and small details make this a difficult story to work on. I am truly grateful they have stuck with me this far.


    I also give my thanks to all you readers. I think it is due to all your support that I was able to have an entire chapter filled swimsuits and not a single Object. I am truly thankful.


    And so, I think I will end this here.


    I lay down my pen while hoping this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    Are the heroines a type of resource for a novel?


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 5, Prologue

    Volume 5, Prologue


    This is Monica, your battlefield idol reporter who can both sing and kill!


    Oh, but this is different from my normal fare. We have no interest in clean battlefields today. There will be Objects, though. The opening ceremony parade should be quite a sight.


    Yes, this is the summer games of the Technopics, that worldwide sports festival held every four years!!


    I have arrived at Olympia Dome, the giant man-made island floating in the Atlantic Ocean that is the site of the games. The Legitimacy Kingdom, Information Alliance, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization that normally fight it out on the battlefield will be gathering here to create a singular atmosphere that is overflowing with sportsmanship!!


    ...If only they could always be like this.


    Oh, right, right. I will now interview some of the people entering Olympia Dome. Let''s start with the type of celebrity that comes to watch peaceful sports matches between warring nations! Yes, you over there! I would like to speak with you!!


    With the Technopics beginning safely once more, what event are you looking forward to the most?


    ...What? No, not that. Could you answer my ques¡ª...Eh? You think this is not a sports festival but a proxy war fought by the athletes from the different nations? You think human engineering moving from developing the clothes and shoes of the athletes to developing the athletes themselves has turned this into nothing more than a technological presentation by the different world powers that are powerful enough to own several Objects? Could you just answer my quest¡ª...What? You work for a textile corporation and you are only here to search for a military business partner? I didn''t ask about that!!


    Ahem.


    Umm, there might be some people here on business related to war, but the Technopics is basically ¨C basically!! ¨C a peaceful festival! It is not a festival of death in any way shape or form!!


    Okay, let''s get back on track by speaking to that parent and child over there!


    Excuse me!!

 Volume 5, 1

    Volume 5, Chapter 1


    Part 1


    A familiar electronic tone rang throughout the athlete locker room.


    "Day 1 of the shootathlon begins in thirty minutes. All participants are to complete their preparations and stand by. I repeat, Day 1 of the shootathlon begins..."


    When she heard that gentle female voice, Mariydi Whitewitch gave an annoyed sigh.


    She was a 12 year old girl from the Capitalist Corporations. Her long blonde hair and her white skin were her primary characteristics, but the outfit she was wearing would likely draw more attention. She wore a special skintight suit that covered her from just below the neck all the way to the very tips of her toes. It was brightly colored in yellow and black. As befitting someone from the Capitalist Corporations, it had the names of various sponsors printed across it. She looked a bit like a hornet that had transformed into a race queen.


    One might think it was the uniform for the shootathlon event, but that was not accurate.


    It was actually the flight jacket from the PMC air force she belonged to.


    "What the hell? I always thought this thing was weird, but I can''t believe it fits in perfectly among the outfits that are designed for a show."


    "It was designed for an air force. Other than if you crash, is there really any need to insist on proper camouflage?"


    That composed response came from a woman holding a handheld device.


    Her name was Alicia Sloppyjoes.


    Sportswear, shoes, rifle, dietary restrictions, training coordination, bodyguard... Many, many people surrounded a single athlete like rings around Saturn. Alicia was the international sports PR manager sent by an advertising firm. She coordinated the connections between those several dozen rings of Saturn and Saturn itself.


    However, Alicia was not Mariydi''s obedient servant.


    "So it''s a nice message telling us we should die if we do crash," commented Mariydi


    "How should I know? I have no connection to the military. If you want mental help, speak with the sports counselor. If you want to chat, you will have to pay me extra."


    "That''s the Capitalist Corporations for you."


    "I could say the same to you, Miss PMC Air Force Mercenary."


    Mariydi clicked her tongue in annoyance.


    "Let me go over this once more," said the woman in the suit that made it look like she would never have anything to do with a marriage. "The shootathlon is a marksmanship event. You are to use the new rifle from your sponsor company Clear Snipe and earn excellent results in the event."


    "It''s basically a variation on the triathlon, right? You run and shoot, you swim and shoot, and you bike and shoot. Since each stage is on a different day, it''s easier than it used to be."


    "The first day has you running 25 kilometers and stopping for long-distance sharpshooting three times along the way. The targets will be human-shaped and flying disks. The end score is an average of your scores from each day, so be on your best game from the beginning."


    "Yes, yes." Mariydi waved her hand while sitting on a bench. "You went to the effort of calling in not just a soldier but one from the long, drawn-out battles in the Northern European Restricted Zone where the use of Objects is not allowed. You want me to immaturely stand up to these peaceful athletes with my killer techniques."


    "Unlike the old international sports festival, the Technopics also effectively functions as a technological race between the world powers. It is best to think of the athletes as enemy soldiers in a proxy war."


    "Heh." Mariydi gave a small laugh. "Those are enemy soldiers? It must be nice having a sheltered upbringing away from real war."


    "We have no reason to know about real war." Alicia''s expression did not change in the slightest. "In these events, we are allowed to use air resistance alleviating technology in the sportswear, shock absorption technology in the shoes, non-conductive fiber springs, and as much doping as is legal for civilians....All of your enemies are athletes specially developed for this event."


    "And I''ve had the inside of my body altered as a test subject in survivability experiments for the Elites that pilot Objects. I am well aware that I am as abnormal as any of them."


    "And are you also aware that you will be forced to pay a fine for being in breach of contract if your results do not live up to the level expected of you by your sponsor?"


    "I know that." Mariydi stretched her hand out a bit. "Hand over the sponsor''s precious new rifle. I want to perform some final adjustments. As long as it isn''t loaded, I can carry it outside the event grounds, right?"


    Alicia casually glanced over.


    When she did, the man who was Mariydi''s bodyguard handed the girl a silver case.


    "Be careful."


    "Do I really look stupid enough to stare down the barrel if it jams?"


    "That isn''t what I meant." The bodyguard shook his head. "As that icy lady said, the Technopics is a proxy war based on a technology race. You will find no concept of fairness or sportsmanship here. Everyone here will do whatever it takes to win. We must ensure the safety of the money we have invested in sending you out to compete, but we cannot remain by your side during the event itself. If your results are too good, others may focus their attacks on you as a type of ''countermeasure''."


    "I suppose that is especially true for an event like the shootathlon that''s results are based on three events over three days." Mariydi disassembled the rifle so quickly it was clear she was used to doing so. "But that also means I''m free to do the same, right?"


    Standing up perfectly straight, Alicia answered the question with a serious expression.


    "On the surface, this is viewed as a peaceful festival. You are free to do so as long as you do not sully the image of the sponsor''s rifle."


    "Heh. The management of Olympia Dome officially condemns it, but every single spectator sees such trouble as one aspect of what makes the Technopics enjoyable. That is why it is commonly known as the Festival of Death or the Massacre Parade."


    As she continued her work, Mariydi glanced over at her bodyguard.


    Even in that age, certain things were not allowed in sports competitions. Those included doping beyond a certain level, physical training that was too harsh, and special sportswear that included springs and motors powerful enough that they would likely damage the athlete''s body. While human technology had invented such things, they very rarely saw the light of day.


    But even if something seemed like it would be banned in sports competitions, it would not be banned if it could be used in other fields.


    For example, the military.


    For that reason, the participants in the Technopics were commonly referred to as athlete soldiers.


    "I''ll be out there with 30 or 40 of those man-made machos. I assume you have some kind of protection strategy for if they cause some trouble."


    "This would be a lot easier if Objects could handle situations like this."


    Athlete soldiers primarily had abilities as individuals, but they could also break previous limits in physical strength when using weapons like powered suits.


    But at the same time, the abundance of Objects in the world meant a fighter pilot for a PMC air force like Mariydi was only useful in a very limited environment.


    She could only defend or attack areas where Objects could not be used.


    (We''re both types of soldiers that are not needed in this era of clean wars.)


    With that self-deprecating comment in her heart, a new figure entered the locker room.


    It was a woman wearing a white coat over a brand name track suit. She had short, slightly wavy, brown hair and wore frameless glasses. However, the biggest clue to her true colors was the large cooler hanging from her shoulder.


    Her name was Stacy Palmetto.


    She was a pharmacist that specialized in the techniques known commonly as doping.


    "Hi, there. It''s time for the scary injection! Young lady, how would you like to improve yourself today?"


    "Just a time-delayed transfusion is fine. I don''t need any unnecessary drugs."


    A time-delayed transfusion was receiving a transfusion of your own blood.


    Humans created blood every day. A few days after blood was drawn, your blood level would be back up to 100%. If that drawn blood was saved and then given as a transfusion, you could have a blood level of more than 100%.


    Blood carried the role of carrying oxygen throughout the body, so the more blood you had, the more oxygen you could store. This could be used to raise an athlete''s score in an event.


    Stacy pouted her lips.


    "Chehh. You aren''t going to use muscle builders or sedatives? I have plenty of varieties that can help keep your hand steady when you aim."


    "After looking into the average lifespan of Technopic athletes, I would really prefer not to use them."


    "Boo, boo. I say it''s all the assassinations that bring the average lifespan figures down."


    As Stacy continued pouting, Alicia replied while still standing perfectly straight.


    "Her participation in the shootathlon is meant to show off the abilities of the sponsor''s new rifle. Please avoid any elements other than the gun that might raise her marksmanship ability."


    "There you have it," said Mariydi. "Also, even if these drugs are perfectly safe, anything that suppresses your fatigue makes it more difficult to keep track of the condition your body is in. That could have some slight negative effect on my aim."


    "You say you won''t use the chemical drugs, but do you really think time-delayed transfusions are kind to your body?" Stacy pulled a tube and a pack full of blood from the large cooler. "Raising your level of blood above normal means your blood pressure shoots up. The effects of that can wear down your stamina. Especially in a long race. Do not forget the risk of applying a tremendous burden to your blood vessels just by attempting to run according to your normal pace."


    "That sounds harsh," muttered the bodyguard with his arms crossed.


    Mariydi removed the elbow-length glove-like part of her full body flight jacket.


    As he watched the needle for the transfusion pierce her youthful skin, the bodyguard continued speaking.


    "All the athletes have their bodies thoroughly strengthened daily with various drugs and their sportswear and shoes are carefully designed, yet it all has to be prepared before the event. It seems to me they could just mix the necessary ingredients into the drinks here."


    "This is a sport, remember? There is no logical or convincing explanation as to why you cannot use your hands in soccer. You can only say that those are the rules."


    "It is almost time," said Alicia as she turned over her slender wrist to look at an oddly small watch.


    Mariydi looked over at the tube sticking into her arm, rested the rifle on her other shoulder, and let out a sigh.


    "Okay, time to appear in the world''s largest commercial."


    Part 2


    The Technopics were held in Olympia Dome, a giant man-made island floating in almost the very center of the Atlantic Ocean.


    The man-made island was not created by filling in land to expand an already existing natural island. It was instead created entirely out of giant floats. When a man-made island was given independence, it was not required to stay in one single place. Most of those islands slowly followed the currents through international waters on the seven seas.


    Due to global warming and rising sea levels, there had been a temporary rush to create that kind of man-made island. Weixing Taiwan, Second Venice, and the New Ryukyu Islands were good examples. However, their maintenance costs were unexpectedly high, their diplomatic situation was fragile as they required resources to be shipped in from the continents, and the recovery speed of city functions after an emergency was quite low. These problems were all discovered after their creation and so they had gone out of fashion.


    Olympia Dome had a giant dome 20 kilometers across as the main central stadium. The 10 kilometers around it contained the harbor, airport, lodging facilities, and everything else required for the island to function. For this reason, its shape was often likened to a fried egg.


    That giant fried egg circulated around the Atlantic Ocean with a cycle of about 2 years.


    Mariydi and the other participants in the women¡¯s shootathlon were gathered at one end of the circular dome. The event for the first day was to run for 25 kilometers along the wall while stopping at 3 places along the way to perform sharpshooting.


    She could hear Alicia¡¯s sharp voice over a pen-cap-sized piezoelectric receiver attached to her ear.


    ¡°The final results of the shootathlon are based on an average of the scores from the three days, but your results on the first day determine your starting point on the second day. To be blunt, the better a lead you gain here, the easier things will be later.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re running 20 or 30 kilometers, so I don¡¯t think starting a dozen meters or so back is going to make that much of a difference,¡± replied Mariydi in annoyance. ¡°Also, the shootathlon is about shooting as well as running.¡±


    She glanced around and estimated there were over 100 female athletes gathered. The starting line looked like it had a higher population density than the entrance to a department store before a big sale.


    Capitalist Corporations, Information Alliance, Legitimacy Kingdom, Faith Organization.


    It was a strange feeling to have so many people from different world powers gathered in one place.


    Some of the uniforms were full-body suits like Mariydi¡¯s, but more standard running outfits with a separate top and bottom were common as well. Some wore large boots that extended all the way up to the thighs. Those seemed ill suited for running at first glance, but they likely contained fiber springs that thoroughly increased the wearer¡¯s leg strength.


    The great amount of variation was likely due to the fact that these were women¡¯s uniforms. From a moral standpoint, women¡¯s uniforms had to cover more of the body which made them harder to optimize than men¡¯s uniforms.


    However, this provided a more florid visual display and the designers went beyond simple athletic ability and designed the uniforms to have sex appeal as a form of advertisement. (The sponsor companies¡¯ names were printed on the uniforms.) In some ways, this almost seemed to actually work against the original purpose of the uniforms.


    A female announcer¡¯s voice cut in on all of their piezoelectric receivers.


    ¡°Day one of the women¡¯s shootathlon begins in ten minutes. All participants are to move to their marks.¡±


    (If they¡¯re going to divide it up by sex, I wish they would divide it up by age, too.)


    Perhaps in an attempt to apply pressure, a nearby older Information Alliance woman half-jokingly aimed her rifle at Mariydi. Mariydi ignored her and walked a few meters to the left. As the other woman moved along while peering through her scope, she did not realize she had walked right in front of a camera.


    That was just how sports were.


    Regulars on the same team would constantly try to trip each other up and athletes would taunt each other in what they called psychological attacks. Mariydi wanted to vomit every time she heard someone use the word ¡°sportsmanship¡±. She felt the soldiers on the battlefield who silently exchanged fire were much more sincere.


    She then heard an ally¡¯s voice come in over the piezoelectric receiver on her ear.


    It was from the pharmacist named Stacy.


    ¡°If you have the time, get an autograph for me. I hear Erie Greenhat¡¯s is quite valuable.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for the type to follow the current fads. As an athletics expert, I would have thought you would be used to being around athletes.¡±


    ¡°I find more value in my job if I have a personal objective in it. A collector¡¯s spirit works well for that.¡±


    The bodyguard must have been listening in from next to Stacy, because he cut in.


    ¡°Do you have one from our prized athlete yet? If not, she might get a little sulky.¡±


    ¡°I will get one from Mariydi-chan once she proves herself with some results.¡±


    ¡°Say whatever you like,¡± spat out Mariydi.


    Meanwhile, the time drew near.


    ¡°One more minute.¡±


    She listened to the announcement with a yawn.


    Soon thereafter, the starter pistol was fired.


    The large group began running all at once like water flowing out of a container that had its cap removed. Mariydi went with that flow. Mariydi moved her legs in a rhythm as she felt a tension unlike that of an all-out sprint. It felt more like attempting to stop a stopwatch at exactly 10 seconds without looking.


    She heard Alicia¡¯s stiff voice over her piezoelectric receiver.


    ¡°Your sponsor is watching. Please keep within the leading group.¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid?¡±


    Mariydi gave no explanation for her short response.


    She could have rushed up into first place, but doing so was meaningless.


    (Dammit. This reminds me of my training in the Northern European Restricted Zone when they had us running around the base again and again and again before we were given any breakfast.)


    Her 12 year old appearance made it hard to imagine, but Mariydi was actually a fighter pilot. A pilot had to be able to precisely operate her aircraft while experiencing pressures over 9 times that of Earth¡¯s gravity, so she had needed a body tougher than that of a foot soldier who carried a gun through the hills.


    The main difference between the race and her training was that she could not simply match the others¡¯ pace.


    The trick was to keep her own pace the entire time. To continue with the stopwatch example, she had to continue to trust her internal clock while ignoring the surrounding noise. If she did not do that, her stamina would not last.


    As such, she had to be aware of the movements of those around her while at the same time ensuring that she did not begin moving more quickly as she was drawn into their pace.


    ¡°All the jiggling going on around you is kind of pissing me off.¡±


    ¡°Unless you¡¯re going to help me keep my pace, I¡¯m going to cut off your transmission,¡± replied Mariydi.


    ¡°That sort of thing can actually be used to gather focus from the cameras. Now, we can¡¯t expect that from you, but you may be able to use a different tactic. In addition to simply getting good results, I suggest you create some drama.¡±


    ¡°You mean like pretending to be suffering?¡±


    ¡°This is the Technopics. Gaining 10 seconds of coverage on a single station is the same as a 30,000 dollar advertisement. And each place you move up in the ranks is another 30%.¡±


    ¡°I would be quite the laughingstock if I thought too much about that and ended up falling down in the ranks.¡±


    Eighteen minutes passed as she chatted.


    As she arrived at the first shooting point, Mariydi¡¯s breathing was as regulated as if she was speaking on the phone in a caf¨¦.


    The point was located 7 kilometers from the starting line. A carpet several dozen meters long was spread out across the asphalt. A line of human-shaped targets was set up parallel to but 200 meters away from the carpet. The targets were set up on metal rails and moved about randomly.


    The shooting point doubled as a water stop.


    The athletes in the leading group had already grabbed their own drinks and were lying prone atop the carpet while holding their sniper rifles.


    Mariydi glanced over at them and said, ¡°How elegant. Are they enjoying a vacation?¡±


    She remained standing.


    She held up her sniper rifle while continuing to run at the same speed as the rest of the race.


    Instead of holding her breath and firing one shot at a time, she pulled the trigger again and again in semi-auto mode.


    A string of gunshots rang out.


    Mariydi Whitewitch accurately fired a bullet through the head and chest of every single human-shaped target.


    Her hands were so steady because of the stamina she had preserved over the first leg of the race with the intentional regulation of her pace.


    However, her simple skill as a sharpshooter also played a large role.


    ¡°That should do it.¡±


    As the other athletes looked on in shock, Mariydi continued on to the next leg of the race without taking a drink.


    ¡°That managed to draw a lot of attention,¡± said Alicia.


    However, she was not praising Mariydi.


    ¡°But that left it unclear whether it was due to the abilities of your sponsor¡¯s new rifle or your personal skill. Try not to go too far overboard from now on.¡±


    ¡°Is that really how you cheer on the athlete that just rushed up to first place in an international sporting event?¡±


    Mariydi sounded annoyed, but her pace did not change.


    The old leading group was approaching with incredible force, but Mariydi did not up her pace in an attempt to keep them from overtaking her. Their efforts would only wear down their stamina and lower their shooting accuracy. They would not defeat her in the overall score.


    In fact, Mariydi¡¯s lead had made the old leading group destroy their pace and that would also likely make the others behind them wear down their stamina as well, so it all worked to Mariydi¡¯s advantage.


    (They¡¯re sure to have their trainers and managers yelling at them over their piezoelectric receivers, but that isn¡¯t enough to get your heart rate under control.)


    ¡°I¡¯m glad they¡¯re all so stupid. I guess this really is just a gathering of muscle-obsessed freaks.¡±


    Mariydi was overtaken as she muttered that, but her expression did not change one bit.


    She was in the best area.


    Any lower and a good result would be out of reach. Any higher and she would run out of stamina and lose speed.


    Without letting the apparent order lead her astray, Mariydi Whitewitch continued on towards an assured top-level score.


    Part 3


    In the end, she made 4th place.


    That was towards the upper end for the first day.


    As a holdover from the old international sports competition, the Technopics gave medals to those in the top three spots. For that reason, there was a large gap in value between 3rd place and 4th place.


    ¡°After all your boasting, you failed to end up in the top group,¡± said Alicia while standing tall as Mariydi returned to her locker room. ¡°Your sponsor is lenient, so they may simply overlook this, but be more careful next time.¡±


    ¡°I purposefully gave up a top spot. For today.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°The shootathlon scores are taken from an average of all 3 days. If I had gone all out and stuck with the medal group today, the risk of the others focusing their interference on me in the second day increases. It¡¯s simpler to give up the top spot now and wait for those in the top spots to fall down.¡±


    ¡°I see you thought this through,¡± said her bodyguard with a smile. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like the thinking of a soldier brought in from outside. You¡¯re used to this. Comments like that show you know what people are expecting when they watch the Technopics.¡±


    ¡°Our goal here is to advertise the sponsor¡¯s new rifle. Making things easier for yourself is irrelevant,¡± said Alicia while still standing tall.


    The bodyguard looked at her in amusement and asked, ¡°Have you ever smiled?¡±


    ¡°I supply a superb smile when entertaining sponsors.¡±


    ¡°So your smile is for sale, too?¡± muttered Mariydi. ¡°Anyway, if you have nothing else to discuss with me, I¡¯d like to take a shower.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait!¡± interrupted Stacy the pharmacist. ¡°Can I take some samples to check for doping now? Otherwise the sweat can be a pain to get.¡±


    ¡°What else do you need?¡±


    ¡°Hair, saliva, blood, urine.¡±


    As Stacy enumerated the various samples, Mariydi scratched through her hair with one hand. She preferred to deal with that kind of annoying thing after she had a chance to wash away her sticky sweat.


    Stacy then held out a paper cup while trying to suppress a smile.


    ¡°Young lady, do you need me to help by holding one leg up from behind?¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Mariydi¡¯s face reddened a bit and she grabbed the cup. The bodyguard watched on with a confused look.


    ¡°The rules on doping have been relaxed quite a bit, so is there really any reason for a detailed examination after the event?¡±


    ¡°This is not meant to restrict anything. It is just checking to make sure she is not using anything more than what she registered before the event. Mixing any kind of drug into the drinks during the event is banned.¡±


    As she spoke, Stacy placed a large tag-like sheet on top of Mariydi¡¯s tongue, removed the long glove-like part of her flight jacket, and attached something like tape to her elbow. The tape was not retrieving sweat; it was retrieving blood from her capillaries.


    She then used a cotton ball held by tweezers to absorb some sweat from around her neck and pulled out a single golden hair.


    As this process was performed on her, Mariydi spoke to the bodyguard.


    ¡°Now that I have entered the group with a chance at victory, you should assume the other athletes and their supporters will try to interfere. From here on out, the true face of the athlete soldier will show itself.¡±


    ¡°I will do my very best to protect you as long as my pay is enough to cover what that entails.¡±


    The instant after the bodyguard made that promise, the lights in the locker room shut off and they were wrapped in darkness.


    Mariydi Whitewitch did not just look up at the lights on the ceiling. This was not a power outage caused by lightning. Her bodyguard did not need to push her to the floor. She immediately grabbed the long glove-like part of her suit sitting on the bench and jumped to the floor herself.


    Repeated high-pitched explosive noises and flashes of lights came in through the slightly-cracked door.


    This was much worse for the heart than lightning.


    ¡°Gunfire... Looks like the welcome party has begun already!!¡± said Mariydi as she reattached the glove-like part of her suit.


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look like this one is for us,¡± said the bodyguard.


    The lights had indeed gone out and the gunfire was still continuing, but no attackers had charged into Mariydi¡¯s room and no bullets were flying into the room.


    Alicia was likely still standing tall in the darkness as she said, ¡°The power for the athlete locker rooms are separated by block. Our power was likely taken out as a side effect of taking out their target¡¯s power.¡±


    ¡°Well, this kind of thing is common at the Technopics,¡± said the pharmacist Stacy who was the calmest of them all as she was used to this type of competition.


    Still on the floor, Mariydi started crawling towards the door that was the only exit.


    Her bodyguard immediately asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Can you see in this darkness?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the sensors on my rifle.¡±


    ¡°Then come with me.¡±


    Mariydi pressed up against the wall next to the door. She had received training on how to let her eyes adjust to the darkness, but the repeated muzzle flashes were making it take longer than she had expected. Complete darkness would have been preferable.


    After she heard loud footsteps head past the door, Mariydi peered out of the open door and into the passageway.


    The passageway had doors leading to identical locker rooms lined up along it. Three doors down from Mariydi¡¯s room, several men were gathered. She could tell they were firing their guns into the room.


    Due to the darkness, she could only see the outlines of the attackers when they fired. Mariydi paid special attention to the guns the attackers held.


    (Those are semi-auto shotguns with a 9mm full-auto machine handgun forcibly attached to the bottom of the barrel. That¡¯s a Legitimacy Kingdom-style indoor suppression weapon. The shotgun is used to destroy walls or doors to secure an invasion route, and a spray of 9mm bullets is used to kill the target.)


    ¡°Damn. The afterimage is burned into my eyes,¡± muttered Mariydi as she pulled her head back into the room and leaned up against the wall next to the door. ¡°Who¡¯s in the room three to the right of here?¡±


    ¡°Erie Greenhat of the Information Alliance¡¯s Chesapeake district.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one that got the top spot in the first day of the shootathlon. Any idea why people with Legitimacy Kingdom equipment would be attacking her?¡±


    ¡°A Legitimacy Kingdom athlete finished the first day in 13th place. The odds of her making it into the top 3 no matter how well she does in the next two days are almost nonexistent, but she could have a chance if those in the top positions are taken out of the running.¡±


    (Well, there are other people who would want the top person taken out of the running. And there¡¯s no guarantee that they would simply use their own equipment for the attack. We don¡¯t have enough information to know for sure who these attackers are.)


    Gunfire rang out.


    However, this was different from the previous gunfire. These gunshots were deeper. It was likely coming from Information Alliance assault rifles.


    (...But they¡¯re at the disadvantage.)


    ¡°Get away from the door,¡± said the bodyguard. ¡°The attackers are only after Erie Greenhat of the Information Alliance. As you predicted, the top competitor is being targeted. If we don¡¯t make any stupid moves, we won¡¯t get wrapped up in this. Look. This passageway is lined with locker rooms like a student apartment building. Each of the athletes in those locker rooms has a bodyguard force, but none of them are coming out. Coming out would just lead to everyone fighting amongst themselves, so they have all been told to stay uninvolved. That¡¯s just how things work here.¡±


    ¡°...Can we really be so relaxed about this?¡± Mariydi cracked the door once more and looked out into the passageway. ¡°The closest exit from this building is the back exit right next to the locker room currently being attacked. It¡¯s a long way out of our way to any other exit. Our escape has been cut off. If this battle falls into further confusion, we could get caught up in the firefight.¡±


    ¡°We do not need to get out,¡± said Alicia. ¡°Each athlete locker room has a small shelter prepared inside. They are covered in 80 cm of composite armor, so they can withstand 2 or 3 shots from a smoothbore tank gun.¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe in that myth of safety? If it was true, the Information Alliance bodyguards wouldn¡¯t be putting up such a fight,¡± said Mariydi with a cynical smile. ¡°The ducts present a major issue.¡±


    ¡°The ducts are only 20 cm across. I do not see how an attacker could climb in through one. Also, the ducts take a complicated series of bends so a grenade cannot reach the shelter even if it is thrown in.¡±


    ¡°But as long as there is a path in for air, explosive blasts and shockwaves can get through. It¡¯s the same principle as with a ship¡¯s speaking tube or a stethoscope. And when the shockwave passes through the duct and to the shelter, the pressure will crush the organs of any human within. ...I¡¯m sure my bodyguard could explain it in more detail.¡±


    When the bodyguard was mentioned, a sigh could be heard in the darkness.


    ¡°Well, that would be why the Information Alliance bodyguards are working so hard to defend the locker room. The duct coming from the shelter only connects there.¡±


    ¡°That does not matter,¡± replied Alicia immediately. ¡°The attackers are only after Erie Greenhat. There may be a risk of being hit by a stray bullet, but they have no reason to persistently target us after we flee into the shelter. I recommend we hurry up and get to the shelter.¡±


    ¡°You can go hide there alone if you want.¡±


    ¡°It will not open without your fingerprint and retina data. That ensures the attackers cannot force it open. And the emergency power for the lock is contained within the shelter itself.¡±


    ¡°Alicia, do you have life insurance?¡±


    ¡°I have the Platinum Course from the Blue Area Company.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re in luck. Their payment for dying in an international terrorist attack is more than you could ever hope to earn in a lifetime. From a Capitalist Corporations point of view, that¡¯s quite a wonderful way to die.¡±


    ¡°I only have it to help with hospitalization as I have no partner for the payment to go to when I die.¡±


    ¡°...That isn¡¯t something to say with pride,¡± muttered Mariydi. ¡°Also, there is no reason for the attackers to stick with Greenhat of the Information Alliance. They¡¯re just trying to move their athlete up in the ranks, remember? If they have too much trouble with attacking Greenhat, they could always change their target to someone else higher in the ranks. ...Like me in 4th place.¡±


    ¡°Enough excuses,¡± interrupted Alicia as she stood tall. ¡°You are trying to find something to convince us. Personally, you are enraged at the attack on Erie Greenhat. In a way, you are trying to head back into the danger you avoided because Greenhat is a civilian. Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The Technopics being held here in Olympia Dome are a presentation of the technology race between the Capitalist Corporations, the Information Alliance, the Legitimacy Kingdom, and the Faith Organization, as well as a proxy war to let the people of those world powers vent their nationalistic anger. Participating as a representative of your nation is no different from being sent off to the battlefield in an Object like a pilot Elite. It said precisely that on the contract you signed, did it not?¡±


    A military Elite and a representative athlete both had the same technology used to develop their bodies.


    The only difference was whether they used an Object or not.


    For that reason, the Technopics were often viewed as a war in a different form.


    But...


    ¡°...The athletes are the same as soldiers, hm?¡± Mariydi gave a mocking smile. ¡°These people who donate to war victims based on how many medals they win? These people who truly think that will bring happiness to the world? ...Ridiculous. Only people who have never seen true war could think that.¡±


    ¡°Just like Miss Alicia, I disagree with you,¡± said the bodyguard. ¡°Erie Greenhat¡¯s situation is not the issue here. My job is to protect you, so I have no reason to protect any other athlete. I get charged for breach of contract even if you run out on your own and get hurt, so this is scaring me.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Mariydi checked over the handgun in her hand with practiced movements. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just be borrowing this.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Hey, wait a second! When did you pull that from my holster!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care either way.¡± Stacy must have experienced this kind of thing in the past because she was the only one that did not seem particularly bothered by the situation. ¡°But only if I get to sell you something. How about you use a muscle builder before charging out into that gunfire? I also have painkillers and anxiolytics.¡±


    ¡°Give me some normal bandages and disinfectant.¡±


    With that request, Mariydi peered out into the passageway with the handgun in one hand.


    The familiar scent of gunfire wafted her way.


    It was the scent of the non-clean battlefields that were not left to Objects.


    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s time to taste the true thrill of this peaceful festival.¡±


    Part 4


    The passageway ran in a straight line and Erie Greenhat¡¯s athlete locker room was located at a corner of the passageway. The back door was also near that corner, but anyone who tried to make a run for it would be turned to Swiss cheese by the 5 or 6 attackers.


    The distance from Mariydi¡¯s door to the attackers was about 30 meters.


    (What idiots. They¡¯re so focused on Greenhat¡¯s locker room that they¡¯re leaving their backs wide open.)


    And she had no reason to hold back.


    Mariydi leaned out from the door and relentlessly pulled the handgun¡¯s trigger.


    Gunshots rang out and about three of the attackers collapsed. The remaining Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers frantically dashed around the corner to avoid the bullets, but Mariydi kept up the attack.


    She darted out the door and ran down the passageway.


    Before the attackers could poke their heads out once more, Mariydi arrived at the corner they were using for cover.


    (If there is nothing but another straight passageway around the corner, they won¡¯t have much to use for cover. If I keep firing while they are lost in confusion, I can finish this all at once!!)


    But in the next instant, she heard a metallic noise come from the side.


    It was coming from Erie Greenhat¡¯s locker room.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Mariydi immediately dove to the ground and assault rifle fire swept across at about waist height in the next instant. Bullets flew from the broken door and struck the opposite wall of the passageway causing sparks to fly.


    At first, Mariydi thought a Legitimacy Kingdom attacker that had made it within the locker room had fired.


    But she was wrong.


    (Those are Greenhat¡¯s Information Alliance bodyguards!!)


    But that was their standard job. Mariydi was the one stepping out of the normal bounds and she did not exactly have the time to give a leisurely explanation. It was only natural for them to think she was another enemy.


    In other words, this was the type of job that was simply not worth doing. The same as she had experienced so many times in the Northern European Restricted Zone.


    The Information Alliance men turned their sights on Mariydi once more, but they did not pull the trigger.


    Mariydi¡¯s bodyguard who had chased after her fired a short burst of rifle bullets into the locker room as warning shots while shouting at the other bodyguards.


    ¡°You useless bastards! Even if you can¡¯t protect your client, at least don¡¯t get in the way!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you came with me?¡±


    ¡°I demanded Miss Alicia pay me extra for this, but she refused.¡±


    As they spoke, the two began their next action.


    The enemy would be around the corner of the passageway. It would not be difficult to finish off the attackers while they had little cover and were panicking. With that in mind, Mariydi and the bodyguard poked as little of themselves around the corner as possible and fired.


    But the remaining attackers were not left sinking into puddles of blood.


    The bullets ricocheted away with orange sparks flying.


    An 8-wheeled armored vehicle had crashed through the thin external wall and acted as a shield for the attackers.


    ¡°Tch. Another Legitimacy Kingdom brand! Why do they even have one of these on Olympia Dome!?¡±


    ¡°They could probably get an application approved if they said it was to safely transport the athlete. Even with that 30mm autocannon installed!!¡±


    Just as the two of them frantically ducked back around the corner of the passageway, the autocannon installed on the top of its roof let out an explosive roar.


    Mariydi tackled the bodyguard to the ground just before the corner they had been using as cover was smashed to pieces.


    ¡°We need to fall back! An assault rifle isn¡¯t enough to shoot through that armor!!¡±


    Mariydi grabbed various pieces of gear from the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers she had shot with the handgun before and then ran down the straight passageway. The bodyguard followed behind her.


    The passageways for the athlete locker rooms were laid out in a grid pattern and the rooms themselves were arranged in 2x5 blocks of 10 rooms. Mariydi and the bodyguard circled around the block to reach another corner to escape the autocannon fire.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t pursuing us.¡±


    ¡°Their top priority is Erie Greenhat. They probably want to finish this before Olympia Dome ¡®intercedes¡¯.¡±


    The armored vehicle had thinner armor than a tank, so it could be penetrated with the explosives or shells small enough for a foot soldier to use. They may have feared a trap if they followed enemy soldiers around a corner.


    But then, this was not a target that Mariydi and the bodyguard absolutely had to defeat.


    The bodyguard asked, ¡°What do we do? If it uses that 30mm autocannon, they will take control of Erie Greenhat¡¯s locker room in no time at all.¡±


    ¡°We blow up that armored vehicle of course. And we even have something we can use to do so,¡± said Mariydi as she took the equipment she had taken from the dead soldiers and laid it out on the ground.


    She had a handgun, a semi-auto shotgun, a grenade launcher, and...


    ¡°Propeller-style RPG warheads.¡±


    ¡°The honor student of anti-armor weapons. And that armored vehicle did not have explosive reactive armor.¡±


    ¡°But these are just the warheads. They¡¯re just the part on the end that explodes. They need the propellant to be fired like an arrow.¡±


    That type of weapon came in several different types, but this was the type that required a launcher that one held over one¡¯s shoulder and two 30cm stick-shaped propulsion attachments in addition to the warhead. In other words, it would not fly without those sticks.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to fly. Its fuse is pressure activated. It will detonate when something impacts the end. It will detonate if we pull out the safety pin and throw it.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯re going to go stand in front of that 30mm autocannon?¡± The bodyguard frowned. ¡°How far can you throw it by hand? The passageway ceiling is low, so you can¡¯t throw it in a long arc like a long throw in baseball. Also, the warhead is not round like a ball.¡±


    ¡°True. Thirty meters is probably the limit by hand.¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. You¡¯ll be blown away if you just poke your head around the corner at that range. And it won¡¯t just be the part you stick around the corner that gets blown away. The entire wall around you will be blown to pieces. In and of itself, I don¡¯t care if you go off and die, but I have to keep you from leaving me in breach of contract.¡±


    ¡°That just means we have to use a different method.¡±


    (...It¡¯s about 750 grams.)


    Mariydi grabbed one of the warhead that were shaped like slim rugby balls to check on its weight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing your rifle.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t swipe my weapons anymore.¡±


    ¡°Just hand it over. Oh, and take apart some bullets to make some blanks,¡± said Mariydi causing the bodyguard to frown. ¡°A blank won¡¯t fire an actual bullet, but everything else is the same as a real bullet. It produces the combustion gas from the gunpowder and the energy that pushes the bullet out is still there. In other words, if a blank is fired while the RPG warhead is affixed to the rifle barrel, it can be fired further than is possible by hand.¡±


    A screw-like protrusion meant for the stick-shaped propulsion attachments stuck out of the bottom of the RPG warhead. It could be affixed to the rifle by sticking that down the barrel.


    If a real bullet was used, the warhead would be destroyed while still attached to the barrel. That was why a blank was needed.


    ¡°This method was used in the old wars before Objects. But it puts a lot of stress on the rifles, so the firearm companies didn¡¯t like it much.¡±


    ¡°What range can you get using that?¡±


    ¡°With a high-angle trajectory like a long throw in baseball, two to three hundred meters.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget we¡¯re stuck in a narrow passageway?¡±


    ¡°The locker room building is a large one-story building. And a portion of the ceiling was destroyed along with the wall when the armored vehicle crashed in. There is a large hole right above the target. That means we can get a direct hit if we fire the warhead out of one hole in the ceiling, through the sky, and back down through the second hole above the armored vehicle. Right?¡±


    ¡°The armored vehicle may have opened that second hole, but where is this first one?¡± asked the bodyguard.


    Mariydi grabbed the military semi-auto shotgun from the spoils of war she had lined up on the floor. She aimed it upwards and pulled the trigger repeatedly.


    A roar that reverberated in the gut rang out and a 1 meter square hole opened up in the ceiling.


    ¡°Done.¡±


    ¡°You people from the Northern European Restricted Zone don¡¯t take no for an answer, do you? Here are your blanks.¡±


    Mariydi took a few blank cartridges from the bodyguard and handed him the sensors and scope she had removed from the rifle.


    ¡°You can use the scope as a monitor for the electronic sensors. Set it up at the corner of the passageway. Stick just the sensors and camera out to safely keep an eye on the armored vehicle.¡±


    ¡°...You aren¡¯t going to make this easy for me, are you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a radio, so we will communicate using the flashing of our lights.¡±


    ¡°At least give me a weapon to replace the rifle.¡±


    The bodyguard grabbed the shotgun Mariydi had just used and ran off into the dark passageway. Meanwhile, Mariydi lined up the five RPG warheads at her feet.


    After a bit, a white light flashed down the passageway.


    ¡°The armored vehicle is stopped in the same place as before.¡±


    With that confirmation, Mariydi aimed the rifle straight up with an RPG warhead attached to the end. She pulled out the safety pin on the end of the warhead, looked up at the large hole in the ceiling, and carefully pulled the trigger.


    A muffled gunshot rang out and the RPG warhead flew through the night sky like a long throw in baseball.


    After about 5 seconds, a vibration and explosive roar shook the entire building.


    The light down the dark passageway flashed once more.


    ¡°You missed! It did not fall right on the hole above the armored vehicle. You only blew up the ceiling in a completely different place!!¡±


    ¡°This is a high-angle trajectory shot. The wind, temperature, humidity, and path of the combustion gas can cause errors in where it lands. I never thought I would hit with the first one,¡± said Mariydi in a code that used quick flashes of her light. ¡°Where did that first shot land?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Tell me exactly where the first shot landed! Then I can finish this!!¡±


    ¡°It landed 5 meters south of the armored vehicle!! That¡¯s past its location from our perspective. It hasn¡¯t moved! But what are you going to do!?¡±


    Even with the representative of the high-angle trajectory, the mortar, the first shot almost never hit. The first shot was used as a basis for the calculations. The difference between the target and where it actually landed was calculated and the target was then aimed at after correcting for that difference.


    Mariydi quickly loaded the next warhead in the rifle and aimed the barrel up.


    (5 meters south, hm?)


    She pulled the trigger and fired the warhead through the large hole and into the night sky.


    ¡°This one fell outside. It was most likely 3 meters to the northwest!! But that¡¯s just an estimation based on where the wall collapsed!¡±


    She fired again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see where it landed from here. But from the direction the dust is blowing in from, I would say 7 to 10 meters to the west! 7 meters to the west!! Dammit. The dust is blowing in on me!! Are you sure you can manage this!?¡±


    ¡°...I can, little boy,¡± muttered Mariydi audibly without bothering to use the light.


    She loaded the next warhead. The more data she had, the more accurately she could correct for the errors. For that reason, her failures were not going to waste.


    And she fired that final shot.


    The warhead was swallowed up by the night sky and accurately detonated after about 5 seconds.


    This explosion sounded different. The sound was deeper and a flickering orange light faintly lit up the area down the passageway.


    The armored vehicle¡¯s fuel had been ignited.


    The bodyguard flashed his light back.


    ¡°The armored vehicle has been destroyed!!¡±


    ¡°You keep your gun aimed around that corner. I¡¯ll use a different route. If we fire from two directions into an L-bend of the passageway, we can finish this up all at once.¡±


    Part 5


    The loss of the armored vehicle sealed the fate of the Legitimacy Kingdom attackers.


    Mariydi used the rifle to shoot the ones who still tried to resist while the wiser ones fled outside using the broken outer wall.


    The building¡¯s lights finally recovered.


    Standing in the bright white light, the bodyguard asked, ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. If we pursue them, they may put up a desperate resistance,¡± replied Mariydi as she returned the rifle and handgun to the bodyguard.


    The passageway was soaking wet thanks to the sprinklers that had activated either due to the smoke from the blazing armored vehicle or due to the RPG, but the water was not actually reaching the area near the armored vehicle as the ceiling had collapsed there. Orange flames could still be seen flickering.


    ¡°How is Erie Greenhat of the Information Alliance?¡±


    ¡°...Not too good,¡± replied the bodyguard as he peered through the broken door to the locker room.


    A girl covered in blood lay collapsed in the middle of the room.


    She looked to be in her late teens. Instead of a special suit that covered the full body like Mariydi¡¯s, she wore a standard running outfit with a separate top and bottom. This left her midriff visible, but a dark red hole could be seen on her side there.


    A blood trail as if she had crawled led from the shelter farther back in the room.


    Mariydi grimaced.


    ¡°...Was she shot before she made it into the shelter?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t with the shotgun. The Legitimacy Kingdom was using the shotgun for destroying obstacles and a machine handgun for people. She was likely hit with the 9mm. The bullet had its hardness increased with devitroceramics.¡±


    ¡°So the bullet wasn¡¯t soft? Why?¡±


    ¡°To have them here, they must be for special missions. Killing may not be their only use. They may have been manufactured for capturing VIPs as well.¡±


    (So there may still be a chance of saving her.)


    Mariydi spoke to the Information Alliance soldiers looking after Erie Greenhat.


    ¡°Did the bullet exit her?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Just leave us alone!! We don¡¯t have time to chat. We¡¯ll accept your interference in the firefight, but don¡¯t interfere any further!!¡±


    They neither thanked Mariydi nor apologized for when they had aimed at her.


    But Mariydi had not expected them to do either. They were soldiers from a different world power. Their relationship did not go beyond killing one another for no real reason if they ran into each other on the battlefield. And so Mariydi let it slide.


    ¡°I asked you if the bullet exited her.¡±


    ¡°So what if it did!? The bullet is no longer in her, but she¡¯s bleeding badly. The wound is large and we couldn¡¯t look after her while she was in the shelter, so she¡¯s lost a lot of blood already. Can¡¯t you see that we have no time to spare here!?¡±


    ¡°You can do more than simply holding a balled up cloth against the wound.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    The Information Alliance bodyguards looked confused and Mariydi pointed at the locker room bench. More specifically, she pointed at the large cooler bag sitting on it that contained doping equipment.


    ¡°She is a Technopic athlete, so she probably has blood prepared for a time-delayed transfusion. That blood is intended to increase the amount of oxygen transported through the body by increasing the amount of blood, but can¡¯t it also be used to restore lost blood like a normal transfusion?¡±


    Part 6


    ¡°I cannot believe you,¡± muttered Alicia while standing tall.


    She spoke to Mariydi as soon as the girl returned to her own locker room.


    ¡°This was the perfect opportunity to have someone higher than you in the ranks knocked out of the running without dirtying your hands, so why would you dirty your hands to destroy that opportunity? I simply cannot understand the thought process behind that.¡±


    ¡°Either way, she won¡¯t be able to participate in the next two days of the event with that wound.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you even get involved?¡± said Alicia as she checked on something using her handheld device. ¡°Your unnecessary actions have only increased the risk of direct attack from the Legitimacy Kingdom or whoever was using their equipment. This could have a negative effect on the remaining days of the event. ...Please be extra careful to ensure that the sponsor¡¯s new rifle is not given a bad image.¡±


    Mariydi gave a mischievous smile at that usual warning.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t they sell their rifle based on some tragic story of its true abilities never being seen due to cowardly interference?¡±


    ¡°...We cannot have baseless rumors starting about how all of its users end up dead.¡±


    As Alicia simply could not take a joke, Mariydi Whitewitch ignored her and looked up towards the ceiling.


    As the sportswear, shoes, and physical development used had progressed, that international sports competition had lost the sportsmanship it used to have.


    It was now a technological race between the world powers as well as a proxy war that let the people vent their nationalistic frustrations.


    The various types of interference carried out behind the scenes were tacitly seen as a part of the entertainment.


    The Technopics being held on the giant manmade island of Olympia Dome would invite in even more blood and war.


    Enemy Forces 1


    A number of rental storehouses larger than a university lecture hall were lined up along the outermost edge on one side of the fried-egg-shaped Olympia Dome. They were not harbor facilities. Instead, they were used to hold civilian helicopters. Olympia Dome was cruising in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, so the amount of helicopter fuel needed to reach a continent was not all that large. For safety reasons, the helicopters were only used when Olympia Dome was within 500 kilometers of a continent. For that reason, the facilities were almost entirely deserted given Olympia Dome¡¯s current location.


    Yet even though the rental storehouses had no real use at present, around a dozen people were gathered in one.


    They had large radio equipment and several monitors. They had firearms, explosives, and even armored vehicles. This was not simply a storage area for weaponry. The bentos and ready-made food packages scattered about made one suspect the people were living there for the moment.


    One member, Iris Aggravation, turned around while using her supple feminine fingers to operate a computer.


    ¡°We have picked up on a skirmish related to the shootathlon. The Legitimacy Kingdom attacked the Information Alliance. Oddly enough, the Capitalist Corporations interfered.¡±


    ¡°This is the Technopics. We expected this much.¡±


    A woman with blonde hair and brown skin named Ramil Scofflaw peered at the screen from behind Iris.


    Iris quickly moved her fingers and a few more windows opened.


    ¡°But three forces exchanging blows at once is a major development. We cannot have more trouble than necessary at this stage. We have yet to bring about the Blank.¡±


    ¡°Will this affect anything?¡±


    ¡°It is unlikely, but the security of the overall competition could be increased. If we could create antagonism between Olympia Dome and the athlete¡¯s bodyguards, we could stop both of them though.¡±


    ¡°No. Any interference from us could reveal our existence too soon.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°The Blank is just a means to an end. It is not our ultimate objective. Do not forget what our real goal is. We will carry the risk when it truly matters.¡± Ramil glanced at the screen. ¡°This was the Capitalist Corporations interfering with a Legitimacy Kingdom attack on the Information Alliance, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Dig for further details. Once we have those, we can determine whether we can use this or not.¡±

 Volume 5, 2

    Volume 5, Chapter 2


    Part 1


    The Technopic Village was prepared in in the space surrounding the dome-shaped stadium. Calling it a ¡°village¡± was a vestige of the international competition of an older era. It was not really that different from a standard high-rise resort hotel.


    Mariydi¡¯s bodyguard spoke to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I didn¡¯t take you for the type to get glued to the TV like this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested in the results of the women¡¯s 50 meter.¡±


    Her interest did not come from newly-found nationalism. She was holding what looked like movie tickets in one hand.


    ¡°Did you bet on it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s to pay for the fraud protection, but even a single bet is expensive.¡±


    That meant this was not some private gamble. She had officially purchased that gambling ticket from Olympia Dome.


    But as she watched the sports news digest, Mariydi pouted her lips in displeasure and threw the tickets down on the table.


    ¡°What!? How did they get a faster time than 4.77 seconds on a 50 meter sprint!?¡±


    ¡°Everyone with any sense has been choosing the queen of sprinting ever since the qualifiers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you barely win anything for betting on her. That¡¯s why I was betting on the top time.¡±


    The black athlete who won gold had a time of 4.74 seconds, and other miraculous times in the 4 second range lined up after hers. Of course, humans could not run that quickly under their own power. Those abnormal records were achieved by overcoming the limits of humanity with their sportswear, shoes, and the drugs they were taking.


    With no more use for it, Mariydi left the TV and started wandering through the large hotel room.


    She seemed more annoyed at having wasted money at all than at the specific amount she had lost.


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t stand near the windows.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s polarized glass, so no one can see me from outside,¡± replied Mariydi as she looked out over the night scenery.


    Her bodyguard sank into the sofa and shrugged.


    ¡°You need to relax more,¡± he said.


    ¡°So do you. You look more restless than when we were travelling here from the stadium.¡±


    ¡°As your bodyguard, I can¡¯t help but feel high-rise buildings like this are dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Almost everyone who would try to attack me is allied with another athlete. When we¡¯re all gathered in this one spot, they lose the option to blow up the entire building. You could say our safety is guaranteed by everyone taking everyone else hostage.¡±


    ¡°If it was really that simple, my pay would not be so high.¡±


    ¡°By the way.¡± Mariydi finally turned around. ¡°How long are you planning to stay in here? Alicia and Stacy have already returned to their rooms. Don¡¯t tell me you plan to watch me all night long in the name of protecting me.¡±


    ¡°I am simply following my contract. Since I have to be in a girl¡¯s room, I would personally prefer one with a more glamorous body.¡± The bodyguard shrugged while still sitting on the couch. ¡°I was hired to stay here until midnight. After that, I will remain on standby outside your room. Simple, right? But simple as it may be, I will be charged for breaking my contract if I do not follow those rules. So just put up with me being here for a little longer.¡±


    ¡°...Why do I get the feeling you¡¯re going to be waking me up in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t have to do anything else until you head out for breakfast. If you need someone to wake you, you should hire a maid.¡±


    Mariydi lightly clicked her tongue and looked back at the night scenery outside the window.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised Olympia Dome did not do more to intervene,¡± she said.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The attack on Erie Greenhat. Even if the individual athletes and the organizations they belong to have bodyguards, Olympia Dome is supposed to put a stop to incidents like that.¡±


    The attack had been carried out by bodyguards who were supposed to be protecting an athlete, but the management at Olympia Dome had to have known what was going on.


    While still relaxing on the couch, the bodyguard said, ¡°They have their own issues to deal with. Plus, they don¡¯t want to put their own lives in danger by getting more involved than they have to.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Most of Olympia Dome¡¯s military force is made up of UAVs and UUVs. It¡¯s almost all unmanned. Given that, you can guess how little the few actual soldiers would want to go out and fight, right?¡±


    ¡°But they definitely go all out when it comes to equipment,¡± spat out Mariydi as she pointed out into the night scenery.


    She was not pointing at the artificial land.


    She was pointing into the pitch black ocean spreading out beyond it. Lights from ships larger than aircraft carriers could be seen encroaching into what should have been empty night.


    ¡°Look at those giant transformer ships. I think they¡¯re called Ocean Substations. The actual power generation is carried out by satellites in orbit and then sent to the ships via microwaves. The power is then converted into a laser and sent to the dome where it provides energy for the various types of unmanned weapons.¡±


    ¡°Power generating satellites, hm?¡±


    ¡°They generate solar power from outside the earth¡¯s atmosphere. For a while, they were being hailed as the saviors of the earth from global warming, but the use of the technology waned because the large surface area increases the risk of striking orbital debris. And since the solar panels that were struck by debris just became more debris cluttering things up in orbit, there has even been some talk of restricting their use under international law. It really is a roundabout way of going all out.¡±


    The transformation facilities themselves required power to function.


    The Ocean Substations secured that power by mining methane hydrate and using it as fuel for gas turbines.


    The reason that was not enough for the primary power generation was because the amount of power required was ridiculously huge.


    ¡°They have their reasons,¡± said the man. ¡°They generate the power off the island and send it to Olympia Dome via laser. Then the island¡¯s normal power network brings power to the dome where smaller lasers send power out to recharge the various types of unmanned weapons.¡± As the bodyguard spoke as if reading from a textbook, he shook his head. ¡°Do you see why the management goes to such lengths to keep the power generation outside the dome itself? They could easily generate the power here, but they don¡¯t. By generating the power for the unmanned weaponry outside of the dome, they are trying to show that Olympia Dome has very little military value. That way it will not be targeted by Objects.¡±


    Also, there was a danger of the microwaves having a negative effect on computers or the unmanned weaponry if they were sent directly to Olympia Dome from the satellites.


    Some claimed it also had an effect on the human body, but no scientific basis for those claims had ever been proven. However, Olympia Dome was in the service business. Even groundless fears could prevent people from coming, so they would avoid that whenever possible.


    That was why the microwaves were sent down to the sea away from Olympia Dome and then the power was sent via laser.


    ¡°So having too much of a military force would be dangerous, but this way they can also take action in an emergency, hm?¡±


    ¡°And the bodyguard business did not have to decline,¡± commented the bodyguard.


    ¡°At any rate,¡± said Mariydi as she motionlessly stared at the giant transformer ships in the distance. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to overcome any more trouble on our own.¡±


    Part 2


    The Bifr?st Arch was one of Olympia Dome¡¯s most famous sightseeing spots. It was a collection of seven parallel arch-shaped metal bridges spanning a giant canal that jutted inland. Its name came from the fact that they were lit up at night each with a different color giving a total of 7 lights.


    Bifr?st was a rainbow bridge appearing in Norse mythology.


    It had been designed primarily to provide that sight at night rather than with practicality in mind, so the bridges were built quite close together. When they were all lit up, people often mistook the seven separate bridges for one large bridge.


    It was a well-known spot for people to gather if the international sports competition was not enough for them, but there were a surprising number of people there for so late at night when almost everyone stayed in a hotel. This was due to some tabloid-style information websites publishing strange data about how it was the perfect spot for a couple to naturally begin an embrace.


    A woman was leaning on the handrail of the walking area on the Bifr?st Arch.


    She was Stacy the pharmacist.


    Alicia stood tall next to her.


    She looked suspiciously down at the solid bridge beneath her feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s shaking. Is that because this is an artificial island?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that poorly made.¡± Stacy was more accustomed to Olympia Dome, so she was grinning. ¡°The visitors are just making too much of a commotion. When you have tens of thousands of people running around, a seismometer can pick it up. The last winter games were especially amazing.¡±


    ¡°...But all of the events are over by this time of night.¡±


    ¡°This is from people getting excited with a beer mug in one hand while watching the recorded and edited digests. I hear they have power generation panels set up under the floors of the club halls.¡±


    This level of excitement was for events that they already knew the results for. It had to be even crazier during live broadcasts and in the stadium stands.


    However, the Technopics¡¯s ability to draw customers was not what Alicia was there to discuss.


    She was solely focused on the monetary transactions she was in charge of.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    Stacy held a cocktail glass in her right hand. She had made the cocktail herself using the ingredients in the cooler at her feet.


    The bright lights around them made it impossible to tell what color the cocktail was as Stacy sipped at it.


    With no expression on her face, Alicia replied, ¡°About Mariydi Whitewitch.¡±


    ¡°She is still within acceptable bounds, isn¡¯t she?¡± After finishing off the contents of the glass, Stacy placed the cocktail glass on the ground and started rummaging through the cooler. ¡°The Technopics are always wrapped in greed and intrigue, so attacks and other forms of interference are not exactly rare. And when such incidents happen, you often get athletes fighting back.¡±


    ¡°If it had been an attack against her, I would understand. But she took action to help an Information Alliance athlete.¡±


    ¡°I doubt you could ever get her to admit that. But it was an incident that will probably make her autograph more valuable.¡±


    ¡°The type that empathizes with others is dangerous. If she goes easy on an opponent after hearing their situation, her actions could negatively affect all of us supporting her.¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Stacy smiled as she shook the shaker she held in both hands. ¡°But she seems like the type that views competitions as cut off from all that. She would be the type that does not allow those things to affect her decision when she has to kill them in battle.¡±


    ¡°I certainly hope you are right.¡±


    ¡°Well, she is the military type,¡± said Stacy lightly as she poured the liquid from the shaker and into the glass. As she dropped in a skewered pearl onion for decoration, she spoke as if the topic at hand had nothing to do with her. ¡°Also, she is the strange kind of person that continues to excel as an ace pilot even in this age of Objects. Mariydi Whitewitch is the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Ice Girl 1. And it isn¡¯t just her. There is also the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Burning Alpha and the Faith Organization¡¯s Rocket Icarus. For the most part, all of those aces who continue in this age hold the same ideal in their hearts: the desire to fly even if it means they must go against the common thinking of the age. It is only natural for her to run counter to the normal thinking here as well.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Surely you looked into this new partner ahead of time. You have seen Ice Girl 1¡¯s records, right?¡±


    Stacy brought the edge of the glass to her lips.


    Still standing tall, Alicia said, ¡°She has frequently disobeyed orders in the past. But every time it resulted in her ultimately being praised for her actions.¡±


    ¡°It must be that cute side of her that keeps the Sky Blue PMC air force from letting her go. ...Normally, a Capitalist Corporations soldier would never think of risking being thrown into the detention barracks by intercepting a cruise missile that was ¡®accidentally¡¯ fired at a safe country city.¡± Stacy smiled as she lightly shook the cocktail glass. ¡°But it is true that no method is perfect for all situations, so surely she is a better option than some thickheaded muscular idiot, right? They say someone who listens to the opinions of others will live longer, but you also need to know how to manage that information.¡±


    ¡°I tried speaking with her to figure out how she thinks.¡±


    ¡°...You can be that sociable?¡±


    ¡°It looks like this will be difficult as I cannot figure out what she wants. She does not seem interested in fame and she has shown no real fixation on the rewards from her sponsors. If I do not know what her goal is, I will have difficulty controlling her in that way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± said Stacy as she brought the edge of the cocktail glass back to her lips. ¡°At that age, kids can get a bit obsessed with justice.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°She came all the way from the long, drawn-out war in the Northern European Restricted Zone to take part in this farce of a festival. From that, it seems obvious there is something here she wants that she could not get there. And since she risked her life to save an athlete from another world power, she does not seem interested simply in the results of the event or in a medal.¡±


    ¡®Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°Productivity.¡± Stacy grabbed the plastic skewer between two fingers and bit the pearl onion off. ¡°If she wants something she cannot obtain by fighting and killing, don¡¯t you think that might be it? A record, a high placement, or a medal could be seen as a form of productivity. But unfortunately, it seems she is not willing to kill to gain those things.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°See? Doesn¡¯t it make you wish you were still that young and idealistic? She left the battlefield to gain something she could not get there but she charged right back into battle as soon as she saw someone being attacked before her eyes. That¡¯s the cute ego of someone still in the process of growing up.¡± After she finished eating the pearl onion, she gulped down the contents of the glass at a rapid pace ¡°Just like you, I will work with any athlete as long as I get paid. That¡¯s just how things work in the Capitalist Corporations. But it is true that I feel more motivated when it¡¯s someone fun to work with. And I think I can give my all for this athlete.¡± Stacy held the empty cocktail glass out towards Alicia like it was a microphone and asked, ¡°How about you?¡±


    ¡°No matter who I am working with, a job is a job. What matters is how much I am getting paid to do it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Stacy pulled the glass back, looking unsatisfied with that answer. ¡°But I never would have guessed someone as straight-laced as you would have a cocktail set like this.¡±


    ¡°I make sure to have a full array of drinks prepared when I am entertaining. I lost the chance for tonight and some of the ingredients will soon lose their flavor.¡±


    ¡°You definitely open a lot of different bottles when making a cocktail, but you use so little of every individual thing. You never seem to run out of anything.¡± Stacy looked down at the cooler at her feet. ¡°Can I borrow that? I think I¡¯ll drink some more in my room.¡±


    ¡°As long as you pay for the amount you drink.¡±


    ¡°...But you just said you didn¡¯t know what to do with it since it was beginning to lose its flavor.¡±


    Alicia and Stacy¡¯s gazes clashed as intense negotiations began.


    Part 3


    The next morning, Mariydi was wakened by a hard rock song she had downloaded being played at high volume. She silenced the alarm clock with a fist and sat up in bed with sleepy eyes. Her beloved alarm clock was covered in scratches and dents, but she knew it could be worse. She had gone only that far because it was playing a famous song. If it had simply been the standard electronic tone, she would have thrown the clock against the wall.


    Mariydi yawned on top of the bed.


    She figured she had escaped having her bodyguard shake her awake because she had locked the door¡¯s chain lock and then pushed a chair and magazine rack in front of the door.


    With the bottom of the hotel¡¯s one-size-fits-all bathrobe dragging behind her, Mariydi walked around the room and drank some cooled carbonated water from the refrigerator. Once her mind cleared a bit, she headed into the bathroom. She took a lukewarm shower and lightly washed her entire body with menthol body soap to fully wake herself up. But she regretted it immediately afterwards. As she started to shiver at the strange chill she felt on her skin, she started her battle with the dryer while nude.


    ¡°Hot!? Dammit. How do you change the temperature...?¡±


    She fiddled with the dryer, but could not find a switch that did what she wanted. She eventually gave up on the dryer and settled on lightly wiping down her hair with the bath towel. She then put on her usual yellow and black flight jacket and removed the chair and magazine rack blocking the door.


    Mariydi opened the door and her bodyguard spoke to her with an expression that made it look like he could barely stand it.


    ¡°How could you do that?¡±


    ¡°If you want to enter my field of vision in the morning, start by shaving that half-assed beard.¡± Mariydi yawned while scratching at her half-dried hair. ¡°So what are we having for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°The same as dinner yesterday. Now that the event has begun, the safety standards are set much higher. That pharmacist, Miss Stacy Palmetto, said she would do her best to make sure the food doesn¡¯t interfere with your performance any. For a fee of course.¡±


    ¡°...I get the feeling any food she makes won¡¯t exactly be normal.¡±


    Meanwhile, Alicia Sloppyjoes walked towards them from the elevator hall. Her pace was as exact as the second hand of a clock and she was standing as straight as ever.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She gave a bow so exact it looked like it had been measured out with a protractor. ¡°May I confirm today¡¯s schedule with you?¡±


    ¡°The second day of the shootathlon doesn¡¯t begin until 4 PM, right? I thought I was free until then.¡±


    ¡°The second day is a combination of long-distance swimming and sharpshooting. To fine-tune everything for aquatic use, we need to test your sportswear, rifle, and methods of doping. Once noon arrives, think of all those things as locked in place.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll be swimming through some giant bathtub, hm?¡±


    ¡°The event itself takes place in the dome, but we cannot use that facility beforehand. The final test will be carried out in the swimming area outside the dome. In other words, in the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Also, an offer to cover you has arrived from a television station.¡±


    ¡°What a pain.¡± A displeased expression immediately appeared on Mariydi¡¯s face ¡°So what does our sponsor think? Do they want to use it as advertisement for their new rifle?¡±


    ¡°The sponsor has given the okay.¡±


    ¡°In other words, I¡¯m pretty much being forced to take part.¡±


    ¡°They assume this will give their new rifle more exposure. Whenever you are in frame, make sure you are holding the rifle. The company name is displayed on your flight jacket, but if possible, try to casually mention the company name or product name once every five...no, three minutes.¡±


    Mariydi glanced over at her bodyguard. He simply shrugged. He was likely annoyed at the extra work this gave him as a bodyguard.


    But it was the sponsor that was paying all of them.


    And both Mariydi and the bodyguard were mercenaries.


    ¡°So what station is it?¡±


    ¡°Catwalk TV.¡±


    ¡°...Isn¡¯t that an Information Alliance Net TV station?¡±


    ¡°It seems you caught their interest and admiration when you saved Erie Greenhat yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Do they really want to cover a representative of the Capitalist Corporations? And a soldier at that.¡±


    ¡°It is a report on the peaceful festival that overcomes the boundaries between the world powers, so that should not be an issue. What matters most is that we have permission from the sponsor.¡±


    ¡°Your top priority is advertisement for the new rifle, right? What good does it do to advertise a Capitalist Corporations product in the Information Alliance?¡±


    ¡°It is all about what is being talked about. Also, Information Alliance programs are distributed over the internet, so it is open for anyone to view.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll leave the delicate power balance issues to you.¡±


    ¡°Then that is all I need to discuss for now.¡±


    At that point, Stacy arrived pushing a room service cart.


    She made a big show of displaying the food she had made.


    ¡°Tah dah! This will give you health and strength!! Even without using doping, you can do a lot with different types of healthy foods with things like vegetable and fish extracts added. Each of these dishes will have you running around like a wild beast. Which one do you want?¡±


    ¡°...I just want some normal food.¡±


    ¡°For your honesty, you get this gold axe!!¡±


    When it seriously looked like Stacy was going to force her to eat some of that food, Mariydi frantically hid behind her bodyguard.


    Part 4


    ¡°Yes, yes. Yes, hello. I am Lucas Westernrose of Catwalk TV. Yes, welcome, yes.¡±


    Mariydi was not speaking with him over the phone, so that simply must have been how that young man always talked. The digital business card he sent to her handheld device said he was a director, but Mariydi did not know much about the television business, so she had no idea what level that position was at.


    (He looks to be around 20. His business card lists gives him a long list of titles, so do Information Alliance internet businesses have no system of seniority?)


    Mariydi was an ace pilot at the age of 12, so she may not have been the best person to make the complaint, but the man standing before her seemed rather suspicious to her. To be blunt, she was unsure if he could actually carry out the job of a standard office worker.


    Mariydi was sitting at the same table as Lucas in the second floor lounge of the resort hotel known as the Technopic Village. However, they were not carrying out a live broadcast. They were merely having a preliminary meeting.


    ¡°So what do you want to film me doing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, about that. Yes, frankly speaking, I had a contract with Erie Greenhat up until yesterday. I was making a documentary about the sweat and tears she put into this, yes.¡±


    ¡°...And?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your actions saved her life, but, yes, she would have a real difficulty participating in the 2nd and 3rd days of the shootathlon with her injuries, right? Yes, well, even with Greenhat out of the running, I can still follow the story of her recovery. But that will be more of a long term story, yes, yes. TV stations have sponsors too, yes, yes, and I cannot betray their expectations. I need to get the ratings they want in the short term of the festival.¡±


    Alicia was sitting in the seat next to Mariydi and nodding vigorously, but Mariydi herself did not understand what Lucas meant.


    What did Erie have to do with her?


    ¡°Well, to get down to the point, I want a replacement for Greenhat, yes. Yes, for the documentary. But all of the other Information Alliance athletes have contracts with other stations, so it would be difficult to work my way in, yes. ...That means, yes, my path to success must head into uncharted waters, yes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s right. And I want to use as much of the footage of Greenhat I already have as possible. That means, yes, if I follow the person who saved her, that footage can fit nicely in, yes.¡±


    ¡°...So what do we do?¡± Mariydi asked Alicia.


    Alicia straightened her back and said, ¡°Our primary goal is to appeal to the performance of the sponsor¡¯s new rifle. I agreed to this meeting in the hopes that this could make a good advertisement, but if you follow her before, during, and after the events, I am worried it would hinder her ability to maintain her prime condition. If that would happen, I must decli-...¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Catwalk TV has a broadcast contract with a major Capitalist Corporations station, so I would think this would act as an excellent advertisement in your territory. Yes, yes. And this is an international sports event rather than a war, so we are under no pressure from the military, yes. That gives us much more freedom in our editing. In addition to covering the athlete, yes, yes, we can give at least 3 full minutes of commentary on the use of the rifle itself.¡±


    ¡°That settles it. We should accept his offer.¡±


    ¡°You certainly are easy to understand, you dog of society,¡± said Mariydi in annoyance. ¡°You can broadcast the events live, but do not broadcast any other footage without letting me see it first. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, of course, yes.¡±


    Alicia then cut in, ¡°Also, I will give you a script and some official diagrams to use when commenting on the rifle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°I am from the Capitalist Corporations. I do not know what people in the Information Alliance would find offensive. Do not forget that I might unwittingly touch on something like that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, yes, yes. We will be careful too, yes, yes. But it should be fine, yes,¡± said Lucas with a huge grin on his face. ¡°Yes, your rescue of Greenhat yesterday has already made it to all the Information Alliance news sites, yes, and even if people may not be fond of the Capitalist Corporations as a whole, yes, yes, I think they feel rather fondly, yes, about you personally Mariydi Whitewitch, yes.¡±


    ¡°Fine then.¡±


    ¡°I will send the ID information on the camera crew, yes, to your bodyguard. Yes, no one but those crewmembers will approach you. Yes, yes, if anyone else approaches claiming to be from Catwalk TV, yes, treat them as if they are an enemy, yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t even think about following me into the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°...Um, this may sound rude, but, yes, from a style standpoint, yes, yes, you do not really provide any of the user needs, yes. And we are trying to run a business here...¡±


    ¡°Where the hell do you think you¡¯re looking while making that comment?¡±


    Part 5


    The Technopics were being held in Olympia Dome, a giant manmade island floating close to the center of the Atlantic Ocean. People wanted to enjoy swimming in the ocean, but it did not grow gradually deeper like with natural land. Not only was it too deep to stand, but the ocean stretched down into the depths enjoyed by deep sea fish.


    That made it sound like suicide to swim there, but the management of the island paid attention to what the visitors wanted.


    ¡°Basically, they have created artificial land gradually sloping down for the swimming area. The ocean surface hides it, but the artificial island continues for a ways past the coastline. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but if you get caught in a sudden current, you can get swept out to sea. Don¡¯t think of it as a normal beach.¡±


    After listening to her bodyguard¡¯s warnings, Mariydi dove into the 2 meters deep ocean water. However, she had not changed into a swimsuit. She was still wearing her usual flight jacket. She normally wore it to withstand the Gs of piloting a fighter, but it was based on the special suits worn by Object Elites. It worked so perfectly as sportswear for the shootathlon because it was made to withstand every sort of environment.


    As Mariydi easily treaded water with her heavy rifle on a sling belt, her bodyguard frowned.


    ¡°You would look a lot cuter with an inner tube.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not an Information Alliance idol Elite. I don¡¯t need cuteness for my business.¡±


    Alicia then cut in while operating her handheld device


    ¡°The sponsor¡¯s new rifle is semi-auto. It is primarily waterproof, but the next round is automatically loaded using the combustion gas from the previous round. If water gets in the passageway, it might jam.¡±


    ¡°If it comes to it, I can load the bullets one at a time through the empty cartridge ejection point.¡±


    ¡°What about doping?¡± asked Stacy the pharmacist with a popsicle in one hand. ¡°Since you will be swimming, it would probably be better to increase the amount of oxygen you carry. And I bet something to work against muscle pain would have some effect at relieving your fatigue from yesterday.¡±


    ¡°...I tried the time-delayed transfusion yesterday, but the raised blood pressure threw me off towards the end. I think it would help my results if I don¡¯t try to give myself any unneeded help.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to deny my entire reason for being here, are you, you damn brat?¡±


    Then, a yellow toy submarine floated toward Mariydi.


    No. It was being piloted toward her via remote control. It was an underwater camera for Catwalk TV.


    ¡°...Are you going to be following me around 24/7 with this kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°Swim the breaststroke. Filming you from behind will make some good fanservice,¡± commented the bodyguard.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already been told I¡¯m not even in the running as far as that is concerned,¡± replied Mariydi before beginning to swim away from the coast.


    The seawater stung her eyes as she was not wearing goggles, but it was not enough to keep her from opening her eyes. Since this was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and away from any industrial areas, the water was incredibly transparent for an area surrounded by manmade structures.


    Olympia Dome¡¯s swimming area had an artificial bottom, so it had no beach. It was all smoothly constructed. The area Mariydi was currently swimming in was about 2 meters deep, but it grew deeper at stepped intervals the further out one went.


    And...


    (Are those rectangular blocks sticking up from the bottom meant to keep suspicious ships from landing here? No, maybe they¡¯re meant to control the current.)


    These rectangular pillars were 80 cm square and about a meter tall. They were placed at the bottom at even intervals. They moved up and down irregularly to control the flow of the seawater in real time.


    The bodyguard had said she could be swept out to sea by a sudden current. These were likely meant to prevent that.


    (But that over there isn¡¯t meant to regulate the current. Is it a moveable breakwater?)


    The depth of the swimming area changed at stepped intervals, and a large notch ran along the line of each change. Mariydi guessed a breakwater made of reinforced polyurethane could be raised from below.


    And as she had that thought, Mariydi heard Alicia¡¯s voice from her piezoelectric receiver.


    ¡°You are about to reach the area for target practice.¡±


    (Is she following my location using GPS?)


    While thinking of the show it was providing for the VIPs or sex offenders, Mariydi stopped moving her legs for forward momentum and started treading water in place. The yellow submarine-shaped underwater camera circled around her, but she had no idea what would be best for the footage.


    (Well, while underwater, I can¡¯t respond even if I can hear them.)


    She brought her head above water and looked around.


    A metal rail stretched between two rubber boats, and a human-shaped target was sliding on top of it. It was about 300 meters away. That was relatively close range for sniping, but she could not brace herself while treading water and the waves were causing the boats to rock irregularly. It would not be a simple shot.


    Mariydi used both hands to grab the rifle hanging from a sling belt.


    ¡°Practicing is all fine and good, but that monster basking in the sun out at sea isn¡¯t going to make any mistake about this, is it?¡±


    ¡°You mean the Object acting as a guard? The one you can see from here is the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Henrietta...or Gatling 033 as they call it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not be shot by that ridiculously huge Gatling gun due to a misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°We officially requested practice time, so they know what we are doing. And an anti-personnel sniper rifle is not enough to even scratch an Object. I do not think there is any room for a misunderstanding.¡±


    (I¡¯m more worried about them trying to crush a skilled athlete under the guise of a misunderstanding.)


    But when she thought about it rationally, she had an Information Alliance TV camera watching her at all times. Even if the Information Alliance wanted to interfere, they would not let their own people see it.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m about to begin.¡±


    ¡°We do not have permission to use live rounds here, so you will be firing blanks with a low-output laser. The target is covered with sensors to detect the laser, so it can detect whether you hit or not. The blanks allow you to feel the proper recoil and get a feel for shooting in the water.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s against the rules to put air in your sportswear, but how about I make you a protector made of a highly buoyant material?¡± suggested Stacy.


    ¡°That might make the swimming easier,¡± replied Mariydi, ¡°but it would just throw off my balance when treading water and affect my aim. And that isn¡¯t the job of a pharmacist.¡±


    ¡°Too bad. ...Oh, right. If you maintain a good enough position today that a medal is still in reach, will you give me your autograph?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the job of a pharmacist either.¡±


    Mariydi remained still with her upper body sticking out of the ocean as she held up the sniper rifle in her small hands. She peered through the scope and pulled the trigger without hesitation.


    She heard the explosive sound of the discharge and the recoil shake her shoulder. And then an electronic tone sounded from her piezoelectric receiver.


    ¡°Bull¡¯s eye, hm? ...It just doesn¡¯t feel real with a toy.¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, everything should seem almost exactly the same as the real deal.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t measure the effect of the wind with this. By the way, are none of the other athletes out practicing? I was sure the place was going to be as packed as the beach during swimming season,¡± said Mariydi.


    Her bodyguard replied, ¡°They thought this through. If more than one athlete is out here at a time, it raises the risk of attempted interference or fights. They give everyone their own short time to practice. Some had their chance as far back as around 2 weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°...Why did I end up not getting a chance until the very last second?¡±


    ¡°Miss Alicia messed up when the lots were drawn.¡±


    Mariydi clicked her tongue and the bodyguard laughed before continuing.


    ¡°Well, wearing yourself out before the event isn¡¯t good, but it¡¯s still better than being attacked mid-practice, right?¡±


    ¡°...I think this camera hanging around me is hoping some ¡®entertainment¡¯ like that happens.¡±


    ¡°While we¡¯re on the topic of what the viewers would want to see, why don¡¯t you drink some milk and grow a sexier body? I¡¯m sure they would love that.¡±


    ¡°If you like, I could give you some hormone drugs,¡± added Stacy.


    ¡°That is not how it works,¡± said Alicia. ¡°The viewers would prefer to see the vain efforts of a flat-chested girl. It is a type of joke at her own expense.¡±


    ¡°I hope you all go blind,¡± said Mariydi before expressionlessly firing her laser gun toward the coast.


    The bodyguard ignored her and said, ¡°Your time is almost up. Once you have gained a feel for the rifle, come on back. Even if you don¡¯t want any doping, you should at least see a masseuse. You need to relieve as much of your fatigue as possible before the event.¡±


    ¡°...I think I know two old hags that need a massage more than I do.¡±


    Alicia and Stacy each grabbed a spare rifle and fired lasers toward her, but Mariydi ignored them, ducked her head underwater, and began swimming back toward the coast.


    But then...


    The yellow underwater camera running directly alongside her suddenly stopped moving. At first, Mariydi thought its battery had gone dead, but that did not seem to be the case. The propeller that provided thrust and the rudder used to steer were twitching like a dying fish.


    At the same time, the voices from Alicia and the others stopped coming from the piezoelectric receiver.


    The only explanation Mariydi could think of was...


    (Electronic interference...Jamming!?)


    Only a few seconds later, a bullet from an underwater firearm ripped through the sea water in her direction.


    Part 6


    An underwater firearm.


    As the name suggested, it was a gun developed to be fired underwater. The concept would have been impossible in the days of the matchlock and flintlock guns that had the powder exposed when firing, but it was not that difficult in an age where the cartridges were airtight. Simply put, water getting in the gun was not enough to get the powder wet, so the gun could still be fired.


    What still made underwater firearms difficult to pull off was the combustion gas from the powder. In semi-auto and full-auto guns, that gas was used to move the internal parts and automatically load the next round. If the passageway for that gas was blocked with water, the gun could jam.


    The means of solving that problem were exceedingly simple.


    That convenient function was eliminated from the gun. The combustion gas issue was completely eliminated by manually loading each round and ejecting each empty cartridge using the bolt action method.


    Naturally, the lack of automatic loading meant it could not be fired continuously.


    But the target¡¯s speed dropped considerably while underwater. In that environment, a single well-aimed shot at a time was enough of a threat even without rapid-fire.


    Mariydi was unarmed, so she had no way to counterattack.


    But she could not escape the bullet ripping through the ocean water just by swimming.


    (Dammit!!)


    She avoided death by turning herself completely around and heading for the bottom rather than the surface. She was trying to hide behind one of the rectangular pillars standing at even intervals that controlled the current.


    The primary reason she had not been killed by the first shot was that they were underwater. Water resistance and the current could cause slight errors in the trajectory of the bullet, so her enemy¡¯s aim could not be perfect. Modern rifles were equipped with several types of assisting sensors, but the infrared and such for those sensors were affected by the seawater too.


    And so the bullet flew by, just barely missing Mariydi, and she managed to hide behind one of the pillars.


    But she could not rely on her enemy making mistakes forever.


    If the enemy corrected the sensors based on that ¡°mistake¡±, the next shot would have perfect accuracy.


    Mariydi poked her face out from behind the pillar and then immediately pulled it back.


    (Are they targeting me as a high-ranking athlete? No, that underwater rifle is a Legitimacy Kingdom model. Is this revenge for my interference in their attack on Erie Greenhat!?)


    Mariydi balled herself up to use the pillar as a shield, but several bullets were ripping through the seawater on the left and right. No one could fire that many bullets that fast with a simple bolt action firearm. She was likely being fired at by several assassins armed with underwater firearms.


    (Not good.)


    She did not have an oxygen tank. Her breath was not going to last long. But since the pillar was only about a meter tall, she would be exposing her entire body if she tried to reach the surface. And her enemies were probably not stupid enough to let her escape that unharmed.


    If her assassins were the type to not rush their victory and to simply wait for her to drown, there would be nothing she could do.


    But...


    Luck was on Mariydi¡¯s side. One of the assassins got fed up with the rectangular pillar blocking his bullets, so he moved forward to circle around the pillar.


    They must have known that Mariydi only had a practice rifle. Otherwise he never would have taken such a bold action.


    But he was too na?ve.


    (There¡¯s still plenty more I can do, you idiot!!)


    Mariydi jumped out toward the assassin in a black diving suit as he tried to circle around the pillar. She grabbed the bolt action underwater rifle in one hand and used the other hand to pull a knife with a blade of about 20 cm out of the sheath on the assassin¡¯s shoulder.


    By the time she could see the assassin¡¯s eyes open wide through the goggles of his diving suit, Mariydi was already stabbing the stolen knife toward his face with all her strength.


    Due to the water resistance, it was more effective to stab the knife straight on than to swing it horizontally.


    ¡°!?¡±


    The assassin immediately swung his head to the side and avoided the blade, but it sliced through the rubber tube connecting to the tank on his back instead. While practically embracing the assassin, Mariydi brought the sliced tube into her mouth. She sucked in the much-needed oxygen.


    And in exchange, the assassin was now having trouble breathing as seawater flowed into his mask through the tube.


    He frantically tried to tear Mariydi off of him using his underwater rifle, but...


    (I have the barrel under my arm. There¡¯s no way you can hit me.)


    And more importantly...


    (You should think a little harder about what it means to be this close to someone armed with a knife.)


    A slight sound could be heard.


    It was the sound of the knife stabbing into the assassin¡¯s chest.


    Instead of a fountain of blood, what looked like a red mist spread out within the water.


    Now that all strength had left the assassin¡¯s grip, Mariydi took the underwater rifle from him, but then another assassin made his move.


    He fired at her with his own underwater rifle from a distance of 20 meters.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Mariydi used the dead assassin as a shield. She had not intended to do so. She had moved on instinct alone, but he functioned as a decent shield.


    (Are they using hollow-point bullets despite using rifles because they know the water resistance will lower the piercing power? Those bullets do more damage by staying in the body, so it won¡¯t pierce straight through a dead body.)


    But if it had hit the body¡¯s oxygen tank, it would have caused an explosion. With that in mind, luck still played a large role in her survival.


    After thinking through that far...


    (I can use that weakness, too.)


    Mariydi pulled back the cocking lever of the underwater rifle, loaded a bullet into the mechanical portion, and aimed while still embracing the dead body. The spreading red of blood obstructed her vision, but the tube torn from the tank was her only source of oxygen so she had to put up with it.


    She fired without hesitation.


    The bullet struck the oxygen tank on one of the assassin¡¯s backs.


    A dull explosive noise spread through the water. The man wearing it and two or three others near him were torn apart.


    But that did not come close to defeating the enemy.


    Plenty of assassins remained.


    The ocean water may have been clear, but she could not see beyond a kilometer away. Five or six more assassins wearing diving suits appeared as they swam in from beyond that distance. They were all armed with underwater rifles.


    (Shit!! What are my bodyguards doing!?)


    While still holding the dead body, Mariydi hid behind the rectangular pillar once more. The body was in the way, so she fumbled with the hole-filled diving suit and managed to undo the latch holding the tank on. She tossed away the body and sucked in air from the sliced tube.


    (That man had better not tell me he was just watching the glittering surface of the ocean and didn¡¯t know what was going on underwater!!)


    Despite the advantages she had gained, Mariydi was still at the disadvantage.


    She was hiding behind that pillar, but she would simply fall victim to the assassins¡¯ underwater rifles if they surrounded the pillar from all directions while maintaining a decent distance. She would likely kill a few of them in the process, but Mariydi had no chance if they were willing to take some losses.


    (Should I fire at the surface to try to get my bodyguards to notice? No, these bolt action underwater rifles don¡¯t even have 10 rounds in them. If those idiots didn¡¯t notice the pillar of water, I would just be shortening my own life.)


    She decided to focus on getting safely away rather than on killing all of the enemies.


    Just as she began to think of a way to do that...


    With a deafening roar, a large number of autocannon shells rained down from above the ocean surface and tore the approaching Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers to pieces.


    (What!?)


    The situation was hard to grasp with the rapidly expanding red murkiness. Mariydi desperately tried to gather information while hiding behind the rectangular block. She sensed the sunlight from above being blocked out for just an instant.


    She looked up.


    A motorboat about 20 meters long was cutting by above.


    And it was not just that one.


    She could see at least three of them.


    She could not determine the details from her position, but the motorboats were moving across the ocean surface while almost looking like a bike doing a wheelie. Just like with hydrofoils, a boat could move fastest when it had the least surface area sinking into the water. Without the resistance of the water, a boat could easily reach speeds of 80-150 kph.


    While the motorboats moved by overhead once more, shells bigger than a thumb were continually fired into the water from the sides of the boats.


    (That isn¡¯t Legitimacy Kingdom equipment. Are these Olympia Dome¡¯s UUVs!?)


    If so, this was a one in a million chance.


    If Mariydi simply continued to hide behind the rectangular pillar, the Legitimacy Kingdom assassins would surround her. Her best bet was to climb aboard one of the motorboats. Since there were multiple motorboats, the others could provide cover fire while the one she was aboard headed for shore.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mariydi poked her head slightly out from the pillar.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom assassins were under attack from the UUV motorboats, but they had not been wiped out. Heading to the surface would still be risky.


    (But if I don¡¯t make it to the surface, the motorboats can¡¯t pick me up. If they manage to regroup, I¡¯ll have lost my chance. I need to take action now while they¡¯re confused!!)


    Mariydi made up her mind and headed straight up from behind the rectangular box. She stretched her body out, held the oxygen tank in both hands, and used just the movements of her legs to head for the surface. It was a distance of only a few meters, but Mariydi felt as if her heart was being squeezed the entire time.


    But she managed to avoid getting shot by the underwater rifles.


    Mariydi finally managed to bring her head above the surface.


    ¡°Pwah!! Dammit... All of my bodyguards are getting a pay cut!!¡±


    Cursing, Mariydi waved one hand toward the motorboats. They were unmanned, but the signal would reach the people operating them via camera.


    One of the three motorboats turned around in front of Mariydi.


    But...


    ¡°!? You idiots!!¡± shouted Mariydi as she ducked her head back underwater.


    In the next instant, an explosive noise blasted from the autocannon equipped on the motorboat¡¯s deck. Several pillars of water flew up from the ocean surface and the shells ripped through the same water as Mariydi with trails of bubbles following them.


    Mariydi put the tube of the oxygen tank back in her mouth.


    (Kh. So I¡¯m a target for attack too!? Did they see that an Information Alliance TV station is here, so Olympia Dome wants to show off their security abilities? If you end up killing the athlete the station is covering, that¡¯s completely pointless!!)


    Whether it was a good thing or not for the management of the island, Catwalk TV¡¯s yellow underwater camera was unusable thanks to the jamming.


    The UUVs were controlled remotely as well, but they seemed fine. They must have used a different method for transmitting and receiving their signals. It was possible they had equipment for multiple methods installed to deal with just such a situation.


    But that was no relief to Mariydi since the motorboats were indiscriminately firing everywhere.


    (I can¡¯t hope for cover fire or anything else from them. They¡¯ve just increased the risk!!)


    New trails of bubbles shot down from the surface.


    There were 5 to 10 of them.


    These were different from the thumb-sized autocannon shells from before. They were metal tubes as big as fire extinguishers. Mariydi recognized them, so she let go of the oxygen tank and covered her ears with both hands.


    An explosion occurred immediately afterwards.


    They had likely been targeting the Legitimacy Kingdom assassins, but a heavy shock reached Mariydi¡¯s gut all the same.


    That pain helped Mariydi make up her mind.


    (I¡¯m gonna blow them all up.)


    Mariydi first swam down to the bottom to retrieve the oxygen tank, and then she looked around the area.


    She still had the underwater rifle she had stolen from an assassin, but she would have a difficult time sinking those motorboats with it. They were probably reinforced with composite armor panels. The assassins seemed to be giving a sporadic counterattack of their own, but each time they only gave away their position and were forced to undergo another barrage from the autocannons.


    (I need a bigger explosion...Oh, right. I have this.)


    Mariydi looked down at the oxygen tank that was keeping her alive.


    Not long before, she had blown one of those tanks up to take out some of the assassins. It was possible for her to use it.


    (But I¡¯d rather not lose this.)


    With her mind made up, Mariydi headed away from the rectangular pillar she was hiding behind and moved along the bottom. She retrieved a no-longer-needed oxygen tank from one of the corpses that was leaking a red murkiness.


    (It¡¯s strange how a mass of oxygen like this doesn¡¯t float.)


    She removed the upper half of the two piece wet suit, tied the neck and arms closed to create a ¡°large bag¡±, and stuck the oxygen tank¡¯s tube inside.


    The ¡°large bag¡± filled with air and gained new buoyancy.


    Once she confirmed the balloon and tank were moving to the surface, Mariydi moved out of the way. Once she made sure one of the motorboats moving freely around the surface had drawn near the tank, she fired her underwater rifle straight through the center of the tank.


    She heard a muffled explosion.


    The boat was knocked a bit into the air, but...


    (No good! It didn¡¯t even crack the bottom of the boat. I can¡¯t apply the needed damage without a specialized explosive!!)


    Mariydi gritted her teeth. Meanwhile, the motorboats fired plenty of autocannon shells in the wrong direction.


    Neither the underwater rifle nor the oxygen tank was enough to sink the motorboats.


    But Mariydi would not survive if they were not destroyed.


    She thought for a bit and then began swimming along the bottom once more. She was once more headed for the oxygen tank of one of the dead Legitimacy Kingdom assassins.


    She gathered three or four of the tanks, thought a bit about the fact that so many people had been one-sidedly crushed (it was beyond the point where ¡°torn apart¡± or ¡°shot full of holes¡± covered it), and began to take action toward saving her own life.


    She was not using them as a mine this time. And so she did not create balloon-like objects to float them to the surface. She left the tanks lying on the smooth manmade bottom. Once she was done with the preparations, Mariydi kicked her legs to swim far enough away.


    Once she made it 50 meters away, Mariydi looked straight up while aiming the underwater rifle and holding the oxygen tube in her mouth.


    The unmanned motorboats were still moving about above. They were still shooting those ridiculously huge autocannon shells at the Legitimacy Kingdom assassins even as those assassins began showing signs of retreating.


    Mariydi did not yell out for them to stop.


    She had taken the assassin¡¯s lives herself in order to survive. And she had just taken oxygen tanks from their mutilated corpses.


    It was the difference between civilian and soldier.


    The line between enemy and ally.


    Mariydi had those ideas set in her mind and it allowed her to not view all human life as equal. She truly was a different sort of person than the athletes who emphasized sportsmanship.


    She sat down on the artificial bottom, held up the bolt action underwater rifle in both hands, and pulled back the cocking lever to load the next round.


    She waited for the correct timing.


    One of the motorboats made a wide turn and headed in Mariydi¡¯s direction. She knew it was targeting her with its autocannon. It was too late to try to wave her arms to tell it where she was and what her affiliations were. The motorboat was simply trying to eliminate all life in the area.


    And so Mariydi Whitewitch gave no sign.


    Not even a warning.


    When the motorboat arrived within the target area, she did not hesitate to fire the underwater rifle.


    She was targeting the oxygen tanks sitting at the artificial bottom of the ocean.


    The single bullet looked like it was sucked into one of the tanks, and the tank energetically exploded when its thick metal exterior was breached. That single explosion reached the other tanks around it and the explosion swelled up even larger.


    But the explosion occurred at the bottom.


    The motorboat was at the surface and had most of its body out of the water entirely, so the blast and shockwave did not reach it.


    But Mariydi had not intended for it to.


    She had been aiming for the movable breakwater inside the artificial ocean bottom.


    With its latch broken, the thick reinforced polyurethane wall shot straight up under its own buoyancy. It looked like a piece of bread shooting up from a toaster.


    The UUV was unable to deal with the 3 meter thick and 10 meter tall wall that suddenly appeared on the surface. It frantically tried to turn away, but its right side slammed into the breakwater and the entire motorboat was smashed to pieces.


    The other motorboats had been working with the first one in their attack, so they all met similar fates.


    Mariydi looked over at one of the motorboats that had sunk to the bottom. She made a vulgar gesture with her middle finger towards its camera lens.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom assassins were on the other side of the thick breakwater, so she had no idea if they had escaped or been annihilated. She observed the area for a bit longer, but saw no new movements. It seemed the threat was gone.


    Mariydi cautiously headed for the surface.


    When she finally managed to breach the surface and suck in some air, she realized the jamming was gone.


    She first heard the voice of her bodyguard.


    ¡°Our transmissions cut out and Olympia Dome¡¯s UUVs were zooming around everywhere. What happened? Did you do something?¡±


    ¡°...You complacent idiot. Well, whatever. I¡¯ll let you people deal with the complaints from the management.¡±


    Enemy Forces 2


    In a rental storehouse for civilian helicopters at one end of Olympia Dome, Ramil Scofflaw watched a television unnaturally sitting in front of her. She had nothing else to do because she was waiting for her subordinates to finish their work.


    It was obvious from how her brown fingertips fidgeted with her blonde hair that she was displeased.


    She was of course watching a Technopics broadcast, but the advertisements for sponsor companies were colored more garishly than the events themselves and the odds for gambling were displayed next to the results of the events. The layout disgusted her whenever she saw it. An athlete could only play their proper role in the framework of a sport, but it was vividly clear that these people were built into something more sinister than that.


    (This blasphemy is like getting people to buy clothes by selling the people wearing the clothes.)


    At that point, Ramil¡¯s subordinate, Iris Aggravation, called out to her.


    ¡°We have the information now. The Capitalist Corporations did indeed save an Information Alliance athlete on the first day of the shootathlon. Afterwards, the Legitimacy Kingdom changed their target to the Capitalist Corporations. They were probably acting out of revenge.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± asked Ramil.


    ¡°Before the second day began, the Legitimacy Kingdom attacked the Capitalist Corporations. But Olympia Dome¡¯s UUV motorboats intervened, so no serious harm was done. It is unclear if the Legitimacy Kingdom plans to continue their attacks on the Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    ¡°Fine then. They will not make a ceasefire announcement over an unofficial attack. And that means there is an official possibility of the attacks continuing. We can use that to bring about the Blank.¡±


    The Blank.


    Ramil spoke of what was obviously a codename.


    They chose to work inside that storehouse that did not even have air conditioning because they were preparing for a military operation.


    Ramil exchanged a look with a maintenance soldier wearing a work uniform and the man gave her a thumbs up.


    The maintenance soldiers were preparing a Faith Organization recoilless rifle. The weapon fired a shell while held over the shoulder and it could destroy armored vehicles like tanks. However, the warhead inside was a Legitimacy Kingdom model.


    Their plan included the reuse of a weapon the Faith Organization had acquired on the battlefield.


    The barrel had been altered to match the other world power¡¯s caliber, and with a few other adjustments, the Legitimacy Kingdom warhead could be fired without issue.


    Their goal was not to hide the colors of the Faith Organization.


    They were mixing together the colors of multiple world powers to make it unclear who was truly behind the attack.


    ¡°Just to be sure, we are altering the exterior of the armored vehicles and fighters to Legitimacy Kingdom colors.¡±


    ¡°The Blank is just a means to an end, not the end itself. We do not need to deploy that many weapons at this time.¡± Ramil glanced at the computer monitor behind Iris and said, ¡°Check the transport route.¡±


    ¡°We have narrowed down which Capitalist Corporations athlete has the possibility of being attacked by the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    A few lines were added to the map and Ramil¡¯s expression softened.


    ¡°We can use this.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then get ready. To bring about the Blank like this, it would be best to have at least 3 recoilless rifles and over 15 shots. And have three people to support each recoilless rifle. Each of those people needs an assault rifle, a handgun, and everything else needed for a full complement. Mix different colors together for all of them. Make sure to mix in the Faith Organization¡¯s colors as well. It may look like we have a lot of time, but it will seem like a lot less once it passes. Finish all this by dawn.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Once the assault teams are organized, tell them to mix together languages and hand signs from different world powers. I trust that none of them are stupid enough to need translation software to keep up with that.¡±


    Once she had given the necessary orders, Ramil pulled a small bottle of wine out of a refrigerator in the storehouse.


    She removed the cap, lightly held the bottle out into the empty air and towards no one in particular, and then took a swig of the alcohol.


    ¡°Glory to the festival.¡±

 Volume 5, 3

    Volume 5, Chapter 3


    Part 1


    It was 8 PM.


    The second day of the shootathlon was over and Mariydi was relaxing in the lounge of the resort hotel known as the Technopic Village. (Her coffee and cake had been prepared by her pharmacist named Stacy.) Alicia sat across from her and asked a question with a blank expression.


    ¡°Was it really necessary to go that far?¡±


    ¡°Are you still going on about that?¡±


    ¡°We have received 43 complaints from the management of Olympia Dome. They wish to know why you destroyed those UUV motorboats when they were sent to save you from the attack.¡±


    ¡°I thought they wanted the athletes to have the self defense capabilities to protect themselves. Both from bodyguards and the athletes¡¯ own abilities. It was their fault for being so sloppy in how they used those UUVs.¡±


    ¡°Apparently each of those UUV motorboats costs 700 thousand dollars. You destroyed three of them. The management is requesting we pay for those and for the repairs to the moveable breakwater¡¯s latch that you blew up.¡±


    ¡°If they don¡¯t like it, tell them they should buy insurance next time. I could introduce them to the company my PMC air force works with.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a bad idea. I think the Blue Area company I use gives you a bonus if you introduce new customers to them.¡±


    After Alicia gave a serious response to Mariydi¡¯s joke, Lucas Westernrose, the director from Catwalk TV, cut in.


    ¡°Hello, yes. It is a shame we were interrupted, yes.¡± The yellow underwater camera that had been made useless during the practice by the jamming signal was sitting on his lap and he was stroking it lightly. ¡°That was such an excellent episode, yes, but the noise in the signal was too strong to air any of the footage, yes. If it had recorded properly, yes, yes, I could have spliced together the footage of the event and that attack and added in some effective background music to make quite a moving show.¡±


    ¡°...So you categorize that attack as an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°At this rate, even the documentary portion will be a waste, yes. Yes, if nothing happens, we have nothing to show, yes.¡±


    While listening to Lucas, Mariydi shook her head in annoyance and spoke to Alicia.


    She was returning to the original topic.


    ¡°Those UUVs were extras. Who were the original attackers?¡±


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom for sure. We retrieved fingerprints, blood samples, and other information from the corpses you made. We are currently using that information to investigate the Legitimacy Kingdom forces here, but that is nothing more than obtaining confirmation of what we already know.¡±


    It was not a criminal investigation, so they did not need to narrow it down to specific individuals.


    Basically, they just had to gain a general idea of what world power was their enemy. That was why Mariydi was not too worried.


    To her, it was nothing more than having people she already saw as her enemies undergo a class change to people she could kill with impunity.


    Mariydi had saved an enemy athlete from the Information Alliance, but that did not mean she wanted to be a saint who would try to save all athletes and all soldiers equally.


    She would save those she could save, but she would kill those she had to kill.


    That was how the world worked in the Northern European Restricted Zone where she normally fought.


    Meanwhile, the only person more exhausted than that powerful target was her bodyguard.


    ¡°Honestly, my boss from my company is mad at me because you decided to go on a rampage on your own. It¡¯s so bad I¡¯m a bit worried about his blood pressure. If you¡¯re going to do something like that, at least invite me along. That way, I can at least do my duty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your own fault.¡±


    ¡°The second day brought your combined ranking up to 3rd, remember? And you were thrown off your normal pace by sticking right behind the person in 1st the entire time, which adds more muscle fatigue you will have to deal with tomorrow,¡± said Alicia.


    ¡°Yes, yes, to be honest, you were too level-headed and in control of everything, yes. You did so well it leaves something to be desired on the emotional side of things, yes. A moving sports story needs some kind of exciting incident, yes.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re doing that well, give me a bite of that cake,¡± said the bodyguard.


    ¡°Unfortunately, Stacy brought this for me. The team shares the fees, so you need to ask Alicia since she is in charge of the funds.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Alicia glared at the bodyguard and the man raised his hands and shook his head. He was exhausted, but he was not about to argue with that woman who took everything too seriously.


    That program of a woman ignored him and said, ¡°The sponsor says your results on the second day were excellent. They do agree with Mr. Westernrose that a bit of drama would be nice, but your excellent results are what matter most to them.¡±


    ¡°So blowing up an armored vehicle and fighting a group of frogmen armed with underwater rifles didn¡¯t count as drama?¡±


    ¡°Anything the camera did not pick up or that cannot be shown does not count. We only care about what can be used for advertisement, not what actually happens.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± agreed Lucas Westernrose.


    He must have still been upset thinking about the ratings he could have gotten had he been able to use that footage.


    If Mariydi died before the event was over, Alicia would be in trouble since she was in charge of advertising the new rifle, but her expression remained blank.


    ¡°The final day tomorrow uses bicycles.¡±


    ¡°That sounds easier than what I¡¯ve had to deal with so far.¡±


    ¡°Hello, yes. As far as the events are concerned, yes, yes, the viewers¡¯ focus peaks on the swimming of the second day, yes, because of the swimsuits, yes, yes. But since you insist on wearing your flight jacket all the way through, yes, you are lacking as far as that is concerned, yes.¡±


    ¡°If you insist on keeping that joke going any longer, you had damn well better be prepared! And the swimsuits draw more ratings than the race that determines the winner? This competition really is all about show business, isn¡¯t it!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, we have suggested before that they move the swimming to the final day, yes.¡±


    ¡°The bicycle event is not easy. For one, it has the greatest distance of the three. You must bike for 120 kilometers, so it wears down your stamina horribly. And all of the muscle fatigue from the previous days remains, so there is a large risk of pulling a muscle,¡± explained Alicia. ¡°And the sharpshooting is supposedly hardest as well. After all, you must use both hands to aim the sniper rifle at the target while riding the bicycle.¡±


    ¡°...That is not a skill you would ever need on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°This is a sport,¡± replied Alicia with the world¡¯s lamest explanation. She continued speaking with her spine stretched out straight like she was performing some sort of exercise. ¡°At any rate, tomorrow is the final day of the shootathlon. Sportsmanship does not matter at all, so please do not make even the slightest mistake so that you can achieve the best advertisement for the sponsor¡¯s new rifle.¡±


    Part 2


    Before heading back to her room in the resort hotel, Mariydi stopped by Stacy¡¯s place. The Technopic Village that Mariydi stayed in was meant for the athletes, so her support members had to use a different hotel. Since every athlete had dozens of other people supporting them, there really was no other option.


    That woman who was easily swept up in fads looked delighted at her small visitor.


    ¡°What are you here for? Do you want to give me your autograph?¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything I can eat for a late-night snack? Something like a hot dog would be great.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I thought you just finished eating dinner?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat it now. Would you rather I wake you up in the middle of the night when I get hungry? I¡¯m not allowed to eat or drink anything from the normal stores, remember?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I guess you are a growing girl.¡±


    ¡°...Where do you think you¡¯re looking?¡±


    ¡°But will the nutrients actually go where you want them?¡±


    ¡°Again, where do you think you¡¯re looking!?¡±


    Stacy did not seem fazed by Mariydi¡¯s anger. She headed back into her hotel room and began looking through a refrigerator that was much too big to have come with the room.


    ¡°You said a hot dog would be fine, right?¡±


    ¡°It just has to be something to prevent me from being too hungry to sleep. It doesn¡¯t have to be all that substantial.¡±


    ¡°It would be simplest to just take a sleeping pill, but...Hm?¡±


    Stacy let out an odd voice while sticking her head into the refrigerator and rummaging through it.


    Mariydi frowned.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m out of lettuce.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any. You just need a bun and a sausage for a hot dog.¡±


    ¡°No!!¡± Despite it being 10 at night, Stacy let out a cry that rivaled the roars of the crowd in the stadium. ¡°Lettuce is important. Incredibly important! With just a bun, butter, and a sausage, it will be way too greasy!! And then if you add ketchup and mustard, you have something that doesn¡¯t even count as food!!¡±


    ¡°I was just asking for something that is anything like a hot dog.¡±


    ¡°Without the moist lettuce, it isn¡¯t a hot dog!! You can¡¯t just replace it with cabbage or something! Oh, no. I need to head to the team HQ and secure some supplies!!¡±


    ¡°Just give me a sausage!! That¡¯s enough!!¡± shouted Mariydi, but Stacy ignored her.


    She grabbed Mariydi¡¯s hand and half-dragged her out of the hotel room.


    When the bodyguard who was waiting outside in the hallway saw them, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m learning something about Stacy¡¯s household preferences. Dammit!!¡±


    ¡°...If possible, I¡¯d like something for myself as well. Late night bodyguard work makes me hungry.¡±


    Stacy completely ignored their conversation and continued on through the hotel with Mariydi in tow.


    It seemed each team had their equipment stored in rented storage rooms located in the hotel¡¯s basement. Capitalist Corporations guards were deployed there as well.


    Stacy rummaged through an industrial refrigerator that was practically a small refrigerated room. The look in her eyes only returned to normal once she found the lettuce.


    ¡°...Hoo. Now I can make a perfect hot dog.¡±


    ¡°Have you completely forgotten your initial goal?¡± said Mariydi in shock as they headed for the elevator.


    Stacy¡¯s room was on the 20th floor, but the elevator stopped at a floor before that. It was the floor the lounge was located on. The bodyguard who was wearing a bulletproof jacket immediately raised his guard, but Mariydi found an attack unlikely. There was close to zero chance of someone gaining information on an unscheduled outing like this.


    But something Mariydi was truly not expecting appeared on the other side of the elevator door.


    ¡°We can¡¯t have that. The Technopics is full of plots and attacks, so I will escort you,¡± said Alicia with a huge smile.


    She was trying to enter the elevator while clinging to the arm of the PR manager of the sponsor company.


    Mariydi Whitewitch had continually fought in the long-drawn out wars of the Northern European Restricted Zone where the use of Objects was banned. Her expression would remain completely unchanged even while sitting atop an enemy soldier and smashing his head open with a large rock. But this sight caused her mind to go completely blank.


    Alicia¡¯s eyes met Mariydi¡¯s as the girl¡¯s mouth silently flapped open and closed. She then spotted the bodyguard and Stacy on the elevator. It was just an instant, but her smile definitely froze over.


    Would her pride or her sense of business win out?


    As a true member of the Capitalist Corporations, she chose the path that led to money.


    No one had pressed the close button, but the elevator door started to close on its own. Alicia grabbed it and forced it back open.


    By then her smile had completely returned and she was once more nestling up against the young PR manager from the sponsor company at the ideal angle and with the ideal strength.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think there isn¡¯t enough to drink at the bar? I may not look it, but I know quite a bit about cocktails. If you like, I could make some for you in my room.¡±


    ¡°E-excuse me. Excuse me a moment! You are Miss Whitewitch, the athlete my company is supporting, correct!?¡±


    While Alicia continued to lean up against him, the PR manager spoke to Mariydi.


    With a suspicious look, she said, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I have just been assaulted with praises for 3 hours straight. I¡¯m a bit afraid my internal sense has been thrown off balance. If you don¡¯t mind, could you insult me so I can realign myself?¡±


    (As much as you act like you don¡¯t, I take it you actually like having a beauty like Alicia clinging to you like that.)


    With that thought, Mariydi looked at the man with a horribly icy look.


    ¡°So you¡¯re some *** of a mental *** bastard who can¡¯t get a boner without looking at a girl holding a giant gun? Get back to your dismal house and start licking a doll or something.¡±


    The PR manager crouched down facing into a corner of the elevator.


    ¡°...Sorry. That was a bit more than I was expecting.¡±


    ¡°It was a request from my sponsor. I had to go all out.¡±


    ¡°Oh? If that is what you like, I could insult you too.¡±


    The elevator stopped at another floor and Alicia and the PR manager headed down the hallway. After a few steps, Alicia turned back toward the elevator and threatened Mariydi and the others with a horribly obscene gesture using her thumb.


    The door closed again and an awkward silence fell over the elevator.


    ¡°...I guess there really is no business you can easily make money in.¡±


    Mariydi¡¯s muttered words touched on one of the major truths of the Capitalist Corporations.


    Part 3


    The next day, Mariydi Whitewitch went through her usual routine of using a fist to silence the hard rock coming from her alarm clock, drinking some carbonated water, taking a lukewarm shower, giving up her battle with the dryer, donning her yellow and black flight jacket, and moving the chair and magazine rack away from the door.


    With an expression like he could not stand it, her bodyguard said, ¡°I might be a bit more motivated in my job if you would show some sign you trusted me. This job will be over soon, so I would like at least some nice memories.¡±


    ¡°So you want me to thank you and call you ¡®big brother¡¯? You¡¯re such a pervert.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°N-nothing. Anyway, I¡¯ll just be doing my job. I just hope I can put this final day behind me without too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, well my sixth sense is warning me of danger,¡± said Mariydi offhandedly while looking down the hallway in both directions. ¡°I have to eat Stacy¡¯s breakfast, right? Should I just wait here?¡±


    ¡°If you want some nutrition blocks, I have some here.¡±


    ¡°Those things just provide you with the nutrients without filling your stomach. Don¡¯t you feel like you¡¯re losing out that way? On the battlefield is one thing, but this is a safe country where food is everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Well, they taste better than military rations. And I would hesitate to call Olympia Dome a safe country.¡±


    ¡°I overslept,¡± muttered Stacy as she pushed a room service cart their way. She did indeed look as if she had only just gotten out of bed. ¡°So the menu for today¡¯s breakfast was thrown together at the last second. It¡¯s centered on toast and a salad. But I forced the needed nutrients into it, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m a bit worried about what you mean by ¡®forced¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Hm. I¡¯m thankful I have these commercial nutrition blocks.¡±


    Mariydi tried to grab the nutrition block the bodyguard was holding, but Stacy grabbed her by the back of the neck with a smile.


    Mariydi gave up but continued a small bit of resistance by lightly glaring at Stacy.


    ¡°At the very least, tell me what you mixed in.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, do you know what ascorbic acid is?¡±


    ¡°Uuhh...!?¡±


    Since this caused Mariydi to flinch back, it seemed her knowledge was focused mainly on things related to war.


    Still smiling, Stacy said, ¡°Ah ha ha. It¡¯s just vitamin C. Even if you have to explain something, you can alter the effect of that explanation based on the words you choose.¡±


    As Stacy messed with Mariydi like that, Alicia walked over from the elevator hall.


    This was after their encounter the night before.


    They all secretly focused on Alicia to see what she would say about it.


    ¡°Good morning. Are you ready for me to go over the schedule with you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing changed!?¡±


    ¡°Well, we were wrong to expect anything cute out of such a boring woman.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, Alicia doesn¡¯t seem to mind that she¡¯s wasting the time she has before she is too old to get married.¡±


    They all gave voice to their varied opinions, but Alicia stood as tall as ever.


    Part 4


    After finishing breakfast, Mariydi walked around the outer circumference of the fried egg shaped Olympia Dome. She even walked through the pedestrian area of the seven bridges of the Bifr?st Arch which was one of the prime sightseeing spots.


    None of the main events had begun yet, so the sightseers were still scattered out among the souvenir shops rather than in the event grounds. Children swinging around helium balloons and couples wearing T-shirts modeled after group sport uniforms were walking about. A youth who may have been looking forward to the final day of the shootathlon aimed his cameras at Mariydi. She prayed he was not just a pervert.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you for the type to go sightseeing,¡± said Mariydi¡¯s bodyguard, but she did not seem to care.


    ¡°I just wanted to see what is so enjoyable about it,¡± she replied while watching the glittering waterway spreading out beyond the handrail. ¡°No real service is provided. It¡¯s just a place. And yet people are willing to pay money to go there. In my time in the Northern European Restricted Zone, I have killed people in the wars caused by that type of flow of money. The total sum of money gathered in Olympia Dome is probably more than the entire financial activity related to the Northern European Restricted Zone. I wanted to see with my own eyes just what value these places have.¡±


    ¡°Did you find your answer?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned that a lot of people have a different sense of value from me.¡±


    No strong emotion could be seen in Mariydi¡¯s eyes.


    All that was there was displeasure over being unable to understand something.


    She felt no curiosity.


    With those relatively emotionless eyes, she stated her opinion.


    ¡°It makes me feel uncomfortable to know that I am a part of it as an athlete. I have a feeling I have no business carrying the burden of a portion of that economic activity when I do not even understand its value. But nevertheless, my actions have an effect on the ratings and intensify negotiations over broadcasting rights. It may not be the same as what I am used to, but this is a battlefield that revolves around economic activity. I would be lying if I said I did not feel a responsibility to comprehend the true nature of this competition so I can play my role better.¡±


    Mariydi¡¯s expression was perfectly serious as she said that.


    In her opinion, one should completely crush an enemy and it was a common courtesy to give your all against any enemy.


    Stacy the pharmacist had previously joked about Mariydi being at ¡°that age¡± while at the Bifr?st Arch.


    Coincidentally, a similar opinion floated up in the bodyguard¡¯s mind.


    (The value of the athletes here can change just by overtaking another athlete in popularity, so the cameras are often attempting to get shots that look like something from a pin-up model¡¯s image video. The design of the uniforms often takes that into account. But it may be better not to mention that to someone her age that likes everything to be nice and clean.)


    The bodyguard kept his mouth shut based on the double reasoning that real adults explained away their own weaknesses using the reasoning that staying silent was the adult thing to do.


    His bodyguard PMC had been hired to resolve any problems, but he was not about to cause extra problems that could be avoided.


    Part 5


    After using up the rest of her free time, Mariydi headed outside the Technopic Village resort hotel. She was headed out to tune up the sports bicycle she would be using for the third day of the shootathlon.


    But...


    ¡°Catwalk TV sure is heavily equipped this time. I think you stand out more than I do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We lost such excellent footage due to the jamming last time. Yes, we want to be perfectly defended against that this time, yes,¡± said Lucas Westernrose while using hand signals to give instructions to several cameramen who were carrying devices large enough one would think they could shoot through a tank¡¯s armor.


    At first glance, it sounded as if they were enthusiastic about their work, but...


    ¡°Are you that intent on filming me getting shot?¡±


    ¡°Hello? We are not so imprudent that we would use a performer as bait to get footage of a lion. Yes, but if we do not keep things at the line of the performer very nearly getting eaten, we would not have a show, yes, yes.¡±


    While operating a handheld device, Alicia broke straight through that conversation with a mechanical voice.


    ¡°Basically, you will be using the kind of bicycle used for road races. It is against the rules to attach any electronic devices such as sensors or gyros. But we have received permission to add weights to aid in manual control, so it should be much less likely to fall over than a normal bicycle.¡±


    Mariydi carefully observed the bicycle that had J-shaped handlebar grips and was specially designed to incline forward.


    ¡°The back wheel has 7 gears and the pedal axle has 5 for a total of 35 different options. However, repeated extreme gear changes over a short period could cause the chain to come loose. You can only learn its limits via experience.¡±


    ¡°Okay. So you¡¯re telling me to intentionally mess up during practice?¡± Mariydi swung her right leg up and over the back wheel to straddle the bicycle frame. ¡°I can be pretty flashy with it, but is this from a sponsor too?¡±


    ¡°It was provided by one, but a fairly low rank one. As a general rule, the size of the sponsor¡¯s name on your flight jacket directly correlates to the priority we give that sponsor. You need not forcibly appeal to the abilities of the bicycle. Focus primarily on the rifle.¡±


    ¡°...So I have to figure the specifics out for myself,¡± muttered Mariydi in annoyance as she began pedaling that high quality bicycle that probably cost more than 10,000 dollars.


    A Catwalk TV cameraman followed behind Mariydi filming her from some kind of electric unicycle.


    They were on a large circular cycling course located just outside the central dome facility of Olympia Dome.


    The Technopics was a competition in which many interests crossed paths and it was largely functioned as a proxy war, but that cycling course was quite a comfortable place for Mariydi with the ocean breeze wrapping around her.


    (Dammit... Maybe I should just run off...)


    Mariydi gave a small bit of serious thought to an idea that could very well make her a wanted criminal, but she still had enough sense to realize it was an unrealistic idea. She repeatedly changed gears to intentionally knock the chain loose, checked on the quickest method to fix the chain, and let go with both hands to mime holding a rifle while pedaling. Like that, she gathered all the information she needed for the actual event. It was tedious work and she was doubtful any kind of narration played over it could turn it into a profitable television show.


    Her bodyguard asked a question from an electric machine similar to a golf cart running alongside her.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one horribly lame vehicle you¡¯re riding around.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is a cycling course. You¡¯re only allowed to use certain types of vehicles. Or would you prefer I sit behind you on the bike?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a road race bike, so it has no room for anyone else. But if you want to have your crotch destroyed by the back wheel, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s it like trying to shoot while pedaling a bike? I just can¡¯t imagine trying it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult to keep my balance while peering down the scope.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, humans use their sight to keep their balance. I guess it¡¯s the same as how it gets a lot harder to balance on one leg if you close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you understand. Closing your eyes just cuts off all information. Peering down a scope gives you a completely new set of information. Pedaling a bike while aiming for a target in a perpendicular direction is going to be a real pain in the ass.¡±


    ¡°...Well, I¡¯m just glad I don¡¯t have to do it.¡±


    Mariydi was tempted to shoot him for how casual he was about it, but unfortunately she did not have a firearm on her.


    As she continued pedaling the bicycle, Alicia spoke over the piezoelectric receiver in her ear.


    ¡°The final day of the shootathlon begins at 2 PM. Direct sunlight is at its strongest during that time period. Please be careful.¡±


    ¡°What, are you telling me to put on sunscreen?¡±


    ¡°I am talking about your stamina,¡± replied Alicia.


    Mariydi laughed scornfully at that.


    The set cycling course was 120 kilometers long. She supposed that must qualify as heavy labor in a safe country protected by an Object.


    The Northern European Restricted Zone had no such guaranteed safety, so it was not too unusual to be told to run over 300 kilometers across an unpaved mountain path.


    Alicia had not noticed her expression because they were speaking via radio, but the bodyguard could see it.


    ¡°You sure are confident,¡± he said.


    The look on her face must have appeared charming because she heard the sound of the Catwalk TV camera lens adjusting its focus.


    Mariydi ignored it and replied, ¡°I simply haven¡¯t found anything to worry about in the specs of the equipment. If I¡¯m worried about anything, it¡¯s about possible interference during the event itself.¡±


    ¡°Once it begins, there will be no large scale interference. It would be simple enough to pull off, but any mistake would be caught by countless cameras and bring international shame on them. Also, anyone with an interest in interfering also wants their own athlete to do well. If they go too far, the event itself could be cancelled,¡± explained the bodyguard in a tone so cheerful it sounded like he would start whistling at any moment. ¡°The shootathlon ends today. Once the results are recorded, they will have no more reason to interfere. And it would be difficult for them to manage anything during the event itself.¡±


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°That the most dangerous time is right now. If we can get through this safely, the risk will be almost entirely gone.¡±


    The large camera suddenly moved in closer as if it had been waiting for those words.


    Part 6


    And with no unofficial interference, the result was as clear as day.


    Once the award ceremony was over, Mariydi had stood in front of the cameras and microphones for a while with her pure gold medal and her trophy modeled after a globe. She had tried to get Alicia to put an end to such annoyances, but that woman merely stood tall, said ¡°What do you think this competition is for? Go and advertise that rifle as much as you can¡±, and then left.


    As a result, Mariydi was sitting in the back seat of an off-road vehicle feeling more intensely exhausted than after the event itself and rubbing her eyes to recover from the strobe light effect of all the camera flashes.


    Mariydi pressed the heavy trophy into the hands of the bodyguard sitting next to her and spoke into the piezoelectric receiver still in her ear.


    She was speaking to Alicia who had already returned to the hotel.


    ¡°Happy now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. First place in the women¡¯s shootathlon is not bad at all.¡±


    ¡°I think this is when you¡¯re supposed to say ¡®good job¡¯.¡±


    ¡°It is still too soon for that. You still have a photo shoot for advertisements in specialty magazines, an interview for a military website, a gathering of medal winners, and other places to show up and smile. You need to speak the sponsor¡¯s name at least once every three minutes and keep the rifle in the frame at all times.¡±


    ¡°What a pain. The PMC never taught me how to train my facial muscles. I think I¡¯m going to have some muscle pain tomorrow.¡±


    Meanwhile, the off-road vehicle Mariydi was in headed out.


    And it was not alone. It was part of a convoy made up of 6 vehicles. As soldiers holding light machineguns had their upper bodies sticking out from the roofs, it was certainly not how one would expect an athlete in a ¡°peaceful festival¡± would travel.


    The inside of the vehicle had not had enough space for Catwalk TV¡¯s large cameras, so Director Lucas Westernrose was filming Mariydi from the side using a small CCD.


    While fiddling with the globe-shaped trophy Mariydi had tossed him, the bodyguard said, ¡°Your safety is more or less assured for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I had thought you were just an unlucky draw that might be able to just barely make ends meet, yes, yes. I never thought you would make it this far! Since you also saved Erie Greenhat of the Information Alliance, yes, you should draw in plenty of viewers, yes!!¡±


    Mariydi folded her arms and glared at her bodyguard.


    ¡°...Your contract isn¡¯t over yet. Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°I will of course do my best, but the shootathlon is over. No one would gain anything by attacking you now, so no one¡¯s going to try it. For all intents and purposes my bodyguard duty is over.¡±


    ¡°So the event is over,¡± muttered Mariydi as she watched the scenery outside the window.


    The bodyguard grinned and said, ¡°Are you going to miss all this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just sad my time off is coming to an end.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re at least going to stay in Olympia Dome until the closing ceremony, right? You can enjoy a pure vacation until then. Eat as much delicious food as you like and just lie out in the sun. With the event over, you¡¯re freed from Miss Stacy¡¯s dietary restrictions and your sponsors are paying for all your expenses. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t turn anything down after you won the gold.¡±


    ¡°...Maybe I should try the world¡¯s three greatest delicacies all at once.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite a childish ace pilot if you think the more expensive the delicacy, the more delicious they are.¡±


    ¡°Hello? I will be using that, yes. Those surprising faults in an otherwise perfect person can score a lot of points, yes, yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just so used to the battlefield that I have no idea how to live extravagantly,¡± commented Mariydi offhandedly.


    Since she had won the gold medal, she could spend her remaining time as a hero. Drawing all the unwanted attention was exhausting, but she would at least be given excellent service without having to bother with being courteous or tipping.


    (In the camera frame at least, I¡¯m being idolized as a well-liked mascot that is worth more than just jacking off to. I guess I should at least live up to that.)


    Mariydi stretched her arms up to stretch her back and said, ¡°Then how about we go around to a few restaurants once we get back to the Technopic Village.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re up for that, you must be healthy enough.¡±


    ¡°Since the sponsors are paying for everything, maybe I should go find a casino.¡±


    ¡°Call me if you¡¯re playing roulette. I¡¯ll give you some good luck as long as I get a 10% cut.¡±


    As those two members of the Capitalist Corporations spoke, a fairly serious look appeared in their eyes.


    ¡°Hmm, but filming is not allowed in casinos... Hello?¡± muttered Lucas Westernrose, but they ignored him.


    Just as they began working up a plan to get around Alicia who held the purse strings, something happened.


    The off-road vehicle in the convoy driving directly in front of Mariydi¡¯s was blown directly to the side.


    At first, an orange light was burned into her eyes.


    The sound of an explosion rang out and the supposedly bulletproof windshield had countless cracks run through it. The pressure Mariydi felt in her chest stopped her breathing for a short moment.


    The off-road vehicle that had exploded in front of them continued on and struck a coconut tree on the side of the road.


    Mariydi¡¯s senses could not keep up with the fact that her own off-road vehicle had come to a quick stop.


    Despite how much Lucas Westernrose had wanted something exciting to happen, he lost his cool and dropped his camera as soon as it happened while he was in the middle of it.


    Mariydi gave voice to what had happened...no, what was still happening in front of her.


    ¡°Was that a recoilless rifle!? Is this an attack!?¡±


    The bodyguard used a hand to cover Mariydi¡¯s mouth and spoke harshly into his radio.


    ¡°Second was taken out. First, Third, calculate out where the attack came from and begin a barrage! Fourth, Fifth, get between my Zero while we get out of here!! Can you hear me, First, Third!? Dammit!!¡±


    Another narrow trail of smoke cut in a straight line through the air and struck the side of the leading vehicle. Sinister explosive flames spewed out as the off-road car¡¯s frame and the lives within were blown apart.


    Mariydi immediately made up her mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting out.¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? It may not look it, but this vehicle has the bare minimum of bulletproofing. Surely all your time in the Northern European Restricted Zone was enough to tell you how dangerous it would be to get out!¡±


    ¡°Can that bulletproofing stop an anti-tank recoilless rifle!? A half-assed shield is nothing but a restraint. And they¡¯re trying to find the vehicle I¡¯m in. At this rate, all of your men will be taken out in the confusion of this preemptive strike!!¡±


    ¡°Your sentiments are moving, but we aren¡¯t going to use the person we were hired to protect as a decoy after getting paid. That would be too disgraceful.¡±


    ¡°Your sense of duty is admirable, but I can¡¯t let innocent lives get caught up in this. Even if he loves nothing better than the misfortune of others, this man from Catwalk TV is still from a safe country. If I don¡¯t get out, every single vehicle will be blown to pieces. And this one is no exception!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but our job is to keep you alive and nothing more. If you are trying to blur the line between professional and amateur, give it up.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Mariydi turned off the safety of the handgun she was holding. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to do this on my own. You can say you took the best action as a bodyguard, but that it failed because I panicked.¡±


    ¡°Shit!? Not again. When did you swipe that from my holster!?¡±


    Mariydi ignored the bodyguard and opened the bulletproof door. She crouched down while quickly moving away from the convoy on her own.


    The enemy reacted immediately.


    Smoke from the recoilless rifles was still floating in midair, but she could see the face of a man holding an assault rifle peering out from the thicket the smoke led back to. However, Mariydi fired the handgun again and again before he could fire.


    ¡°Leaving a spot after firing is one of the basics, you idiot.¡±


    She could tell multiple people were moving behind cover. Before those people could send bullets her way, Mariydi quickly leapt into a nearby building.


    She knew she could not defeat all of them with just that handgun.


    She had two options.


    She could focus on running away without worrying about defeating this enemy.


    Or she could acquire more firepower somewhere and begin a counterattack.


    The real problem was that the decision did not entirely lie in Mariydi¡¯s hands. Unlike a certain island nation, civilians were allowed to carry guns, so finding one would probably not be too difficult. But even so, the idea of a counterattack was out of the question if she could not find any nearby.


    Suddenly, the deep sound of gunfire repeatedly stabbed into Mariydi¡¯s ears. At first she assumed the enemy had brought out a light machinegun, but she was wrong.


    The bodyguard had gotten out of the off-road vehicle and was running her way. He had removed the light machinegun from the roof of the vehicle and was firing it from the hip to hold back the attackers.


    After he charged into the entrance to the building, he tossed his assault rifle to Mariydi and wiped sweat from his brow.


    ¡°I¡¯m going along with your plan, so how about a tip?¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re still focused on making money?¡± commented Mariydi in annoyance.


    She lowered the zipper of her yellow and black skintight flight jacket, revealing some white skin, and reached a hand inside. Mariydi usually only used cards and electronic money, but she always carried a bit of change for the time when she had to tip someone. In the Capitalist Corporations, it was common knowledge that a customer who did not tip would not even be told where the exit was.


    Meanwhile, the bodyguard lightly shook his head.


    ¡°To be honest, this is well beyond my normal business operations. A bit of change isn¡¯t going to cut it.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°A magic incantation.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Something like ¡®Chichin Puipui¡¯. You can think of it as an activation password if you like.¡±


    When the bodyguard whispered that magic incantation into her ear, Mariydi¡¯s expression grew all the more dubious.


    But they would end up surrounded by the attackers if they stayed where they were for too long.


    She lightly clenched her right fist, brought it up to her mouth, and spoke in a delicate voice while looking up at the bodyguard.


    ¡°Big brother, will you stay with me to the end?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll set one foot inside hell for that!!¡±


    Mariydi sighed and returned to her normal voice.


    ¡°Sigh. After all this time, it turns out you¡¯re just a pervert.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. I actually have a little sister who is quite a bit younger than me. We were separated thanks to our parents¡¯ divorce, and you remind me of her a bit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hard to deal with in a different way from a pervert. To be honest, I¡¯m not quite sure what to say...¡±


    (But it does seem to have given him a boost of motivation, so I¡¯ll work him like a horse.)


    After that added thought, Mariydi said, ¡°Anyway, what happened to your men?¡±


    ¡°I told them to start a barrage to buy time and then retreat. Their fate is up to luck and their own skill now.¡±


    That sounded coldhearted, but one could not get through a battlefield on guts alone. Ordering them to fall back at their own individual discretion gave some hope to those men who were at a horrible disadvantage. Whether they could make use of that opportunity literally was up to luck and their own skill.


    ¡°What about the man from Catwalk TV?¡±


    ¡°It seems my men are surprisingly overflowing with customer service. For a fee of course.¡±


    ¡°Did they force some exorbitant price on him during those explosions?¡±


    ¡°There are some businesses that only pay well in situations like this.¡± The bodyguard fired a burst of light machinegun fire out of the building¡¯s entrance. ¡°The bigger problem is you. What is even going on here? The event is already over. Even if they kill you now, it won¡¯t change the results.¡±


    Mariydi then heard a familiar voice over her piezoelectric receiver.


    It was Alicia who had returned to the hotel ahead of them.


    ¡°I have heard what happened. Can you determine the identity of the attackers from the weapons they are using and their method of attack?¡±


    ¡°The recoilless rifles looked like a Legitimacy Kingdom base. But there is a precedent of the Faith Organization using plundered weapons, so we can¡¯t trust that. I think they did even have anti-tank weapons made to match the Legitimacy Kingdom caliber.¡±


    ¡°So are they Legitimacy Kingdom? Or are they Faith Organization?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I don¡¯t know! It could also be the Legitimacy Kingdom using Faith Organization weapons!!¡±


    ¡°...That will make it difficult to figure out what is going on.¡±


    ¡°Why am I being targeted now? The results of the event have already been decided!¡±


    ¡°We have a guess.¡± Alicia had to have been able to hear the gunfire and explosions, but she replied as if it was completely unrelated to her. ¡°Generally, the shootathlon results cannot be overturned once they have been announced, but there are a few exceptions. The results of a doping test after the event or inappropriate conduct at the award ceremony are two examples.¡±


    ¡°They take the medal from you?¡±


    ¡°I do not know if it is actually possible, but some idiot might still try it as a last resort. They might be planning to kidnap you and torture you in front of a camera so the entire world can see you pathetically begging for your life.¡±


    ¡°...Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Well, I doubt they would actually strip you of your medal for that, but it is possible. So please try not to get captured. And please do not beg for your life. At the very least, face your fate bravely as a true representative of our nation. That should at the very least preserve the results of the event. If any of the sponsors¡¯ names or the rifle appear in any of this, we will go as far as to rip out your organs or your genetic code to compensate for the losses.¡±


    ¡°To hell with that!! How fucked up is this sports festival!? I¡¯d rather head right back into the battlegrounds of the Northern European Restricted Zone!!¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± asked her bodyguard while he swapped out the box magazine for the light machinegun.


    Mariydi looked around grimly.


    ¡°I thought any interference would only be during the event, so I thought I just had to make it through these few days. But if they¡¯re trying to strip me of my medal after the fact, the danger could continue for months. That¡¯s why I want to crush the source of the danger while I can see it.¡±


    ¡°My personal suggestion would be to run away, but I¡¯ll stick with your recklessness as long as my contract lasts.¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± laughed Mariydi as she pulled the cocking lever of her assault rifle. ¡°Well, I at least have a proper weapon now. That means I can choose the other option.¡±


    Part 7


    Now then.


    Who has the advantage, the one being chased or the one doing the chasing?


    At this point, it was about 50/50. No one could say who had the advantage and who had the disadvantage.


    And that meant this was the point at which that could be controlled.


    And what would change it was quite simple.


    It hinged on whether one could read one¡¯s enemy¡¯s upcoming actions or not.


    Mariydi and her bodyguard spoke while running down a flight of stairs leading to the basement of the building.


    ¡°Can you call up a diagram of this area!?¡±


    ¡°We just ran underground where I can¡¯t get a signal,¡± replied the bodyguard while operating a handheld device with one hand. ¡°But Olympia Dome is a giant artificial island, so its underground...or rather, its inside was made into a large scale facility where they concentrate the pipes, network, and other necessary infrastructure. The layout is pretty complicated, but the walls should at least be strong enough to block a bullet.¡±


    The bodyguard showed the handheld device¡¯s screen to Mariydi.


    It seemed he had just barely managed to download a diagram of the layout before losing the signal.


    Mariydi wrinkled her brow and said, ¡°The entrance.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that would be the standard method.¡±


    Mariydi and the bodyguard passed through the straight passageway heading out from the entrance they had come through and stopped once they turned a corner. After moving that bare minimum of distance down the passageway, they turned the barrels of their guns toward the entrance.


    They would concentrate their fire when the pursuing attackers headed down the stairs.


    By falling back while their enemy was then overcome with confusion, Mariydi and the bodyguard could quickly head even further down the passageway without worrying about the pursuers getting too close.


    They would do the same at the next corner.


    And the next corner.


    But at the corner after that, they would hide an explosive device instead.


    By ambushing the enemy at every corner they absolutely had to pass through to continue their pursuit, Mariydi and the bodyguard slowly but surely reduced the number of attackers with their sporadic gunfire. Whenever they estimated the enemy would have figured out the pattern, they would set up a trap. Each time they did that, they would dull the attackers¡¯ instincts.


    While they calmly retreated some more, the bodyguard asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°The Faith Organization.¡±


    ¡°But the rifle bullets seem to be a Legitimacy Kingdom model.¡±


    ¡°For the most part, they aren¡¯t using their lights in the dark. Using the lights offensively to blind the enemy is a Faith Organization tactic.¡±


    In an age in which firearms and goggles were equipped with sensors, flashlights were no longer necessary. Those that still liked to use them did so more to blind the enemy with the bright light than to hold back the darkness.


    While looking a bit impressed, the bodyguard said, ¡°So when do you think they¡¯ll catch on?¡±


    ¡°When people think they are the pursuers, a counterattack only makes them angry. As long as you keep throwing more branches on a fire, you can keep it burning forever.¡±


    That was exactly why Mariydi and the bodyguard were choosing to continually fall back.


    It was like someone who kept putting more and more money into a crane game or like someone who just could not stop playing poker in a casino.


    That feeling of being just a bit away from one¡¯s goal would keep the person playing. They would not realize their mistake until their wallet was empty.


    It was because the repeated losses were so small and seemingly insignificant that the desire to win them back was greater than the desire to cut your losses.


    ¡°No matter how much training they undergo, people are still people in the end.¡±


    ¡°What? Is it over already?¡± said the bodyguard as he fired his light machinegun around the corner and at the final few people.


    Mariydi told him to stop with a gesture and then fired her assault rifle down the passageway.


    She did something different this time.


    Mariydi blew away all but one of the pursuers and then fired at the wall near the survivor, sending orange sparks everywhere.


    She was clearly trying to fill him with fear.


    When he saw the Faith Organization attacker fall into a panic and truly start to flee, the bodyguard let out a bewildered voice.


    ¡°Should you really have done that? By not finishing them all off, you now have to live in fear of another attack.¡±


    ¡°I did that specifically to avoid having to do that,¡± said Mariydi while cautiously peering down the passageway. ¡°We have no idea how large an organization we¡¯re dealing with. If they have several other units prepared, slaughtering this one does not eliminate the threat. That is why I let one get away. ...He can lead us back to their headquarters.¡±


    ¡°What a pain,¡± said the bodyguard while shaking his head.


    She would expose her own body to the threat of being shot to keep any civilians or members of her bodyguard team from harm, but she also showed no mercy in crushing those who she saw as an enemy. He could not tell if she liked or disliked blood.


    Mariydi glanced over at the bodyguard.


    ¡°And be careful. Pursuing the fleeing attacker means we have to head back through the passageways we booby trapped. You don¡¯t want to fall victim to your own trap, do you?¡±


    Part 8


    Mariydi and the bodyguard climbed a stairway back up to the surface and exited the building. Reinforcements from the bodyguard PMC had already arrived, so they borrowed one of their vehicles. Instead of a professional military off-road vehicle, it was a standard 4-door car that would not look out of place driving through a normal city.


    The Faith Organization attacker whose heart had fallen firmly into the grasp of his survival instincts after all of his allies had been killed was not paying any attention to his surroundings.


    After driving 10 kilometers in a vehicle of his own, he arrived at a rental storehouse far removed from the center of the island.


    The attacker got out of his vehicle, but Mariydi took action before he could approach the door to the storehouse.


    She approached silently from behind and kicked the back of his knees to throw him off balance. Before he could turn around or shout out, she wrapped her arms around his neck and mercilessly snapped it.


    ¡°Excellent work,¡± commented the bodyguard.


    ¡°The scary thing about the Technopics is that this didn¡¯t count as a crime.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, self defense is defined pretty broadly here. Of course, without that broad definition, we wouldn¡¯t have been attacked in the first place¡±


    Mariydi searched through the pockets of the limp dead body and found a key. She cautiously approached the storehouse and unlocked the small personnel entrance located next to the giant shutter.


    She glanced over the inside with her assault rifle at the ready, but it did not seem anyone was there.


    (There are signs of people heading in and out very recently.)


    She and the bodyguard checked around inside the storehouse, but found no one hiding inside. They had either all headed out for some mission or another or they had fled for fear of their comrade leading someone back to them.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like they left any ¡®presents¡¯ for us,¡± said the bodyguard while lowering his light machinegun.


    He was referring to explosives.


    If they had detected Mariydi and the bodyguard¡¯s actions and fled, it was very likely they would have left behind some kind of booby trap. That meant they had probably left for other reasons.


    ¡°Was that all of them? Or are there more? We can¡¯t be sure with just this.¡±


    ¡°We can just keep an eye on this place. My men can set up a perimeter.¡±


    While listening to the bodyguard, Mariydi looked around the inside of the storehouse. Several of what appeared to be some kind of equipment were covered by thick plastic sheets. She had already checked underneath quickly while searching for any ¡°presents¡±.


    She removed the cords holding the sheets on and removed them.


    Inside she found...


    ¡°A VTOL fighter? Is it a Legitimacy Kingdom S/G-31?¡±


    ¡°The exterior is just made to look like it,¡± said Mariydi the ace pilot after giving it a careful look. ¡°The Faith Organization Harpuiai uses the same basic frame. It was designed by an engineer that defected from the Legitimacy Kingdom after all.¡±


    She circled around to the back and spotted the distinctive paddle for the jet engine¡¯s vector thrust nozzle. It was definitely not from the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    It had been a patent issue over the shape of that paddle that led the engineer to defect.


    ¡°So it¡¯s a Faith Organization design?¡±


    ¡°This fighter has had its exterior modified to hide its identity. It¡¯s possible the inside was modified for the same reason. This isn¡¯t enough to say whether it is Legitimacy Kingdom or Faith Organization.¡± Mariydi tapped the fighter¡¯s body with a loosely clenched fist. ¡°They just had to make sure we couldn¡¯t tell what world power they¡¯re from. As long as we don¡¯t have 100% certainty, each world power can avoid any possible responsibility with the political exchanges they¡¯re so good at.¡±


    ¡°I thought you had determined the unit we took out was from the Faith Organization.¡±


    ¡°Based on their methods. They definitely acted like a Faith Organization unit...but I can¡¯t deny the possibility that those were soldiers from a different organization that mastered those movements with help from former Faith Organization soldiers, anyone else who had undergone Faith Organization training, or their intelligence department¡¯s analysis of the Faith Organization¡¯s training methods.¡±


    The armored vehicle and submarine covered by the other plastic sheets had been made to look like Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance models respectively. Those false exteriors were not simply meant to deceive. The intent was to leave traces of different world powers to make it impossible to tell which power they were from.


    The bodyguard sighed.


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell from this.¡±


    ¡°We actually might be able to.¡± Mariydi looked over at the maintenance tools. ¡°They¡¯ve added elements from multiple world powers to the fighters and armored vehicles that will be seen on the surface, but they would have had no reason to do the same to the equipment that would never see the light of day. We can figure out which power is behind this by checking out their military tools.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the verdict?¡±


    ¡°...In all likelihood, they¡¯re from the Faith Organization. More specifically, from the Greek mythology branch.¡±


    Mariydi used her piezoelectric receiver to ask Alicia, but Alicia replied sounding confused.


    ¡°The Greek mythology branch had no decent athletes in the shootathlon. Even if they eliminated all of the medalists, they would not gain anything.¡±


    ¡°Then what is going on?¡±


    ¡°I am not from a criminal group, so I could not tell you. But if I had to take a guess, the goal of their attack is something other than stripping you of your medal.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mariydi looked around once more and then began searching through the storehouse once more.


    As she did, she realized something that should have been there was missing.


    ¡°There¡¯s no computer. Modern fighters and armored vehicles have advanced precision equipment installed, so a computer is needed for maintenance.¡±


    ¡°So they took all that with them?¡±


    ¡°...I can only think of one possibility,¡± muttered Mariydi before exiting the storehouse.


    She once more searched the corpse of the attacker lying collapsed outside the entrance. She found a handheld device in the inner pocket of his jacket.


    It was locked with a password, but it was done with mere free software. She used a special method to lock up the functions needed for the security and rebooted it with the password lock mode turned off altogether.


    ¡°Does a pilot need to know how to do that?¡±


    ¡°I use this sort of device to regulate the fly-by-wire system. When the device screws up and won¡¯t do what I tell it, I sometimes have to perform a soft reset.¡±


    The device did not have much data in it, but it did have a few addresses leading to special links and a list of authentication codes. It seemed all the primary data was stored on a server accessed via the internet. Mariydi had no idea how long she would have access, so she just downloaded all of it.


    The Blank will stand out too much. The Blank is nothing more than preparations for the real plan. We cannot allow anyone to grow suspicious at this stage.


    A progressing problem will be used for the Blank.


    We have information that the Legitimacy Kingdom is attacking an athlete from the Capitalist Corporations. We can use this for the Blank.


    Camouflage of the needed firearms and armored vehicles has been completed in time. They will now be used for the Blank.


    The bodyguard peered over Mariydi¡¯s head to read the text on the screen from above.


    ¡°This is referring to us, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It certainly looks like they aren¡¯t trying to strip me of my medal. From the looks of this, they aren¡¯t even really targeting me at all.¡±


    The Blank.


    She searched through the files for a bit and found data on that.


    Most of Olympia Dome¡¯s security is made up of unmanned weapons such as UAVs, UGVs, and UUVs.


    If they are not crushed, the real plan will be difficult to execute.


    The unmanned weapons do not run on a completely autonomous program. They are constantly manually controlled from a central control room.


    The antennae are located all over the island.


    Their output is powerful enough that a normal jamming signal will likely fail to completely block the signal.


    But to bring together all of the data from the countless antennae, hubs are needed to control the path of the data like traffic lights.


    If a hub is destroyed, the unmanned weapons will be temporarily unusable over a rather large block.


    Mariydi narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°How many recoilless rifles were fired when our convoy was first attacked?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I was too busy trying not to die.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what that was. Even if they fired at a different facility amid the confusion, it would still be deemed an attack on our convoy.¡±


    ¡°But this Blank isn¡¯t their main goal, right? This said it was just preparation. What is their real plan?¡±


    ¡°Here we go. I found it.¡±


    Mariydi scrolled down on the handheld device¡¯s screen.


    Every last trace of the original sports festival has been lost from the Technopics.


    We must put an end to these ruins that are swollen with nothing but depravity and proxy wars.


    We of Athletica will return this festival to the original form of the Olympics created by our ancestors from our homeland of Greece.


    Athletica.


    That seemed to be the name of the organization that was at the center of the current turmoil.


    To do that, we must utterly destroy the Technopics and the massive amount of profit it produces as well as Olympia Dome that runs the festival.


    Olympia Dome is an impregnable facility guarded by Objects from the great world powers of the Faith Organization, the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, and the Capitalist Corporations. We do not think it can be brought down with a frontal attack.


    To sink this giant artificial island, the system that supports it must be used against it.


    ¡°...Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡±


    ¡°They want to bring back the Olympic spirit? Is this Athletica we¡¯re fighting against trying to make an enemy of the entire Technopic system?¡±


    ¡°But how are they going to sink the island? Four Second Generation Objects are on constant guard.¡±


    The world powers¡¯ Objects are officially said to be working together to guard Olympia Dome, but their actually reason for being here is to keep each other in check to prevent any single Object from attacking.


    A strong stimulus could create a situation where they begin destroying each other.


    Firing the first shot will be difficult.


    It may be from the same world power as us, but the Faith Organization Object is not a fellow Athletica member.


    That means the first shot must be fired with something other than an Object.


    It does not have to be enough firepower to destroy the Object. However, it must be enough for the Elite piloting the Object to deem it a threat. It must be powerful enough for the Elite to mistake it for a bombardment from another Object or at least for something the Elite believes an Object bombardment is needed to resolve.


    Did a weapon with such firepower even exist?


    Object¡¯s had armor powerful enough to withstand a direct hit from a nuclear weapon.


    As Mariydi operated the handheld device, she found information on what Athletica planned.


    What it said was:


    In order to appeal to the fact that they have no large scale military might, Olympia Dome supplies power to its unmanned weapons from an outside source.


    It uses the three giant Ocean Substation transformer ships.


    The great power needed to run over 5000 unmanned weapons is transferred in the form of a laser.


    Using that facility, an optical attack powerful enough to damage an Object can be achieved.


    We will eliminate the threat of the unmanned weapons with the Blank and use the gap in security to hijack the Ocean Substation.


    If the Ocean Substation¡¯s high output laser is targeted at an Object, those monsters of the world powers will then begin destroying each other on their own.


    And Olympia Dome will be caught in the middle.


    Enemy Forces 3


    Ramil Scofflaw exited the civilian helicopter storehouse and Iris Aggravation jogged after her carrying a small computer.


    Iris spoke to the woman who was not turning around.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Scofflaw! The assault members used for the Blank have all been taken out and Motel B they were using has been taken by the Capitalist Corporations!!¡±


    ¡°The destruction of the hub means the Blank was a success. A large area has been created in which Olympia Dome¡¯s unmanned weapons cannot be used. Hijacking the Ocean Substation will not be difficult now. We will continue the operation, Warrant Officer Aggravation. We still have Motel A here and as well as Motel C. If we redistribute our resources, we have enough.¡±


    Three fighters with VTOL ability had been dragged out to the large concrete plaza in front of the storehouse.


    When the unmanned weapons were functioning, they would have been shot down in no time by anti-air missiles or other aerial firepower.


    But that was not the case.


    ¡°First, these three Harpuiai will destroy all the defense systems on the Ocean Substation¡¯s deck. After that, we will board the ship via helicopter and hovercraft. ...Don¡¯t overdo the initial attack. This will all be for naught if we sink the Ocean Substation.¡±


    It may have been because they had entered the final stage of their plan that strength had entered Ramil¡¯s voice.


    Or perhaps it was because she was a pilot and the topic had shifted to her field of expertise.


    Ramil pointed at the screen of the small computer Iris held.


    ¡°The 20 minutes after the initial attack are what count. We can¡¯t stretch this out beyond that. The Blank has thrown Olympia Dome into confusion. To pull the trigger of a war, we must strike the decisive blow against the Object while information is still confused.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°We will be in charge of taking over the Ocean Substation, but your skills and the program in that computer are needed to weaponize the laser. Do you understand, warrant officer?¡±


    ¡°Of course. We cannot allow the peaceful festival created by our culture to be sullied any further.¡±


    The competition known as the Olympics had been lost.


    All that remained was a development race of textile material science for the sportswear and pharmaceuticals for the doping, as well as a trade show of guinea pigs created in human experiments. No wholesome sportsmanship remained and the exhilaration of the entire world growing excited as a single whole was gone.


    What was moving about the development of athletes to win gold medals in exchange for shorter lifespans?


    What was wholesome about a sports competition where, no matter how hard they worked, an athlete that had dropped below 10th place would be violently attacked by the people as soon as they arrived home because the people blamed them for the bets they had lost?


    ¡°...We will bring it back,¡± muttered Ramil quietly but with a sense of intimidation that seemed to stab into the human spirit. ¡°We will crush this rotten festival of death and bring back the peaceful festival we once had. That festival that allowed us all to forget about the boundaries of language, religion, nationality, and race between us, even if it was just for a short time. We will bring it back.¡±


    They knew that their means would involve the lives of everyone on Olympia Dome, the thousands of athletes and millions of spectators, and that it would bring about further tragedy by causing additional wars using Objects around the world, but that did not change Ramil and the others¡¯ minds.


    They had no duty to protect the lives of those who profited from that rotten competition or those who enthusiastically held gambling tickets in hand while watching those filthy events.


    A large number of people gathered around Ramil.


    They were the pilots of the fighters, the assault team that would be brought in on the helicopters and hovercrafts, the analysts who managed data in front of the computers, and the maintenance team for the weapons. They were all focused on Ramil.


    She had already decided what words she would use to inspire them.


    Ramil lifted a hand in to the air as if she was holding out a cup of alcohol and spoke the words.


    Those words symbolized the reason for Athletica¡¯s existence.


    ¡°Glory to the festival.¡±

 Volume 5, 4

    Volume 5, Chapter 4


    Part 1


    The situation had grown quite troublesome.


    Athletica¡¯s ultimate goal was causing a battle between the Objects of the world powers protecting Olympia Dome. Olympia Dome would be caught in the middle and sunk.


    That large scale military might was there, but they were unable to ask for help or even explain the situation to them.


    The lives of the thousands of athletes, the millions of spectators, and even Mariydi herself could only be saved with the old style of military might that was usually called obsolete.


    (Modern wars do not happen unexpectedly. The heads of the world powers only go to war after weighing the gains and losses against each other and carefully calculating everything out. Since Olympia Dome exists outside all that, they might not be able to deal with any disorder here using their usual methods.)


    Mariydi thought while charging out of the storehouse.


    (I¡¯m sure the higher ups will use all their political tricks to keep the chaos to a minimum. This may not develop into all-out war. But the same cannot be said for the masses at the bottom. The Technopic athletes may be produced behind the scenes, but they are still representatives of the people. If they are killed off, the people won¡¯t just sadly back off.)


    She gritted her teeth as her speculation headed in a horrible direction.


    The worst part was that this speculation had a possibility of becoming a reality.


    (If the several thousand athletes are all killed, terrorist attacks within safe countries will increase at an explosive rate. It¡¯s already been pointed out that the rates of attacks in safe countries increase after the ¡°accidents¡± during the Technopics. This could deteriorate into a situation where the distinction between battlefields and safe countries completely collapses. That would mean the complete destruction of the system supported by Objects that allows for a clean era of clean wars. All sorts of economic activity will grind to a halt and society itself will collapse!!)


    The vehicles of the bodyguard PMC team gathered in front of the storehouse that was tinged with the orange of twilight. Lucas Westernrose of Catwalk TV was trembling amongst them, but he then started berating himself when he realized he forgot to film what had happened.


    Mariydi grabbed her main bodyguard and said, ¡°What is Olympia Dome¡¯s management saying!? Have they increased the security for the Ocean Substations!?¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡± The bodyguard shrugged. ¡°They seem to have been thrown into quite a bit of confusion thanks to the Blank and everything else that is going on. We can¡¯t get through even using the emergency lines. Everything is tied up.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    Mariydi snatched the bodyguard¡¯s binoculars and looked out toward the sea.


    She could see a ship over 500 meters long stopped a few kilometers out. The shape of the ship was nothing special. It was basically a tanker, but it had four parabolic antennae a few dozen meters across lined up on its flat deck. They were likely meant to receive the microwaves.


    ¡°I can¡¯t contact Miss Alicia anymore either. With Olympia Dome¡¯s own communications network cut off, everyone is using the radio transmissions now. There are so many transmissions being sent out at similar frequencies that everything is filled with noise.¡± The bodyguard clicked his tongue. ¡°In other words, we have no way of knowing what the sponsor¡¯s opinion is. I doubt they would actually listen to us though.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time for those intellectuals. If we wait for them to sign off on our actions, Olympia Dome is done for!!¡±


    As soon as she said that, an explosive noise shot by over Mariydi¡¯s head.


    She put down the binoculars and looked up to see three fighters heading for the Ocean Substation with long, narrow contrails behind them.


    They were the VTOL fighters disguised as Legitimacy Kingdom S/G-31s.


    ¡°They¡¯re making their move! It¡¯s Athletica!!¡¯


    Lucas Westernrose must have decided anything was fine as long as it recorded because he pulled out his smartphone, started up a video app, and pointed the small lens into the sky. He spoke with his own men who had come directly to him as they could not contact him remotely.


    ¡°Hello? Yes, yes, according to the other filming group, yes, yes, the spectators have not begun to panic yet, yes. Yes, with the broadcast cut off, the events have been stopped as well, but most of the spectators are waiting in the dome for the systems to recover. They may have mistaken the fighters, yes, yes, for an acrobatic show to celebrate the end of the women¡¯s shootathlon, yes. ...And even if they view it as combat, yes, yes, they seem to be accepting it with open arms as more of the standard trouble between athletes here, yes.¡±


    The bodyguard looked up at the source of the contrails and muttered, ¡°The UUV ships in this area are unusable. I¡¯m sure they can operate the Ocean Substation¡¯s defense systems manually, but...¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t count on those things! A battle between air and ship is practically over by the time the fighters can approach the ship!!¡±


    Orange lines from tracer bullets scattered from the deck and white trails of smoke signified the launch of anti-air missiles.


    But no apparent damage was done to the fighters.


    When the three Athletica fighters passed over the Ocean Substation, over half of the defense systems were blown away by machinegun fire. After pulling some distance away, the fighters circled around and approached again. This time, they shot up the soldiers who were using shoulder-fired anti-air missiles.


    The bodyguard groaned and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a slaughter.¡±


    ¡°But it isn¡¯t over yet. Once the defense systems on the deck are destroyed, the main Athletica force will move to board it. Once they gain control, they will use the laser power delivery system to attack the Objects. And then the Objects will begin fighting amongst themselves. Once that happens, Olympia Dome will be destroyed.¡±


    Mariydi operated the handheld device she had acquired from the Faith Organization Athletica soldier she had killed.


    She had no idea where they had gotten it, but it included a supposedly classified diagram of the Ocean Substation.


    ¡°The Ocean Substation is nothing more than a transformer facility. The actual power generation is carried out by a satellite in orbit. The power is sent to the ship via microwaves, transformed into a laser, and then transferred to Olympia Dome.¡±


    ¡°If the satellite providing the power is stopped, won¡¯t it lose the foundation it needs to produce the high-output laser?¡±


    ¡°The Ocean Substation has control of the satellite.¡±


    ¡°How? It¡¯s constantly receiving a ton of microwaves, right? It seems to me that would overpower any control signals sent back.¡±


    ¡°There are three ships total. They aren¡¯t all receiving microwaves at all times. Two carry out the transformation and the remaining one controls the satellite. By swapping out which ones undergo the burden and which one gets to rest, they can perform maintenance without any downtime.¡±


    The bodyguard lightly shook his head and said, ¡°But Athletica needs the Ocean Substation¡¯s laser. That means they have to receive the microwaves. If they can¡¯t do that and control the satellite, it might be possible to stop the satellite with a signal from one of the other ships.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but only if the signal isn¡¯t being jammed. The power generation satellite will continue to send the microwaves like normal unless it receives a stop signal. It can continue just fine without any control signals for a while.¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± cursed the bodyguard.


    While operating the handheld device, Mariydi said to him, ¡°So what do you think we should do?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? There¡¯s nothing we can do,¡± he muttered. ¡°We may have firearms and the authority to take military action, but that¡¯s only if your life is in danger. Olympia Dome is the target this time, not you. Unfortunately, we cannot use our guns.¡±


    ¡°If that ship is hijacked, this giant artificial island will ultimately sink into the Atlantic!! That will kill me. That seems like reason enough for you to act as my bodyguard!¡±


    ¡°If I fire without authority to do so, it¡¯s a crime!!¡± shouted the bodyguard as if to cover up her words. ¡°Everyone who attacked you were professional spies who took all the necessary preparations to slip through the gaps of an investigation before they attacked. We don¡¯t have that kind of protection, so we will definitely get arrested. And this isn¡¯t a part of the Capitalist Corporations. I don¡¯t want to be tried in a court that speaks a different language and uses a criminal code I don¡¯t understand. There¡¯s no way I could win!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And the same goes for you. Boarding the Ocean Substation to save it would probably have earned you praise in an older era. But nowadays it¡¯s nothing but a crime. It could even have you stripped of your medal. If that happened, everyone on your team, the sponsor companies, and maybe even the entire Capitalist Corporations could be after your head. The risk for you makes mine look like nothing!!¡±


    She could be charged for breach of contract.


    Simply failing to obtain good results in the event could bring a serious risk to her ability to live a normal life, so if she had her medal stripped from her due to dishonorable and criminal conduct, the sponsor companies that had expected to earn millions of dollars advertising through her would certainly be furious.


    In the Capitalist Corporations where finances were valued higher than human lives, it would not be surprising if they would take revenge with military action.


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°I am going to do my job as your bodyguard. I will do the bare minimum that is required of me.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re saying we should flee?¡±


    ¡°Luckily, you already won the gold medal in the shootathlon. If we just say your health deteriorated due to side effects of doping, you need not attend the closing ceremony. We can get you on a charter plane right away that should be able to escape before Olympia Dome is destroyed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s being destroyed as we speak!!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t get on that charter plane without you!!¡± snapped back the bodyguard.


    Lucas Westernrose of Catwalk TV looked shocked, but he finally turned his smartphone¡¯s lens towards the two and spoke.


    ¡°Hello? Yes, yes, well, the most our crew can call in is a helicopter. Yes, given the location of Olympia Dome, it cannot continue flying for the distance required to reach land, yes. Also, yes, as a member of the Information Alliance, yes, I cannot allow myself to turn tail and run in the face of this kind of ¡®truth¡¯, yes.¡±


    He had made up his mind to stay using his own form of logic.


    Mariydi, the only one with a ticket allowing her to escape, somehow actually felt left behind.


    She had no idea what to say, so the bodyguard said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you to get on despite that. If you have any chance at all, you need to survive this. You earned that medal with your own skill. No one will blame you if you live your life a bit pridefully for a while.¡±


    ¡°...What will all of you do?¡±


    ¡°Find some way to contact Olympia Dome¡¯s management. I hope we can find a loophole that allows us to use our weapons. It doesn¡¯t matter how much we have to split hairs, as long as we are allowed to fight, we can head to the Ocean Substation. It¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡± The bodyguard seemed to be checking over all of the conditions. ¡°And then...right. If we can contact Miss Alicia, we can check on the sponsor¡¯s opinion. If a large company can expedite Olympia Dome giving us permission to fight, that would be a huge help...but there will probably be a lot of barriers in the way given the average condition at the Technopics.¡±


    Also, he had no way of knowing if they could even defeat Athletica in a straight shootout.


    And their actions could get in the way of some political and legal issues.


    The bodyguard had to know that there was no way he would make it in time after jumping through all those hoops.


    And there was Alicia, who was so earnest when it came to finances and contracts.


    And Stacy, who secretly enjoyed gathering famous autographs.


    Whether they could fight or not, everyone who happened to be on Olympia Dome would soon be killed.


    They would be utterly blown away by the tremendous firepower of those giant weapons known as Objects.


    With the one exception of Mariydi, who could fight but had the privilege of being able to flee.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± urged the bodyguard as he led her to a nearby vehicle.


    Once they were behind the vehicle where the other surrounding soldiers could not see them, Mariydi stuck a military knife against the bodyguard¡¯s side.


    ¡°Give me your gun and the key to the vehicle.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, not again!! When did you steal my knife!?¡±


    Lucas Westernrose aimed his smartphone¡¯s lens in their direction, but Mariydi ignored him and continued her demands.


    ¡°Just hand them over. Your method won¡¯t make it in time. I¡¯m sure you know that. So hurry up and hand over your gun and the key.¡±


    ¡°You really might have your medal stripped from you.¡±


    ¡°This is the only way.¡±


    ¡°The sponsor companies might continue hunting you for decades! Are you really okay with that!?¡±


    ¡°If it comes to that, I can just win another medal to make up for it.¡±


    Mariydi moved the tip of the knife slightly and the bodyguard winced. While putting up with the pain, he handed Mariydi his handgun and the key to the vehicle.


    Mariydi opened the vehicle¡¯s driver side door and Lucas Westernrose shouted after her.


    ¡°Hello!? If I would be in the way, yes, yes, at least take this smartphone with you! Yes, yes, you will likely be the closest to the truth!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but the amount of blood will probably force the rating too high.¡±


    After Mariydi¡¯s blunt refusal, the bodyguard spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tip you and I can¡¯t guarantee your safety. I¡¯m not brazen enough to ask you to come with me despite that.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ll have to take a bit of a detour, but I will catch up with you. So head on to the Ocean Substation ahead of me. Got it?¡±


    Mariydi gave a slight nod and then stuck the key in the ignition.


    Part 2


    The Ocean Substation was stopped a few kilometers out at sea.


    Mariydi was headed for a harbor facility. Unlike the swimming area, this area of the ocean had no artificial bottom prepared. It had a depth of several thousand meters immediately off the coast.


    Mariydi climbed out of the parked vehicle while checking the data she had downloaded from Athletica onto the handheld device.


    She heard the bodyguard¡¯s voice coming from the piezoelectric receiver in her ear.


    (Did he find a usable frequency? Who knows how long it will remain usable, but this might be thanks to allying ourselves with a TV station even if it is just a net one.)


    ¡°How exactly do you plan to board the Ocean Substation? Are you going to borrow a motorboat?¡±


    ¡°The attackers from Athletica are currently boarding it by helicopter and hovercraft. And the crew is firing assault rifles from the deck in order to stop them. If I used a boat, I would just end up right in the middle of the firefight.¡±


    A good number of relatively small cruisers were moored there. They were not used to travel between Olympia Dome and land. The cruisers were used to hold the equipment for the divers that worked underneath Olympia Dome and to function as relay and rest points for those divers.


    An old security guard was stationed at the entrance to the facility, but Mariydi grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm, and threw him down to the asphalt.


    She swiped the unconscious guard¡¯s card key and entered the building that had been made from a modified container.


    ¡°The Ocean Substation is a transformer facility, but they still need power to carry out that work.¡± Mariydi ignored the diving wetsuit and grabbed an oxygen tank. ¡°The microwaves are not used for the ship¡¯s own power. Methane hydrate is gathered from the ocean floor which is burned by gas turbines to create electricity. That means it must have a gate for the small mining submarines to pass through.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to go in from the bottom!?¡±


    ¡°If those small submarines are still going in and out, this is the safest method. I won¡¯t have to head straight into a firefight.¡±


    With the oxygen tank on her back, Mariydi grabbed an aqua scooter. The device was something like a kickboard with a motor attached. It would allow her to travel through the ocean at much faster speeds than with flippers.


    (This is the center of the Atlantic Ocean. This far out, the water is usually a few thousand meters deep.)


    If she ran into some kind of equipment trouble, she was done for.


    Mariydi felt a different kind of chill running down her back than the prospect of a firefight gave her, but she could not stop here.


    Mariydi held the aqua scooter under one arm and left the container-shaped building. When she reached the edge of the water where the cruisers were moored, she jumped straight into the water.


    The Ocean Substation was a good distance away.


    As Mariydi moved through the ocean water using the aqua scooter, she heard Alicia¡¯s voice in her ear.


    ¡°I heard what you are doing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to make any complaints now. If you want to stop me, come after me with a gun.¡±


    ¡°I am not the one complaining. I merely relay the sponsor¡¯s valuable opinion to you.¡±


    Alicia had to know that she would also be killed if Olympia Dome was destroyed, so it may have been quite impressive that she managed to keep her usual attitude.


    ¡°So what did the sponsor say? Will they hunt me down for revenge if the medal is stripped from me? Or will they send me off as slave labor?¡±


    ¡°The possibility of being stripped of the medal is indeed worrying. The publicity for the rifle would effectively fall from heaven to earth. It would fall below zero even. But,¡± added Alicia. ¡°Even if you are stripped of your medal, the publicity could reach an even higher position than before if we are able to reconstruct this into a moving tale of how you fought to protect the innocent. That is their opinion.¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡±


    That may have been Alicia¡¯s way of being considerate.


    The woman spoke nothing of how much effort had been expended beneath the surface to reach that compromise with the large companies that were like incarnations of economic activity.


    ¡°And so, if you are going to take action, then make sure you are successful. The worst case scenario would be having your medal stripped from you and yet being unable to protect Olympia Dome. If that happens, you have no room for excuses.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Give me something good to eat once I get back alive.¡±


    ¡°I will join you in that as long as it comes out of your expenses.¡±


    During their conversation, Mariydi had arrived nearby the Ocean Substation.


    She looked around the clear area of ocean through her goggles and spotted what looked like a 3 meter long probe ship moving down below the bottom of the giant ship.


    As the diagram on the handheld device had said, a portion of the Ocean Substation¡¯s bottom could open and close to allow the small submarines in and out.


    If she clung to one of those submarines, she could sneak into the giant ship.


    In all likelihood, a firefight was already underway inside.


    The real challenge began here.


    Part 3


    Mariydi snuck into the Ocean Substation by clinging to the side of one of the small submarines.


    The block she found herself in seemed to be where the methane hydrate acquired from the ocean bottom was converted into combustible gas. Around 20 men wearing work uniforms were inside. They all stiffened in shock when they saw the intruder, but they breathed a sigh of relief when she removed her goggles and they realized she was Mariydi Whitewitch the athlete.


    (I didn¡¯t expect to be able to use my face like a business card. I guess winning that medal wasn¡¯t all bad.)


    ¡°You know this Ocean Substation is under attack, right? Who is in charge here?¡±


    ¡°I-I am,¡± replied a female worker in her thirties.


    Mariydi looked over at a steel piece of equipment larger than the thick pipes and garages scattered around the area.


    ¡°What is this equipment for? What exactly does it all do?¡±


    ¡°It completely melts the solid methane hydrate to convert it into the gas fuel to use in the gas turbines. The neighboring block contains the power generating turbines.¡±


    ¡°How does one access the turbines?¡±


    ¡°They are through a single door. You do not need to head out into the passageway.¡±


    ¡°The Ocean Substation is a large scale transformer facility, but it needs its own power to run. That is acquired here. In other words, the entire Ocean Substation would stop running if this block could no longer be used. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. But...are you saying the attackers are targeting this block to rob the unmanned weapons protecting Olympia Dome of their power?¡±


    ¡°No. They plan to weaponize the power transfer laser. I doubt we can stop them from taking over the ship, so I want to make sure they cannot use the transformation facility before they take over.¡± Mariydi counted the small submarines. ¡°So I have a request for you workers. I want you to remove the parts needed to run the turbines. Including the spares. Get on the small submarines with those necessary parts and escape. If you do that, they will not be able to use the weaponized laser even if they hijack the Ocean Substation.¡±


    ¡°The necessary parts are pretty heavy. We would have to use a crane... And there are 4 spares, so it would take 30 minutes to complete the work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy that time for you,¡± said Mariydi as she pulled out a handgun.


    When Mariydi started for the door leading to the passageway, the female worker frantically called out to her.


    ¡°Wait! What will you do?¡±


    ¡°It seems the crew is trying to protect the ship with their lives, but they need not do that once the necessary turbine parts have been removed. I need to explain the situation to them so they can escape rather than die needlessly. And while I¡¯m at it, I can draw the enemy¡¯s attention to buy more time until they manage to take over.¡±


    ¡°With a single handgun? You have to be joking.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t think I can win. When the time is right, I¡¯ll escape too. I¡¯m not some hero of justice. If you don¡¯t want to die, then get to work right away. You are the only ones who can protect your own lives.¡± Mariydi pressed up against the wall right next to the door. ¡°Once I leave, use the crane to place something heavy in front of this door. I will not be coming back here. Ignore any knocking. Don¡¯t be fooled by any cries or entreaties. They will all be traps. Don¡¯t let anyone in. Got it?¡±


    The workers gave small nods to show they did, so Mariydi opened the steel door slightly. The passageway was empty. She slipped out and closed the door behind her.


    (Dammit. How many enemies are there in here?)


    Unlike a luxurious passenger ship designed with livability in mind, the passageways were narrow, winding, and filled with exposed pipes. The corners of the passageways could be used for cover, but there was almost nothing to hide behind in the straight areas. Simply put, the way it was constructed was bad for Mariydi¡¯s heart.


    She had no specific objective.


    She had no conditions for victory.


    She simply had to gather as many people as possible and retreat quickly. This was a battle to minimize the damage in a battle that they were already losing.


    But she would still get back at them.


    By making sure the Ocean Substation was unusable before fleeing, she could crush Athletica¡¯s plan.


    Part 4


    Ramil Scofflaw used hand signals to give instructions to her subordinates.


    They fired a recoilless rifle which blew away the crew¡¯s cover. She and her subordinates then quickly began moving once more.


    ¡°The satellite control facility has been taken.¡±


    ¡°The bridge has been taken.¡±


    ¡°The microwave reception control facility has been taken.¡±


    As she listened to the reports from other units coming in over a special radio frequency band, Ramil fired a carbine at the resisting crew. She purposefully fired a bit away from them and her subordinates actually shot them once they determined the crew would counterattack.


    ¡°That just leaves the laser transfer control facility and the engine room at the bottom of the ship.¡±


    Despite using unmanned weapons for their primary force, Olympia Dome had a surprising amount of flesh-and-blood fighters on the Ocean Substation itself.


    But...


    ¡°It looks like most of them are workers for maintenance and the like, so they haven¡¯t undergone any specialized training.¡±


    ¡°Then this shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± said one of Ramil¡¯s subordinate soldiers with a recoilless rifle hanging from his shoulder.


    But Ramil did not smile.


    ¡°This means we must eliminate everyone onboard including the noncombat crewmembers. And we will have to perform a search of every nook and cranny of the ship to do so. That will be quite a pain.¡±


    ¡°We can carry out the search once the main facilities have fallen. Lieutenant Colonel, you and the others construct a barricade around the main block and carry out the work to weaponize the laser as planned.¡±


    ¡°I would rather not have to fear an attack from some hidden enemy. Be thorough.¡±


    Just as Ramil gave that order, she heard a short burst of rifle fire and the subordinate she had been talking to was mowed down.


    Ramil frantically hid behind a corner in the passageway, but she looked puzzled.


    (That sounded like one of our weapons. Did someone steal one of our rifles?)


    She was in what was commonly referred to as a crank-shaped passageway.


    The shape was easy to recognize when drawn on paper. It headed straight, turned ninety degrees to the right, and then turned 90 degrees to the left at the next corner. What mattered was that it had two corners that were not too far apart.


    The two sides of the firefight were each using one of the corners as cover and the passageway between had been turned into a pathway of death with bullets flying every which way.


    Neither side could land a decisive blow while firing from the corner.


    How would they pass that pathway of death?


    The side that accomplished it would be the victor.


    Ramil reached a fiberscope lens that was similar to an endoscope around the corner, but it was destroyed by a rifle bullet before she could get a good look at the passageway.


    (Dammit. They must have the better ability to view the passageway.)


    This was not a situation where she could carelessly stick her head around the corner.


    She used the directional microphone on her carbine to pick up the enemy¡¯s voice. She could hear a girl speaking from the other side of the crank shape.


    ¡°You do not need to defend the ship with your life. Let them have the Ocean Substation. As long as they are unable to weaponize the laser, their plan can continue no further.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°No matter how many microwaves are sent pouring down on the ship, the transformer work requires another power source. They can do nothing if they cannot use that. There are three Ocean Substations. Even if one of them is made unusable and destroyed from the outside, Olympia Dome can continue functioning. All of you need to leave as quickly as possible. Do you understand?¡±


    (Not good!!)


    Ramil distinctly felt a bad feeling run down her spine. She frantically grabbed her radio and gave orders to her subordinates.


    ¡°Alpha! Charlie! Change your current route and head to the engine room! That is your top priority!! Do not let them destroy the equipment related to the methane hydrate!!¡±


    (Shit. Who is this? She didn¡¯t just happen to be here during the attack. The way she spoke, she obviously knows what our plan is!!)


    Ramil used hand signals to give attack instructions to her remaining subordinates.


    She did not know who that girl was, but she knew her mere presence would negatively affect their plan.


    As a true member of the Faith Organization, Ramil was spurred to action by something other than logic. With her instinct giving an extra push beyond her inspiration, Ramil immediately began the attack once more.


    Her subordinates stuck only their arms out around the corner and fired their low-recoil handguns again and again. Meanwhile, Ramil poked her head around the corner and took accurate observations of the length and width of the passageway, the material of the walls, and other things.


    ¡°Wah!!¡±


    She heard the girl¡¯s voice from the other end of the passageway. It was accompanied by the squeaking of shoes against the floor.


    (Is she falling back?)


    As soon as that question entered Ramil¡¯s mind, one of her subordinates creating the diversion stepped out to pursue the girl.


    But Ramil grabbed his shoulder to stop him.


    ¡°Shooting and falling back was the strategy used in the counterattack while creating the Blank, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she muttered while calmly firing a 50mm grenade.


    She did not fire it straight down the passageway so that it would hit the back wall.


    The enemy was around the ninety degree corner in the passageway, so Ramil fired the grenade against the side wall.


    The explosive bounced off the wall and landed around the corner.


    Part 5


    Mariydi noticed the grenade right away.


    ¡°Shit!?¡±


    She pushed down the crewmember she was using to tell the rest of the crew to escape, and frantically got down on the ground herself.


    An explosion rang out.


    It had an effective radius of 10 meters. However, the grenade was designed to scatter tons of sharp fragments diagonally up from the floor to extend that range slightly. In other words, the destruction did not spread in a pure circle; it was more of a cone shape.


    If you lay down on the ground while near the grenade, you could still escape that cone.


    (Good thing it wasn¡¯t the type that scatters the shrapnel from the air.)


    Mariydi spoke to the male crewmember.


    ¡°Are you alive!?¡±


    ¡°Alive enough to respond. But...shit! I can hear footsteps approaching!!¡±


    It was unlikely the enemy thought they had finished things with that single grenade. They had merely used it to create the time they needed to cut through the ¡°pathway of death¡± in the center of the crank-shaped passageway.


    Mariydi and the crewmember could not regain the position they needed for a proper firefight.


    The enemy would not challenge them to a quick draw like Western gunmen.


    ¡°This way! Hurry!!¡±


    Mariydi dragged the crewmember to his feet and headed down the passageway.


    Part 6


    Ramil and the others cut down the ¡°pathway of death¡± all at once. Beyond the next corner was a straight passageway. It had no cover. Ramil¡¯s carbine would be enough to finish off the enemy.


    But just before she turned the corner, an explosive noise rang out.


    She peered around the corner and saw nothing but dust floating in the air.


    Ramil pulled her head back behind cover and one of her subordinates spoke up.


    ¡°She has explosives too?¡±


    ¡°We know she stole one of our firearms. We need to assume she has everything we carry. She probably used a recoilless rifle fuse and attached the explosive to the wall.¡±


    No counterattack came.


    The enemy was either focused on fleeing or had been injured.


    Ramil came to a quick decision and gave instructions with hand signals. They ran down the passageway and to a large hole that had been opened in the wall. Due to the dust in the air from the explosion, they could not see inside. Ramil fired a grenade through the hole. That would both see if anyone was hiding inside and blow away the dust.


    But...


    The hard sound of the grenade landing came from much closer than she had expected. The combustible gas should have launched it a good distance, but it landed only 3 meters away. That was when she and her subordinates realized something. Hidden by the dust, a pushcart had been left right in front of them.


    The grenade had struck the handle and fallen to the ground.


    And this left Ramil and the others well within its range.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    They frantically moved to evade the blast.


    An explosive noise rang out shortly thereafter.


    Part 7


    Using the explosion as her sign, Mariydi began a counterattack with the carbine she held in both hands.


    With intermittent short bursts, she quickly silenced the Athletica soldiers who had been injured by the grenade. Even if they were injured, they could still function as enemy soldiers as long as they had the strength left to raise their arms and pull the trigger and the will left to fight. Mariydi was relentless when it came to neutralizing them.


    ¡°Tch!!¡±


    She heard someone click their tongue and then saw a figure fleeing.


    Mariydi was conflicted over whether she should pursue the figure or not.


    (...Huh. The other people around that person are creating an oddly thick barrage to let that person escape.)


    She came to a quick decision using that information.


    (That person must be important. If I defeat them, I can bring confusion to the Faith Organization ranks!!)


    As stated previously, Mariydi was working under the assumption that she would lose this battle. But since she knew she could not stop the Ocean Substation from being taken over, she had set her goal to saving as many of the crewmembers as possible and preventing the giant transformer facility from functioning in order to stop the laser power transfer facility from being weaponized.


    In other words, she was not at the final goal for the incident as a whole.


    The fighting would likely continue.


    And so she wanted to cause damage to the structure of the Faith Organization group for the sake of the next battle.


    (Dammit. Can I still make it after that person!?)


    If she simply chased after the fleeing figure, the barrage meant to hold her in place would probably take her out. Mariydi called up the diagram of the Ocean Substation on her handheld device and looked for an alternate route to where she guessed the fleeing figure was headed.


    She needed to hurry, but she could not let her guard down.


    Mariydi waited for the figure at the corner of a cross-shaped intersection between two passageways.


    She heard someone speaking from around the corner. It seemed to be a radio transmission.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good. The methane hydrate facility is deserted! And a few of the parts needed for the turbines that power the transformer work have been removed. What should we do, lieutenant colonel!?¡±


    ¡°Now they¡¯ve done it!! Connect me to Warrant Officer Iris Aggravation!!¡±


    Mariydi focused on regulating her breathing and adjusted her grip on the carbine¡¯s grip.


    She could hear footsteps approaching.


    ¡°Warrant Officer? Have you heard what happened?¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant colonel, please escape from there as quickly as possible. We will do the work here. I am sure we will need your planning abilities in the future, so hurry!¡±


    ¡°Sorry about this. I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    Mariydi moved half her body out from the corner and aimed her carbine.


    She fired without hesitation.


    ¡°!?¡±


    A string of gunshots rang out. But it seemed the figure had noticed just before she fired. The figure had leaped into a different passageway and escaped harm.


    Mariydi frantically resumed pursuit.


    But just as she was about to head down the passageway the figure had disappeared down, she frantically moved back.


    She then poked her head around the corner to check.


    A recoilless rifle shell lay carelessly in the middle of the passageway. From this distance, Mariydi could not tell if it had any kind of radio-controlled fuse or an infrared sensor attached. But since either was possible, she needed to act as if it could detonate at any time.


    (Shit. I don¡¯t have time to be held up at every turn like this.)


    Just as she reached for the sensor switch on her carbine, a few short burst of bullets came from further down the passageway. Mariydi cowered back a bit. The shell was meant to hold her back. If she tried to neutralize the fuse, a stream of bullets waited for her. That was the situation the enemy had constructed that prevented her from dealing with the shell.


    Mariydi gave up and took a detour through a different passageway.


    She knew where this enemy was headed.


    No important facilities lay in the direction in which the figure had been headed. The only thing in that direction was an exit leading to the deck. Mariydi opened a different door than the one used by the figure and headed outside.


    The deck was large and flat.


    It contained four giant parabolic antennae and the complex arrangement of pillars that supported them. It was like a forest made of metal. It had countless areas to use as cover.


    Mariydi headed directly below one of the bowl-shaped antennae while aiming her carbine every which way.


    (Where is she?)


    Mariydi moved from steel pillar to steel pillar and looked all around.


    (She fled with the help of her subordinates. What is she going to use to escape? A hovercraft? A helicopter?)


    It turned out to be neither.


    A giant mass of metal sat in an open area free of the parabolic antennae and pillars.


    It was a Legitimacy Kingdom S/G-31 fighter with VTOL ability.


    More accurately, it was a Faith Organization Harpuiai fighter with the exterior altered to look like that.


    Instead of a specialized ladder, the figure was using a wire to climb up onto the nose of the fighter. She was just about to climb into the cockpit.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Mariydi frantically moved to fire her carbine, but enemy fire came in from the side. Sparks flew from a nearby steel pillar and Mariydi frantically leapt behind the pillar. Meanwhile, the jet engine of the fighter the figure had boarded began to rumble and it slowly began rising vertically into the air.


    The situation had been reversed.


    If the fighter used its missiles or machine gun, Mariydi would be helpless to defend against it. The carbine¡¯s rifle bullets were not enough to pierce the fighter¡¯s armor.


    (Not good...)


    Mariydi scattered rifle bullets in the direction of the enemy soldiers firing at her to hold them in check and then she dashed below one of the parabolic antennae.


    If the fighter wanted to, it could easily blow away the antenna.


    However, the enemy would not want to destroy one of the parabolic antennae that received the microwaves.


    Mariydi could survive.


    She was not trying to go down with the ship.


    Luckily, the necessary parts for the turbines needed to generate power for the transformer work had already been removed. The enemy could no longer use the weaponized laser even if the Ocean Substation surrendered to them. And so Mariydi felt it was wiser to safely retreat, prepare some large scale firepower, and then blow up the entire Ocean Substation with most of the Athletica force inside.


    But then...


    ¡°Mariydi. Mariydi Whitewitch!! Get out of there now!!¡± A transmission of her bodyguard¡¯s voice resounded in her ear. ¡°The Ocean Substation¡¯s weaponized laser is active. If you stay there, you will be in the center of their sights!!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Mariydi in confusion from atop the deck.


    The turbines used for the transformer work were unusable. She saw no way the enemy could use the weaponized laser even if they took over the Ocean Substation. Also, Mariydi was directly below one of the parabolic antennae that received microwaves. Even if they could fire the weaponized laser freely, she doubted they would target that location.


    But the situation had developed much further than she had thought.


    She had overlooked one thing.


    The Ocean Substations supporting Olympia Dome¡¯s unmanned weapons numbered three in total.


    It was possible the enemy had attacked more than one of them at a time.


    And...


    A different Ocean Substation could be targeting the ship Mariydi was onboard.


    When she saw the giant ship cruising on the horizon, Mariydi finally realized what was going on.


    ¡°Shit...¡±


    She did not have time to think of a way to escape. She fired the carbine to hold back the remaining enemy soldiers on deck and ran toward the ship¡¯s handrail.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    That figure had spoken with someone named Warrant Officer Iris over the radio. When she thought back, she realized it was possible that conversation was not being held with someone aboard the same ship.


    She somehow managed to leap over the handrail.


    But the massive strike came before she reached the ocean surface a few dozen meters below.


    A tremendous flash of pure white light roasted Mariydi¡¯s retinas. The Ocean Substation¡¯s 500-meter-long form was blown away from the very center. The steel ship glowed orange and melted like a sugar sculpture. The incandescent metal struck the ocean water, causing a noise similar to that produced by Chinese cooking to reverberate throughout the area.


    Mariydi had no idea what position she was in when she hit the water.


    She struck the water¡¯s surface and was tossed about by a horrible maelstrom of water that normal waves could never create. It was an unnatural water current created by the remnants of the giant destroyed ship sinking.


    ¡°Cough!! Cough!! Cough cough!!¡±


    Mariydi somehow managed to get her head above water and searched for something to grab ahold of while coughing. She found a thin panel that was likely a remnant of something used in one of the ship¡¯s interior walls. She clung to it for buoyancy.


    ¡°...They¡¯re insane.¡±


    The giant structure was standing up vertically, making it almost look like the Tower of Babel. It slowly sank down to the bottom of the ocean. That single blast had done that to a mass of steel as large as an island.


    An explosive noise shot by overhead.


    It was the Faith Organization Harpuiai fighter that had taken off via VTOL just before the laser had struck. It was no longer fleeing. The fighter was leisurely returning with the majesty of a victor.


    It was returning to its new home base.


    It was returning to the Ocean Substation equipped with that weaponized laser.


    Enemy Forces 4


    After Lieutenant Colonel Ramil Scofflaw landed the Harpuiai fighter on the deck, she used the movable ladder to climb down from the fighter.


    Warrant Officer Iris Aggravation came out to meet her.


    ¡°Welcome.¡±


    ¡°So we only managed to get this one in the end.¡±


    Originally, they had intended to take all three ships. They had planned to gain control of every single one of the Ocean Substations that doubled as control centers for the power generation satellite. They would then have used the three freely usable weaponized lasers to pull the trigger of war.


    ¡°Ocean Substation I was just destroyed by the weaponized laser. We failed to take Ocean Substation III, but the antenna facility used to control the power generation satellite was destroyed and the parabolic antennae used to receive the microwaves were smashed. Only this ship is still functional. We are the only ones that can freely control this massive amount of power. No one can stop us.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have waited to fire on the other ship?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, a Capitalist Corporations PMC was waiting for an opportunity to board Ocean Substation I. Its satellite control center was still functioning, so we had to prevent them from taking control.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Ramil gave a small amount of thought to the soldiers that had still been aboard when the weaponized laser had struck, but she soon changed her train of thought. The plan could continue, so their deaths had built the foundation for their success.


    ¡°How is Olympia Dome¡¯s management reacting?¡±


    ¡°We are monitoring their transmissions, but they have not done much of anything. They seem to be focusing less on dealing directly with us and focusing more on regulating information so the spectators do not panic and begin rioting. ...They must have a groundless belief that the Objects can settle this if need be.¡±


    And that was perfect for Athletica.


    It was like placing a cooked turkey in front of a starving lost child.


    ¡°And what are the Objects doing?¡±


    ¡°Their information network is more secure which makes their transmissions harder to intercept. But from what we can tell by observing them from a distance, they are showing no signs of movement. They must be having trouble deciding whether this will end as a small conflict or if it will develop into a full-blown war. Countless international disputes both large and small are constantly occurring here in Olympia Dome after all.¡±


    It would help if they would hurry up and make their move, but there was something Ramil had to check on first.


    ¡°How was the output of the weaponized laser?¡±


    ¡°The modifications went as planned. However, the output was weaker than expected. It is right on the line between being a threat to an Object or not.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the issue is?¡±


    ¡°We worked it out with the data from the previous test firing.¡± Iris operated the small computer she was carrying. ¡°When transferring power, the laser is set to supply an even and stable power supply. The program detects the powerful laser as an error and attempts to ¡®smooth out¡¯ the values. It is a software issue. There is no need to physically modify the equipment.¡±


    ¡°How long will this take to fix?¡±


    ¡°I am working on it as we speak. I should have it done in another hour.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Ramil looked around and spoke to the surviving soldiers. ¡°Olympia Dome cannot use its unmanned weapons. But it is still possible their flesh-and-blood forces and PMCs from other world powers could attempt to interfere. We must stop them at all costs. This one shot is what matters. Whether we can get this shot off or not will greatly alter the history of the world. Do you understand?¡±


    No one raised any objections.


    Without rest, they all headed back to their posts.


    A maintenance soldier set up an anti-air weapon in place of the defense system that had been destroyed in the attack. An infantryman checked on an autocannon bolted to the deck. The fighter pilots headed for their beloved fighters.


    Ramil looked over at her Harpuiai fighter.


    She was the Faith Organization¡¯s Rocket Icarus.


    Just like Mariydi aka Ice Girl 1, she excelled in the special field of the ace pilot.


    She announced, ¡°Let¡¯s finish this.¡±

 Volume 5, 5

    Volume 5, Chapter 5


    Part 1


    Mariydi Whitewitch dried her wet hair with a towel.


    She was aboard a small motorboat the Capitalist Corporations bodyguard PMC had sent for her.


    ¡°So the Ocean Substation was hijacked.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I wonder why they are waiting to finish this using the weaponized laser,¡± said her bodyguard.


    Mariydi had no definite answer, but she had a guess.


    ¡°If that laser blast had the destructive power of an Object¡¯s main cannon, I would not have survived being that nearby. Only blackened ash would remain for you to recover.¡±


    ¡°So its output was too low?¡±


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯ve given up, though. They¡¯ve come this far, so they will work to finish this no matter what it takes. They are probably working to modify the Ocean Substation¡¯s main equipment.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t good. We have no way of knowing how much time we have.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯re lucky they can¡¯t fire it now.¡±


    The motorboat arrived at Olympia Dome¡¯s shore. There should not have been any work for anyone but the other PMC members working under the bodyguard, but for some reason Alicia and Stacy were waiting there too.


    Mariydi stepped out of the motorboat and asked, ¡°What cards do we have left?¡±


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations Object at sea is requesting an explanation for all this confusion. It seems those at its maintenance base have begun gathering information on their own.¡±


    ¡°Tell them that everyone is done for if it moves.¡±


    ¡°But will the different Objects from the different world powers really be fooled so easily if the Ocean Substation fires that weaponized laser? They have so many sensors and radars equipped.¡±


    ¡°The Objects from the four world powers intentionally create a stalemate situation, but none of them actually want that. The odds are good that at least one of them wants to go on a rampage badly enough to use this as an opportunity. Even if no Object actually does anything initially, as long as there are rumors spreading that one has, the situation could explode. When it comes to the Objects, we need to assume the situation is incredibly delicate. ...Dammit. Do we really have no cards left to play?¡±


    If Olympia Dome ended up being drawn into a battle and the thousands of Technopic athletes were killed, people all around the world would explode with anger. An increase in large scale terrorist attacks and rioting would destroy the distinction between safe countries and battlefields. And that could easily destroy the system of monetary circulation that functioned as the gears of a stable society.


    Stacy tilted her head to the side like an elementary school student.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just sneak in like before?¡±


    ¡°The difficulty level of getting aboard a completely controlled ship with a renewed defense system is simply too much greater than getting aboard a ship in the middle of a confused firefight. Who knows how many hundreds of soldiers are aboard that ship. Getting aboard would mean every single gun barrel would be pointed at us.¡±


    ¡°Blowing it away from outside would be fastest,¡± said the bodyguard quickly. ¡°The electric power itself is supplied by the generator satellite via microwaves. If we could only destroy those huge parabolic antennae...¡±


    ¡°You mean fire a cruise missile at them? But they can use that laser weapon at any time even if it is imperfect at the moment. In all likelihood, they would intercept a missile flying in a straight line. The same goes for mortars that fly in a parabola.¡±


    It was possible the laser interception could be overwhelmed with pure numbers, but the bodyguard PMC did not have any cruise missiles to begin with.


    They needed some card that could slip past the weaponized laser and fire a large number of shells or missiles.


    Without that, they could not stop the Ocean Substation.


    If the trigger of a long-drawn out war was pulled with Olympia Dome caught in the middle of those Objects, the thousands of athletes and millions of spectators would be blown away.


    Mariydi brought a hand to her chin and thought deeply.


    ¡°...Wait, there is something.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Where did I see it? There is some card we can use. I know I saw something. But where...?¡±


    As Mariydi muttered those words, she went back through the information in her head, trying to follow that line of thought.


    And then her head shot up like it had been struck.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Athletica¡¯s storehouse!! It was filled with weapons that have nothing to do with the Capitalist Corporations!!¡±


    ¡°My unit already secured the place, but I don¡¯t remember hearing that a cruise missile was found there.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Mariydi while thinking over it. ¡°This is a weapon said to have lost its role when Objects made their appearance, but I don¡¯t believe that for a second. No matter how restricted it might seem, the sky is always stretching out in every direction. Even if they are said to be obsolete, they will always be the stage on which the aces dance through the sky.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    The bodyguard looked confused, but Mariydi pointed at her own chest with her thumb.


    ¡°I am a pilot first and foremost. What I want is their Harpuiai fighter.¡±


    Part 2


    Mariydi and the others arrived at the storehouse they had previously secured.


    Lucas Westernrose of Catwalk TV held his smartphone out towards different parts of the storehouse to record it. The item they were looking for was there.


    It was a Faith Organization Harpuiai with the exterior altered to look like a Legitimacy Kingdom S/G-31. It was likely one of the weapons prepared to attack the Ocean Substations.


    It was already fueled and armed.


    Mariydi used the movable ladder to climb up onto the nose and peered into the cockpit.


    ¡°The inside controls are a Faith Organization system.¡±


    ¡°Can you fly it?¡± asked the bodyguard as he looked up the ladder towards Mariydi.


    Mariydi¡¯s small butt made slight restless movements back and forth.


    ¡°I flew one around once after stealing it in the Northern European Restricted Zone.¡±


    ¡°...Just what kind of conditions do you normally work in?¡±


    She gave no response to that. For Mariydi Whitewitch, bloody fights to the death were the norm.


    Mariydi climbed into the cockpit and turned the key to activate the system. She flicked the switch for each meter in turn and made small adjustments by using her index finger to directly touch the various monitors that came to life.


    After checking on the flaps and rudder, she put on the goggles that let her use eye movements as a means of control and attached the equipment that supplied her with oxygen. These did not take the standard form of a helmet and mask. A tube that emitted oxygen into the mouth extended from a headset-like part. She attached a small microphone to her throat and set the values so it would emit oxygen according to the movements of her windpipe.


    The helmet and mask was much simpler and more effective.


    The reason they avoided it was...


    (The situation must be similar in the Faith Organization. Technology is no longer developed specifically for the supposedly useless fighters. It only gets some of the defense budget when it doubles as development for Objects.)


    The Elites that piloted Objects did not cover their faces with helmets.


    As the representatives of their nations, they would fight with their gallant faces exposed. Cameras in the cockpit would film it, and the scenes considered most useful would be edited together to show to the people on a grand scale. It was a simple example of strategic public relations.


    ¡°The main wings and tail check out. I will now test the jet engine and radar.¡±


    ¡°Wait, let us get away first. I¡¯d rather not get roasted as if by a microwave oven.¡±


    The bodyguard frantically gestured to his men to move away.


    After making sure they were gone, Mariydi closed the cockpit¡¯s clear canopy and ignited the jet engine. With a tremendous roar, the equipment prepared in the storehouse was blown backwards.


    With the canopy closed, she could no longer hear any outside voices.


    Mariydi used the radio to speak with the bodyguard.


    ¡°The output checks out. The three dimensional paddle for the vector thrust nozzle is working normally. The divergence of the thrust for vertical takeoff checks out. Radar output checks out. I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be playing the role of control. Let us make a bit of extra money, okay?¡±


    ¡°How? Does Olympia Dome rent out airport control towers and radar equipment?¡±


    ¡°We have a Doppler radar,¡± said the bodyguard to Mariydi¡¯s surprise. ¡°We bought a truck equipped with a spherical weather Doppler radar a university was using to examine tornados. We can use it as an early warning device. We originally bought it in the case of a cruise missile attack. We would immediately throw you into a bomb-resistant armored vehicle if it picked up on anything.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t recall having a bomb-resistant armored vehicle.¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t given permission to use that. As a result, we would have been stuck counting down until impact if a cruise missile had been approaching.¡±


    ¡°Pathetic,¡± said Mariydi while holding her head in her hands.


    While looking up at her from the ground, the bodyguard gave a bitter smile and said, ¡°But it lets us perform the bare minimum of control duty. We can¡¯t do much, but we will do what we can to support you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be using Capitalist Corporations air force abbreviated signs, is that okay? Just use my standard call sign, Ice Girl 1. I was the leader of the Ice Squadron, so I was Ice Girl 1.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll just go by CT to keep it simple, Ice Girl 1.¡±


    While listening to the bodyguard¡¯s words, Mariydi carefully controlled the jet engine¡¯s thrust. A fighter was not like a car. It could not directly rotate its wheels or stop by applying brakes to those wheels. The only options were to move forward with the jet engine or stop by stopping the jet engine. When a fighter was moved around in an air force base, it would normally be towed by a specialized tractor.


    Mariydi moved the fighter out of the storehouse by forcing it forward with thrust from the jet engine. She then diverged the thrust of the jet engine so that it pointed straight down.


    The craft shook unsteadily.


    No matter how many times she did it, the VTOL was always bad for her heart. Even a slight crosswind could flip the fighter over. Even an experienced ace like Mariydi could not understand what pilots were thinking when they used it to land on aircraft carriers that were rocking in the waves.


    After rising about 20 meters, she moved the direction of thrust back to directly behind her. Back in its normal configuration, the Harpuiai tore through the atmosphere at tremendous speed.


    Even though the power being sent directly downwards was gone, it felt much more stable like this.


    Airplanes truly were only at home when their main wings were slicing through the air.


    As she breathed a sigh of relief, a transmission reached Mariydi¡¯s ears.


    To her surprise it was not from the bodyguard or Alicia. It was from Lucas Westernrose of Catwalk TV.


    ¡°Hello? Yes, yes, CT to Ice Girl 1...that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? Yes, yes, my smartphone should be in the cockpit.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She checked and, sure enough, there it was.


    Had he thrown it in while the cockpit canopy was open?


    ¡°Yes, yes, the video app should already be active, yes, yes. If you could just point the lens forward and fix it in place, I would be grateful.¡±


    ¡°I have no obligation to do that.¡±


    ¡°Hello? Well, you can throw it away if you like, yes, yes, but I¡¯m sure you know what would happen if you opened the canopy at that speed.¡±


    Mariydi lightly clicked her tongue and carelessly grabbed the smartphone.


    But instead of simply following Lucas¡¯s instructions, she touched the small screen with her index finger and called up a music player app.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± She called up a list of songs and spotted the titles of some hard rock songs. ¡°You¡¯re a horrible bastard, but I guess you are a part of the mass media. You do have good taste in music.¡±


    With the video app and music player app both active, Mariydi fixed the smartphone in place using tape. It may sound silly, but that type of item was brought along to perform emergency repairs if a problem with the jacket¡¯s anti-G ability was noticed after takeoff.


    But the bodyguard and his men acting as the controllers spoke up once that veritable explosion of noise suddenly began.


    ¡°CT to Ice Girl 1! What the hell is that!?¡±


    ¡°Boy Racer¡¯s End Off. It¡¯s a famous song released back when the geniuses of hard rock were still sane. Is it really necessary that I explain this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so loud we can¡¯t hear you!¡±


    ¡°If you have any complaints, take it up with the journalist who gave me the smartphone.¡±


    ¡°Um...Yes, if you have that music playing, yes, yes, it will add an unnecessary expense to broadcasting it, yes...¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. This is going to be footage you could never air anyway,¡± replied Mariydi.


    Alicia then cut in, ¡°CT to Ice Girl 1. The Ocean Substation is currently 35 kilometers away at sea and is cruising away from Olympia Dome. That is likely both an attempt to restrict any possible counterattack from us and to move into a better position to fire the first shot on the Object.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nowhere to a fighter that can travel at Mach 2.¡±


    ¡°They know that. Two crafts are coming from the north, three from north-northeast, and 3 from northeast. They are probably all Harpuiai!!¡±


    ¡°Roger that! Attack Alpha!! Let the battle begin!!¡±


    Attack Alpha was the code for sending out a targeting signal.


    ¡°They¡¯re going for you, too!! Defense Alpha confirmed!! Be careful! You¡¯re going to cross paths in no time at all!!¡±


    Defense Alpha was the code for a targeting signal coming from an enemy.


    A few rectangular containers appeared on the goggles that combined the actual scenery with information from the radar. They were still the size of grains of sand when seen with the naked eye, but the electronic eye had already captured the location of the enemy crafts.


    The enemy craft directly in front of her was the first to fire an air-to-air missile.


    ¡°Defense Charlie!! Cancel it, Ice Girl 1!!¡±


    Defense Charlie was the code for a missile lock and ¡°cancel¡± simply meant to evade it.


    (I didn¡¯t detect the targeting signal for long. It didn¡¯t take time for aiming in Defense Bravo. This is probably a bluff. It doesn¡¯t actually have a lock! When I panic and make a sudden turn, they¡¯ll probably fire their machinegun along my corrected course. Even in the open sky, inertia limits the courses I can take!!)


    Mariydi made an immediate decision and continued on forward without evading. The Harpuiai had the ability to supercruise, but she activated the afterburners to bring out the fighter¡¯s maximum speed.


    Trailing a narrow line of smoke, the air-to-air missile shot past a few meters from the cockpit.


    But it did not detonate.


    Mariydi adjusted her grip on the control column and lightly stroked a trigger with the bottom of her index finger.


    It was the switch for the machinegun.


    ¡°AAM has been cancelled!!¡± reported the bodyguard.


    ¡°I already know that! Attack Gun!!¡±


    It turned out to be the Athletica pilot who panicked because he had expected Mariydi to make a sharp turn. And Mariydi had no obligation to wait for him to recover. She fired machinegun bullets at the fighter at a rate of 4000 per minute.


    It only took an instant for them to pass each other.


    The two masses of composite materials continued on for a bit before turning around for another pass.


    However, one of them was trailing a line of black smoke.


    ¡°Attack Delta! Active!!¡± came the report.


    Attack Delta referred to a hit and Active meant the enemy could still fight.


    ¡°I guess they¡¯re good enough to last more than one head-on pass.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t chase the wounded too much, Ice Girl 1. Another one is coming up from behind. When you head after that juicy target, it will get behind you. It¡¯s a stereotypical skewer!!¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s time for a little prank.¡±


    Mariydi flipped one of the many switches with her index finger.


    Immediately afterwards, a new ID signal used to distinguish friend from foe was displayed on radar.


    It was the exact same signal used by the Athletica fighters surrounding Mariydi.


    ¡°Wh-what!?¡±


    ¡°We took this fighter from them, remember?¡± she said. ¡°They can¡¯t tell friend from enemy. A close-quarters dogfight needs a bit of confusion.¡±


    Not only did the Harpuiai approaching her from behind obviously show it was shaken by this, but all 7 fighters pursuing her did. Hers was the same model of fighter and it was emitting the same signal. It was now impossible for them to distinguish between friend and foe. And from the beginning, Mariydi had simply seen every fighter but her own as an enemy. The signals did not matter to her.


    Mariydi rotated the craft while heading forward, flying in a coil shape. This was a special maneuver called a barrel roll that was used to both confuse the enemy fighter coming from behind and to rapidly decelerate her own fighter.


    And the intentional deceleration caused the fighter behind her to overtake her.


    And of course, in a dogfight between fighters, everything depended on who was behind whom.


    ¡°Attack Alpha, Attack Bravo, Attack Charlie,¡± muttered Mariydi as if she was singing a counting song.


    While stating the proper attack code-phrases, she fired an air-to-air missile with the thumb on the control column.


    After being thrown into confusion by the ID signal and losing sight of its target thanks to the barrel roll, the Athletica Harpuiai was unable to do anything about the attack.


    Mariydi then added two new phrases to her song.


    ¡°Attack Delta, Strike.¡±


    With an explosive noise, orange flames and fragments of composite materials scattered everywhere. Even a fighter flying at supersonic speeds could hear an explosion occurring in front of it even if it sounded distorted. As soon as Mariydi confirmed the explosion, she used the control column to send her fighter into a wide turn. Even so, she could hear a sound like fingernails clawing at the outside of the fighter.


    (Some of the fragments hit.)


    ¡°CT to Ice Girl 1!! We can¡¯t tell where you are like this!!¡±


    ¡°You can use the source of the transmissions I send to you! Use your head. Even the other side will come up with the same idea in just a few minutes!! That¡¯s why I need to take out as many of them as I can until then!!¡±


    She had shot down one of the Harpuiai, but it was still 1 against 7.


    Since all of the fighters had the exact same ability, it was honestly not a situation she could hope to win in. This went beyond the level of what a pilot¡¯s individual skill could make up for. And Mariydi¡¯s objective was not to ensure air superiority in the area by shooting down all of the enemies.


    ¡°At the very least, I need to lessen the barrage enough to force my way through this! Taking out half of them should be enough. If I can fire a few AAMs at the Ocean Substation, we win!!¡±


    ¡°Ice Girl 1, they have your location. The enemy fighters are heading for you from all four directions! Cancel them! Cancel their Defense Alpha, Ice Girl 1!!¡±


    ¡°A total of 7 coming from four directions. That means one direction has only one fighter. I just have to start there.¡±


    Orange lines of machinegun fire erupted from multiple directions at once and Mariydi just barely managed to avoid it. She tilted the control column, made as tight a turn as she could manage, and circled around behind the Harpuiai working on its own.


    (And of course, they will have predicted this.)


    Mariydi thought while gritting her teeth at the inertial Gs affecting her small body.


    (To make up for this weakness, they will try to stick to my tail and skewer me.)


    And if she could predict that, she could use it to her advantage.


    In other words...


    Mariydi suddenly stood her fighter up vertically by 80 degrees.


    The massive air resistance this caused made her Harpuiai rapidly decelerate.


    This was a special maneuver known as Pugachev¡¯s Cobra. The air resistance caused was vastly greater than a normal air brake, so a fighter on the pilot¡¯s tail would overshoot them. But practically standing the craft up vertically naturally created a balance issue. The fighter itself had to be very stable, the pilot had to be very accurate on the controls, and most importantly, the pilot needed the endurance to not pass out due to the tremendous Gs of the rapid deceleration.


    And Mariydi Whitewitch had all those things.


    But there was one thing she did not take into account.


    She had competed in the shootathlon three days in a row and taken part in or been the target of various attacks in between.


    All that left her with great fatigue.


    ¡°...!!!???¡±


    Her vision wavered more than she had expected. She felt as if the stake stabbing into the center of her head to hold her consciousness in place was coming loose. She felt a bizarre floating feeling and it felt like the contents of her stomach had lost their way and were rampaging around within her body.


    But she suppressed it all.


    She focused on the hard feeling of the control column in her hand and the desire to fight returned all at once.


    She once more had control of the fighter.


    The five Harpuiai chasing her were all brought before her. Including the one she had been originally chasing, six enemy fighters were now in range for attack.


    Mariydi did not hesitate.


    In this situation, the machinegun was faster than the air-to-air missiles.


    ¡°Attack Gun!!¡±


    Instead of carefully targeting each individual target, she more or less swept her sights along horizontally, scattering bullets as she went. This was the fate of a different version of herself. As the sight of the black smoke, fragments, and orange flames flew towards her retinas, she could not get rid of that parallel feeling.


    ¡°Attack Delta!! Strike, Strike, Strike! ...Two Active!! You can keep after them!!¡± reported the bodyguard.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke. Getting greedy in the skies will only get you killed. The remaining fighters are still trying to get on my tail. I need to deal with my real objective before they get lucky!!¡±


    She had shot down three fighters and two had survived but had black smoke pouring from their main wings and bodies. Those two could no longer function normally.


    Only two of Athletica¡¯s fighters could still put up a fight.


    To make absolutely sure, she would have liked to damage those two as well, but Ocean Substation¡¯s weaponized laser could be fired at any moment. She had no choice but to make a run at it now even if it was risky.


    She was confident she could attack the ship while keeping two enemy fighters off her tail.


    That confidence was the most deadly enemy for dogfight veterans, but Mariydi needed to force her thoughts in a positive direction to keep her fingertips from trembling.


    This was not a peaceful situation where she could allow fear of death to affect her decisions.


    (Well, the ship¡¯s defense system was probably updated by Athletica. I might have tons of anti-air guns and missiles flying my way.)


    Ignoring the other Harpuiai flying through the air, Mariydi made a large movement with the control column. She pointed the nose of her fighter toward the Ocean Substation. She used the goggles that read her eye movements to set the program such that the parabolic antennae would be tracked and locked on to via visual recognition.


    ¡°Attack Bravo.¡±


    The most annoying issue with attacking a ship was that the ship was motionless. It may seem that would make it easier to target, but fighters moved so quickly that they would pass by the ship in a blink of an eye. Mariydi was more used to the midair battles with opponents that appeared motionless due to moving at relatively the same speed.


    ¡°Attack Charlie!!¡± she shouted while firing three air-to-air missiles.


    She was aiming for the parabolic antennae lined up on the ship¡¯s deck rather than at the ship itself. If she was attacking the ship, the standard method would have been to attack the belly of the ship. However, that was usually done with specialized anti-ship missiles. It was difficult to get air-to-air missiles to skim just above the ocean surface. A poor job at aiming would send them stabbing straight into the water. Also, she had no idea how strong the Ocean Substation¡¯s armor was. The air-to-air missiles were designed to shoot down fighters that could be taken out by even slight damage. She was not confident the air-to-air missiles could blow a hole in the thick belly of the ship. Since she was flying in a complicated trajectory to keep the enemy fighters off her tail, Mariydi could not use the free fall bombs that required a level flight.


    (That would be like aiming for a turtle¡¯s shell with a rubber band gun meant to shoot down butterflies. The only logical choice is to shoot out the fluttering wings attached to the turtle¡¯s back.)


    She was certain her missiles were enough to destroy those parabolic antennae.


    And if she managed to destroy the antennae, the ship could no longer receive the microwaves being sent from the generator satellite.


    There was no way the 500-meter-long ship could evade the missiles by frantically turning its helm.


    But...


    Sudden stroboscopic flashes of light came from the three missiles headed for the large ship.


    In the next instant, the air-to-air missiles were blown to smithereens.


    ¡°Cancel. Cancel. But what was that!?¡± came the report from CT.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Without listening to the bodyguard, Mariydi twisted the control column with all her strength.


    She understood exactly what it was she had seen, so she hurriedly dropped her fighter down to just above the ocean surface.


    (They intercepted the missiles with the laser!? It can¡¯t have been fully weaponized yet, but they must have intentionally lowered the output to fire it in quick succession!!)


    Laser light was invisible to the naked eye when viewed from the side. The only reason the high output lasers used on Objects were visible to the naked eye was due to the dust and moisture in the air being roasted.


    This laser had not been powerful enough to leave behind such a flashy trail.


    But each blast had been enough to shoot down the air-to-air missiles.


    Her odds of hitting with non-propelled bombs would be even lower.


    And that laser could of course be used to shoot down Mariydi¡¯s Harpuiai fighter as well as any missiles or bombs.


    ¡°Can you do anything about that!?¡± asked the bodyguard.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll be shot down!!¡±


    Mariydi had lowered her fighter down to just above the ocean surface because the lower altitude had more dust to attenuate and refract the laser. Plus any heat rising from the ground or ocean surface had a chance of creating a mirage. And the odds were not all that low since they were in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and just below the equator.


    Even so, it was no guarantee that she could avoid the laser.


    And one other problem presented itself.


    (Shit!! The Ocean Substation¡¯s wall is coming up fast!!)


    The giant ship was 30 meters tall and about 20 meters of that was above water. Mariydi would crash into the belly of the ship if she continued flying just above the ocean surface.


    Mariydi adjusted her grip on the control column.


    (I¡¯d really rather not have to perform these acrobatics!!)


    Mariydi turned the fighter vertical as if stakes had been stabbed into the front and back of the craft which were used to rotate it 90 degrees. With the fighter standing on its side like that, she made a tight turn. The edge of the main wing was only about 50 cm from the surface of the water. This was very precise work that you did not want to be experiencing tremendous Gs while performing.


    Mariydi completed her turn after approaching within 10 meters of the Ocean Substation.


    She also used her index finger to send machinegun fire flying without really aiming.


    Following the direction of the turning nose of the fighter, bullets slammed into the Ocean Substation¡¯s belly like perforation.


    (No good. And even if I could blow holes into it, no water would get in when it¡¯s above water.)


    The autocannons and ship-to-air missiles on deck targeted Mariydi, but the close proximity actually helped her. The defense system missed its target and only created pillars of water in the ocean.


    (I¡¯m more worried about when I leave. I¡¯ll be showing them my tail.)


    With the turn complete, she leveled out the fighter, raised her altitude a bit, and zigzagged some in an attempt to escape the sights of the autocannons.


    They had autocannons, ship-to-air missiles, and a low output anti-air laser to top it all off.


    ¡°They certainly have a lot of options.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also possible the microwaves can be used to mess with your communications and targeting. This isn¡¯t going to be easy,¡± said the bodyguard.


    But she had to do it.


    Mariydi evaded the surviving Harpuiais that were belatedly trying to surround her and began preparations for her next attack.


    (That woman on the deck.)


    While frowning at the warning buzzer, Mariydi divided her focus by thinking about something else.


    (She¡¯s a Faith Organization ace pilot. I¡¯ve seen her picture in their government reports. Is she Ramil Scofflaw aka Rocket Icarus!?)


    Part 3


    Ramil Scofflaw gritted her teeth as she watched the enemy Harpuiai temporarily leave the Ocean Substation as she stood on the giant ship¡¯s deck.


    It had approached close enough for her to see the figure within the canopy.


    ¡°That was Sky Blue PMC air force¡¯s ace pilot, Ice Girl 1! Mariydi Whitewitch is intervening!!¡±


    Ramil was pretty sure that girl had won a medal in the shootathlon. And if that girl who had trained her skills in the Northern European Restricted Zone was behind it, she could understand why the interference had been so skillfully executed.


    Ramil turned to the maintenance soldiers who were working on the deck.


    ¡°How is the work going!?¡±


    The maintenance soldiers stood at attention, saluted, and replied in turn.


    ¡°The movable panels for receiving electricity have been successfully attached to the top of the fighter!!¡±


    ¡°The firing apparatus has been attached to the bottom. The fighter will be good to go as soon as the software has been updated!!¡±


    Ramil approached one of the maintenance soldiers and peered at the small computer he was holding. The work would be done in a few minutes.


    ¡°Good. Until the work on the weaponized laser is complete, the microwaves being sent down by the generator satellite are being wasted. Even if we lower the output of the laser to intercept, we cannot block machinegun fire. That Ice Girl 1 is skilled enough to slip in close enough. If that machinegun strike just now had been targeted at the parabolic antennae, we would have been in trouble. The laser alone does not eliminate the threat. In that case, we need another way to use those microwaves.¡±


    ¡°Normally, we would be unable to send commands to the satellite thanks to the microwaves, but if we send commands while it is disturbed by solar winds, we can have it generally follow your fighter, lieutenant colonel. It is set up to receive the microwaves, transform them into electric power, and then emit microwaves of its own using an oscillator. Since the power builds up in the craft, the microwaves will be even more powerful than the ones sent from the satellite.¡±


    ¡°It just has to be enough to bring down a fighter.¡±


    As Ramil grabbed onto the movable ladder, she heard a transmission coming from Iris.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel, are you really going?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°We have other pilots. I recommend we hold you in reserve to protect your excellent command abilities.¡±


    ¡°We sent out some of those other pilots and most of them were shot down. I have to go. And,¡± added Ramil, ¡°There will be no ¡®next time¡¯. Everything we have done is concentrated in getting this one shot off now. We must utterly crush these rotten Technopics and bring back the wholesome Olympics. We must bring back that peaceful festival that everyone could grow enthusiastic about but only exists in textbooks and historical archives now. So do not think about some ¡®next time¡¯, Warrant Officer. This is not something that will be given to us if we simply open our arms to receive it. This is our only shot at this.¡±


    She did not shout. It was the imposing calmness of her voice that silenced Iris.


    Ramil looked up at the modified Harpuiai while still holding onto the movable ladder.


    ¡°A microwave armament. ...That is what I will use to shoot down that ace.¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°The Ocean Substation must intercept any air-to-air missiles headed its way. First, fire air-to-air missiles at the parabolic antennae. While they are focused on intercepting them, raise your altitude and fire at the laser firing apparatus with your machineguns. That seems the best plan to me,¡± said the bodyguard.


    ¡°It scares me to do that without checking on the limits of its rapid-fire ability, but I suppose that is my only option.¡±


    Mariydi made up her mind while further diminishing the number of enemy fighters that were still trying to attack her even while trailing lines of black smoke.


    (The Objects are still showing no sign of taking action. I need to take out Athletica before they do.)


    If they took action, they would take control of the battlefield in no time at all. That was just what happened with those giant weapons. Nothing gave Mariydi more relief than the fact that the trigger to that destruction had yet to be pulled.


    ¡°The impact of that laser can be a bit deceptive, but we still have the overall upper hand,¡± said the bodyguard. ¡°We do not need to sink that ship. All that matters is the parabolic antennae and the firing apparatus. We just have to destroy one or the other of those delicate devices located on the deck. We already have a blade pressed against their throat. You just have to pull that blade to the side!¡±


    ¡°They have a blade to my throat too!!¡± shouted Mariydi as she turned the fighter¡¯s nose back towards the Ocean Substation and raised the output of the jet engine.


    Suddenly, a warning buzzer went off in the cockpit. It signified the fighter was being struck by radar waves used for missile targeting.


    ¡°Def...ense Alpha. From...southeast. Dist...ance...20...¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Mariydi looked puzzled.


    Something was wrong with the transmission. No, it was not just the transmission. She noticed some noise starting to run across the radar and it turned into a green sandstorm in no time at all. Finally, even the warning buzzer blaring inside the cockpit cut out. The rectangular containers displaying the locations of the enemy fighters in her goggles disappeared. Only the digital displays showing speed, altitude, direction, and a few other readings were left.


    (What? Is this jamming? No. The radar and communications is one thing, but I¡¯ve never heard of electromagnetic interference that could knock out all of my readings. What is going on!?)


    Since she could not use the radar, Mariydi forcibly twisted just her neck around while strapped in so that she could see to the side and back.


    And then her expression turned to one of shock.


    The surface of the right main wing had begun to glow orange. The thin flap attached to the front was especially bad. The one on the back probably was too. She could not see them with the naked eye, but the glow had her concerned about the state of the air-to-air missiles attached below the main wings.


    Mariydi stared blankly at the mysterious phenomenon for a bit, but then...


    (Various sudden electromagnetic malfunctions and an unnatural rise in temperature on the right main wing. Don¡¯t tell me...)


    ¡°Microwaves...? Ice Girl 1 to CT! I am being hit with microwaves from a horizontal direction!! I want confirmation for my guess. Give me some information! Do you see anything odd on your radar!?¡±


    ¡°Ksshh... Ksshhh... Ksssssshhhhh.¡±


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Mariydi clicked her tongue and moved the control column. She could not guess how powerful the enemy¡¯s weapon was. The paint on the wing or the oil on the flaps could set fire and cause further malfunctions. In the worst case, the materials of the fighter could fuse together. Mariydi guessed the enemy was targeting her from the right, so she made a hard turn in an attempt to escape the enemy¡¯s microwaves.


    But it was no use.


    No matter how flashily she flew and even if it would have been enough to avoid a standard machinegun or air-to-air missile attack, some part of Mariydi¡¯s Harpuiai continued to glow orange. The spot receiving the attack would change, but she could not evade the attack altogether.


    (No, I am evading it. I am!! But the range of the microwaves is greater than I thought. Even if I¡¯m avoiding being shot down by evading a direct hit from the brunt of the attack, the outer edges that spread out like the light of a flashlight are still hitting me!!)


    Modern fighters were created to be used against Objects. Whether they could win or not was an entirely different issue.


    When the enemy had anti-air lasers, you would be shot down by the first shot once the enemy got a lock.


    And so fighters would use various types of jamming to hinder any locks and they would fly at high speed and low altitude so that terrain such as mountains and valleys would reflect the locking radar waves and so that dust and dirt in the air and mirages would keep the laser from hitting.


    But there was no way to completely escape the electromagnetic waves themselves.


    That was specifically why they used jamming and reflections to make sure they would be safe even when they did.


    (If even that first stage of the electromagnetic waves hitting you causes damage, there¡¯s nothing you can do! If I keep fighting under the existing laws of the sky, I will be worn down even without a direct hit!!)


    The flaps and other parts that were especially susceptible to the heat would be rendered unusable after a certain point. If that happened, the fighter would no longer respond to the movements of the command column. And if the electromagnetic waves caused an error in the fuse of the air-to-air missiles attached below the main wings, they could detonate at any time.


    If the accumulating damage caused her evasive actions to slow, more than just the spread out flashlight-like outer edges would hit. If the main brunt of the attack hit the fighter, it would be shot down.


    (But I¡¯ve figured some things out myself.)


    Mariydi went over the information in her head while violently moving the command column around.


    (Since I¡¯m being hit by the microwaves from so many different directions, it can¡¯t be coming from that slow Ocean Substation. Nor is it coming directly from the generator satellite. One of the fighters had a receiver unit attached!!)


    It was not one of the fighters she had already seen.


    If they had had this trick up their sleeve, they would have used it from the beginning.


    It was coming from a fighter that had arrived on the battlefield later.


    It was coming from a modified Harpuiai.


    (Rocket Icarus. That ace I saw on the deck has arrived!!)


    ¡°Kssh...irl 1...¡±


    She must have temporarily escaped the effects of the microwaves because the communications returned.


    She heard the bodyguard¡¯s voice.


    ¡°You are...unable to...deal with this situation...because...you are...thinking about it...in...technical terms. Do not...think about it...in terms of...micro...waves. Think of...a TV...signal. What situation...affects a...TV signal? If you...use that...you can deal with...these...micro...ksshhh...¡±


    (I see.)


    She was unable to stop the gradually accumulating damage, but Mariydi frantically tried to think of a way out of her situation.


    When did a TV¡¯s signal go bad?


    When were the electromagnetic waves interfered with?


    When terrain such as a mountain or valley reflected the signal.


    When manmade structures such as buildings or tunnels reflected the signal.


    When a more powerful signal interfered with the signal.


    When differences in air temperature refracted the signal.


    When impurities in the atmosphere from sandstorms and the like reflected the signal.


    A list of answers filled Mariydi¡¯s mind, but...


    (Where the hell am I supposed to find any of those things in the middle of the ocean!? If only the terrain was more complicated!!)


    She was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean where nothing existed to get in the way. It was a completely open space. There was no better environment for that microwave armament. There was no worse environment for Mariydi who had to evade it.


    ¡°Wait,¡± muttered Mariydi. ¡°There is something. There is a piece of terrain I can use to avoid those microwaves!!¡±


    As she put her ideas in order, Mariydi came to a quick decision. She made a large movement with the control column and sent her fighter shooting toward her destination.


    Yes.


    She was headed for Olympia Dome, that giant manmade island floating in the Atlantic Ocean.


    Part 5


    While Ramil Scofflaw pursued Mariydi Whitewitch in her modified Harpuiai, she figured out what the girl was thinking.


    (So she¡¯s realized I¡¯m using microwaves and has started to put together a countermeasure.)


    The ability to determine what the source of the attack was and the ability to put together an effective means of fighting it were two very different things.


    Ramil audibly gulped at how quickly Mariydi was able to begin putting together her next move when faced with the microwave weapon that none of her past experience could help her with.


    (Olympia Dome is an artificial island with the shape of a fried egg. Even without entering the dome, she can cause some interference in the electromagnetic waves by flying in between the buildings in the outer sections!)


    Mariydi was likely either trying to use the buildings as shields or have them cause diffuse reflection to lower the destructive power of the microwaves. And she would counterattack given the slightest opening. The machineguns and missiles were of course a threat, but when flying amongst buildings at extreme high speed, there was also a very real risk of running into a building.


    (Is she insane? Dammit. But I have to do it. I have to eliminate this threat!!)


    If she remained above the buildings while pursuing Mariydi, the microwaves would be reflected too much by the buildings to take the girl out. Also, the microwaves from the generator satellite meant Ramil¡¯s radar was almost entirely useless. She could not allow herself to lose sight of her target. While she tried to find her again, the girl could head straight for the Ocean Substation and ruin everything.


    She had to bring her down here.


    And so she matched Mariydi¡¯s altitude and fired the microwave armament at her while weaving through the buildings.


    If Ramil could only hit with the main brunt of the microwaves heading straight out from the nose of her fighter, Mariydi¡¯s fighter would be taken out in just a few seconds.


    Part 6


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to CT! Use the anti-cyclone alarm switch to keep everyone in outer block 3 inside! The wavelength of the microwaves used is likely only a few centimeters. They should be unaffected as long as they stay inside the reinforced concrete buildings of Olympia Dome!!¡±


    Mariydi Whitewitch had no idea if she was getting through, but she shouted into the radio nonetheless.


    She had noticed the enemy fighter pursuing her from behind. Her radar was still not functioning, but that meant the enemy fighter using microwaves was approaching.


    (The normal laws of the sky won¡¯t work on that modified Harpuiai. I won¡¯t survive if I try to fight using normal methods. I need to abandon all of my preconceptions. I will do whatever it takes to win. I didn¡¯t join that PMC air force to get shot down here!!)


    Mariydi immersed herself in thought while she shot through the gaps between buildings, under pedestrian bridges, and right past walls and the ground at high speed.


    The digital displays giving her altitude and direction were no longer of any use.


    Her life rested in what she could feel in her fingertips.


    (The key point of this new battlefield is the introduction of these microwaves as a trump card. This demonic weapon both slowly but surely builds up damage and also interferes with radar and communications as a side effect.)


    She already knew where she was headed.


    But she had no guarantee she would reach that spot. And she was not guaranteed victory even if she did reach it. As previously stated, the usual laws of the sky she had always relied on did not apply here. So even if she could cleanly lay out all of the conditions, she had none of the experience needed to string together a definite estimation of what would happen.


    In other words, this was a gamble.


    Even so, the match would never begin unless she laid her chip on the table.


    And the chip she was betting was her own life.


    (But it isn¡¯t like I have no chance of winning. Just like you have that microwave armament as a trump card, I have a trump card of my own.)


    Mariydi manipulated the control column as she shot straight past a traffic light.


    (A trump card called a Harpuiai.)


    Part 7


    Ramil Scofflaw¡¯s guess was as follows:


    Olympia Dome was shaped like a fried egg. Groups of buildings were lined up in the outer section. Therefore, Mariydi would travel along the edge of the central dome to circle around as long as needed within the outer section.


    Once she left the buildings, Mariydi would no longer be able to escape the microwaves.


    For that reason, she would travel in a circle rather than a straight line in order to never have a finish line.


    It was good enough to resolve the immediate threat, but it meant Mariydi had to continue fleeing forever. She had no way to turn her fighter around and counterattack.


    (Has she given in to fear and is doing nothing but evading me? ...No. This is Ice Girl 1. Is she trying to use some acrobatic flying to get me to crash into one of the buildings?)


    But that was not it either.


    Mariydi Whitewitch had a set destination.


    It was one of the sightseeing spots in the outer portion of Olympia Dome.


    A waterway artificially dragged seawater into the giant artificial island. Several bridges spanned the waterway in a row.


    Seven steel bridges existed in all.


    When lit up, they glowed in seven different colors, forming a rainbow bridge.


    She was headed for the Bifr?st Arch.


    In that instant, Mariydi unhesitatingly flew underneath the arching bridges. Not much space existed between the seawater and the steel constructions. Ramil gritted her teeth and forced down her fear. The Bifr?st Arch was made up of seven parallel steel bridges. From a certain perspective, it was a bit like a tunnel.


    If she aimed from above, the microwaves would be reflected.


    If she was to target Mariydi, she had to go below the bridges as well.


    (I see. So you¡¯re trying to trick me here!! If I panic and head above the bridges, my microwaves can¡¯t hit you. And the bridges are over 200 meters long, so you can turn and change direction if you want to!!)


    Until then, Mariydi had been in front and Ramil at the back while they continued in the same direction through the narrow gaps between buildings, so only Ramil could attack.


    Mariydi planned to change her direction.


    It only had to be 90 degrees off from Ramil¡¯s direction. She would change her direction so that Ramil lost sight of her. Then Mariydi would cut through the buildings as a shortcut and find her way onto Ramil¡¯s tail. Then it would be her turn to attack.


    ¡°But you underestimated me. If I know what you¡¯re trying to do, you have no chance!! Did you really think the Rocket Icarus would be so easily tricked!?¡±


    As she shouted out to encourage herself, Ramil lowered her already low altitude. She was now flying just above the surface of the water in the waterway jutting into the outer urban area.


    She flew below the bridges.


    She flew directly below the Bifr?st Arch.


    She flew into the darkness in her pursuit of Mariydi Whitewitch.


    As expected, her enemy was moving slowly.


    While beneath the Bifr?st Arch, any rise or descent risked hitting the water or the bridges. Since she was planning to turn the fighter on its side and make a wide turn, she had no choice but to slow down first.


    And she had no idea this made her fighter even easier to target with the microwave armament.


    ¡°It¡¯s over, Ice Girl 1. Your death will help lay the foundation of the Olympics!!¡±


    Just as she was about to fire that finishing shot, Ramil Scofflaw noticed something was off. She quickly realized the feeling came from an optical illusion. Mariydi¡¯s fighter should have been decelerating to prepare for the dangerous turn, but the fighter looked too large even for that. Perspective was used to determine how far away an object looked, so some kind of optical illusion was making the fighter look bigger than it was which in turn made it look closer than it was. For example, when a white box and a black box were placed the same distance way, the white box would look closer. Some similar effect was at work here.


    But it was still strange.


    Nothing about Mariydi¡¯s Harpuiai should have been causing such an optical illusion. And Ramil had never experienced it before. It was strange for the optical illusion to begin the instant she passed beneath the Bifr?st Arch.


    (No, wait.)


    Doubt entered Ramil¡¯s mind, but it was too late.


    (This isn¡¯t an optical illusion!! It really is getting closer!? Shit...no...shit!! She tricked me!?)


    The fighter was stopped in midair.


    Since Ramil was moving at faster than the speed of sound, it appeared to be approaching.


    When she thought about it, it was simple, but Ramil¡¯s senses were specially attuned to a world where time, distance, and speed were all relative to moving at several hundred km/s or even over 1000 km/s. The possibility had been completely outside of her expectations.


    A fighter was a vehicle that had to be constantly moving forward to not crash.


    And so her opponent would always be moving at high speed.


    Mariydi Whitewitch had turned that basic thought process of fighter pilots on its head.


    Or more accurately, her Harpuiai had.


    That fighter had VTOL ability.


    The direction of the air brake and thrust could be greatly changed. She had taken that thrust meant to allow vertical takeoffs and used to bring into the battlefield the possibility of stopping in midair like a helicopter.


    (Not good!!)


    Was a motionless target an easy target?


    Was it an easier target than one constantly moving at supersonic speeds?


    From the perspective of someone aiming from a stationary position on the ground, it was. However, the same could not be said when you were in a fighter moving at faster than the speed of sound. Due to relative velocity, the target would grow before one¡¯s eyes in an instant. Fighters existed in a world where one could collide with an object 300 meters away after a single second. By the time Ramil realized what was happening, she could no longer keep up with the situation that was changing with dizzying speed.


    She activated the microwave armament in desperation, but only the outer edge of the effects hit.


    Mariydi¡¯s fighter slightly altered the direction of its vertically-fired thrust to tilt slightly diagonally.


    At tremendous speed, Ramil¡¯s fighter shot through the gap this opened.


    Yes.


    She overshot her target.


    For a fighter that had been targeted from behind, this was an opportunity to turn everything around. Front and back. The instantaneous reversal of that relationship gave the targeted fighter the chance to target its attacker.


    Many special maneuvers had been developed for fighters such as Pugachev¡¯s Cobra and the barrel roll. Many of those had been developed specifically to cause such an overshoot.


    And...


    Mariydi Whitewitch had succeeded.


    She had succeeded in her special maneuver of stopping her fighter using the vertical thrust of the VTOL.


    ¡°Shit...¡±


    If her radar had been usable, Ramil may have been able to tell the proper distances.


    But it had been Ramil herself who had brought the microwave armament to the battlefield as her trump card.


    And...


    It turned out that trump card could be used by more than just Ramil.


    ¡°Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!¡±


    Part 8


    And Mariydi Whitewitch did not hesitate to move the index finger of the hand holding the control column.


    ¡°Attack Gun.¡±


    The modified Harpuiai that had just overshot in front of her was torn apart starting with the back output of the jet engine. The damage quickly spread to the main wings and body. The fighter shook as if it was trying to escape for an instant, but the steel bridges were above and the ocean water was below. There was no room for any flashy special maneuvers.


    The modified Harpuiai was unable to escape the stream of machinegun bullets and the destruction continued.


    Once it reached a certain point, the fighter exploded.


    Ramil¡¯s ejection parachute did not activate even at the very end.


    She may have avoided using it for fear of hitting the steel bridges above. Or perhaps not ejecting was a means of displaying her conviction. Mariydi had no way of knowing.


    ¡°Attack Delta. Strike,¡± said Mariydi as if carving the woman¡¯s name into a gravestone.


    She then felt something welling up within her.


    Mariydi brought a hand to her mouth like a trainee that had lost to the Gs, but what she coughed up onto her thighs was a dark-red mass of blood.


    The maneuver she had pulled had put that much of a burden onto her young body.


    Merely using the VTOL ability for its intended purpose wore away at her nerves, so suddenly changing the direction of thrust while moving at high speed in the narrow space under a bridge was quite a stunt indeed. To be honest, she would not have been surprised had the fighter lost its balance and crashed. She may have looked completely stationary from Ramil¡¯s perspective, but she had really only slid forward while rapidly decelerating. (And at several hundreds of km/s at that.) The rapid deceleration had enveloped her ribs in massive inertial forces and the cockpit itself had seemed to tremble. As a pilot, it was something she never wanted to experience again.


    But she had won.


    With that fact in mind, Mariydi set the thrust of the jet engine behind her once more.


    She moved forward.


    The danger to Olympia Dome was not over yet. The Ocean Substation¡¯s weaponized laser still remained.


    Part 9


    Iris Aggravation and the others inside the Ocean Substation noticed the change.


    One of the maintenance soldiers let out a shrill voice.


    ¡°A-according to the data from the microwave generation satellite...the reflection and absorption ratio data for the microwaves has disappeared! The lieutenant colonel¡¯s fighter has...has...!!¡±


    ¡°A Harpuiai is rapidly approaching! It is most likely the enemy! W-we can¡¯t stop it!! The defense system and the other fighters cannot keep up with it!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Iris rapidly typed on her keyboard to eliminate the issue with the laser facility¡¯s software while listening to the subordinates speak.


    ¡°We need to use the laser. If that Harpuiai gets close enough to destroy the parabolic antennae or the laser firing apparatus, this will all have been a waste!!¡±


    But the more they used the laser while she tried to fix the software, the longer it would take her. She could still do it, but it would definitely slow her down. It was the same reason one did not activate applications while defragmenting a hard drive.


    The primary reason Ramil Scofflaw had gone out in that fighter equipped with the microwave armament had been to give the laser a rest.


    Iris had managed to get her work just one step away from completion using the time her commander had bought them.


    What should she do now?


    Should she use the low power laser to intercept the Harpuiai despite the delay it would cause?


    Or should she accept the risk and focus on finishing her work as quickly as possible so they could use the high power laser on an Object and pull the trigger of war?


    Iris thought for a second and came to a decision.


    ¡°There will be no ¡®next time¡¯ for us. This is not something that will be given to us if we simply open our arms to receive it.¡±


    Those were the words of her lost commander.


    Iris Aggravation poured her own will on top of that and began rebuking in a loud voice.


    ¡°We only have now. Now!! Everything rests on whether we can fire this weaponized laser or not. It is completely preposterous to allow some other petty issue get in the way of our schedule. We will fully weaponize this laser as quickly as possible and use it to bring an end to Olympia Dome and the Technopics!!¡±


    Her powerful words brought order back to the chain of command that had begun to fall apart.


    Their movements once more held purpose behind them.


    To finish it off, Iris announced, ¡°Our target is the Faith Organization Object Ratri!! We will confuse the pilot Elite of that Second Generation Object and her failure will lead to a melee between the four Objects protecting Olympia Dome!!¡±


    Part 10


    Since Mariydi had shot down Ramil Scofflaw, the communications and radar were functioning once more. Mariydi headed for the Ocean Substation at full speed, but she heard the bitter voice of the bodyguard who was gathering information from a broader area.


    ¡°CT to Ice Girl 1. This isn¡¯t good. We just saw the barrel of the laser firing apparatus start to turn. And it doesn¡¯t seem to be moving in your direction. The adjustments to the weaponized laser must be complete. They¡¯re about to begin the next step of their plan!!¡±


    ¡°If I attack now, will I make it in time!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!! But the crew seems to be moving off of the deck. That¡¯s probably to avoid getting roasted by the radiant heat. They¡¯re going to fire it soon!!¡±


    ¡°Which Object is being targeted!?¡±


    ¡°Most likely the Faith Organization¡¯s Adisshmi. I think their official codename for it is Ratri. It comes from the name of a goddess of the night. It¡¯s the Object from their side, but it is not their ally. This might be an outlet for their frustration at having to go through such a complicated plan.¡±


    Mariydi called the data from the Doppler radar on the ground to a small monitor and checked the line between the Ocean Substation and Adisshmi.


    The high power laser would be fired along that line.


    ¡°I have no idea if a single attack on the Ocean Substation would be enough to keep it from firing.¡±


    ¡°CT to Ice Girl 1. What are you going to do!?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop the laser from firing. But if it hits the Object, a battle between the Objects will break out with Olympia Dome in the middle,¡± said Mariydi as she felt sweat on the palm holding the control column. ¡°But if I can find a way to refract the laser, it won¡¯t hit the Object! If the crew evacuated the deck, firing the weaponized laser at full power will likely produce enough radiant heat to do serious damage to the deck. And that will be enough to damage the parabolic antennae too!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Ice Girl 1. What are you planning to do!?¡±


    ¡°They can only use their weaponized laser at full power once. If that one shot doesn¡¯t work, their plan fails!! And I know the line the laser will travel along! If I interpose an ¡®impurity¡¯ along that line, I may not be able to deflect the laser, but I should be able to at least alter its trajectory a bit!!¡±


    ¡°Wait!! My job is to ensure your safety!!¡±


    Mariydi switched off the noisy radio and used the afterburners to slice through the sky at full speed.


    She was not headed for the Ocean Substation.


    She was headed for the line between the giant ship and Adisshmi.


    (Destroy the rotten Technopics and bring back the original wholesome Olympics, hm?)


    Mariydi gave a small smile while holding the control column.


    (That is a much more productive goal than mine. I simply cast aside my gold medal. But I won¡¯t let it happen. No matter how wholesome the goal may be, that goal will be dyed in red if blood must be spilled in the process. Even if your plan succeeded, all you would have is an Olympics that is filled with death.)


    In the end, she found only killing no matter where she went.


    She had thought she could do something productive for once by participating in the Technopics, but she had ended up doing almost the exact same thing she had done in the Northern European Restricted Zone.


    But that was fine.


    Mariydi Whitewitch would simply do her duty.


    Acting based on feelings other than logic had created her connections with the people she had met at Olympia Dome.


    (So we need to choose. And if both choices will leave us with nothing but a dark competition, I¡¯ll choose the one that involves fewer deaths.)


    And Mariydi arrived at her destination.


    In the next moment, the true weaponized laser was fired from the Ocean Substation.


    Part 11


    The brilliant white beam of light that ripped through the dim twilight just before sunset was visible from the shore of Olympia Dome. The bodyguard held an arm in front of his face to shield his eyes from the bright light, but it was still enough to penetrate straight through his eyelids.


    He looked around with the afterimage still burned into his eyes and blinked several times. He finally spoke to one of his men who stood nearby.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Th-the weaponized laser was fired. But Adisshmi is unharmed. It was not hit.¡± The man blankly replied to his commander¡¯s question. ¡°We are monitoring transmissions from the different world powers. There seems to be some tension between the Objects, but it is unlikely to develop any further since no damage was done. The war the Faith Organization group was planning is unlikely to occur.¡±


    ¡°I doubt this is just a case of them aiming poorly.¡±


    ¡°The weaponized laser seems to have fallen into the ocean water before it reached Adisshmi. An area of water is boiling as we speak. The steam is visible with the naked eye. It was most likely refracted midway.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If the laser had been refracted, something had to have caused it.


    The bodyguard doubted some convenient mirage had occurred.


    It had to have been something artificial.


    For example, if there had been a large explosion or a large mass of metal along the path of the laser.


    ¡°What about Mariydi Whitewitch?¡±


    ¡°We cannot contact her.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the Harpuiai she was flying!?¡±

 Volume 5, Epilogue

    Volume 5, Epilogue


    Due to Mariydi Whitewitch¡¯s heroic decision and the many lives she saved as a result, her gold medal would be hers for all eternity.


    Some voiced the opinion that her medal should be stripped off her, but the above-mentioned decision was the final answer given and her results in the women¡¯s shootathlon could be summed up in the following words.


    ¡°She did an excellent job,¡± muttered Alicia Sloppyjoes as she stood along of one of the pedestrian pathways across the seven bridges of the Bifr?st Arch.


    She held a pile of documents in one hand that contained all of the official records for the Technopics.


    After Mariydi Whitewitch stopped its destruction, the competition continued amidst all the enthusiasm and profit. Digital values and results continued to be made.


    Alicia spoke into the cell phone she held in the other hand.


    ¡°This has brought the publicity for the sponsor¡¯s new rifle above the set value. Whatever the fate of Mariydi Whitewitch may have been, it did not bring any losses to us. In fact, we can even assume the beautiful story added to the gold medal brought about even more publicity than the original contract specified.¡±


    Alicia was speaking with someone from the advertising firm she worked for.


    They had expressed some concerns, but Alicia stood as tall as ever.


    ¡°It is true she took a few actions that are in violation of international law even if she only did so to resolve the situation. Using a captured Harpuiai to perform unauthorized military actions was especially bad. ...But that should not negatively affect the view of the new rifle. In fact, if Whitewitch is now taken down as the official athlete used to advertise the rifle, the people could easily interpret it as the sponsor trying to eliminate the athlete who fought to save so many lives. That would do more damage than anything else.¡±


    The person on the other end of the call seemed to think it over, but ultimately gave in.


    Leaving the details to the main company, Alicia said, ¡°So that is how we will deal with this. If we can keep these excellent results talked about, we can draw in new sponsors.¡±


    Alicia then ended the call and looked out across the waterway beyond Bifr?st Arch¡¯s handrail.


    Standing as tall as ever and as expressionless as ever, she said, ¡°And now I must say farewell to you as well, Mariydi Whitewitch.¡±


    Stacy Palmetto the pharmacist was gathering her luggage in her hotel room.


    However, her luggage included things like a giant industrial refrigerator. For her, ¡°gathering¡± her luggage meant attaching numbered stickers to every piece of luggage so that workers could package it all up and carry it out.


    ¡°In the end,¡± she said into the cell phone she held between her cheek and shoulder while attaching the numbered stickers. ¡°This was a failure. A complete failure. Was the problem that little Mariydi came from a military background? I modified the doping so it would be pretty safe, but she still didn¡¯t want anything to do with it. Yes...that¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly what I mean. Maybe I should choose a pure athlete next time. One that doesn¡¯t try to avoid me like that.¡±


    She was speaking with a contact from her parent company Drug Store Holdings. Pharmacists specializing in strengthening athletes for international events could only have so many clients. Businesses with small numbers of large contracts had very harsh ups and downs when done on one¡¯s own. It was more financially stable to register as a division of a general drug store company.


    In other words, Stacy had strategically allowed herself to be absorbed by the large company.


    ¡°Hmm. Maybe next time I should advertise myself as someone who strengthens the mind along with the body by providing mental care for the athlete as well. If I do that, I can add any little chat we have onto the bill afterwards. Eh? That would put me in competition with the counselors and stress businesses from other groups? What does that matter? I just have to beat down any rivals.¡±


    After attaching all the numbered stickers and making sure she had not missed anything, Stacy snapped her fingers. As soon as she did, the door opened and men wearing work uniforms noisily stomped into the room.


    ¡°Take care of it all like usual,¡± said Stacy as she grabbed her usual bag and left the hotel room. As she walked down the hallway, she continued the cell phone conversation. ¡°No, wait. Don¡¯t leave me alone. Before long I¡¯ll be off to help...what was it again? Some basketball team, right? There really isn¡¯t any time between one contract ending and another beginning, is there? I don¡¯t like having to renew my relationships like this. I like having some random person to talk to so I can trick my feelings. Especially given the circumstances this time.¡±


    Stacy pressed the elevator button and waited for the light to reach her floor.


    The door opened with a soft electronic tone and she muttered, ¡°Well, this is goodbye, Mariydi.¡±


    Lucas Westernrose, the director from Catwalk TV, headed to Olympia Dome¡¯s sole international airport accompanied by cameramen carrying large cameras. They had a single reason for heading there. They were going to film the famous athletes who had gathered there to return home.


    ¡°Hello? Yes, yes, after the results these athletes have won, I doubt they will still have any issues with being filmed, yes. In fact, the main problem will be, yes, having our position taken by other stations, yes,¡± he said within their vehicle. ¡°Yes, yes, our competition will be trying to get rid of as many of our cameramen as possible to ensure the prime spots for themselves. The easiest method to prevent filming is to destroy the camera, yes. Make sure to follow your target of course, yes, yes, but also make sure you do not drop your camera if someone tackles you from behind, yes.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Westernrose,¡± said one of the cameramen with a grin. ¡°If that¡¯s the standard, that means we can do the same to them, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, yes, as long as no one notices, yes, and it is done naturally.¡±


    Lucas Westernrose gave his calm approval.


    They fought in a world where people were armed with cameras rather than guns. They had no reason to go easy on their competition while in their own field.


    ¡°Hello? Let us go over this again. We will be targeting the entrance to the airport terminal, yes, the fifth moving walkway, yes, and the immigration control gate. Yes, yes, stay in constant contact and make sure to film each of the athletes on the list for more than 30 seconds at some point or another. Yes, make sure not to miss any of them, yes.¡±


    As members of the Information Alliance, they were always greedy for fresh information. As all the new data was produced, older information would be covered over in no time at all and would begin to fade away. There were factions that worked to ensure such information would not fade away, but Lucas and the cameramen gave no thought to such issues as they constantly worked to release new information. It could be seen as the difference between eating fresh grapes right away or letting them age so they could be drunk as wine. It was only a matter of taste; neither side was good or evil.


    Yes.


    The stage at which he had pursued Mariydi Whitewitch was over. And he had already put everything in order so he could truly view it as over.


    One of the cameramen smiled and said, ¡°We didn¡¯t actually get much we can air, but it was a great job for having stories to tell.¡±


    ¡°The best jobs are those you can view as a hobby, yes, yes. But a fair amount of money is needed for that type of job. Yes, yes, so we must also do less interesting jobs, yes, to prepare an environment where we can do what we want, yes.¡±


    The vehicle stopped.


    Lucas Westernrose opened the door and stepped out into the international airport.


    ¡°Hello? I am reluctant to say it, yes, but it is over now. Goodbye, Miss Whitewitch.¡±


    The bodyguard arrived at a storehouse on the outer portion of Olympia Dome.


    It was not actually part of their job, but he and his men were inspecting the site. They were working with a team from Olympia Dome to check the number and type of weapons in the storehouses so that specific values could be put in the annoying paperwork.


    But it was obvious the bodyguard was not very motivated since this was not actually part of his job. He held a cell phone in one hand.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Can you just stop with the requests for a written explanation? I understand. My job was to protect Mariydi Whitewitch. And we all know how that turned out. I do understand, so just stop. I will prepare the proper paperwork. Just let me finish the work I get to actually move around with first.¡±


    The bodyguard looked over at his men who were using specialized machinery to gather fingerprints and dust.


    ¡°What? Why don¡¯t I pass the blame to Whitewitch since she was the one that took action on her own? No, I can¡¯t do that. I just can¡¯t. She is seen as a hero who saved millions of lives on Olympia Dome. It may only be a few weeks before the gratitude wears off and people forget about her, but the timing still works against me. I would take less damage if I just submitted my written explanation like normal.¡±


    After finishing the investigation of the building, they began carrying out the weapons being used as evidence. There were small items like machineguns and explosives, but also large items like armored vehicles, helicopters, and even a fighter.


    Yes.


    A Harpuiai fighter.


    It was the same model as the one Mariydi Whitewitch had flown. But it went further than that.


    It was the exact fighter she had flown.


    ¡°You certainly have some luck,¡± muttered the bodyguard. And then he gave a slight smile. ¡°But that managed to just barely keep us from getting fired.¡±


    And...


    Mariydi Whitewitch held the medal she had won in one hand inside a room in the Technopic Village resort hotel. She held the ribbon that would hang from her neck between her fingers and brought the pure gold medal up to her face.


    ¡°And there were rumors I was the ace pilot least likely to earn any medals.¡±


    With that casual comment, she tossed the medal into her open suitcase. To Mariydi, an honor given to her by someone else was worth nothing more than that. It was those from the Legitimacy Kingdom who were most desperate to win that kind of honor, but she doubted she could ever come to a compromise with those haughty nobles.


    Mariydi placed all her belongings spread throughout the hotel room into her suitcase and thought back to what had happened.


    Mariydi had taken action to stop the weaponized laser fired by the Ocean Substation, but she had of course never even considered flying her own fighter into the expected path of the laser.


    She had fired every single one of her air-to-air missiles and detonated them along the expected path of the laser.


    That had created a massive amount of heat as well as metal fragments of the missile.


    The temperature change and metal fragments had slightly bent the laser, preventing it from hitting the Adisshmi.


    Due to the great distance between the firing point and the target, even the slightest error could throw the laser off target, but she had not known if it would work. If the temperature and humidity of that area had been slightly different, the result may have been different.


    But Mariydi had won her bet.


    And so she had been able to return alive with somewhere to return to.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s everything.¡±


    With all of her belongings inside the suitcase, she locked it with various methods. Pieces of the tag attached at the airport still remained, but she was already headed back to the airport to get on another airplane.


    She was returning to the Northern European Restricted Zone.


    She would once more be participating in those long-drawn out wars as the ace pilot of a PMC air force.


    The room now lacked any sense of livelihood like it was a model room. That emptiness combined with the slight smell of life remaining gave her a sense of loneliness. However, her working environment would not allow her to extend her stay here. In fact, she had completely forgotten about the idea of paid vacation. She had no idea how much time she had stocked up.


    Mariydi rolled the suitcase toward the room¡¯s exit.


    As she did, her cell phone vibrated slightly.


    She stopped to check and found an advertisement email from a health device company. Mariydi deleted it without reading it, but her fingertips stopped suddenly right afterwards.


    A few new names had been added to her address book.


    They belonged to the people she had met at Olympia Dome.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think this was a productive job, but I suppose I did gain something.¡±


    Mariydi gave a thin smile as she put away her phone.


    She seemed to be saying those names were more valuable than the pure gold medal.


    And she finally opened and closed the hotel room door.

 Volume 5, Afterword

    Volume 5, Afterword


    So is this the 5th novel? Writing multiple manuscripts at the same time is a bit odd because I don¡¯t actually know which order they will be released in.


    This is Kazuma Kamachi.


    This is a side story. It is the story of a girl who is much dryer than Quenser and Heivia. I think the concept of the Northern European Restricted Zone first appeared in Adoption War, but now we have an ace pilot from there as our protagonist.


    The Technopics appearing in this novel is a type of ¡°battle¡± that has been twisted by modern technology just like the clean wars created by Objects.


    Naturally, doping is bad. And there is no sense of sportsmanship left if the ones who spend the most money on sportswear and shoes automatically win.


    But...


    How far would humans go if they were not bound by any of those rules?


    That was the slightly imprudent question that expanded into this story. I think one of the few advantages fiction has over reality is the ability to deal with this kind of thing that is either impossible or ill-advised in reality. What do you think?


    Also, the world of this story has a field that uses the same technology as the Technopics but is not bound by the rules of sports.


    That is of course the military.


    To put it simply, the Elites who pilot Objects and the athletes participating in the Technopics both resulted from the same technologies and they both fight different sorts of proxy wars to avoid a longer, more drawn out war.


    Mariydi Whitewitch can be seen as a different sort of Elite who branched off from the main story, so I felt she was well suited as the protagonist of a side story.


    And since I was doing a side story, I thought it would be fun to use a different viewpoint than the Legitimacy Kingdom. Instead of simply using the systems and customs of the other world powers, it¡¯s interesting to see the very basis of the characters change so they react differently in what they find completely natural or very strange.


    In other words, I can have fun by questioning the things Quenser and Heivia find natural and have the things they would find shocking be accepted as normal. You shouldn¡¯t trust everything those two idiots say, okay?


    When writing a school story, I feel like you have to make the reader want to go to that school, but in a story like this, that kind of ¡°tour of the school¡± isn¡¯t necessary. I feel that is a big reason I am able to show the mercilessness of the systems of society.


    I want to do everything I can to write more stories that make you afraid of living in that world but make you feel the characters are amazing to live there, so look forward to that.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagiryo-san and my editor Miki-san. With a setting like a giant manmade island, I wanted some help from the illustrations and the atmosphere kept changing between battlefield and sports arena, so I think this must have been an annoying job to deal with. I thank them for sticking with me once more.


    And I give my thanks to the readers. A side story is something you can only do with a continuing series, and I feel that it is most certainly thanks to all of you that this was possible. I am truly thankful.


    I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    I shall lay down my pen here.


    With Second Venice and the like, I placed some foreshadowing I don¡¯t know when I will ever use.


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 6, Prologue

    Volume 6, Prologue


    Clean wars in a clean age.


    In and of itself, that is not a bad thing. But it is not good to remain stagnant. I¡¯ve never heard of things turning out well when that happens.


    Objects rule the battlefield nowadays. And the second generation ones have an overwhelming advantage over the first generation ones. It probably isn¡¯t long before the exact formula for victory is worked out and wars leave the actual battlefields and are worked through like board games.


    That¡¯s no fun.


    The equation for victory would gather wealth in one place, and financial stagnation brings about the decay we know too well.


    Neither this age nor its wars can be called ¡°clean¡±. I¡¯m not trying to say we need war and I¡¯m not trying to make some laughable indulgences that justify war as good. But this world will never be rid of war. We may change what form it takes, but we will never be rid of it. And so I think the quality of the age we live in can be determined by whether we bring our inevitable wars to a cleaner state or not.


    The victims should be kept to a minimum, and the victory and wealth that naturally remains stagnant in one place should be stirred up and moved around.


    That is my idea of a clean war.


    But that will be difficult with the existing Objects. We know almost all the values regarding both the first and second generation Objects. Just like with financial trading programs, something that has achieved optimization will only produce stagnation.


    A new game piece is needed.


    Something is needed that will break the bottom out of the optimization that is being built up.


    I¡¯m sure someone will achieve it eventually, but I hate having to wait. I figure it will be fastest if I complete it myself.


    I¡¯ve grown sick of these wars.


    It¡¯s about time I destroyed it all.

 Volume 6, 1: The War Broker Closest to Heaven >> Intelligence Battle in the Cook District

    Volume 6, Chapter 1: The War Broker Closest to Heaven >> Intelligence Battle in the Cook District


    Part 1


    ¡°I can¡¯t cover for you two anymore. Go off for a bit to cool your heads.¡±


    The blazing sun made it easy to forget it was January.


    Quenser used the sleeve of his military uniform to wipe away the sweat on his face on a solitary island in the southern hemisphere of the Pacific Ocean.


    ¡°Why have we just been shooting and shooting for so long? Are we feeding the fish lead food?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re using brand new bullets for shooting practice. It¡¯s about time for the accounts to be settled. If we don¡¯t use up the excess bullets now, the defense budget will be cut down for the next fiscal year,¡± said Heivia sounding a bit bored as he fired a rifle next to Quenser in a decent-looking pose.


    ¡°Are you making things up with no proof again?¡±


    ¡°The fact that they gave an amateur like you a rifle is proof enough. That means this ¡®homework¡¯ is the only thing left for us to do. Shit, how many tens of thousands was our quota today?¡±


    The Cook Addition Islands.


    It was a part of Legitimacy Kingdom territory. It fell into the category of a small safe country.


    It was actually made up of a number of islands floating in the Pacific Ocean, but only the small island in the center was natural land. Or rather, the area around one of the small islands on the edge of the archipelago had been thoroughly developed. Artificial land similar to offshore oil platforms dotted the area around that island. The individual islands were connected by giant bridges like the Information Alliance¡¯s Miami. Most of the islands were used as testing grounds for Objects and storage areas for supercomputers, so all of the soldiers lived on a single island.


    Quenser, Heivia, and the others were on land made of steel. They were leaning over the handrail and firing rifles at targets attached to boats that moved around by radio control.


    They had made small but repeated mistakes.


    They had accomplished many great achievements that put bitter expressions on faces of the higher ups in the military.


    It seemed that had all exceeded what their sexy commander (as they called her) Froleytia could handle and so they had been ¡°transferred¡± away from the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion.


    This was conventionally called being demoted, being sent to sit by the window, or being kept out of the way.


    ¡°Welcome to the peace humanity has won,¡± said a blonde woman firing a carbine with zero motivation.


    She had completed removed the top of her camouflage uniform, leaving only a tank top on her upper body. The top she did not need in that heat was tied around her waist. The two boys enjoyed watching her thanks to all the jiggling caused when she fired her weapon.


    ¡°So what did you two do to get yourselves sent out here?¡±


    ¡°We showed off our good looks and skills too much and made some people jealous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous. That¡¯s the fastest way to earn yourself an early grave.¡±


    He received a serious reply to his joke.


    Quenser gulped, but Heivia¡¯s rifle had jammed, so he shouted out like someone tossing a video game controller to the side.


    ¡°Dammit!! Shooting each individual bullet like this is such a pain in the ass! At this rate, the year will be over before we finish. Someone bring out the Crocodile!! We need to use a Gatling gun!!¡±


    ¡°But the Crocodile is 30 mm, right?¡± said the blonde tank-topped woman with a grin.


    She must have been used to seeing soldiers have their spirit worn down like this.


    With a puzzled look, Quenser asked, ¡°So why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Genelia, a marriage scam artist. Nice to meet you!¡±


    ¡°...Oh, wow.¡±


    ¡°I pretend to have noble blood to make money. I never thought that the money box I met in that bar would be the idiotic son of some high ranking member of the military. I got in a lot of trouble for that. As a result, I¡¯ve been moved around among the harshest battlefields in the world.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! This is one of the harshest battlefields in the world?¡± cut in Heivia as he tried to take apart the assault rifle to fix the jam and ended up burning his fingers on the hot barrel. ¡°I thought they would gather a team of people they want to get rid of and send them out into the mountains on what is supposed to be an anti-terror mission. But the team would intentionally be given the wrong information so they would attack some villain¡¯s hideout. That way the higher ups can eliminate any allies they want without worrying about how skilled they are.¡±


    ¡°When you do that, you have to pay a pension to the families. These days, the higher ups pay close attention to how much tax money they spend. Other than what they waste on themselves, of course.¡±


    ¡°This island is surrounded by the blue ocean and summer lasts year round. Genius Object designers live here. It is protected by 4 second generation Objects. This is heaven on earth and quite possibly the safest place in the world. What about it is harsh?¡±


    ¡°Because it is so peaceful, there is nothing to do.¡± Genelia fired repeatedly out towards the ocean to fill her quota. ¡°When people earn the ire of the military, it is usually because they have a strong individual streak, right? Maybe they refuse to shoot children or they claim it is a subordinate¡¯s job to stop a commander who is doing something wrong. Well, those kinds of ideals will rot away in no time on this island. After all, they don¡¯t let you do anything.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°During the first few months, you will be afraid that you are growing rusty and try to rehone your skills with independent training. But it¡¯s no use. It¡¯s too late. Both your mind and body will already be slowing. Here we have delicious food, air-conditioned private rooms, video games, a fully stocked bar, and lots of high quality cigars. ...Once you get a taste of this, you¡¯ll never want to go back to the jungle or the desert. They didn¡¯t have online stores in Napoleon¡¯s age, but if he was given a chance to use them for a while, he would never want to go back to the 18th century or the 19th century or whenever it was.¡±


    That was how it was ¡°harsh¡±.


    Quenser and Heivia finally understood what kind of place they had been sent to.


    ¡°In other words, this island is a diplomatic way of urging us to retire?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what it means to be sent to sit by the window. If the higher ups fire you directly, they have to spend more on severance pay. So instead they give you just enough work to justify minimum wage. There are only three patterns for the people sent here. Some continue the futile struggle against growing rusty, some begin thinking of retirement before the rust reaches the core of their bodies, and some decide to accept the rust and just enjoy themselves with the taxpayer¡¯s money.¡±


    ¡°Is that really okay?¡± Heivia looked over towards the central island. ¡°The most famous designers in the Legitimacy Kingdom are gathered here. Should they really use this as a place to let delinquent soldiers rot? It sounds more like the place for some ultimate special forces to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they do have a mysterious elite unit,¡± replied Genelia offhand. ¡°The Night Edge Platoon. Sounds ridiculous, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s like they¡¯re trying to sound cool. But they do protect everything well enough. And that just makes the rest of us feel all the more useless. Apparently the Night Edge Platoon swaps out its members every few months to prevent them from growing rusty. I guess this is like a vacation for them. But they¡¯re dangerous. Really dangerous. If you tried to talk to one of them like this, you could easily get your throat slit.¡±


    ¡°I saw them. Even in this 40 degree heat, they had their heads completely covered in black masks. I doubt you could ever have a proper conversation with that kind of honor student.¡±


    ¡°But the military wants that kind of ¡®honor student¡¯ that never makes any complaints. After all, the exact same amount of the people¡¯s tax money goes to those honor students as goes to the problem students.¡±


    ¡°Keh. They aren¡¯t the legendary White Bears that disappeared in a South American desert. Y¡¯know, that 115th Independent Royal Guard Company. Soldiers that follow their commander¡¯s orders with no complaint like that are rare.¡±


    ¡°You mean those elites from the Volga District? The ones said to be knights working to protect a young princess from wicked politicians? From what I heard, they could have a movie made out of them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they like to make entertainment out of the tragedies of war. ...Come to think of it, a movie would probably work out great since Princess Staivia is so popular. I hear they sell photographs of her in front of the palace in Moscow.¡±


    ¡°Are they all pedophiles or something?¡±


    ¡°If you said that in Volga plaza, you¡¯d get shot.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia had digressed into pointless chatter, so Genelia spoke up to bring them back on track.


    ¡°With delinquent soldiers like us, the tax money spent to pay us is considered wasted and they do not want to pay the pension to our families if we died. And so the higher ups want to find another way to get us out of the military.¡±


    ¡°If they want to save money, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to tear out the fattened hearts of those higher ups?¡±


    ¡°You do realize that kind of comment is what led you to be a target for cutbacks, right?¡±


    (How many months will we be stuck here? No, how many months will we last?)


    With that offhand thought, Quenser continued to shoot his rifle out to sea. It was not as bad as the mythological Japanese children¡¯s limbo, but being forced to do completely useless work with seemingly no end in sight was a way of harassing soldiers and wearing down their spirits. It was similar to the method used in prisons during the middle ages.


    Of course, Quenser and Heivia both had their individual goals and they had joined the military to accomplish those goals.


    And so this was no time for them to be sent out into the middle of nowhere just so the higher ups could harass them.


    But...


    ¡°This place is filled with genius Object designers, right? Heivia, you may be out of luck, but this shouldn¡¯t be too bad for me. In fact, I can probably learn a lot.¡±


    ¡°You idiot! That stuff is at the highest level of classification. You¡¯ll never get to see any of it! It isn¡¯t something you can just sneak a peek at like the women¡¯s bath!!¡±


    ¡°I can just ask them while in bed. If you like, I can give you a lecture on what I learn.¡±


    Those two problem students would probably never shut their mouths even if they were sent to Mars, and they were as energetic as ever. As they focused more on chatting than firing their rifles, a bit of static ran through their radios, immediately followed by an announcement.


    ¡°Quenser Barbotage. Calling battlefield student Quenser Barbotage who recently transferred from the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion. As per the instructions of one of the researchers, you are to head to the Center as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°...What? Am I being called to the principal¡¯s office for a lecture?¡±


    ¡°The Center is a gathering of genius girls. It¡¯s a lot like a girl¡¯s school. In all seriousness, I hear it is 100% female! Dammit! Yet again I get left behind for this scrawny intellectual!! There¡¯s something wrong with this world. Is god jealous of my good looks!?¡±


    ¡°It looks like your chance to take one of them to bed is already here,¡± said Genelia. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure the Night Edge Platoon can¡¯t believe this either. So be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°Be careful about what? Those scaaaary trainers from Night Edge?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what this place is called? The nursery,¡± said Genelia with a grin. ¡°And that isn¡¯t because of us. It¡¯s because of the genius designers in the Center. The top levels of the military can¡¯t handle them either. They¡¯re geniuses, so the military doesn¡¯t want to lose them, but they¡¯re too much trouble to keep nearby. This heaven in the Cook Addition Islands was created to gather all of them in a single place.¡±


    ¡°...So that building is filled with perverts?¡±


    ¡°And they have enough individual talent to force their way past the general wisdom of society. The very fact that a newcomer like you is being invited into that top secret facility should be proof enough. Normally, the Night Edge Platoon would remove your head in the name of preventing the leakage of classified information if you so much as approached that facility without going through the proper procedures.¡±


    ¡°I hope I get to meet the kind of pervert that walks around wearing nothing but a lab coat. That hope is of course limited to girls.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on now. You¡¯d be too shocked to stand if you actually saw that.¡±


    Part 2


    With the exception of the guards, the central island was supposedly populated solely by around 30 genius girls.


    From the outside, it looked like a giant concrete military building, but it supposedly had very little sense of cohabitation. This was due to the residents being perverts. If they possessed personalities that allowed them to function within the normal gears of society, they would supposedly never have been sent to the ¡°nursery¡±. For that reason, the genius girls supposedly primarily lived in personal rooms with only a few areas such as the labs with electron microscopes and other equipment shared between them. The various members would supposedly only meet each other while passing each other in the long passageways.


    The repeated use of ¡°supposedly¡± came from the fact that all this information came from Genelia who had never actually seen the inside of the Center. Quenser had no idea what connections she had used to get the information, but it was all things she had heard secondhand.


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    When Quenser arrived in front of the thick door that looked strong enough to withstand an all-out war, the members of the Night Edge Platoon with black masks over their faces blatantly clicked their tongues.


    ¡°No guns, no blades, no explosives, no drugs, no germs, and nothing else either. I¡¯d like to break your nose and that tiny thing in your pants for good measure, but I doubt you¡¯ll get a chance to use it.¡±


    ¡°How about you remove that hairy hand and its hairy fingers from my neck? What the hell? Are you a mutant created after being exposed to some kind of space power or something? Isn¡¯t that dirty sweat of yours the most dangerous thing that someone could bring in here?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s cocky comment earned him a punch to the cheek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to act so tough, tax thief. Get inside and cause some trouble. Then I don¡¯t have to hold back and I can just shoot you.¡±


    Quenser raised his middle finger and entered the building.


    Unlike a department store or a shopping mall, there was no guide map posted. The long passageways with rooms lining either side reminded him of a library¡¯s bookshelves or a school¡¯s shoe lockers.


    The shorthair carpet and faint indirect lighting were just like a hotel¡¯s. Without a guide map, Quenser had no way of knowing what was a private room and what was a laboratory. The system made it clear that was something only those living there needed to know.


    ¡°...There¡¯s stuff piled up everywhere.¡±


    The passageways were much too cluttered to be those of a high-class hotel. Or perhaps a hotel would look like this during cleaning time when the carts and cleaning supplies were brought out.


    Some places simply had trash piled up, but some places had things like a dartboard hanging down from the ceiling by a string. Quenser even spotted some small dragonfly and rhinoceros beetle shaped robots clinging to the wall. It looked like a case where those in charge of cleaning up could not tell what was needed and what was not and so were too afraid to carelessly clean up any of it.


    ¡°Quenser. Quenser Barbotage.¡±


    A female voice came his way from somewhere along the ¡°library shelf¡±. Quenser turned toward the voice and saw a woman in her twenties stepping out into the passageway from an open door.


    She had an odd appearance.


    She wore a lab coat long enough to reach her ankles and a brightly-colored bikini. Her hair was long, brown, and simply left spread out without tying it in any way. Quenser was pretty sure lab coats were meant to show stains and chemicals easily and to protect one¡¯s body, but he could not imagine what purpose there was behind her outfit¡¯s coordination. It reminded him of the legendary bikini armor.


    Quenser shouted out, ¡°I thought this was a collection of genius ¡®girls¡¯!!¡±


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s the first thing you latch onto? ...Um, c¡¯mon now. Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. Look: tits.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that part!! Now, I know we could never get married or be lovers, but let¡¯s at least fuck!!¡±


    ¡°Hah hah hah. I see your morals have been nicely thrown out of order. There, there.¡±


    With a generous smile, the woman accurately pulled a stun gun out of an inner pocket of her lab coat and threatened Quenser with it. That finally brought him back to his senses.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Claire. I¡¯m the Object designer Claire Whist. I heard you aspire to be one too.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it won¡¯t feel real so suddenly. Unlike the pilot Elites, the designer¡¯s identities are kept a secret. That makes it easier to prevent terrorist attacks on us.¡±


    Quenser was unsure what to say, but Claire used her thumb to point toward the open door.


    ¡°Come with me. I called you here because I have something to discuss with you. I think it will be a beneficial discussion for you.¡±


    The room was about 10 meters square.


    It did not have much in it. It had a bed and a desk. Something like a complexly folded plastic board sat in one corner of the room. It resembled a giant controller for a robot game modeled after a cockpit. There were also a few shelves. The shelves were lined with several Object miniatures.


    ¡°They don¡¯t move,¡± said Claire. ¡°But their construction is almost identical to the real ones. It¡¯s just that the reactors don¡¯t function at that size. If you pursue perfection too far, a fundamental part tends to fail.¡±


    ¡°You make them here?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°But...this is where you work? I thought it would be filled with all sorts of strange tools.¡±


    ¡°The people researching the materials would have a bunch of those. These days, all the action is in strengthening the materials for room-temperature superconductors. They¡¯re busy mixing alloys and boiling wine.¡± Claire Whist opened a small refrigerator and pulled out a small juice box. ¡°Designers can get by with a single computer. That¡¯s why we¡¯re wanted for our brains. And that laptop is connected to a supercomputer in another room, so I can handle everything quite easily.¡±


    However, she had two laptops sitting on her desk.


    When Quenser pointed that out, Claire smiled and said, ¡°The other one is for my hobbies. How else would I get this swimsuit? The military¡¯s fashion sense is just hopeless. ...But I use it for stock and futures trading more than I do for online shopping.¡±


    ¡°...I thought designers made tons of money.¡±


    ¡°People will always aim for more. And so all that money doesn¡¯t seem like enough.¡±


    The numbers for some kind of trading were lined up on the screen. Even if it was not on her work computer, Quenser wondered if it was okay for someone with as much highly classified information as an Object designer to have free access to the internet.


    ¡°We¡¯re allowed a restricted access to the internet. The line first passes through a military checkpoint. It¡¯s a small lag, but it does work to my disadvantage in these trades.¡±


    ¡°...What are you trading here? Stocks?¡±


    ¡°Clouds.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s a weather forecast?¡±


    ¡°No, no. Clouds are a wonderful resource. They¡¯re a type of water resource. They take in the seawater and carry it as freshwater. Normally, the clouds created over the sea are carried by the wind and begin dropping rain when they hit the mountains. But these days, we can artificially control the amount of rain. Just as civilization developed around rivers, the age is coming where civilization will develop along the paths of the clouds. And once that happens,¡± said Claire, ¡°competition will naturally begin. Look. This is the market for southern Africa. The amount of clouds flowing through the sky is set, but the rain could come down anywhere. If it rains on Area A, Area B beyond it will dry up. Clouds disappear after they rain, after all.¡±


    ¡°...I see. So just like the world-famous rivers, the flow of the clouds crosses national borders?¡±


    ¡°Would Area A naturally give up on the rain and let the clouds move on to Area B? If they don¡¯t get any water, they will dry up too. They will have no drinking water or food. Its people will wither away to nothing. And they have the technology to make it rain at their fingertips. So would it be right to sit idly by and do nothing? Human life or the laws of nature? Which one should they protect?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a difficult question, isn¡¯t it? And our response is to find the right answer for the right spot. There is no cut and dried answer. Some are trying to create a system to efficiently distribute water through underground channels at the same time, some are trying to focus the rain on the areas with rare plants, and some are trying to make it rain on the areas with high water retention. Some are even working with corporations to create giant tanks and pools. The complex movements of all these people has created a flow of money we call the water resources market. But you don¡¯t need to worry about any of that.¡±


    Object designs and investments.


    In both cases, her weapon was nothing more than a computer.


    ¡°So you only do the pure designs? You don¡¯t create new materials when you fail?¡±


    ¡°If I need something, I make a request to an expert in that field. That¡¯s much faster. And if I just need something that works on paper, I can let the supercomputer calculate it out. I use the computer to calculate out an ideal new material that would fill the hole in a design and attach that to an email I send to one of the specialists in the other rooms. They¡¯re the ones who make it by hand. That¡¯s more or less how it works.¡±


    Claire Whist passed a grape juice box to Quenser, stabbed a straw into her own, and sat in a chair next to the desk.


    ¡°Hold it against your cheek. Is it swollen because of the Night Edge Platoon?¡±


    ¡°It scares me that hysteric bastards like that are allowed to carry weapons.¡±


    ¡°A weapon is only as effective as the person who wields it,¡± said Claire offhandedly. ¡°Well, they¡¯re a lot like you, just of a different type. They¡¯re good at what they do, but they throw punches as much as a health nut drinks mineral water. It was decided they aren¡¯t needed in the modern smart and clean military. Since the military hates both of you, how about you try to get along?¡±


    (This place really is a nursery through and through.)


    Quenser had that thought, but he decided not to say it out loud.


    Incidentally, pressing the juice box against his cheek did little to help. He decided to just stab the straw in instead.


    ¡°To be honest, it is no coincidence that you are here.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Well, yes. I was called here by you, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. It wasn¡¯t my decision to have you sent off somewhere out of the way thanks to your troublesome actions, but I did influence the decision for this to be where you were sent. I wanted to be able to speak with you like this.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was simple enough to say.


    But Quenser had no idea if that was actually possible.


    ¡°Anyway, I want to get down to business. So what do you think?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About Objects. You¡¯ve dealt with first generation and second generation ones now, right?¡±


    ¡°There was also that 0.5 generation one.¡±


    ¡°That one doesn¡¯t even count as an Object in our minds.¡±


    Claire gave a scornful laugh.


    She pulled a laser pointer out of a penholder on the table. Its red light pointed at one of the models lined up on the shelves.


    ¡°I most want to hear about this one. You should know this model very well.¡±


    ¡°...The Tri-Core?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia had once sunk that Object in the Strait of Gibraltar. Its primary feature was its 3 giant reactors and its ability to drill for and transport oil.


    Claire Whist spun the point of light around in a circle.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t design that one, but this model was constructed based on the information received by a probe sent deep into the ocean. It¡¯s only just barely 70% complete. Frankly, that isn¡¯t enough. And that area of sea is packed with deep sea probes from the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization. Everyone is trying to search further and stop the others, so they are all very busy.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so special about it?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell?¡± Claire sipped on some grape juice through her straw. ¡°Modern wars are decided by the number of Objects. Individual ability can create a gap, but the difference made by numbers is overwhelming. Once it reaches one against three, it is hopeless. In that case, it is better to retreat without fighting. And yet...¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°The Tri-Core has three reactors on a single Object. Normally, it would be much more effective to create three different Objects out of them. And it is now nothing but scrap at the bottom of the sea. ...Ideas for oddities like this will often surface, but they are never actually constructed. The will of the many moves the military. And it is the people¡¯s tax money that moves these projects. Any oddity that was suggested in the past has been stopped at some point or another.¡±


    ¡°And yet the Tri-Core was created as a single Object with three reactors on it...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the key.¡± Claire smiled. ¡°You could call it the path to the third generation. The Tri-Core made it no further than what I suppose we could call generation 2.5, but its uniqueness holds the possibility to change the battlefield. Every military tries to analyze any defeated Object, but the focus on the Tri-Core is unusually high. The top designers from each world power are probably focused on it. ...In other words, the shape of the Objects that support these wars could change soon. It won¡¯t make it to the next designs, but it is possible the ones after that will show a clear influence from it.¡±


    The third generation.


    Quenser had experienced firsthand just how demonic the current second generation could be, so it was not something he could simply celebrate. It was like a test of courage. He very much wanted to hurry up and become a designer so he could be on the side of those frightening everyone else.


    But at the same time...


    ¡°But the probes are still investigating the Tri-Core, right? What do you need me for? I doubt anything I know will help you complete that model.¡±


    ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not it at all. I just wanted to hear your impressions of it.¡±


    ¡°My impressions?¡±


    ¡°Your impressions after fighting it.¡± Claire Whist held her juice box against her head and enjoyed its coolness. ¡°The third generation we anticipate will truly be ground-breaking. But it will be useless if it we focus too much on our design ideals and it ends up being useless on the battlefield. And so I wanted to ask you. What did you think of the Tri-Core? Did it do a job worthy of having three reactors?¡±


    ¡°I see...¡± Quenser glanced up at the ceiling and thought back. ¡°Every Object I¡¯ve seen has been like a demon, but for this one, I think the weight was the real problem.¡±


    ¡°Hm, hm.¡±


    ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t think it would have been able to function if it hadn¡¯t been on the ocean. It couldn¡¯t completely evade the Baby Magnum¡¯s bombardment and instead defended itself by moving areas with exceptionally thick armor into the blasts.¡±


    ¡°So it would be difficult to use in strategies requiring speed?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure it could get up to a nice top speed, but it couldn¡¯t get any bursts of speed. For that reason, it would probably be best for it to use the output of its reactors for one-shot kills.¡±


    ¡°But the reports say that the Baby Magnum¡¯s damage spread slowly.¡±


    ¡°It may have not specialized enough in one direction to be functional in battle.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Claire leaned back in her chair. ¡°I¡¯d say it was too much to try to put an entire oil facility on it. We need to be careful not to make a similar mistake.¡±


    ¡°Um...So will the third generation be made of Objects that have multiple reactors like the Tri-Core?¡±


    ¡°No. In fact, it is because that did not solve the problem that I said the Tri-Core was only generation 2.5.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Quenser was confused.


    He opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°Then what is the third generation?¡±


    ¡°You have already seen it,¡± said Claire Whist joyfully. ¡°And it might become the mainstream form for Objects in the new wars to come.¡±


    Part 3


    Meanwhile, Heivia was quite angry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t like it, I don¡¯t like it, I! Don¡¯t! Like! It!!¡±


    Genelia the marriage scam artist smiled while watching Heivia turn the target on the ocean into Swiss cheese using his assault rifle.


    ¡°Oh, oh. Amazing, amazing. That should help clear out the stockpile of ammunition. Everyone, do your best to piss off Heivia here!¡±


    ¡°While I¡¯m out here dripping with sweat and wasting bullets, that bastard is getting a lecture directly related to his dream in an air-conditioned room! That isn¡¯t right! And that place is a collection of genius girls. That really, really isn¡¯t right!!¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, it isn¡¯t like every single one of them falls under the category of ¡®genius girl¡¯. And even if they do, there¡¯s no rule saying they have to be good looking.¡±


    ¡°But when there are girls involved, it¡¯s supposed to be my time to shine! Why doesn¡¯t anyone understand that!?¡±


    ¡°Um, I am a girl, you know.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, fuuuccckkkk!!¡±


    Once he saw the target fall to pieces and come clean off the pillar attaching it to the boat, he stopped firing. Instead, he switched on his radio.


    ¡°Can you hear me, Mr. Knight!? Can we finally get the man most suited for the job in there where he belongs!?¡±


    ¡°That building is completely cut off to prevent any classified information from being leaked out.¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± said Claire Whist as she crushed the juice box in her hand after finishing off the grape juice. ¡°I wanted to ask you about one other Object as well.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°The Baby Magnum.¡±


    Claire¡¯s voice had a nostalgic ring when she spoke that name.


    But when she continued, a dangerous tone joined it.


    ¡°I have heard about the successes of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion. But not all of those successes were successes of the Baby Magnum. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°If so, that¡¯s a bit of a problem.¡± Claire gave a small sigh. ¡°That first generation¡¯s design was a bit removed from the mainstream design, but I was still involved in designing it. To be honest, I use it as a prime example of my work. I don¡¯t like constantly hearing about the Baby Magnum losing. At this rate, I¡¯m going to have to change what example I use.¡±


    ¡°The princess is doing a great job! If the Baby Magnum hadn¡¯t been there, I wouldn¡¯t be alive today. Not to mention that a few conspiracies might have been carried out and the world would be a complete mess now!¡±


    ¡°But it is the higher ups of the military that make those decisions. The victory or loss of an Object can bring a war to an end, and they want to construct and maintain that system. I may not agree with them, but even a moronic customer is a customer. I need to take measures against any damage to my reputation.¡±


    ¡°Does a designer have enough power to directly influence a battalion made up of thousands of people?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you aspire to be one? For the money and power? I helped design the Baby Magnum. If I reported there was a defect in it, it would at least be pulled off the front lines for inspection. That would probably last six months to a year. And that would buy me enough time to make my next move. For example, it is an outdated first generation Object. Several high officials want to get rid of it and spend the money on a second generation Object.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want that, you need to get them working harder,¡± said Claire casually while tossing the crushed juice box into the trash can. ¡°A lot more people than you think have their names on the line in these large projects. And that¡¯s all I have to say.¡±


    With that, the conversation was brought to an end.


    Claire had either lost interest or was simply never very sociable because she showed no sign that she intended to show him out. Quenser left the room on his own and let out a slight sigh.


    An Object designer.


    That was a one-way ticket to being one of the few winners in life. Even a commoner could make more money than a lower level noble.


    And yet he could not deny that she had seemed somehow constrained to him. It was true Claire Whist had been sent to this island because she was troublesome even for a designer, but even so...


    (That also means that even a designer has to constantly make sure not to anger the top levels of the military.)


    A restricted freedom.


    Authority as just one portion of the gears.


    When he thought about it rationally, that was the standard way the world of adults worked and those designers sat in the very center of the military with its strict hierarchical relationships and all that classified information. There was simply no way someone in the middle of all that could just live a carefree life.


    ¡°But at the same time...¡±


    That was not to say he had been disillusioned in his dream of being a designer. Or rather, he ran into the fundamental question of what other path there was for him if he gave up on becoming a designer. In the end, he still wanted that money whether he would be free or not. There were not that many opportunities for a commoner to stand in the spotlight.


    But...


    There was an even greater reason Quenser felt like his time had been wasted.


    He had spoken face to face with Claire, a leading designer. He had seen where she worked. He had even been able to touch her miniature Objects.


    And yet he had not gotten anything out of it.


    There had been plenty there. It had been a veritable mountain of treasure. Someone who worked on the front lines of design would have found tons of data. But Quenser had been unable to take in any of it even with it right before his eyes. It was like not being able to tell the difference in flavor between two dishes but pretending to be able to. ...When it came down to it, he was nothing more than an amateur student. He had not reached the level of an expert designer.


    That difference in ability made him falter.


    He felt like a mountain climber who discovered what he thought was the peak was nothing more than a small outcropping halfway up.


    ¡°I guess I should head back,¡± whispered Quenser as he walked down the passageway.


    While he headed for the exit through that building that reminded him of a library¡¯s shelves or a school¡¯s shoe lockers, his mouth started to feel sticky. It was likely due to the grape juice Claire had given him.


    The long, straight passageway allowed him to see a good distance away. At what was probably a corner of the building, he spotted a coffee vending machine.


    Once he left the building, he would probably be right back to wasting the stockpiled bullets with an assault rifle. From the sparkle he had seen in that Night Edge Platoon¡¯s eyes, he doubted he would get any water anytime soon out there.


    Deciding to drink some iced coffee or something to clear out his mouth before leaving, Quenser walked toward the vending machine in the corner of the building. It was the old style that used paper cups, but it must have been popular with the genius girls (or women) because it had the stains characteristic of a well-used machine.


    He put a few coins into the machine and waited for the iced coffee to fill the paper cup. As he waited, he heard some static come from his small radio.


    It quickly turned into a voice.


    ¡°Dammit, Quenser! How long are you going to slack off inside that air-conditioned building!? Don¡¯t tell me you really are trying to negotiate with them in bed! That isn¡¯t like you! You should be mass producing wasted ammunition with your right hand instead!!¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m gonna punch that idiot once I get back out there,¡± vowed Quenser quietly, but then he frowned.


    The building was filled with classified information related to Object design. Naturally, they would make sure data could not get in or out. Claire Whist had told him her internet line went through military surveillance before it got out.


    Quenser¡¯s radio and cell phone had not been confiscated at the entrance, so he had assumed the building was covered with materials that cut off any electromagnetic signals.


    No, it definitely was.


    He slowly reached out to touch the wall. It felt the same. But he clearly felt something different when he reached a hand behind the coffee vending machine.


    ¡°The material meant to block the signal was taken out, so it was repainted here recently.¡±


    A blank spot.


    A hole.


    After thinking about what that mean, Quenser muttered, ¡°Has someone set things up so they can leak classified information?¡±


    Part 5


    The wind grew stronger.


    As Heivia and the others continued to dispose of the stockpile of bullets, a man wearing a black mask shouted angrily at them from behind.


    ¡°Hurry it up, you tax thieves! You¡¯re nothing but trash. You have to keep working until you finish your quota even if a storm blows in or you have to continue into tomorrow!!¡±


    Heivia clicked his tongue and the marriage scam artist muttered quietly to him.


    ¡°How about you ¡®accidentally¡¯ shoot him?¡±


    ¡°If I knew some technique to fire a gun 180 degrees behind me, I could probably sell it to an action movie director.¡±


    The Night Edge Platoon had not been charged with watching over them. It seemed the man was simply shouting at everyone he came across. He had already headed off somewhere else.


    Heivia made sure to raise his middle finger to the man¡¯s parting back, but then he realized something.


    ¡°Hey, you said they¡¯re the Night Edge Platoon, right?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re famous for going overboard while acting as bodyguards for VIPs. The councilors they guarded didn¡¯t like how the excessive violence caused their approval ratings to drop. But that¡¯s no reason to send them out to inspect the battlefields. They just get in the way.¡±


    ¡°...Well, they don¡¯t look like it.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Genelia frowned and Heivia ran his thumb across his throat as if slitting it.


    ¡°That guy must have given in to the heat because he lifted his black mask up a little. That¡¯s when I saw it. He had scars from stiches circling around his neck. He¡¯s from the 202nd Mobile Support Company. They go by the name Unicorn and that¡¯s their distinguishing sign. Apparently it symbolizes their decision to ¡®kill¡¯ their former self and be reborn upon entering the unit.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡¯s not the Night Edge Platoon but some other unit?¡± Genelia sounded skeptical. ¡°Maybe someone left Unicorn and joined Night Edge. I hear people often regret it when they try to unite their unit with tattoos.¡±


    ¡°Sure, if it was just him.¡± Heivia removed the scope from his assault rifle and handed it to Genelia. ¡°Look at the one over there and the one jogging on the bridge. Check around their necks. They have the same scars.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡±


    ¡°You could be right and they officially changed units. But the percentage is just too high. For all intents and purposes, they¡¯ve only changed their name and are still Unicorn.¡±


    ¡°So who is this Unicorn?¡±


    ¡°They have a lot of dark rumors. Their official mission is to destroy enemy lifelines. They¡¯ll blow up trucks carrying supplies whether they¡¯re military or civilian, they¡¯ll destroy public facilities such as bridges or phone towers, and they¡¯ll cut off communications with jamming. They make tons of money behind the scenes of the clean wars.¡± Heivia took the scope back from Genelia and reattached it to his assault rifle. ¡°They¡¯re an independent unit that ignores their allies¡¯ opinions and carries out whatever destruction they deem necessary for their allies to win in these clean wars between Objects. They do a lot of things that can¡¯t be made public, so they usually remain undercover. There is even suspicion that they have set up a side business with spies from the Capitalist Corporations in the process. Supposedly, they were involved in some attacks on gold mines and black market weapons sales in battlefield countries.¡±


    ¡°They certainly sound dangerous. ...But this a top secret facility filled with top Object designers. What are they doing here disguised as the Night Edge Platoon?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. But if they didn¡¯t have to hide their presence here, they wouldn¡¯t go to the effort. This might be related to their side business with the Capitalist Corporations. Simple honor students are annoying enough to deal with, but Unicorn is an entirely different kind of dangerous. This goes beyond wondering if they¡¯ll betray us. They might not even be on the side of the Legitimacy Kingdom in the first place. Who knows when they¡¯ll shoot us in the back.¡±


    Heivia decided it was best to assume the platoon going by the name Night Edge had been absorbed into the company known as Unicorn.


    Naturally, all the Unicorn members spread out across the world would be sharing information between themselves.


    Having the Night Edge Platoon hiding their identity inside the collection of classified information that was the Cook Addition Islands was a very, very bad situation.


    That was when a tone came from Heivia¡¯s radio.


    Not long before, it had become nothing but a karaoke microphone toy he shouted abuse over to relieve his stress, but now some unwelcome information came from it.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. I¡¯m inside that building filled with top secret information right now. What do you think about the fact that the signal is reaching you?¡±


    ¡°Not good...¡± Heivia brought a hand to his forehead. ¡°I found something bad on my end of things too. That impertinent Night Edge Platoon has been swapped out for a different unit called Unicorn. That¡¯s the unit suspected to have a secret side business with the Capitalist Corporations!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! You don¡¯t mean...!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you idiot. If data is being sent back and forth under the military¡¯s radar doing exactly what you¡¯re doing, then it¡¯s possible one of the designers in there is working with the Capitalist Corporations!!¡±


    ¡°By the way, it was a coincidence we ended up getting sent off somewhere, but it seems one of those designers influenced where we were sent. So could the same have happened with the Night Edge Platoon?¡±


    ¡°Probably. A designer could have influenced things to gather the pawns she needed.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Why do we always stumble onto things like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the curse of those who are just too skilled and good looking. It can¡¯t be long before they make a movie about us.¡±


    The situation had grown troublesome.


    A designer inside the thick walls of the building was sending signals out via radio and Unicorn was receiving them outside. If the information was then sent off the island with some larger equipment, a hotline between the designer and the Capitalist Corporations could be constructed.


    And on top of that, the ¡°justice¡± of that small island was completely controlled by Unicorn disguised as Night Edge and the designers in the Center. If the two were working together, the proper law and military regulations would not necessarily come into play if Heivia and the others made a fuss about it.


    They had to search out a communications device or line out of the island that was not controlled by the enemy and use that to report the situation elsewhere. And if the enemy tried to stop them, they would of course ignore the usual methods and attack.


    Genelia then started tugging on Heivia¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°But there are around 30 genius girls living inside that building, right? Do we know who to suspect?¡±


    ¡°We just have to follow Unicorn¡¯s actions. Not all of them are here on the island. Even the entirety of the Night Edge Platoon would only make up a third of Unicorn. The main body of the unit is elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°How can you know that?¡±


    ¡°Because of all the dark rumors. There are journalists that figure they don¡¯t have to worry about putting food on the table if they just follow Unicorn around. Then again, some have gotten killed for getting too close. Their area of activity can be found on normal news sites.¡±


    ¡°It may not be as bad as where Quenser is, but this place isn¡¯t so lax that we can just play FPSs over the wireless LAN.¡±


    ¡°True. And so I can¡¯t get the latest information. But I do have what I saw while on the transport plane taking me here.¡± Heivia paused for a second. ¡°Southern Africa. They were doing some dirty work related to water resources using clouds. Any ideas, Quenser?¡±


    The only response from the radio was the sound of a head slamming against the wall.


    Part 6


    It was time to check what needed to be done.


    Quenser leaned against the wall, sipped on his iced coffee, and spoke into the radio.


    ¡°We suspect the designer Claire Whist and Unicorn are working together. And it is possible they are linked to the Capitalist Corporations. What do we need to do?¡±


    ¡°Forget all this and head back to our boring duties with a smile?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to joke around. We need to move forward.¡±


    ¡°...I was actually being serious.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, you do whatever you can to look into what the Night Edge Platoon...or rather, Unicorn is doing. Both the ones on this island and the ones in southern Africa. I want to know what the entire unit is after.¡±


    ¡°Then you deal with Claire. Climb into bed if you need to, but get as much information as you can. She¡¯s a top designer, so you won¡¯t get many chances to interview her. If we waste this opportunity, we¡¯ll lose any chance of approaching her or getting any information out of her.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Unicorn holds the peace and justice of this island in their hands. They could easily claim we were trying to leak classified information and shoot us. Don¡¯t let them notice you¡¯re looking into this.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for you. Don¡¯t forget that your location makes that technique easiest to use against you.¡±


    After agreeing to contact each other again in an hour, Quenser switched off the radio. He gulped down the rest of the vending machine iced coffee, threw the paper cup in the trash can, and looked over at the wall across from the vending machine.


    A whiteboard was hanging on it.


    Escalibor, Assault Signal, Slide Lance, Active Shield... The names of several Objects and the battlefields they were in were written in marker. They were likely ones the researchers in the facility had helped design. Quenser recognized one of them.


    Baby Magnum.


    Southern Africa.


    ¡°Dammit.¡±


    Claire Whist had said she had helped design the Baby Magnum. If she was involved with the Capitalist Corporations via the Unicorn force active in southern Africa, the Baby Magnum¡¯s weaknesses could be leaked to the Capitalist Corporations.


    And...


    Claire had said she was displeased with the Baby Magnum¡¯s results in battles. She had said she would need to use a different design example if it had any further negative effect on her reputation.


    ¡°Every new piece of information just makes this seem more and more ominous...¡±


    If he was going to obtain information from Claire, he would first have to return to her room. He could also speak with the residents of the other rooms, but it was obvious what those people would do if some unfamiliar person came knocking at their door inside that top secret facility. They would report him to the Night Edge Platoon and he would be quickly neutralized.


    (My best bet is to say I left something in her room.)


    With that idea, Quenser knocked on Claire¡¯s door and was invited in with no suspicion. Or at least no visible suspicion.


    ¡°What did you forget? Can¡¯t it wait?¡±


    ¡°My cell phone.¡±


    ¡°Oh...that would be bad.¡±


    That was the reaction he had expected.


    ¡°The building is made to prevent any signal from getting in or out, but your phone does have a camera and a record function. If it was found in my room afterwards, you could be arrested as a possible spy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s red and it¡¯s the type that slides open. It should stand out, so it shouldn¡¯t take long to find.¡±


    ¡°Hm, hm.¡±


    Quenser peered under the bed. As he did, he thought about how to start the conversation. She might put up her guard if he brought up southern Africa right away.


    ¡°Come to think of it, don¡¯t you lose your chance to spend all the money you make by living in a place like this?¡±


    ¡°I can order things from the internet, so no. I grow tired of things and throw them out pretty quickly though, so my room doesn¡¯t get too cluttered. Even video games are downloaded these days.¡±


    ¡°Video games?¡±


    Quenser glanced over at the corner of the room. Something that looked like a complexly folded plastic sheet sat there. The device looked like a giant controller modeled after a cockpit for robot games.


    ¡°Is that what that¡¯s for?¡±


    ¡°Hm? No, that¡¯s a failed part of an old project. It was supposed to go on a model called the Assault Signal.¡±


    ¡°Is it an Object simulator or something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing that amazing. The device allows balance of the Object to be restored via remote control if the Elite passes out inside and it is about to sink into the ocean or anything like that. Even that requires several dozen to over 100 people. And even then it can¡¯t keep up with a high speed battle. It was rejected as it left an opening for hacking, though,¡± explained Claire. ¡°Having some leeway is good. You can be more adventurous when you know there will be a next time even if you fail. And this kind of failed technology that you gain from that leads the way to a stable Object design. It¡¯s important to create a cycle. Once the cycle is set up, the returns increase without end, but setting it up can be incredibly difficult. It¡¯s the same as how it is more efficient to keep an Object¡¯s reactor constantly on rather than switching it on and off.¡±


    ¡°I want to begin doing that as soon as possible,¡± replied Quenser honestly.


    While looking through the shelves, Claire said, ¡°Also, my goal may actually be gaining the money itself rather than what I can do with it.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Even though I live here, my official residence is in Paris. It¡¯s pretty big, but I only head back there about twice a year. It feels more like a distant relative¡¯s villa. My money and house are the same. Obtaining them is what matters. The amount of money I have and the size of my house add to my social status which increases my power. That especially helps when I have a job that gives me an eccentric image.¡±


    Quenser moved aside some magazines on the floor, knocked out the bookmark inside, put the bookmark back in, and otherwise tried to buy as much time as he could while he fully utilized the part of his brain in charge of adlibbing.


    ¡°...So what else do you have?¡±


    ¡°Some normal things like nice cars and villas. Oh, and I donate money too. Here¡¯s a surprise: 5% of the NGOs in the Legitimacy Kingdom run on the money I make developing weapons!¡±


    Quenser was sure he could more easily find any link to Unicorn or the Capitalist Corporations if he looked through the laptop on the table, but he could hardly manage that in the current situation.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this sort of like your villa?¡±


    ¡°You could call my villas a social venture. I have villas that I have never even set foot in. I have one in the Amazon jungle, one on the coast of the Mediterranean, one near an Arctic ski resort, and lately I even bought one in the Oceania District. And one in southern Africa, too.¡±


    Quenser could feel his heart leap inside him.


    This was his way in.


    ¡°Have you ever been to Africa? Do you know what kind of food they have there?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Well, a few times. But I only ate things like hamburgers and tempura. That kind of thing is popular there. The proper home cooking is apparently something like a curry soup filled with spices, but I have yet to run across it. I always let my food cool down before I eat it.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine how that would taste, and I don¡¯t have any desire to track it down.¡±


    ¡°I know. I was hoping for something a little more exciting. Something wild like an entire roast mammoth.¡±


    ¡°There are no mammoths anymore.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand if you go there. Seeing it on TV just isn¡¯t the same. You¡¯ll feel like you could find something like that there.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that a battlefield country? Wouldn¡¯t the higher ups in the military get mad if a designer went there for fun? You could be abducted for all the classified information you know.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. We have some excellent bodyguards for trips like that. If I have the Night Edge Platoon with me, they let me go.¡±


    A gap appeared in the conversation.


    Quenser made sure to continue speaking in order to prevent any silence.


    ¡°I hear they have penguins in southern Africa.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the African penguins. They¡¯re cute. Even the cities look out for them. They make tunnels especially for the penguins. They¡¯re sometimes used as UGVs for intelligence purposes, though. But,¡± added Claire Whist, ¡°those tunnels are made only with the roads in mind. When it rains a lot, the tunnels fill with water. Penguins are meant to swim in the ocean, but they do not have gills. They sometimes get lost in the tunnels and drown. It¡¯s most unfortunate.¡±


    The mention of rain caught at Quenser¡¯s mind, but he decided it was too soon to push further.


    He continued the conversation while only skimming his topic of interest. He cautiously kept some distance but not too much distance.


    ¡°They get lost in the tunnels?¡±


    ¡°Even though the tunnels are just straight paths, it seems they are just so dark and narrow that they can¡¯t tell forward from backward or up from down. They would actually leave the tunnels faster if they merely let the water wash them away.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a frustrating situation for an animal welfare group.¡±


    ¡°It is. And so the water resource market is viewed as quite the villain.¡±


    Quenser continued to keep some distance but not too much.


    He continued on his quest for information while forcing down his worried suspicions that she might actually be inviting him in.


    Part 7


    Heivia also took action. The actions of the Unicorn group disguised as the Night Edge Platoon on the Cook Addition Islands was one thing, but he had no way of investigating the actions of the main force in Southern Africa just by observing. He had to find a net terminal that could access the military database.


    ¡°What a pain in the ass. Why can¡¯t Quenser just look into it using a researcher¡¯s computer?¡±


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll have a chance to even touch one of those top secret computers. And the higher ups in the military can tell when a computer inside accesses something outside.¡±


    ¡°Hey, marriage scam artist. Why did you come with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve awakened to a sense of love and justice.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re not part of Unicorn too, are you?¡±


    Heivia and the others had originally been ordered to dispose of the large amount of excess ammunition stored up. None of the soldiers given that task had any motivation and plenty of them had snuck off somewhere else. The fact that they were all beginning to ¡°rot¡± like that allowed the higher ups to inwardly smile while rebuking them. No one would place any serious blame on Heivia and Genelia for disappearing.


    ¡°Hey, where do you think the external lines are? Somewhere in the experiment building?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d be caught by sensors if we even tried to approach that place. The only facility removed from the classified information on Object design is in the living quarters for the soldiers like us. And that place is basically Night Edge¡¯s fortress.¡±


    ¡°So we have to get the information out of Unicorn¡¯s computers?¡±


    ¡°That would be the fastest way to approach the truth. If they do have a hotline connected to someone else, they have to have a net terminal hidden from the higher ups.¡±


    Heivia wondered what it would look like he and Genelia were doing to someone else. It may have looked like they had grown bored of the never-ending inventory reduction so they were sneaking off to the living quarters to take a nap.


    ¡°Hey, I know a quick way to make us look less suspicious. Wrap your arms around my arm.¡±


    ¡°...You don¡¯t look like you have any money, so no thanks.¡±


    ¡°I am one of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s foremost nobles, you know!! Even if it is true that every single member of my family is opposed to me being the successor!!¡±


    ¡°Presideeeent, what is the total sum of your asseeeets?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cling to me like that! It gives me goose bumps!!¡±


    They walked across a large road-like bridge and arrived at the soldiers¡¯ living quarters. It was a large steel piece of land that resembled an offshore drilling platform. And instead of having buildings built on top, the barracks were built hanging down below.


    ¡°Night Edge¡¯s area is completely cut off from everything else. And the quality of the facilities on their side is better. I guess that¡¯s what you get when you¡¯re acting as bodyguards for those rich designers. I hear they get to eat dinner in the dining hall rather than just getting ready-made lunchboxes like us.¡±


    ¡°I had thought they were just your stereotypical discrimination lovers, but it may have been a way to restrict information. A lot of data gets passed around during mealtimes in the form of chitchat.¡±


    ¡°So they wanted to cut off any careless information leaks?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say so.¡±


    ¡°But then won¡¯t it be difficult to get into their area? They probably have tons of cameras set up.¡±


    ¡°No, they won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re up to no good. Why would they leave any evidence of it?¡±


    The two of them walked by the most obvious entrance to Night Edge¡¯s area and spotted an obvious human guard out of the corner of their eye. It was a masked member of the Night Edge Platoon. They used the human eye so their surveillance would leave behind no records.


    ¡°I want to just punch him and head on in.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to fail?¡±


    ¡°Then I guess we have no choice but to find some other way in.¡±


    They checked the ceiling ducts, but they were made of pipes only 10 cm across. They were much too small for a human to pass through.


    ¡°We can¡¯t do this like an action movie then.¡±


    ¡°We need to check everything one by one. We might get lucky and find a way in.¡±


    They checked the openings for electric wiring and plumbing, but they were too small and filled with too many twists and turns for a human or UGV to get through.


    But...


    ¡°Here we go,¡± said Heivia after opening a steel door. ¡°This place is constructed like an offshore oil platform. Maintenance passageways and stairways are prepared around the large pillars. If the entire core construction is connected, we can use them to move between living areas. And that means we can access Night Edge¡¯s area.¡±


    ¡°Why would that be so open? They went to such effort keeping the ducts and plumbing inaccessible.¡±


    ¡°They were probably made by different contractors. Military facilities are often a complex collection of pieces made by different companies. It¡¯s the same as building a castle. But that means the countermeasures change between contractors. Some areas will seem overly sensitive and other areas will be wide open. The people making it don¡¯t always know how important it is.¡±


    The facility was not the same as a commercial facility. The passageways were narrow and dark, and the wiring and such were sticking out in the open. The walls had no wallpaper covering them. The passageways looked more like something from a military ship than a building.


    ¡°So what do we do once we make it into Night Edge¡¯s area?¡±


    ¡°We check the electric meters. This is a horribly hot tropical island. They¡¯re on the winning side of things, so they¡¯ll use the air conditioner 100% of the time instead of opening a window. The rooms the meter isn¡¯t running for are the ones without soldiers in them. We sneak into one of those and search for the terminal.¡±


    ¡°I feel like a sneak thief.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sort of what we are.¡±


    They walked down a long passageway, down some stairs, and then grabbed the knob of a steel door. They opened the door a crack and checked on the other side, but they saw no sign of Unicorn.


    ¡°Dammit. Where are the electric meters? Do we have to wander around in here when those masked bastards could show up at any moment?¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey. Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to just touch the door and see whether it¡¯s cool or not? That should tell us if the air conditioner is on.¡±


    Someone who ignored good advice to protect his pride would have a short life. And so Heivia did as Genelia had suggested. He placed his palm against one door in the room, being careful not to make any noise. As he repeated the process a few times, he came across a door that was clearly warmer than the rest.


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    ¡°But an empty room will be locked. How do we get in?¡±


    ¡°...We might have to kick down the door.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯d hear that right away. But the deadbolt is made of polycarbonate, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s usually used to make nonmetallic knives or shields.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s weak to heat. It should melt if we heat it with a fire.¡± With a metallic clicking noise, Genelia opened the cap of an oil lighter. ¡°Of course, they¡¯ll notice the melted deadbolt later. This is our only chance to investigate in here, so be prepared.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    ¡°And this will create the smell of melted plastic. That could draw their attention. We need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°You sure know a lot about this.¡±


    ¡°I exchanged information with other criminals before I was caught. And I learned some things at bars too. Unfortunately, just hearing about it wasn¡¯t enough to pick up some trickier skills like picking locks.¡±


    It took about 30 seconds to unlock the door.


    It did indeed create a bit of an unpleasant odor. The smell made them feel uneasy, but fortunately Unicorn showed no sign of coming in from the other rooms.


    ¡°It¡¯s open.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about the intrusion,¡± said Heivia jokingly as he turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door.


    He peered in through the crack.


    In the next instant, two arms reached out from the room and wrapped around Heivia¡¯s neck.


    Someone was inside.


    A dull pain spread from Heivia¡¯s neck and assaulted his entire body as he came to a quick decision. Instead of trying to remove the arms, he used his shoulder to tackle the door and the person inside.


    The sudden impact sent the attacker rolling back into the room. Heivia charged in and straddled the person.


    To Genelia, he said, ¡°Shut the door. Damn this economical bastard! I can¡¯t believe one of them likes to stew in his own sweat!!¡±


    Heivia grabbed the collapsed masked man by the collar to constrict his carotid arteries which quickly knocked him unconscious. Heivia lightly lifted up the limp soldier¡¯s black mask to check his neck.


    Heivia grimaced when he spotted what he had expected to find.


    ¡°Scars from stiches circling around the neck. He¡¯s from Unicorn too.¡±


    Heivia bound the soldier¡¯s arms and legs with the cable to an electric hot water dispenser, stuffed his mask in his mouth to keep him from speaking, and tossed him in the bathroom.


    ¡°Did you kill him?¡± asked Genelia.


    ¡°If I had, I wouldn¡¯t have gone to all that trouble. ...God dammit. I have nothing against bondage, but why does it have to be with a guy?¡± spat out Heivia as he looked around the room.


    It looked like a simple business hotel room. It was mostly tidy, but a few bags had been left in one corner.


    Heivia checked inside and found a high speed modem. He also found a parabolic antenna about 30 cm across. It seemed they had been contacting someone outside the base via a communications satellite.


    ¡°There¡¯s a metal fixture on the window¡¯s handrail. It¡¯s probably what they attach the antenna to.¡±


    ¡°This building hangs down from the offshore oil platform. I guess they can receive the signal down here.¡±


    They could not find the actual computer used, but they found a small device when they checked what the man in the bathroom had on him.


    ¡°We can do this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the password?¡±


    ¡°That important information was carelessly left on a memo in one of the bags.¡±


    ¡°...Sigh. This must have been supplied to him, so he hasn¡¯t had time to memorize the password.¡±


    They used the small device to access the network.


    It connected to the information network used exclusively by the Night Edge Platoon...or rather, Unicorn.


    ¡°They were originally a unit that carried out missions undercover. It isn¡¯t surprising they would have a network set up that doesn¡¯t use the official military format.¡±


    ¡°What have you found? Anything on their activity in southern Africa?¡±


    ¡°Wait, here it is. I have it. Something related to the water resource business using clouds in southern Africa.¡±


    That was when they heard several sets of footsteps on the other side of the door. They were not simply heading down the passageway. They were clearly gathering around the door.


    They must have noticed something was happening.


    ¡°Not good... Genelia, move all that data over to your device!¡±


    ¡°How did they notice us? The man in the bathroom is bound and gagged, right!?¡±


    ¡°He may have only pretended to be taken out and actually woke up pretty quickly.¡± Heivia approached the window and checked to see if it could be used to escape. ¡°If he kicked at the wall with his bound feet, he could send a message using Morse code. Maybe I should have just killed him.¡±


    ¡°The data transfer is complete!¡±


    ¡°Okay, c¡¯mere. This way!¡±


    Just as Heivia and Genelia leaned out the window, the door to the room was violently kicked down and a stun grenade was tossed in.


    Part 8


    At the promised time, Quenser took his cell phone out of his pocket and pretended to pick it up off the floor. He then parted ways with Claire Whist.


    That was the limit.


    He could no longer head back to her room saying he had lost something.


    He headed for the same corner of the building as before and tried to contact Heivia via radio.


    ¡°Heivia, Heivia?¡±


    He received no response.


    He had no idea if the other boy was receiving the signal.


    He was worried, but he had no way to relieve those worries. He had no choice but to simply carry out his job.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you can hear me, but I¡¯m going to tell you anyway. The Night Edge Platoon was not brought here to protect the Cook Addition Islands. It seems Claire herself used her authority around the world to have them brought in as her personal bodyguards. In other words, they are her private army. The odds are good she is using them to carry out her dirty work.¡±


    He still received no response.


    Quenser clicked his tongue at the level of static he could hear, but continued nevertheless.


    ¡°What I learned from talking with her is that there is another large market in southern Africa in addition to the water resource business using clouds. Megasolar power generation. They fill dry land that cannot grow crops with a bunch of solar panels. They make an electricity plantation.¡±


    No matter what he said, he received no response.


    That simple truth threatened to crush Quenser¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Claire was surprisingly careful about this. When I poked at it, she would immediately change the subject. It is true the megasolar power generation business is at odds with the water resource business since the former does not want it to rain and the latter wants it to rain, but her reaction still stood out to me. A large key to the side business is probably hidden there.¡±


    That was when he heard a loud noise.


    It did not come from the radio.


    The thick gate leading into the building had opened. Quenser looked over because he thought some researchers were going in or out, but he immediately hid behind a pile of railroad magazines when he saw who it was.


    He saw black masks and carbines.


    They were members of the Night Edge Platoon...or rather, Unicorn.


    A girl who must have been one of the eccentrics (aka genius designers) exchanged a few words with the masked men as she jogged down a long passageway.


    (Did they pick up my radio signal? No, they probably just thought I was taking too long to come out.)


    Either way, he could not let them find him. In the worst case, he would be shot in the name of preventing the leakage of classified information. They could just add any charges they needed after the fact.


    ¡°...This isn¡¯t good. There are four of them,¡± he spat out.


    Before he entered the building, his bombs and other weapons had been confiscated. And more importantly, Quenser would be crushed in a pure firefight even if he was equipped the same as them. Unlike Heivia, he had not undergone training in close quarters combat or how to handle firearms.


    There was a blatant difference between a student and a soldier.


    He had no chance of winning in a straight fight.


    But...


    ¡°You could say the same thing about Objects,¡± muttered Quenser as he slipped out from behind the pile of railroad magazines and down a different passageway.


    He first had to search for something he could use as a weapon among the things the genius girls (and women) had left scattered through the passageways.


    ¡°Compared to those monsters, four hysteric bastards should be easy.¡±


    Part 9


    A stun grenade was a nonlethal weapon that used intense light and sound to rob the enemy of their senses and mobility. It incapacitated them for a few seconds to a few dozen seconds. Normally, the enemy would be finished off using a gun in that time.


    Heivia and Genelia had already leaned their bodies out the window by the time it went off.


    That allowed them to avoid a direct hit, but a slight white afterimage was still burned into their eyes. But they did not have time to rub at their eyes. Fortunately, a scaffold-like space stretched out beyond the window and they used it to flee.


    ¡°This is bad. This is bad, this is bad, this is bad!!¡±


    ¡°Is there a corner anywhere around here!? If we just head straight, we¡¯ll be shot in the back!!¡±


    There was a corner not far away.


    But before they could reach it, a masked Unicorn member stuck his upper body out the window behind them. He was aiming his carbine in their direction.


    Heivia flicked off the safety on his assault rifle and brought his index finger to the trigger.


    He fired a short burst of three shots.


    And afterward, Heivia wanted to hold his head in his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally done it! I fired on an ally!!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You already strangled one of them. If we can¡¯t bring their wrongdoing to light, you¡¯ll definitely be headed to court martial.¡±


    It seemed the man had flinched back so he had not been hit. After Heivia and Genelia made it around the corner, they heard return gunfire.


    They continued running and began climbing up a staircase for workers that was more or less a ladder built diagonally. As he climbed, Heivia checked his equipment.


    ¡°I have three magazines and two grenades.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those the smoke grenades from inventory?¡±


    ¡°This stuff is completely useless!¡±


    ¡°That would be why so much was left for us to use up.¡±


    Sporadic gunfire came after Heivia and Genelia, but either the enemy¡¯s foothold was not sturdy or they were afraid of the strong gusts of wind signaling a storm was approaching because their aim was not settled. Heivia and Genelia continued up and up.


    ¡°Did you find anything in the data?¡±


    ¡°The water resource business using clouds and the megasolar power generation business are in competition.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, both of those deal with the weather. If it doesn¡¯t rain, the water resources people are in trouble, but if the sky is covered in clouds, the megasolar people are in trouble. So which one is Claire involved with?¡±


    ¡°Officially, she works with the water resource business. In other words, the people who create clouds. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It seems there is someone who is investing in both of them. Their name wasn¡¯t listed, though.¡±


    ¡°But if one succeeds, the other one fails, right?¡±


    ¡°There is no guarantee the money actually belongs to the person.¡± Genelia lightly licked her lips and continued. ¡°In other words, southern Africa is a financial black hole. No matter which one you invest in, you will lose money in the end.


    It may look like there are times when you make money, but the more money you spend, the more it sucks out of you. But the ones paying will lose their cool and not realize what is going on until they have lost a huge sum of money. It¡¯s the same thing that happens in corrupt casinos. Now, a question: How much damage could one do by convincing individuals and groups you want to weaken to buy into this financial black hole?¡±


    ¡°...So the problem isn¡¯t Africa?¡± Heivia could feel an unpleasant sweat appearing on his body. ¡°Claire lures influential people and corporations within the Legitimacy Kingdom into that financial black hole and the continued losses weaken them. It all plays right into the hands of the Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    Modern wars were carried out with Objects. And so no one set out to raze a world power¡¯s capital or to eradicate an opposing race of people.


    Wars cost money.


    By robbing an enemy nation of their money, they could be driven into a state where they were unable to wage war. If that was Claire¡¯s goal with the financial black hole, her betrayal would do damage to the entirety of the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    And in the long run, it could even do more serious damage than any clash between Objects.


    ¡°How can this be? This is a completely different form of war.¡±


    ¡°If Claire and Unicorn have become pawns of the Capitalist Corporations, we absolutely must make sure this information gets out. It could act as a splash of icy water for the clients who have lost their cool.¡± Perhaps because this could be classified as a scam involving huge amounts of money, Genelia seemed somehow excited about it. ¡°So what do we do? No matter where we run, the Night Edge Platoon controls the peace and justice of the Cook Addition Islands.¡±


    ¡°The same cannot be said for the Objects protecting the islands. We need to find some way to get this information to them. Dammit. Will our radios be enough? We should have brought that satellite antenna with us when we fled.¡±


    That was when they heard the roar of something beating against the air.


    Something was approaching from one of the other islands. What they saw flying through the sky looked like a compromise between an airplane and a helicopter. It was a propeller-driven craft called a tiltrotor. The angle of the propellers attached to the wings could be altered by 90 degrees to provide vertical or horizontal thrust.


    To put it simply, it was a medium-sized aircraft that could take off like a helicopter so it did not need a runway.


    ¡°That¡¯s a transport plane...right? Is it going to drop down some soldiers?¡±


    ¡°No...This is bad,¡± groaned Heivia.


    He had noticed the several gun barrels sticking out from the left side of the tiltrotor¡¯s body.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gunship!! It¡¯s a fortress of the sky that uses its large size to store tons of shells. I think that¡¯s a 150mm artillery gun, a 50mm howitzer, and a 30mm Gatling gun sticking out there. No matter which one it fires, we¡¯ll be blown to pieces! Even if we hid under a tank, it would just tear the tank apart!!¡±


    The main advantage of a gunship was its ability to continuously fire down on an enemy from the sky. The many shells in the large-capacity gunship would be fired like crazy while it flew in a large circle with the target in the center. By switching between the armaments roughly meant for anti-building, anti-tank, and anti-personnel, it could destroy anything inside its circle so the target had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. That was the kind of weapon it was.


    ¡°Wh-what if we flee downwards!? The thick layers of the building might protect us!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what they want. They¡¯re cutting off our escape from above so the soldiers coming up from below can capture us. No matter where we run, we¡¯ll only find a dead end!¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do!? There¡¯s no way we can shoot down that mid-sized aircraft with our rifles!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mere! I¡¯ll do something about it!!¡±


    Since it was trying to fly in a large circle, the gunship did not head directly toward Heivia and Genelia. It smoothly flew into position like a record needle.


    It would soon begin.


    The endless circular flight and rain of bullets powerful enough to blow away a storm would begin.


    Part 10


    Trying to oppose professional soldiers using contraptions created out of things like metal pipes and old magazines was something that only worked in action movies. When you were already weaker than the enemy in skill and physical strength, you had no chance of winning if your equipment was also worse.


    What did a combat amateur like Quenser need to defeat that group of four Night Edge members?


    He needed enough firepower to overcome individual skill.


    (This building¡¯s layout is too simple to play hide and seek in. They¡¯ll find me before long if I just keep running.)


    And so Quenser quickly gave up on trying to advance quietly. The doors had no labels, but he found a room around which the carpet and wallpaper smelled of mechanical oil, kicked open the door, and entered.


    ¡°How nostalgic. It reminds me of my school¡¯s workshop.¡±


    A lathe, an electric furnace, a work table, and a water tank for plating. The room was filled with tools for various types of metalwork. One of them was a device that used the explosive power of gunpowder to mold metal. Such devices could be found in any facility with a certain level of funding.


    Gunpowder.


    That was Quenser¡¯s field of expertise.


    ¡°...Oh, dear. This is too sensitive. This kind will detonate just from static electricity,¡± muttered Quenser while he pulled out a container filled with pellets of gunpowder like it was fish food. He put it back in the bag and crushed it down to a complete powder while dividing it into a few smaller packages.


    He tapped on the room¡¯s wall and heard a light sound. The sound was as light as the wall behind the vending machine where the material to cut off electromagnetic signals had been removed. As he had expected, the inner walls were not very strong.


    ¡°The enemy will be coming through the door. So they should grow a bit frantic if I create a different route.¡±


    The desk with the rather heavy lathe on it had small wheels on the legs. That allowed him to roll it over to the door. It was a simple method of protecting him from the bullets. He also set up some explosives on either side of the door. In his heart, he swore to blow away anyone who tried the clich¨¦ of ¡°peering through the door while pressing up against the wall next to it¡±.


    ¡°Now then. I¡¯m going to assume they¡¯ll have expected all of this.¡±


    He was up against four enemies.


    One of them would break in through the main entrance. The other three would take up position in the three rooms adjacent to this one to truly surround him. Even if he tried to blow away one of the walls with explosives to secure an escape route, he would find a soldier waiting for him.


    The shockwave created when he destroyed the wall or door would make the enemy falter, but an enemy that was expecting it could put together a countermeasure.


    Quenser thought while he once more cautiously tapped on the wall to locate the pillars.


    To overcome his enemy, he would need yet another plan.


    Part 11


    The tiltrotor gunship.


    Up until the introduction of Objects, that weapon was close to holding the primary role on the battlefield. Its overwhelming loading capacity gave it tremendous firepower and its ability to take off without a runway made it very convenient. Another factor that moved it closer to holding the primary role was the introduction of a variety that was filled with nothing but cartridge-style laser weapon units in place of the guns.


    That allowed it to overcome the previous rule stating that a slow aircraft was powerless on a battlefield without air superiority already achieved. The gunship had become a fortress of the sky that could intercept fighters and even cruise and ballistic missiles. The appearance of such a fortress allowed a combination of the normal model and the laser model to rip through both the air and the land and one-sidedly conquer a battlefield.


    But the introduction of laser weapons also strangled the gunship itself. Based on its use in gunships, armies began introducing laser weapons for air-to-air use, surface-to-air use, and for missile defense. Even the quickly moving air superiority fighters could not evade those laser weapons, so there was no hope for the gunships themselves to evade them. And once tons of anti-air lasers were equipped on the Objects that could not be stopped no matter what, the tiltrotor gunships had lost their spot in the primary role.


    And now one of those weapons that had created an era and greatly affected the flow of history was being used against two flesh-and-blood soldiers.


    To be blunt, there was no hope for them.


    The pilot used the gunship¡¯s internal communications to speak with his comrades.


    ¡°The anti-personnel sensors are working great. I¡¯m gonna make a nice circle around that center point. Let¡¯s show them this old thing still works.¡±


    ¡°Pteranodon really is the perfect nickname for this old fossil. And it¡¯s a pretty cool name, too,¡± replied one of his comrades.


    ¡°Fossil? This is the latest model,¡± said another one. ¡°Some officer is probably still having them developed for nostalgic purposes. It¡¯s obviously not for any practical reason.¡±


    ¡°Weapons control: standby. Auto-loading: standby. Chemical cooling: standby. All green. We begin in 10 seconds. Everyone make sure you have your noise canceller on!¡± said a third comrade.


    The pilot¡¯s job was to continually fly in a large circle around the center point seen on the anti-personnel sensors. Even a trainee could fly that cruel merry-go-round. Since it was possible the target would use a shoulder-fired missile or something similar, he kept his fingers on the chaff and flare buttons just in case. He doubted he would really need them though.


    (This is an easy job.)


    But he suddenly noticed something while waiting for the countdown to finish.


    ¡°Wait. Do not fire! I repeat, do not fire!!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°Why not!?¡±


    ¡°I still have them in my sights. I can fire at any time.¡±


    ¡°The target is fleeing to the bridge between islands,¡± explained the pilot over the internal communications while a cold sweat covered his brow. ¡°That bridge doesn¡¯t just allow transportation. It is the cornerstone of the plumbing, electric, and communications infrastructures. It would be easy to blow the target away, but we would be cutting our own lifeline at the same time. All of our weapons are too powerful!!¡±


    Heivia and Genelia were not on the top road part of the bridge. They were down below. A normal bridge would have had a complex steel framework strengthening it, but the bridges on the Cook Addition Islands had pipes, power cables, and communications lines passing through.


    ¡°This is just a cheap trick. It won¡¯t be enough to survive.¡±


    ¡°True. Dammit, they¡¯re jamming us so our communications can¡¯t reach the Objects. We have to do something about that gunship either way.¡±


    ¡°You mean shoot it down?¡± Genelia frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a tiltrotor. A tiltrotor! This isn¡¯t some forcibly altered mid-sized transport plane with no flexibility. It can stop in midair like a helicopter and it can rise and descend however it likes. Hiding under the bridge just means it has to descend to an altitude low enough to peek under and shoot us.¡±


    ¡°But they can¡¯t use the ridiculously huge guns installed on that gunship. Even the smallest Gatling gun would crush their lifeline.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have to use them. The tiltrotor was originally used as a transport plane. They can open up the back cargo door and target us with a sniper rifle. We¡¯re still in trouble!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m waiting for, baby.¡± Heivia removed the grenade launcher from the bottom of his assault rifle. He handed the rifle to Genelia. ¡°You handle this. Fire like crazy at the tiltrotor¡¯s engine. You probably won¡¯t hit much and it probably won¡¯t set fire to the engine even if you do, but it should make the pilot panic. If he flies erratically, it will shake the people aboard and lower their accuracy considerably.¡±


    ¡°What will you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll use this.¡±


    Heivia lightly waved the 40mm grenade launcher he had removed from the bottom of the assault rifle¡¯s barrel. By extending a few attached parts, he gave it a grip and stock. Its silhouette changed from ¡°tube¡± to ¡°gun¡±.


    Genelia blinked several times.


    ¡°What range does an underbarrel grenade launcher have?¡±


    ¡°Two to three hundred meters.¡±


    ¡°But they can aim from 1000 meters away!¡±


    ¡°While peering through a scope from inside a tiltrotor that¡¯s moving all over the place? They won¡¯t be able to snipe with that kind of theoretical value. No matter how hard they try, 700 meters will be their limit. If they want to be sure, they¡¯ll get as close as 500 meters.¡±


    ¡°Are you so stupid you can¡¯t do simple subtraction?¡±


    ¡°I can make up for that with some addition.¡±


    Heivia spun a ring-shaped part on the side of the grenade launcher and attached an additional part to the bottom of the shell that was about the size of a can of coffee.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Supercharging it. This increases the gunpowder used to fire it. This is often used to increase the firing range of a mortar. It isn¡¯t popular when used with handheld grenade launchers though. There were reports of the barrel being unable to withstand the increased pressure and gaining small cracks after firing a few times.¡±


    ¡°Why were we issued something that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°There are still a ton in stock because they¡¯re so dangerous,¡± said Heivia as if singing while he peered down the grenade launcher¡¯s sight.


    The sensors were all on the rifle, so he had to aim with the naked eye for once.


    ¡°More importantly, you need to get firing, too. Target the gunship¡¯s wings and engine. It¡¯s descended and is about to peer in under the bridge. If you don¡¯t frighten the pilot and get him to shake the gunship, the snipers will fire.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing it. I¡¯m doing it. But isn¡¯t that a smoke grenade? Do you really think we can shoot down a gunship that was made to be fired on from below? The interior is probably filled with thick plates,¡± asked Genelia while firing the assault rifle on full auto for so long it seemed obvious she was not actually trying to fire accurately.


    Heivia waited for the perfect timing with a thin smile on his lips.


    ¡°The tiltrotor is only meant to fly 3000 meters up, so unlike a transport plane meant to fly at high altitude, it has no ability to regulate its internal air pressure. In other words, there is no wall dividing the cargo area and the cockpit. That means the smoke will fill the cockpit as long as I can fire it in through the cargo door. Also, the tiltrotor was always less stable than a helicopter. It¡¯ll be done for in a few seconds if the pilot is blinded this close to the ocean surface,¡± he said while holding a finger against the trigger. ¡°After coming all this way for a tropical vacation, they need to go swimming in the ocean at least once.¡±


    A 300 euro riot suppression round brought a 2 million euro cutting-edge craft crashing into the ocean surface.


    With the jamming gone, Heivia and Genelia now had a chance to inform the Objects on the ocean of the truth.


    Part 12


    Even a child who kept up to date with the news sites that had replaced newspapers would know Quenser Barbotage was proficient with explosives. After all, he had been awarded for blowing up Objects with them. It was perfect for a quick topic to discuss at mealtime.


    And that was why the masked men from the Night Edge Platoon grimaced slightly when they realized Quenser had kicked open the door to the workshop and holed himself up inside. They knew about the gunpowder used for metalworking. And Quenser Barbotage was known for doing his own thing no matter what he was told.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably going to blow away one of the walls when we try to break in through the door. Ignore the passageways. Assume he can pass through the walls.¡±


    And then something exploded.


    The four walls of the workshop were blown away simultaneously.


    But something they had not expected also happened.


    The workshop¡¯s ceiling must not have been able to support the load without the walls because it collapsed.


    ¡°...What? Did he accidentally kill himself? ...I guess he is just an amateur.¡±


    Failures often appeared in the process of making a novel idea a reality. But when those ideas did occasionally succeed, they could slip past the standard theories of the experts and cause unexpected damage.


    That was the truth of how the boy had managed to defeat those Objects in the past.


    ¡°Tch. Well, that was a dud.¡±


    The four Night Edge members stepped past the crumbled walls and into the workroom...or technically, its remains. The collapse of the ceiling made it impossible to tell what kind of equipment had been inside or even what color the floor had been.


    ¡°Digging him up is going to be a pain.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we leave that to the trash outside?¡±


    ¡°This facility itself is considered classified, so we can¡¯t let them in.¡±


    ¡°.......¡±


    The fourth voice was not heard.


    It seemed he actually had said something, but his voice did not reach any of the others¡¯ ears.


    The reason for this was simple.


    The second wave of explosives Quenser had set up in the room had detonated.


    The shockwave swept out in every direction. Regardless of how trained the Night Edge members'' bodies were, they were knocked out by the blast. Just as even the strongest person would die if thrown into a fire or dragged deep underwater, the shock did enough damage to cross the line between pro and amateur and overcome the basic limits of the human body.


    Incidentally, Quenser was below the rubble.


    He had set the first wave of explosives after checking where the pillars were. The explosives had been positioned so the ceiling would collapse with an empty space in the spot Quenser was curled up within.


    And the explosions Quenser was causing were the type to create only a shockwave. They created no flames, shrapnel, or other dangerous side effects. The wall of sound that knocked out his enemies was not powerful enough to pierce through the shelter of rubble covering him.


    ¡°You should thank me. You don¡¯t often get taken out by a nonlethal explosion. More often, you just get shot by a normal bullet.¡±


    Quenser picked up a carbine from one of the unconscious masked men and swiped his handheld device. The Night Edge Platoon had a few dozen men spread across the Cook Additions Islands. Reinforcements would be immediately sent out once the rest realized what had happened here.


    ¡°That means I need to finish this before a large-scale battle begins. That laptop¡¯s communications are monitored by higher ups in the military. If I send out an SOS over that line, it will naturally reach them.¡±


    ¡°That is a dangerous plan. And it isn¡¯t necessary,¡± said a sudden female voice.


    Quenser held up the carbine and turned around to find the designer Claire Whist lightly putting up her hands while wearing her lab coat and bikini. She was surprisingly close by. She was close enough to charge at him if he looked away even for a second.


    She grinned and said, ¡°Do you actually understand the situation here?¡±


    ¡°A wall has been altered to allow communications outside the building without the higher ups monitoring it. You are suspected to have a connection with the Capitalist Corporations. There is competition between the water resource business and megasolar business in southern Africa. Communications from Heivia have stopped. ...And on top of it all, you want to get rid of the Baby Magnum which is currently in southern Africa.¡±


    ¡°The evidence you need to confirm your suspicions is on that handheld device. Why don¡¯t you check it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to take my eyes off you and give you a chance to attack.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do anything like that. You took them out with a shockwave, remember? You should probably at least check to make sure it turns on and wasn¡¯t broken.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good-...bh!?¡±


    Just as Quenser used his thumb to try to turn on the device, Claire sent a kick in his direction. Quenser frantically tried to move out of the way, but a stabbing pain ran through his entire body before he could. Strength left his legs and he collapsed to the ground.


    ¡°A...stun gun!?¡±


    ¡°I showed it to you when we first met, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    Quenser used his arms that he could still just barely move to keep himself from completely collapsing, but Claire calmly sat on his back. The boy in a crawling pose became her chair.


    Claire pressed the electrodes of the stun gun against the back of his head and picked up the handheld device.


    ¡°Stay still.¡±


    ¡°If you use the stun gun now, the current will flow into your ass too...¡±


    ¡°But it will be worse for you. What do you think will happen if 30 thousand volts are sent into your head? The user¡¯s manual listed it as the worst place to use it after the heart.¡±


    With that simple comment, Claire folded her legs and operated the handheld device with one hand.


    ¡°Are you going to erase the evidence?¡±


    ¡°No. This is as good a time as any, so I¡¯ll begin here.¡±


    ¡°Begin what?¡±


    ¡°Giving some answers. It seems things have gotten noisy outside, and this will get troublesome if the Objects¡¯ maintenance units come to investigate the island. The Night Edge Platoon...that is, Unicorn won¡¯t be enough to stop them. And so I would like to finish this before that happens. Got it?¡±


    Claire Whist used one of the handheld device¡¯s apps to begin a conversation. It seemed the signal was able to leave the building from where they were because Quenser had blown a hole in the ceiling. The person on the other end seemed to be a high official of the military.


    But was he from the Legitimacy Kingdom military?


    Or the Capitalist Corporations military?


    ¡°Brigadier general, I was thinking about pulling the trigger in southern Africa,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°This is a video chat, so I am receiving video of you. That is quite an...odd situation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve recently taken a liking to this kind of thing. It¡¯s not like I have much else to do here,¡± said Claire in a casual tone.


    The man she had referred to as brigadier general cut straight to the main topic.


    ¡°If you say the timing is right, I will go along with it, but isn¡¯t this a little early to pull the trigger in southern Africa?¡±


    ¡°The peak value is only theoretical. Aiming for it in reality will actually hurt us.¡±


    Claire then tapped on Quenser¡¯s head with the stun gun¡¯s electrodes.


    Once she had his attention, she spoke.


    Spoke to Quenser, not the handheld device.


    ¡°This is what is really going on in southern Africa. The water resource business using clouds and the megasolar power generation business are in conflict. That conflict is used to create a financial black hole. We lure influential people within the Legitimacy Kingdom to have us invest their money in this black hole and put them deeply into debt.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. Why are you telling him this?¡± asked the man.


    ¡°You may think I have a connection with the Capitalist Corporations, but you are wrong about that. There are people within the Legitimacy Kingdom itself who wish to weaken other influential members of the Legitimacy Kingdom. Political conflict, infighting...there are plenty of reasons for it.¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth!! Do you have any idea how valuable that information is!?¡± shouted the man Claire had called a brigadier general, but she merely grinned and continued speaking.


    At this stage, it did not matter to her what anyone thought. Her body language made that clear.


    ¡°But certain events are needed to keep a financial black hole causing losses indefinitely. If it stays the same, people grow tired of it. The fire burning in their minds cools off. If that happens, the investors realize it is a dangerous deal. And so we need to arrange periodic events to ensure that does not happen. And one of those will be the Object you know being deployed to southern Africa.¡±


    ¡°The Baby Magnum?¡±


    ¡°If it clashes with the Capitalist Corporations and loses spectacularly, the situation there will change greatly. The water resource business is supported by the Legitimacy Kingdom and the megasolar business is supported by the Capitalist Corporations. The investors¡¯ money will all go into megasolar. And the people of the Legitimacy Kingdom won¡¯t even know it because we are handling the investments. But it will not be enough to destroy the financial black hole. The more money they pump in, the greater the losses expand. My job,¡± whispered Claire Whist while removing the stun gun from Quenser¡¯s head, ¡°is to uncover the idiots who are trying to wear down the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s own national power over internal conflicts when we are in the middle of a worldwide war. That is why I used Unicorn to set up an independent network that slips past the higher ups. I can¡¯t have the people I¡¯m supposed to trap catching on to what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    Quenser heard a clicking noise.


    The man Claire had referred to as a brigadier general had ended the connection.


    But Claire showed no sign of worry.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late,¡± she said. ¡°Before he can even chug some whisky and shoot himself with his handgun, the Black Uniforms charged with barrier duty will capture him.¡±


    ¡°...This was all a sting?¡±


    ¡°It just turned out that way this time. Sometimes I am the one doing the underhanded things. But that is why I¡¯m not all that mad about you interfering in all this. I¡¯m not some honor student that gets a stomachache when things don¡¯t go exactly according to plan. When you accept any means necessary, war can get even more twisted than this. In fact, when I think about how the situation must have looked to you, you made a refreshingly wonderful decision.¡±


    War.


    That was what Claire Whist had called it.


    Quenser very rarely had a chance to hold a gun, but that woman would have had even fewer chances. It was quite likely she had never once fired one from the day she was born.


    And yet...


    ¡°You need to take this more seriously, Quenser. This is a war waged above your level. The wars using Objects cost a lot of money. And even more is gained from them. If that was not the case, no one would keep these troublesome wars going. This creates a lot of plans to profit from it all as well as quite a few conflicts.¡±


    ¡°What about the financial black hole? Aren¡¯t those influential people from the Legitimacy Kingdom still pouring tons of money into it!?¡±


    ¡°It is just a dummy market made to look like a financial black hole,¡± replied Claire smoothly. ¡°The issue with southern Africa is that the water resource business using clouds and the megasolar business using sunlight are in competition due to the weather. Time after time, one succeeds and the other fails. In a seesaw market, the losses outweigh the gains no matter which one you invest in. That is why only the debt increases. That is what forms the financial black hole.¡±


    ¡°And...?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t you know? We have completed a system to somewhat freely create clouds and make it rain.¡± Claire sounded like she was enjoying herself. ¡°That just means we have to create multiple facilities. Area A is equipped with water resource pools and megasolar panels and area B is also equipped with water resource pools and megasolar panels. Afterwards, we just make it rain alternatively on area A and area B. While it rains on area A, it is sunny in area B. Area B can generate power and have water piped in. When it rains in area B, the opposite is done. That way you can perpetually supply both water and electricity. The two businesses are no longer in competition and everyone can get along and make money. Do you get it now?¡±


    ¡°Would that really work so well?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°Southern Africa is a battlefield. Building pipelines across territories belonging to different world powers would create friction. And even if it does not cross any borders, an enemy unit could attack and destroy it. It just wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°And that line of reasoning is why that brigadier general believed southern Africa really was a financial black hole.¡± Claire still did not seem worried. ¡°I bought up all the stock of a construction company that worked at being charitable rather than on widespread advertising. They are well known and influential throughout different territories all across southern Africa. I can use them to expedite negotiations between different territories and I have Unicorn attack those that still refuse to cooperate. That is how I am building up the foundation. The pipeline will not be destroyed. ...And people tend to be better off with stable infrastructure.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Claire had no intention of betraying the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    She had been using Unicorn to take action without the traitors higher up in the military noticing.


    In fact, she had actually been protecting the Baby Magnum from being used in the financial black hole project.


    But...


    Just as Quenser breathed a sigh of relief, Claire Whist lifted herself up a bit and then sat back down to put more weight on his back.


    ¡°Gyahh!?¡¯


    ¡°And now it is time for you to give me an answer. ...This workshop has been completely destroyed. Four members of Unicorn have been splendidly knocked out. And from what I have heard over the communications lines, a gunship made from a modified tiltrotor has been brought down into the ocean outside. How do you plan to logically explain this situation?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s mouth flapped open and closed, but no words came out.


    Claire folded her legs and smiled as she looked down at him.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t come up with anything, you will have to be sent away again. But I can¡¯t think of anywhere worse than here.¡±


    Part 13


    And so they set a new record.


    Quenser and Heivia were the first soldiers to ever be sent elsewhere after only two or three days since they were sent to the ¡°gentle prison¡± of the Cook Addition Islands.


    As Claire Whist stood in the corner with the vending machine, she watched the transport plane they were onboard in a window on her laptop. As she did, she received a transmission.


    It was from a Unicorn member disguised as a Night Edge member.


    ¡°We could have falsified the records. Since it took place in the workshop, we could have said the gunpowder exploded due to static electricity. And once that was overlooked, couldn¡¯t we have worked him into our plans?¡±


    ¡°The tiltrotor would have been hard to explain away. And I get the feeling they wouldn¡¯t be as effective without being together.¡±


    ¡°Even so, the mere fact that he had destroyed Objects as a flesh-and-blood soldier is a pretty big deal. It could even help in that ¡®higher war¡¯ you like to talk about.¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± Claire seemed to be enjoying herself, but she still rejected the idea. ¡°He is the type to blow everything away and flee if he is surrounded on all four sides. It doesn¡¯t matter how many obstacles are in his way. So it is best to let him do his thing at a distance than to have him at your fingertips. That means there is no need to arrange for that transport plane to be shot down while making it look like it was a shoulder-fired missile fired by independent guerillas on a solitary Pacific island. He would just get in the way.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t glare at me like that. Uncertain factors are profitable. But only when they are thrown into situations that have nothing to do with you. Let¡¯s keep an eye on them like we are watching a fire on the opposite river bank. They are like a jack-in-the-box that overturns stagnation. It feels like a waste to leave it unopened, but I would rather not open it myself. Do you know what I mean?¡±


    Even then, many conspiracies were underway in the world powers of the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization. Wars were being started over Objects clashing for the gain of entire organizations or of individuals.


    A stable foundation prompted wealth to gather and that gathering invited stagnation and decay.


    It was the standard course.


    And even when you knew it was coming, it was surprisingly difficult to break free.


    ¡°Did you hear the higher ups have decided on the official date for a Royal Duel?¡± said Claire Whist while relaxing her shoulders.


    However, the aura put off by the Night Edge member changed slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a battle between Objects that will decide who gets the crown of the Volga District. How ridiculous. Do the kings way, way, way above all of us not realize how much tax money and human lives are lost in all this?¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting those two will disrupt that elegant duel?¡±


    ¡°I have no proof of it. Maybe I just want to see those arrogant royals panicking.¡±


    Claire¡¯s tone was completely casual even though her comment could be considered lese-majesty even if it was a joke.


    ¡°He is not suited to being a designer,¡± whispered Claire as she closed her laptop, leaned against the wall, and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°If he started putting together an Object with those dangerous ideas of his, he would skip past the third generation and straight to something like the seventh generation.¡±

 Volume 6, Epilogue

    Volume 6, Epilogue


    At first glance, it appeared that all the loose ends had been tied up.


    But what ultimately happened to Quenser and Heivia?


    ¡°Yawn... The Japanese really know how to smoke.¡±


    In an officer¡¯s room in the maintenance base zone created from the over 100 large vehicles making up the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion, Froleytia Capistrano held a narrow Japanese kiseru in her mouth.


    She wondered what those two idiots were up to at that moment.


    It seemed their pilot Elite known as the princess was very interested in their whereabouts, but Froleytia herself was not too concerned about it.


    To be honest, she felt she had overworked them.


    She had claimed to be punishing them, but she honestly felt anywhere else would feel like heaven compared to constant battles against Objects. One of them wished to gain Object maintenance skills on the battlefield and the other wished to accomplish heroic deeds befitting of a noble. They would still be able to accomplish those things, so sending them away was not ruining their plans.


    (Not that I would complain if they had their pride broken and became much easier to use.)


    The fact that there were still battlefields and duties to which the ideas of the modern clean wars did not apply was partially to leave areas to reeducate those who needed it.


    A sense of tension was needed in all things.


    If things grew too slack, people would begin thinking about profiting by committing crimes on the battlefield.


    (Things have been quite boring lately, but that¡¯s how a war is supposed to be.)


    An Object fired along the line she drew on her pen tablet. The expected costs achieved the expected results.


    It was a war with no surprises and no sudden reversals.


    She yawned while fighting, but then a small window appeared on top of the one displaying the results of the bombardment.


    It informed her of an online meeting between other field officers.


    Froleytia closed the war report that was merely a tedious part of her schedule and activated the online meeting application.


    Such a meeting would normally be held between around 20 people, but only one other person was online. A familiar young female lieutenant colonel was wiping sweat from her brow with a handkerchief.


    ¡°U-um... Major Capistrano? You know that topic from before? Well, I wanted to let you know ahead of time that it will be up for discussion again.¡±


    ¡°Lieutenant colonel, you are older than me and outrank me. Why are you speaking up to me?¡±


    ¡°N-no, no! I am nothing compared to you! Without you, I...no, not just me. My entire unit would be at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean right now! So please pay no heed to rank...¡±


    Froleytia held her head in her hands, but then she remembered the camera function was on. She frantically straightened her spine instead. That could easily have been taken as disrespect.


    But she was too slow.


    The lieutenant colonel displayed on the screen was already in tears.


    ¡°Lieutenant colonel, what specific topic are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Oh, um...¡± The lieutenant colonel wiped her tears away with the handkerchief. ¡°It concerns the Dragon Killers Quenser Barbotage and Heivia Winchell who worked under you.¡±


    Froleytia took issue with that name that had clearly come from the tabloid sites, but she held her tongue because she had a feeling saying something would bring that superior officer to tears.


    Instead, she asked, ¡°That is up for discussion again? Don¡¯t tell me they have caused yet another problem requiring they be sent somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Um, yes. Had you already heard?¡±


    Froleytia really, really wanted to hold her head in her hands, but she desperately resisted.


    But the lieutenant colonel¡¯s next words greatly exceeded what she had been expecting.


    ¡°It seems they have interfered with the succession of the royal Nikolaschka family. Every unit that is asked says they cannot handle the two, so it seems nowhere can be found to send them. And the higher ups are concerned they will defect to another world power if we discharge them. So could you take them back into the 37th?¡±

 Volume 6, Afterword

    Volume 6, Afterword


    This is the sixth volume. I wonder if this series has finally gotten long enough to require true courage to buy every volume at once.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    This time, Quenser and Heivia were sent all over the place to force them outside of the usual framework of war. They experienced war near the very top where huge amounts of money are used to make use of Objects and war near the very bottom where deaths are not even officially recorded. ...Which one do you think is worse?


    I don¡¯t know if I should say ¡°finally¡± or ¡°at last¡± or what, but I actually showed some members of the royals who stand at the top of the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    Killing hundreds of rank and file commoner soldiers is no big deal, but assassinating a single royal requires a tremendous amount of preparation. I hope that was enough to show you that even the protagonists¡¯ side has a twisted foundation to their society.


    I felt I needed to have an Object worthy of those at the very top, so I used the Broad Sky Saber which was created from analysis of the Tri-Core of a different world power.


    The idea of the laser space elevator appeared in Adoption War, but this was the first time for one to actually appear. It is called an elevator, but it is not actually physically connected by a wire. Similar technology actually exists, so anyone interested should go check it out. The real ones are only at an experimental stage though, so they are guided by a wire. Did you think it had enough impact to live up to the name of the third generation?


    But there is no such thing as a perfect Object. The Broad Sky Saber here and the Break Carrier from Adoption War were both extreme long range types and their problem was in the targeting. They would probably be horribly matched against the Strategic Antenna that appeared in the magazine short story.


    As you could probably tell from reading any one volume, the world of Heavy Object is a shitty world where the good are not rewarded and the evil are not punished.


    I figured it would be hard for justice to win through in the end in a world like that, so I had a certain group head through the mud for three years this time.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagiryo-san and my editor Miki-san. All the different characters involved due to the main characters constantly getting sent to different places must have made this a troublesome novel to work on. I am truly thankful this time as well.


    And I give my thanks to the readers. I started this series to show off the exhilaration of flesh-and-blood soldiers destroying a giant weapon, but it has made a lot of detours on its way to this sixth volume. I plan to continue pursuing that sense of exhilaration, so I hope you stay with me.


    I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    I shall lay down my pen here.


    I will leave the means of defeating the laser Object in Chapter 2 as a problem for you to work out.


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 7, Prologue

    Volume 7, Prologue


    Conditions exist for all things in this world.


    There are no exceptions.


    In that sense, Oceania was an exceedingly excellent place.


    You understand, don¡¯t you?


    Or do you really think the government of the old Oceanian military nation accomplished its oppression all on its own?


    Even if it was only at Generation 0.5, where did they acquire the technology needed to develop that Object?


    They spoke of ¡°liberation¡±, but you will never understand what they truly meant unless you understand what I am talking about. And of course, we do not hope for liberation.


    Yes, it¡¯s just as you think.


    We were the ones supporting the Oceanian military nation from the shadows.


    And you could say we are the ones closest to what it is you seek.


    Do you understand now?


    You did not seek us out. We invited you here because of your talents.


    We do not want your gratitude.


    Let us avoid handshakes here.


    In our line of work, we are good at finding out what kind of a person people are. We know how you will answer us before you even open your mouth.


    Now.


    How about we open humanity¡¯s door together?

 Volume 7, 1: A Deadly Firefight between Two Idiots >> Mock Battle in Oceania

    Volume 7, Chapter 1: A Deadly Firefight between Two Idiots >> Mock Battle in Oceania


    Part 1


    ¡°Here we are again, Oceania-side soldiers. How many times is this again?¡±


    Private Heivia Winchell muttered those words while smearing black and sand colors on his cheeks. Needless to say, this was a type of desert camouflage.


    ¡°It sure doesn¡¯t feel like February. In a certain island nation, they give the sexy guys chocolate on Valentine¡¯s, right!? That kind of lovely event would¡¯ve been perfect for me! What happened!? Then again, getting a ton of chocolate in this horrid heat might qualify as harassment.¡±


    In an age of sensors and other electronics on even the smallest guns, types of camouflage had been developed specifically for that age. What Heivia was smearing on his face had chemical compounds that prevented sensors from detecting his exposed skin.


    He leaned up against the fence surrounding the maintenance base zone and continued applying his ¡°makeup¡±. Ten or so soldiers were gathered around him and also preparing.


    A short female soldier named Myonri held her face paint case in both hands and hesitantly spoke up.


    ¡°U-um, what am I supposed to do with this again?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re doing it all wrong, virgin girl. You can¡¯t make the color so dark around your eyes! The whites of your eyes show up the most, so you have to leave the color light around them to blend them in. You gradually grow darker as you move out. You can¡¯t have any sudden changes in color.¡±


    ¡°If we put camouflage on here, won¡¯t we trap the sand in with it?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re about to start a battle, so I¡¯d be more worried about being covered in mud and bloody vomit,¡± said Heivia in annoyance.


    Meanwhile, he grabbed a bandanna with a large crescent moon pattern.


    As each of them finished applying their ¡°makeup¡±, they tied on the bandannas so it covered the lower half of their face like bank robbers in a Western. The crescent moon was positioned just right to look like a large slit of a mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s such a terrible taste.¡±


    ¡°What matters is that it shows up well.¡±


    As he listened to Myonri, Heivia grabbed his assault rifle and pulled out the magazine. He looked down at the rifle bullets held in place with a clasp.


    ¡°Ammunition check.¡±


    ¡°Ammunition check.¡±


    ¡°Ammunition...check.¡±


    While feeling annoyed at his one friend¡¯s hesitation, Heivia stuck the magazine back in the rifle and pulled back the cocking lever to load the first bullet. He then brought his radio to his mouth.


    ¡°Team A is ready. What about the others?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the last ones, slowpokes. Teams B-D are all ready. We can begin on your signal.¡±


    ¡°Understood, understood.¡±


    Heivia glanced over at Myonri.


    Instead of a heavy weapon like a light machine gun or assault rifle, she held a small and lightweight PDW like a pilot would carry in case of an emergency landing. It was commonly known as a ¡°full auto in a business bag¡±.


    But she was not carrying the lightweight weapon because she was a girl.


    It was because her other equipment was quite heavy.


    ¡°How¡¯s the scissor opener?¡±


    ¡°I tested it three times. It really scares me to carry it around.¡±


    ¡°Not being slowed down by a door can make all the difference. You¡¯re our lifeline, so bear with it.¡±


    ¡°This tool stabs a giant pair of scissors into the gap of the door using explosives and then uses a motor to forcibly crush the lock. Did you ever think about what happens if it goes off by accident while I¡¯m carrying it on my back?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯d be your own damn fault. If you weren¡¯t earning all those weird qualifications, you wouldn¡¯t be stuck with all the odd equipment.¡±


    As he spoke, Heivia turned toward the direction of their objective.


    He was not looking outside the maintenance base zone.


    He was looking to the inside.


    He pointed his assault rifle toward the people who he would normally have called his allies.


    In the end, humans had a way of searching for enemies within if there were no enemies outside.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s make this flashy. Our objective is the princess. Let¡¯s kill her before she can get aboard the Object!!¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°Good, good. Everything¡¯s going as planned. We can hear everything they¡¯re saying.¡±


    Inside the maintenance base zone, a base made up of over one hundred large vehicles, Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage grinned. He held a military radio over which he could hear the ¡°enemy¡± clear as day.


    ¡°You damn traitors. We¡¯ll kill every single one of you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, can you really do that?¡±


    A woman next to him let out an exasperated sigh. She specialized in barrier duty which meant she was one of the Black Uniforms who dealt with criminals within the military. She had introduced herself, but he had forgotten what her name was.


    He lightly shook the military radio.


    ¡°It¡¯s their fault for forgetting they¡¯re traitors and therefore are using the same equipment. Even if the fools changed the encryption, it¡¯s still the same format, so there¡¯s still a risk of us intercepting it.¡±


    They were near the center of the maintenance base zone made up of a large convoy. Quenser was hiding behind and leaning up against a wheel larger than the door to a bank vault. He was using a black military knife to draw a simple map in the sand.


    ¡°Heivia and his group are near the southern gate. They¡¯ve already snuck into the base¡¯s grounds while pretending to be innocent. Meanwhile, the princess is a bit south of the center. She¡¯s receiving body maintenance in the special lodgings for the pilot Elite. They¡¯re definitely going to attack there.¡±


    ¡°Once Miss Milinda Brantini enters the Baby Magnum she is almost invincible. After all, that Object is made to withstand a direct nuclear strike. So...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll block the path from the special lodgings to the Object hangar.¡±


    Quenser scraped X-marks into the sand along a few routes.


    The blonde-haired, large-breasted Black Uniform frowned.


    ¡°But the traitors can¡¯t just move about as they please. The watchtowers will spot them outside. If they simply pursue the Elite, they will be shot down by light machineguns.¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯ll take out the watchtowers!¡±


    Sounds resembling champagne corks being removed rang out across the Oceanian wasteland. Quenser looked up and saw a few thirty centimeter parachutes opening in the sky. They looked like children¡¯s fireworks, but they were not. Instead of a weight, they had a small camera attached.


    ¡°Here they come!!¡± shouted the Black Uniform woman.


    ¡°Ah, damn! Shoot them down before they designate the coordinates!!¡±


    Just as Quenser tried to shout into his military radio, the Black Uniform grabbed him by the back of the neck and dove down to the sandy ground. The beautiful woman was lying on top of him, so two soft objects were pressed against his back. Nothing could have made him happier.


    But such ephemeral joys had a way of being quickly destroyed.


    Quenser heard a roar and saw the real attack hit the top of a nearby watchtower. The midair cameras had specified the coordinates and then the shells had been fired. It was a stereotypical and by-the-book use of mortars.


    However, what happened next was not in the textbook.


    For some reason, the top of the watchtower was covered in a sticky, white liquid.


    Quenser and the Black Uniform woman began to tremble.


    They finally realized what the rebels had done.


    ¡°Th-that bastard!! Did he take the red paint out of the paint rounds and replaced it with white!? And he turned it into a disturbingly sticky liquid!¡±


    ¡°Eee!! It smells funny and won¡¯t come out of my hair!¡±


    Quenser did not even need the radio to hear the screams of the female soldier with guard duty who had held a light machinegun in the watchtower.


    The rebels seemed to be following the standard theory of making the most of the initial confusion of the attack. The sounds of assault rifle gunfire could be heard from multiple directions.


    ¡°M-my guess is all of their paint rounds will be like that, but what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I agree 100%,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°In that case, I think you should clear an escape path to protect my dignity as a woman!! The battlefield cameramen of this peaceful world are aiming bazooka-like cameras our way, remember? I don¡¯t want to be on the cover of a newsletter with my face covered in that sticky stuff!!¡±


    ¡°Guys don¡¯t want to be splattered with sticky, white stuff either! In a way, it¡¯s even worse for us than for the girls!!¡±


    But shouting at each other was not going to bring an end to the battle.


    Quenser sheathed his fake military knife that had a black, rubber blade and began to move with the Black Uniform woman.


    Part 3


    Froleytia Capistrano was a silver-haired, big-breasted highly-ranked soldier. As she smoked her kiseru in the operation control room, she responded to a question from one of her subordinates.


    ¡°Well, if you didn¡¯t seriously want to avoid being hit, no one would fight seriously.¡±


    Part 4


    Simulation Number 101 (b).


    Eliminate the rebels from within the unit ASAP while guiding and protecting the pilot Elite.


    ¡°Hee hee hee hee hee! If we take out the princess, we¡¯re freed from those tasteless rations for a week! We can eat as much roast beef and garlic shrimp as we want!!¡±


    Heivia and the others were traveling beneath the vehicles. That was an alternate way through the maintenance base zone which was made up of over one hundred vehicles. The vehicles left a space of over two meters above the ground, so they could remain standing as they ran and they could hide behind the giant wheels.


    Myonri pointed her PDW here and there while moving cautiously and occasionally coughing.


    ¡°Ugh. Cough! This exhaust is terrible. We aren¡¯t going to get carbon monoxide poisoning, are we? I don¡¯t want to die on a training mission!¡±


    ¡°The human body is plenty sturdy! Don¡¯t worry!¡± barked back Heivia.


    He then sent a sign to the other two soldiers with them: a short girl with freckles and a muscular man.


    ¡°Girly, Basic! Drive them out from the left. Once they come out from the behind the wheel, I¡¯ll shoot them!!¡±


    As per Heivia¡¯s instruction, a grenade was thrown behind the wheel.


    Once a high school-aged girl frantically ran to escape the (white and sticky) explosion, he mercilessly fired a paint round.


    ¡°Stop! Not the face!!¡±


    ¡°Fwa ha ha ha ha! Then should I fire between those huge tits of yours!?¡±


    Travelling beneath the giant vehicles allowed them to almost entirely ignore any bombardments that would fly in a parabola arc and fall from the sky.


    But there was an even bigger reason they had chosen that route.


    ¡°Myonri! Get out that tool on your back!!¡±


    He pointed straight up.


    ¡°We¡¯re directly below the special Elite lodgings. Let¡¯s cut in from below as planned!!¡±


    ¡°Oof... Those lodgings are made by connecting a few different vehicles, right?¡±


    ¡°And if we stick the door-busting tool into the joint between vehicles and force it open, we can crawl in. If they¡¯re still keeping her in here as part of Phase 1, this¡¯ll be checkmate!!¡±


    Heivia lifted Myonri up on his shoulders and she pressed the special tool against the vehicle bottom that looked like a thick metal ceiling. Like a pile bunker, the ¡°beak¡± portion used explosives to stab in and then a motor spread the ¡°beak¡± and forced open the thick metal panels that had been perfectly aligned.


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. This is ripping the metal apart! Should we really be doing this for a mock battle!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember being told not to destroy the equipment. In fact, it was that huge-breasted commander that told us to make this as realistic as possible.¡±


    They opened a gap just barely large enough for one person to squeeze through. Myonri¡¯s short form was pushed up first and then she reached down and helped Heivia in.


    Girly had Basic lift her up, but Basic was too large to fit in the gap.


    After sending Basic off to meet up with another team, Heivia and the two girls began searching the Elite lodgings.


    ¡°This is a brilliant method. ...Although it would be a one-way ticket for anyone trying to pull it off for real.¡±


    The inside was filled with high-class furnishings that looked out of place in a military facility.


    The design resembled a villa made entirely of classical mahogany. When Heivia had visited with Quenser two weeks prior, it had been a sterile place filled with white and the layout had even been completely different. It may have been to match the princess¡¯s mental condition or to prevent an attack, but it was made to be completely rearranged in an extremely short period of time.


    ¡°If it can be rearranged, does that mean we can pry it apart with the door-busting tool?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to make proper training. Paint rounds can¡¯t pierce walls.¡±


    Heivia and the others swiftly finished their search of the first floor.


    They counted the number of exits, set up quick traps at each one, and headed for the stairs. Before charging in, Heivia grabbed a stuffed animal and tossed it forward. As expected, this produced several gunshots.


    Still hiding behind cover, he fired several short bursts toward the stairs.


    ¡°Myonri! Throw a grenade on my signal!!¡±


    Heivia stopped firing to avoid friendly fire, Myonri leaned out in his place, and she tossed a grenade toward the upper floor.


    A moist explosion and a few screams soon followed.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°You idiot!!¡±


    As Girly stared up the stairs, Heivia and Myonri frantically pulled her forward.


    A short burst of gunfire came from the top of the stairs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down until you¡¯re sure they¡¯re dead, you idiot!!¡±


    ¡°Did you have to call me an idiot twice!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important!! And if you were a guy, I wouldn¡¯t have saved you, so you should thank me! Idiot, idiot!!¡±


    ¡°If you say it that much, you just sound like a tsundere!!¡±


    ¡°Say that again and I¡¯ll fire a paint round into your back!!¡± shouted Heivia as he pointed upwards. ¡°Myonri, use that tool on the roof.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But there¡¯s no seam there, so I can¡¯t pry it apart.¡±


    ¡°The people up above don¡¯t know that. You scare them and I¡¯ll finish them off while they¡¯re preparing to run!¡±


    Myonri did as she was told and forcefully stabbed the ¡°beak¡± into the ceiling.


    A dull sound rang out and the bodyguard soldiers started to move to a safer location, but Heivia accurately took them out from the bottom of the stairs.


    ¡°Clear, clear! Let¡¯s move on.¡±


    ¡°Why on earth are you a radar analyst? Wouldn¡¯t you be more at home in a VIP assassination squad?¡±


    ¡°Can you sit around all day in an air-conditioned room in a squad like that? If not, I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    They climbed the stairs and found around three bodyguard soldiers covered in sticky white paint. They held up their hands with disappointed looks.


    ¡°Where is she, dammit? The princess has to be hiding around here somewhere. Find her!!¡±


    The mission was about protecting the Elite, but it was unclear if she would be carrying a gun or not. There was a real possibility of being shot from a closet or refrigerator.


    After coming so far, it would be a shame to lose the bonus for shooting her, so Heivia and the others carefully checked each room.


    ¡°Clear!¡±


    ¡°Clear!!¡±


    ¡°Clear over here, too. Shit! Why is everywhere clear!? Where is the princess hiding!?¡±


    After unintentionally ensuring their safety, Heivia began looking around and shouting angrily.


    And then he felt a slight draft.


    He turned toward the source and found an open refrigerator door. He finally shoved the entire thing to the side.


    ¡°Dammit...¡±


    The mahogany inner wall had been torn open.


    To reduce weight, the outer wall was covered in a thick blade-resistant sheet, but it could still be torn with the proper tools. A vertical tear had created a hole large enough for a human to escape through.


    (As soon as the firefight began below the vehicles, they had already realized the risk of us breaking in. Dammit!)


    He brought his hand to the 150 cm vertical slit and brushed it aside. Struggles were beginning along the routes leading from the Elite lodgings to the Object hanger. While both sides fired on each other, Heivia saw a short girl wearing a special suit and a boy tugging on her hand while running along the sand.


    ¡°Quenser!! I knew it had to be you!!¡± he shouted.


    The boy¡¯s only response was to look over his shoulder and raise his middle finger.


    And then...


    ¡°Oh, shit!!¡±


    Heivia frantically moved back inside and dove to the floor. Now that the special lodgings were no longer needed, tanks began firing on the second floor with what felt like enough force to destroy the building.


    Part 5


    Before the attack even began, Quenser¡¯s group had snuck to the special lodgings, met up with the princess, and helped her escape. But now that they were hiding behind a tank, they had little confidence in their ability to win a normal firefight.


    ¡°Why are you even here, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha. That question hurts, princess. If you weren¡¯t a girl, I¡¯d shove you out to the traitors.¡±


    The one doing all the work was the Black Uniform woman who was travelling with the boy. As one of those who claimed to purge the military of criminals, she was used to firefights between humans even in an age where Object battles symbolized war.


    That woman was currently looking toward the Elite lodgings in annoyance.


    The rectangular building sat atop several large vehicles and its top half was covered in a poisonous red. It looked a bit like a horrible cranberry tart.


    ¡°Tanks in a mock battle? Couldn¡¯t that have killed them?¡±


    ¡°The paint rounds can¡¯t pierce walls, so it doesn¡¯t count. If you assume they¡¯re dead, it¡¯ll come back to bite you later.¡±


    Once mock battles began creating unique rules, there was a danger of losing any experience usable in a real battle. But at the same time, some differences were unavoidable if one was not going to train with a real battle.


    ¡°Two hundred meters to the hangar.¡±


    ¡°Once we get in there, I just have to board the Baby Magnum. I can use the sensors to slaughter them all.¡±


    The Black Uniform smiled bitterly at that dangerous statement and asked a question.


    ¡°Now, how will the enemy handle this?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll have to set up a wire along a route the princess has to pass through. That could be the entrances to the hangar or the Object¡¯s hatch.¡±


    This mock battle was based on the possibility of traitors within the military. The bandannas around their mouths were to make them easy to distinguish, but the maintenance soldiers were kept in a gray area. It was possible an enemy could approach while pretending to be an ally.


    ¡°I will not fall for such a simple trap.¡±


    ¡°Research shows the people who think that are the easiest to catch in a trap.¡±


    ¡°Mh. Quenser, do you think I am clumsy?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve never seen you act particularly sharp! I can think of a few times when you almost killed me with the Baby Magnum. That time in Gibraltar for instance!!¡±


    ¡°Quit complaining, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m complaining? It¡¯s because our lives are on the line!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± cut in the Black Uniform. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the issue at hand. The wire traps are passive. We might hit them and we might not. I doubt the enemy will rely on them alone.¡±


    ¡°The traps are meant to slow us down. While we spend time deactivating them, they¡¯ll attack from a distance with snipers or something.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find the traps and deactivate them. You gather what people you can and be on the lookout.¡±


    Part 6


    During a mock battle that uses paint rounds, even a tank could not pierce a thick blade-resistant sheet.


    But the close-range blast had still left Myonri dizzy. While writhing in pain due a sharp earache, Heivia turned toward Girly. She seemed conscious, but she had completely lost her nerve. She had fallen to the floor and was waving her hands around with tears in her eyes. Her expression made it clear taking a single step would make her wet herself. It resembled the shock of receiving the full effects of a stun grenade.


    ¡°Goddammit... That...bastard...¡±


    Heivia took a few seconds to recover and then walked down the stairs of the Elite lodgings and exited on the first floor. There he found an enemy soldier, took them out with a handgun paint round, and then lay down behind cover.


    His assault rifle had excellent rapid-fire and piercing ability, but it could perform accurate mid-range sniping with full use of its sensors.


    (As long as I have line-of-sight, I can hit. And I have a direct line on the Object hangar from here!)


    He licked his lips as he peered into the scope lens that was more of a small monitor with several types of information displayed.


    He was targeting the main entrance to the hangar where a trap had been set up.


    The trap prevented anyone from running through and he would shoot anyone who stopped for even an instant.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon, c¡¯mon! I don¡¯t like splattering guys with this stuff, but I won¡¯t be satisfied until I get back at you!!¡±


    While paint rounds were being used, a hit anywhere on the body counted as a kill, so he could not target the leg and then target any enemy soldiers who came to help.


    He could not use any tricks. He could only target them directly.


    He lay on the ground and waited.


    His index finger stroked the surface of the trigger as he tried to alleviate his tension even slightly.


    But...


    (What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t tell me they chickened out.)


    He waited a few minutes, but nothing happened.


    When assassinating a VIP, it was not unusual to wait for an entire day or two, but this was a frenzied battle. If he did not remain on the move while keeping a general idea where the target was located, enemy soldiers could sneak up behind him.


    (They won¡¯t be taking this slow by staying put until they eliminate all the enemy snipers. After all, the princess would be exposed the entire time. What is that guy thinking?)


    And then he froze up.


    Something unpleasant had entered the scope.


    The giant mass of steel was known as an MBT or a main battle tank. Even the name was outdated and rarely seen on the modern battlefield.


    ¡°What the hell!? Did he throw the princess in there to protect her from snipers!?¡±


    If the tank climbed the diagonal slope and charged through the gate, the snipers and traps would be meaningless. The anti-personnel traps would be crushed and the princess would be safely carried to the Object hangar.


    Heivia tossed aside his assault rifle and grabbed the shoulder-fired missile launcher on his back.


    Whether it was a tank or an attack helicopter, he could neutralize them with a direct hit from a shoulder-fired missile (loaded with paint). Those were the rules for this mock battle. One could complain it made no sense as the same weapon could not even pierce the thin walls of a building, but armored weapons would become invincible if some compromise was not made.


    At any rate...


    (Damn him. I don¡¯t like having only one shot at this.)


    Given their size, he could not carry around multiple missiles.


    It was essentially a single-use weapon.


    ¡°But that bonus is mine if I make this one shot! And this makes my target way bigger, so it isn¡¯t all bad!!¡±


    He placed the launcher on his shoulder and peered into the sight on the side.


    Both infrared and ultraviolet were used to lock onto the MBT heading for the hangar.


    Immediately afterwards, the tank¡¯s turret began to turn.


    It stopped in exactly the right spot to stare at Heivia.


    ¡°...Crap.¡±


    (They weren¡¯t trying to get the princess through! The tank was a bluff used to locate everyone targeting the hangar door from afar!! Dammit. Did it detect the infrared signal I used for the lock!?)


    He frantically jumped down from the large vehicle supporting the special Elite lodgings and tried to hide behind one of the giant wheels.


    But he was too slow.


    A beautiful Black Uniform woman popped up from a hatch on the top of the turret and fired her anti-personnel heavy machinegun.


    Heivia had been close enough for mid-range sniping, so they could target him in the same way.


    And the enemy¡¯s weapon had three times the range of his assault rifle. Being hit by that thing from close range could have resulted in a ¡°training accident¡±.


    ¡°Bhah!? Cough cough!! Fuck that hurts! Are you trying to make me hate tanks!?¡±


    Part 7


    Froleytia let out a sweet-smelling breath mixed with smoke.


    The giant monitor in the operation control room displayed a detailed map of the maintenance base zone and the locations of both sides.


    After seeing that the pilot Elite princess had entered Baby Magnum¡¯s cockpit, she clapped her hands together lightly.


    ¡°That settles it! As per our crisis management manual, the Elite was safely brought to the Object where she can settle the rest. That ends the mock battle!!¡±


    That was the special privilege of a first generation Object.


    Unlike second generation Objects which were designed solely for Object vs. Object battles, the Baby Magnum was equipped with anti-fighter weapons, anti-tank weapons, and enough anti-personnel weapons and sensors to exterminate anyone. If one ignored the damage it would cause to the maintenance base zone, the enemy soldiers would be blown to pieces instantly no matter where they hid.


    In other words, the battle was essentially over as soon as the princess boarded the Baby Magnum.


    (But no one gets the all-you-can-eat prize yet again. It¡¯s what I expected, but it¡¯s still boring.)


    As Froleytia thought, a female operator gave a hesitant report.


    ¡°U-um, major. You have a call.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Then hurry up and-...¡±


    ¡°No, um. It is a direct call to your cell phone. I thought it might be private. U-um, but I still have to pass it through my switchboard!!¡±


    Froleytia waved a hand to give permission.


    While serving in the military, there was no avoiding having her communications monitored. She could only think positively and view it as proving to a third party that she was not doing anything suspicious.


    (No one with any sense would call my private number now, so maybe it has to do with my family.)


    With that depressing thought, she reached for the cell phone in her uniform pocket.


    She did not need to give a sign like in an old police drama. She simply pressed the call button and answered.


    It was a male voice.


    And oddly enough, he seemed to be using a voice changer.


    ¡°We have your daughter,¡± was the very first thing he(?) said.


    .......................................................................................................................................................................................


    An unpleasant silence fell over the dim operation control room.


    But it was not complete silence. Whispered voices could be heard here and there.


    ¡°Eh? Major Capistrano has-... Eh!?¡±


    ¡°She has a kid!? It can¡¯t be! It just can¡¯t be!¡±


    ¡°But she is 18... It¡¯s a bit early, but it¡¯s possible, right?¡±


    Froleytia remained silent for a moment.


    She was trembling a bit.


    As the man(?) told her not to call the police, how much the ransom was, and how to deliver it, she slowly spoke as if crushing the words in her mouth.


    ¡°I am a virgin.¡±


    ¡°Eh!? Major Capistrano is-...!?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be! It just can¡¯t be!?¡±


    ¡°But she is 18... It¡¯s possible, right?¡±


    The intensity of the whispered voices grew threefold. This time, female voices were mixed in accusing the guys of being disgusting.


    Finally, the man(?) on the phone seemed to catch on.


    ¡°Huh? A virgin, but...huh? W-wait a minute! Don¡¯t you have a nine-year-old daughter? Or...but...you can¡¯t mean...!!¡±


    ¡°You. Have. The. Wrong. Number. You idiot!! You have guts making a threatening phone call on a military line. Don¡¯t you know that the Legitimacy Kingdom accepts any fight someone picks with it!?¡±


    ¡°Ah wah wah wah wah wah!!¡± cried the voice frantically.


    With a click, the line went dead.


    The operator turned her seat toward Froleytia with a hand to one side of her headset.


    ¡°U-um, I traced his location. ...What should we do?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The duty of Froleytia and the other Legitimacy Kingdom troops stationed in Oceania was to prevent any other countries from invading the country during this chaotic time after it lost its military.


    In other words, it was not their job to deal with criminals and terrorists. This was not a war, so it was a job for the local police. If the military acted here, they could be accused of intervention.


    But...


    ¡°During this unstable period, I hear there are a lot of delinquent police officers who are paid off by the growing criminal organizations. A kidnapping for ransom is likely an organized crime, so they likely have pawns hidden within the police. In other words, the local police will be of no use.¡±


    ¡°Is this really okay?¡±


    ¡°The threat was sent to our military, not Oceania. If they pick a fight with us, it doesn¡¯t count as intervention.¡± Froleytia adjusted the kiseru in her mouth and shrugged. ¡°Our new mission begins now! Gather the necessary personnel and equipment and form a rescue team!! I authorize the use of weaponry suitable for attacking a concentration camp!!¡±


    Despite her orders, the whispering seemed to never end.


    ¡°She¡¯s a virgin.¡±


    ¡°Major Capistrano is a virgin!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a noble¡¯s daughter and a military officer. That¡¯s one hell of a target!¡±


    ¡°You guys are disgusting!!¡±


    Froleytia puffed smoke from her mouth like a demon king.


    That trembling Legitimacy Kingdom officer hated damage to her pride more than anything else.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you just who you picked a fight with, you thieves.¡±


    Part 8


    And so Quenser, Heivia, and the other soldiers exhausted from the mock battle were loaded into the back of military trucks and carried over cracked asphalt. Each and every vibration of the trucks made them feel like they had been cursed by god.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny... This isn¡¯t goddamn funny!! I lose the all-you-can-eat kill bonus and now our commander is sending us off to rescue some kid for nothing but righteous indignation!? There¡¯s not a single good thing about this. Please tell me a girl in a micro bikini is gonna show up soon!!¡±


    ¡°I hear the girl who was kidnapped is nine. We need to put the work in now to enjoy a lovely micro bikini ten years from now.¡±


    Feeling fed up with it all, Heivia looked up toward the sun.


    It was so bright it looked right off an orange juice package.


    ¡°And another thing,¡± he spat out.


    An official Legitimacy Kingdom battlefield cameraman was with them on the truck. That in and of itself was no problem, but they recognized this particular cameraman and not in a good way.


    ¡°Why is he with us?¡±


    ¡°I went through all the proper channels,¡± smoothly answered the man who had a history with Oceania.


    His name was Sewax.


    He had previously slipped into Oceania with a press non-combatant permit, but he had broken tons of international laws by disturbing the battlefield with a sniper rifle.


    ¡°This time, I only have my camera. I¡¯m not armed and I have no intention of getting in your way.¡±


    ¡°I should damn well hope so!! I doubt you¡¯ve made up for the lives you took!!¡±


    Heivia almost grabbed at the man, but the surrounding soldiers held him back.


    This was not because they disapproved of how he was handling this civilian. Their expressions made it clear they simply did not want a disturbance within the limited space of the vehicle.


    Quenser shrugged.


    ¡°Try to keep your cool. Punching him isn¡¯t going to summon girls in micro bikinis.¡±


    Hearing that, Heivia clicked his tongue and muttered something in a low tone.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, Quenser, it isn¡¯t like all you need is skimpy clothing. What you need for a beautiful woman is-...¡±


    ¡°I know, Heivia, I know. It¡¯s what¡¯s inside that counts, right? It doesn¡¯t matter if some side character is suddenly wearing a micro bikini. What we¡¯re after is more than simple sexiness.¡±


    They continued chatting as the truck shook.


    They showed no concern for the deadly firefight that lay ahead.


    ¡°So about this kidnapping. Is this area really that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°Mafias and gangs from around the world used the confusion of this postwar period to work their way in. Plus, the remnants of the old military government are still trying to earn funds to continue the war. And since the black market has become necessary for your average citizen, the criminal organizations are being welcomed.¡±


    ¡°What? Oceania wasn¡¯t that bad last time we were here. Wasn¡¯t it pretty peaceful and wasn¡¯t everyone smiling?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard about the wild fluctuation of the Oceanian dollar? The assistance from distant countries and relief funds from charities have come in large amounts, but they¡¯re sporadic. Huge amounts of money briefly come flowing in like some kind of fad or sudden idea. Intermittent support is the most difficult to deal with. You can¡¯t rely on it as a lifeline, so the local people end up finding a dirty but stable way to earn an income and supply products.¡±


    He could have left well enough alone, but Sewax decided to butt into the conversation.


    He held up his camera.


    ¡°You have to ignore where it came from, but the quality isn¡¯t bad. One of my lens case sets was stolen at customs, but I found an identical one on the black market. I should actually get some work done now.¡±


    Heivia seemed to decide yelling at the man would accomplish nothing, so he restrained himself while the veins on his temple bulged out.


    Quenser glanced toward Sewax.


    ¡°If they just want to profit from the black market, they wouldn¡¯t kidnap someone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying they¡¯re no Robin Hood. No matter what they claim, they¡¯re villains who gather money for their own convenience. They aren¡¯t really thinking about the starving people or the fate of the country.¡±


    The clattering line of trucks was headed toward an old industrial city along the eastern coast of the ocean. During the time of the military nation, only the discriminatory privileged class had lived there, so it had been destroyed by an Object.


    All of the nearby buildings had toppled over and large piles of rubble could be found even on the road.


    Only the so-called ¡°white targets¡± such as schools, churches, and hospitals remained. They were completely untouched, so it showed just how frighteningly accurate the Object¡¯s carpet bombing had been.


    Heivia let out a whistle.


    ¡°Welcome to the Mouth of Truth.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sightseeing spot in Rome. If you¡¯re a student, try studying some history.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about the Faith Organization.¡±


    Heivia pointed toward the scenery with his thumb. Quenser could see remains of crumbled buildings that had piled on top of each other so they looked like mille-feuille.


    ¡°They go digging through all that and grab anything they can sell on the black market like music players and cans of dried milk, but if they get too greedy, the jaws of rubble bite into them.¡±


    ¡°...Is this country really in that bad a state?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? There¡¯s nothing they can do until the local currency stabilizes. There are even rumors that straight up bartering works better. This chaos isn¡¯t going to calm down until our euro and the other dollars stop being preferred.¡±


    Sewax aimed his lens out the truck and toward the surrounding piles of rubble.


    ¡°When you get down to it, the liberation of Oceania is still in a period of chaos. A lot of people are being crushed underfoot. The normal people need to use the black market for food to eat and those in too much debt to use the black market are being forced to risk their lives in places like that. And they¡¯re either working for free or for so little it barely makes a difference.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? We¡¯re about to have a firefight there. And do you know what my specialty is? Explosives.¡±


    ¡°The area¡¯s too dangerous, so the local police don¡¯t go on patrol here. And the lack of police causes dangerous people to gather. But that makes the area even more dangerous. It¡¯s a vicious cycle. All the lower level criminal organizations are crowded in together.¡±


    The convoy of military trucks came to a stop about two kilometers away from the abandoned building that the call to Froleytia¡¯s phone had come from. About one hundred infantry got out onto the cracked asphalt.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit much? You¡¯d think we were fighting a war.¡±


    ¡°Fighting in wars is our job. Now let¡¯s go, student.¡±


    A few battlefield cameramen had come along, but Sewax seemed to be travelling with Quenser and Heivia¡¯s group. This annoyed the two boys even further.


    ¡°If you screw up, I¡¯m not saving you. If you get injured, I¡¯m leaving you behind. If you bring danger to the unit, I¡¯ll use you as a shield and escape. I don¡¯t give a crap about international law. That¡¯s just what I¡¯m gonna do. Got it?¡±


    ¡°Is your unit really weak enough to lose to a local criminal organization?¡±


    Depending on what the enemy did, Quenser, Heivia, and the others would be forced into one of two types of battles.


    First, they would besiege the enemy headquarters while the enemy was unaware they had been traced.


    Second, they would pursue the swiftly fleeing enemy vehicles and carry out a car chase on the single long line of asphalt through the desert.


    Either way, they controlled the satellite above, so they would not lose track of their enemy. As they were attempting to rescue a hostage, the attack on the base would be easier than a car chase.


    ¡°Would they really think they hadn¡¯t been traced after their call passed through a military switchboard? Surely they didn¡¯t believe the old police dramas where quickly hanging up keeps you from being traced.¡±


    ¡°We need to be on our guard. They might be well equipped and plan to escape after causing some damage to our first wave.¡±


    ¡°I pray they¡¯re at least that smart. They need to be a worthy enough opponent for someone as great as me to head all the way out here.¡±


    While remaining on the lookout for traps, cameras, snipers, or other dangers, Heivia and the others travelled from pile of rubble to pile of rubble. Quenser simply followed Heivia who had more or less taken the lead.


    ¡°By the way, why was a student like me sent with you?¡±


    ¡°God himself insisted you don¡¯t get to lie around in bed all day while the rest of us work our asses off.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t take part in the firefight,¡± complained Quenser.


    It was unclear what exactly he was taking photos of, but Sewax was pointing his camera here and there among the piles of rubble. Quenser had no idea what pictures would be worth what.


    Unlike a normal stroll, they had to climb up piles of rubble that could collapse at any moment and be on the lookout for enemy soldiers that might not even be there. Even a distance of only two kilometers, a single station¡¯s worth in a city, was rather exhausting.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. Do you think I¡¯ll be popular with the girls if the lower half of my body gets big and strong? Depending on your answer, I might give up right here.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Do you mean that in a dirty way?¡±


    As he received an answer which earned a perfect 0 points, Quenser really did curl up on the ground. Heivia was forced to grab the stubborn child¡¯s arm and drag him along.


    ¡°Look! That bastard Sewax is pointing his camera at you!!¡±


    ¡°It is my job to bring people the truth of the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be a source of international shame, stand up, Quenser!! Start walking!!¡±


    As per their instructions over the radio, they arrived at a spot where they could look down on the abandoned building. Heivia clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Dammit. It¡¯s a hospital. It survives the bombing and now it gets used for this. Let¡¯s download a diagram and the distribution of people inside, so we can slaughter them all.¡±


    ¡°Just out of curiosity, what ever happened to rescuing the hostage?¡±


    Of course, if they just had to kill everyone inside, there was no need to charge into the building. They could bombard the building from a distance and destroy it entirely.


    Based on the distribution of enemy soldiers they received from the satellite, Quenser and the others used their sensors in a variety of ways to check on the details of the people inside.


    ¡°This is a pain in the ass. There are over fifty people in there.¡±


    ¡°Here we go. On the first floor...what is that place? Looks like an internal medicine examining room. Anyway, I found a child bound with duct tape. Oh, dear. And she has a blindfold, earplugs, and tape over the mouth. Um, I don¡¯t see any other abducted children.¡±


    ¡°This is the world¡¯s least rewarding place to peep. Let¡¯s get this over with and peep on our huge-breasted commander¡¯s bath.¡±


    ¡°Did you know that joke violates the rules regarding classified information?¡±


    The one hundred infantry split into five groups and Quenser¡¯s group took their position.


    Sewax was still with them.


    ¡°So we get a student and a cameraman. How much variation does one unit need?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t need me, I¡¯ll go set up a parasol and fall asleep. I¡¯m not here because I want to be.¡±


    ¡°You all get to show the people back home that their tax money is being well spent. You should be thanking me.¡±


    Heivia put up with a headache and spoke into his radio.


    ¡°The kid is on the first floor. Everywhere else doesn¡¯t matter. You can make the corpses as gory as you want, so use your wall-penetrating rifles to shoot them on my signal.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Will you be using your pistols out of concern for the child? Seeing any corpses at all will probably traumatize her, but go to the extra effort if you want.¡±


    ¡°There are some lines you don¡¯t cross. Then again, deciding where that line is for yourself is getting a bit self-righteous.¡±


    Quenser and his group were not bothering with the strictly-guarded entrance.


    They instead made their way to the outer wall of the examination room the abducted child was confined in. Quenser placed several Hand Axe plastic explosives on the wall in a systematic fashion. He finished the setup by stabbing electric fuses in.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±


    ¡°Just to be sure, the explosion isn¡¯t going to blow out the kid¡¯s eardrums, is it?¡±


    ¡°We saw she had a blindfold and earplugs, remember? If we handle this well, she won¡¯t even see the corpses. So what¡¯ll you do, PTA?¡±


    ¡°Tch. Let¡¯s do this. On a count of three.¡±


    He casually counted down three seconds.


    Immediately afterwards, an explosive noise burst out. It had actually been 53 anti-materiel rifles being fired simultaneously, but the timing was so perfect that it sounded like a single explosion.


    At the same time, Quenser hit the switch on his radio while pressing against the wall.


    The outer wall was blown to pieces and the filthy men inside the room were knocked to the ground. Before the criminals realized what was happening, Heivia and the professional soldiers stepped in and did not hesitate to pull the trigger.


    Phase 1 took only five seconds.


    Phase 2 was taking out anyone they missed in Phase 1. The existence of some leftovers who had luckily escaped the anti-materiel rifles was proven by short bursts of assault rifle fire.


    ¡°Clear?¡±


    ¡°Clear, clear. Help me out here, Quenser. Let¡¯s hide the corpses before removing the kid¡¯s blindfold. C¡¯mon, Sewax, you help too!!¡±


    ¡°This was a hospital, so is there a mop and bucket anywhere?¡±


    They could not remove the blindfold with corpses lying all over the place, but the duct tape covering the girl¡¯s mouth could keep her from breathing. Quenser approached her and gently removed the tape over her mouth.


    He expected her to cry.


    But she did not.


    ¡°Run!! Hurry!!¡±


    He had a very bad feeling.


    He belatedly realized her clothes bulged out oddly and he gently lifted them up.


    He saw a cell phone and colorful leads.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!!¡± shouted Heivia.


    At the same time, someone in a distant place pressed a speed dial button.


    Part 9


    In that instant, Quenser and Heivia took the complete opposite actions.


    In order to escape the blast, Heivia immediately moved backwards. On the other hand, Quenser grabbed the girls shoulders which were duct taped to the chair. He slid her along and threw the girl¡¯s small body underneath the examining room¡¯s bed.


    All the while, Sewax was peering down his viewfinder.


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± asked Heivia as he coughed a bit and leaped behind a steel desk.


    The silence was almost painful.


    ¡°What the hell!? It isn¡¯t detonating!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a cell phone!¡± shouted back Quenser. ¡°A cheap obsolete model is being used for the detonator. There are no indoor antennae in a ghost town like this. The signal sent from here has to reach an antenna in the next town over and then come back the same way. The thick walls of the building and the metal pipes and springs of this bed are enough. As long as it can¡¯t pick up the signal, the detonation command can¡¯t reach it!!¡±


    As he spoke, he climbed under the bed himself. He pulled a small knife from his survival kit. The girl did not seem to know what was happening to her after suddenly being thrown into that small space. Anyone would be in a similar state with a blindfold and earplugs.


    Quenser removed one of the earplugs and spoke gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay now. The bomb won¡¯t go off.¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡±


    She simply sat there blankly, but that was fine for the time being as it made it easier to work.


    ¡°Can you get it off?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Did you see this thing? I can neutralize a shitty detonator like this in 45 seconds.¡±


    The explosive was homemade TNT and it was attached to her back with duct tape. The detonator, battery, and the like were mostly located under her arms. They all appeared to have been stolen from construction sites meant to rebuild the country.


    ¡°Honestly, is this supposed to be a school bag?¡±


    There were three circuit boards, but two of them were fakes. He cut only the necessary leads with a knife and completely killed the detonator.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a minute!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. It only took me thirty seconds to handle the device itself. It¡¯s gently removing the duct tape that¡¯s taking me so long!!¡±


    The detonator was no longer functioning, so there was no need to remain below the bed. Quenser tossed the duct tape covered bomb out from under the bed and dragged the nine-year-old hostage out.


    Heivia let out a breath and spoke into his radio.


    ¡°The situation has ended. The hostage is safe. I repeat, the situation has ended! I know it isn¡¯t going to happen, but I request some ice-cold non-alcoholic beer and cured ham for when we return. Yeah, I know it isn¡¯t happening!!¡±


    ¡°I thought the mission wasn¡¯t over until we got back?¡±


    ¡°And call an ambulance. I¡¯m on the verge of punching this annoying-as-hell cameraman!!¡±


    The hostage girl looked around in confusion.


    The corpses of the criminal organization had been moved to another room and the room had been quickly mopped, but the dangerous atmosphere filling the room was not so easily eliminated.


    Sewax removed the camera¡¯s viewfinder from his eye and spoke to Quenser.


    ¡°What do we do now? Do you put up posters like the ones you see for lost cats?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the military¡¯s intelligence gathering ability. Her parents are probably being invited to the maintenance base just about now. The emotional reunion will take place inside the fence.¡±


    The girl then looked up at Quenser.


    She may have seen him as the easiest to talk to because he had dealt with the bomb.


    ¡°Hey, where are they?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be with your mother before-...¡±


    ¡°Not that,¡± she said, cutting him off.


    The unease in her voice made it seem the incident was not yet over.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    Part 10


    She had nothing to do.


    That was how the princess felt.


    No matter how many sensors her first generation Object had, there was no place for such a colossal weapon on a delicate mission to rescue a hostage. If they arrived with too much power, the criminal group could feel cornered enough to kill the hostage.


    So now that the mock battle was over, the princess floated face up in a pool.


    The maintenance base zone was made up of over one hundred large vehicles, but it did not contain a facility with a large indoor pool. This outdoor facility had been created by taking advantage of the sand underfoot.


    Simply put, the soldiers who misbehaved had been given shovels and forced to dig a giant hole, cover its surface with plastic, and pour water in it. That had created a makeshift pool. A nearby sign said ¡°Female soldiers only. Cameras strictly prohibited.¡± The princess was surrounded by off-duty women in swimsuits and they were all splashing each other with water, hitting each other with beach balls, or getting into serious fights.


    There were two reasons for the pool.


    First, it was a project meant to reduce the stress of the female soldiers. It was less about the pool itself and more about providing a small event that allowed them to escape the gaze of the normal military regulations. Similar projects had resulted in events based on different cultural celebrations such as the flower viewing or carnival. There had also been the sudden appearance of a swimsuit-wearing Santa Claus.


    Second, it was a means of punishment. It was not fun toiling away under the broiling sun to dig a hole that would be enjoyed by the well-behaved soldiers. It would be no exaggeration to say that over half of the work had been done by a bomb-using student and a radar analyst who excelled at using firearms.


    ¡°Sigh...¡±


    And as a result, the princess was wearing a swimsuit and floating in a twenty meter square pool while surrounded by other female soldiers.


    And...


    ¡°Oh ho ho!! Oh ho ho ho ho!! Honestly, now the unrefined Legitimacy Kingdom Elite is so exhausted she is sighing? You sound like an old woman.¡±


    ¡°...Why are you connected to this line?¡±


    The princess had heard an Information Alliance Elite¡¯s voice coming from the handheld device attached to her wrist by a rubber bracelet. The princess almost always remained expressionless, but her eyebrows twisted in clear displeasure.


    The nice-bodied Elite on the screen was laughing loudly while pressing the back of her hand against her cheek.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Have you never heard of diplomatic routes, little girl? You can disconnect from the line if you like, but a rude Elite would bring disgrace to her unit. Oh ho ho. Then again, you do not look like the kind of girl who would care about that!!¡±


    ¡°I get it, so let¡¯s fight. I will blow you to pieces with the Baby Magnum.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Do you really think I am in Oceania? War is not waged solely with unrefined battles. I am currently preparing for a concert. I am too busy to deal with a little girl like you.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you contact me.¡±


    ¡°I am also steadily preparing to make that gentleman mine.¡±


    A cracking sound could be heard.


    As the princess grabbed at the handheld device, its waterproof outer case very nearly broke.


    ¡°Explain further.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But do not worry. You will find out in due time¡î¡±


    Having said that, the other Elite ended the transmission.


    The princess floated on her back a while longer and looked up at a beach ball flying by above her.


    ¡°A concert... Singing...¡±


    She stared blankly up at the blue sky and muttered to herself.


    ¡°I should take a photo with Quenser at a karaoke box and show it off to that horrible girl.¡±


    A member of the maintenance battalion¡¯s intelligence division secretly listened to her.


    The reason was quite simple: her mental state was directly linked to the survival of the entire unit!


    Part 11


    The sky was dyed in the orange of evening.


    There was no sign of the murderous sunlight which had been raining down so forcefully before. Once evening came, Oceania filled with darkness quite quickly. After only a few dozen minutes, full darkness would arrive.


    ¡°It¡¯s a simple setup,¡± said Heivia as he kicked at the abandoned hospital¡¯s floor with the heel of his military boot. He sounded truly irritated. ¡°It¡¯s human trafficking with no concern for age or sex. This hospital was their relay point or their gathering spot. They abduct innocent people from the nearby cities and carry them out here where the law won¡¯t bother them. The police are too afraid to patrol this area much, so they can fully hide their tracks by swapping out their vehicles here.¡±


    The kidnapping incident which had started with that wrong number was being treated as resolved. The abducted girl had been loaded aboard a military truck which was taking her to the maintenance base zone.


    The only people left in the hospital were Quenser, Heivia, Myonri, and Sewax the battlefield cameraman.


    According to the girl, thirty to forty men and women of all ages had been there only about half an hour ago.


    Quenser raised his hand.


    ¡°Then why call up and demand a ransom? If they¡¯re a human trafficking group, they wouldn¡¯t need to do that. They would get money by selling her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a secondary source of income. Before selling her to some distant place, they get as much money from the parents as they can. They never intended to give the girl back.¡±


    ¡°But who in the world would buy them?¡± asked Myonri uneasily.


    Sewax answered while performing maintenance on his camera.


    ¡°Humans are in demand everywhere.¡±


    ¡°What I don¡¯t get is the variety in age. Whether for organs, soldiers, labor, or a pervert¡¯s toy, the younger the better, right? I doubt a criminal organization like that would go out of their way to abduct and sell old men and women.¡±


    ¡°They might,¡± replied Sewax without hesitation. ¡°Whether it¡¯s people who starved to death or died in a battle, the world wants obvious victims of war. For example, the leaders of a chaotic country without a proper Object system in place needs a way to obtain humanitarian aid from the peaceful countries.¡±


    ¡°...Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Humanitarian aid such as food and fuel can be sold for money through the proper routes. And that money can buy guns and mercenaries to tighten one¡¯s control over the unsatisfied country that has insufficient supplies. That¡¯s one simple way governments oppress their countries with a dictatorship.¡±


    ¡°So this is a business that exports ¡®extras¡¯ to play the role of corpses,¡± spat out Quenser.


    Heivia frowned.


    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it look weird if Oceanians ended up as corpses in other countries?¡±


    ¡°To a certain extent, abducting tourists can help supply people from different regions. There are people like that cameraman who go out of their way to visit dangerous places. If they kidnap a certain number from different regions, they can divide them up to match the requests they receive.¡±


    Quenser sounded disgusted by the idea as he spoke, but Sewax¡¯s expression remained calm.


    The student wiped sweat from his face with the back of his hand.


    ¡°Well, that explains the wide variety of people. If all the corpses were women and children, it might draw more sympathy from the people leisurely watching TV, but they probably want to mix in a macho old man or two to make it all look less contrived.¡±


    ¡°That means some of these people are being kidnapped and killed for the same reason as the variation in fighting game rosters.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a dummy operation, some soldiers might be hesitant to sacrifice their own people. And that goes for dictatorships, too. But some of that guilt can be eliminated by having them kill people from other nations to protect their own people. After all, that¡¯s basically the entire reason the military exists and what soldiers are taught to do.¡±


    That was likely what the abductors were after.


    Sewax then changed the subject.


    ¡°Any guesses where the guns used here came from?¡±


    ¡°They were old-style assault rifles. Not only that, but inferior ones made by melting down scrap metal and reusing it. That¡¯s the equipment Oceania used in the days of the military nation,¡± explained Heivia.


    ¡°Are remnants of the old military government involved in this?¡± asked Myonri with a look of disbelief.


    Quenser chose his words carefully as he answered.


    ¡°Well, I have been hearing about those remnants trying to take back Oceania despite the Objects stationed here giving the coalition forces an overwhelming advantage.¡±


    Sewax smiled thinly.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard they¡¯re desperate to set up pipelines to other chaotic regions that are opposed to having Objects rule over them. But to trade, they need products. The old military government¡¯s resources have dried up, so they want some kind of diplomatic commodity.¡±


    ¡°And that commodity is corpse extras of all ages?¡± muttered Heivia quietly. ¡°The old government¡¯s goal is to retake Oceania. In that case, it does make sense.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°They want a way to control people and we¡¯ve already glimpsed the initial preparations for that.¡±


    After thinking for a second, Quenser grimaced.


    ¡°The black market.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more of an ally to the people than the convenience stores. Without it, they wouldn¡¯t have any food to eat. But not all of the black market¡¯s products are gathered by crawling through the rubble. Someone has to obtain funds and buy products to sell.¡±


    ¡°Food earned by selling humans,¡± said Myonri with the same look as someone who had found a giant clump of hair in the food they had been eating. ¡°If the people knew the truth, wouldn¡¯t they begin to hate the old government¡¯s black market?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± commented Sewax. ¡°But by that time, the black market will have become an indispensable part of their lives. No matter how much they hate it, they can¡¯t escape it. They need to get food and water somehow, so they¡¯ll have to approve of what the old government is doing. People have a way of justifying the things they do.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re using a cruel incident to wash away the standards of good and evil and of common sense in this country. This is a form of terrorism.¡±


    ¡°Screw this,¡± spat out Quenser.


    Sewax smiled.


    ¡°Fortunately, this is likely the first wave of human trafficking.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on the black market and the stock of products has been pretty unstable. So far, they have probably only had the products they dug up in the rubble. But as the supply began to dwindle, they started to panic. To prevent the people from turning their anger toward a black market without enough to sell, they put together a rushed plan. If they had already been selling people and earning a steady income, the black market would not have been so unstable.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± Quenser glared at Sewax. ¡°Either way, we need to rescue the Oceanian people who vanished here before they¡¯re packed up and shipped away. Thirty people? Forty? They¡¯re going to end up as corpse extras. They¡¯ll be exported somewhere that doesn¡¯t care about the concept of ¡®clean wars¡¯ and they¡¯ll end up on some gory picture distributed around the world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, Quenser.¡± Heivia scratched at his head. ¡°Do you remember what our huge-breasted commander¡¯s justification was? A child was kidnapped and a threatening call was made to a military officer. As a form of self-defense, that officer is sending out her unit to eliminate the criminal organization. Do you get what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. This operation began with that wrong number, so it only applies to the girl from the phone call. Now that we¡¯ve rescued her, we have no pretext for military action!!¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do? Are we just going to leave those people to their fate!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be plagued by nightmares of lines of body bags every time I go to bed, but this is a different issue entirely!¡±


    ¡°Either way, Froleytia will receive the same report once the girl arrives at the maintenance base. No matter what we do, the unit will take action in the end. So is there any reason to let the number of body bags grow by waiting until that delayed action begins!?¡±


    ¡°At least get permission!! Acting like a hero is great and all, but I don¡¯t want to be thrown behind bars in exchange for getting a statue made of me in a safe country!!¡±


    Sewax let out an obvious sigh and interrupted the following silence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over the situation. You just finished your mission and were about to return to the maintenance base zone. You are not allowed to make a preemptive strike on a local force, but you are permitted to fight back in self-defense in the case of an unexpected battle. Is all that correct?¡±


    ¡°Are you telling us to say we lost our bearings in the desert and happened across the abduction organization while driving around randomly?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible excuse! That huge-breasted commander of ours would kill us!!¡±


    ¡°Only if we shot at them and killed them,¡± said Quenser as he gathered his thoughts. ¡°But we should be able to get by if we restrict ourselves to investigation and long-distance reconnaissance. The odds are good Froleytia will act once she hears what that girl has to say. Even if we only investigate what buildings we need to attack and where the people are inside, it might change how many people we can save.¡±


    ¡°You sure are optimistic. What if she doesn¡¯t act? Even if they¡¯re a criminal organization, they still count as civilians. If she can¡¯t justify slaughtering them with the military, there¡¯s nothing she can do.¡±


    ¡°If that happens...¡± Quenser paused there, threw off his hesitation, and finally continued. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to resign ourselves to being thrown in the detention barracks.¡±


    Part 12


    There was a proper way to go about reconnaissance.


    And Quenser, Heivia, and the others did not have the proper equipment.


    So...


    ¡°Who would have thought we would get our equipment at their black market?¡±


    ¡°I kind of think it¡¯s our own fault.¡±


    They bought military reconnaissance equipment centered on parabolic microphones and laser bugging devices. They also made sure to negotiate them all down to half the asking price. Unlike normal souvenir shops, the night was the busiest time for the black market. The hot night produced an odd passion in people which intertwined with the heat and filled the air with an oppressive atmosphere that permeated one¡¯s body.


    ¡°I¡¯m burning up... I thought the desert was supposed to be cold at night.¡±


    ¡°This area is filled with concrete, so it gathers heat like an urban heat island.¡±


    ¡°All these lights are outdated incandescent bulbs and everyone¡¯s using diesel generators. I wonder if that¡¯s adding to it.¡±


    Quenser was in charge of haggling.


    He was knowledgeable about machines and had a better sense of what things were worth due to his life as a commoner.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of running into one of those Black Uniform women who were sent to the maintenance base. If they found out about this, they¡¯d shoot us on the spot without bothering with a court martial.¡±


    ¡°How about we buy some uniforms, too? They have Information Alliance and Capitalist Corporations ones here.¡±


    ¡°Be my guest. But if anyone finds out, it¡¯ll cause an international incident. Personally, I¡¯m not gonna start a war.¡±


    As a drunk was beaten by some of the shop owners for using shoddy counterfeit money, they bought some bottles of cider and other drinks stuck in a cooler of ice and received a radio transmission from Sewax.


    They had asked Myonri and Sewax to gather some general information ahead of time.


    ¡°In an unstable country like this, the currencies of safe countries are popular. It¡¯s a bit frustrating that the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ dollars are better received than the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s euros, but I got some interesting information.¡±


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s gone flat.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Just talking to myself,¡± said Heivia evasively. ¡°So did you come across some bottom-level member of the criminal organization?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go that far. I talked with some of the people working in the rubble called the Mouth of Truth. To help the country recover, a few of the docks at the international harbor are opened to the general public, but it seems one of them is being monopolized by a shell corporation. If they were transporting something they wanted to hide, they wouldn¡¯t need to do that.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any proof the corpse extras are being shipped out there?¡±


    ¡°Not if ordering a few dozen more fast food hamburgers than usual doesn¡¯t qualify as proof. It seems they also carried in a bunch of water and salt.¡±


    Heivia and Quenser exchanged a glance.


    ¡°So once they¡¯ve eaten, they get stuffed in a container for the long cruise?¡±


    ¡°If they just stuff in them in like that, will they really make it to the destination?¡±


    ¡°That depends on where they¡¯re being sent,¡± replied Sewax. ¡°My guess is half would die during the first two weeks and a tenth of the survivors would die off each day afterwards.¡±


    That guess was anything but funny.


    The criminal organization was not selling cheap laborers or toys for perverts. They were selling extras to play the role of corpses. Selling them alive would be best, but they could be sold at a reduced price if they were frozen after they died. When a corpse was gruesomely roasted, you didn¡¯t have to worry about rigor mortis or anything like that. It was possible an autopsy wouldn¡¯t even be performed.


    ¡°I also got my hands on a map of the harbor. I have a few guesses where the ¡®products¡¯ will be loaded, but I don¡¯t know for sure. We need to go see for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t use the military satellite without restriction,¡± said Heivia.


    ¡°We know the shortest course, so having to take such a roundabout route is just plain exhausting,¡± added Quenser.


    Each time the two boys bought another piece of junk, they crossed off another item on their list.


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll be able to get everything we need. Is there anything you want us to get outside of the standard reconnaissance equipment?¡± they asked Sewax.


    ¡°A beautiful blonde, a barrel of sherry, brandy that¡¯s at least eight years old, cigars without any unnecessary filters, and a villa with a pool,¡± said Sewax perfectly casually. ¡°Oh, and a bow and arrow set.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Part 13


    The international harbor in question was located at one end of the city of rubble known as the Mouth of Truth.


    Quenser, Heivia, Myonri, and Sewax stopped their military vehicle on the road three kilometers from the harbor and stepped out onto the cracked asphalt.


    The abandoned buildings with no lights looked a lot different than they had during the day.


    No flashlight lights could be seen in the direction of the abandoned buildings. Either searching for trash in the dark was too inefficient or they would simply be attacked if they dug anything out.


    ¡°This area is so bad they have to gather junk, so should we really leave our vehicle here? I don¡¯t want to return exhausted from the job and find our means of transportation gone.¡±


    ¡°After the attack today, the people of the slum aren¡¯t going to pick a fight with the military for at least half a day.¡±


    Quenser and Sewax carried the reconnaissance equipment while Heivia and Myonri carried the firearms as they walked toward the international harbor that was opened to the public to help the country recover.


    ¡°If you look at it the right way, war recovery is like a tree that grows money,¡± complained Heivia as he wiped sweat from his brow. ¡°And with all this equipment being moved around, people are gonna show up to take it for themselves. No one else is here, there are tons of things to hide behind, and there are any number of great spots for an attack. I can see why this area is so dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Are the containers shipped by land attacked because it¡¯s a dangerous area or did it become a dangerous area because it¡¯s a land route on which containers are shipped? It¡¯s a bit of a chicken and the egg question,¡± said Sewax smoothly.


    Quenser and the others did not directly enter the harbor. It was surrounded by a chain-link fence and armed workers were patrolling it. Opening the harbor up unconditionally would allow people to smuggle in weapons and drugs, so this was no surprise.


    ¡°This place is being used by human traffickers, so they¡¯re not doing a very good job,¡± muttered Heivia as he hid behind some rubble.


    ¡°Just to be clear, don¡¯t shoot them,¡± said Quenser in annoyance. ¡°They¡¯re just normal local people.¡±


    ¡°I know that, you idiot. But the villains might¡¯ve bought some of them out. If this comes down to a fight, I¡¯m classifying them as yellow. I won¡¯t kill them, but I¡¯ll incapacitate them.¡±


    As an international harbor, it was quite a large place. It continued for two or three kilometers along the concrete-hardened coast. Also, about half of it had been destroyed in a fierce battle. A giant crane had broken and sunk into the ocean, and some giant metal boxes piled up in the container yard had collapsed and spread out like an avalanche.


    ¡°Myonri, where¡¯s the dock we¡¯re interested in?¡±


    ¡°N-number nine. From what we heard at least.¡±


    Collapsed and broken buildings were lined up along the outside of the harbor. Quenser and the other three entered one of the abandoned buildings that was half-buried in the sand and climbed the stairs. They found a window overlooking the entire dock and hid by pressing up against the wall.


    ¡°Honestly, this building isn¡¯t going to suddenly collapse, is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of asbestos, too. Was this thing actually made safely?¡±


    The two idiots continued to complain back and forth.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got someone famous here,¡± muttered Sewax flatly as he looked down at the dock with binoculars. ¡°See that big man with a scar on his cheek and a false finger on his right hand? He looks like someone the major newspapers are giving an award for information on. He¡¯s probably the man known as Blue Bottle.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± asked Quenser honestly.


    ¡°I think I heard the intelligence division whispering about that,¡± said Heivia in annoyance. ¡°They were saying something about an unofficial mission to assassinate a courier that¡¯s been making tons of money and controlling the market in Oceania by slipping past the satellites and inspections. They mentioned giving out tons of guest IDs to the maintenance base in preparation to invite in a specialized assassination team.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. I thought we were in charge of wars. Aren¡¯t we supposed to leave things like this to the local police?¡±


    ¡°There are always exceptions and some people force us to make an exception. The Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization are all fighting over their own interests here in Oceania, but no one is going to welcome a criminal who causes damage to everyone equally.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± Quenser did not seem to understand very well. ¡°So why is he called Blue Bottle? Does he roll up his money and carry it around in blue bottles?¡±


    Sewax shrugged.


    ¡°It¡¯s the name of a jellyfish. A poisonous one. Apparently, more people in Oceania die from jellyfish than from sharks. He got the name because of how he does business while slipping through the nets like a ghost.¡±


    That meant the criminal organization led by Blue Bottle was heavily related to the human trafficking and the black market.


    ¡°Oh, oh. You can tell at a glance.¡± Heivia let out a whistle as he peered out with binoculars. ¡°Those clearly aren¡¯t harbor workers. Look at those giant assault rifles. I¡¯m guessing there¡¯s between 50 and 90 of them.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I can only see about 20 out there.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯ll have two or three shifts, so that makes 50 to 90. A soccer team isn¡¯t made up of exactly eleven people, you know?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. Is it possible these are harbor workers who were given money and equipment?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance. Their complexion is different. The tone of your skin can change a lot in a short period of time, but the brightness of the whites of your eyes won¡¯t change in just a week or a month. Based on what they¡¯ve been eating, they¡¯re clearly higher up on the hierarchy. These aren¡¯t people hired for the day. We aren¡¯t gonna kill them and find out they were normal civilians.¡±


    In other words, they did not need to hold back.


    Quenser looked back and forth between the map Sewax had spread out on the dusty floor and the actual dock outside the window.


    ¡°The first question is where Blue Bottle¡¯s group is keeping their ¡®merchandise¡¯,¡± he said. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s a mid-sized cargo ship docked here.¡±


    He pointed toward the ship loaded with the standard metal containers.


    But Sewax immediately rejected the idea.


    ¡°They¡¯re not on the ship. The lifespans of the humans is directly linked to temperature and humidity. They¡¯ll wait until the last second to load them in the containers. It¡¯s just like shipping fruit. They¡¯ll last longer this way.¡±


    In that case, they could also rule out the hundreds of containers in the container yard.


    If all of those were options, they might very well have had to give up.


    ¡°Then where are they?¡±


    ¡°Look at where the soldiers are, student.¡± Heivia tapped Quenser on the shoulder and pointed out the window with his chin. ¡°They¡¯re at the exits, the points needed to look out for snipers, and on top of the cranes instead of lookout towers. All of those are standard spots you¡¯ll find in any textbook, but some of the soldiers are in clearly inefficient places. Those are to prevent any escapees. The ¡®merchandise¡¯ is within that office.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± agreed Sewax. ¡°It has a roof to block out the sun and an air conditioner to prevent heat stroke. More importantly, it has four walls to prevent escape. And they don¡¯t have to worry about anyone spotting the shocking fact that they¡¯re holding people captive.¡±


    Quenser started to agree, but then he frowned.


    He looked out the window once more.


    ¡°The outer fence isn¡¯t far from it. If they shouted, their voice could get out. Doesn¡¯t that give them a chance to escape?¡±


    ¡°And what would they do then?¡± Heivia grinned cruelly. ¡°This is a deserted city. Everyone digging for junk is working for the black market. They won¡¯t actively take part in the human trafficking, but they¡¯ll keep quiet if Blue Bottle yells at them.¡±


    ¡°What about the harmless harbor workers?¡±


    ¡°They have to pass through the empty city to get back home alive. Do you really think they¡¯ll cause any unnecessary trouble?¡±


    With that said, Heivia made a sign toward Myonri.


    He then tapped on Quenser¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re working with the military, so how about you try to learn our language?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia left the abandoned building, leaving Myonri and Sewax inside. They crouched down and made their way along while hiding behind concrete rubble in the road.


    Quenser looked confused when he saw what Heivia was holding.


    ¡°What are you going to do with that?¡±


    ¡°The office with the ¡®merchandise¡¯ inside isn¡¯t far from the fence. You¡¯re the one that pointed that out, Quenser.¡±


    They approached almost all the way to the fence and stopped about 100 meters form the office. They could not approach any further. If they poked their heads out from behind the rubble, a firefight would begin with Blue Bottle¡¯s criminal organization.


    Needless to say, a battle with a metal fence in between would put Quenser and Heivia at a disadvantage when they were trying to rescue the abducted people.


    The office was a two-story building made of reinforced concrete. The staircase was attached to the outside of the building.


    All of the first floor windows had the blinds lowered, so they could not see inside.


    But on the second floor...


    ¡°There we go,¡± muttered Quenser with binoculars in one hand. ¡°I see an old woman. She¡¯s probably about 80. Now that¡¯s another kind of person who will make you want to protect them. She¡¯s perfect for one of their extras, dammit.¡±


    ¡°Not again! Can we please run across a large-breasted waitress or beautiful secretary in a business suit!? I need some kind of motivation here!!¡±


    ¡°More importantly,¡± said Quenser in annoyance. ¡°She¡¯s the only one I can see from here. There¡¯s supposed to be around thirty of them, right? Where are the others? I hope they aren¡¯t locked up separately.¡±


    Suddenly, Sewax spoke up over the radio.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably where they¡¯re being fed their last supper.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The abducted people will be packed in containers and shipped across the ocean. How long they survive is influenced by temperature, humidity, and food supply.¡±


    Quenser turned his binoculars back toward the second floor of the office.


    The small old woman was sitting in a chair by the window. The round table contained a hamburger and fries from a fast food restaurant as well as a cup filled with soda.


    ¡°After being packed in the container, they have to subsist off of water and salt,¡± continued Sewax. ¡°If they gave them proper food, it would quickly rot in the high temperature and high humidity. That¡¯s why they have them eat as much as they can ahead of time to maintain the freshness of their ¡®merchandise¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And so they would be in trouble if the people went on a hunger strike?¡±


    ¡°Even if they forced them to eat at gunpoint, the extreme stress could make them vomit, ruining the whole idea. That¡¯s why they give them some hope. They¡¯re in a comfortable air-conditioned room, the outer fence isn¡¯t far away, and they have a nice view from the second floor window. The people are made to think they might be able to escape and so they need to eat to keep their strength up. Once they eat of their own free will, they can be shipped out.¡±


    The small old woman had food in front of her, but she showed no sign of eating it. She simply hung her head down while sitting in the chair. The hamburger had grown cold and the grease from the fries had stained their container. Quenser could not guess how long she had been sitting there.


    ¡°She knows it¡¯s over once she eats.¡±


    ¡°Damn them. It¡¯s been a while since I saw food less appetizing than our rations.¡±


    With that offhand comment, Heivia began assembling the military bow behind the rubble. It was a reinforced version of an athletic bow and it was covered in desert camouflage.


    ¡°Hey, are we really going to do this with so few people? If we know where all the abducted people are, Froleytia might take action.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to use this to kill anyone, Mr. Happy. The second-story window is 100 meters away. If I aim high, the arrow will fall through the window. It doesn¡¯t make much noise, so the guards wandering around outside won¡¯t notice.¡±


    Quenser realized what Heivia meant, so he scratched at his sand-filled blond hair.


    ¡°Are you going to shoot a radio to that old woman?¡±


    ¡°The arrows come with transmitters already. They¡¯re meant to tell an Object where to fire, but with some quick modifications, we can communicate over it.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to modify it?¡±


    ¡°If you want to prove your worth, you¡¯d better get busy, Quenser. Taking apart some headphones and removing the oscillator is easier than disarming a bomb.¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s going to pay me?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t have an answer for that either! Why the hell am I taking this so seriously!?¡±


    Without a soldering iron or wire cutters, Quenser had to pull a small knife meant for cooking from his survival kit. He used the knife to take apart the electronic device and combine the necessary parts. His movements were broad but accurate, so he looked a bit like a cook on a fishing ship.


    After putting together the arrow, Quenser handed it to Heivia.


    ¡°How¡¯s the window?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s open. They probably have the air conditioner on inside, but the open window increases the people¡¯s hope.¡±


    ¡°You only have one shot at this. Are you sure you can get it in the room first try?¡±


    ¡°Easily, once I pass it through a ballistic calculation program. How about I fire it right into the hamburger on the table?¡±


    ¡°You got something that dangerous? Should that really be out on the black market?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. This is for golf lovers. It just so happens you can also use it to provide targeting corrections for mortars is all.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like using the club to break open an ATM and take out the money?¡±


    ¡°This is another difference between the rich and the poor. There are people who have to dig through the black market and haggle for food, but there are others who build a green golf course in the desert for fun. Otherwise, something like this wouldn¡¯t be there.¡±


    The ballistic calculation program worked by attaching a handheld device to the bow¡¯s grip and looking into a small screen. The footage from the camera would add lines along courses for baseball pitches.


    It was almost all sports-related.


    He held the bow up and fired a large arrow. It silently passed over the head of a guard, travelled in an arc, fell diagonally down toward the office¡¯s second story window, and shot accurately into the room.


    Just like the flag on a kid¡¯s meal, the arrow stabbed into the center of the hamburger on the table.


    ¡°Heh. Did you see that, Quenser? That¡¯s what the super smart, beautiful, and wealthy noble Heivia can do. You don¡¯t get a hole-in-one by relying on beginner¡¯s luck. You need the skill and composure of a gentleman.¡±


    ¡°You idiot, you scared the old woman so much she fell over backwards in her chair! And weren¡¯t you saying anyone could do this using that ballistic whatever?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna be like that, then why don¡¯t you try it! You always leave the physical labor to me!!¡±


    The two idiots very nearly started a light fistfight, but they remembered this was hardly the time. They would be fine if the panicked old woman fell silent from the shock, but they would lose their chance if she caused a commotion.


    Quenser set the frequency on his radio and brought it to his mouth.


    The modified arrow had the oscillator and electrode from some headphones added on, so they could communicate via their voices. Specifically, the amplitude of the vibrations in the air could be converted to electrical signals of 0 and 1. Simply put, it worked the same as a telephone.


    ¡°Hey there. This is Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage from the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion. If that¡¯s too much of a mouthful, you can call me hero or knight. I¡¯d like to take the position of the red-clad hero, but unfortunately, my uniform only has the plain colors of desert camouflage.¡±


    ¡°No fair!! You¡¯re acting like this was all your doing!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Heivia, but I¡¯ll do anything for the slightest chance of seeing a wonderful micro bikini once this old woman introduces me to her daughter or granddaughter. ...In fact, I¡¯d probably just roll over and go to sleep if I didn¡¯t have that hope.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I said it wasn¡¯t fair!?¡±


    The two idiots almost began grappling, but something happened over the radio. The old woman timidly approached the arrow stabbed into the table (through the hamburger).


    ¡°A-are you a soldier?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you watch the news on TV? We¡¯re from the coalition army. We¡¯re the cavalry that¡¯ll do anything from road construction to eliminating bad guys.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a gun? Are you different from the people wandering around outside?¡±


    ¡°Piano, violin, foreign languages, and dance. There are a lot of things for ladies to learn, but there is one thing they have to remember no matter how old they are. Do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°How to spot a decent guy. Being able to do that can change your entire life. How about I give you an example, ¡®young lady¡¯? After this, you¡¯ll think the world isn¡¯t completely lost as long as there¡¯s one attractive guy left.¡±


    For a while after that, they heard the old woman say nothing more.


    It was not that the transmission had cut out.


    They heard intermittent breaths as if from sobbing mixed in with a bit of static.


    As he monitored the dock from the abandoned building, Sewax explained what was going on over Heivia¡¯s radio.


    ¡°It looks like she¡¯s crying.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to report every little thing like that,¡± said Heivia sharply.


    He and Quenser continued to wait while hiding behind the rubble.


    ¡°I feel like smoking a cigarette right about now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a minor. What are you talking about?¡±


    They waited for thirty seconds or maybe a full minute.


    When the old woman spoke once more, they took it as a sign they could continue.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± she asked. ¡°How can I sneak out of here?¡±


    ¡°First, how about we get your name, ¡®young lady¡¯. I¡¯m Quenser, but what should I call you?¡±


    ¡°Dorothy.¡±


    ¡°Also...I know. What about your home? We need to send you back there once we rescue you.¡±


    ¡°South Britain territory.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    They had been expecting an Oceanian city, but Dorothy had mentioned a Legitimacy Kingdom safe country.


    ¡°Were you...a tourist?¡±


    ¡°Yes. My daughter and her husband were visiting a shopping mall. All the bright lights made me dizzy, so I stayed in the car. But it got as hot as a greenhouse under the sun and I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, so...¡±


    ¡°(What do you think?)¡±


    ¡°(I¡¯d say it¡¯s about 50/50 whether that¡¯s a justification. Civilian lives always take priority over military personnel and equipment, but we haven¡¯t actually checked to see if Dorothy is a Legitimacy Kingdom citizen.)¡±


    Heivia let out a short sigh and poked just the barrel of his assault rifle from behind the rubble. Technically, he was sticking out the sensors attached to the rifle.


    ¡°(There are three guards circling the office. If we sniped the high points to the west and southwest, it would be possible break in, but...)¡±


    Sewax continued for Heivia.


    ¡°But it would be risky. And we would have to give up on rescuing the others because we don¡¯t know where they are.¡±


    ¡°We have two options,¡± said Quenser while choosing his words carefully. He was speaking to Dorothy who was closest to the information they needed. ¡°We can rescue you for sure or we can leave you there a little longer to figure out where the other thirty or forty abducted people are.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t choose either option without your cooperation. You stand in the most important place, so you can make the decision. ...Which do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I will do it,¡± said Dorothy after thinking for a moment. ¡°Please let me do it. Until you gave me this chance, I could not even taste the food, but now I am human again. And now that I know how wonderful this chance is, I cannot bear to take that chance from the others in my position.¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, that option will increase the risk. You might be wasting this chance you¡¯ve been given. Will you still do it for people you don¡¯t even know?¡±


    ¡°I do know them. We were thrown in a truck together and trembled together as they aimed guns at us. That may be all, but I do know them.¡±


    For a moment, Quenser was unsure what to say into the radio.


    He could not decide which option was correct.


    But he still said it.


    There was no reason to let her know about his own doubts.


    ¡°An excellent answer.¡±


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡± she asked.


    Quenser turned toward Heivia. His friend handed him the same type of arrow he had just fired into the office window.


    Quenser held the radio between his cheek and shoulder while he used both hands to disassemble the metal arrow.


    ¡°The arrow stabbed into the table there is made so the back can be removed. Twist it like a screw and a ballpoint pen sized part should come off.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Do I need to tell you were everyone is with this?¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to say anything. We can tell where that ballpoint pen is. Dorothy, you just have to hide it in your clothes and follow the criminal¡¯s instructions. Before all of you are sent aboard the ship, you should be gathered in a single spot. As long as we know where that is, we can use the power of the military to take control of the harbor.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t let them know you have that hidden under your clothes. As for the rest of the arrow...I know. There¡¯s an air conditioner near the ceiling, right? Use something as a stepstool and place it on top of the air conditioner. Eat the hamburger and... Oh, there¡¯s a hole in the table, isn¡¯t there? There¡¯s a chair in that office, right? Pretend the stress got the better of you and beat the chair against the table to destroy it. Make sure they won¡¯t notice that small hole!¡±


    After giving all of his instructions, Quenser ended the transmission and tapped Heivia¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. You¡¯re taking all the good parts, aren¡¯t you!? Are you the type that¡¯ll talk to anyone you lay your eyes on, whether they¡¯re a trap or a zombie girl?¡±


    ¡°We would lose too much time if we waited until Dorothy gave us our answer to request assistance from Froleytia. We need to get the unit moving now.¡±


    ¡°How? Unless we give a justification for the military to act and prove that we can win, that huge-breasted commander will only yell at us. We¡¯ll be stuck waiting for word from lovely little Dorothy. You haven¡¯t escaped the delay.¡±


    ¡°Dorothy will give us the right answer.¡± Quenser raised his index finger. ¡°But Froleytia and the others don¡¯t know when. We can report that we¡¯ve found the abducted people ahead of time and everything will fall into place as long as Dorothy gives us the answer before the unit arrives.¡±


    ¡°Are you aware providing false reports is a crime?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pretend I don¡¯t. After all, I¡¯m just a student.¡±


    ¡°Hah hah. That¡¯s no different from when council members say they ¡®have no recollection¡¯ of people¡¯s accusations. It won¡¯t work.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia were beginning to relax because of the difference in military might. The harbor dock was controlled by bad guys who were armed with old assault rifles and grenades, but that would be easily dealt with as soon as Froleytia sent in the power of the military.


    For them, they were on the verge of having a legit military operation.


    Dorothy was a Legitimacy Kingdom citizen and she would provide them the location of the others before long.


    That was enough.


    Froleytia would complain, but she would send in some soldiers. She might beat up the two idiots afterwards and they could even be thrown in the detention barracks, but that would be after everything had been settled.


    With one word of approval, Dorothy and the others would be saved.


    Quenser and Heivia had no more reason to stay there. A battle would begin if Blue Bottle¡¯s criminal organization spotted them before they had Dorothy¡¯s answer and the unit arrived, but that was the worst case scenario. They could prevent that from happening by leaving the rubble nearby the harbor and returning to the building Myonri and Sewax were in.


    With that in mind, the two of them began to stand up.


    And then a voice spoke from the radio.


    It was Sewax.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    ¡°What? What is it? Did god finally decide to show some pity on me by dropping a supermodel from the sky?¡±


    Sewax ignored Heivia¡¯s casual comment as he continued.


    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Part 14


    Quenser and Heivia could not believe what Sewax said over the radio.


    To check for themselves, they rushed back to the abandoned building. They pressed up against the wall next to the window overlooking the harbor and swiped Sewax¡¯s binoculars.


    Without looking particularly displeased, the cameraman pointed toward one side of the harbor.


    A mid-sized cargo ship was moored at the dock. A short pole was located near the bow of the ship.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me! Please tell me this is a joke!!¡±


    Heivia clenched his teeth and checked through the binoculars again and again, but what he saw did not change. It was no mistake.


    ¡°Come to think of it, some of this didn¡¯t quite add up,¡± groaned Sewax. ¡°Blue Bottle¡¯s criminal organization may control one portion of the harbor with a shell company, but the coalition still has several naval Objects patrolling the ocean. The cargo ships would naturally undergo surprise checks. Anyone shipping out weapons, drugs, counterfeit money, humans, or anything else suspicious would need to control more than just the harbor to be safe.¡±


    Then what did they need to be safe?


    The answer was displayed on the bow of the cargo ship.


    ¡°To hell with them.¡± Quenser brought a hand to his forehead. ¡°I can see it! Yeah, I can see it! That¡¯s the Information Alliance flag fluttering in the wind on that pole!!¡±


    ¡°Does that mean the Information Alliance is involved in this human trafficking?¡± asked Myonri.


    Sewax shook his head.


    ¡°Most likely, they aren¡¯t checking what¡¯s onboard at all. The soldiers just give the ships a free pass in exchange for money.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just the excuse they¡¯ll use to prevent a war if there¡¯s a problem and this comes to light. It¡¯s no different than the politicians who insist their secretary was behind it all,¡± said Heivia in annoyance. ¡°I doubt the Information Alliance is interested in the human trafficking itself. Even if it¡¯s profitable, it would hurt their reputation too much. I bet they¡¯re interested in the criminal organization that has worked its way so deeply into Oceania. Their black market is directly linked to the livelihood of the people. If they can make a connection with Blue Bottle and form a pipeline to the criminal organization, they can freely manipulate public opinion within Oceania. This lets them create pressure both officially and unofficially. If they can gain the support of the local people, they can gain an advantage in the coalition¡¯s infighting over how much of this southern continent each world power gets.¡±


    ¡°Probably, but if we accuse them on nothing but speculation, we¡¯ll be the ones left hurting.¡± Quenser clicked his tongue. ¡°More importantly, what about Dorothy!? As long as the criminal organization is receiving this indulgence from the Information Alliance, they officially count as cooperating with the Information Alliance military. Froleytia won¡¯t want to attack them blindly!!¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re technically civilians yet are partially treated like soldiers.¡± Sewax seemed to be thinking. ¡°Yes, it would cause a lot of trouble if a large unit was sent in to annihilate them. The Information Alliance could easily cause a much larger battle in the name of stopping the Legitimacy Kingdom from unrightfully attacking civilians.¡°


    ¡°Our huge-breasted commander can¡¯t do anything,¡± spat out Heivia. ¡°She isn¡¯t stupid enough to start a war over thirty or forty people! But then what do we do!? If we could use the proper channels and send in a large unit, they¡¯d be crushed in five seconds, but does that mean the four of us can defeat them? It¡¯s impossible! Especially if we have to swiftly and accurately wipe them out so they can¡¯t take away the abducted people!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Dorothy? We can contact her and save at least her.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t!¡± Quenser kicked the floor. ¡°The communications device we gave her has moved to another building. That¡¯s probably where all the others are being held. Breaking in and rescuing just her isn¡¯t an option anymore.¡±


    Attempting an unwinnable battle would help nothing.


    Making a heroic and moving charge on the harbor might reduce the number of bad guys, but they would eventually be overwhelmed and defeated. There was even a danger of the criminals shooting the captives.


    Now that they knew Blue Bottle¡¯s criminal organization was under the Information Alliance¡¯s protection, they could only say a political problem had arisen. The criminals could claim this was an unofficial operation meant to let these people escape the poor conditions of Oceania and reach wealthier nations. The dead could say nothing, so they only had to kill all of the captives within the containers and claim it would never have happened if the Legitimacy Kingdom had not taken hasty military action.


    At best, it would start as an argument between the higher ups of the two world powers and develop into a war.


    At worst, Quenser and the other three would be treated as war criminals who slaughtered the civilians.


    ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡± Heivia covered his face with his hands and let a heavy voice escape the gaps between his fingers. ¡°They set this up too well! Of course they did!! They¡¯ve spent a long time building this up so it would be safe. Why would some people who just now showed up be able to ad-lib their way through it!?¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do about Dorothy?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? We can¡¯t start a war over thirty or forty people!¡±


    ¡°But I was the one that asked her to help! I can¡¯t accept this. We¡¯re not watching a news broadcast about something happening on the other side of the world!!¡±


    ¡°Then you go fight on your own! As a student, you might be able to slip through the cracks of the war treaties. But you¡¯ll be slaughtered by the criminals. And more importantly!! That criminal organization is being treated like a group cooperating with the Information Alliance military. You¡¯re not just up against some thugs in the city. You¡¯ll be taking on an international military force here. Are you still going to pick a fight with them!?¡±


    Heivia heard a light noise.


    It was Quenser snapping his fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°What? ...No, wait just a damn second. What the hell are you thinking? Why are you grinning like that? I was in the middle of shouting at you until you gave up!¡±


    ¡°Military cooperators. Heivia, soldiers have a duty to rescue civilians in that position, right?¡±


    ¡°So what if they do? I don¡¯t see how you can twist that into keeping the Information Alliance away. If we attack Blue Bottle and his human trafficking ring, they¡¯re gonna show up. There¡¯s no stopping it!!¡±


    The female soldier named Myonri then cut in timidly.


    ¡°Huh? Wait a minute. Then that means...¡±


    ¡°Dorothy has no reason to fight.¡± Quenser pointed toward his own chest with his thumb. ¡°It was me, someone working for the Legitimacy Kingdom military! If I hadn¡¯t pressed her to cooperate, she wouldn¡¯t still be there in the middle of enemy territory. That means she¡¯s cooperating with the Legitimacy Kingdom military. It¡¯s obvious her life is in danger if we don¡¯t do something, so what should the military that was backing her do? Answer me, Heivia!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me,¡± groaned Heivia.


    ¡°I see.¡± Sewax¡¯s lips twisted up in an interested smile. ¡°If Blue Bottle¡¯s organization is protected by the Information Alliance as a military cooperator, then they can¡¯t ignore the Legitimacy Kingdom if it claims the right to protect Dorothy for the same reason. If conflict breaks out between civilians, it¡¯s only natural for the militaries backing them to intermediate.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡± Heivia shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll work that well! There isn¡¯t going to be a tear-jerking happy ending! Our huge-breasted commander doesn¡¯t know we hired Dorothy and she won¡¯t approve of it! We don¡¯t have any documents to prove it, either!! When war is about to break out, try bringing up someone named Dorothy that no one¡¯s ever heard of. They¡¯ll just stare at you funny. Justification or not, our unit isn¡¯t moving!!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± admitted Quenser. ¡°But we do have justification for the four of us to take action.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything to prove she¡¯s a military cooperator!?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s proof enough. But she needs to be alive to prove it, so we have to save her.¡±


    ¡°What we want to do and what we have to do match up,¡± muttered Sewax.


    They could act as heroic as they wanted, but they were the ones who would be exposed to gunfire. Heivia was growing irritated because the fear was beginning to sink in, so Quenser spoke to him.


    ¡°Also, we can¡¯t run away anymore.¡±


    ¡°What!? Why the hell not!? There¡¯s no special bonus waiting for us. It¡¯s not like we have to shoot our way out to get back to the maintenance base. In fact, we shouldn¡¯t even be here. For once, I¡¯m having trouble finding anything we¡¯ll get blamed for if we just run away!!¡±


    ¡°And then what? Are we going to report that we recruited a civilian without permission, didn¡¯t see it through to the end, and returned to safety while leaving her to die? Even if it doesn¡¯t break any rules, do you really think there will be a place for us back in the unit?¡±


    ¡°Goddammit!! So you convince Dorothy to do this and now it¡¯s going to bring dishonor on me? This¡¯ll affect my chances of inheriting my family!!¡±


    But arguing was not going to solve anything.


    If he truly had an issue with what Quenser had done, he should have interrupted while Quenser was speaking with Dorothy.


    ¡°But what now? What exactly do we do!? There¡¯re only four of us and two of those are a student and cameraman. Meanwhile, we¡¯re up against 50-90 soldiers and there might be reinforcements from the Information Alliance. That¡¯s too much of a difference to just charge in randomly like we¡¯re the cavalry!¡±


    ¡°Our objective is to rescue Dorothy and the other captives. All of them. We aren¡¯t just going to shoot up the place until nothing¡¯s left moving like in a Western.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We need to narrow down our targets. This is like a puzzle game. We don¡¯t have to take care of everything ourselves. If we destroy one, the rest will vanish in a chain reaction.¡±


    Part 15


    The most important factor was that Quenser and the others knew where Dorothy was. They could detect her location from the communication device removed from the military arrow and hidden in her clothes.


    After detecting that she had been moved to the mid-sized cargo ship, Quenser, Heivia, Myonri, and Sewax began to move.


    ¡°Honestly. This is no joke,¡± groaned Heivia. ¡°We have no boat. We have no flippers or snorkels! We have nothing!! And now we have to jump into the ocean at night? We¡¯re carrying rifles and missiles!! It¡¯s all so damn heavy I just want to throw it away!!¡±


    ¡°The ship is leaving the harbor while you waste time shouting. Let¡¯s jump in while we can catch up.¡±


    They had left the dock controlled by Blue Bottle¡¯s criminal organization and entered a block patrolled by the normal harbor workers. Instead of the main gate, they had cut a hole in the chain-link fence and snuck in. After slipping past the guards and cutting across the harbor, they threw themselves into the dark ocean at the tip of the harbor.


    ¡°Bwah! Dammit! They have a diesel engine. Can we really catch up to them like this?¡±


    ¡°The sea chart here is complex,¡± replied Sewax while skillfully treading water. He seemed to have no problem with being in the water, so his camera must have been waterproof. ¡°A lot of rubble from Object bombardments has been swept into the ocean. This is worse than reefs. To safely reach open sea, they have to travel back and forth in an S-shape. If we swim along that route, the cargo ship will approach us.¡±


    ¡°The Information Alliance is in charge of security here and I hear they¡¯ve blocked the sea routes with smart mines that distinguish between friend and foe. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll react to a human-sized mass, but try to be careful.¡±


    After swimming through the dark sea for a while, the cargo ship came into view. As it travelled along the narrow safe regions, it did indeed approach them.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. It¡¯s pointing searchlights everywhere.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably actually relying on radar, but human nature makes them want to see everything with their own eyes. But it¡¯s dark below the lights. The bright light will cause their pupils to contract incorrectly. As long as the light doesn¡¯t directly illuminate you, they won¡¯t see you,¡± explained Sewax.


    ¡°Heivia, do you have the rope ready?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°Just as you asked, Mr. Knight! Once again, I prepare the food and you get to eat it!!¡±


    As it approached, the cargo ship¡¯s hull rose up like a cliff. It also tilted out toward them, so it would be impossible climb by hand.


    Heivia and Myonri spun around ropes with claws attached to the end and used the centrifugal force to throw them straight up. After making sure they had solidly dug into the deck¡¯s railing, the two soldiers climbed up the cliff and onto the ship.


    The cargo ship itself was a giant mass with a large volume.


    As Quenser and Sewax waited in the sea for their signal, they were tossed around by the artificial current and forced to cling to the ropes.


    And then something heavy fell down from above.


    Quenser looked down at what had fallen next to him and found the corpse of one of the criminal organization¡¯s guards. The man¡¯s throat had been slit.


    With a look of disgust, he brought his radio to his mouth.


    ¡°You show no mercy, do you?¡±


    ¡°If you have time to complain, climb up. Sharks are sensitive to the scent of blood.¡±


    But Quenser was only a student, so he could not climb what was essentially a building wall using only a rope.


    Quenser glanced over at Sewax who quickly surmounted the wall on his own, but he needed Heivia and Myonri to pull his rope up.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. I¡¯m a noble and you¡¯re a commoner, so I shouldn¡¯t be pulling you up like this.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, how much time do we have?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll figure out they¡¯ve lost someone once the periodic report comes, so we have at most ten minutes. We have no time to spare after losing some time thanks to a certain idiot!¡±


    Myonri looked down at her handheld device while covering the small screen with her hand to keep the light from escaping.


    ¡°Dorothy is at the front of the ship.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do what we can. There¡¯s no way we can seajack this thing in ten minutes.¡±


    After Quenser and Heivia formed a pair and Myonri and Sewax formed a pair, the two pairs travelled through the piles of containers on deck while covering for each other.


    As an unpleasant sweat dripped down his face, Heivia muttered to himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use your gun. Rely on your knife. Don¡¯t use your gun. After a single gunshot, you¡¯ll have to jump into the ocean.¡±


    Fortunately, the large number of containers (which were likely there as decoys to hide the human trafficking) provided a lot of cover. The four of them carefully travelled toward the bow of the ship while making sure they did not run into any guards.


    And suddenly, they heard the roaring of the wind.


    Except this was no normal wind.


    ¡°(Get down, you idiot! Don¡¯t move!!)¡±


    Heivia whispered quietly, grabbed the back of Quenser¡¯s collar, and got down on the deck. Ahead of them, Myonri and Sewax pressed their backs against metal containers and held their breath. Their faces were obviously covered with an unusual amount of sweat.


    Quenser belatedly realized what was going on.


    What he had thought was the wind was actually a disturbance in the air caused by the movement of a great mass. It was similar to when a train rushed by a subway platform.


    A sealed tunnel was one thing, but not much could do the same on the open sea.


    This was the symbol of war.


    It was the trademark of the era that could destroy every other weapon on the battlefield.


    In other words...


    ¡°An Object!!¡± he groaned while lying on the deck.


    Even the mid-sized cargo ship towered above the ocean surface like a cliff, but the Object was on an entirely different level. Its spherical main body was around fifty meters tall and equipped with over one hundred different cannons. Despite the cargo ships¡¯ immense size, it looked like a plastic miniature next to the Object.


    Its presence was overwhelming.


    Its sense of intimidation was overwhelming.


    The sense of danger it radiated was overwhelming.


    Everything about it was overwhelming.


    ¡°They¡¯re from the Information Alliance,¡± said Heivia as he almost lay on top of Quenser and looked like he was about to cry. ¡°These are second generation Objects from the Information Alliance. I think that¡¯s the Simple Is Best and the Catapult Cargo. This is no joke. There¡¯s no way we can take on an enemy like this.¡±


    Heivia listed two names.


    The meaning of that fact arrived along with despair as Quenser forced his neck around to observe the situation.


    The cargo ship was passing between two Objects that were patrolling the dark sea. As he looked up at the towering armor and countless cannons, it somehow reminded him of a thick green tunnel made of trees.


    If any one of those cannons was fired, Quenser and the others would be blasted into pieces too small to even make fish food.


    But at the same time...


    ¡°We were right,¡± he muttered. ¡°Even if second generation Objects are specialized toward fighting other Objects, they would have detected us if they were making full use of their sensors. But they aren¡¯t attacking and they haven¡¯t contacted Blue Bottle to send out his men.¡±


    ¡°That means this ship is not being checked. If they scanned it, they might detect all the people stuffed in the containers. The data would remain in the Object¡¯s recorder and it would be a pain to alter it.¡±


    But that did not mean they could move around freely.


    Objects were the rulers of the battlefield. They were a non-standard monster with no natural enemies that could freely devour all other life forms before them. It was as if they had been born due to some kind of bug or mistake.


    No one was stupid enough to stick their own arm in the beast¡¯s mouth to see whether it had been tamed or not.


    No one wanted to be the pitiable guinea pig.


    Quenser and the others held their breath and watched the two Objects slowly move away from the cargo ship. Even then, they did not move. An uncomfortable sweat grew below their uniforms.


    It came down to their intuition rather than logic.


    Once the Objects were several hundred meters away, Quenser finally let out a long breath.


    That was still plenty close for the second generation Objects to attack, but he still felt the relief of being in the clear.


    Heivia used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his face as he got up off of Quenser.


    ¡°Try to remember what it is we¡¯re fighting, lady killer.¡±


    ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, we have to go through with this regardless.¡±


    The four of them began moving at the same time.


    Myonri jogged ahead from one pile of containers to another. She then pointed at the first level of containers with her thumb.


    ¡°Dorothy is in here. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°We might as well use this chance to rescue as many of them as we can. Quenser, set up your trick as planned!¡±


    The four of them all moved in different directions.


    Heivia and Myonri grabbed the metal lever.


    But then Myonri frowned.


    ¡°Wait a second. I just noticed something.¡±


    ¡°What is it? I don¡¯t see any tripwires.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that.¡±


    Myonri let go of the lever to open the door and traced her finger across the string of letters printed on the metal door.


    ¡°This is a refrigerated container. This thing is basically a gigantic freezer.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell would they throw an 80-year-old woman in there!?¡±


    They forcibly pulled the lever and opened the door.


    As soon as the metal door opened, chilly air seemed to cut at their cheeks. Just as Myonri had said, the inside of the wall was covered in white frost.


    And...


    A small figure was lying on its side in the fetal position.


    And it was just the one person.


    ¡°What the hell...? What the hell!? I thought Blue Bottle¡¯s group was working in human trafficking? Why are they freezing them from the get-go!?¡±


    ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t carelessly pick her up! Her exposed skin might be frozen to the container floor!¡±


    Fortunately, Myonri¡¯s fears were unfounded. The old woman¡¯s hair seemed frozen, but her skin did not stick to the floor.


    Heivia picked up Dorothy and carried her out of the container.


    ¡°They might have been trying to simulate hibernation,¡± said Sewax as he read the writing on the container.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°There are cases of people surviving without food or water for over a month in cars buried in snow. Only one in nine survive, but their ¡®merchandise¡¯ can survive the long trip if the conditions are artificially recreated. It has better odds than leaving it up to luck after throwing them in a hot and stuffy container with water and salt.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why they put them in separate containers.¡± Myonri let out a groan as she thought about this demonic plan. ¡°It¡¯s the same as anesthesia. The temperature is carefully calculated out based on the person¡¯s weight, so they all need their own container.¡±


    ¡°So what? This isn¡¯t going to work 100% of the time. For one thing, humans aren¡¯t meant to hibernate like a bear! If they force it, it has to fail and cause frostbite or hypothermia in a lot of them!!¡±


    ¡°True, but there¡¯s a countermeasure that¡¯s popular among people stranded in snowy mountains. If you warm the outside of the body with lukewarm water and eat food, it will cause an increase in body temperature.¡±


    ¡°I guess a normal water bottle would be warm enough on a warm night like this. I only have disgusting rations for food, though.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re conscious enough to complain about that, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    Heivia and Sewax¡¯s discussion must have brought her back to her senses because Dorothy slowly opened her eyes while her skin was oddly cold.


    She looked like someone who had just woken up in the morning, but the situation was completely different.


    For one thing, she had not been sleeping. Her mind was muddled enough for her memories to be a bit vague.


    ¡°That...soldier...?¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! We¡¯re here to save you. There¡¯s nothing more to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Are you...the one named...Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but there are even better guys than him in the world.¡±


    They could not force her to do anything more.


    Heivia frantically pulled out a ration that resembled a tasteless and odorless eraser and a bottle warmed by the warm night and his own body temperature.


    And then he heard a noise.


    Someone was peering out from behind a pile of containers. Heivia did not know who it was, but he made up his mind when he saw the shoddily-made assault rifle in his hand. He was a criminal organization guard on patrol.


    He was only seven meters away.


    The assault rifle hung from his shoulder on a sling belt, but he was not holding the rifle. He held a different weapon.


    But it was not a handgun or a knife.


    It was a glittering black sphere about one size bigger than a golf ball.


    All of Heivia¡¯s hair stood on end when he realized what it was.


    ¡°A grenade!?¡±


    In that instant, Sewax held up his heavy camera as if pulling a handgun from its holster and he stared through the viewfinder.


    (Oh, I¡¯m dead.)


    Time seemed to flow strangely slow, but he did not try to hide or cover his face with his arms. He stood stock still and continued to keep the armed man in the center of the small world cut off by his camera.


    He held a Gr-021, the grenades used by the old Oceanian military government. They were rumored to be cheap copies of the Information Alliance¡¯s grenades. They had a kill radius of five meters and an injury radius of twelve meters. The soldier may not have known how to use it properly because he was liable to be caught in the blast that killed using shrapnel rather than the explosion itself.


    If the guard holding the sphere relaxed his grip, pulled out the pin, and released the safety lever, over two hundred metal grains would fly in every direction with deadly speed exactly five seconds later. Man, woman, adult, and child alike would be turned to mincemeat.


    Even so, Sewax operated his camera as if it were his mission.


    He wanted to take a photo that would change the world.


    War would never end no matter how many hundreds of bullets were fired. The people whose bank accounts grew every time the money-devouring Objects were sent out would continue applauding in dark rooms as more blood was shed. To truly end it all, the people¡¯s hearts had to be moved outside of what the people in charge had to gain. That was something bullets could not achieve. No matter how great a tragedy was, it would resound in no one¡¯s heart unless a battlefield cameraman recorded it.


    He had wanted an opportunity to do just that.


    It did not matter if it would take the lives of a few people here. It did not matter if that danger applied to him as well. He would not regret the loss of an arm or a leg. He was willing to lose half his body if that was what it took. If he could bring home the picture that would change history and bring peace, he would proudly say he had won.


    As the person who had once relied on bullets in this very country, he felt this was something he had to do no matter what.


    But...


    Even so...


    (Is that really okay?)


    Through the viewfinder, he saw Heivia crouched down while frozen in place. At his feet was a small old woman who lay groggily on the ground after being rescued from an extreme low-temperature environment.


    If they died, it would likely shake some people¡¯s hearts.


    If he stored that shocking bloodshed in the small memory of his camera, he could use it to convey the truth of the battlefield.


    (But is that really okay!?)


    There was no point in saving just a few lives. It would mix in with all the other boring news and reach no one, so it might as well not exist. Information that reached no one was no different from information that vanished from the face of the earth. At that very moment, the people within safe countries thought the world was a peaceful place. They truly believed it. And yet the war in Oceania had yet to truly end. To ultimately end war, those people¡¯s help was needed.


    And so...


    To stop the tragedies, Sewax hoped for a tragedy to occur. That contradictory mindset led him to hesitate over whether to accept or reject this situation.


    And...


    He finally made his decision.


    A metallic sound of impact brought Heivia back to his senses.


    The battlefield cameraman named Sewax had removed the neck strap attachment to the camera he valued more than his life and he threw it at the guard holding the grenade.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back to the way I was. I swore I would stop doing that!! I swore during that war in Oceania!!¡±


    As Sewax shouted out in desperation, Heivia began to move. The camera was heavy, but it was not enough to knock out that large man by striking his upper body. However, the man decided to prioritize his own safety by protecting his body with his arms. And he still held the grenade in his hand. He had not released the pin or safety lever.


    They had a chance.


    Heivia immediately let go of the ration and water bottle and drew his large military knife with a flowing motion of his right hand. He even had enough composure to cover Dorothy¡¯s eyes with his left hand.


    He threw the knife without hesitation.


    After rotating exactly ninety degrees, the tip of the blade stabbed accurately into the guard¡¯s throat.


    (Damn.)


    But Heivia¡¯s expression twisted silently.


    The man did not collapse. It was a fatal blow but not enough to kill him instantly.


    There was going to be a lag of a few seconds to a dozen seconds.


    (I missed the center. The blade didn¡¯t hit his spine!!)


    As Heivia watched, the man¡¯s fingers writhed like caterpillars and reached for the grenade¡¯s metal pin. One finger passed through the ring of the pin.


    All he had to do was release it now.


    Pulled by gravity, the explosive fell straight down. The pin attached to his index finger was pulled out. The shock of the round grenade striking the deck was enough to release the safety lever.


    It was ready to detonate.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Heivia saw Myonri immediately pull out her handgun, so he took action. While still crouched down, he ran forward like a beast. The man with the blade in his throat could not speak, but he glared at Heivia. The ring-shaped pin on his index finger glittered in the light like a cruel piece of jewelry.


    The kill radius was five meters.


    The injury radius was twelve meters.


    It would explode in only five seconds.


    (Just killing him isn¡¯t enough. We¡¯ll all be caught in the blast!!)


    As the guard started to fall backwards, Heivia grabbed his collar. This was not a gentlemanly attempt to support the man. He grabbed the man¡¯s right arm, spun him around, and used the man¡¯s waist as a fulcrum to throw him to the ground.


    He threw the man on top of the grenade he had dropped.


    A muffled explosion arrived an instant later.


    The cheap bulletproof plate and the living flesh and bone were enough to suppress the explosion of a grenade meant to kill with shrapnel rather than the blast. In textbooks, this method was given as a means of bravely protecting one¡¯s fellow soldiers.


    Heivia was splattered with blood and guts and he desperately shouted out with a ghastly look on his face.


    ¡°Ugh, shit!! Is anyone hurt!? If not, jump into the ocean. That explosion will draw the rest of them here!!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what about Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll have heard the explosion too!!¡±


    Myonri grabbed Dorothy who could not move properly on her own and the girl frantically jumped over the railing. Sewax picked up his camera and followed suit. Heivia grabbed a few polyurethane foam floats from the railing and threw them in the sea before jumping into the dark water himself.


    The shock of falling or having her entire body covered in lukewarm seawater seemed to have helped Dorothy recover a little from her hypothermic symptoms.


    She repeatedly blinked while Myonri supported her so she would not sink.


    ¡°Where is everyone...?¡±


    As her mind cleared, her memories seemed to recover.


    Her question was filled with panic.


    ¡°Where are all the others!? They were brought onboard that ship!! There are a lot more than just me!!¡±


    It was a legitimate question, but Heivia and the others did not answer her.


    The cargo ship would be on its guard now, so it would be difficult to make their way back onboard. It would be tough to fight a few dozen armed men with only four people. On top of that, there was no guarantee they would make it back safely as things were.


    And then a new figure fell from the cargo ship and into the dark water.


    It was Quenser who had gone elsewhere on the boat.


    ¡°Uuh... I¡¯m gonna sink. Give me a float, too.¡±


    ¡°Since you escaped with that stupid look on your face, I take it you at least completed your preparations.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to here? More importantly, what was with that explosion!? You sure screwed up badly!¡±


    With a look of extreme confusion, Dorothy looked back and forth between Quenser and Heivia.


    Quenser spoke to the old woman.


    ¡°Defeating Blue Bottle¡¯s entire organization with just the four of us would be difficult. The same goes for rescuing all of the people trapped in separate containers. And that cargo ship is under the protection of the Information Alliance, so we¡¯re unlikely to get any help even if we ask for it.¡±


    ¡°Then you are going to give up? I don¡¯t want to be the only one rescued!!¡± shouted Dorothy.


    Quenser smiled and waved his index finger.


    ¡°But there is a wonderful magic item that can completely turn around that hopeless situation.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    That comment caught Dorothy off guard, so she stared blankly at Quenser as he spread out the ¡°prize¡± he had won on the boat.


    ¡°This is it. Do you know what this is?¡±


    Part 16


    (This is a strange ship.)


    The man referred to as Blue Bottle, the name of a poisonous jellyfish, thought blankly to himself as he sat in a chair in the cargo ship¡¯s control room.


    Ships used fuel to move. Fuel efficiency was greatly affected by the weight loaded on the ship. Normally, cargo ships were almost entirely automated and had only around a dozen people in their crew. The people themselves weighed something and they needed food and water to last them anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, so the number of people onboard was kept to a minimum.


    Nevertheless, this ship had a large number of people onboard.


    Officially, they were exporting scrap metal from Oceania¡¯s ruins so it could be recycled in other countries, but a quick calculation would show some things did not add up.


    ¡°That was an explosion,¡± said Blue Bottle.


    ¡°We will look into it right away,¡± immediately replied a man staring at the instruments.


    Blue Bottle doubted the refrigerated containers with the human trafficking ¡°merchandise¡± inside could be opened from within and he doubted the merchandise inside could resist or escape after being kept at such a low temperature.


    But his men were not proper soldiers or even trained mercenaries.


    They were nothing but thugs. It was possible one of them had forgotten to lock a container or turn on its refrigeration mode.


    Nevertheless, he seriously doubted they were stupid enough to let an unarmed civilian steal a gun or grenade and fight back.


    Blue Bottle¡¯s expression showed no panic or concern.


    ¡°Tell them to be careful if they kill an escapee. Just like preserved fish, their value goes down if they die. And the amount it drops changes depending on how they are killed. Blowing them to pieces with a grenade is out of the question.¡±


    ¡°I will tell them, but I can¡¯t guarantee they will listen.¡±


    Blue Bottle did not bother listening to what the other man said.


    The cargo ship was not headed directly toward the country the ¡°merchandise¡± was being shipped to. It would instead travel to a certain island just outside Oceanian territory and load the containers onto a different ship. Blue Bottle would remain with this cargo ship in its short journey back and forth. To make the best use the free pass given by the Information Alliance, he had wanted a setup that travelled through that area of sea as frequently as possible.


    Suddenly, the same man as before continued speaking despite the conversation having ended.


    ¡°This is from the Information Alliance Object. They want to speak with you.¡±


    ¡°Hand it over.¡±


    The man sitting in front of the console removed his headset and tossed it over. Blue Bottle caught it in one hand and brought the microphone to his mouth without putting it on his head.


    ¡°What is it? We paid the fee. If you cause any unnecessary problems here, the Objects from other world powers will notice. The Information Alliance doesn¡¯t want to damage its public image, does it? You can¡¯t have our arrangement come to light.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I contacted you,¡± replied a staticky and slightly irritated voice. ¡°Why are you not following our arrangement? Our free pass means nothing otherwise. We are forced to handle this normally.¡±


    ¡°Wait. I don¡¯t understand. Explain what you mean.¡±


    ¡°The flag.¡± The polite Elite spoke slowly as if kindly speaking to a young child who was only just learning to speak. ¡°Our Information Alliance flag should be on the bow of your cargo ship. Without that, we cannot prove you are under our protection. If you do not obey our arrangement, we must perform a surprise check like we normally would.¡±


    As Quenser entrusted his life to a hard float in the dark ocean, he threw away a piece of cloth printed with the Information Alliance logo and spoke.


    ¡°Their ship was treated differently because they were announcing that they were under the Information Alliance¡¯s protection by displaying their flag. They have a free pass with the Information Alliance and it would cause conflict if the Legitimacy Kingdom or Capitalist Corporations performed a surprise check on a ship approved by them. They had intentionally set up that situation so they could carry out things they wanted kept secret.¡±


    ¡°Th-then...¡± Dorothy looked toward the flag floating away on the waves. ¡°If you take that flag...¡±


    ¡°At the very least, they won¡¯t be treated differently anymore. The Information Alliance will have to perform the same check as with a normal ship. If they let them go, the Legitimacy Kingdom or Faith Organization would try to perform a check instead.¡±


    ¡°B-but!¡± frantically exclaimed Dorothy because there were human lives on the line. ¡°Will that really save everyone? I thought the Information Alliance was friends with that ship. Won¡¯t they perform an intentionally insufficient check and give their approval without looking inside the containers?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. In fact, that would be the best option from their point of view. They need to perform a check before the other world powers can. They can give their approval and announce that no one else needs to check the ship. Then no one will find out there are people in those containers.¡±


    ¡°Th-then...!!¡±


    ¡°But,¡± said Quenser, cutting off Dorothy. He held a radio in his hand. ¡°That¡¯s why I set up another trick.¡±


    The Information Alliance¡¯s naval patrol boat rushed over.


    The others in the cargo ship¡¯s control room muttered nervously, but Blue Bottle was not worried.


    It was not that he had given up.


    It was quite the opposite.


    An Information Alliance group he held sway with had taken action before security teams from the other world powers could intervene. Once the Information Alliance group boarded the ship, they would perform an intentionally shoddy inspection and give them approval. Rechecking the ship would be seen as doubt in the Information Alliance, so doing so was implicitly stated to create cracks in the friendly relationship between coalition members.


    Why had their flag vanished?


    That mystery remained. One of his men may have forgotten his instructions, it may have been poorly attached and blew away in the wind, or someone may have maliciously removed it.


    But no matter the reason, they could recover.


    An oddity of that level would not defeat Blue Bottle.


    ¡°The Information Alliance security team is requesting permission to board. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Hide nothing. Give them permission according to normal procedures. Do not leave any unnatural actions in their records. There is no reason to panic here. This group is in on it.¡±


    Having said that, Blue Bottle took several men and left the control room. He was on his way to greet the Information Alliance security team. And that was not a criminal euphemism for shooting them. He was truly going to greet them.


    He stepped out onto the deck and found several thick metal devices attached to the railing. Synthetic fiber ropes were attached and men dressed all in black were climbing up from below.


    One of the men gave a polite salute to Blue Bottle while carefully articulating each word and syllable of his script.


    ¡°This is a surprise inspection in order to stop international crime within Oceania. We will be inspecting your crew and cargo.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Do as you wish.¡±


    Upon receiving permission, the men in black formed teams of two and scattered across the ship.


    All of this was pre-arranged.


    It was possible the other world powers forming the coalition were watching with a satellite or an Object¡¯s ultra long distance sensors, so they had to perform a bit of role playing for safety¡¯s sake. Nothing would go wrong and anything illegal would not be recorded. That was the agreement.


    Blue Bottle spoke to one man in black standing nearby.


    ¡°How long should this take?¡±


    ¡°There are a lot of containers, so we would like an hour to check through them all.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s a long time.¡±


    ¡°We are not doing this because we want to.¡±


    That last comment sounded like an implicit accusation regarding the missing flag.


    Even if it was meant to keep them safe, it was hard to put up with this when it would accomplish nothing. Every minute and every second seemed to stretch on forever. He had to maintain his expression and attitude in case they were being viewed from afar, but he felt as if he would yawn if he let his guard down.


    But then he heard what sounded like a light explosion.


    It came from the ship and it was clearly the sound of gunpowder exploding.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let it all go so smoothly,¡± said Quenser while pressing the switch on his radio. ¡°The leaders of this Information Alliance group and criminal organization have an agreement to get along, but not all the criminal thugs will be privy to all that information. After all, secret arrangements are made behind closed doors. The more the big boss handles those things on his own, the less the men working below him know.¡±


    ¡°Heh. So even if this is actually all a farce, you¡¯re saying not everyone in the criminal organization will be aware of it? All they know is the Information Alliance security team has boarded them after some kind of mistake and the cargo ship is full of their half-dead human trafficking ¡®merchandise¡¯. They can¡¯t let that get out, so they¡¯ll be staring at the Information Alliance¡¯s guns with their heart pounding.¡±


    The same naturally went for the Information Alliance security team.


    The leader would know about the understanding with the criminal organization and the soldiers underneath him may have received an explanation. But could they really trust those criminals? They might have been lying. Who knows when those uncontrolled criminals would fire. They would be filled with those fears.


    ¡°So.¡± Quenser slowly shook the radio. ¡°With a small impetus, the guns they have pointed at each other will start to go off. For example, a radio signal could lead an electric fuse to cause an explosive noise and they could mistake it for the ¡®first shot¡¯.¡±


    Fuses were tools used to induce the detonation of an explosive by providing a strong stimulus.


    They were made to create a more intense explosion than a firecracker.


    And the ocean night was filled with countless bursting noises.


    A few of them were the electric fuses Quenser had prepared ahead of time, but some of the noises were clearly different. If one paid careful attention, they were obviously different noises, but these people were not calm enough for that.


    ¡°Stop them!!¡±


    Blue Bottle covered his ears with his hands and approached a pile of metal containers while yelling at the nearby Information Alliance man. If he had not yelled, his voice would have been drowned out by the explosive noises.


    ¡°Which side shot!? It doesn¡¯t matter! Stop them!! This is a meaningless battle. Didn¡¯t your higher ups explain this to-...!?¡±


    Blue Bottle trailed off.


    With a damp noise, the man in black he had been speaking to collapsed to the side. His head slammed into the container and red blood splattered across the wall as if a fruit had been crushed there. Simply slamming his head against the wall would not cause that much blood. A bullet had obviously disturbed the contents of his head. The cargo ship was enveloped in such chaos that it was impossible to tell which side of the conflict the bullet had come from.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Blue Bottle felt a chill run down his spine and pulled his handgun from its holster.


    And then his gaze met that of an Information Alliance soldier.


    A short pause followed.


    As soon as his thoughts recovered, Blue Bottle realized he had committed a fatal mistake.


    ¡°N-no!! I wasn¡¯t trying to fight!!¡±


    His words did not reach the soldier.


    As soon as the soldier¡¯s gun barrel moved to target him, Blue Bottle reflexively fired three bullets into the foolish soldier¡¯s upper body.


    Naturally, everyone aboard the chaotic ship witnessed it.


    There was no going back now.


    A hopeless battle with one of the world powers had begun.


    Part 17


    Froleytia Capistrano held her head in her hands.


    A female operator¡¯s reserved voice filled the operation control room.


    ¡°The battle has ended aboard cargo ship Mistral near St. Frank International Harbor. Level of damage to the Information Alliance team is unknown. It appears they have successfully retreated. The bodies of the crew are still being counted. They have likely all been killed.¡±


    A sudden firefight had been detected aboard a cargo ship near Oceania. A Legitimacy Kingdom naval security team had intervened in the name of aiding the Information Alliance team being attacked.


    The problem was the fact that Quenser and Heivia of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion were floating in the ocean near the cargo ship. They looked pleased with themselves and carried an old woman with them.


    ¡°Thirty nine civilians have been discovered within the refrigerated containers. This matches the information from Quenser Barbotage and Heivia Winchell.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Also, a man closely resembling an important criminal known as Blue Bottle has been discovered among the corpses. His identity is currently being checked, but if it really is him, they are likely correct about the Mistral being owned by a criminal organization active across Oceania.¡±


    ¡°One filthy man isn¡¯t enough to make up for this,¡± muttered Froleytia under her breath.


    She changed her train of thought and focused on her transmission with a distant superior Legitimacy Kingdom officer. Even if Froleytia controlled an entire battalion, she still had to refer to this person as a superior officer.


    ¡°The human trafficking organization has been eliminated, but the Information Alliance has evidence that men from my unit intervened. They will begin applying diplomatic pressure before long. This might also start another military conflict.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d say it¡¯s 100% guaranteed to do that,¡± replied the young man in a lighthearted tone. ¡°But this would have ended the same even if your men had not acted.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°What if they had learned of the human trafficking organization, but returned without doing anything? Or what if you had done nothing in response to the wrong number from the kidnapper? Once harm had come to Oceanian civilians, the Information Alliance would have anonymously blamed the Legitimacy Kingdom. They would have called us despicable cowards who sacrificed civilians to protect ourselves from the mafias and gangs. They would have said someone like that has no place on the coalition that is provisionally ruling the peace of Oceania. From the moment this began, we had no choice but to accept the fight they were picking with us.¡±


    ¡°Then that wrong number...¡±


    ¡°It seems odd, doesn¡¯t it? Most likely, the Information Alliance intentionally gave the criminal organization the wrong number for the girl¡¯s home. I also read in your report that the girl was strapped with a bomb when she was rescued from the abandoned hospital. A bomb that would be activated with a phone.¡±


    ¡°I get it now. If they simply planned to get as much money from her family as they could and never intended to release her, they would not have needed such a dangerous setup.¡±


    ¡°They wanted to create an obvious civilian victim right away. If you had failed there, they would have their justification to say we were exposing the people of Oceania to danger and needed to be eliminated for Oceania¡¯s sake.¡±


    It made sense.


    It was obvious what they gained from it.


    The housewives in safe country living rooms watching variety shows with popcorn in one hand would accept that reason for war.


    But...


    ¡°In that case, the Information Alliance dug their own grave,¡± said Froleytia. ¡°They created a pipeline with human traffickers of all things.¡±


    ¡°I doubt they were careless enough to leave any conclusive evidence behind. They are the world power that puts the most emphasis on information, after all. No matter what anyone claims, they can insist it was nothing but a desperate bluff on the criminal organization¡¯s part.¡±


    The superior officer¡¯s tone remained lighthearted.


    Yet his words cut accurately into the history of mankind.


    ¡°But if we are going to go to war regardless, it is easier for us on the political side if the reason has less of a bad aftertaste. You did well. And we will accept the fight they were so insistent that we begin.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The transmission came to an end.


    Froleytia let out a long sigh before finally speaking quietly.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin talking about war.¡±


    Part 18


    Quenser, Heivia, Myonri, Sewax, and the old woman named Dorothy were brought back to land by the Legitimacy Kingdom naval security team¡¯s patrol boat. A military vehicle from the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion picked them up there and took them to the maintenance base zone. On the way, they were repeatedly asked what had happened from people with curious looks. Each time they repeated their tale of heroism, they were struck lightly by a fist. However, the soldiers that complained and struck Quenser and Heivia all had smiles in their eyes.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Dorothy as she stared at the cityscape outside the window.


    ¡°You will be brought home...or to your hotel since you¡¯re a tourist. Anyway, it seems your daughter and her husband have been invited to the base, so you can have your emotional reunion there,¡± replied Quenser casually.


    The military four-wheel drive vehicle returned to the familiar maintenance base zone. When the soldiers on guard duty at the gate heard what had happened, they stared at Quenser and the others like they were some kind of rare animal.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Doesn¡¯t it look like the rumor has already spread throughout the base?¡±


    ¡°I wish I could view that in as positive a light as you. We might be on our way to the detention barracks.¡±


    The maintenance base was made up of over one hundred large vehicles. They thought they were being led to the section used for lodgings, but the military vehicle stopped partway there.


    They had likely been spotted through the window because a man and woman who looked like tourists run out of the lodgings.


    Dorothy¡¯s eyes opened wide and she moved her trembling lips.


    She looked like she was seeing people she had never expected to see again.


    ¡°That is my daughter and her husband... My grandchild is there too.¡±


    Quenser opened the vehicle¡¯s door.


    Dorothy used all her strength to run through the maintenance base which was lit up by so many lights it did not seem like nighttime.


    ¡°...¡±


    In that moment, the battlefield cameraman named Sewax naturally peered through his camera¡¯s viewfinder.


    A photo of a family tearfully embracing may not have been sensational or shocking enough to be titled ¡°the truth of the battlefield¡±.


    It was not going to win any world-famous awards and it was not enough to make one¡¯s name as a photographer.


    But that photograph surely had something powerful enough to move the world.

 Volume 7, 2: My Job is to Transport Paint >> Intelligence Battle in Oceania

    Volume 7, Chapter 2: My Job is to Transport Paint >> Intelligence Battle in Oceania


    Part 1


    ¡°The situation is quite simple,¡± began Major Froleytia Capistrano in the pre-mission briefing room which was filled with soldiers. ¡°The Information Alliance is turning false accusation against us and the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion intends to respond in full force. Beginning now, the entire battalion will prepare our response. They will be sending a second generation Object, so if you don¡¯t want to die, help the princess score as many points as possible.¡±


    Froleytia stood on a large platform and the white wall behind her was being used a projector screen.


    Their greatest threat at the moment was displayed there.


    ¡°Our only confirmed enemy at the moment is the Information Alliance¡¯s second generation Object named Simple Is Best. Its main cannon is a low-stability plasma cannon and its propulsion method is an air cushion for both naval and land use, but its most unique features are the pointed beak-shaped armor added to the front and the countless high-output ion thrusters attached for auxiliary propulsion.¡±


    Several documents were displayed at once.


    The intelligence division¡¯s research and analysis of the Object had made enough progress for that much information.


    Heivia leaned over and whispered to Quenser.


    ¡°(What were those high-output something or others?)¡±


    ¡°(A type of ion engine. Normally, ion engines are attached to space probes to provide weak but lengthy effects in zero-gravity, but this thing uses the energy of an Object¡¯s reactor to forcibly produce an insane output. You can think of it like a space shuttle sitting on its side.)¡±


    ¡°(Why would they use such a pain-in-the-ass method?)¡±


    ¡°(There are several rumors about that. Some say the Information Alliance is trying to build a flying Object. Others say they¡¯re trying to develop a perfect circulation system to search for habitable planets outside the solar system. Either way, the Simple Is Best is a project being used as a starting point.)¡±


    ¡°(What? I thought it was the Faith Organization that was desperate to make a flying Object. Wasn¡¯t it called the Sky Castle Project or something? Instead of going with the more scientific-sounding ¡®outer space¡¯, they wanted a more religious-sounding ¡®kingdom above the clouds¡¯.)¡±


    ¡°(It¡¯s nothing but a reckless project for the moment, but if another world power completes that great desire of theirs ahead of time, it would break the hearts of the Faith Organization¡¯s people.)¡±


    ¡°(I see. Attacking at their weak spot like that does sound like the Information Alliance.)¡±


    ¡°(But I hope it all ends up as a pipe dream. A flying Object would be hard to shoot down and shooting it down might cause an impact on the level of an asteroid and cause an ice age.)¡±


    Looking over the diagram told them the Simple Is Best had a V-shaped board-like part at the bottom and a long straight part extending from the back. Overall, it had an arrow-like shape. The spherical main body was essentially attached atop the three lines making up the arrow.


    The V-shaped part was used to regulate the horizontal direction and the straight line on the back was used to provide space for the aforementioned high-output ion thrusters. Atop that long board like float, several cylindrical thrusters were attached at an angle. Each and every one of them was over twenty meters long.


    ¡°As the name suggests, the Object¡¯s strategy is very simple. It does not try to evade at all. It ignores any damage, approaches its target along the shortest and fastest route, and fires its main cannon at almost point-blank range. Despite being an Object, its top speed reaches the sound barrier. Once targeted by it, your average Object cannot escape.¡±


    ¡°The sound barrier,¡± muttered Quenser who had become just one of the crowd. ¡°But that thing¡¯s a 200 thousand ton hunk of metal. Can it really maintain control while moving along the surface at the speed of sound?¡±


    ¡°Keep your comments to yourself, war criminal.¡±


    ¡°I can see that nickname sticking, so please stop calling me that!!¡± cried Quenser with tears in his eyes.


    Froleytia ignored him and continued speaking.


    ¡°The beak-like armor on the front is a collection of extremely thin metal leaf. You could call it a crystallization of the best aspects of reactive armor technology. Whenever it detects an effective attack such as from a low-stability plasma cannon or railgun, the thin armor is detached to reduce the damage. If you keep at it and continue fire, it will eventually run out like a roll of toilet paper, but that is where its speed comes into play. While you are taking your time doing that, it will reach point-blank range. In other words, it will not take evasive actions. It will trust in the strength of its shield and charge in from the front, no matter what kind of main cannon it is up against.¡±


    Its specs could make one think otherwise, but the enemy¡¯s greatest feature was its armor rather than its speed. Even the Legitimacy Kingdom was already developing Objects that focused on speed and tried to approach within close range of the target. However, it was something else entirely to not take any evasive actions and stick to the shortest course no matter what.


    This direct weapon would charge in on a straight line and endure any attack to the front.


    And based on the difference in speed, the Baby Magnum could not escape.


    Being targeted by that Object would essentially mean the end of the match.


    ¡°The aforementioned toilet paper is only equipped to the front of the Object. Attacks from the side, back, or above will get through just fine. ...But the Simple Is Best will of course be aware of its own weakness. If the Baby Magnum tries to circle around, it will likely anticipate the action and adjust its position to compensate. The situation would be different if we had more than one Object as well, but we only have one at present. It will be extremely difficult to get behind the Simple Is Best due to its superior speed.¡±


    Heivia had been casually listening, but then he frowned.


    ¡°Wait a sec.¡±


    ¡°What is it, war criminal #2?¡±


    ¡°At least make me #1! Being ranked under him is the biggest insult!!¡± he shouted before getting to his question. ¡°Did you just say if we had more than one Object ¡®as well¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± Froleytia brushed up her bangs in annoyance. ¡°According to some information the intelligence division got their hands on, the Information Alliance is trying to use the false accusations against us to contact the other world powers. They are suggesting they work together to defeat a common enemy. I do not know who will go along with it, but we might have to deal with more than one Object if someone wants to use this as an opportunity to damage the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia grimaced.


    The current age was known as one of clean wars fought by Objects. Objects influenced everything in those wars. The funds and technology poured into the opposing Objects was important, but the number of Objects was even more important. If it came down to one-against-three, the result was immediately obvious, so it was best to retreat as soon as possible.


    ¡°But any newcomers will simply be trying to take advantage of the situation. The Simple Is Best is the main pillar of the enemy force, so destroying it could easily convince the remaining Object or Objects not to stick around and bring even more damage to themselves.¡±


    In that case, their primary target was the Simple Is Best.


    To escape a disadvantageous battle against multiple Objects, their only option was to swiftly destroy that central pillar.


    Part 2


    In the true desert away from the city and devoid of the asphalt and concrete that gathered heat, the nights grew cold quickly.


    Quenser¡¯s military uniform was made to handle the cold, but his teeth were chattering as he watched a 1seg broadcast on his military handheld device. The backlight dimly lit up his face as if he was holding a flashlight below his head.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Welcome to the New York Miracle Net Festa! All of you around the world in front of your monitors, be charmed by this enchanting song and dance!! Yay!!¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± shouted Quenser. ¡°Bouncing breasts and a shaking ass!!¡±


    ¡°Quenser, you idiot! What are you watching in the middle of our night mission!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called escapism! I came to the battlefield to learn about Object design, so why am I freezing to death out in the desert!?¡±


    ¡°Just turn it off, you idiot! Do you want to die!? ...No, wait. Let me see it before you turn it off!! Come to think of it, why do you have an invitation code to that net concert!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I get emails from her a lot. She can monitor whether the code was used or not and she said she¡¯d shoot me on the battlefield if I didn¡¯t watch it.¡±


    Suddenly, Quenser¡¯s radio emitted a quick electronic tone.


    The princess¡¯s voice soon followed.


    ¡°Quenser, explain further.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but the princess is pissed! Since she hasn¡¯t realized her request to explain further contradicts that, she must be the type who doesn¡¯t realize how angry she is. But why!?¡±


    Quenser frantically asked Heivia for help, but his friend gave the wonderfully gentlemanly response of raising his middle finger and shouting ¡°How should I know!! Maybe it¡¯s divine punishment!!¡±


    ¡°All military transmissions are checked in the server, you know? What do you think you are doing there?¡± asked the princess.


    ¡°Wow!! Are you mad because I¡¯m watching an Information Alliance idol¡¯s ass on a mission against the Information Alliance? I didn¡¯t realize you were such a stickler for the rules.¡±


    ¡°.......................................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    Comments of ¡°this is very bad¡± started coming from the other soldiers spread out across the desert whose names Quenser did not know.


    ¡°If you¡¯re gonna go with divine punishment, keep it to him!! If you use your main cannon, you¡¯ll blow me away too!!¡± shouted Heivia without even trying to hide his self-centered fears.


    ¡°Honestly, why are boys so easily manipulated by girls who sing? Anyone can sing.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t let that comment go, princess. I hope I can expect great things of your singing ability. If you aren¡¯t aware, a certain island nation has this thing called karaoke!!¡±


    ¡°(Twitch) ...Y-you¡¯re on.¡±


    ¡°You can kill me!! As long as he dies, I don¡¯t care if you fire the Object¡¯s cannons!!¡±


    Quenser ignored Heivia¡¯s shouting and pulled the night vision goggles down from his forehead.


    His vision was digitally corrected and filled with green light.


    But he continued to make desperate jokes.


    ¡°So it¡¯s finally come to this. I¡¯m dressed in all black and wearing night vision goggles.¡± In the moonlight and the chill that seemed to stab at him through the darkness, his breath was white. ¡°All right! Now I¡¯m part of the special forces! I¡¯m the same as the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Hollywood movie stars. You can shake my hand at an amusement park!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Could you quit being so annoying and get down? If one of their snipers blows your head off, I¡¯m not gathering your remains. They¡¯d be too heavy.¡±


    Heivia was dressed in an all-black uniform as well. He was lying face down on the fine sand while complaining to his rotten friend who was approaching the limit of what Heivia could put up with.


    The desert was cold at night.


    Some deserts were made of cracked earth and some were plains with a few weeds growing at about the thickness of a filthy middle-aged man¡¯s half-grown beard, but the ones seen in sightseeing pamphlets that were covered in nothing but sand had a large temperature difference between day and night. Because it was midsummer, the temperature did not drop below freezing, but Heivia still clicked his tongue after stabbing an electric thermometer into the sand and reading the display.


    ¡°Six degrees. It¡¯s six degrees Celsius. You could throw some fish out here without needing to refrigerate it. What the hell is going on?¡±


    ¡°I think the distance is a bigger problem,¡± said Quenser as he lay down on the sand. ¡°We¡¯re ten kilometers away. Why did we have to get off the truck so far away? This isn¡¯t a carefully maintained sports field. Walking there and back is going to shorten my life.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t act like you could even run a city quarter marathon with plenty of water stations,¡± spat out Heivia. ¡°At ground level, you can only see about five kilometers away. The earth is round, so the horizon covers up everything beyond that. But this is the empty desert. If the tires disturbed the sand and created a dust cloud as we travelled, it could poke up above the horizon.¡±


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say, but shouldn¡¯t the dedicated scouts handle these long-range reconnaissance missions? This doesn¡¯t make sense. Everyone may have forgotten, but I¡¯m only a student who wanted to learn about Object design on the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m a radar analyst! That¡¯s an indoor job!! I¡¯m supposed to have a cool intellectual position in an air conditioned room and a bottle of mineral water in hand, so how did I end up on this hellish picnic where I¡¯m freezing my ass off in the desert!?¡±


    Their commanding officer then contacted them over their radio.


    Froleytia seemed to be as annoyed as them.


    ¡°Quiet down, war criminals. Do you really think you are in any position to choose your job? You should be thankful we actually need you.¡±


    ¡°Wow. I¡¯ve been wondering. Shouldn¡¯t we add a monitor to our radios? Then we could be supplied with someone ¨C anyone ¨C in a micro bikini.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, Heivia. This is the world of imagination. If everything is out in the open, it isn¡¯t as arousing.¡±


    ¡°Okay, war criminals. Keep in mind that I can dock your pay for disrespect at any time.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia solemnly prostrated themselves in front of the radio.


    However, their apology was cheaper than a movie theater hot dog.


    ¡°(Quenser, this is because of your creepy comment about the world of imagination!)¡±


    ¡°(Are you sure it isn¡¯t because of your comment about wanting ¡®anyone¡¯!?)¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I can hear everything the two of you are saying.¡±


    After having that pointed out, the two of them travelled through the desert night while keeping close to the ground.


    The desert reflected the moonlight, so it was a bit brighter than a thick forest. However, Quenser had not undergone the basic training to receive the benefit of that. He had been relying solely on the overall greenish image produced by his night vision goggles.


    ¡°My eyes hurt. You aren¡¯t supposed to have light shining on your eyes from so close. Are you sure this isn¡¯t going to ruin my eyesight? Is the blue light really okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re complaining about that on a battlefield where you could be blown to pieces in one second? More importantly, we need to keep following the remains of the pipeline. We¡¯re surrounded by nothing but desert, so we¡¯d lose our way even with a map.¡±


    Heivia pointed toward a two meter thick metal pipe a few hundred meters away. It continued in a straight line from the horizon behind them to the horizon in front of them. However, it was brown and rusted, it had large holes in places, and it simply disappeared for a while at some points.


    ¡°Is that a remnant of the old Oceanian military government?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It was a pipeline that drew water up from deep underground and carried it to large-scale farms.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t for oil?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what you call water resources. These days, the trendy thing to do is add ¡®resources¡¯ to something and find a way to make money off of it. As long as it makes money, it could be anything. Water resources, underground resources, power resources, food resources, human resources, sightseeing resources, living resources, forest resources, IP resources, and so on. It feels like they wouldn¡¯t worry about endangered species if they didn¡¯t have a price tag.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like something the Capitalist Corporations would love.¡±


    ¡°The Faith Organization would probably love this too. There are rumors of ghosts appearing at the ruins of the purification facilities and water gathering facilities the pipeline is centered around.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it isn¡¯t people searching for anything of value?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know why I even mentioned it. There¡¯s no point in a test of courage when there isn¡¯t a single girl around.¡±


    The desert was not level. It undulated like a stormy sea. When they did not choose their route carefully, they were forced to walk up and down large hills again and again. To avoid exerting unnecessary energy, they tried to choose the most level route possible.


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m lost on Mars.¡±


    ¡°This is better than that. I hear there¡¯s tungsten buried below our feet.¡±


    ¡°Tung...what?¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, this isn¡¯t gonna make you any money. It¡¯s spread out too thinly for that. If this area had a valuable vein, the old military government would have dug it all up in search of funds.¡±


    After continuing a little longer, they saw some faint light beyond the desert horizon.


    Heivia crouched down even lower and whispered to Quenser.


    ¡°That¡¯s gotta be it. They¡¯re really going all out.¡±


    ¡°What is the Simple Is Best doing right now?¡±


    ¡°It is preparing to charge in from a position thirty kilometers from our maintenance base,¡± cut in Froleytia. ¡°That¡¯s much further out than that light you can see. It¡¯s hiding beyond the horizon.¡±


    There was no sign of any enemy soldiers, but the closer they approached their destination, the higher the risk of cameras and sensors. Quenser and Heivia hurried on while checking for those things using their night vision goggles¡¯ sensors.


    ¡°This is insane,¡± said Quenser as he walked across the cold sand. ¡°We haven¡¯t heard anything back from the intelligence division team that went in ahead of us, right? Would you normally send a student somewhere that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°You are not the only one involved in this,¡± answered Froleytia.


    ¡°Still...¡±


    ¡°We are both professionals, so we need to be prepared for the worst case scenario. But if you run across the intelligence division team that screwed up there, take them back with you. Over.¡±


    ¡°I am not a professional! I¡¯m a student!!¡±


    Once they arrived within three kilometers of their destination, even those two idiots stopped speaking as much.


    They began to crawl slowly across the undulating sand dunes. Once they arrived at the top of one dune, their vision opened up.


    ¡°Ow...¡±


    The night vision goggles¡¯ display filled with fluorescent green.


    Feeling a slight pain in his temples, Quenser raised the goggles to his forehead and used his naked eyes.


    The dark and calm desert landscape had completely changed.


    The brightness had come from countless lights, both large and small.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just as we thought,¡± groaned Heivia.


    The scene several kilometers ahead of them resembled a temporary supply base. What stood out the most were the twenty large truck-like vehicles. They also saw prefab lodgings for over one hundred soldiers, gondola-equipped cranes in place of watchtowers, a communications facility, and defensive weapons ranging from tanks to mobile surface-to-air missile vehicles.


    The lights ranged from large searchlights held by cranes to vehicle headlights and military flashlights. The one common factor was the complete lack of concern about hiding the light in the darkness.


    While lying on the sand, Heivia pointed at one of the large truck-like vehicles.


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ mobile barricades. Were they called Ex. Walls? This confirms it. Another world power has joined in to crush us along with the Information Alliance¡¯s Simple Is Best.¡±


    ¡°That vehicle is a barricade?¡±


    Instead of a container on the back of the truck, it had what looked like a cylinder lying on its side. Both the front and the back of the vehicle had what looked like a driver¡¯s compartment. Overall, it was reminiscent of a train.


    Heivia bluntly answered Quenser¡¯s question.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get moving.¡±


    As soon as he spoke, the driver¡¯s compartments on both sides of the vehicle began moving in opposite directions. The metal cylinder in the middle expanded like an accordion. In no time at all, it formed a giant spring-like barricade that was seven meters thick and three hundred meters long.


    Quenser expressed his understanding with a displeased look.


    ¡°Oh, I get it now.¡±


    ¡°Stupid, isn¡¯t it? By lining up two rows of ten of them, they can form three kilometer barbed wire walls on either side.¡±


    ¡°Are they planning to stop our princess with those so the Simple Is Best can crush her?¡±


    Barbed wire was most often viewed as a tool to prevent intruders, but it could also be laid out on the ground in coils to wrap around tank treads and armored vehicle tires.


    But Quenser frowned as he lay on the sand.


    ¡°Are the Capitalist Corporations really thinking that? Forget barbed wire. You could surround the world in walls made from the same reinforced concrete as nuclear shelters and it would mean nothing against an Object¡¯s main cannon.¡±


    ¡°Look closely and think about it. Why do you think their toys are called Ex. Walls?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Ex. stands for explosion. Change the magnification and look more closely. That coil of barbed wire is made to break into pieces if it receives a powerful shock such as from a bombardment. And each individual piece functions as an anti-personnel mine. That one truck probably has somewhere between two and three thousand.¡±


    ¡°Why? Scattering landmines isn¡¯t going to stop the princess.¡±


    ¡°It would still be a problem concerning the image of clean wars using Objects.¡± One corner of Heivia¡¯s mouth twisted up in a smile. ¡°The war treaties forbid indiscriminately laying or scattering mines. But they can weasel their way out of it in the international conference room by saying their enemy was the one that scattered them. In other words, the princess could end up being labelled the bad guy for pulling the trigger. It would be awkward to be accused with that while stationed in Oceania to help with the war recovery. That weapon is meant to stop her with that threat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. It¡¯s a weapon that ignores its actual ability and plays word games? It sounds like the stupid games nobles play.¡±


    ¡°You should avoid saying that in a Legitimacy Kingdom safe country.¡±


    Froleytia then spoke up over the radio.


    ¡°Those mobile barricades form a block three kilometers across. They are being prepared simultaneously in eight places to surround our maintenance base and the Baby Magnum. Once that is complete, they will approach to tighten the circle. If we grow impatient and send out the princess, the Simple Is Best will charge in at supersonic speeds.¡±


    The missing intelligence division team had snuck into one of those eight places, but they did not know which one.


    ¡°Those barricades are mobile, so they can connect to their military network and move to match the Object¡¯s location. Once they have sealed off the princess¡¯s actions as best they can, they will create a path for the Simple Is Best to charge in. To be honest, this could be bad if they are able to work together well.¡±


    The Simple Is Best¡¯s strategy was quite broad. It used its thick front armor and the acceleration of its high-output ion thrusters to ignore the damage done to it and charge in close enough for an extreme close range main cannon blast.


    The princess¡¯s only chance was at the moment of intersection.


    The Simple Is Best had a monstrous top speed, but that meant it could not make tight turns. And to reduce weight, its additional armor was only on the front. If its charge was evaded by moving quickly to the left or right, it would be the princess¡¯s turn. If she fired on the Simple Is Best when its backside was showing, there was nothing it could do to avoid destruction.


    Effectively sealing off the left or right evasive routes using the barricades could be called a fatal means of hindering the princess.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why the intelligence division tried to do something about it. But they failed. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the Capitalist Corporations or the Information Alliance behind this, but they aren¡¯t stupid.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re connected by their military network. Even if someone can¡¯t hack in from outside, that link can be cut off by sneaking a virus directly into one of the barricade¡¯s communications facilities. A single 25 euro chip can bring an end to this.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s what we¡¯re on our way to do?¡±


    ¡°If we weren¡¯t needed, we wouldn¡¯t have been called out here. Also, all eight sites are being infiltrated at the same time. As long as the virus gets in at one of them, we win.¡±


    ¡°That means there isn¡¯t a problem if seven of the groups fail. Doesn¡¯t that make us expendable?¡±


    Quenser was relatively useless in normal combat unrelated to Objects, so Heivia ignored his whining and double-checked the layout of the barricade facility they were about to swiftly attack. He checked the arrangement of people, the patrol routes, the directions and strengths of the lights, the presence of various types of sensors, and so on. When his life was at risk, it looked like a treasure chest of information that he never got tired of looking at.


    ¡°I see an unfamiliar armored vehicle. Is that one not from the Capitalist Corporations?¡±


    ¡°Does that make it from the Information Alliance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say so. It¡¯s probably an Information Alliance officer¡¯s vehicle. He¡¯ll be here in order to make sure the Capitalist Corporations goes along with their secret arrangement. It has a lot of antennae on it too. It¡¯s probably for a VIP.¡±


    ¡°A VIP? So does it have 24/7 air conditioning, a fridge full of sodas, a microwave to reheat fried chicken, a home theater system, internet access, a simple shower, and a sofa that turns into a bed?¡±


    Despite Quenser¡¯s comments, his expression showed no jealousy.


    ¡°Even if he has a bodyguard team, I can¡¯t believe an officer would head alone into the middle of an enemy nation¡¯s unit like that. If the Capitalist Corporations changed their mind and decided to get some information from this powerful officer, he could end up on the receiving end of torture and truth serums.¡±


    ¡°He was probably ordered here. As we know all too well, if a higher up orders you to do something ridiculous, you can¡¯t fight it. ...As a student, you may be unaware, but the military is a constrained and harsh place.¡±


    ¡°I would never guess that from looking at you.¡±


    The two idiots began a light fistfight, but then the hatch for the VIP armored vehicle opened. They frantically resumed observation.


    ¡°Wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait! What the hell? She looks twelve. That girl is about the same age as the one we saved from the human traffickers, but she¡¯s arrogantly wearing a military uniform.¡±


    ¡°As I said, the military is a harsh place.¡±


    ¡°Yeah... She¡¯s a young Information Alliance officer, so she might be a product of their genius girl project. I don¡¯t know the official name, though.¡±


    ¡°Why is it limited to girls? Some old man¡¯s tastes?¡±


    ¡°You joke, but that might actually be the reason.¡± Quenser¡¯s expression was perfectly serious. ¡°It¡¯s an issue of the symbolism. There¡¯s a lot of difference in nuance between a manly hero standing before the people and a feminine saint standing before them. By showing a delicate, weak, lovely, and fair maiden working towards the war, the people will confuse their desire to protect her with a desire to fight.¡±


    ¡°I want to send my applause and a bomb to the person who seriously thought that up. How long will the people continue to be innocently moved by some child actor hired with money?¡±


    ¡°That ¡®oh ho ho¡¯ is a popular idol back in the Information Alliance safe countries. It¡¯s no different from that. I hear one¡¯s status in the Information Alliance changes based on your ability to insist that clearly deviated justice is correct. Supposedly, a popular dog from some commercials gets better medical care than your average office worker.¡±


    Quenser glanced toward the assault rifle hanging from Heivia¡¯s shoulder. It was primarily used as a mid-range weapon, but its various sensors allowed it to be used for sniping to a certain extent.


    ¡°So are you going to do it? I bet you could shoot her right in the head or heart from here.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just the poor overseer the Information Alliance sent here. She¡¯s unrelated to the surrounding barricade, so shooting her won¡¯t stop them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. We need to thank god that we can actually choose our enemy.¡±


    Also, causing a commotion before injecting the virus would ruin any chances of their plan succeeding.


    After checking over the entire enemy formation, Heivia slowly stood up.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get this horrible job over with.¡±


    ¡°Are we really going to sneak in there? They¡¯ll spot us immediately with those lights everywhere. Shouldn¡¯t we at least get an invisibility coat, an infinite health recovery first-aid box, and a charged particle bazooka? It¡¯ll be impossible otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Didn¡¯t you know human beings can defeat a demon king with only cotton clothes and a wooden stick?¡±


    Heivia led the way and Quenser followed. Rather than heading straight in, the two of them circled wide to the side as they travelled through the darkness.


    The massive amount of light seemed to cut off the barricade facility from the rest of the desert, but that created a large gap between the lit areas and the unlit areas. And because it was an outdoor facility, the lights did not illuminate everything evenly.


    In other words, there were still dark areas.


    ¡°(Do you really think we can sneak through the darkness without being noticed? What if there are a ton of sensors that you can¡¯t see?)¡±


    ¡°(I¡¯m being careful. But you don¡¯t set up traps along animal trails. No one wants the alarm going off all throughout the night because of every little boar and rabbit. While preparing to set up the barricade so quickly, they don¡¯t want delicate sensors everywhere. Their own people would be setting off the alarm all the time.)¡±


    Quenser tilted his head, wondering if that was how it worked.


    This was hardly the first time, but it was still quite thrilling to entrust his life to something he did not understand himself. However, he did not want to be left behind by Heivia while so close to enemy territory.


    ¡°(We can¡¯t hide our footprints in the desert.)¡±


    ¡°(They¡¯re working all over the place. There are already footprints everywhere.)¡±


    But just as they took the first step, they stopped.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Quenser looked around in confusion with his goggles still on his forehead.


    He was focusing with his ears rather than his eyes.


    ¡°I hear an odd rumbling noise.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Heivia immediately pushed Quenser to the ground. While getting down on the cold sand himself, Heivia whispered to Quenser.


    ¡°(Hey, you idiot! Turn off all your sensors! Goggles, binoculars, everything!! Don¡¯t answer your radio even if our huge-breasted commander calls. We¡¯ll be blown to pieces the instant we send out any radio waves, infrared rays, or anything else!!)¡±


    ¡°(What?)¡±


    ¡°(This is no time to be clueless, Quenser. Unless this rumbling is being caused by a legendary dragon, there¡¯s only one thing big enough to cause it!!)¡±


    ¡°(Wait a second!!)¡±


    An unpleasant sweat covered Quenser¡¯s body in an instant.


    But time was not going to wait.


    While lying on the sand, he dug through his coat pocket. He pulled out an electric thermometer and stabbed it into the sand.


    ¡°(7.5 degrees!)¡±


    ¡°(You¡¯re kidding. It was six degrees earlier. Damn, have all these lights raised the ground temperature!?)¡±


    As they whispered back and forth, they reached for a different pocket. What they pulled out was nothing special. It was a cold spray used for wrist sprains and such.


    Quenser stabbed the thermometer into his uniform and sprayed the cold spray over his entire body. He sprayed it enough to bring it to 7.5 degrees just like the ground.


    ¡°(Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!! It¡¯s all over if its sensors pick us up!!)¡±


    ¡°(We can do this, but will it really fool that collection of cutting-edge equipment? It has tons of sensors to detect people other than thermo!!)¡±


    ¡°(From what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s the type that can detect a mole using a combination of body temperature and electromagnetic field disturbance. All the iron sand in the desert should keep that from working perfectly!!)¡±


    Quenser¡¯s ears were slammed by a sound like the roar of the wind or like the air being crushed.


    He could not move a finger any more.


    The countless stars and the faintly colored moonlight in the cold desert sky should have spread thinly across the entire area, but a giant shadow seemed to devour one area of that. It was an artificial device. It was a colossal weapon. It was the synonym for war that had brought an end to the nuclear age and still reigned as strongest.


    It was an Object.


    This was a 1.5 generation Object from the Capitalist Corporations.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as the final transmission from the missing intelligence division team said.¡± His voice sounded truly unhappy. ¡°That¡¯s the Hornet Storm from the Capitalist Corporations. Completely unlike any other Object, that demonic machine was developed to attack large cities.¡±


    The giant spherical main body that was the symbol of Objects appeared to be supported by an air cushion propulsion device. The back of the Object was covered by several giant metal panels that looked like a rounded version of peacock feathers.


    However...


    The biggest oddity about Hornet Storm¡¯s design lay elsewhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Object without a main canon,¡± muttered Quenser. ¡°It only has 100 anti-personnel laser beam cannons. When fighting another Object, it uses its peacock feathers to refract and reflect all of its lasers to create a concentrated attack on a single point of the enemy¡¯s armor.¡±


    The princess¡¯s Baby Magnum also had its main cannon distributed over seven cannons that could be used to cut off the enemy¡¯s escape and use the opening to focus an attack on a single point.


    However, it was rare to take it to this extreme.


    This was similar to tearing everything down to the ground in order to distribute and focus the attacks.


    ¡°That weapon wasn¡¯t made for a clean war,¡± groaned Heivia. ¡°When a dictator uses all the people in a large city as a shield, that Object can kill him without leaving room for negotiation. This modern day grim reaper can ignore the hostages, charge into the city, and accurately fire on only the target. Once that thing has you located, it can kill you as easily as entering a name into a search engine. It¡¯s specialized toward human targets, so you could call it our natural enemy.¡±


    Even if its weapons were known as ¡°small¡± laser beam cannons, that was in reference to Object-sized weapons. A single shot had the destructive power to easily melt a tank or shoot down a fighter.


    Each of the 100 cannons could accurately target anything in a five kilometer range and it could penetrate any obstacle to utterly destroy its target. And a flesh-and-blood human could not evade a laser beam cannon that approached at the speed of light.


    In a single action, it could accurately and precisely eliminate 100 enemy soldiers.


    And what if, with only a few seconds of lag for cooling and re-aiming, it could repeat that action indefinitely?


    What if, no matter how many hostages were gathered as shields, it could slip its attack through the gaps and hit only the target?


    What if any human counterattack could be completely ignored thanks to the thick armor unique to Objects?


    That would no longer be a fight. It would be divine punishment unilaterally poured down on them. In a way, the overwhelming intimidation this brought was more than that of a second generation Object that fought a war in a distant country. That Object could be sent to battlefield or safe country alike. It opposed the idea of the clean war and it was a nightmarish existence for guerrillas and terrorists hiding in cities.


    And that Object was calmly crossing the battlefield as its air cushion blasted sand into the air.


    Unpleasant sweat covered Quenser and Heivia¡¯s bodies as they held their breath and tried to hold onto their lives. It travelled extremely close by the Capitalist Corporations soldiers working to prepare the barricade in the artificial lights.


    The countless cannons attached to its spherical main body moved slightly in the darkness and its targeting sensors constantly scanned the ground.


    This was the king of the food chain.


    It did not run or hide. It simply travelled the world searching for prey.


    As Quenser was forced to lie on the ground when faced by its arrogance, he could not even feel frustrated by it all. He could only wait as time passed. He dreamed of the moment when he could think in the past tense that it had left. He wanted to shout out and run away, but he had to desperately suppress that desire.


    For five minutes, the Hornet Storm moved slowly as if evaluating its surroundings.


    That must have been its standard procedure because the Object did not find any prey and it quickly accelerated away from the barricade facility.


    Quenser felt like he could not breathe.


    Even after its giant form disappeared beyond the horizon, he did not immediately get up.


    ¡°It must be going around to the eight barricades in order like that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it is estimated to have a top speed of over 550 kph. If the alarm goes off somewhere, it¡¯ll be there in no time. We can¡¯t use this cold spray forever and there¡¯s nowhere to run in the middle of the desert. Once it detects us, our lives are literally over.¡±


    ¡°So when will it be back here?¡±


    ¡°If it uses that same pattern for all eight spots, I¡¯d say a little under an hour. Of course, that¡¯s assuming we don¡¯t trigger the alarm.¡±


    They did not want to meet that monster again.


    The two of them both wanted to finish their business here as quickly as possible.


    The real mission was still to come.


    Part 3


    In and of itself, their task was simple.


    Their enemy was a unit made up of both the Information Alliance and Capitalist Corporations. This unit had the second generation Simple Is Best, the 1.5 Generation Hornet Storm, and the multiple Ex. Wall mobile barricades that would keep their own Object from moving.


    It would be difficult for the princess¡¯s Baby Magnum to deal with it all on its own, so Quenser, Heivia, and the others were secretly infiltrating the communication facilities for the mobile barricades. By directly injecting a virus into the hardware, control of the barricades could be stolen at the crucial moment.


    The mobile barricades would remain within the enemy unit until the battle began. At that point, they would be used to block the movements of the Simple Is Best and Hornet Storm.


    Normally, they could be easily blown away with the overwhelming firepower of the Objects, but this would occur in the middle of an Object vs. Object battle. When an instantaneous decision could influence the direction a war was headed, a lag of a few seconds could be fatal.


    The primary target was the Information Alliance¡¯s Simple Is Best.


    The Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Hornet Storm was simply trying to take advantage of the situation, so they were likely to swiftly retreat the instant that advantage disappeared. But if it did not, the princess would then have to defeat that 1.5 generation Object.


    Even with two Objects attacking at once, the princess had a decent chance of winning as long as they set up the battlefield so she could fight them separately.


    ¡°As usual, this is one hell of a blueprint. Was this really simulated on a super computer?¡±


    ¡°Try to think more positively. If they could draw up this blueprint, that means there¡¯s at least that much hope left. And complaining isn¡¯t going to change anything.¡±


    Heivia took the lead and Quenser followed through the moonlit desert. They were already within the grounds of the barricade facility.


    The facility itself was meant to allow the preparation of the large truck-like mobile barricades and provide access to the military network, but it had many other buildings and vehicles.


    ¡°Why did they prepare such a large area? The barricades are mobile, so they¡¯re just going to approach our maintenance base once they¡¯re set up. I can understand a convoy, but won¡¯t the prefab lodgings be left behind?¡±


    ¡°The barricades are going to gather around an Object to stop it from moving. Staying away from the front lines is safer. They can retrieve the other things once the battle is over.¡±


    There were a lot of lights. The gondola-equipped cranes used in place of watchtowers had their own spotlights, the vehicles parked around had headlights, and the large halogen lights usually used for stages and construction sites were set up on large stands here and there.


    Heading out into the light would have been suicide and cutting in front of a light would cause a giant shadow.


    But the lights were not set up to provide even light and there were spots they missed. By circling behind them and mixing in with the shadows, Quenser and Heivia¡¯s silhouettes were hidden by the bright backlights. Lights that produced a lot of light and heat also helped fool different types of sensors.


    Even when they were less than ten meters from enemy Capitalist Corporations soldiers, the soldiers could not see them behind the lights.


    While walking across the sandy ground, they spoke quietly to each other.


    ¡°We have to inject this virus into their system. Where¡¯s the communications facility?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it fifty meters ahead. That small prefab building. The one with a lot of antennae on the roof.¡±


    ¡°Will it also be left behind when the barricades close in?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they have separate armored vehicles for command control. By dividing the system up, there is less of a risk of being cut off from the military network. Of course, that provides more ways into the system for people like us.¡±


    The communications facility was the cornerstone of the mobile barricades, so it had strict security and a lot of lights. They would not be able to reach it by walking through the darkness.


    Heivia pointed at a line of military trucks parked nearby.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Let¡¯s hide under those to get close. It¡¯ll be harder to spot us than if we walk around with our heads down.¡±


    He got down on the fine sand and slid under the back of the nearest truck. That left Quenser with no choice. He imitated Heivia and crawled under the tuck without knowing the right way to do it.


    He smelled something that resembled demi-glace.


    ¡°Damn them. What do they have loaded in this truck? Why does the enemy get to eat such nice food?¡±


    ¡°They have over 100 people working to set up the barricade. They¡¯re probably busy supplying soap and toilet paper too.¡±


    Suddenly, they heard footsteps on the sand.


    And from more than one person. An unpleasant sweat appeared on Quenser¡¯s cheek as he hid under the truck and pressed against the sand.


    ¡°(Three, four...no, five. Dammit. This is pretty much up to chance now.)¡±


    As Heivia complained, he pulled his handgun from its holster and attached the suppresser. Quenser¡¯s eyes opened wide.


    ¡°(If they notice something¡¯s wrong, the Hornet Storm will rush over here, remember!?)¡±


    ¡°(I¡¯m not preparing this because I want to use it, you idiot!)¡±


    Meanwhile, multiple military boots were clearly headed their way. Not only could they hear the footsteps, they could feel a kind of pressure. These soldiers were not simply walking around the trucks. They were obviously walking toward the trucks.


    Quenser squeezed his eyes shut when he saw Heivia holding up his handgun in the cramped space below the truck.


    He waited for a while.


    But nothing happened.


    ¡°...?¡±


    He heard the sound of truck doors opening and closing. The truck above them then creaked like a bed. He doubted it would actually happen, but he felt as if it were going to crush him from above. They were on soft sand rather than hard asphalt, so the space between the bottom of the truck and the ground might not remain the same.


    Finally, he realized there was something else he had to focus on instead.


    ¡°(Hey, hey! Quenser, you idiot! Pull yourself together!!)¡±


    ¡°(Eh? Ah?)¡±


    ¡°(They just climbed into the truck. Why do you think that is? Unless they¡¯re planning to kill some time with some rural car sex, they¡¯re going to drive the truck away!!)¡±


    The engine rumbled to life.


    As Quenser¡¯s lungs filled with the unpleasant smell of exhaust, he desperately suppressed the instinctual urge to cough.


    If the truck drove away, Quenser and Heivia would gather more attention than a birthday cake.


    Heivia had already started to crawl to the next in the line of parked trucks.


    ¡°(Hurry up, Quenser! If you stupidly get caught, it¡¯ll put me in danger too, so hurry!!)¡±


    ¡°(Wait, wait, wait! The truck¡¯s about to drive off. If I move now, I could be crushed by the tire!)¡±


    ¡°(That¡¯s better than having your head filled with holes by tons of bullets bought with the money from the donation boxes next to convenience store registers, isn¡¯t it? Quit panicking and get over here!!)¡±


    Quenser felt like he was choosing the better of two deaths as he desperately began to move. He crawled out from under the ominously vibrating truck, passed right by the tire supporting a weight of several tons, and managed to reach the next truck.


    He just barely made it out when the truck drove off.


    But it was too soon to breathe a sigh of relief.


    They once again heard the sound of an engine starting from overhead.


    ¡°(What the hell!? What the hell!? What the hell!?)¡±


    ¡°(They¡¯re sending out each truck in turn. They might be forming a convoy to drive across the desert!)¡±


    ¡°(What? Was eating all that delicious-smelling food not enough!? A noble like me can¡¯t even hope for dessert after a meal!!)¡±


    Quenser and Heivia could not have themselves brought into the open, so they rolled along the line of trucks as the trucks drove off, one at a time.


    More than ten trucks left and only two remained.


    ¡°(What the hell was that? Is it finally over?)¡±


    ¡°(No, wait a second.)¡±


    In addition to the drivers of the trucks, there had been some soldiers who had helped load wooden boxes and other things into the trucks. They were scattering as they returned to their normal posts.


    But...


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    A single pair of boots stopped.


    The boots had their heels pointed toward the two boys, but they quickly turned 180 degrees. The toes were now pointed their way. The ground had been made of soft sand and the trucks had created tire tracks when driving away, but this soldier may have noticed another unnatural trail as if something large had crawled along the ground.


    The legs bent as if the solider were crouching down.


    A soldier about their age poked his head down to peer under the truck.


    Without hesitation, Heivia fired his suppressor-equipped military handgun into the soldier¡¯s face.


    Quenser instinctually covered his eyes with his hands.


    ¡°(Do you have a death wish!?)¡±


    ¡°(Shut up. If I hadn¡¯t done anything, he would have caused a commotion! More importantly, Quenser, you cover up the blood with sand. I¡¯ll drag the body under here!!)¡±


    ¡°(You could at least let me be the one to shoot him. The last thing I want is to get killed while cleaning up after you.)¡±


    A shot to the brain did not create as much blood as to the heart. Heivia hid the body under the truck as if moving a sack of flour while Quenser did as instructed and hid the blood with the desert sand.


    ¡°Either way, they¡¯ll find him as soon as they move the truck. Let¡¯s get this virus in the system and get the hell out of here.¡±


    While ignoring the blood on their hands, Quenser and Heivia crawled out from under the truck and approached the nearby single-story prefab building. To keep sand out, the floor was elevated like with buildings along the beach. Quenser hid under the floor while Heivia pressed up against the door. Heivia removed the parabolic microphone from the front of his rifle and tossed it underhand to Quenser. Quenser caught it and pressed the microphone against the floor above him.


    (One set of footsteps in each corner save the east. Also, one hard sound. Chair legs maybe? It¡¯s near the center.)


    After acquiring the necessary information, he jotted down a general diagram, folded the memo into a paper airplane, and threw it to Heivia.


    Heivia checked it, jammed a large military knife into the gap of the door, and forcibly destroyed the lock.


    Quenser hid under the building for a dozen or so seconds and then approached the door.


    He peered inside and saw Heivia had already cleared the room.


    ¡°Ugh. There¡¯s blood everywhere.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not planning to send this image into people¡¯s living rooms. More importantly, it¡¯s time to get to work, Quenser,¡± said Heivia as he swapped out his handgun¡¯s magazine.


    The prefab room had tables chaotically lined up within. Many different pieces of electronic equipment were placed on top, but there were only two obvious computers. The others were mostly old audio equipment and phantom equipment that radio enthusiasts would pursue within an electronics district.


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. Everything¡¯s soaked. They¡¯re covered in so much red I can¡¯t read the displays.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t complain, student. I went to some effort to keep my bullets from destroying the machinery.¡±


    Quenser ignored the specialized radio equipment and approached one of the computers. The Legitimacy Kingdom had given him a postage stamp-sized chip with the virus on it. Once he infected the system with it, their job was done.


    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s the Shift key on this thing? This one¡¯s Esc, right?¡±


    ¡°This is a Capitalist Corporations machine. It isn¡¯t gonna be exactly the same.¡±


    ¡°It does have a chip slot though, right?¡±


    The two idiots exchanged a glance and frantically looked around at the outside of the computer. Fortunately, the media type used here seemed to be common between systems. There was a small slot for inserting the stamp-sized chip.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Can you actually hack?¡±


    ¡°If I could, I¡¯d be working somewhere that pays better. I just have to leave all the work to the program here.¡±


    As he spoke offhand, Quenser typed on the unfamiliar Capitalist Corporations keyboard.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... If I just insert the chip in normal mode, it¡¯ll be rejected, so I ignore this. I need to reboot, spam the function key to bring up the BIOS screen, and switch the boot device priority so it¡¯ll boot up from the external media.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how much longer? They¡¯ll discover the dead soldiers from the lack of periodic reports. We need to get ready to leave.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. I just need to reboot again! Okay, done!! The virus has begun to overwrite the system before the military security can catch it. We can just leave it now!¡±


    After seeing the blinking of the access light move from the stamp-sized chip to the HDD, Quenser removed the chip from the slot.


    He moved over to Heivia who had the door cracked open to check outside.


    ¡°We just have to leave now. What¡¯s our escape route?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just walk out.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia had slipped past the guards by crawling under the line of military trucks, but all but two of those trucks had left. They could not use that same route.


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s climb into the back of one of the remaining trucks. I doubt they¡¯re going to stay here all night.¡±


    As soon as he had finished speaking, Heivia crouched down and ran toward canopy-covered back of the truck. Quenser followed and Heivia pulled him up into the truck.


    Half of the truck was filled with wooden boxes, but they did not have the warnings about flammability and shaking that boxes of weapons would have.


    ¡°Goddammit! It¡¯s bananas and milk! Are they preparing a nice healthy breakfast!?¡±


    ¡°Should I go see the base counselor if that combination sounds dirty to me?¡±


    The two idiots opened one of the boxes and quenched their thirst with some of the milk inside refrigerated containers.


    Then they waited.


    A few footsteps approached the military truck. One toward the driver¡¯s seat and two or three toward the back. Heivia hid behind the boxes and used his knife to silently attack them when they had fully climbed into the truck.


    After making sure they were all dead, Quenser approached the front of the truck. He knocked twice on the metal panel dividing the driver¡¯s compartment and the back.


    The driver mistook it for a sign that they soldiers were all onboard, so he smoothly drove off.


    ¡°We need to have a serious discussion about our pay. There¡¯s definitely something wrong with you getting paid the same as me.¡±


    ¡°If you have a complaint, go talk to the people that pay us.¡±


    That was when they heard an unnatural clunk in the back of the truck.


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Quenser immediately took a defensive stance but was unable to do much of anything. Heivia used an arm and a leg to knock Quenser to the ground and used his other hand to draw his military handgun. He had seen movement behind one of the wooden boxes. Whoever it was must not have thought the box would function as a shield because they swiftly moved to eliminate Heivia.


    The two of them held their handguns toward each other at a distance of less than a meter, but they both suddenly stopped moving.


    Heivia frowned.


    ¡°What? Is that a Legitimacy Kingdom handgun?¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t from the Capitalist Corporations?¡±


    The person who uttered that confused comment and moved from behind the box (without lowering the gun) was a blonde-haired woman a bit older than Quenser.


    Her uniform had a different camouflage design than theirs, but it was a Legitimacy Kingdom format.


    The uniform had an unfamiliar emblem sewn into the shoulder.


    While lying helpless on the floor, Quenser spoke up.


    ¡°Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t there an intelligence division team that went in ahead of us and disappeared?¡±


    Part 4


    Enough time had passed that the mobile barricade group had likely noticed the dead soldiers. However, the military truck Quenser and the others were aboard had already left the area.


    After Heivia decided they were far enough away, he fired a few times toward the driver¡¯s seat.


    The truck immediately swerved to the side and crashed into a sand dune.


    Heivia climbed out of the back of the truck, forced open the driver¡¯s side door, and dragged the body out onto the sand.


    The blonde woman checked over the body for ammunition, rations, and the like.


    ¡°My name is Lisa Deauville. My rank is second lieutenant. I would appreciate it if you would help me handle my team¡¯s mistake.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed you managed to escape. What about the others?¡±


    ¡°They were not so fortunate,¡± the intelligence division soldier named Lisa said.


    Quenser did not try to ask for further details. There were people at the maintenance base zone who would do that. Right now, he needed to rejoice that even one of them had survived.


    He pointed at the truck with his thumb.


    ¡°Our vehicle is about ten kilometers ahead. We¡¯ll head there, switch vehicles, and return to the maintenance base.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be stuck driving. Hey, Quenser! You sit in the passenger seat to navigate. I¡¯m not gonna let you get a head start on flirting just because you¡¯re useless.¡±


    After sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, Heivia operated the shift lever and freed the truck from the sand dune it had run into. Before the truck even came to a full stop, Quenser grabbed onto the passenger side, opened the door, and tumbled inside.


    And then blonde-haired Lisa also sat in the passenger seat by sitting on top of Quenser¡¯s lap.


    At this point, Heivia pulled out his military knife.


    ¡°Quenserrrrrr!!¡±


    ¡°Ask her what¡¯s going on, not me!! (I won¡¯t deny I like it, though.)¡±


    Even through the thick military uniform, Quenser could feel the unique softness and warmth of a woman.


    Lisa, however, showed no sign of being bothered by the situation.


    ¡°There are only two seats in here and I cannot assist you from the back of the truck. If I sat in the driver¡¯s seat, I would get in the way, so the only possible place for me is the passenger seat.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, swap seats with me!! You don¡¯t have a license? There¡¯s nothing but desert as far as the eye can see. You just have to step on the accelerator and turn the steering wheel. Anyone can do that!!¡±


    They would be spotted regardless with any cutting-edge sensors, but they still did not have the guts to drive through the desert night with the headlights on.


    But as previously stated, the desert was not flat. It had sand dunes with height differences of several meters. It may have been similar to stopping time and driving over the stormy ocean.


    And so...


    ¡°Ohh, ohhhhh, ohh. Th-this is a very bumpy road. Hey, boy. Stop squirming below me. And why has something been pressing up against my butt for a while now?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate adolescence, officer cadet! We can fill the time waiting for the elevator by talking about nothing but a large tree that looks a lot like a woman¡¯s waist. You need to be prepared for this kind of thing before you choose to sit on my lap!!¡±


    ¡°At least look at the map, you idiots!! You¡¯re pissing me off! Do you want to frighten everyone away by bringing tears and snot to the face of Heivia, the super genius, beautiful, wealthy, athletic noble who will infiltrate enemy territory, rescue hostages, or anything else you need!? Is that what you want!?¡±


    However, there were some things one did not give up even after such a desperate plea.


    Quenser was in the same mindset as someone refusing to hand over the bit of ice cream stuck to the bottom of the lid, so he began contemplating pulling out a Hand Axe plastic explosive to stop Heivia from switching seats with him. He also feared the possibility of Lisa alone sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. If it came to that, he would bite his own tongue.


    ¡°Huh? Wait, Heivia. We need to contact the maintenance base and the princess to tell them we injected the virus and what our escape route is. Once we have control of the mobile barricades, the Baby Magnum can begin its attack and we need to make sure this truck isn¡¯t destroyed in the process.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid!! As soon as the virus took effect, it sent a log from the enemy server to our electronic simulation division! Also! My hands are full driving!! If you need something done, do it yourself!!¡±


    At any rate, they needed to give a report.


    There were eight mobile barrier locations. A dangerous infiltration mission had been carried out at each one. If they reported their success, the other teams could abandon their dangerous mission and leave. He doubted it would happen, but if another team managed to infect the system at the same time (or slightly slower), Quenser did not want them to make the first report and take the credit.


    And so Quenser reached for the radio.


    ¡°Huh? Damn, I can¡¯t reach.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Your arms are wrapped around me like you are holding a log. Do you need a radio? You can use the one in my pocket. It is in the chest pocket.¡±


    ¡°Ngh... So it¡¯s near your chest? ...Is this it? Huh? This is awfully soft...¡±


    ¡°Stop that! Why are you touching my-...no, don¡¯t make me say it!¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t this truck divide down the middle and leave a bike for just me?¡± grumbled Heivia in the driver¡¯s seat.


    After some difficulty and some occasional squirming from Lisa, Quenser finally managed to remove the radio from her uniform.


    He held it in front of her, set the frequency, and entered the encryption key. Once he secured a mission bandwidth, he brought the radio to his mouth while his face was covered by the blonde hair flowing down Lisa¡¯s back.


    ¡°This is Team A. Mission complete. The virus has infected the system. We are, um...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the Capitalist Corporations Steel Father 8-ton truck travelling down route 32 with no lights on. Tell them to make sure the Object doesn¡¯t fire on us,¡± supplied Heivia in annoyance.


    Quenser began to repeat the information.


    ¡°Um, we are the Capitalist Corporations Steel-...¡±


    But then another transmission cut in. It came from one of the teams infiltrating one of the other mobile barricade facilities.


    ¡°This is terrible! HQ, can you hear me!? Please respond!!¡±


    ¡°Team F, this is HQ. We can hear you just fine. If there is a problem, it lies in your ability to speak. Simply put: calm down.¡±


    ¡°How am I supposed to stay calm!? What the hell is going on?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance. Lisa reached over from Quenser¡¯s lap and used a hand to point Heivia¡¯s head back toward the road.


    (Did one of the teams screw up and get spotted?)


    The virus had already been injected into the Capitalist Corporations military network. There was no reason to continue the infiltration mission any further. Quenser adjusted his grip on the radio to make sure they did not die for no reason.


    But then he stopped.


    Team F continued their report from another mobile barricade facility.


    ¡°We found the missing intelligence division team. We counted, and this is all of them! They¡¯re all dead!! Damn them. They gathered all the captured soldiers in one place and ¡®prepared¡¯ them. They ignored all the war treaties and tortured the prisoners!!¡±


    Quenser felt a chill run down his spine.


    He felt like he had just learned the cute kitten sitting on his lap was a strange carnivorous beast.


    Heivia immediately slammed on the brakes as hard as he could.


    As the truck came to a sudden stop as if it had caught on something, Heivia drew his handgun.


    But before the boy could aim, Lisa had already accurately pressed her own handgun against his temple.


    Unlike Quenser and Heivia, she was not held in place by a seatbelt and the sudden stop could have easily knocked her through the windshield, but she still moved more quickly.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± asked Heivia while almost dumbfounded.


    Lisa was obviously more skilled. Heivia must have sensed that fact because he began to sweat.


    Lisa showed no sign of caring about Quenser who was held down beneath her butt. She must have thought she could immediately handle any movement he took.


    ¡°That report said Team F found the bodies of the intelligence division team. They said they counted them. Then who the hell are you!?¡±


    ¡°I am a Legitimacy Kingdom soldier. I did not lie when I gave you my name and rank.¡±


    ¡°Hah! Are you serious? If you weren¡¯t up to no good, you wouldn¡¯t have pretended to be who we thought you were. There was something you didn¡¯t want us to know, wasn¡¯t there!?¡±


    ¡°Even if you checked the military database, you would not find any data on me. That is the sort of unit I belonged to! If we had remained back there, we would have been found by the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance who were protecting the mobile barrier. I intended to tell you the truth once we reached safety!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah!? And what is that truth!?¡±


    ¡°I...My unit was-...!!¡±


    Lisa ¨C or the blonde woman going by that name ¨C began to tremble as she started to speak.


    But then a giant shell landed near the truck.


    It landed to the left from Quenser¡¯s perspective.


    They were struck by a tremendous impact.


    Quenser thought the reinforced glass on the door would shatter instantly, but the entire door came off. The heavy military truck was a mass of metal protected by bulletproof equipment, but the entire thing floated up into the air. In all seriousness, it spun horizontally in midair twice. It landed on the tires, but its momentum caused it to roll on its side.


    ¡°Gh...bh!?¡±


    Quenser could not breathe as he was practically hung by his seatbelt. But it was not strangling his neck. The pain came from the pressure to his ribs and lungs.


    ¡°What...the hell?¡±


    Quenser heard the high-pitched sound of something breaking. Once he focused on his unsteady vision, he saw Lisa Deauville breaking the windshield. She bent her supple body, slipped through the hole, and escaped into the desert night.


    ¡°Get...back here!!¡±


    Heivia broke the windshield and made his way out as well. Quenser was left behind, struggling with his seatbelt.


    ¡°Damn... What even happened!?¡±


    Because of the unusual weight on it, the seatbelt would not come undone even once he pressed the button. He searched through his uniform and pulled out the survival kit. There was a small cooking knife inside.


    (That was an explosion from a shell... A shell!? It wasn¡¯t targeting the truck, but I doubt there¡¯s another target in this empty desert. So was it a stray shot? But from who!? Wait... It can¡¯t be!!)


    He received his answer almost immediately.


    A giant form passed by in front of the truck. It was on such a large scale that it could flatten the several meter tall sand dunes. It was a mass of metal and weapons. A massive amount of military budget had been brought together to construct that symbol of war.


    It was an Object.


    ¡°The princess!?¡±


    It was not just the Baby Magnum. The Object was making constant organic movements to the left and right as if taking the small steps of a boxer or mixed martial artist. Those were evasive actions. And there was only one thing that an Object had to fear taking damage from.


    Another giant form was moving quickly through the desert night as if performing an intense dance on a scale of hundreds of meters.


    This was the assistance from the Capitalist Corporations.


    That urban invasion Object had no main cannon and was deemed generation 1.5.


    ¡°The Hornet Storm.¡±


    An Object¡¯s main cannon could easily hit at a distance of ten kilometers, so seven or eight hundred meters was extremely close range.


    At that point, Quenser came to his senses.


    ¡°And I¡¯m in the ring with them!!¡±


    He frantically pulled the cooking knife out of his survival kit, but he did not have a chance to use it.


    Before he could, the darkness of the desert night was split apart.


    He had not seen the attack itself. He had seen the afterimage of the dust and moisture in the air being instantly fried. Several dozen thin orange lines of light gathered together and landed near the truck Quenser was struggling within.


    The landing spot produced intense light as if from welding.


    But he did not have time to complain about the sudden headache. The massive heat caused the surrounding air to expand, so what resembled a blast of wind struck the truck. The 8-ton truck had already rolled on its side, but this rumbling wind caused it to roll like a plastic bottle. The latch for the seatbelt finally gave out and Quenser was freed from his bonds. He was then slammed into the driver¡¯s side door.


    ¡°Gbh!! Damn...it...¡±


    The truck was lying on its side again, so Quenser crawled out the broken windshield.


    The two Objects were continuing to fire their giant shells while taking relatively small evasive movements.


    Quenser did not know what had triggered the direct conflict.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s electronic simulation division might have noticed the virus was in the system and sent the Baby Magnum out before Quenser and Heivia could report. Or the Hornet Storm might have gotten too close to the maintenance base zone and the Baby Magnum had been sent out without knowing if they could win.


    Either way...


    (Wait, wait, wait!! We¡¯re supposed to be attacking the Simple Is Best that is waiting for a chance to charge in from a distance. If it charges in at supersonic speeds now, the princess will be attacked from two sides at once. Can she really win even with control of the barricades taken!?)


    Also, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s plan had been to use the mobile barricades to stop the Simple Is Best and have the Baby Magnum destroy it. They would then watch the Hornet Storm and attack it if it decided to continue fighting.


    That plan was no longer going to work.


    Two back to back battles against a single Object was different from fighting two Objects at once.


    ¡°Well, sitting around isn¡¯t going to help. I need to contact Froleytia and see if there¡¯s anything I can do.¡±


    However, he was on the verge of passing out from the intense pain assaulting his entire body. He lay on the cold sand that almost felt frozen and pulled out his small radio.


    But then something else happened.


    Lisa had escaped and Heivia had pursued her, but the two of them were running back to the truck.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Quenser grew cautious even as he lay on the ground.


    It was unlikely they had gotten completely turned around in the empty desert. He could only think something had happened. For example, Heivia could have lost his gun, so Lisa was now pursuing him.


    (But Heivia had more than just his handgun. Whether his gun jammed or he had it shot out of his hand like a movie villain, he would just have to switch to his assault rifle.)


    But Quenser did not have time to think.


    He did not know who Lisa Deauville was, but she was likely an enemy.


    As tension ran through his body, he pulled out a Hand Axe plastic explosive and a ballpoint pen-shaped electric fuse, but then something unexpected happened.


    Heivia ran right past Quenser.


    And just before doing so, he frantically shouted to his terrible friend.


    ¡°You idiot!! How long are you going to sit there!?¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    He wondered if the other two had agreed to flee to safety due to the two Objects.


    He was partially right and partially wrong.


    After a few seconds, Quenser finally realized what Heivia and Lisa were running from.


    The ground was disappearing.


    A strange sand waterfall had appeared maybe 100 meters away and more and more of the ground was disappearing into the depths. The region was expanding and it was approaching where Quenser lay.


    ¡°Wh-what is that!?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? There must have been something under the desert and the Object fight caused it to collapse!!¡±


    Surprisingly, it was Lisa who answered his question.


    Not only that, the blonde beauty stopped in front of him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him to his feet.


    ¡°Are your legs hurt? I can¡¯t escape the collapse while carrying you. If you don¡¯t want to be caught in the middle of it, then run! Right now!!¡±


    Still not knowing what was going on, Quenser retreated along with Lisa.


    The collapse of the fine sand continued behind them. They had no idea how far they would fall if it caught up to them, but it was certainly more than a few meters.


    ¡°What is this!? Did a natural cave start to spread!?¡±


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t know! It might be manmade, but this is no time to worry about that!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit. I thought it was supposed to be tungsten below our feet!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!?¡±


    In a desert of nothing but fine sand, there was no meaning in making maps with detailed contour lines. The desert was commonly compared to a stormy sea and the strong wind continually changed the terrain just like one. Dunes several meters tall were easily formed. It was possible a warehouse or factory had been completely hidden below the sand.


    ¡°Heivia, wait up! Don¡¯t escape on your own!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!! This is divine punishment! The crime of flirting deserves death! Don¡¯t get someone as cool and stoic as me involved in your punishment!!¡±


    The coldhearted boy¡¯s back was a long way ahead.


    Suddenly, the two Objects continuing their battle beyond the collapse sent a frightening stray shell in their direction. The shell landed over three hundred meters to the side, but it was still enough to send Quenser¡¯s entire body into the air. For an instant, he had difficulty breathing. He rolled across the ground and Lisa tried to pick him up.


    But that was a mistake.


    The maw of the collapse caught up. He felt the ground disappear below him. It was less a vertical waterfall and more of a steep waterslide. Quenser and Lisa were mercilessly dropped into the abyss that light could not reach.


    Part 5


    Quenser had passed out, so he did not know how much time had passed.


    ¡°Gh...¡±


    He groaned and brought a hand to his forehead. He did not know how far he had fallen. He was lying on some kind of floor, but he still did not feel stable. It felt like being on a small rocking boat. He had a strong urge to vomit.


    He had no intention of suffocating on his own vomit, so he ignored his aching head and forced himself to sit up.


    Lisa Deauville had the top of her uniform removed and was wiping her underarm with a wet towel.


    ¡°...Hm?¡±


    ¡°Hyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!? Why am I the one screaming and why are you the one staring in confusiooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!?¡±


    ¡°Is your mind still muddled? You still have your memories, I hope. I do not want to explain everything from the beginning.¡±


    Lisa did not seem to care that Quenser had seen her. She finished wiping the sweat and sand from her upper body and put her uniform back on.


    Quenser began to back away from her as he did not know who she truly was, but he stopped when an intense urge to vomit rose up from his stomach.


    He could not suppress it, so he turned his head aside and vomited profusely.


    ¡°It looks like you hit your head. If you have the rations to spare, you should wait until you finish vomiting and then consume the nutrients your body needs to stabilize itself. You should also make sure there is no blood in your vomit, just to be safe.¡±


    ¡°Wh-who...¡±


    Quenser reflexively reached for his plastic explosives and realized how odd it was his weapons had not been taken from him.


    ¡°Who are you? Why did you save me back there?¡±


    ¡°I am Lisa Deauville, a second lieutenant in the Legitimacy Kingdom military. Those two facts remain unchanged. In which case, do I need a special reason to save a fellow soldier? I think abandoning you would cause more problems later on.¡±


    She referred to him as a soldier, so she did not know that he was a battlefield student.


    There were at least a thousand people in the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion, so not everyone knew about Quenser. There were a lot of soldiers Quenser had never seen and did not know the name of. It was too soon to jump to any conclusions.


    ¡°But I am from a different type of unit than yours,¡± she continued. ¡°It is not registered in the standard military database. Without access privileges above a certain level, there is no way for me to prove my identity right now.¡±


    ¡°Only the people who believe in the UFO development unit would believe such a suspicious story.¡±


    ¡°I hear that a lot.¡±


    Lisa shrugged and leaned her back against a broken pillar. Quenser looked around once more and found they were in some kind of giant warehouse that had completely lost its roof due to the sand.


    ¡°July: western Indian Ocean. October: the underground resource extraction plants in the Greenland Sea. November: the Alaska region. January: the Southern Atlantic Ocean region.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a soldier, right? Haven¡¯t you memorized the battlefields where we have lost?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°That is where I work.¡±


    Lisa picked up a water bottle she had likely used to wet the towel from earlier and took a gulp.


    ¡°My mission was to bring paint into Oceania.¡±


    Quenser had heard of peaceful missions to bring teaching materials, art supplies, and picture books into battlefields to provide humanitarian aid.


    But Lisa was talking about something completely different.


    ¡°I was part of the Stalk Killer Unit. You could say I was an expert in withdrawing from the battlefield. Once a battle was deemed lost, someone like me would be secretly sent in. My objective was to keep the enemy army from capturing high-ranking officers, pilot Elites, or important technology related to Objects. In other words, it was a disgusting dirty job of choosing my allies and helping them escape,¡± she spat out.


    Quenser frowned.


    ¡°Withdrawing from the battlefield? But this is the age of clean wars fought with Objects. The wars are fought between Objects and once the result has been reached, you send out the white flag signal and leave. We shouldn¡¯t need a unit specialized in withdrawing from the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°If you seriously believe that, you are quite a na?ve boy. Real wars are made so they will occasionally destroy all rationality. It¡¯s no different than the certain percentage of defective electronics created in factories.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When he thought about it, Quenser realized that had been the case when the Water Strider had pursued them in the Alaska region. The white flag signal only worked if there was mutual trust between both sides. And what Quenser and the others were fighting was a war.


    ¡°The military has to lose their pursuers. Simply hiding your tracks is not necessarily enough. You lay countless traps to crush the pursuing hunters. For example, we might set up one or two thousand bombs while cutting across an abandoned city. And they are not set up so anyone can see them. That is where the ¡®paint¡¯ comes in.¡±


    ¡°You camouflage them?¡±


    Quenser pulled out the hand axe plastic explosives that he normally used.


    If it was shaped with a spatula and colored with paint, it could be made to look like a stone on the road, a piece of broken asphalt, or a piece of styrofoam. If it was made to match the situation and had shadows and stains added on, it could blend into the landscape even for high-quality cameras. That made them no different from the props used for TV and movies. Just like a beer bottle made from candy or a wound made from red food coloring and bandages, no one would notice the bomb set up right next to them.


    They would not suspect a thing until it actually detonated.


    Lisa let out a heavy sigh.


    ¡°A foolish noble decided to make a quick visit to Oceania to gain popularity. The information got out and a group of local guerrillas or possibly disguised Information Alliance soldiers surrounded them. The Stalk Killer Unit was sent into a hellish battlefield as usual. It would have been difficult to escape with any normal means, so our leader said we would pass through a complicated urban area and escape to the nearest Object maintenance base. ...And we would of course be laying tons of traps and bombs to lose our pursuers.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°I advised him to reconsider.¡± Lisa placed a hand on her head as if grabbing at her blonde bangs. ¡°The traps are effective, but they do not choose who falls for them. Even if the area was still going through war recovery, life had returned to the city. The people living there were forced to gather anything rare or valuable so they could sell it. It was obvious what would happen if we set up one or two thousands bombs that perfectly blended into the scenery. The city that was finally recovering its smile would be filled with blood and screams. Our real enemy would step over the writhing victims and safely pursue us through the path that was now free of bombs. I told our leader it was meaningless.¡±


    Had they settled on that inhumane means of withdrawal and succeeded?


    That thought entered Quenser¡¯s mind for an instant, but he denied it himself.


    If so, Lisa would not be here.


    ¡°I do not remember what exactly pushed it over the edge, but our argument crossed a certain line. I swear to you, it was our leader who pulled his gun first.¡±


    But it was Lisa who was alive here now.


    Quenser did not know how hopeless her situation was and how many ¡°allies¡± she had been surrounded by, but if what she said was true, she must have won that nightmarish firefight.


    That action had not had an obvious merit.


    It had not even been based around the honor that was so popular in the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    Lisa had simply stopped her unit from going too far and protected the many civilians who would normally have not been in any danger of being lost.


    And to do so, she had shot and killed many allies who had trusted her.


    ¡°Then why had you infiltrated the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ mobile barricade facility? That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°I was not trying to infiltrate it. As I travelled through the desert to reach a Legitimacy Kingdom base, they set up their unit in my path. ...In fact, your maintenance battalion is pretty much the same.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°As you said, this is the age of clean wars. There are people who do not want it to get out that there are constant inhumane missions that ignore the white flag. There are high-ranking members of the military who do not want it to get out that they have been sending out a unit like mine while also claiming to be fighting a clean war. That would be admitting that they have been lying about the clean wars. In the end, I have become an inconvenience to both my enemies and my allies.¡±


    Her enemies were the Information Alliance and the Capitalist Corporations.


    Her allies were the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    ¡°There is a contradiction in the structure of the wars and I am a symbol of that contradiction. By taking actions that show I have left the military¡¯s control, I have made those high-ranking officials scared, so it seems they will do anything to kill me. By killing me, they can avoid having my information get out.¡±


    Quenser thought about what Lisa was saying.


    ¡°You mean the Ex. Wall barricades here and the battle beginning tonight are nothing more than preparations for a single goal?¡± muttered Quenser blankly. ¡°You mean it¡¯s all to assassinate you? Not just the Baby Magnum, but the Simple Is Best and Hornet Storm, too? This entire battle including three Objects was set up to make sure a single runaway soldier is killed!?¡±


    Three Objects was a large enough force to start a large-scale war.


    What she was saying was similar to attacking a country with a nuclear weapon in order to kill a single individual.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t something a base commander could do. Only someone directly involved in a much larger power balance could bring together multiple world powers like that. The local commanders are unaware that I, the true target, am on the battlefield. They will simply carry out the camouflage mission given to them. So do not doubt any of the superior officers that you have actually met. That would be meaningless.¡±


    She was implicitly covering for the princess and Froleytia.


    But Quenser had never thought either of them were the type to be involved in that kind of conspiracy.


    ¡°What are we supposed to do?¡± groaned Quenser. ¡°You say you¡¯re a survivor of a withdrawal unit not in the military database. And this battle between three Objects is all to kill you and you alone? That¡¯s crazy. Is there any way for a flesh-and-blood soldier to survive that?¡±


    ¡°Are you actually willing to believe me now?¡±


    ¡°I have no objective proof,¡± immediately spat out Quenser. ¡°But that was not an act when you tried to help me from the collapse earlier. Even Heivia was abandoning me in that situation. If you were from the Capitalist Corporations or Information Alliance and pretending to be an ally, you wouldn¡¯t need to do that.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± muttered Lisa under her breath.


    That was when the underground structure rumbled ominously.


    The deadly Object battle was continuing up above.


    ¡°We can take our time to see if you¡¯re telling the truth once we get back to the maintenance base zone. The problem right now is how to survive this battle!! The Baby Magnum is still battling the Hornet Storm. To take advantage of that situation, the Simple Is Best will charge in faster than the speed of sound! If that happens, it¡¯s all over. I doubt our princess can withstand an attack from two sides at once and everything will be blown away if she¡¯s defeated! I will, you will, and everyone in the maintenance base will!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lisa remained silent for a moment as she thought.


    But she soon raised her head.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t over yet. I won¡¯t let it end like this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come with me. Whatever happens, we need to get out of this underground structure first.¡±


    Lisa led the way and Quenser followed her through the strange abandoned building.


    It was a giant space that was over three hundred meters long.


    ¡°It looks like some kind of storage base. It may have belonged to the old military government,¡± said Lisa as they cut across the sand-filled structure without a light.


    After a while, they found a rectangular corridor that led to a rusty staircase leading up.


    They carefully climbed the stairs while making sure they did not break through them.


    Once they reached the surface, Quenser finally realized where they were.


    ¡°This belongs to the pipeline cutting across the desert.¡±


    ¡°I think this was originally a terminal facility for drawing up water from unused water veins and sending it to food supply bases. You could call it an extremely forceful and large-scale well. Even if this is a desert, weren¡¯t they afraid of the ground sinking down?¡±


    This facility was rusted and falling apart and the ceiling had caved in. Heivia had joked about ghosts, but that building could easily collapse on its own at any time. Heivia had not been entirely wrong because it could be called a ¡°mass producer of ghosts¡±.


    Once they left the abandoned facility, they saw a large cloud of sand rising into the air.


    It was 500 to 700 meters away.


    ¡°That¡¯s them. That¡¯s the Baby Magnum and Hornet Storm!!¡±


    ¡°You said another one was coming, right? Was it called the Simple Is Best?¡±


    Suddenly, static came from Quenser¡¯s radio.


    Froleytia¡¯s shouting voice followed.


    ¡°The Simple Is Best has begun to move! It is travelling south from Route 09 to 37!! If our calculations are correct, it will reach the princess in less than three minutes!! All soldiers in between, make sure you are not caught in the middle!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s begun,¡± muttered Quenser. ¡°Once the Hornet Storm and Simple Is Best are both attacking her, it¡¯s all over! Dammit. I want to support the princess, but we don¡¯t even have any information on a weakness!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lisa then took an odd action.


    She crouched down and pulled something from the ankle of her uniform¡¯s pants.


    What she now held in her palm was not a small handgun or knife.


    Neither of those would be any help when an Object was attacking.


    She held a cylinder about as thick as a coin and as long as a ballpoint pen.


    ¡°Boy, you do not need a sign. Just run as quickly as you can from here right this instant. Get as far from me as you can.¡±


    ¡°What are you-...?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening?¡±


    Lisa¡¯s voice grew firm as she removed something like a lid from the cylinder. But the cylinder was not a container and so it was not accurate to call it a lid.


    It was an abrasive surface.


    Or perhaps it could be called a means of ignition.


    ¡°This entire battle was set up to kill me and prevent my information from getting out. The people actually fighting here do not know that, but the schemers behind the scenes should give some clever instructions once they see their true target. ...And if they target me, it will cease to be a two-on-one battle!!¡±


    A solid sound rang out.


    At the same time, an unnaturally red flame as if from a firework burst from the end of the cylinder. It was hard to tell because it was night, but a lot of chemically colored smoke had likely burst out as well.


    ¡°A flare!? You idiot! If you use that here-...!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the idiot!! It¡¯s not too late, so get as far from me as you can!! Right now!! Save yourself!!¡±


    As she shouted, Lisa ran toward the intensely fighting Objects.


    There was nothing Quenser could do.


    The military satellites, the Objects¡¯ sensors, and the sensors on the guns of the soldiers that might be lurking in the darkness would all have picked up the heat and light from the flare.


    Through some route or another, that information reached someone.


    A moment later, the state of the battle rapidly changed.


    It was like watching an obvious farce or a fixed match.


    The Hornet Storm fired countless laser beams chaotically into the desert night. Those attacks were little threat to the Baby Magnum, but it still moved slightly to evade them. Once the orange beams of light missed their target, they struck the desert. With a flash of light as if from welding, the air explosively expanded and a frightening shockwave spread throughout the entire area.


    Quenser¡¯s human eyes were not enough to view everything that happened.


    But he saw one thing for sure: a puny blonde human was tossed into the air like a poorly made paper airplane in the wind.


    ¡°Goddammit!¡±


    The color white filled Quenser¡¯s mind.


    The Baby Magnum had been placed in a situation formulated to be difficult, but Quenser threw away the situation that gave her a way out. He also threw away what Lisa herself had just said. The next thing he knew, he was running.


    ¡°Goddammiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttttttt!!¡±


    He ran toward the battlefield.


    He ran toward the intense fighting.


    He ran toward Lisa as she was slammed into the sand like a broken toy.


    He felt a stinging pain in his throat. The air was oddly dry. All the sand in the area was glittering as it reflected the moonlight. That was due to the laser beams the Hornet Storm had fired into the ground. Their overwhelmingly high temperature and not only explosively expanded the air; they had also melted the silicon in the sand. Exposure to the night air had re-cooled the silicone, forming a thin glass coating.


    Quenser half-slid up to Lisa and crouched down.


    He frantically picked her up and found she was oddly light. This was not due to his mental state. A physical change had come over her.


    ¡°Run...¡±


    The smoke and flames from the flare had vanished.


    But not because its effective time had ended.


    ¡°The ones behind this have lost control of themselves...after seeing the prey...they want so badly. This irregularity...will be quickly fixed. Once their rotten rationality recovers...systematic destruction will cover...this entire area.¡±


    It was gone.


    It had been destroyed.


    Both the flare and the entire arm that had been holding it were gone. The point from which the arm had been torn had twisted around like a rag being wrung. For better or for worse, this had prevented too much blood loss.


    ¡°Is there any meaning to this?¡±


    Quenser frantically pulled out his survival kit. He could not close up the wound with a needle and thread, much less with a bandage. He rethought his plan and realized his only choice was to wrap the bandage under her arm and around her entire body. By tying it tightly, he could constrict the thick artery.


    ¡°Is there any meaning to this!? This won¡¯t even buy 20 seconds. The slight wave will quickly be smoothed out! The princess is struggling against the Hornet Storm and the Simple Is Best is charging in at faster than the speed of sound!! That situation isn¡¯t going to change. Throwing a float to someone out in a storm isn¡¯t going to save them, so why did you throw your own life out into the water! Do you want to drown that badly!?¡±


    ¡°The Stalk Killer Unit said the same thing.¡±


    Lisa smiled weakly with blood splattered on her cheek.


    It was unclear if she could even see Quenser in front of her.


    ¡°But it seems this is my nature. There are times...when I suddenly hate that kind of logical thought. Ahh, maybe I¡¯m not suited...to being a soldier.¡±


    Lisa had not done anything wrong.


    She had simply been the single person to give the correct answer among the majority who agreed to the wrong answer.


    ¡°And there was meaning.¡±


    ¡°What meaning?¡±


    ¡°I was able to speak with you. I told you that the Stalk Killer Unit brought a lot of paint into this country... I may not have escaped the ones behind all this, but I was able to tell the truth to one person. That makes this...my victory. This was enough.¡±


    This was the result.


    She had tried to protect the civilians from being indiscriminately slaughtered by countless booby traps and she had tried to protect Quenser and Heivia¡¯s unit after running across them on the battlefield. She had always been the only one to reach the correct answer and she was going to breathe her final breath while all alone like this.


    Was that okay?


    Could Quenser accept a world like that?


    ¡°Promise me.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°Once this battle is over and you somehow ¨C it doesn¡¯t matter how right now ¨C managed to survive, promise me you will appear at a court martial. Use that official stage to reveal everything that you¡¯ve seen!! Tell everyone about the special unit for withdrawing, tell them everything the Stalk Killer Unit has done, and tell them about the people working to hide that truth!! Tell them everything. Can you promise me that!?¡±


    ¡°What difference will it make...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make a promise, too. I promise I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to get you to that courtroom!!¡±


    Lisa¡¯s mind was muddled by the intense pain, but her eyes opened slightly.


    Quenser placed her back on the sand and slowly stood up.


    He had made up his mind.


    In the current situation, he could not save Lisa.


    Forcibly cutting off the artery under her arm to stop the bleeding would only last for fifteen minutes. If she was not brought to the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion in that time, she would die. There would be no miracles or coincidences; she would simply die. But the base could not send a helicopter for her due to the Object loaded with the absolute anti-air weapons that were lasers. Given the distance, there was not enough time for a military vehicle to drive out to them. There was a huge difference between a helicopter that could move at 300-400 kph and a vehicle that could only travel at 150 kph. And the vehicle¡¯s speed would be cut in half or even more in the desert.


    In other words, the situation had to be resolved in only a few minutes.


    The Baby Magnum and the Hornet Storm were close by and the Simple Is Best was approaching from afar. He had to end that nightmarish battle between three Objects.


    ¡°Can you hear me, princess?¡± As he spoke quietly into his radio, his blond hair blew in the cold wind of the desert night. ¡°Don¡¯t think about the Simple Is Best. Do everything you can to defeat the Hornet Storm in a one-on-one battle. If you¡¯re fearing an attack from two fronts, you can¡¯t use your full potential and you can¡¯t defeat the Hornet Storm. That¡¯s an irregular Object designed to attack large cities. It can be used against other Objects, but that isn¡¯t its main purpose. It should be easier than battling a second generation Object.¡±


    ¡°Of course I will win. What is your point?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying we can distribute the work,¡± he stated as if spitting out the words. ¡±You handle the Hornet Storm and I¡¯ll destroy the Simple Is Best that¡¯s at the root of all our problems here.¡±


    Part 6


    In the desert night, the temperature was 7.5 degrees Celsius.


    There was inferior tungsten in the ground.


    The only landmarks were the rusted and broken pipeline cutting across the desert and the abandoned large-scale pump facility that brought agricultural water up from unused water veins and was currently hidden underground.


    That facility and the attached structures formed a large manmade space underground.


    ¡°Heivia. Heivia!! I know you¡¯re out there. Answer me!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see you. I¡¯ve got the scope trained on your face. But let¡¯s be serious here. I am not meeting up with you! Being anywhere near you has never ended well. You can call it cowardly or whatever, but I¡¯m going to hide in the background until the danger has passed. I¡¯m not listening to any complaints!!¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s first generation Baby Magnum and the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ 1.5 generation Hornet Storm were still battling.


    The Hornet Storm used laser beams and had no main cannon, so it used a peacock feather like structure to reflect and concentrate its 100+ secondary cannons in order to pierce Object armor.


    The several people manipulating the situation behind the scenes were trying to assuredly and naturally assassinate Second Lieutenant Lisa Deauville, the sole survivor of the Legitimacy Kingdom military¡¯s secret withdrawal unit named the Stalk Killer Unit.


    Great damage had been done to the surroundings after laser beam cannons were fired across the desert while disguised as stray shots.


    The power of the weapons was frightening and the targeted points on the desert formed a thin film of glass after being instantly melted and re-cooled.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll destroy the Simple Is Best on my own.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering, is there a screw loose in your head?¡±


    ¡°But first, I want to ask you about the tungsten you mentioned earlier!!¡±


    ¡°Are you planning to gather it to pay off the enemy? Give up now. Didn¡¯t I tell you it isn¡¯t pure enough to be sold?¡±


    The Baby Magnum could handle just the Hornet Storm, but it had almost no chance of winning when the Information Alliance¡¯s second generation Simple Is Best charged in from afar.


    Quenser¡¯s top priority target was the Simple Is Best.


    That true monster was a 50+ meter mass of metal that weighed over 200 thousand tons, but it used its air cushion engine and several high-output ion thrusters to reach a top speed that exceeded 1200 kph.


    It had thick additional armor on the front that resembled a beak. That armor gathered thin metal leaf like a phonebook. When it detected an attack from an Object, it would use explosives to release the surface level of metal leaf before the impact could reach the inside. It was a collection of reactive armor technology. Firing a main cannon on it again and again might eventually break through, but it would reach close range with its ultra-high speed before that happened.


    You could see it coming a long way off, but no attack would stop it. This demonic machine was most effective when used against another Object rather than against normal weaponry.


    ¡°I have no interest in mining it. I just need to know how deep it is. Is it in a tunnel or is it open-air!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s open-air. The vein reaches the surface. You only need to dig in with a bucket or something. But, Quenser, there isn¡¯t enough to use! Look around you. It¡¯s nothing but dry sand. What good is it if there¡¯s a few tiny pieces of tungsten or some wolframite ore mixed in!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. That¡¯s just one less thing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What are you thinking?¡±


    Its main cannon was a low-stability plasma cannon. By firing it at almost point blank range, it ensured it could pierce the enemy Object¡¯s thick armor. When used in such a violent and reckless way, it was less a projectile and more of a giant pile bunker made of plasma.


    Because the Simple Is Best moved at such ridiculous speeds with such a large form, it experienced massive inertial forces. That prevented it from making the minute footwork common to Objects.


    If it did not destroy its target on the first pass, it would be forced to expose its defenseless back. It could maintain its supersonic speed, leave the area of danger, and make a second charge after recovering, but it could not avoid damage to its defenseless back if its enemy used a laser beam main cannon.


    ¡°That¡¯s the bottleneck for the Simple Is Best.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over fifty meters tall and weighs over 200 thousand tons, but it charges in a straight line while breaking the sound barrier. It¡¯s a frightening monster to imagine, but a bit of thought reveals something odd.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Do you mean...?¡±


    ¡°Air resistance. An Object¡¯s main body is spherical. If that giant mass travels at over 1200 kph, it will whip up a massive amount of air. You would expect it to be lifted up into the air. In other words, it has to have something to press itself against the ground as the wind tries to lift it up. If I can destroy that, the giant system known as the Simple Is Best won¡¯t be able to continue.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing but wishful thinking and wishful thinking is the sign that you¡¯re beginning to lose in a casino. An Object weighs over 200 thousand tons. Its own weight might keep it pinned to the ground.¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. It uses enough ion thrusters to reach supersonic speeds. The larger the body, the more it will disturb the air while moving so fast. It¡¯s overkill. This is like those crazy custom cars that enthusiasts love. They¡¯re taking something that would normally fly into the air and they¡¯re forcibly pinning it to the ground.¡±


    ¡°Then where is this supposed weak point?¡±


    ¡°This is the cornerstone of the machine. They would use the strongest and least likely to break part.¡±


    ¡°You mean...¡±


    ¡°It has to be the additional armor on the front. That beak-like thing is being used to control the flow of air and have it pass over the Object. That air presses it down and prevents the Object from floating up.¡±


    ¡°So if you destroy that solid beak, the Simple Is Best will lose its balance and collapse?¡±


    This battle was in retaliation for Quenser and Heivia crushing the Information Alliance¡¯s intelligence plan to expand their influence by secretly working with an Oceanian human trafficking organization.


    The Information Alliance¡¯s Simple Is Best was one thing, but the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Hornet Storm had no active reason to fight. It simply wanted to destroy the strategically dangerous Baby Magnum while it had the chance.


    If the Simple Is Best, which was crucial to the strategy, was destroyed, that advantage would vanish.


    If the Hornet Storm did not want to risk its life on the battle and it retreated, that was fine. And even if it continued fighting, the Baby Magnum was not in too much danger against it alone.


    The secret objective of the battle was to naturally assassinate Lisa, but it would no longer be ¡°natural¡± if the given official reason for the battle was lost. Some unseen person would gnash their teeth and be forced to withdraw.


    ¡°But how are you going to destroy its front armor!? That thing¡¯s a crystallization of reactive armor tech that will instantly detonate and purge the surface layer of metal leaf before any damage is transmitted through. Even after ten or twenty direct hits from an Object¡¯s main cannon, the beak silhouette isn¡¯t gonna change. How is a normal person supposed to stand up to that!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Not to mention that it¡¯s charging in faster that the speed of sound right now. You don¡¯t have time to set your bombs on it. Not even a ninja from a certain island nation could cling to that thing! You¡¯ll just be flattened like you were hit by a fly swatter!!¡±


    Even if a battlefield student armed with bombs stood up to it, the Object would not even glance in his direction. And despite not focusing on him, he would still be turned to mincemeat the instant it hit him.


    With its size, it could literally flatten your average building or vehicle.


    ¡°The wind is nice tonight. Luck is on my side.¡±


    ¡°Have you gotten lost in a fantasy world now?¡±


    ¡°Do you know about the machine tool known as a water jet? It fires ultra-high pressure water like a laser to cut apart sheets of metal. Now, do you know what modification they make to the water jet in order to let it cut through thick materials it would otherwise fail to cut?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about!? Have you gone crazy from fear!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying the conditions are just right.¡±


    Quenser pulled out a clay-like Hand Axe plastic explosive and stabbed a pen-like electric fuse into the center.


    ¡°Here, piggy piggy. It¡¯s time for your fat body to fill my stomach.¡±


    Part 7


    The Elite finished checking the weather conditions using the reflections of microwaves or infrared lasers.


    He ignited thrusters one through four.


    He began to charge in.


    He calculated the distance to his target in real time.


    He worked to maintain a fan-shaped area he could move to in response to his target¡¯s predicted evasive actions.


    He corrected the data.


    He would arrive in 180 seconds.


    ¡°...¡±


    A great noise exploded within the cockpit.


    Unlike a normal Object, the Simple Is Best did not need to evade the main cannon attacks from the enemy Object. In fact, it could not evade them. If it attempted the quick footwork of a boxer or mixed martial artist at the speeds it moved at, it would lose its balance and collapse.


    It felt similar to shining a searchlight on an enemy.


    Or perhaps it was closer to using a camera and radio control to correct the course of a free-falling bomb.


    The Elite only needed to make slight adjustments to the direction of his Object in order to pursue the fleeing enemy Object. By keeping the enemy Object at the center of the fan-shaped area he could move in, he could constantly adjust his path and maintain that position no matter which way the enemy tried to flee.


    He took the shortest and quickest path.


    He charged straight down the center.


    There was no room for mind games for this true second generation Object that was specialized solely for killing its enemy. By bringing a strategic concept to its extreme, its style ironically resembled the ballistic missiles that Objects had driven to extinction. But with this Object, there was no way to intercept it. Its thick shield would deflect anything thrown at it. Once its target¡¯s data was entered into the system and the situation began to move, it would continue in a straight line even if dozens or hundreds of shots were fired at it. It would approach close enough for assured destruction and fire its main cannon just once.


    Damage to the Object was assumed.


    It was not expected to return unscathed.


    The Simple Is Best was a perfect strategy used when an enemy was deemed worth the massive repair costs of the front armor.


    Once it had been sent out, the battle was essentially over.


    Once it fired, it was truly over.


    Strategies were only effective until it appeared on the battlefield. Once it did, the enemy Object would surely be destroyed.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom called it the Simple Is Best.


    The Faith Organization called it the Grim Reaper.


    The codenames the opposing world powers had given it showed just how much fear they felt toward it.


    ¡°...¡±


    The pilot Elite was not concerned with the enemy Object. No matter how much it fired on him, the combination of thick front armor and supersonic speeds ensured he could kill them before they killed him.


    In fact, the bigger problem was the massive inertial Gs produced by the 50+ meter and 200 thousand ton mass travelling at 1200 kph. It was much more than the fighters of an older age. He would feel the desire to vomit, but the contents of his stomach were unable to reach his mouth. If it were not for his special suit and the thorough ¡°modifications¡± to his physical body, he could never have withstood it.


    Piloting this Object wore down one¡¯s lifespan.


    That was true for the Gs themselves and for the nasty collection of skills needed to withstand the Gs.


    If he lost consciousness, it would all be for naught. Maintaining his own potential under the extreme conditions was the hardest part. To him, the battle was a solitary one, much like golf.


    And what was it that concerned a golfer the most?


    Was it the scores of his rivals on the same hole?


    Was it the unrestrained voices of rude members of the audience?


    No.


    They most feared sudden changes to the weather such as gusts of wind or rain.


    ¡°...!!¡±


    Suddenly, a sort of explosion occurred near the target Object.


    This was not a stray shot from the two battling Objects. The explosion launched a huge cloud of sand into the air. It seemed to flow up into the night sky like an upside-down waterfall of sand. The blast had clearly been directed so it would launch all that sand into the air.


    And that cloud of sand shook.


    The night wind began to carry it toward the Simple Is Best like a curtain.


    The Elite could tell something strange was happening, but it was too late to stop. Coming to a sudden stop was an absurd idea. The inertial Gs from the sudden change could cause the Elite to burst like a water balloon inside the cockpit.


    He continued the charge.


    He had detected a danger ahead, but he would overcome it with his Object¡¯s superior specs.


    Part 8


    ¡°It¡¯s a water jet,¡± muttered Quenser.


    What he had done was simple. He had buried his Hand Axe plastic explosive in the fine desert sand and detonated it. To direct the entire blast upwards, he had laid a bulletproof jacket below the bomb.


    ¡°Once I thought about it, it didn¡¯t make sense. Additional front armor? A beak? It supposedly detects incoming attacks and uses explosives to purge the surface layer of metal leaf to keep the damage from transferring, but it¡¯s still moving at overwhelming speeds that break the sound barrier. The air resistance has to be huge. That would produce enough energy to heat up the Object¡¯s surface. ...That beak will be constantly taking tons of damage even without an Object attacking it! I just have to give it the final push!!¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you blasted a bunch of sand into the air and into the wind? To increase the force of a water jet that cuts metal sheets with high pressure water, they mix artificial diamond dust into the water to increase its resistance and friction. Are you saying you filled the air with sand to increase the aerodynamic damage to the Simple Is Best as it charges through at supersonic speeds!?¡±


    It was the same as a file or grinder.


    Rubbing at metal with a smooth rubber belt would not wear it down much, but using an adhesive to spray an even amount of metal powder on the surface would allow it to grind through a metal panel in a matter of seconds.


    The Simple Is Best wore down its own body with its overwhelming speed. It was similar to driving a convertible along a highway that had tons of fish hooks hanging down.


    ¡°Most likely, heat and impacts below a certain level are within the margin of error and do not activate the beak. But what if it detects damage that exceeds that margin? I don¡¯t know how many hundreds or thousands of sheets of metal leaf that beak is made from, but the false readings should lead it to purge all of the beak that forms the silhouette needed for its aerodynamic control!!¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea, Quenser, but that isn¡¯t enough. You¡¯re underestimating the enemy¡¯s strength!! Just scattering some desert sand into the air won¡¯t destroy the strongest armor on an Object. It¡¯ll have been regulated to handle clouds of sand caused by sandstorms and Object bombardments!!¡±


    ¡°You would be right if this was normal sand.¡± Quenser smiled. ¡°Have you forgotten about the Hornet Storm? It has no main canon and instead attacks other Objects by focusing its secondary weapons on a single point. And all of those weapons are laser beams! Thanks to the stray shots targeting Lisa Deauville, the sand on the surface was quickly roasted by a massive amount of heat and then immediately cooled by the single digit temperatures of the desert night. It¡¯s hardly the perfect forging of a katana, but it greatly changed the quality of the iron sand and the size of the grains is much larger due to being wrapped in glassed silicon. Also...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the tungsten mixed into the ground was incorporated in!¡±


    ¡°I doubt it would conveniently harden just right, but it¡¯s better than nothing. And if the cloud of dust produces more friction than the Simple Is Best expects, the situation will completely change!!¡±


    With a great rumbling, one corner of the desert night glowed red.


    It was the Simple Is Best. Its surface had been heated until it glowed. It was reminiscent of an asteroid entering the atmosphere. The color proved it was undergoing a massive amount of friction that was thinly tearing into the entire spherical main body.


    But it did not stop there.


    The Simple Is Best¡¯s silhouette began to crumble. Its ¡°beak¡± looked like a thick book that had its binding removed. The metal leaf on the surface was being purged with explosives. The unexpected amount of friction was being misinterpreted as an attack from an Object.


    And the destruction did not stop at the first layer.


    More and more layers scattered away.


    Hundreds and even thousands of layers of the solid armor came undone in an instant. They were all blown away.


    The streamlined ¡°beak¡± silhouette disappeared and the Object lost its lifeline that had been entrusted to that beak because it was the sturdiest part.


    That armor had been its greatest safety feature by using the air to keep it pressed against the ground instead of floating up.


    What happened next was anything but an ordinary sight.


    The 200 thousand ton mass lost control and floated up in the desert night.


    Quenser snapped his fingers.


    ¡°Got it!! Without its beak, the Simple Is Best can¡¯t charge in at supersonic speeds. If it can¡¯t fire its low-stability plasma cannon at point-blank range, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. The princess just has to keep her distance and fire on it!!¡±


    ¡°You idiot!! Is this any time to be getting carried away!?¡±


    He heard a rustling sound from somewhere.


    In a moonlit part of the desert, he saw Heivia rise up a bit from where he was hiding.


    And the boy shouted over his radio.


    ¡°The Simple Is Best has lost control and is rolling like a bowling ball! The Elite inside probably burst like a water balloon, but the threat isn¡¯t over yet. The scale might be too big to understand, but a 50 meter steel ball is rolling this way at several hundred kph! If you don¡¯t want to be turned to mincemeat as a stupid-looking bowling pin, pick up that blonde beauty and run!!¡±


    ¡°...!?¡±


    Part 9


    ¡°The Simple Is Best has been heavily damaged by a main cannon blast from the Baby Magnum. The Hornet Storm continued fighting but began to withdraw the instant it was damaged. It likely viewed the loss of the two-against-one advantage as the time leave. The Baby Magnum was only lightly damaged.¡±


    A female operator spoke within the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s mission control room. Froleytia removed her narrow kiseru from her mouth and let out a sigh accompanied by sweet-smelling smoke.


    ¡°Understood. It¡¯s over then. Lower the threat level by one. Maintain the early warning shift and begin retrieving soldiers and handling the post-battle procedures.¡±


    ¡°You have a congratulatory call from a brigadier general stationed in Sydney. He seems surprised we managed to escape the two-against-one situation with so little damage.¡±


    ¡°Tell him to call back later.¡±


    ¡°If I may speak openly, putting off calls like this can create unnecessary friction between the conflicting factions of the military.¡±


    ¡°And if I may speak off the record, this brigadier general is probably one of the ones behind the ¡®natural assassination¡¯ we were told about. We have no reason to play along as he sweats bullets and tries to form a peaceful relationship with us. This is a job for the Black Uniforms stationed in the maintenance base.¡±


    With that said, Froleytia held her folded laptop under one arm and left the mission control room. She left the building and walked across the maintenance base that was made up of over one hundred large vehicles. The countless headlights filled the area with more light than a ballpark during a night game. It was easy to forget that they were in the middle of the desert at night.


    On the way, she happened across a large troop transport helicopter being towed into a hangar. She waved at the soldiers finishing up their job as she continued on.


    On one end of the maintenance base zone, she entered a facility that was too large to simply be called a medical room. Ever since the incident with the Water Strider in the Alaska region, she had made sure to expand the medics, military doctors, and medical facilities she entrusted her 1000-man battalion to. The biggest problem had been using various petty arguments to obtain the budget from the higher ups who did not view such things as important.


    She spoke to one of the medics.


    ¡°Has she regained consciousness?¡±


    ¡°Enough to speak with her. Her right arm is a lost cause. It would be difficult to reconnect the nerves. But arm control technology using the electrical potential difference on the surface of the skin is being developed for ALS patients, so she should not have any difficulties in her daily life if she splurges and purchases a convenient prosthetic arm.¡±


    ¡°The country should pay for at least that much. ...Or perhaps we can strip it from the personal funds of those behind this.¡±


    The medic shrugged and moved out of the way, so Froleytia continued on and knocked lightly on a door. After receiving a response, she entered.


    There were a few different beds inside, but only one was occupied.


    ¡°Lisa Deauville. Unfortunately, your name was not found in the military database. It is likely being hidden. It is unusual to find data I cannot access at my rank.¡±


    ¡°That means you were not my ¡®customer¡¯, major. My name can only be accessed by the high-ranking officers who wish to protect themselves by using me as a trump card in a withdrawal. I am glad you are an honest soldier.¡±


    ¡°Do you know any brigadier generals who have worked with you?¡±


    ¡°About three, but only one who is stationed in Oceania. The others are soldiers who never leave the safe countries.¡±


    ¡°I can see why they would send out Objects to assassinate you,¡± muttered Froleytia.


    She had essentially worked as a bodyguard for VIPs, so she had likely had plenty of chances to learn their secrets. But if she was left in the care of the Black Uniforms who were kept highly isolated from the rest of the military, those black-hearted officers could not easily reach her.


    Froleytia sat in the chair by the bed and opened her laptop on her lap.


    ¡°I have a lot to ask.¡±


    ¡°I intend to reveal everything at my court martial. Whatever my reasons were, I must take responsibility for shooting my colleagues and commander.¡±


    ¡°I need preliminary data for that. To be honest, I came here instead of immediately joining the craziness of the party celebrating our safety like I wanted to. If you understand, then hurry up and cooperate, second lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°...Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You can start by telling me what happened with the Stalk Killer Unit you belong to. Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage¡¯s explanation was not enough. It seems he is the type with good ideas but poor ability at conveying his thoughts. That may be the sad state of everyone in the sciences.¡±


    ¡°I see. Now, where should I start?¡±


    Lisa Deauville closed her eyes as she lay on the bed.


    She organized her thoughts and then opened her eyes once more.


    She knew what she should say first.


    She looked directly at Froleytia Capistrano and spoke.


    ¡°My mission was to bring a large amount of paint into Oceania.¡±

 Volume 7, 3: Police are a Means of Stopping War >> Liberation Battle in Oceania

    Volume 7, Chapter 3: Police are a Means of Stopping War >> Liberation Battle in Oceania


    Part 1


    ¡°The military scandal shows no sign of ending. The council has made the rare decision to treat the plan to use an Object for a military assassination as attempted murder. The brigadier general thought to be the primary individual behind the plan has been called back from Oceania for...¡±


    The princess sat on a metal staircase of a building near the Object maintenance area. She may have been bored because she was staring blankly at a 1seg TV program on her handheld device. The maintenance base zone was made up of over one hundred large vehicles and their tires measured over two meters in diameter. Stairs were needed simply to enter them.


    In the dry desert, merely stepping into the shade felt much cooler. The princess had the front of her special suit open so the wind could reach her skin. As someone who spent long periods of time in an air-conditioned cockpit, her upper limit for heat appeared to be rather low.


    A short distance away, the two idiots were using shovels to dig everywhere they could in the hot sand.


    ¡°Quenser, you idiot! You don¡¯t remember where you buried them, do you!?¡±


    ¡°I marked it last night! I secretly stuck a stick into the ground.¡±


    ¡°When Myonri dug there, she found a ton of dead cicadas and almost passed out! Damn... What is going on? Where did we dig the hole we put the canned foods and packaged foods leftover from the victory party!? I thought we were going to be freed from those eraser-like rations for a while!!¡±


    ¡°Hurry, hurry! This maintenance base is mobile, remember? If the entire unit decides to move, we¡¯ll lose all those cans! There was beef stew in there. If we lose that, it¡¯ll traumatize me!!¡±


    ¡°What are those two doing?¡±


    An old woman stuck her head out of the Object maintenance area and spoke to the princess.


    The princess looked up from the screen and toward the old woman.


    ¡°It looks like a treasure hunt.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to join them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for food. And I just finished building a cicada grave.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    The old maintenance woman did not quite understand, so she decided to ask them directly.


    ¡°Hey, slacking student.¡±


    ¡°Eeee!! One of the lecturers has locked onto us!¡±


    ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t tell that huge-breasted commander, we¡¯re fine! Seduce her or something to bring her onto our side!! I¡¯ll go dig over there!!¡±


    ¡°No fair! Don¡¯t run off on your own!!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡±


    The old woman¡¯s words seemed to nail Quenser to the ground.


    She was asking what he was doing ¡°out here¡± because he was not in the Object maintenance area.


    He slowly and stiffly turned toward her.


    ¡°W-would two cans of lunchmeat be enough for us to come to an understanding? Or maybe peaches or pineapple!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking about that. Have you forgotten why you came out to the battlefield in the first place? I thought it was to spend as much time observing the Object as possible so you could learn as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously saying that?¡± Quenser sounded surprised as he continued digging around randomly. ¡°They¡¯re repainting the Object in there. They¡¯re using tons of organic solvent in a closed space and I didn¡¯t dodge bullets to end up high on paint thinner.¡±


    ¡°It is true painting an Object does not use any specialized technology. I admit that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as a normal warship. The Object¡¯s onion armor is made from special metal plates that have high-heat resistant and reactive elements mixed in like a katana, but that also means the armor will rust when exposed to the elements. We can¡¯t have the pride of our nation rusting, so they¡¯re careful to use techniques of keeping it from rusting, right? They¡¯re not mixing in ferrite to give it high-level stealth ability and they¡¯re not using camouflage patterns based on psychology and research into human cognizance to hide it from the human brain. There¡¯s nothing in it for a student like me.¡±


    Those sorts of techniques had been used for the fighters and tanks of the previous age.


    This had been due to the high risk of being shot down or destroyed. But that effort was unnecessary with the colossal Objects which could withstand a direct hit from a nuclear weapon.


    Also, it would be exceedingly difficult to hide a 50+ meter armored weapon from radar or the naked eye.


    ¡°The technical issues are a factor, but the paint job has more to do with the desires of the higher ups in the military and government.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t want their hero sneaking around?¡±


    ¡°When sending an obviously overpowered weapon into battle, they need a tricky argument to silence the pacifists. That¡¯s why they like the symbolism of a hero that defeats an abominable enemy in a fair fight. The Objects have brought an end to the nuclear age by force, so they want to maintain the freshness of that impression for as long as possible. Letting it fade into history would be a waste.¡±


    ¡°I suppose they need a simple commercial to gain the massive military budget they need for them. That¡¯s why they want the Objects to always be polished up bright like an exhibit at a motor show. They even have a lovely pilot Elite by its side to play the role of the companion girl. ...But none of that is a job for the designer I want to be. Get a PR guy for that.¡±


    Quenser shrugged.


    ¡°Let me touch the more...well...sensitive parts at the core. Like the JPlevelMHD reactor or the targeting sensor control system.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You aren¡¯t touching those. Before you even think about it, you need to pass at least fifteen international exams.¡±


    As the princess sat on the metal staircase and stared blankly up into the blue sky, she called out to Quenser.


    ¡°Qu-Quenser?¡±


    ¡°??? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Did something happen with that Information Alliance Elite? She said something I didn¡¯t like about what she was going to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Um, that can apply to a lot of Elites. Which one are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°...There are a lot of them?¡±


    The princess¡¯s expression made it clear he had stirred up unnecessary trouble.


    Quenser, however, did not understand what she had been trying to ask.


    ¡°Anyway, princess, I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten about the karaoke!! During the battle with the Simple Is Best and the Hornet Storm, you had the nerve to say idols were worthless because anyone can sing!!¡±


    ¡°Uuh... I-I remember.¡±


    ¡°Good. These days, you can run a karaoke place anywhere using internet download services. There are even some here in Oceania. During our next day off, I demand to see if you have the skills to back up your bragging!!¡±


    The old maintenance woman let out a quiet sigh.


    This arrangement was actually almost exactly what the princess had expected to happen and wanted to happen, but she did not seem to know what to do now that things were going more smoothly than expected.


    It was an example of a plan coming back to bite her.


    The two youths compared their schedules to set up a date and Quenser suddenly spoke up once they had finished.


    In that instant, he became a true idiotic designer.


    ¡°Oh, right. I need to ask you too, princess. The reactor may be too dangerous, but can I check out the targeting sensor control system or somewhere else that will help me study Object design?¡±


    ¡°.......................................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    ¡°Do you not trust me at all?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an issue of your skill,¡± said the old woman in exasperation. ¡°There are different types of people who work with Object design. There are those who build up virtual models based on theory, there are academic types that materialize and realize those models, there are inventor types who have a single idea and go beyond their primary field to gather everything they need to realize it, and there are craftsmen who use their experience and unexplainable instincts in their fingertips to produce results greater than precision manufacturing equipment. The targeting sensor control system you¡¯re talking about is a black box that complexly combines all of those together. Not even the princess or I will touch it without reason.¡±


    ¡°So you entrust your life to something no one touches?¡±


    ¡°That is not what she meant,¡± said the princess. ¡°It is maintained in sessions including more than fifty people. You can think of it like exchanging our opinions to find the right flavor for a cocktail we do not know the recipe to. Bringing in someone who doesn¡¯t know the flavor would distort our opinions and raise the likelihood of the final drink not matching the perfect flavor.¡±


    ¡°An Object has over one hundred cannons, both big and small,¡± continued the old woman. ¡°Each of those has multiple sensors and the entire Object has its primary radars and sensors. Coordinating all of those is beyond human ability. Most of it is handled by computers, but there are some situations where that doesn¡¯t cut it. Do you know what I¡¯m talking about?¡±


    ¡°Laser weapons?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Those move at the speed of light, so they can¡¯t be avoided after seeing them fired. What matters is predicting the attack by observing the minute movements of the enemy¡¯s cannons and sensor lenses. You can¡¯t leave that to a computer both when attacking and when defending.¡±


    In a battle between Objects, one could not simply continue to evade. One had to attack and hit.


    If an enemy would predict the attack before it was fired, one had to predict where they would evade to and fire there instead.


    ¡°Ultimately, the whole system only works when you combine the precise sensors, the high-spec computers, and the fearful fingertips of a human. It seems the Information Alliance is researching completely automated targeting algorithms, but they have a long way to go towards making it practical. Then again, they¡¯re more skilled than anyone when it comes to using information, so who knows how much we can trust what our intelligence division has gathered on them.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t lose to something like that.¡±


    This seemed to have worked up an odd sense of competition in the princess because she pouted her lips and took a sip from her drink¡¯s straw.


    Quenser then heard an electronic tone from the small radio in his uniform.


    When he pulled it out and brought it to his mouth, Froleytia¡¯s voice spoke to him.


    ¡°Study time is over for the moment, Quenser. Head over to the briefing room with the others. A pre-mission briefing is about to begin.¡±


    ¡°What do we have to do now?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I will explain to you. But it¡¯s a simple mission. I¡¯m not asking you to make a charge at a cutting-edge Object or anything.¡±


    ¡°I beg you to never ask me to do that!! I haven¡¯t been doing it because I want to!!¡±


    ¡°Toward the end of the incident with the Simple Is Best and the Hornet Storm, a large underground structure was discovered when the ground collapsed. That was from your report, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°W-well, yes.¡±


    ¡°Today, you will be investigating the abandoned facility. This is simple post-battle cleanup. I suppose the police would call it a crime scene inspection. I honestly doubt it has anything to do with the war, but we have to control everything in the vicinity of the battle. I will be the one writing the annoying report to the higher ups, so you all can help me out a little.¡±


    ¡°So no other military is involved this time? There aren¡¯t going to be any firefights?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Unless you¡¯ve heard reports of the Capitalist Corporations or the Information Alliance living in holes.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Wait just a minute. Are you saying you want us to carefully check over this place, but nothing ¨C nothing at all ¨C is going to happen? We just have to drive across the desert as if having a picnic, snap a few photos of these strange ruins, and that¡¯s it? You promise?¡±


    ¡°And surprisingly, you actually get paid. With the people¡¯s tax money, no less.¡±


    ¡°Woo hoo!! Oh, god! I can¡¯t wait!! Please fill my team with a ton of female soldiers! This is perfect for Operation North Wind and the Sun. Partway through, our tension is sure to drop and then they¡¯ll strip down to their thin inner clothing!! Hooray! Hooray!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I get it. You will be in your usual filthy guy team with Heivia. Have fun in your sweaty world of little clothing.¡±


    ¡°Hah hah hah. If you really do that, I¡¯m starting a coup.¡±


    ¡°Hah hah hah!! Do you really think I¡¯m the type to joke about this?¡±


    The transmission ended with a click.


    Since Froleytia said it, there was no doubt that he would end up surrounded by men. However, Quenser was not about to give up. He still had hope.


    ¡°On a boring investigation, the investigation team, guard team, and transport team will all move as one big group. Even if my team looks like a boys¡¯ school, there¡¯s still a chance of cute young girls in the other teams!! I haven¡¯t lost yet!!¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Are you sure it will turn out that well?¡± asked the old woman.


    ¡°I am!! After all, the end of February is getting towards the end of the fiscal year!! The top levels of the military need to use up their extra budget or the defense budget will be lowered next year. Sending out tons of unnecessary soldiers for a boring mission could easily happen now!!¡±


    ¡°Why are you only this good at calculations at times like this?¡±


    That was of course because this topic was the most compatible with the pink brain cells of adolescence.


    At any rate, Quenser raised his hands in an expression of joy.


    ¡°Fwa ha ha ha ha ha!! I won¡¯t let our commander win this time! The amount of girls in skimpy, wet, and see-through clothes would surprise a soft drink commercial! Paradise awaits me!!¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°...Ah!?¡±


    Quenser suddenly opened his eyes.


    His recent memories were fuzzy. He could not see anything properly. The blue sky of the desert spreaded out before his eyes. He seemed to be lying on his back, but he could not feel the burning of the hot sand.


    He felt an unpleasant cold sweat as if he had anemia.


    He detected a burning smell mixed with a rusty metallic smell.


    ...A rusty metallic smell?


    ¡°Gah!? Gfh! D-dammit. I just remembered. Our helicopter crashed. Then what was that dream I just had...? Don¡¯t tell me my life was flashing before my eyes! Cough cough!!¡±


    The surface of the desert was not flat. It had large undulations similar to a stormy sea and some areas had height differences of several meters. He was lying in a position to use one of those sand dunes as a shield.


    But what was he being shielded from?


    The answer was obviously the attacks being fired their way.


    Seemingly never-ending sounds of bursting gunfire made him think of a fireworks show gone wrong. Quenser¡¯s group was not on the attack. They were unilaterally being fired upon. The storm of steel was so great they would have been torn to pieces in just a few seconds if not for the dune.


    Heivia had his back pressed against the dune while sticking just his rifle¡¯s sensors up over it.


    ¡°Are you finally awake, you bastard!? I was beginning to think I wasted an adrenaline cartridge!!¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You mean one of those thick needles you stab directly into the heart!? I was in that bad a state!?¡±


    ¡°I thought this would be best. If you were hitting on an angel, I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right! I saw my life flash before my eyes! It seemed so real!! Um...huh? I couldn¡¯t quite remember what happened. I remembered seeing the princess, Froleytia, and the old maintenance woman.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. I already knew how little fidelity you had, but it¡¯s good to know you¡¯re the same as ever!¡±


    As his blood flow returned to normal, the data in Quenser¡¯s head gradually fell into the proper order.


    (Oh, that¡¯s right.)


    He had been sent on a mission by Froleytia.


    They were to investigate the underground structure he had come across during the battle with the Simple Is Best and Hornet Storm. Even if it was not a very important building, she had needed detailed information on anything in the combat zone for a report to the higher ups.


    Quenser and the others had been loaded into the large transport helicopters and were sent to the area of desert in question.


    Nothing but cream-colored sand had continued in every direction, so it had been a frightening sight to look down on. He had wanted to avoid getting lost here. Even a South American jungle would have more opportunities for survival techniques.


    The only landmarks were the remains of the rusty pipelines that travelled here and there like blood vessels of the planet. But if one was stranded, it would probably be impossible to tell a rescue team where one was using them. After all, they would continue in a straight line for 100 or even 1000 kilometers.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how intently you stare down there, you aren¡¯t going to find an oasis or a girl in a micro bikini,¡± Heivia said. ¡°More importantly, can you believe we¡¯re travelling over a battlefield in a helicopter? Sure, we aren¡¯t directly dealing with an Object, but one of them may suddenly decide to go on a hunt.¡±


    But if they had been crammed into military trucks to travel along the rough desert under the hot sun, they would have been struck by the double-punch of heat stroke and motion sickness before even arriving at the site.


    After the formation of large helicopters had travelled for a while, they had spotted the remains of the terminal facility where several old pipelines gathered. That facility had been used to gather water from deep underground rather than oil.


    But then they had soon spotted a few trucks with canopies parked near the old facility.


    Quenser had frowned.


    ¡°Are those scavengers trying to gather anything of value?¡±


    ¡°There can¡¯t be any proper machinery left. And look at the canopies. That¡¯s the Blue Cross. They¡¯re the world¡¯s largest medical humanitarian organization. They head to Antarctic and the jungle to find samples of deadly bacteria, they give money to groups researching nanotech medicine, and all sorts of other things. They¡¯re probably providing food.¡±


    ¡°Nanotech? Oh, you mean the techniques taken from military science where it can be used as a new method for regulating Elite¡¯s bodies? They place drops of medicine in a membrane like a small bubble, get that bubble past the filters to the brain or kidneys, and provide the medicine directly to the target. They use ultrasonic waves to break the outer shell at the desired point, right?¡±


    ¡°You get excited about anything that has even the slightest connection to Objects, don¡¯t you? Can you stop breathing so heavily? It¡¯s creepy.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s the Blue Cross doing at these abandoned ruins?¡±


    At that point, Quenser¡¯s memories suddenly lost coherency.


    As he laid on his back with a hand on his sweaty brow, he let out a groan.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Those bastards weren¡¯t the Blue Cross at all. Someone painted up their trucks to trick us. They removed the canopies and there were missiles inside.¡±


    ¡°Are you the type that needs coffee and toast to wake up in the morning? If not, get moving!! We¡¯re gonna be surrounded!!¡±


    The burnt smell was coming from the remains of their crashed helicopter.


    The whirl of bullets was not coming from just one direction. They were partially surrounded by a C-shape.


    It was unclear who the enemy was or how many of them there were.


    Their group had to be at least two or three sizes larger than Quenser and Heivia¡¯s group. More than twenty people were lying behind the sand dune like Quenser. They all had their arms or legs bound with bandages to stop their bleeding, some had the removed stock of a carbine used to set a broken bone, and a lot of them were unconscious. The area had become a makeshift field hospital.


    Quenser looked up at the blue sky that seemed to continue forever.


    ¡°Where are the other helicopters? Where¡¯s our way out!? We¡¯ll just be worn down bit by bit like this. We can¡¯t fight in the desert without a means of mobility!¡±


    ¡°All of the functioning helicopters have temporarily withdrawn! We can¡¯t exactly overcome their surface-to-air missiles with the power of friendship. If they hover around here to pick us up, they¡¯ll be shot down! No help is coming until we silence those!!¡±


    ¡°They may be transport helicopters, but they have machineguns attached to the door, right? Firing down with those will make a huge difference!!¡±


    ¡°In this clean age, no one wants to start a Western-style quick draw using heavy weaponry. We won¡¯t get anywhere wishing for something that isn¡¯t coming. Focus on reality!!¡±


    Nothing but sand as far as the eye could see lay in every direction.


    There was no escape without some kind of vehicle. Even if they began to flee on foot, they would be quickly overtaken and riddled with holes. Falling back would not improve their situation and most of those injured in the crash were in no state to walk on their own.


    The enemy was advancing.


    Once the enemy surpassed the sand dune, they would only sink into a puddle of blood.


    ¡°Screw this. You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me. I thought this was supposed to be an easy mission.¡±


    As Quenser complained, he rolled over onto his stomach. He then climbed up the dune and stopped next to Heivia.


    ¡°How many are there?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere between 50 and 60. Only a samurai or ninja can defeat that many in a straight fight. It will be a different story if we have support from the helicopters, but we need to silence those armored vehicles to do that.¡±


    ¡°Who are they anyway?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But knowing that they¡¯re bastards who don¡¯t deserve to live is good enough for me,¡± spat out Heivia. ¡°But their equipment is relatively new. It looks like they gathered downgraded weapons that the Capitalist Corporations and the Information Alliance sell to gather foreign currency. Their ability may be intentionally lowered, but they¡¯re expensive. I doubt a gang or slum residents who are strapped for cash can get their hands on that stuff.¡±


    The repeated sounds of gunfire caused Quenser to grimace.


    ¡°Are you saying those are trained soldiers? They¡¯re firing around almost at random. If they were aiming each shot, we would have already been filled with bullets.¡±


    ¡°Listen, skinny boy. Have you never heard of sounding out your enemy? When you don¡¯t know where they are, you fire all over the place and wait for them to react. ...It¡¯s all over once they find out where exactly we are. They have tons of machineguns and missiles on their trucks. Specifically, they have more than ten trucks. This shield of sand is meaningless. They may be surface-to-air, but a few of those missiles will blow the terrain to smithereens.¡±


    Quenser let out a long, slow breath.


    And then he asked another question.


    ¡°Then what exactly are we supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Well done getting your mind in gear.¡±


    Heivia pulled back the rifle sensors he had been peering over the dune and used the sand to write out the information he had risked his life to collect.


    ¡°They have their machinegun and surface-to-air missile equipped trucks set up to protect the terminal facility that pumps water up from underground. They¡¯re between five and six hundred meters away. Their rifles and machineguns can reach us from there, but fifty or sixty soldiers armed with carbines and light machineguns are slowly approaching. Once they cross a certain line, we¡¯ll be slaughtered. We need to do something before they can manage that.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t win if we fight? Are there too many of them?¡±


    ¡°As I said, we could annihilate their infantry with our helicopter machineguns, but those helicopters can¡¯t approach right now. We need to silence those surface-to-air missile containers sitting up on their trucks.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    Quenser glanced over at Heivia.


    He carried a shoulder-fired missile launcher over his back. That could be used to blow up the armored trucks, but there was one major problem.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I only have one shot and there are over ten of them. This isn¡¯t going to work.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser remained silent for a moment.


    He stared at the rough map his friend had drawn on the sand.


    ¡°Heivia, my memories aren¡¯t perfect due to the shock, so I need to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your fianc¨¦ from before your memory loss if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about when they attacked our helicopter with their missiles. I knew I could¡¯t expect a large transport helicopter to evade, but we weren¡¯t shot down without putting up any kind of fight, right?¡±


    ¡°What? Well, I remembered a siren blaring as it scattered chaff and flares to trick their radar. I thought we might have activated an infrared jammer as well, but you could see how well all that worked. We were shot down and the other helicopters were forced to withdraw.¡±


    ¡°In other words, we had countermeasures, but they were completely ineffective,¡± said Quenser while emphasizing each word. ¡°They had some large radar equipment supporting their targeting. That¡¯s how they saw through our deceptions and shot us down. But what if all of their anti-air weaponry were reliant on it? We could take out their ¡®net in the sky¡¯ by destroying just the one piece of equipment. Guns and missiles are essentially the same. Without a means of aiming them, they won¡¯t cause any damage.¡±


    ¡°It does make sense,¡± groaned Heivia. ¡°All of the trucks have oddly large antennae attached. It¡¯s definitely possible they¡¯re using accurate data from a command vehicle that specializes in gathering intelligence. But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡± Heivia stabbed his rifle¡¯s stock into the center of his map on the sand. ¡°You heard me, right? There are more than ten of their armored trucks and we only have one missile. If we don¡¯t hit the command vehicle on the first shot, it¡¯s all over. Once we lose our trump card, we have nothing left!! Is there any way to tell which one it is!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡±


    Quenser folded his arms lightly and traced his index finger over his mouth.


    He looked like he was contemplating the dinner menu.


    ¡°Heivia, how many assault rifle and handgun bullets do you have left?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t enough, gather some more from those too injured to move. They won¡¯t do them any good anyway.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! They may have been disguised as the Blue Cross, but their trucks probably still have handmade plate inside. You can¡¯t fight armored trucks with normal bullets!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to destroy the trucks. I have no interest in the bullets themselves.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    Quenser ignored Heivia¡¯s confused look and gathered a few assault rifles and carbines.


    He disassembled them without any tools and removed the barrel which resembled a long, narrow pipe.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Make some giant fireworks.¡±


    Quenser bent and crushed one end of the long, narrow tubes, removed the rifle bullets from the magazines, and scattered them across the sand.


    ¡°A long time ago, they would actually use this kind of simple rocket weapon in Asia. They were meant to set fire to castles or ships. ...You said the distance is five or six hundred meters? Cramming in this much intelligent military powder should reach even with the plastic explosive and fuse attached to the front.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying we can oppose all those armored trucks if we go to this extra trouble?¡± Heivia looked displeased. ¡°Have you forgotten what matters most with weapons, Quenser? Targeting. Reaching them and hitting them are two very different things! A simple fireworks rocket made by stuffing powder into a tube and attaching it to a stick for stability isn¡¯t going to hit!!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to hit.¡± Quenser readily overturned Heivia¡¯s assumption. ¡°They think they¡¯re perfectly safe over there, so if bombs start bursting too far away to have been thrown, they¡¯ll definitely panic. They¡¯ll try to evacuate the most important thing first. I don¡¯t know how stupid they are, but they are smart enough to know they can¡¯t afford to have their radar vehicle destroyed. While they¡¯re busy secretly moving their most important card away, you just have to blow it up with your missile.¡±


    Heivia was dumbfounded, but Quenser continued his cunning explanation.


    ¡°You mentioned sounding out your enemy, remember? Let¡¯s show them how it¡¯s really done.¡±


    Part 3


    As planned, the makeshift rockets were fired into the Oceanian sky.


    Heivia fired his shoulder-fired missile into the command truck with the large-scale radar antenna attached and the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s unilateral counterattack began.


    Once the threat of anti-air weapons was removed, the large transport helicopters were able to return.


    They had large caliber machineguns bolted directly to the floor near the door.


    As the sound of those firing exploded overhead, Quenser covered his mouth with one hand.


    ¡°Why do people like to root for the underdog? Where did my hatred for them go?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re actually looking down on them with a sense of superiority. But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re enjoying your life well enough.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia laid face down on the slope of the sand dune while the sounds of destruction continued.


    The handmade armored trucks had been relatively well modified, but they were filled with holes, their gasoline tanks and weaponry ignited, and they violently exploded. The intense destruction of the machineguns rained down evenly on the group of infantry who had tried to corner Quenser and the others. There were no screams. Instead, a dark red sauce was splattered across the giant frying pan of the desert.


    Quenser entered a philosophic mood.


    ¡°What is peace?¡±


    Heivia picked his nose with his little finger.


    ¡°It¡¯s when we¡¯re still alive.¡±


    After about ten minutes, the sounds of gunfire completely stopped.


    A few of the transport helicopters remained at the ready in the air while a few others slowly descended to collect the injured.


    One soldier who stepped out of a helicopter shouted over the noise of the rotors.


    ¡°Thanks for your work!! We have permission to bring back all of your injured. Leave them with us and they can recover in a bed that reeks of disinfectant!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. We get it! But take a look behind you before you say that. The helicopters aren¡¯t at all ready to leave. We can¡¯t leave until the investigation is done!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia watched as the investigation team and their guards started for the pump facility that connected to the giant underground structure.


    The ceiling of the underground structure had collapsed during the previous battle, so it was open to the surface. However, no one would rappel down a ten meter cliff when a perfectly safe staircase was available.


    Quenser used his uniform¡¯s sleeve to wipe sweat from his brow and looked up at the roasting sun that felt like the end of the world.


    ¡°What do we do now? I don¡¯t want to sit around here. We would dry up before they finished.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a pipeline over there. It¡¯s rusted and falling apart, but we can rest behind it. The humidity should be lower and it¡¯ll block the sun.¡±


    The pipeline was a tube with a diameter of over two meters, so it produced enough of a shadow to sit in. The two boys walked over and found most of the other soldiers already leaning up against the rusted metal pipe like a line of ants.


    ¡°This is awful.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s cooler here? I feel like gathering together would concentrate the heat.¡±


    Quenser pulled out the water bottle attached to his uniform and took a gulp. It had been warmed by the sun and his body temperature, so he spat it back out.


    ¡°Yuck! It feels like I¡¯m drinking my own sweat!!¡±


    ¡°Use your head, student. You need to cool the water bottle with the icing spray used for machineguns. Medic!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s joking shout let Quenser know the danger had truly passed.


    ¡°So what was that? This pump facility is in ruins and all the usable equipment was removed. Missiles cost 10,000 euros each. Why would they defend this place with their lives?¡±


    ¡°Look over here, Quenser.¡±


    Heivia peered inside a broken portion of the pipeline. The pipe was over two meters wide, so it looked more like a metal tunnel.


    In fact, it was one.


    ¡°There¡¯s sand gathered at the bottom and there¡¯s a thick line down the middle. It looks like a tire track. From the width, I¡¯d say a motorcycle.¡±


    ¡°A tire track?¡±


    With a confused look, Quenser peered inside the broken pipe.


    And then it hit him.


    ¡°This abandoned pipeline network stretches across the entire desert. No water or oil is being sent through it, so it¡¯s a safe empty space. You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°When the military government ruled Oceania, secret funds, weapons, and drugs travelled across the country like ghosts were transporting them. They slipped right past the military checkpoints and satellite surveillance. It was said they did it by bribing or threatening the local soldiers, but this might be it.¡±


    ¡°A secret tunnel? So as easily as heading underground through a manhole, they could freely move across Oceania without being checked?¡±


    It was not the pump facility or the giant underground structure that mattered.


    Someone was trying to hide the large-scale smuggling network that used the pipelines.


    ¡°People armed with the latest military equipment were fighting to protect a smuggling network? That smells fishy to me. Is it an intelligence agency raising funds by selling drugs or something?¡±


    ¡°But who exactly were they?¡± Heivia looked annoyed as he glanced over at the corpses which had been almost completely destroyed. ¡°Their equipment looks like a collection of Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance stuff. And it¡¯s the downgraded versions sold for foreign currency rather than the official military equipment. They announce they¡¯re lowering the quality, but still keep the price high. I doubt a local gang or mafia would want to use them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Were they soldiers or were they people hired to help out? Well, either way they would mix in a few pros to take command.¡±


    Suddenly, an infantryman guarding the exterior of the pump facility spoke to Quenser and Heivia.


    ¡°If you¡¯re discussing conspiracy theories, you might want to check this out.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Heivia sounded puzzled as the man tossed him a small rectangular handheld device.


    However, this was not the type issued to Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. It also had dark red stains in places.


    The soldier shrugged.


    ¡°I was scavenging. Those thugs out front were splattered everywhere, so I gathered whatever I thought I could sell.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You really set foot in that poisonous swamp?¡±


    ¡°And in exchange, I found some interesting data. It looks less like official data and more like someone at the bottom gathered some data to figure out what he was involved in.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser turned on the device and it was not even locked with a password.


    Some of the data files were filled with numbers about ten digits long. He could not read hexadecimal off the top of his head, so he could not tell anything from just that.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± said Heivia as he peered in from the side. ¡°The first four digits are all the same. I thought these looked familiar. They¡¯re bank account numbers, aren¡¯t they? I think these belong to a major Information Alliance one.¡±


    ¡°Why does a Legitimacy Kingdom noble know that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. In this age of wars, you never know what levies will be imposed. Do you really think a greedy noble is going to keep all his money in a single account? We have tons of ways of spreading out our assets. My family has a group of specialist accountants working for us.¡±


    Quenser tilted his head as he scrolled through the iron-smelling device.


    There appeared to be over one hundred bank account numbers.


    ¡°So what is this list of bank accounts?¡±


    ¡°Probably a deposit list. In other words, these connect to the names of the people cooperating with the people running things from the shadows. Look, the numbers at the end of the account numbers are the same too. That probably refers to a branch in a tropical island tax haven. They¡¯re probably using secret accounts to launder their money.¡±


    ¡°The people running things from the shadows? We still don¡¯t know if this is really a conspiracy.¡±


    ¡°If we dig up the names and identities of this week¡¯s MVPs here, we might find a connection. They disguised their trucks as the Blue Cross and loaded them with machineguns and missiles to hide the secret passageway through the pipeline. They¡¯re definitely up to no good.¡±


    The mischievous infantryman shrugged in utter exhaustion.


    ¡°These are secret accounts in the Information Alliance. They aren¡¯t going to give us the information if we ask.¡±


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Do I look that smart to you? Do you think you can just throw any problem my way?¡±


    Quenser looked irritated, but he begrudgingly agreed after the soldiers around him tossed some icing spray his way.


    He sprayed it across his water bottle and spoke.


    ¡°Knowing the account numbers is a start. How about we leak the entire list onto the internet while making it look like they were hacked? With secret tax haven accounts, trust matters most. If information has been taken straight from the servers, the clients and managers will both panic.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but will that accomplish anything other than causing a commotion?¡±


    ¡°We can quickly open a fake website claiming to check whether your account number was stolen. If we add in some spyware to snatch the IP of anyone entering their number, we should be able to determine who entered what number. And the shadier the person, the sooner they¡¯ll respond.¡±


    In that instant, everyone resting in the shade of the pipeline stared silently at Quenser.


    He squirmed under the pressure of the strange silence.


    ¡°Um, what is this? Is this any way to react after I give you what you want?¡±


    ¡°This settles it. Nothing good would come of letting him leave the military.¡±


    They contacted the maintenance base zone¡¯s intelligence division via radio, but they said it would take several days to create a proper fake website.


    Heivia stuck out his tongue.


    ¡°Damn those desk workers. Do clocks move at a different speed over there? Are they using a vacation clock or something?¡±


    ¡°Either way, I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t on board with this. It¡¯s a pain, but you heard them. Everyone, give any idea we can use to steal the credit from the intelligence department since they refuse to play along.¡±


    Long story short, they ended up with the following ideas: ¡°Different computer viruses are compressed and saved on a certain foreign server¡±, ¡°I know a collection of templates for scam sites¡±, and ¡°As long as you have the basic template for the site, you can use a cloud service to edit the details and create a false site in only a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Why do all of you know about this kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°As a future engineer, I think you should gladly welcome useful nerds. Otherwise, your organization will end up as a dinosaur fossil.¡±


    As they had announced, the bored helpers completed the false website in only a few minutes. Rather than building it from the ground up, they chose a template from a database containing thousands of templates for scam sites and added the necessary decorations. They did the same for the spyware.


    ¡°Where should we spread the address? Just on any major message board?¡±


    ¡°For the Legitimacy Kingdom, there¡¯s Blue Blood which only nobles with bloodlines continuing back for 300 years can enter. For the Information Alliance, there¡¯s Rank Literacy which can only be used by people who run sites with over half a million hits a day. There are sites for elitist people from the other two world powers as well.¡±


    ¡°Those are all closed SNSs. We can probably manage with Blue Blood, but you aren¡¯t using my ID.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to. Everyone uses different identities online. A refined noble will let off some steam by shouting insults on anonymous message boards like it¡¯s a masquerade party. If we spread the information there, the tainted information will make its way into the closed SNSs. They¡¯ll ruin their own attempts to seal it off.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like the insecticide used for roaches. It¡¯s made to look like delicious food so they¡¯ll take it back to their nest where it kills all of them.¡±


    A male soldier had been curled up and fiddling with a handheld device, but he now made an OK sign with his hand.


    The others peered curiously at the small screen.


    ¡°This virus site is a lot like creating a robot from an empty box and tape, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s already gotten a few pieces of personal information.¡±


    First, they had leaked the list online and let the emergency information spread. Once the clients grew uneasy, they were lured to the false site where they entered their account number. It was unclear when exactly the different waves of attack began.


    ¡°We have a few names and identities to go with numbers on our list. About ten so far. Let¡¯s try to find a link between them.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Heivia pointed at one of the names. ¡°This is an international satellite TV executive. He claims to bring laughter and the truth to the blank regions and dictatorships where information is being controlled. Oceania¡¯s mass media has begun to recover, but it¡¯s still unstable. Satellite TV still has a lot of credibility and influence here.¡±


    He pointed at another name.


    ¡°This is a blog king. He¡¯s known as Oceania¡¯s leading source of sarcasm.¡±


    He pointed at another.


    ¡°This is an entertainer famous for volunteer work.¡±


    And another.


    ¡°An executive for an international canned drink maker. They have ads during all sorts of shows.¡±


    As each name was described, Quenser saw a common theme.


    ¡°Are they using the media to influence people¡¯s impressions?¡±


    ¡°Their impressions of what?¡±


    ¡°No matter how much they¡¯re being paid, I doubt they would say something that strays too far from their ideologies and beliefs. The money is nothing but the trigger giving them the final push. In that case, what do these people believe in?¡±


    Heivia grimaced when he heard that.


    He had been the one describing the names, so he had a general understanding of the people.


    ¡°This might be a major headache for us.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°They want true independence for Oceania by having the ¡®thugs¡¯ leave. They¡¯re a bunch of people who refuse to do any real work while pretending to be pacifists. They think they¡¯re the most important no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Even the corporate executives?¡±


    ¡°Sitting arrogantly in a leather chair isn¡¯t normally referred to as ¡®work¡¯.¡±


    A mysterious group in Oceania was spreading intentionally biased information to create a tendency toward hating the coalition military.


    The current problem was the pipeline they were using to secretly transport something across the desert. They had even started a firefight with the Legitimacy Kingdom in order to hide it.


    This was more than a newspaper editorial.


    This mysterious group was prepared to use legitimate violence.


    ¡°This pipeline is being used as a secret transportation network and massive amounts of money are being given to influential people to manipulate the opinions of the Oceanian people. What are they trying to do here?¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± spoke up the soldiers who had helped them earlier. ¡°I checked a few more of their handheld devices and there¡¯s a net storage site they access frequently. They may keep their larger data there.¡±


    ¡°Does it have a password?¡±


    ¡°Just like online banks, it uses a one-time password. ...But this was outsourced and the company in charge of security has slipped past the firewall a few times. We might be able to use the maintenance master key.¡±


    ¡°Would they really use the same key for several weeks or months?¡±


    ¡°No, but if we find a pattern to the changes in the periodically updated alphanumeric key, it might be possible to determine what the current key is. It will take some time, though.¡±


    ¡°Try working on it,¡± said Quenser as his radio emitted an electronic tone.


    Froleytia was calling them.


    ¡°I have a question for all of you. You aren¡¯t performing unauthorized electronic warfare against an Information Alliance tax haven bank, are you? The intelligence department has detected a fascinating flow of data.¡±


    (Shit!!)


    Everyone there straightened their spines.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance were at war, but wars had rules known as treaties. And as Heivia had said, secret tax haven accounts were unofficially used by nobles and royals so they could secretly divide their assets up between false names and dummy corporations. Even if this was an enemy nation, some higher ups might not want them messing with it. Someone might be placing pressure on Froleytia.


    But when no amount of apology would fix the situation, Quenser did not want to continue speaking for long.


    He responded casually while looking around for help.


    Heivia pointed toward the pump facility with his thumb.


    ¡°(That thick concrete might cut off the signal!!)¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Eh? What!? No, no. That isn¡¯t what we¡¯re doing!!¡±


    While Quenser stalled for time, he and Heivia ran toward the remains of the pump facility.


    They circled around the lake of dark red sauce and continued toward the building which contained stairs leading underground.


    The armored trucks disguised as the Blue Cross were still burning and smoking. They would no longer function, but the two idiots circled well away from them because the bombs or missiles could suddenly burst.


    The inside of the building was a large space.


    It had originally been a facility to draw up unused water from underground and send it to grain-producing land, but all of the equipment had been removed when it was abandoned. It was now a movie theater-sized space made of reinforced concrete. It was essentially empty. Broken metal stairways and passageways could be found here and there and they appeared to be built around large machinery that was no longer present.


    But that did not matter.


    ¡°(Heivia! The signal¡¯s still going strong!! Froleytia¡¯s completely pissed!! We can¡¯t escape like this!!)¡±


    ¡°(Let¡¯s head down the spiral staircase and underground!!)¡±


    The two idiots descended the spiral staircase and ran out into a narrow tunnel. Static finally began to fill the radio signal.


    This was the moment they had been waiting for.


    ¡°Ksshhh. Wait, what is... Explain yourse-...kssssshhhhh!!¡±


    ¡°Eh? What? I can¡¯t hear you! I can¡¯t hear you at all!! Over!!¡±


    With that, he ended the transmission and switched off the radio altogether.


    Heivia leaned up against the concrete wall.


    ¡°If we hang around here, the investigation team will see us and force odd jobs on us. Let¡¯s go pretend to be working.¡±


    They were doing nothing more than extending their suffering, but they took an extremely positive stance and viewed it as a chance to arrange the excuses they needed to weasel out of it.


    They passed through a straight corridor and arrived at the underground structure.


    However...


    ¡°Wow. There really isn¡¯t a ceiling. It feels like the world¡¯s biggest convertible.¡±


    The ground above had completely collapsed during the previous battle, so the blue sky was perfectly visible even in the ¡°underground¡± structure. They were over ten meters down, so they were not about to climb up or down rather than using the stairs.


    A lot of sand had poured in, so it looked a lot more cluttered than the pump facility.


    The piles of wooden boxes may have added to that impression.


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve finished investigating here. Otherwise, we never would have been allowed in.¡±


    ¡°What are these boxes? Surely they aren¡¯t empty.¡±


    After receiving permission from a man on the investigation team who was taking photographs, Quenser and Heivia removed the nails from one wooden box and opened it.


    ¡°There¡¯s some kind of powder packed in plastic.¡±


    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t look like something with a high street price.¡±


    The bags had some kind of label, so Quenser used his handheld device to snap a photo.


    They opened a few more boxes and found reels of fiber optic cable as well as nuts and bolts packaged by size.


    ¡°Did someone¡¯s father make a secret base for his home improvement projects?¡±


    ¡°Wait. I think I know what that powder was,¡± muttered Quenser.


    Suddenly, the two idiots heard the noise of something falling over.


    And when they turned toward the noise...


    Part 4


    In the name of war recovery, many different types of construction had begun at a fevered pitch across Oceania: houses, shops, roads, water and sewage, etc. The coalition of the four world powers claimed bringing order to the country was their top priority, but they could not utterly eliminate anyone who was even slightly suspicious. Specialists who did not look right in a suit or work uniform and guards who carried guns could not be distinguished from actual bad guys.


    If those suspicious-looking people were let into the same space as rich foreign tourists, it could lead to a situation similar to a hamster that mistook another hamster¡¯s sex.


    To keep some separation, a hidden side to the city was created for those suspicious-looking people. Drawn by the flow of money, violent restaurants, marriage scam artists who were always crying in a bar, and people from various other occupations would gather there. These were the people who had gone too far in their original country. Like a snowball rolling down a snowy mountain, the strength of these dark cities slowly but steadily grew.


    A certain bar in one such place was quite cheap but it was best not to think about what corners were cut to make it that cheap. In a dimly lit corner of that bar, a small group sat around a table cut off from the rest of the bar by curtains.


    ¡°They have failed.¡±


    A young man wore a black suit and hat that looked out of place in the summertime desert. His sunglasses looked more like they were hiding his face than protecting his eyes from the sun.


    ¡°Terminal 52 has been taken by the Legitimacy Kingdom. The men we hired were wiped out.¡±


    ¡°We knew they would lose from the beginning.¡±


    He was not the only one in such a conspicuous outfit.


    A woman sitting at the same table wore all black, down to her necktie.


    ¡°Even if they could temporarily drive them back, they are a world power and thus they have an Object. If the problem grew too large, they would have sent it in. Those men were doomed to lose.¡±


    But it was not just the two of them. Everyone at the table was wearing all black.


    ¡°Their loss was planned for. We all understand that. In that case, could you tell us one thing? Did they die before or after achieving their goal?¡±


    ¡°If not, I would be a little more concerned.¡±


    ¡°Whatever gets in the way, no one can reach us as long as all evidence is destroyed in the end.¡±


    Everyone turned toward the young man who had spoken first.


    No, they were technically looking behind him.


    A blonde woman stood there wearing the exact same suit and sunglasses. She also held the same type of handgun the rest of them possessed.


    ¡°Are you saying the objective was achieved?¡±


    The young man slowly raised his hands in response.


    The tip of the silencer was already pressed against the back of his head.


    He smiled thinly and responded quietly.


    ¡°Yes. And let me add this: it was nice knowing-...¡±


    A muffled gunshot interrupted his words.


    He collapsed face-first onto the round table. The others slowly stood up and took the necessary measures. They gathered the empty shell casing from the ground, used a rag wet with alcohol to wipe down anything that might have their fingerprints or saliva on it, and cleaned up the floor with a roller of sticky tape to pick up any fallen hair.


    They made sure it was the same as if nothing had happened.


    ¡°Case #022 complete. Supervisor Alaska 49¡¯s death has cut off the trail. Case #023 will now begin. The supervisor will be me, Texas 28.¡±


    The blonde woman spoke quietly while pulling a brand new tablet computer from her bag. The others all focused on her.


    They did so exactly as they had focused on the young man who had just been killed.


    It was as if it were a ritual that had begun long before that young man.


    ¡°Fortunately, Case #022¡¯s objective was fulfilled. A link with the scene has been secured. As planned, we shall continue to the next situation.¡±


    ¡°In other words?¡±


    ¡°We shall bury it in an explosion.¡±


    They remained in the shadows.


    Even when they won and when they were superior, they would kill their allies to suppress all information.


    In that case, they were not going to hesitate to kill their enemies.


    Part 5


    ¡°Not good,¡± muttered Quenser.


    He had seen what some kind of impact had knocked over within the underground structure.


    ¡°Not good!! Heivia, everyone else! Get out of here now!!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Quenser?¡±


    A 1.5 meter cylindrical container similar to a propane tank lay before them. However, it was made of transparent reinforced glass and it was filled with some kind of liquid. The center of the cylinder had a donut-like hollow area which was filled with an explosive.


    ¡°That¡¯s an acid bomb. Militaries use it to destroy evidence!! When the explosive detonates, it destroys the container and the blast sends a thorough shower of powerful acid in every direction. In just a few seconds, it reacts with the air and a vaporized acid cloud expands out. It¡¯ll swallow up five hundred to eight hundred meters in no time! If you get caught in that, you¡¯ll end up in a photograph at an exhibit on the horrors of war!!¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Are you kidding me!? Then were those guys here to set this thing up!? There might be something hidden here!!¡±


    ¡°With something that large and heavy, they couldn¡¯t transport it by motorcycle, so they couldn¡¯t use their secret pipeline. They were forced to use a truck and that¡¯s when we ran across them.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s just a bomb, right? Can¡¯t you defuse it!? Bombs are your specialty!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time. There¡¯s only ten minutes left! It¡¯s waiting for a passcode in case it was accidentally activated, but that isn¡¯t enough time to analyze it!! If you want to live, start running! We need to get back to the helicopters!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia did not hesitate to flee the underground structure and they made sure to bring the investigation team and their guards with them.


    As they ran through the long, narrow corridor, Quenser turned his radio back on, hit the switch, and explained the situation to the helicopters so they could leave immediately.


    But that might have been a mistake.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!! Shit!!¡±


    As soon as they ran up the spiral staircase and out of the pump facility, Heivia swore.


    They could see multiple helicopters taking off.


    ¡°Wait, dammit! Wait!! If we hadn¡¯t told you, you would¡¯ve been surrounded by the acid cloud! We saved your lives!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but rescuing the injured takes precedence! Can you steal one of the enemy¡¯s trucks and escape on your own!?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think any of them are still running!? You were the ones that blew them up!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, they aren¡¯t coming back! More importantly, everyone who¡¯s left needs to gather here. Anyone who makes a mistake here will be melted by acid!!¡±


    Quenser heard a deafening sound resembling an amplified version of a shaken can of beer being opened.


    A strange white cloud began to spread out not far away. It grew to the size of an Object in no time.


    ¡°That¡¯s the acid cloud,¡± said Heivia as his face paled.


    The giant cloud burst up from the underground structure like cotton candy. It exited the hole from the collapse and spread out across the desert. At the same time, it was likely entering the pump facility through the stairway leading up. That death had no gaps. Everyone would be wiped out.


    ¡°That thing spreads faster than a forest fire. Sixty kph was it!? It¡¯ll overtake us if we try to escape on foot!!¡±


    ¡°We can escape.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Through the pipeline! The thick metal should hold it off temporarily! If we can escape beyond its effective range of several hundred meters before it dissolves the metal pipe, we can survive. It¡¯s a chance at least!!¡±


    Quenser began running as he shouted his instructions to Heivia and the others using his radio.


    ¡°Wait, Quenser! That pipeline is falling apart. What if the pipe is completely broken partway down? The acid cloud will enter there and trap us!!¡±


    ¡°Would you rather stay here? Bye bye, Heivia. You can stick with 0%, but I¡¯m going to bet on 1%. Even your dog tags will probably be dissolved, so we won¡¯t gather your remains!!¡±


    ¡°I get it! I get it, goddammit!!¡±


    The pipe was rusty and falling apart. Cracks and large holes existed in places.


    Quenser and the others ran inside that empty and sandy tube as quickly as they could.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me. You¡¯ve gotta be fucking kidding me!!¡±


    The acid cloud will hit in less than thirty seconds! Seal up the holes as best you can!! Use body bags or whatever to cover them and keep the acid cloud out!¡±


    They knew it was not going to be perfect.


    After some quick work, they ran down the two meter tunnel with all their strength.


    They were soon surrounded by a sound resembling stir-frying.


    ¡°The acid cloud has caught up!!¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t break through the pipe right away! Keep running!!¡±


    The pipeline had been created to carry over ten tons of liquid every second, so it had been built quite thick to withstand the internal pressure. But the sound of the metal being eaten away still squeezed at their hearts so much they forgot how thick it was.


    ¡°It¡¯s only going to last two or three minutes.¡±


    ¡°We just have to make it a few hundred meters. That isn¡¯t a marathon. We can escape to safety if we run as quickly as we can!!¡±


    ¡°Damn them, whoever they are! What do they want to hide so badly that they¡¯re willing to ruin the environment like this!?¡±


    ¡°We can think about it after we survive!!¡±


    Strange sparks seemed to explode in their heads and it became impossible to think about anything unnecessary.


    They just ran and ran and ran and ran.


    As they ran, the outside world had long since vanished from their minds. They began to feel like their goal had been filled with the acid and that the acid cloud had covered the entire world.


    ¡°Hot!?¡±


    ¡°There are cracks here and there. Keep running while covering your head with some kind of cloth! Stopping will only eat away at our skin!!¡±


    Fortunately, the cracks were small and not much of the acid cloud seemed to be getting in.


    But Quenser and the others did not have time to objectively evaluate the situation.


    They could not tell if the dampness inside their uniforms was their sweat or their melted skin.


    Even so, they continued running.


    It was not exactly out of stubbornness. They were simply losing themselves in the simple action of running so they could avert their gaze from the certain death closing in on them.


    ¡°Quenser,¡± Heivia finally called out.


    Quenser could not imagine why he was calling out to him.


    ¡°Quenser! It¡¯s over. The sizzling sound is gone. We¡¯ve left the range of the acid cloud.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Eh?¡±


    ¡°We survived! We don¡¯t need to run any further. Do you want to destroy your own heart!?¡±


    It took him a while to truly realize he had survived.


    He eventually collapsed to a sitting position and could tell his lips were twitching.


    After a few seconds, he finally realized he was smiling.


    Part 6


    Somewhere in Oceania, the muffled sound of a gun with a silencer could be heard.


    Another young man looked down at a blonde woman with a bullet hole in her forehead.


    ¡°Case #023 complete. The objective was not achieved and it has been deemed a failure. To recover, Case #024 will now begin.¡±


    Part 7


    Quenser worked hard to calm down Heivia who was seriously planning to punch the pilot of the slowly descending helicopter. Surprisingly, the intellectual-looking investigation team seemed to agree with Heivia. They were only human and anyone would be angry when their supposed comrades unreasonably abandoned them in an acid cloud.


    ¡°Calm down. If we all flip them off, they might fly away without us. We need to give them a smile with the kindness of a younger sister and the dependability of an older sister.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Quenser. You¡¯re saying we act like a carnivorous plant, right? Once they open the helicopter door, their life is over.¡±


    The helicopter team must have felt bad because, when they opened the door, they handed out bottles of carbonated drinks they had found somewhere. The bottles were ice cold thanks to the icing spray for machineguns. There were some enticements one¡¯s senses could not resist. After running around in the 50 degree desert, this was more than enough to quiet them down.


    The middle-aged male pilot explained the situation.


    ¡°The acid cloud is spreading out higher in the sky like a cumulonimbus cloud. We checked the weather map for the wind and there is a danger of running into it on our way back to the maintenance base. We want more accurate information if possible.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the only reason you picked us up, I really will shove you out.¡±


    Growing stubborn was not going to accomplish anything.


    The helicopter team¡¯s decision had not been wrong given all the injured they had and Quenser¡¯s group had indeed managed to hold on to their lives.


    In that case, they needed to use their brains for something more important.


    ¡°So what do you think they were trying to destroy?¡± asked Quenser as the movements of the helicopter shook him. ¡°Do you think it was those wooden boxes in the underground structure? Y¡¯know, those fiber optic cables, the bolts, the nuts, and that strange powder.¡±


    Quenser stared at the photographs he had taken on his handheld device, but then he heard someone give a sudden cry of surprise.


    It came from one of the intellectual infantryman who had helped them create the fake site for the bank account numbers.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°I was searching for the master key to the net storage we discovered using those thugs¡¯ devices, remember? Well, I think I found something bad.¡±


    Everyone gathered around the slender infantryman.


    All of the stern men stared at the small screen.


    It had recorded phone calls, graphs showing the exchange of money, and documents on the group¡¯s projects and external cooperators. The infantryman displayed a summary file that looked like the minutes of a meeting.


    ¡°Concerning war recovery in Oceania and the influence that recovery provides within the country. A list of important infrastructure and how to drive a wedge into the provisional rule using the foundation of that infrastructure.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. This contractor, this one, and this one are all major construction companies doing a lot of work toward Oceania¡¯s recovery. Does this mean they¡¯re all helping out this group or being unwittingly used by them?¡±


    ¡°Well, even the large contractors are using local people to pave roads and lay pipes. To promote employment, they¡¯re actively seeking Oceanian personnel. These shady thugs could probably slip in there.¡±


    ¡°No matter what plans those at the top make, the project will be delayed if the people at the bottom secretly don¡¯t do their job.¡±


    ¡°Electricity, gas, water, schools, hospitals, phones, and internet. All of them are vital pieces of infrastructure.¡±


    ¡°Delaying them will do a lot of damage to the provisional rule here. After all, that rule is really nothing more than a verbal promise. The people will lose faith if those promises aren¡¯t met.¡±


    ¡°So either this group is actually causing this damage or they¡¯re using it as a threat.¡±


    ¡°Either way, someone is definitely gaining great influence over the rulers of Oceania.¡±


    ¡°It is necessary to remove the coalition made up of the four world powers and it is necessary that we then intervene as rulers.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s trying to secretly shake up the provisional rule until it¡¯s powerless. They want to swap out the structure of the nation so they can bring their interests to the forefront.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean it¡¯s us, the coalition force, that¡¯s in the way?¡±


    ¡°Dammit. That must be why they¡¯re paying off that international satellite TV executive, that blog king, and the others! They¡¯ve brought the Oceanian people¡¯s anger to just under the boiling point using the failed infrastructure maintenance. What if they now release baseless rumors about the coalition from multiple influential sources? That will create an outlet for their pent up anger and large-scale riots will begin!!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re stationed here in Oceania in the name of preserving order, so they¡¯re trying to guide international opinion to believe our presence is causing frequent riots that hurt or kill innocent people.¡±


    ¡°Then they can do whatever they want. Our higher ups are only spending the military budget on this because the image of a savior hero is useful in politics and diplomacy. Once it isn¡¯t worth it anymore, the military might really leave.¡±


    ¡°And then a new oppressive dictatorship will begin. This group will be able to hide behind a puppet leader.¡±


    ¡°How to freely rearrange the national structure in the name of creating a modern justice system.¡±


    ¡°The Oceanian military nation had the country working on a completely flawed rulebook. Giving the country proper laws will definitely be necessary.¡±


    ¡°But when you remake the country¡¯s rules from the ground up, it¡¯s a lot easier for black-hearted people to work in loopholes than if they have to rearrange the system bit by bit.¡±


    ¡°Is that like how it¡¯s easier for a baby than an adult to learn a foreign language?¡±


    ¡°Regarding the basic geographic conditions for a powerful nation.¡±


    ¡°Oceania has massive amounts of land and underground resources. If they can secure the water resources needed for large-scale agriculture, they don¡¯t have to worry about food. Simply put, they have what it takes for an advantage in a long, difficult war.¡±


    ¡°Almost the entire continent is made up of a single power and they¡¯re surrounded by ocean. Compared to countries that directly border a lot of other countries, they¡¯re a lot harder to invade. The conditions are similar to what North America once was and a nation known as the world police once existed there.¡±


    ¡°If they create something similar here, it will cause problems in the world¡¯s military balance. Of course, that¡¯s what this group is probably trying to do.¡±


    Quenser and the others read the document while discussing its contents, but a fundamental question caused Quenser to frown.


    ¡°But what are they going to do with this new dictatorship? The Oceanian military nation did something similar, but they were stopped by the combined attack of the coalition force. No matter how many conspiracies they weave together, they¡¯ll be broken up as soon as the coalition notices them.¡±


    ¡°The military nation is a great example of that. I doubt any conspirator would want to meet the same fate as the leader there.¡±


    ¡°And the people here have to be the same. No one is going to think a riot can push back a fifty meter Object. Even a child would know that. Riots are meant to push with great numbers. If their front lines would be mowed down the instant they gathered, no one would gather.¡±


    ¡°They need some kind of symbol of rebellion. But what possible symbol would people think could defeat more than twenty Objects?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser glanced down at a handheld device.


    This was not the one from the thugs. It was Quenser¡¯s own that the Legitimacy Kingdom military had issued him.


    It contained a few photographs he had taken in the underground structure attached the remains of the pump facility.


    The photos were primarily of the wooden boxes¡¯ contents.


    One photo showed nuts and bolts divided by size.


    One showed reels of fiber optic cable.


    One showed bags of powder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a photo of nuts and bolts? You can buy those at home improvement stores the world over.¡±


    ¡°But not the fiber optic cable. This is the type that greatly raises signal stability by injecting argon gas into the tube. The price per meter is ridiculous, so it isn¡¯t used in normal homes. It¡¯s a military product that¡¯s known as the nervous system of certain colossal weapons.¡±


    ¡°Wait... A military product? The nervous system of colossal weapons? You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s this powder.¡±


    Quenser gulped, zoomed in on the photo, and repeatedly read the bag¡¯s label. No matter how many times he read it, it still said the same thing.


    ¡°This is the substance that gives Object armor its high-heat resistance and reactive ability. It isn¡¯t used in anything else.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s the symbol of rebellion this group has built?¡±


    When they thought about it, it was obvious.


    Only one thing could pick a fight with the monstrous weapons that could withstand a direct hit with a nuclear missile.


    They were synonymous with war.


    They were 50+ meter masses of overwhelming military might.


    ¡°Were they using the pipelines spread out across Oceania¡¯s desert to slowly gather the parts for an Object!?¡±


    Part 8


    The group of helicopters taking Quenser and the others back to the maintenance base zone was not far from arriving.


    But they could barely stand to wait even that long.


    ¡°We don¡¯t actually know when the Oceanian military government¡¯s 0.5 generation Object was built. If it was built by smuggling the parts through this network of pipes and this group took over all that, it¡¯s perfectly realistic to think they¡¯ve completed an Object!!¡±


    ¡°Quit analyzing and report this, Quenser! Damn, I bet our huge-breasted commander is still mad. I just hope she¡¯s willing to listen!!¡±


    After they explained their thoughts over the radio, Froleytia responded bitterly.


    ¡°I have not forgotten about dealing with you two, but this isn¡¯t good. It explains why things have been getting noisy outside.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I have received a few troubling reports from the base¡¯s sentries. It seems a two or three thousand of the local people have gathered. They¡¯re only shaking the fence around the base and throwing small rocks, but we will have to forcibly make them leave if they do anything more. I want to avoid that while the journalists¡¯ cameras are here. Also, I didn¡¯t know what caused the commotion.¡±


    People¡¯s opinions varied, but the Legitimacy Kingdom military had not been all that hated by the Oceanian people.


    ¡°So they¡¯ve already started delaying the infrastructure maintenance and pointing the people¡¯s anger our way.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯ve already begun, that means it¡¯s really damn likely they¡¯ve finished their new Object! I don¡¯t even feel like joking about this!!¡±


    ¡°But it takes nearly three years to build an Object from the ground up,¡± said Froleytia. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been enough time for a conspiracy thought up after seeing news of the Oceanian military nation¡¯s collapse.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. Froleytia, you can¡¯t mean what I think you mean!!¡±


    ¡°We just have to calculate backwards. If they started this project three years ago, it started before...ksshhh...military nation¡¯s destruction...ksshh. That ridiculo-...ksshh...also part of their plan...ksssssshhhhhh!!¡±


    ¡°Froleytia? Hey, Froleytia!? Can you hear me!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me. The military line has been jammed? By who? That alone qualifies as opposing us!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    Suddenly, a new voice came over the staticky radio.


    It was a young man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Welcome to our nation of Oceania.¡±


    ¡°Really? We have to deal with this? I don¡¯t see how this could lead to anything good.¡±


    ¡°I hear you have stubbornly survived the acid bomb and thus approached quite close to the truth. Even so, it is too late to do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°We at least know you were involved behind the scenes of the military nation and their 0.5 generation Object.¡¯


    ¡°Yes. They never had the money and technology needed to construct an Object on their own. As you probably know, that was built based on a downgraded version of the design data for an Information Alliance model known as the Gatling 033...no, I suppose you refer to it by the codename of Rush.¡±


    ¡°Rush?¡±


    Quenser frowned and recalled the ¡°oh ho ho¡± laughter of that Information Alliance pilot Elite.


    ¡°But why did all of you so innocently believe that they had only constructed that one? If they can build one, they can build two. With the pipeline spread out across the entire desert and the one hundred terminal facilities connected to it, anything is possible. Our project had begun years and years before the fall of the military nation, so how many Objects do you think we have stocked up in that ant¡¯s nest?¡±


    He used the plural.


    That was enough for a chill to run down the spines of everyone in the helicopter.


    Just one of those monsters was more than enough.


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. Objects are brand-name items that cost a billion dollars each. A single group can¡¯t build that many!!¡±


    ¡°Money can buy something even better. Money is meant to be spent, so there is no reason to hold back. Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°Something even better?¡±


    ¡°The world police,¡± said the young man over the radio.


    That term was the symbol of an era.


    ¡°The world may have changed, but a North American superpower once had complete control of the world¡¯s military balance. That was an era of peace. But that exemplary nation was smashed to pieces by the flow of time! The home countries of the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance now exist there. It is not realistic to resurrect a single superpower there.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°In that case, the only option is to find another area with similar conditions. A vast land surrounded by ocean. A single nation with plenty of food, underground resources, and population. All we need to do is supply information on high-level technology. ...And there was only one candidate.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying your goal is to remake Oceania into a second ¡®world police¡¯!?¡±


    ¡°Is there any better way to recover from a war? If we succeed, we will put an end to the ¡®clean wars¡¯ spreading throughout the world. We will combine the different world powers into a single world power. And Oceania will rule at the center of it all. This continent was overrun with unreasonable war and then crushed by the different world powers afterwards, so it is the perfect symbol for the new world police.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± spat out Heivia. ¡°All the dark history from the creation of the Oceanian military nation was your doing, wasn¡¯t it!? The new world police? An era truly without war? A world created by people as heartless as you would be a horrible place! You just want to create a world where you can kill as many people as you want!!¡±


    ¡°I have only one thing to say to that: are you aware that history is something created by someone and recorded by someone?¡±


    The young man¡¯s voice remained calm.


    He was used to being accused of doing horrible things.


    ¡°And no matter how much of a commotion you cause, you can no longer change the current course of events. Look at the city below you. The angry cries of the crowd should reach you up in the sky. Do you know what that rumbling noise is? Those are the footsteps of the rioters marching through the streets. Can you pacify all of those people?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser stopped breathing for a moment.


    He could hear a low, low sound resembling distant thunder. He peered down from the helicopter¡¯s open door and saw something filling the desert city. The sight of countless human heads filling every inch not taken up by buildings was quite chilling.


    He saw something white here and there.


    They looked like placards or banners, so Quenser naturally reached for his binoculars.


    But Heivia grabbed his wrist before he could look through them.


    ¡°You should stop.¡±


    Heivia was looking up from his rifle¡¯s scope.


    It seemed he had just looked through it.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to not see that. It¡¯s like a fishing hook. You¡¯ll try to pretend it¡¯s nothing at first, but you¡¯ll realize the small hook won¡¯t come out. It¡¯ll leave a wound.¡±


    Quenser could not imagine what would cause such a negative reaction.


    Earlier that day, he had seen true enemy soldiers shot to pieces by helicopters and he had almost been killed by an acid bomb. Compared to that, what could words do? Thinking that, Quenser¡¯s curiosity led him to look through the binoculars.


    And...


    ¡°.......................................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    He felt like he heard the words ¡°I told you so¡± coming from a long distance away.


    His arms hung limply down and the magnification left his vision, but what he saw left a hole in his chest.


    He felt as if all the bloody vomit and crawling through the mud in Oceania had been made meaningless in a single moment.


    This was not something one or two people could easily cause.


    This was a powerful current.


    Like a fad or a trend, something unseen was influencing people¡¯s lives.


    Normally, only the advertising firms that created commercials were aware of that current, but it now created an obvious wall before Quenser and the others.


    ¡°What is this commotion?¡± asked Quenser as he stared blankly down at the city from the sliding door.


    He received an answer from the young soldier messing with a handheld device they had received from the enemies.


    ¡°Wait. This isn¡¯t good. This is really bad!!¡±


    ¡°Did you find another document?¡±


    Quenser turned around and the soldier tossed him the device.


    He caught it in both hands and finally realized what the small screen showed.


    It was a completely normal video sharing site.


    However...


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Have you discovered what everyone¡¯s talking about?¡± laughed the person on the radio.


    But Quenser was not listening.


    His mind had left reality as his eyes focused on the video playing on the screen.


    It showed a few minutes of a human trafficking incident that had occurred at an international harbor in Oceania.


    It had been uploaded only half an hour earlier.


    The view count had already reached ten million. It was on a site used worldwide, but the video was a bit choppy as if it was having difficulty loading.


    ¡°The news is nothing but entertainment. They complain about the depressing incidents, but that does not stop people from searching for them. TV and newspapers used to have a lot of influence, but nowadays one will never learn anything without searching for themselves. And that gives people a certain enthusiasm.¡±


    The incidents and battles that were supposedly resolved were now being used for something else.


    ¡°And in Oceania where their infrastructure is being rebuilt, they lack the resources for entertainment. The people are starving for entertainment. Yes, they want to enjoy themselves. Merely opening a small hole in the dam leads to the result before you. The overwhelming deluge will sweep across the continent.¡±


    The young man on the radio spoke as if singing a lullaby that hid a cruel origin.


    ¡°The night sky. This world is a night sky.¡±


    It almost sounded like the lyrics to a song.


    It sounded nice, but it seemed removed from reality.


    ¡°The starless night sky presses down on everyone from above and prevents them from seeing ahead. Someone must change this. Fortunately, that is not hard to do. Those who rule this dark era have merely convinced everyone that it is difficult.¡±


    The one who made it had to know that.


    And the ones listening most likely knew it deep down.


    ¡°By raising stars onto the starless night sky, we can make a single flag. At first, our symbol will be pure indigo like the night sky. A single star is enough. If a single star can shine in the starless indigo night sky, we can begin to gently guide this dark era. Will you stand here in the center of the world or will you be forever driven to the edges of the world? Decide for yourself.¡±


    Even so, they would fall for it.


    But why?


    Was someone simply using the dissatisfaction of the Oceanian people?


    Or was even that initial dissatisfaction something someone had input within them?


    The video showed a few minutes of a large-scale clash between Objects in the desert night which had all been meant to kill a single soldier.


    ¡°Thank you. We put together many different plans and you ruined a few of them, but you provided us with an even greater tool,¡± said the voice. ¡°Truth Theater. That is the name of the video. When you take something formless, give it a name, and place it within a frame of your choosing, it provides a certain impression. That is the basic method of influencing people¡¯s impressions. After that, you only need to provide them with a specific direction. For example, you can create a flag that they take as their own symbol without anyone forcing them. They will then spread the word of their existence around the world. The trick is to skillfully mix in the proper ideals and desires. The night sky flag is pure indigo, so it can easily be made by throwing a can of paint on a curtain. If you create a complex and cool-looking symbol, no one can create it for themselves. This is an application of influencing people¡¯s impressions.¡±


    There were no lies in the materials they had used.


    However, the timing of the editing was extremely malicious. By showing only a few minutes in the video, it only showed the beginning of the problem and the growth of the chaos it produced. There were likely people watching it who did not even know these problems had been resolved.


    ¡°The stage has already been set. If it had not, I would not have so calmly contacted you. The indigo flag of the night sky could cover the entire continent at any time. When faced with this overwhelming maelstrom of people, both military and civilian, the military officials who are obsessed with clean wars will hesitate. That time lag will prevent you from ever catching up. Farewell. You have lost. Once only our victory remains, the world will greatly benefit and rejoice in its newfound peace.¡±


    ¡°Tell me your name.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I need something to write on your gravestone.¡±


    A short silence came from the radio.


    The young man may have been laughing.


    ¡°You may call us the Company, Langley, or the Pentagon. When the former world police was lost, our true name lost its power and meaning.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean...?¡±


    ¡°We are the ghosts of a bygone era. But if you wish to refer to us, there is a name you can use. We are the strange shadows dressed in black who are whispered of in every corner of the world. We are MIB.¡±


    At that moment, the transmission ended.


    But not because Quenser or the MIB man had switched off their radio.


    The transport helicopter shook violently as it was enveloped in an explosion.


    ¡°Wah!?¡±


    ¡°What is it, pilot!? What happened!?¡±


    The helicopter¡¯s door was open, so Quenser had to cling to the handrail on the inner wall with all his might so as not to be thrown out.


    The pilot¡¯s reply was tense.


    ¡°We were attacked from the surface! It was probably a cheap mortar.¡±


    ¡°A mortar!? Those are used to fire shells farther than a grenade can be thrown. How are they using it for an anti-air attack!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but one just hit us! They forcibly used it beyond its intended use. Unlike a missile, it isn¡¯t guided, so they won¡¯t be able to reliably hit us!!¡±


    ¡°This is the hatred of the people,¡± said the young man on the radio. ¡°Those shells cost twenty dollars each. There is a reason they have long been a best seller in this world of never-ending wars.¡±


    ¡°Here it comes! I just heard one being fired on the surface!! Avoid it, dammit! Move to the right!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have proper control after that last explosion!¡±


    They did not escape in time.


    As the helicopter shook, Quenser worked to close the door.


    As soon as he did, the next explosion hit.


    The steel door bent in and stabbed into the opposite wall. However, closing the door had not been meaningless. Without the door acting as a cushion, the blast and small pieces of shrapnel would have filled the helicopter.


    Nevertheless, that blast settled it.


    The helicopter did not break apart in midair, but it began to spin as it lost control. Their altitude was clearly lowering. The mass of steel was obviously falling toward the ground.


    ¡°What do we do!? Hey, what do we do!? I don¡¯t want to crash twice in one day! Can¡¯t you recover!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying! But does it look like it¡¯s going well!?¡± shouted back the pilot.


    Quenser felt dizzy as he braced himself so he was not thrown out of the reopened door.


    The young man spoke from the radio as if to provide the finishing blow.


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Soldiers surrounded by a bloodthirsty mob. A tragedy like this might work as another symbol to drive out the coalition.¡±


    ¡°Is this it!?¡±


    Heivia forcibly switched off the radio and looked out the door.


    He then shouted toward the cockpit.


    ¡°Hey, which way are we pointed!? I hope it¡¯s somewhere without any people!¡±


    ¡°It is! We¡¯re headed for a trash dump. The trash is piled up in hills and my sensors aren¡¯t picking up anyone!!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Heivia seemed to have made up his mind about something, so Quenser spoke to him.


    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    The helicopter continued to fall while almost scraping the roof of a crude five-story building.


    Heivia leaned into the cockpit, used his knife to cut the seatbelt of the pilot who was still intently focused on the controls, and dragged him away.


    ¡°We jump out.¡±


    The screaming would not stop.


    As if they were jumping out of a car headed for a cliff, Quenser and the others jumped out onto the flat building roof. The drop was only a few meters.


    After a few seconds, the helicopter crashed into a giant pile of garbage and exploded.


    They no longer had a means of returning to the base.


    Part 9


    The transport helicopter crashed into a city garbage dump. After a giant explosion, toxic-looking black smoke rose toward the heavens. Quenser stared at the sight as he rolled along the old concrete rooftop of a five-story building.


    ¡°Damn this hurts!! I didn¡¯t break any bones, did I!?¡±


    ¡°If you broke one or even cracked one, you¡¯d be crying in pain, student! Quit giving in to the placebo effect and stand up. We need to get out of here!!¡±


    ¡°Is this place that bad?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think shot us down? It wasn¡¯t trained soldiers. Remember when we discussed this chaotic period of recovery in Oceania? Things are so bad people carry around weapons for self-...¡±


    Heivia suddenly stopped speaking.


    They heard a rumbling noise. It sounded like the cheers in a stadium after a hat trick. They worriedly looked down and saw a gold-colored tsunami rushing toward the helicopter which was still spewing black smoke.


    The wave was made of people.


    The gold was their hair. A group of hundreds or even thousands was approaching to drag out the crew of the helicopter. They were all waving indigo flags. They must have painted or dyed something on hand because they were all bright and not entirely dried.


    That starless night sky was the symbol of their dissatisfaction toward this dark era.


    ¡°Handguns, assault rifles, rockets, mortars, and more. If we don¡¯t leave while they¡¯re focused on the helicopter, we¡¯ll have nowhere to run,¡± complained Heivia. ¡°They¡¯re worked up enough that there¡¯s a real possibility of being dragged out and publicly executed.¡±


    Quenser gulped when he saw the other boy prepare his assault rifle.


    ¡°Wait, Heivia. Why are you preparing that?¡±


    ¡°This is no time to be idealistic!! Battle regulations mean nothing here. Order hasn¡¯t been restored in Oceania yet, so even housewives and office workers walk around with guns for self-defense. Those people with their night sky flag could start shooting at any time, so we need to defend ourselves!!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t. You can¡¯t do that!!¡±


    Despite the danger of a secondary explosion from ammunition or fuel, the enraged crowd surrounded the helicopter and peered inside. They resembled ants crowding around a sugar cube. If they noticed Quenser and the others on the rooftop, they would obviously surround the building.


    Quenser understood that.


    He really did.


    ¡°There are hundreds if not thousands of them with the flags!! With that much of a difference, it doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re pros or amateurs. They¡¯ll ignore all their allies in every direction and fire on us. If that happens, we¡¯ll be more than just riddled with holes!!¡±


    ¡°But...!¡±


    ¡°But some of them aren¡¯t armed? We¡¯ll still meet a tragic end even if they catch us. In fact, the lack of deadly weapons will just make our grotesque fate last longer! Do you really think these people will be able to stop at just almost killing us!?¡±


    They then heard a scraping noise.


    Quenser looked over and saw the helicopter pilot scraping at the inside of a ring with a metal rod. The rod may have originally been a television antenna.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°My wife¡¯s name is engraved in my ring. I am prepared to do what it takes no matter what happens, but I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble for my family!!¡±


    The atmosphere was not normal.


    Quenser was suggesting the obvious choice of ¡°not fighting¡±, but the others were treating that as strange.


    They were being affected by the state of the nation.


    If one side had guns, the other side had to have guns as well. That logic could only lead to a negative chain reaction, but it had begun to affect non-Oceanians like Quenser and the others.


    Truth Theater.


    They were being sucked into the world of that video.


    The night sky.


    That dark and hopeless era that the MIB had created was eating into Quenser and the others.


    Heivia and the others who could use rifles took the lead as they moved from the rooftop and into the building. The stairway and corridors were deserted. The glass was covered in dust and sand, so the inside was dim. Several symbols had been left on the walls, so it may have been an abandoned building which was scheduled to be demolished.


    What would happen if they ran across someone here?


    What if someone lived here to escape the sand and rain? What if someone who lived nearby used it as storage space?


    Quenser found it hard to breathe as he saw Heivia and the others unhesitatingly pointing their rifles around.


    There was something wrong with it all.


    Their enemy was not the people of Oceania. It was the ¡°ghosts of a bygone era¡± known as the MIB who were laughing as they manipulated everyone. Getting into a firefight here would only delight them. They could use it to bring about their desire to drive out the coalition which was seen as the enemy of the Oceanian people.


    Quenser understood the situation, but he could not suppress his instinctual fear.


    The high-pitched sound of audio feedback struck his eardrums from outside the building.


    It came from a cheap megaphone.


    ¡°Drive them away!! Don¡¯t allow their oppression any longer! The Legitimacy Kingdom helicopter crashed right next to a hospital. They are only thinking about their own interests! They don¡¯t care about our lives!!¡±


    ¡°Goddamn them! They¡¯re the ones who shot mortars at us!! And we went out of the way to crash into a garbage dump!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t respond!! It won¡¯t solve anything if we get angry too!!¡±


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do!? Do you think the cavalry is going to show up if we sit around long enough!?¡±


    Suddenly, something else happened.


    They heard a distant rumbling cheer similar to when a decisive goal was made in an international soccer match.


    Quenser could not check outside the window.


    There was a risk of being spotted, but it had more to do with his own fear.


    He and the other seven continued running down the stairs.


    Once they reached the first floor, Heivia reached for the back door near the stairway. He slowly turned the knob and cracked the door open.


    The wall of people had already reached about thirty centimeters away.


    They were so close that Heivia could almost smell their breathing and sweat.


    The scent of the paint used to make the indigo flags was mixed in.


    He desperately suppressed a groan.


    They were almost all focused on the person speaking through the megaphone, so they were not facing toward the building.


    With the delicacy of defusing a landmine, he took plenty of time to close the door that was only opened a few centimeters. He instinctually wanted to lock the door too, but that would make too much noise. He used his reason to desperately fight that temptation.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good. They¡¯re everywhere outside.¡±


    ¡°You mean we can¡¯t escape?¡±


    Meanwhile, the megaphone voice continued.


    ¡°The cavalry is here! Our cavalry has arrived!! Open a path for the grim reaper to reach them!! Once this vehicle enters the plaza, they are done for!!¡±


    Unpleasant sweat began to pour from Quenser¡¯s back.


    If that was not a bluff...


    ¡°We will pursue our enemy no matter where they run! The sensors equipped on this.50 caliber heavy machinegun will ensure that! Whether it¡¯s wood or concrete, no shield will protect them!! We will search for them, find them, and then destroy them!! ...What did you see in the Truth Theater? What did you feel as you waved the night sky flag? That is the truth!! That is the information that has not been altered by the media!!¡±


    As Quenser stepped back from the back door, he frantically made use of his nearly panicking mind.


    ¡°(This is bad. Something different is approaching!)¡±


    ¡°(Has the MIB arrived after allying with the people? Now this interesting! We just have to destroy this machinegun-equipped off-road vehicle or whatever it is!!)¡±


    ¡°(But the people watching won¡¯t know where the line between pro and amateur is drawn! Once a single gunshot is fired, the people will attack us without end!!)¡±


    Fortunately, the vehicle in question was apparently having difficulty approaching due to all the people filling every inch of the roads. It would not arrive immediately, but it was only a matter of time. This did not actually solve the problem.


    Would they remain and fight?


    Or would they leave and hide somewhere?


    They had to make up their minds.


    ¡°(We can¡¯t run, Quenser! They said the heavy machinegun can shoot through building walls and it has sensors. No matter where we hide, we¡¯ll be killed. And the weapon¡¯s great penetrative power will bloody the angry mob as well!! We have to fight!!)¡±


    ¡°(But we can¡¯t survive if we fight! Also, there¡¯s no reason to fight!! Once a fight begins, it means we¡¯ve lost!!)¡±


    ¡°(Then you can go run off on your own. Make a bet with me if you want, but I guarantee you I¡¯ll survive longer than you!!)¡±


    Ultimately, there was no right answer.


    No matter what they chose, they could not defeat the MIB. Eventually, the building would be surrounded and they would be filled with holes or torn limb from limb.


    Reinforcements from the maintenance base zone would not arrive in time.


    They were completely surrounded, so they would not find a convenient opening.


    Once a single shot was fired, it was all over.


    But was there any chance left of convincing these people without force?


    ¡°...¡±


    The tension had made Quenser¡¯s breathing extremely shallow and he felt as if he would die from dizziness before the actual threat even arrived.


    And...


    And...


    And...


    The situation took a decisive turn.


    A change that affected their survival occurred without them even knowing it.


    Part 10


    At that time, a certain girl looked up at the instigator mixed in with the crowd. The man stood on the roof of a European van parked on the road. He was making a loud announcement with the kind of cheap megaphone used at construction sites.


    ¡°Drive out the Legitimacy Kingdom! Get rid of the entire coalition!! They create nothing. They protect no one! Good citizens should take up arms and fight against these invaders!! Let the cavalry into the plaza so we can begin the bloodbath!! With its sensors, we can find them wherever they hide!!¡±


    The girl was not caught up in what the man was saying.


    Quite the opposite.


    She knew that there were lies in the speech given by this man standing on the van and holding up an indigo flag. She had seen ¡°them¡± firsthand, so she knew the rumors spreading through the city had definite malicious intent.


    And so...


    ¡°...?¡±


    A pause came in the enthralling speech.


    This was because a small stone had flown at the man.


    Everyone there turned from the man with the megaphone to the girl.


    ¡°I know the truth,¡± said the girl. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t true that they don¡¯t protect anyone!! They saved me. I was taken by bad people, but they came and saved me!! There wasn¡¯t any chaos like in Truth Theater!! There was more to it than that!!¡±


    ¡°Do not make such baseless claims!!¡±


    Triggered by the man¡¯s angry shout, several nearby people grabbed at the girl¡¯s hair and began to drag her away.


    She let out a high-pitched scream.


    Some of the people accepted this as natural.


    But some did not.


    ¡°Hey...¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    It started with a few young men.


    They stood in the way of the men trying to carry away the girl.


    One of the men holding her hair spoke.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯see, I don¡¯t really understand all this complicated stuff about good and evil or the coalition and invaders.¡± The main young man shrugged. He moved his face in and spoke from close range. ¡°But is this justice of yours something that lets bastards like you drag crying little girls around by the hair? If so, I can¡¯t go along with it.¡±


    The men holding the girl¡¯s hair prepared to silence this minority with their fists.


    But then they realized the overwhelming majority was staring intently at their backs.


    Which side had the backing of the majority was beginning to change.


    At that time, an old woman named Dorothy opened an outdated laptop computer on a luxurious passenger ship away from Oceania. She logged in to an SNS site her grandchild had insisted she sign up for but she had not used since then.


    She had noticed a commotion.


    She had noticed great enthusiasm.


    The short anonymously-uploaded video named Truth Theater had already been picked up by TV stations around the world. They seemed to have lost the pride in taking footage with their own cameras because the grainy video was being used as-is with the newscaster¡¯s voice playing over it.


    On the internet, people could not see each other¡¯s faces or grab at their collars when they were angry, so it was filled with more extreme and hostile words than reality. One side supported Oceania slaughtering the coalition and declaring themselves independent. The other side said the riots would bring about oppression in their own lives, so they supported immediate military intervention.


    But none of them knew the truth of Oceania.


    They only knew what the few minutes of Truth Theater had showed them.


    ¡°I know the truth.¡±


    After giving it some thought, the old woman began slowly typing on the unfamiliar keyboard.


    She was acting to protect the honor of the youths who had saved her.


    She was beginning to fight back.


    ¡°I know the good and the bad of that country. You daydreamers want a convenient villain that lets you feel like you are watching a movie, but rethink what you say once you hear what I have to say. I promise that you will be ashamed of yourselves.¡±


    At that time, Sewax the battlefield cameraman sat within a box-shaped metal tent in arctic Siberia. He was checking over the photos he had just taken with his single-lens reflex camera. Just like heat, extreme cold could cause malfunctions in precision equipment. Before his hard-won images could be lost, he began sending a backup to his online storage via a small satellite communications device.


    His guide, who was closer to being a child then a youth, stared interestedly at the device.


    ¡°Hey, can you use that internet thing on there? No one bothers running lines out here. If they did lay hundreds of kilometers of fiber optic cable, a bear would just dig it up. And power lines would collapse under the weight of the snow.¡±


    Sewax had a sudden thought as he worked.


    He had just trapped a piece of the truth in a rectangular frame and sent it out to the world, but how many people would it reach? And would that truth reach them accurately without someone twisting it?


    Some intentionally twisted information was currently causing a frenzy on the internet, that information network the guide wished he had. As a professional photographer, Sewax had immediately noticed how much malice was contained within the few minutes of Truth Theater. A film specialist would likely have found two or three times as much as he had.


    The truth could easily be twisted.


    Rather than adding in lies, one only had to maliciously edit footage to give a certain impression.


    But an athlete cheating with steroids was overwhelmingly powerful. Setting aside the ethical issues, that power was an objective fact. In the same way, the impact of manufactured footage could easily blow away a photograph showing the actual truth. In the end, the people wanted stimulation. The truth was but a single means of acquiring that stimulation and the original purpose of the truth had been done away with.


    How much meaning did the world see in being ¡°correct¡±?


    The metal tent¡¯s walls had two layers so the air between could insulate it, but Sewax still felt a chill run down his spine.


    It was then that the guide asked an innocent question.


    ¡°Hey, where were you before? You haven¡¯t been here for long, right?¡±


    The question brought a slight smile to Sewax¡¯s face.


    Because of the state of the world, there was something he could not easily give up on.


    Little by little, he would sow the seeds of truth. They would outlast the long winter and eventually bud. It was true people sought simple stimulation, but the ring of truth was another form of stimulation.


    People were cruelly honest.


    Even if hundreds of thousands of lives were dependent on a photograph, people would look right past it if it was boring. If it seemed preachy, some would even insult it. At the same time, people from all over the world would view a video of someone¡¯s perfectly normal pet.


    But the people also loved fairness to a surprising extent.


    If it was an interesting story, they would flock to it whether it was true or not. And so Sewax decided he would aim for that. Simply saying one had the truth was not enough. The proper way to compete was to present an overwhelming true story that had enough interest and appeal to break past the empty entertainment.


    No matter what anyone said, the more interesting story would win in the end.


    He swapped out the micro memory for his digital single-lens reflex camera and slowly spoke as he displayed photos of the previous battlefield he had traversed.


    ¡°These photos are from the country of Oceania. What do you think happened there?¡±


    At that time, a female soldier missing an arm appeared at a court martial in a European safe country. The court martial had entered a short recess, but the media¡¯s cameras would not leave her.


    These cameras did not merely belong to this one safe country. Large news stations were broadcasting this to many different countries and regions.


    ¡°A hero? You may say I exposed corruption, but I was closer to being someone who carried out dirty work for the military. I believe the title of hero should be given to someone else.¡±


    She used the accurate movements of her prosthetic arm to pick up a paper cup of iced coffee and smiled thinly on a bench in the corridor outside the court room.


    ¡°Setting aside issues of good and evil, I was certainly a nuisance within the military. In fact, I may still be. But even amid a conspiracy to assassinate a nuisance like me, someone still jumped into the line of fire to save me. In the end, he even stood before an Object. People like that are what soldiers should be. My way of returning the favor is to guide the military toward accepting people like that.¡±


    She spoke slowly as if recalling something.


    ¡°There are definitely people who should be called heroes. But unfortunately, those people rarely refer to themselves that way. I wish to show my respect for all the soldiers working in Oceania. Even if they will not name themselves heroes, I hope the day will come when everyone else will.¡±


    At that time, an Information Alliance pilot Elite, who the two idiots referred to as the ¡°oh ho ho¡±, was speaking to the world via a large-scale internet concert.


    ¡°The Information Alliance fights for the proper use of information and for a better future, so we have received some unwelcome news. The MIB? The world police? World domination using an unknown Object made with new technology?¡±


    By usurping the continent of Oceania, they would begin to change the world¡¯s military balance.


    ¡°Normally, I would manipulate your impression of this incident by reading off a predetermined script with a perfect smile.¡±


    But that did not mean only someone at the center could have an influence.


    The world had grown smaller.


    The overwhelming electronic network allowed people to influence the other side of the globe in real time.


    ¡°Who is right and what is accurate? Try thinking for yourselves for once¡î Oh ho ho.¡±


    It started as a small wave.


    But it slowly worked its way deep into the hearts of the people whose impressions had been manipulated.


    It was similar to the difference between a natural diamond and an artificial one.


    Which one would draw people in the most?


    The answer was revealed by their actions.


    ¡°What?¡±


    As they glanced around from within the abandoned building, Quenser and the others quickly picked up on that difference.


    ¡°The atmosphere has changed. The burning anger is being directed elsewhere.¡±


    The powerful emotions of anger and intent to kill would stab into one¡¯s heart. Some martial arts had honed it into an actual technique to throw of an opponent¡¯s timing, Quenser and Heivia were not martial arts experts, but the level of emotion surrounding them was on a tremendous scale. Despite being used to clean wars, they could detect the change in the situation.


    The crowd never broke down the door and rushed in. The MIB vehicle equipped with a machinegun was stopped as if something blocked its way.


    ¡°How odd... Something isn¡¯t right outside.¡± The windows were boarded up, but Heivia peered through the gaps between boards. ¡°I don¡¯t see any of those indigo night sky flags. Did everyone throw them away?¡±


    That was when a slender hand poked out from a corner of the corridor.


    It was beckoning to them.


    ¡°You can escape this way,¡± whispered a female voice.


    At first, no one moved.


    They thought it was a trap.


    If they approached, they suspected they would have a bag placed over their head and be taken away.


    But doing nothing would not improve their situation.


    Quenser was the first to step forward.


    ¡°Wait, Quenser! Are you really trusting her!?¡±


    ¡°Something happened while we waited here without firing a shot, so we need to go with this change. It can¡¯t hurt to take advantage of the opportunity we won for ourselves!!¡±


    Heivia glanced down at the assault rifle in his hands.


    He uncomfortably clicked his tongue as if he had only just remembered what it was and who he was aiming it at.


    ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t believe Heivia, the transcendently handsome, genius, and rich noble, lost track of what he was doing. When a lady calls out to you, you don¡¯t point this at her!!¡±


    The overall atmosphere changed once Quenser and Heivia approached the door.


    Heivia was a private and Quenser was a student while most of the other surviving soldiers were ranked higher. There was no reason for them to follow.


    But the helicopter pilot spoke up.


    ¡°I was told to follow the infantrymen¡¯s lead if I crashed, so I¡¯ll leave it to you. Anything¡¯s fine as long as we make it back to the maintenance base alive!¡±


    One of the middle-aged soldiers who had to be ranked higher than Heivia shrugged as well.


    ¡°As the ranking officer here, I¡¯ll say I made the decision based on a suggestion from a soldier under my command. This situation is so far outside the norm, I can¡¯t keep up! You can take the lead!!¡±


    All of the soldiers, including the injured, ran toward the corner of the corridor.


    A brunette woman was waiting for them and she led them through the building. They arrived at what looked like a dead end due to large piece of trash, but she found gaps leading through it and to a small door. The door led to a narrow back road that the crowd did not cover.


    ¡°Is this a shopping district?¡±


    ¡°All of them are old stores that sell tools for craftsmen. They all have trash filling the front like that, so only the regular customers ever visit.¡±


    They thanked the woman and cautiously continued along the road. As they did, the owners of the various small shops called out to them.


    ¡°I only have ointment and bandages, but do you want some?¡±


    ¡°I was just watching TV and it looks like you¡¯re doing some cool stuff. If we help you, you¡¯ll crush that conspiracy, right? I don¡¯t really understand, but do what you have to!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make yourself ill by drinking old water! Here, have these sports drinks!!¡±


    ¡°Do you have enough ammo? If you can use 5.5mm, take as much as you want!!¡±


    Some of the offers were rather dangerous, but Quenser and the others did not hesitate to accept. They had yet to resupply after an unexpected battle, so they had no reason to refuse if they could replenish their ammunition here.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser, where do we go now!? Do we return to the maintenance base!?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re surrounded by their own mob, remember? And we don¡¯t know how far this miracle has spread. We should defeat the MIB behind all this and return once everything has calmed down!¡±


    ¡°I agree with that, but do you know where their secret base is? They¡¯ve set up their conspiracy all across Oceania!! I doubt they¡¯ll conveniently show up right in front of us!!¡±


    ¡°I disagree,¡± declared Quenser. ¡°If you think about it, it doesn¡¯t make sense. Our helicopter was a top-priority target, so would they really leave its destruction to an angry mob? It would be safer to mix in with the crowd and fire the mortar themselves. Also, mortars fire a shell in a long arc toward their target. No amateur could do anything as tricky as hitting a flying helicopter with one. And don¡¯t forget the heavily armed vehicle that was on its way to the plaza.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying the MIB¡¯s headquarters are nearby?¡±


    ¡°They used the desert pipeline and the terminal facilities it connected. Heivia, where¡¯s the closest facility? It can be for oil, underground water, or whatever else.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nearby. It¡¯s less than three kilometers away! No one felt any need to pay attention to some old ruins.¡±


    ¡°That must be it. And their headquarters are probably where their Object is!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s expression stiffened.


    ¡°Wait. Are you suggesting we battle that monstrous weapon in a group with lots of injured!? I doubt we could win and it¡¯s pointless anyway. The MIB have more than one Object, remember? What good is it to risk our lives to destroy just one!?¡±


    ¡°Do they really have that many?¡± Quenser grinned. ¡°They are an ideological group that came from a spy organization of a former superpower. They must be experts at manipulating information. Would they really reveal the entirety of their plan like that? Would they really just brag about everything? Not a chance. They wouldn¡¯t make a mistake like that.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°Once the acid bomb failed to kill us and part of their plan was about to leak out, they panicked. Completely erasing leaked information is hard, but that¡¯s why they chose to distort it by overwriting it with new information. That allows them to hide the overall outline of their plan.¡±


    The mortar attack had shot down their helicopter immediately after the chat with the MIB.


    Quenser and the others¡¯ first action would be to contact their maintenance base by radio. They would be afraid of dying without passing on the information they had gained, so they would report everything without thinking about its veracity.


    As a result, the decoy information would be passed to their superior officer.


    That false fear would spread from Quenser¡¯s group and to the entire military.


    ¡°It may be true they are developing Objects, but they can¡¯t use that many at once! Hell, if they did have that great a fighting force, they wouldn¡¯t be sneaking around! They could just challenge the coalition to a direct fight!! This is the age of numbers. In a one-against-three battle, a unit will not hesitate to send out the white flag signal and withdraw. Those are the rules yet they didn¡¯t do that. That means they lose when it comes to numbers!!¡±


    Quenser was guessing the MIB had only one or two functioning Objects at present. If the coalition¡¯s ten or more Objects surrounded them, they would be destroyed in the blink of an eye.


    ¡°But they¡¯re trying to become the world police! Their plan is to take over Oceania because it has the ideal geographical position. They need more than one Object to protect such a vast area of land. They want to conquer, rule, and control the world, so they need a ton of Objects!!¡±


    ¡°Their preparations aren¡¯t ready yet. That¡¯s why they tried to make us believe they can readily attack with several Objects. They¡¯re trying to buy time! Once the time comes, tons of new Objects really will appear across Oceania!!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re right, the first thing they¡¯ll want to do is give credibility to their claim. Will they use their one Object to provide an effective demonstration? Even if that one is destroyed, they can buy the time they need as long as it scares the coalition enough. Then they can finish preparing the rest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what scale their plan is on, but they won¡¯t have gone this far if they knew they would lose. Whether it¡¯s through sheer numbers or some kind of trick, they definitely have something we can¡¯t let them finish.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. The coalition has over ten Objects stationed here. Are you saying they¡¯re preparing something that can defeat that?¡±


    Battles without Objects tended to become long and drawn out.


    But this was different.


    This would become a long, drawn out battle between Objects.


    If that happened, it was impossible to say just how much apocalyptic destruction would spread across Oceania. The distinction between battlefield and city would vanish. The combatants would not have the leeway to make the distinction. It was possible that all life on the continent could be wiped out.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to crush it,¡± said Quenser. ¡°We¡¯ll make the MIB¡¯s demonstration completely fail and nip this problem in the bud. There¡¯s no other way to save everyone.¡±


    Part 11


    Atomic number 79.


    Atomic weight 196.96655.


    Atomic symbol Au.


    In other words, pure gold.


    That was supposedly the source of their massive amounts of money.


    The world had shattered to pieces in the past. The collapse of the UN and the appearance of Objects were the symbols of the existing national structure coming to an end. Amid the confusion, they had stolen a massive amount of gold bars from a certain country which had possessed more than any other nation.


    Normally, this would have been immediately exposed and they would have been ganged up on, but the world had been in a state of complete chaos. They had taken advantage of a situation in which no one could determine what was stored where and in what quantities.


    That thought brought a twisted smile to the lips of a young man wearing all black.


    In the past few years, his smiles had become very different from what they had once been.


    ¡°Such a terrible lie. Even a child could see all the holes in it if they thought about it.¡±


    ¡°That is why we must ensure they do not have time to think about it,¡± said another young man sitting next to him. ¡°We have plenty of money. We have the power to move the world. As a rite of passage for joining our secret community, we take half of their assets as collateral. ...That is the trick to securing the funds we need. A single lie provides the money and connections we need to truly change the world.¡±


    ¡°The truth will eventually come out.¡±


    ¡°We simply have to change the world before that happens. We just have to make the lie into the truth.¡±


    That was how they lived.


    It was no different from how their predecessors had used information as a weapon to protect the peace of a superpower.


    Even before the internet had become common, back when information was only passed through letters and phone calls, they had cut out newspaper articles, recorded radio programs, and otherwise analyzed everything so they could classify the complicated state of humanity around the globe. ...Even the internet had begun as a single nation¡¯s military network. Spreading that information network around the world had been their accomplishment and its influence plainly proved how much influence they had shown upon the vague concept of the ¡°era¡± or ¡°history¡±.


    ¡°The preparations are complete.¡±


    That report was given by and to someone wearing a black suit, a black hat, and black sunglasses.


    They had no individuality.


    It was unnecessary and, more importantly, they themselves did not see any use in it.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    The Company, Langley, the Pentagon.


    They were called many different things, but they never used the three letter acronym that began with C.


    They preferred to use the one beginning with M that had its origin in inaccurate urban legends.


    Yes.


    The MIB.


    That was the name of the intelligence agency in the deepest depths of the world police which had been rumored to suppress the truth by threatening witnesses of UFOs and aliens.


    ¡°Is the enemy coming?¡±


    ¡°They were not torn limb from limb in the public square, so they must have made their way out somehow. In that case, they are on their way here. Being so cautious as to thoroughly investigate even innocent citizens is our way.¡±


    There was a simple reason for purposefully using that inaccurate name.


    They were not yet worthy of using the true name. Their goal was to gather together the world which was broken like stained glass and once more rule it as the world police. Only once they accomplished that would they return to their true form.


    The C at the beginning of their name stood for ¡°central¡±, but they currently had nothing to be at the center of. An egg would not function with only the yolk. For that reason, there would be no meaning in using their true name at the present.


    They would wait until it was all over before they proudly used those three letters as they gave their name to the world.


    ¡°Then let us begin the final preparations.¡±


    ¡°You can begin at any time.¡±


    They were trying to do the same thing that had been left behind more as legends than actual history.


    Rather than standing on the stage themselves, they would use money, information, weapons, and political power to quietly contact and build relationships with people connected to other nations. At times they would invite them in, at times they would threaten them, at times they would kill them, and ultimately they would manipulate the fate of that country.


    ¡°I know. Leave the rest to me. If I can buy enough time to activate the other two and the approximately five hundred amplification facilities, we can announce our victory to the world.¡±


    ¡°We have been expecting this, but are you sure you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°It is true I am not an Object pilot Elite.¡±


    A young man smiled thinly.


    He wore all black just like the others, but his aura was sharper.


    ¡°But that is what gives this meaning,¡± he said. ¡°So...¡±


    His last word seemed disconnected at first.


    But then he pulled out a handgun with a silencer attached.


    ¡°Leave the rest to me. Case #024, the attempt to use the rioters to kill the soldiers who had grasped the truth, is now over. Nevada 36, it is time to begin Case #025. That will be handled by me, D.C. 0.¡±


    Part 12


    Quenser, Heivia, and the rest of their small unit somehow managed to leave the confused streets that were overflowing with people.


    Once they left the city, they entered the desert, but this was the cracked and sand-colored land of the wastelands seen in westerns. Some cacti and a run-down bar would have made it perfect, but those did not seem to be common sights in this desert.


    Instead, they found train cars lying around with their insides removed. The electronics, doors, windows, chairs, and lights were all missing. This appeared to be a ¡°graveyard¡±. Originally, the unusable cars had been carried to the end of the rails and dismantled, but even the guiding metal rails and railroad ties had been stolen at some point.


    ¡°I can see it now. In fact, it would be impossible to miss. Do they have any idea how to hide?¡±


    The terminal facility which had several rusty pipelines connected to it appeared to have originally drawn oil up from the ground. The exterior was a bit more cluttered than the underground water pump facility. They were both ruins which had been left to rot and this facility clearly would not function any longer.


    Quenser looked around with a binoculars-like device.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any obvious traps. There aren¡¯t any mines, alarms, or cameras, but I doubt conspirators like this would simply be careless.¡±


    ¡°Setting up traps would just end up blowing off the leg of an unrelated civilian or kangaroo. They aren¡¯t trying to protect this spot at all costs. Explosives aren¡¯t a good idea when you want to keep anyone from knowing you¡¯re there.¡±


    Even so, there were landmines made from wood or glass that a metal detector would not catch. Quenser¡¯s group remained cautious and used the chaotically abandoned train cars as cover as they slowly approached the terminal facility.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any scavenging hyenas around, are there? Heivia, even you might shoot if someone surprises you right now.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing but fried chicken bones here. They were left here because there¡¯s nothing left to eat.¡±


    Just as there was no sign of traps, there was no sign of people.


    The old oil facility was about five hundred meters away, but their confidence in that being the MIB¡¯s headquarters began to waver.


    ¡°Is this really the logical way for them to handle this? Some kids playing hide-and-seek could wander into the terminal facility and they wouldn¡¯t stop it.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe they no longer care if they¡¯re found out,¡± ominously suggested Heivia.


    Immediately afterwards, the remains of the oil facility were easily blown to pieces from the inside.


    They first detected an intense shaking in the cracked ground. Next, they saw a massive cloud of dust spreading out. They could see it happening, but there was nothing they could do. The sea of dust spread out in every direction for kilometers and it swallowed up Quenser¡¯s group.


    The phenomenon itself was similar to a sandstorm.


    A thick gray wall hid even the sunlight over a limited area. The brightness of the sky dimmed as if evening or dusk had fallen.


    ¡°Cough cough!! What the hell is this? Concrete!?¡±


    ¡°Grab a handkerchief, a bandage, or whatever you can find! Just cover your nose and mouth! That old building was from the time of the military nation, so it wasn¡¯t built up to safety standards. It might have used asbestos. Protect yourself now if you don¡¯t want to regret it later!!¡±


    Quenser heard a low rumbling as if distant thunder clouds were approaching.


    A giant shadow was visible through the gray world that cut off their vision.


    It used static electricity for propulsion. It had two straight floats lined up parallel to each other. They were reminiscent of the treads on construction equipment.


    Its silhouette was somehow different from a normal Object. It did not have the one hundred or so cannons extending from its spherical body like a sea urchin. It looked like a soccer ball with uniform protrusions attached or perhaps like the sea mines placed to destroy warships. The protrusions looked more like giant barnacles than cannons. It looked like the Object had volcano craters attached. It was unclear what they were meant to do and that uncertainty weighed on Quenser¡¯s mind all the more.


    His instincts turned toward the giant structure and all his senses grew more focused.


    His thoughts grew clear.


    The scorching heat, the dryness stabbing at his throat, and unpleasant dust clinging to his cheeks were all driven out of his mind.


    His soul was shouting that he did not have even a second to worry about such trivial things.


    ¡°There it is,¡± muttered Heivia while forgetting to cover his mouth amid the dust cloud. ¡°We were right! The MIB really did build one! They sacrificed the Oceanian military nation to build an Object completely independent of the world powers!!¡±


    ¡°Get down. Everyone, get down. ...Has it noticed us? Why did it destroy its hiding spot and make an appearance?¡±


    The gray curtain prevented them from judging the distance. The giant shadow looked both close and distant. At the very least, they could tell it was not performing the light footwork of a boxer or mixed martial artist like the princess¡¯s Baby Magnum would. It appeared to be perfectly still.


    ¡°What is it doing? Surely they know revealing it like this is a huge disadvantage for them. So why isn¡¯t it doing anything? They wouldn¡¯t make an appearance like that for no reason.¡±


    It was not that an obvious attack would have put them at ease.


    Their hearts were filled with an uncanny feeling similar to viewing a newly discovered insect under a magnifying glass.


    That was when an electric tone came from Quenser¡¯s radio.


    Froleytia was contacting them.


    ¡°Where are all of you!? It seems you vanished from the crashed helicopter.¡±


    ¡°Wow, a lecture now!? I don¡¯t feel like explaining everything. What should we do, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t press the button! Once everything is over, we can destroy the radio on the way back to the base.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t respond, I¡¯ll write a report saying you died.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re alive!! We¡¯re doing just fine!!¡± shouted the two idiots as loudly as they could.


    Froleytia clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Where are you? What appears to be an unidentified Object has appeared three kilometers from the city. Does that have anything to do with you?¡±


    ¡°We happen to be right in front of it.¡±


    ¡°Move five hundred meters away. You¡¯ll be killed if you¡¯re caught in the bombardment.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    Suddenly, another voice cut in.


    But they did not recognize this one. The transmission was not coming from the Legitimacy Kingdom military.


    ¡°Can you hear me, dogs of the Legitimacy Kingdom? I am monitoring the situation via satellite.¡±


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°A lieutenant colonel who saw what your battalion can do during the Simple Is Best battle. My name is Wraith Martini Vermouthspray. You can ignore everything but the first name. A lot of people have the other names thanks to a ridiculous genius girl project. Over a hundred, I think.¡±


    Quenser brought a hand to his forehead.


    ¡°I remember now. I saw you in that VIP Information Alliance armored vehicle in the desert night. You¡¯re that officer who¡¯s young enough to still be in her rebellious phase.¡±


    ¡°Are you the type of soldier that never forgets a lady¡¯s face? I see. How horribly shallow.¡±


    Quenser was actually a student, but explaining the details to someone from an enemy nation would only increase his danger.


    That member of the Martini Series spoke with scorn filling her voice.


    ¡°The four world powers have managed to work together long enough to help with Oceania¡¯s war recovery. Our coalition will not allow anyone else to possess an Object. I hate to release one of the Information Alliance¡¯s cutting edge machines to protect your pathetic lives, but I am calm enough to keep my priorities straight. You can rest easy now, but do not forget to bow down before me in gratitude.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    ¡°The coalition...?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean multiple Objects have been sent out to hunt down the MIB?¡±


    Their response came from Froleytia Capistrano rather than Wraith Martini Vermouthspray.


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom has sent the Baby Magnum, the Information Alliance has sent the Catapult Cargo, the Capitalist Corporations has sent the Desert Scorpio, and the Faith Organization has sent the Mirror Bowler. They will surround this unknown Object and destroy it.¡±


    ¡°Refer to our second generation Object as the Cannon 256. Hearing your codename makes me want to vomit.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia, and everyone else there, listen up. The real problem comes after the unknown Object is destroyed. There is a possibility the four coalition Objects will begin fighting afterwards. Keep your guard up if you don¡¯t want to be crushed by a stray shell.¡±


    Those were frightening words.


    With four against one, the outcome was readily apparent. That was how modern wars worked.


    Which meant...


    ¡°Hey, Quenser,¡± said Heivia. ¡°We came here hoping to be heroes, but there¡¯s nothing for us to do. Let¡¯s use this confusion to get the hell out of here. I don¡¯t want to be here once the bombardment begins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that,¡± replied Wraith instead of Quenser. Her lovely voice showed no mercy. ¡°It has already begun.¡±


    When the great roar arrived, they sensed it in their guts more than their ears. The gray dust obstructing their view was blown away like a popped balloon. Quenser initially thought it was the sound of a shell being fired, but he quickly realized he was wrong. It was the shockwave created by the car-sized shell travelling at five or ten times the speed of sound.


    He could not simply brace himself and grit his teeth.


    He had gotten down on the ground, but he began rolling across the wasteland as if he had been ripped from the ground.


    He brought a hand to his ear and felt something wet.


    He saw red blood on his hand.


    ¡°Cough!! What the...hell was...that? Was that a railgun or coilgun they fired from long distance!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same either way!!¡±


    ¡°No, a coilgun uses electromagnets while a railgun uses Fleming¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see bleeding from the ears doesn¡¯t slow down your design obsession!!¡±


    The MIB¡¯s Object was sitting in place. If an ultra high speed shell was sent in, it would not have time to evade. While Quenser and Heivia¡¯s puny human bodies trembled from the damage caused by the shell merely passing by, they checked to see what damage the Information Alliance had accomplished.


    A giant cloud of dust filled the air.


    More attacks flew toward the Object as if stabbing a sword into an unmoving corpse. The types of attacks and the directions they came from were different. Laser beams left orange afterimages as they fried the air and low-stability plasma cannons burned bluish-white lines of light into their eyes.


    It was a slaughter.


    The Object was simply being disposed of.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Goddammit! Cough cough! This is going too far!! You¡¯re going to kill us too!!¡±


    ¡°No, wait.¡±


    They then saw something unbelievable.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    The countless attacks blew away the dust as they focused on a single point.


    That tore away the filthy veil.


    And on the other side...


    ¡°The MIB¡¯s Object hasn¡¯t been touched! And it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s moved either. Did the Information Alliance miss!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a psychic girl, so I don¡¯t have the answer to everything!!¡±


    The speed, mass, and force had all been sufficient. It was hard to think they had deflected all of the attacks with just the Object¡¯s armor.


    The Information Alliance had not given advance warning of their attack.


    They continued firing the same massive shells toward the MIB Object.


    As they roared through the air, they possessed so much destructive power that Quenser and the others thought they were going to be crushed as they watched on.


    But this time, they clenched their teeth and saw what happened.


    ¡°It missed?¡±


    ¡°What? How did it land there!? It couldn¡¯t have landed there unless its path twisted like a crank. I¡¯ve heard of lasers bending due to mirages, but can that happen with metal shells too!?¡±


    The dust cloud had not been created by the destruction of the target Object. It had come from the metal shells and laser beams veering away and striking the ground.


    But was that a coincidence or not?


    Escaping into optimistic thought was not going to help, so Quenser voiced the worst possibility.


    ¡°It has some kind of defense system. It has some kind of tech that lets it turn aside and neutralize approaching attacks!!¡±


    The sound of someone clicking their tongue came over the radio.


    Next, multiple beams of light were fired. The burning orange beams likely came from laser beam cannons while the bluish-white beams that resembled welding likely came from low-stability plasma cannons. These were not metal shells. Light and ions were completely different, so a defense system meant for metal shells would not work.


    And yet...


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how powerful your attacks are if they can¡¯t hit. I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s using, but any Object loses all of its cards if this almighty one can repeatedly turn aside any attack!!¡±


    It did not matter.


    It did not matter if it was a metal shell, a band of excited light, or a plasma weapon given directionality with tremendous magnetism.


    Each Object present was a crystallization of its world power¡¯s technology. Their concept had been honed to the extreme.


    One of them primarily used metal shells but could use many different types of attacks using the container structure filled with powerful acid and the gas that created low-stability plasma.


    One of them would intentionally fire laser beams at the ground around the target to turn the sand to glass and then use that glass to complexly reflect its main laser beam cannon.


    One of them scattered several electron beams like firing a shotgun to constantly cause light damage while using high-quality sensors and boosters to continually avoid the enemy¡¯s attacks.


    The MIB¡¯s Object dealt with all of them in the same way.


    It had perfected turning aside attacks.


    Rather than evading, it caused the approaching attacks to miss.


    And it did not stop there.


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Desert Scorpio is damaged!¡± came a report over the radio. ¡°For some reason, the Faith Organization¡¯s Mirror Bowler fired on it!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad, Legitimacy Kingdom. We may be surrounding the unknown Object, but our positions make damage from stray shots impossible. That means there must be another explanation for this damage.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying the laser beams the unknown Object turns aside are being targeted at our Objects?¡±


    This time, Quenser felt as if an invisible hand were squeezing at his heart.


    ¡°This is more than a means of defense. It isn¡¯t just turning them aside! What kind of technology lets it accurately target someone else with an attack coming in at the speed of light!?¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡± Wraith clicked her tongue. ¡°If long-distance bombardments are out, our Cannon 256 has lost its usefulness. Your outdated first generation can take the lead role. Move in close and fire on it at point blank range.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to our princess!!¡±


    ¡°Is there anything we can do to help?¡±


    ¡°Keep firing shells at it!! Even if you can¡¯t hit, try to keep them focused on defense!!¡±


    Before he had even finished speaking, Quenser¡¯s mind was shaken by a terrifying roar.


    But this was not supporting fire from the Information Alliance¡¯s Cannon 256.


    The MIB¡¯s Object had started to do something.


    At first, Quenser, Heivia, and the others had difficulty concluding what it was trying to do.


    A ring of bluish-white light with a radius of around 200 meters had appeared around the Object¡¯s spherical main body. As time went on, more and more rings appeared. Eventually, they formed what looked like a semispherical dome that covered the entire main body except for the very top.


    The bright light completely hid the giant Object.


    ¡°You have got to be kidding.¡±


    Quenser finally realized what was happening.


    As soon as he did, he felt like his heart was being wrapped tightly in wire.


    ¡°Are those laser beams or low-stability plasma cannons? No, it must be electron beams.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell!?¡±


    ¡°Anything else would have blinded us.¡± Quenser continued to watch on. ¡°That bastard is bending his own attacks into a shield. Like a large particle accelerator, it¡¯s constantly adding electron beams and accelerating them, so the speed and energy grows as time passes!¡±


    ¡°Ha...ha ha. The European particle accelerator out in the middle of nowhere is buried deep underground, right? Isn¡¯t that to stop the electromagnetic waves and radiation that leaks out when the beam bends around the curves? Is it really safe to accelerate stuff in the middle of the air?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think that monster is up to safety standards!? These people didn¡¯t hesitate to use an acid bomb, so they aren¡¯t going to care about the safety of enemy troops! And more importantly...!!¡±


    As Quenser tried to shout, an electron beam shot by overhead after being accelerated to the limit. The principle was not all that different from the hammer throw. However, the speeds were too great for the human eye to follow, so Quenser and the others were suddenly presented with the result.


    And that result was the distant roar of the Information Alliance Object being destroyed.


    ¡°What the...hell?¡±


    Heivia looked over his shoulder even though there was no way he could see it.


    His voice was trembling as much as it ever had.


    Unlike a normal low-stability plasma cannon or laser beam cannon, this attack was not limited to an instant.


    It continued.


    It continued on and on.


    It was less a projectile and more a giant sword extending beyond the horizon.


    And that ¡°sword¡± was swung to the side.


    It swept by horizontally.


    This destruction was on a scale of greater than ten kilometers, so the fear Quenser and the others saw with their eyes did not produce real fear in their brains.


    As they watched in a daze, they heard the urgent ¡°truth¡± over the radio.


    ¡°E-e-eeeeeeeee!? Wh-wha-what...?¡±


    ¡°Do not panic, analyst!! Provide an accurate report!!¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, major! The Information Alliance¡¯s Catapult Cargo has been destroyed. The Faith Organization¡¯s Mirror Bowler has been destroyed. The Capitalist Corporations¡¯...¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait! I can¡¯t move! E-eject! Ksshhhhh!!¡±


    ¡°...Desert Scorpio has been destroyed. The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Baby Magnum...¡±


    It was like a cruel stroke of a pen.


    No matter what technology was used to skillfully evade, the never-ending electron beam sword swept across the world. Once it caught up, it sliced the Object apart.


    ¡°...can continue fighting! The Baby Magnum is our only Object still functioning!!¡±


    ¡°No way...¡±


    The princess¡¯s survival most likely had nothing to do with her own skill.


    She had simply been chosen last.


    The attack had only lasted for a few dozen seconds and it had died out before reaching her.


    Once it was fired again, she would be vaporized along with her metal machine.


    ¡°What do we do? What do we do, Quenser!? It¡¯ll have the next one charged in only a few dozen seconds! What¡¯s going to happen then!?¡±


    The Information Alliance¡¯s ¡°oh ho ho¡± could fire along a line using her continuous beam Gatling gun, but her range was short.


    The closer one was to the cannon being fired, the easier it was to avoid the attack by moving around it. But when it was pulled off at the extreme long range of ten kilometers, the speed and distance needed to evade increased dramatically.


    Imagine a fan shape.


    The distance to the side of the fan was not far at the base, but the closer one got to the upper edge, the greater that distance grew.


    However, a future designer like Quenser saw another threat on top of that.


    ¡°The real problem isn¡¯t the destructive power.¡±


    He gulped.


    An unpleasant sweat covered his brow, but he did not have time to worry about it.


    ¡°Objects can avoid laser weapons that move at the speed of light by predicting when they will be fired by monitoring the minute movements of the cannons and the targeting lenses. But this main cannon directly bends electron beams in midair to accelerate them via centrifugal force. There¡¯s no hint to when it will be fired. You can only start evading once the actual beam has been fired!!¡±


    ¡°No one can do that!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they were destroyed! Currently, no Object can evade its main cannon. None of our attacks can hit and all of its will. The MIB have created a single system that does that!!¡±


    Only silence came from the radio.


    The Information Alliance officer had either decided to withdraw or had no time to worry about Quenser¡¯s group.


    It did not matter which it was.


    Quenser wiped his cheek to get rid of a liquid that might have been sweat or tears.


    ¡°Heivia, let¡¯s find a way out of this on our own.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a way of defeating that goddamn Object before it fires again. If we don¡¯t, the princess will be blown to pieces!!¡±


    ¡°Screw that!! You can go be pretend to be a hero on your own. That thing destroyed three cutting-edge Objects in an instant. It was outnumbered, but it didn¡¯t matter! It might even be able to destroy all twenty Objects on the continent!! This isn¡¯t something flesh-and-blood humans can handle!!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s our final hope. If the Baby Magnum gives up, who will retrieve us from the battlefield!?¡±


    A disturbing noise came from Heivia¡¯s throat.


    If the Baby Magnum was destroyed, there would be no one left to save them. Of all the Objects belonging to the Legitimacy Kingdom or the coalition, no one else would risk losing those massively expensive machines. Even if the MIB would eventually exterminate them, they would decide to watch from afar, analyze the situation, and try to find a way of winning in the long run.


    Meanwhile, the MIB¡¯s Object would continue its arrogant rampage and the first victims would be Quenser¡¯s group.


    ¡°If you want to live, we have to continue forward,¡± said Quenser calmly. ¡°We need to at least find a way to let the princess accomplish something here. Otherwise, we¡¯ll be the soldiers who never returned in some tragic news story.¡±


    Part 13


    As Quenser and the others hid at ground zero while sweating and almost wetting themselves, an armored vehicle with lots of antennae attached was parked behind some rocks about fifteen kilometers away. It was a commanding officer¡¯s VIP vehicle.


    Those special vehicles practically announced that someone important was inside, so they rarely operated on their own.


    And the same should have gone for the Information Alliance lieutenant colonel inside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± quietly said Wraith Martini Vermouthspray.


    She was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl of about twelve, so the uniform of a high military officer that she wore impeccably and the number of medals on her chest seemed out of place. She was well known for using her army boots to kick anyone who jokingly mentioned the tradition of Shichi-Go-San from a certain island nation.


    Inside the armored vehicle, she sat atop a sofa bed with her legs crossed. The vehicle was quite large because they would normally carry a large number of infantry, but this officer had it filled with the equipment she needed to relax: a refrigerator, a sofa bed, a dart board, a simple shower, a secret satellite internet line not connected to the military network, a laptop, and a home theater screen that took up one entire wall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°The Cannon 256 was destroyed, but the pilot Elite managed to eject. We had a later model from the same line prepared, so the overall situation should not change much.¡±


    These flowing words came from a young man in his late twenties.


    He was always waiting behind the girl while she travelled across the battlefield. His rank was second lieutenant, but he looked more like a skilled secretary than a highly-trained killing machine. He was well known for immediately sending a punch toward anyone who mentioned that a certain country had once been filled with people who rejoiced at having an overbearing tsundere call them a dog.


    Together, they were known as the ¡°stopgap grim reaper¡±.


    When a military officer committed a scandal, these two were sent in to swiftly bring that officer¡¯s battalion back into battle. In this case, the Cannon 256¡¯s maintenance battalion had apparently been involved in human trafficking within Oceania. For that reason, the two of them had little attachment to the Cannon 256. In fact, they had never once cared all that much for the soldiers under their command.


    Wraith waved a hand in annoyance.


    ¡°Not what I meant. I don¡¯t like what they¡¯re claiming.¡±


    ¡°What the MIB are claiming?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re making the announcement around the world. They hit the top of every video site¡¯s rankings a while ago, but this is different. I think they¡¯re panicking a bit because the Oceanian people¡¯s emotions have taken an unexpected turn.¡±


    She took a sip from the soda can on the side table and displayed the screen of her laptop on the home theater screen.


    This is what it said:


    ¡°By reducing the amount of thick onion armor which is an Object¡¯s most unique feature, the cost can be reduced by five billion dollars.¡±


    ¡°The durability of the armor is of little importance. We have overturned what everyone thought they knew about Objects by introducing a new system which can distort any attack.¡±


    ¡°This is the Flyby Collider.¡±


    ¡°This technology eliminates the need for repeated extreme evasive actions, so a specially selected and developed pilot Elite is no longer needed.¡±


    ¡°The selection, development, and protection of the Elite traditionally accounts for one-tenth of an Object¡¯s cost, but we have reduced that to zero.¡±


    ¡°We will prove in Oceania that this is enough to win.¡±


    ¡°Our Early States will destroy any Object that opposes it while using a normal soldier rather than an Elite. If you think you can win, then try to destroy it, coalition. We will equally destroy everyone that wishes to preserve this era and then celebrate the arrival of a new era.¡±


    ¡°We will destroy the giant hand holding down all normal soldiers. This is a day to remember. We will regain equal possibilities for all of mankind and use that equality to produce fair competition.¡±


    ¡°Whenever someone rises up, someone else is pushed down.¡±


    ¡°Now, what will everyone do? How long will you be fooled into thinking a lifetime of being trampled on and squeezed dry is one of ¡®stability¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Before you grow sick of it all and press a gun against your head, try standing up on your own two feet.¡±


    ¡°Do not curl up on the edge of this horribly twisted world. Stand tall and walk boldly forward. We will achieve the victory needed for that. Come stand in the center of the world along with the night sky flag!!¡±


    The young man smoothly tilted his head.


    He mentally searched for the response his commander would most want to hear.


    It did not matter what he himself thought.


    ¡°They are bluffing.¡±


    ¡°Of course they are,¡± spat back Wraith.


    She was so irritated that she began spinning a ballpoint pen in her hand.


    She was lost in thought.


    (The Oceanian people are leaning toward the apes in the Legitimacy Kingdom. Even so, this much destructive power could frighten some of them into siding with the MIB. This is a conflict between emotions and interests. If the scales tilt in one direction, those idiots and their uncontrollable weapon could be invited into Oceania as heroes.)


    ¡°Mh...¡±


    When she noticed her subconscious habit, she threw the pen away.


    Spinning a pen was a mental stabilization action driven into her during the genius girl project she had gone through. There were thousands of girls with the exact same habit.


    The fact that there were replacements for her had driven the girl toward bold actions. By grasping all of the dangerous opportunities that no one wanted to reach for, she had quickly risen to the rank of lieutenant colonel. However, it was not unusual for a sense of superiority and an inferiority complex to go hand in hand.


    The young man achieved his stable position by possessing the flexibility to accept oppression (yet he would grow angry the instant someone pointed it out), so he picked up the pen without changing his expression.


    The girl officer pouted her lips and spoke to the young man.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter if it¡¯s a bluff, second lieutenant. What matters is how many people will believe it. You need to learn how the Information Alliance does things.¡±


    Froleytia Capistrano, base commander of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion, was also frowning in displeasure.


    ¡°We will exterminate each and every one of our enemies, but we will fully support any who help bring about our new world.¡±


    ¡°Specifically, we will supply you with this brand new technology.¡±


    ¡°In wars and any other form of competition, whoever is fastest wins. The first condition is that you possess the intelligence gathering and management ability to locate and contact us. We are always waiting for some close friends.¡±


    A young female operator cautiously spoke to Froleytia.


    ¡°Wh-what should we do? We might be able to identify who posted the video...¡±


    ¡°Leave that to the deskwork groups who have nothing better to do back in safe country bases. I just hope they don¡¯t make any strange deals in the hope of acquiring technology.¡±


    She had no way of knowing, but that was another side of the world police.


    Simply wielding a great power would only make one a feared dictator.


    To be accepted by the world at large, one had to supply a great merit that made up for the risk.


    ¡°Were they originally connected to some country¡¯s intelligence agency? I see parts of their text that is meant to work up people¡¯s emotions. ...I hope the monkey-brained higher ups can see that much.¡±


    The information itself had been spread across the normal internet, so anyone could easily read it.


    ¡°We will rebuild the former world police here in Oceania.¡±


    ¡°We will bring order back to the world and fix this twisted era in which war has become constant.¡±


    ¡°We do not insist that you participate in this.¡±


    ¡°The world police will not hesitate or hold back when it comes to protecting the innocent people of the world. We wish to make that system very clear.¡±


    ¡°Listen carefully. All good people can simply rejoice at the coming age while all evil people should tremble and await its arrival. No matter what anyone might think, we of the MIB will once more release the world police and then take back our former name.¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance officers who were separated by a great distance muttered the exact same words:


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. How about I rub some mud on your face?¡±


    Part 14


    ¡°Heivia, what should we call that thing? In fact, who decides on an Object¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°How should I know!? Why should we give any real thought to that annoying bloodbath weapon? Let¡¯s just call it the Son of a Bitch!!¡±


    Quenser, Heivia, and the others had crawled under the remains of a train. They did not know if the enemy had located them or not, but when faced with attacks even Objects could not avoid, they wanted to hide no matter how useless it was. Once they were targeted, they could not escape on foot.


    ¡°Something about this is bothering me.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence! I was just wondering why a group of guys has to cram themselves into such a small space. Quenser, why aren¡¯t you a beautiful girl!?¡±


    ¡°Railguns and coilguns are metal shells, lasers are light, and it worked on plasma and ion as well. Is there really a technology that allows them to bend all of those? And if they were using something like that, why can we see the Son of a Bitch in front of us?¡±


    ¡°What? ...Come to think of it, you¡¯re right. If it was constantly bending all light, it might appear and disappear like a mirage.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t some invisible wall evenly diverting all incoming attacks. It uses something else.¡±


    Also, the MIB¡¯s Son of a Bitch had remained motionless the entire time. It may have simply felt there was no need to evade.


    However, that in itself was odd.


    ¡°After it destroyed the terminal facility from the inside, it sat there doing nothing for a while. Why? Was it waiting for the dust to clear up? Or did it need to boot up its mystery offense and defense system.¡±


    While lying on the ground, Quenser increased the magnification of his binoculars and observed around the MIB¡¯s Son of a Bitch.


    Rubble had scattered about from the destruction of the terminal facility that the Object had been built inside. He saw boulder-like pieces of concrete, hunks of metal that had lost their original shape, and crushed plastic boxes.


    But they all had one point in common.


    ¡°They¡¯re all melted?¡±


    ¡°That thing¡¯s been sending electron beams around it to accelerate them. That has to create a huge amount of energy. ...But shit. That means the energy it¡¯s releasing is enough to melt concrete. If one of those hits us, we¡¯ll truly vanish from the face of the earth!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser pointed his binoculars in several different directions.


    He quickly found what he was looking for.


    A beer bottle was mixed in with the rubble. It had likely been brought in by a member of the MIB.


    The brown bottle was broken down the middle and the jagged edge glittered sharply.


    ¡°No, wait...¡±


    ¡°What is it, Quenser? Wait a second! Why are you crawling out from under the train!?¡±


    ¡°The Information Alliance¡¯s first attack was a huge metal shell. It was forced off track and hit the ground instead of the Son of a Bitch. That¡¯s the best piece of evidence. If I¡¯m right, there should be traces left there.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. We don¡¯t need to go on a walk right now!! Sure, our odds of survival if we hide are almost zero, but... Dammit, Quenser! Wait up!!¡±


    Either way, it was all over once the MIB¡¯s Son of a Bitch began attacking the Baby Magnum which was observing from afar without knowing what to do.


    No one would try to rescue Quenser¡¯s group which was isolated on the front lines.


    They would either be killed by a giant hunk of metal or die of thirst in the desert.


    Either way, a happy ending did not await them.


    After crawling out from under the train, they circled around as far from the Son of a Bitch as they could while moving to where the shell had landed. The scattered rubble of the terminal facility acted as cover. They continued on while pressing their backs against chunks of concrete larger than cars.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna die. We¡¯re definitely gonna die. The biggest mistake of my life was meeting someone with a death wish like you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called going for broke, Heivia. If you don¡¯t see adversity as an opportunity, you¡¯ll never make it anywhere in this shitty world.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but an opportunity for who!? No matter how much I work, the son of the famous Winchell family will be ignored and some black-hearted fat ass will take all the credit. And yet I came to the battlefield so that position could be mine!!¡±


    Even as impatience and tension shortened their lifespans, they made their way through the rubble and toward the metal shell. Their throats were oddly dry and the air stung them, so their water bottles quickly grew empty.


    Their path took a C-shape as they avoided the Son of a Bitch.


    About three hundred meters behind the enemy Object was a crater with a radius of thirty meters.


    ¡°There it is. We found it.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re climbing down? That thing flew at Mach who-even-knows. The friction might have heated it enough to light your hand on fire the instant you touch it. Ah, wait! Are you even listening!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser ignored Heivia. Or rather, his curiosity won out and he did not even hear the other boy. He slid down to the center of the crater and the helicopter pilot and the other middle-aged soldiers followed him.


    Once he was left behind, Heivia clicked his tongue and started down into the crater.


    They found the metal shell.


    It was larger than the average passenger vehicle, but its shape was not all that different from the squashed bullets commonly seen at shooting ranges. It had likely originally been a cylinder with one end tapered off like a stake, but the front half was crushed into a round shape while the back half retained its form. It looked like a distorted umbrella.


    ¡°What is this? It looks like more than just a hunk of metal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the Catapult Cargo¡¯s container-style shells. That Object can put whatever it wants inside. It can use a powerful acid spray to dissolve an Object¡¯s armor, it can use a low-stability plasma cannon¡¯s gas and a large scale battery, or it can use a COIL combination.¡±


    ¡°This thing really is dangerous! Was it a dud!? If it goes off now, not even our bones will be left behind!¡±


    But that was not the important part.


    Quenser looked at the rear half of the shell.


    Specifically, he focused on the damage to the side.


    ¡°I was right. It has some odd damage. That caused it to lose its balance and veer off course. It was a deviation in air resistance.¡±


    ¡°What? You mean the Son of a Bitch didn¡¯t do anything to this shell and it was just a design error on the Information Alliance¡¯s part?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear to be that simple.¡± Quenser gave a bitter look. ¡°If the Son of a Bitch has the technology to accurately and systematically cause damage to shells in midair, it would be able to intentionally send metal shells off course.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Objects do usually have laser weapons to defend against ballistic missiles, but are you saying it can precisely alter shells flying toward it!?¡±


    However, Quenser rejected that possibility.


    But not in a good way.


    ¡°This is something simpler and more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°The concrete scattered around the Son of a Bitch had melted. Same with the metal, the plastic, and everything else. But that wasn¡¯t because of the residual energy of the electron beams. The one thing that wasn¡¯t melted was a glass bottle. Even the sharp broken edges were fully intact.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to-... Wait. You don¡¯t mean...!?¡±


    ¡°It was acid,¡± spat out Quenser. ¡°The Son of a Bitch is scattering a bunch of acid mist around itself! Just by entering the acid zone, the shells are damaged enough to veer off course. The laser beam weapons and the like are turned aside using that mist like a mirage!!¡±


    ¡°Wait. That doesn¡¯t make any sense, you idiot!! Object armor is essentially steel made to resist high heat. If it was scattering acid everywhere, it would melt its own armor. And what about its main cannon? Its electron beams aren¡¯t being randomly bent. It¡¯s accurately and precisely controlling them to emulate a particle accelerator! How do you explain that with your acid theory!?¡±


    ¡°The acid particles are probably encased in a capsule that¡¯s just slightly bigger. Those small capsules are what make up the mist. If they can control the density and friction, they might be able to electrically control the plasma and electron beams as well.¡± Quenser sounded as disgusted by the idea as Heivia. ¡°Heivia, remember the medical nanotech I mentioned in relation to the Blue Cross? This probably uses that. The acid is wrapped in a safe outer shell and made to remain in the air as a colloid, but a signal sent at the necessary timing causes the outer shell to pop like a bubble. Once the acid inside touches the air, it rapidly vaporizes. That lets them control the location and density of the acid reacting to the air. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to build an accurate device like a particle accelerator.¡±


    ¡°That theory is insane...¡±


    ¡°After the Son of a Bitch destroyed the terminal facility and revealed itself, it just sat there for a while. Why? Because it takes time to disperse its acid armor around itself to set up its invincible shield!!¡±


    ¡°But if that¡¯s the answer, we¡¯re in trouble!¡± wailed Heivia while ignoring all logic. His words came straight from his exposed emotions. ¡°You¡¯re saying the Son of a Bitch uses a bunch of acid? You¡¯re saying it has scattered a chemical that can melt through metal and concrete on contact!? We don¡¯t have any equipment to handle chemical weapons! If they destroy the environment like this, there¡¯s nothing we can do! This is just like the acid bomb! We¡¯ll be melted down to our bones!! I don¡¯t want that!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s okay! Think back to the Son of a Bitch¡¯s main cannon. The rings from its electron beams only reached two hundred meters, remember? That must be the edge of its range. If we stay that far away, we don¡¯t have to worry about the acid armor being activated around us. Any further than that and the remote control of the outer shells won¡¯t work!!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t know that! The wind could send the acid toward us after it bursts from the capsule. Or maybe the Son of a Bitch is holding some of its power in reserve!! No one can say where the safe line is. Oh, no. I drank all my water because I was oddly thirsty. Don¡¯t tell me...¡±


    Falling victim to self-made fear and imaginings severely reduced one¡¯s chance of surviving on the battlefield. A sharp eye for even the smallest hint could lead to imagined dangers if one took it too far.


    ¡°Heivia! No matter how bad the situation is, you can¡¯t overcome it if you don¡¯t accept it! Why did the metal and concrete melt but the glass didn¡¯t? This wouldn¡¯t happen with just heat. You may not want to accept that nanotech is being used without a microscope to check on it, but the Son of a Bitch clearly has some means of freely controlling the acid! And the nanotech capsules is the only theory I have for how they can spread an acid mist and freely switch it on and off!! Heivia, do you have any other ideas!? Well, do you!? Yes or no!?¡±


    ¡°God damn you...¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I asked! Yes or no!?¡±


    ¡°No, you idiot!! I admit it. You may be insane and forget about the danger when faced with an Object, but I admit that insanity gives you a sort of cleverness!! So what do we do now, future mad scientist? Let¡¯s say it is using nanotech. Let¡¯s say the area two hundred meters around it is filled with acid capsules. What can we do!? It can melt metal shells fired at Mach 4 or 5!! We can¡¯t even get close!!¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    Quenser looked up from the bottom of the crater and toward the Son of a Bitch that towered up amid the rubble.


    And he thought while aware that their survival relied on their next actions.


    ¡°I noticed something odd in the moment just before it fired its main cannon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It almost entirely surrounded itself with the electron beam rings, remember? The afterimage made it look like a giant dome. It has to release the acid to bend its own beams, so it had to have been almost entirely surrounded in an acid mist.¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°If it bends both light and the electron beams, how does it target so accurately? Even infrared and radar would be distorted as it passes through the acid armor.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Are you saying it has a separate targeting system!? Infantry, a UAV, a satellite, or anything really. It just needs some kind of external eyes linked to it!!¡±


    ¡°It might have a targeting lens attached to a tentacle-like cable that directly connects back to it.¡± Quenser slowly focused his mind and calmed his breathing. ¡°Whatever it is, we don¡¯t have to worry about its powerful main cannon as long as we destroy that ¡®eye¡¯. The princess¡¯s attacks still won¡¯t reach it, but it will at least eliminate the threat of instant destruction. We¡¯ll have more time to think!!¡±


    ¡°Thinking is your job. Give me something to actually do! If I keep worrying over this, I¡¯m going to go crazy with fear!!¡±


    ¡°Okay, Heivia. It¡¯s time to search. We need to do a thorough search for a camera, a sensor, a radar, or anything else that can be used to target. This is no different from when enter your first love¡¯s room and she leaves to make some tea.¡±


    ¡°Um, Quenser... I don¡¯t quite follow.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really? Doesn¡¯t it make you restless!? Don¡¯t back away now!! Wait, the helicopter pilot is looking away too!? And everyone else!? Was that really such a weird thing to say!?¡±


    Either way, the Son of a Bitch¡¯s invincible defense system would not last forever. If a metal shell was coated with reinforced glass or pure gold, it might pierce through the acid armor without interference.


    But they did not have time to implement any such theories.


    For the moment, they needed to take the initiative in whatever way they could.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not suggesting anything perverted like looking around for her underwear or tampons. I just meant looking at the bookshelf to see what she reads! Everyone does that, right!?¡±


    ¡°We get it! We can argue about this all night once we get back alive, so stop clinging to me with those bloodshot eyes! Also, a bloodline-focused noble can¡¯t get into a girl¡¯s bedroom so easily!!¡±


    They used their binoculars, rifle scopes, and the other sensors on their weapons to silently scan the area.


    The time it took wore at their nerves.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing. Nothing at all! There are a few pieces of scrap metal lying around, but nothing is giving off an electromagnetic or infrared signal. Or are they sticking to passive sensors!?¡±


    An active sensor would send out infrared rays or ultrasonic waves and measure the reflection, but passive sensors would only detect the light and sound that came to them naturally. The latter type sent out nothing themselves, so they were less sensitive but harder to detect.


    ¡°There has to be something. The Son of a Bitch can¡¯t target accurately while surrounded by that acid armor that bends light and warps objects!¡±


    ¡°How long has it been since it fired? Shouldn¡¯t the princess have arrived by now!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, look over there! Something¡¯s shining in a gap in the rubble. Is it a lens!?¡±


    ¡°My sensors aren¡¯t picking anything up.¡±


    ¡°It might be a passive sensor like a digital camera. Either way, it won¡¯t hurt to check it out!!¡±


    Instead of heading directly toward it, they once again cautiously circled around in a large C-shape. If it was what they were looking for, the glass lens was the Son of a Bitch¡¯s eye. If they were detected, they would be attacked by that electron beam cannon that easily melted through Objects.


    Approaching it wore at their nerves more than handling a landmine or unexploded ordnance.


    ¡°Oh, this reminds me of the teapot.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°When I was at school in my safe country, I had a hands-on lesson in handling manufactured metals and explosives. To disarm an unexploded plastic explosive, we used hot water to melt the explosive.¡±


    ¡°Say something ominous like that again and I¡¯m throwing you in front of the lens.¡±


    They were checking to see if this was a sensor or lens, but they could not simply look at it from the front. They would be killed once it caught sight of them.


    And so they circled around to the side and back of the rubble it was hiding under and began to search for a cable.


    ¡°This is no different from searching for a landmine. Stab your knife blade shallowly into the sand to check for something underneath.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you use your rifle¡¯s sensors to search for mines?¡±


    ¡°Not in all this rubble. There¡¯s too much metal to trust a positive reading.¡±


    ¡°Just like oil pipelines have sensors to detect oil leaking out, the cable might be covered in sensors, so don¡¯t damage it. If you find it, don¡¯t pull it out. If it has gyro sensors, it might react to a slight change in tilt.¡±


    The helicopter pilot and middle-aged soldiers helped Quenser and Heivia slowly search through the sand. With sweat covering their faces, they stuck their sharp blades into the soft sand and searched along millimeter by millimeter.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a toy from that island nation that¡¯s a lot like this? You stick toy knives in the side of a barrel and the pirate inside pops out.¡±


    ¡°When he pops out, does it mean you win or lose?¡±


    ¡°If it happens here, we¡¯ll all be turned to ash, so it isn¡¯t funny at all. The pressure is on an entirely different level.¡±


    Suddenly, the helicopter pilot formed a twisted smile after finding something with the broken piece of rebar he was sticking into the sand.


    ¡°There¡¯s something here! It¡¯s long, skinny, and it bent a bit.¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll check with my knife.¡±


    Heivia slowly walked over to the pilot, stuck his knife in from a different angle, and made a displeased look of his own.


    His expression was that of someone who had opened a door and saw a grenade fall to the floor after being activated by the turning doorknob. Rather than pure fear, it was the oddly relaxed expression of someone trying to look away from reality.


    ¡°Dammit. There is something here. It¡¯s a long narrow tube of some sort.¡±


    ¡°It travels from the pilot to you, so let¡¯s try slowly removing the sand in between.¡±


    Quenser and the others carefully removed the sand like they were excavating some ruins. A few centimeters below the surface, they found something that resembled a snake. They had expected to find it, but it still squeezed at their hearts to see it.


    However...


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell?¡±


    ¡°It just looks like a rubber hose to me!!¡± shouted Heivia now that his tension was gone and the dam of his emotions burst.


    He circled around the pile of rubble and did not hesitate to reach for the location of the supposed lens.


    He tossed something over.


    It was the bottom half of a broken glass bottle.


    ¡°There was never a wired sensor or lens here! There¡¯s nothing to help us here. What do we do now!? Is there really any way of keeping the Son of a Bitch from firing!?¡±


    ¡°Wait. In that case, how does it get targeting information? The acid mist filling the air around it bends laser beams and electron beams. Any sensors inside the shield will pick up distorted readings because...¡±


    Quenser trailed off.


    Heivia had been criticizing him, but it bothered him when Quenser stopped speaking mid-sentence. He frantically spoke up.


    ¡°What is it? Did you have an idea!?¡±


    ¡°It can freely bend even light,¡± blankly muttered Quenser. ¡°That means it might be able to repeatedly bend the light it wants like a periscope. It doesn¡¯t need a cable. What if it can use the acid mist in the place of an optical fiber?¡±


    ¡°You have got to be kidding,¡± cut in Heivia as if saying he did not want to hear any more. ¡°That would mean the Son of a Bitch truly has no weaknesses. That means it can achieve offense, defense, and targeting all with that acid mist!! What can we possibly do!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Please... Please don¡¯t fall silent!! Thinking up ways to resolve this is your job! If you¡¯re silent, there¡¯s nothing we can do. Please come up with some crazy idea!!¡±


    They heard a low rumbling noise.


    What looked like the rings of Saturn colored bluish-white appeared around the Son of a Bitch.


    ¡°Not good. That¡¯s the MIB¡¯s main cannon,¡± said the helicopter pilot while forgetting to blink. ¡°Is it targeting the Baby Magnum or us!? Either way, all hope of survival is gone as soon as it fires!!¡±


    ¡°We need something...anything! Is there any more information that might help us find a way out of this!?¡±


    ¡°Of course there isn¡¯t,¡± said a middle-aged soldier in a dejected tone. He had a blank look in his eyes. ¡°What will looking around tell us? There¡¯s nothing but piles of rubble and an overwhelmingly powerful Object. What can we find with our radios and handheld devices? We¡¯ll only find the announcement the MIB are sending over the internet.¡±


    But that caused Quenser to frown.


    ¡°Announcement?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re triumphantly proclaiming their victory to the world! They have to be pretty confident of their victory. There¡¯s no way we can defeat this Object!!¡±


    Quenser stared at the screen of the handheld device the man held out.


    The MIB. The ghosts of a former superpower. No need for onion armor. A normal soldier instead of a specialized pilot Elite. Drastically reduced costs. A new defense system known as the Flyby Collider. The geographical requirements for the world police. The creation of a new superpower and the construction of a peaceful world by having a single military rule. A battle with existing Objects to proclaim the coming of a new age. The Early States.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The container-style shells fired by the Catapult Cargo should be located around here. Those never went off. If we swap out the fuse, we can detonate them, right?¡±


    ¡°So what if we can!?¡± asked Heivia in an irritated voice.


    ¡°We might be able to win,¡± said Quenser before he had finished.


    A silence fell as the others held their breaths.


    Quenser repeated himself.


    ¡°We might be able to defeat that goddamn Son of a Bitch. Do you want in on this gamble?¡±


    Part 15


    Fortunately, Quenser and Heivia were not alone. With the helicopter pilot and other soldiers sharing their fate, they had a total of about eight people.


    They had no time.


    More and more bluish-white rings were appearing around the Son of a Bitch. They surrounded the Object like a glowing cocoon. Once it accelerated enough, it would release a long and continuous electron beam to sweep across like the stroke of a pen. The Baby Magnum would be unable to escape and Quenser¡¯s group had no chance at all. The fate of the target would be sealed.


    And so Quenser gave quick instructions.


    He pulled out several pen-like electric fuses and handed them out to the soldiers.


    ¡°Everyone, pry open the Catapult Cargo¡¯s container-style shells which landed around this area. Swap out the fuses with these! Once you¡¯re done, escape outside the blast range of the shell. I don¡¯t know when exactly this will begin and I don¡¯t have time to wait! If you don¡¯t want to be blown to pieces, protect your own life yourself!¡±


    ¡°What about me, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°Use your radio to perform a random search of frequencies. Find one that will reach that Son of a Bitch¡¯s cockpit. Anywhere with an unnatural amount of noise should be on the band they¡¯re using!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? Are you really going to communicate with it!? Once it traces the source of the signal, it¡¯ll blow you away!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ll route it through several radios so the source can¡¯t be determined. The electric fuses can receive and transmit radio signals and I¡¯ll be using all of your radios as well. Just scatter them over a wide area!¡±


    ¡°What will you do?¡±


    ¡°Make some rockets,¡± spat out Quenser. ¡°I want to make a few giant rocket fireworks like we did before. I need to borrow every single rifle bullet all of you have! Also your water bottles and cooling spray. You won¡¯t need them if you die, right?¡±


    ¡°What? Why do you need water for a rocket?¡±


    ¡°The rocket is just a vehicle. It¡¯s what the rocket is carrying that matters. Anyway, just do as I say. This is the only way to fight back!¡±


    It was a race against time.


    They quickly scattered and began their work.


    As seen in gun malfunctions, the explosive within rifle bullets could easily kill their owner if handled incorrectly. However, Quenser was an explosives specialist. Even without an electronic scale and specialized tools, he accurately and precisely repacked the explosive with the equipment on hand. Fortunately, the area was covered in rubble, so he was able to procure the containers and stabilizing rods he needed.


    The worst part was the fuse.


    As he twisted tissues into a string, he mixed in a small amount of explosive. If he did not add in enough, the flame would die out, but too much would cause it to explode partway through. Adding it in evenly required the most careful attention.


    ¡°I¡¯ve swapped out the fuse in the shell. After this transmission, I¡¯ll throw away my radio!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done, too. I¡¯m just going to run away now!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be using my radio as a decoy, so I won¡¯t be able to contact you. It doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m dead, so don¡¯t forget to pick me up afterwards!¡±


    Quenser monitored the progress from the radio in his hand.


    He then heard Heivia shout his way.


    ¡°I found the frequency! It¡¯s 10.1 GHz. Are you really going to contact the Son of a Bitch!?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t win if I don¡¯t. Anyway, you go hide somewhere safe!¡±


    ¡°And where would that be!? Not even a nuclear shelter can protect you from that thing!¡±


    Quenser could not spend any more time waiting.


    The handmade rocket fireworks were the size of a 1.5 liter bottle. He stuck them into the ground, carefully adjusted the angle, and lit the fuses.


    With an explosive roar, the rockets flew diagonally up toward the Son of a Bitch.


    Before arriving, they veered off course.


    ¡°What are you doing!? They¡¯ve gone off course and those toys can¡¯t even scratch an Object!!¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have to hit!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s strange comment was immediately followed by the rockets reaching their limit above the Son of a Bitch.


    They burst and scattered their contents everywhere.


    Part 16


    In that instant, a young man of the MIB known as D.C. 0 frowned a bit within the cockpit of the Object officially known as the Early States and that Quenser and the others had been calling the Son of a Bitch.


    A large number of errors had just appeared on the screen.


    The Early States had no onion armor, and its only means of offense and defense, the Flyby Collider, had become unusable. Control had been lost of the electron beam being accelerated and it had flown off into the distant desert without reaching its full power.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s frozen over? Was it those rockets? Did they create a thin layer of ice to seal the ejection points for the nanotech capsules!?¡±


    It seemed those had been more than simple toys made with gunpowder.


    They had scattered water above the Early States and then instantly froze it. The MIB man initially thought of coolant, but then he came up with a much simpler answer.


    (It was just cooling spray and water bottles, wasn¡¯t it? Such a childish trick, yet it has temporarily stopped the Flyby Collider!!)


    Some static came from his radio.


    Someone was cutting in on the band used by the MIB. It was not encrypted, so it arrived in the cockpit as a voice.


    ¡°Hi there, MIB. Did that surprise you a bit? I know your special weapon uses nanotech acid capsules. And to efficiently spray them out, you would do so from the top of the Object. I thought a thin but wide layer of ice would seal up all of them. Was I right?¡±


    ¡°You idiot,¡± muttered the young man while pressing a few buttons with his index finger.


    He tried to scan for the source of the radio signal, but he detected quite a few. And the Early States only had its main cannon, so it could not attack all of them at once with secondary cannons.


    ¡°Did you really think you could stop the Early States with such a childish trick? To create our new superpower, we have been secretly planning this since before the Oceanian military nation was even formed! It will never lose to a trick you thought up on the spot!!¡±


    There was a slight humming noise as if from a bug zapper powering on.


    Normally, the electron beam weapon which acted as the Early States¡¯ main cannon would achieve its maximum power by accelerating in rings with the help of the Flyby Collider, but it provided plenty of heat even without the acceleration.


    The ice had been meant to cover a large area, so it was only a few millimeters thick. Even if the weakened cannon would not function as a weapon, it could melt the ice.


    And once it was melted, the Flyby Collider could activate once more.


    The perfect armament for offense and defense would return.


    ¡°Ha ha ha!! We still have two more Early States equipped with Flyby Colliders. You have no idea where they are, do you? And we won¡¯t give you the time to find out. This one Object can buy enough time for them to be activated. After that, the difference in strength will only continue to grow!!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°And in addition to the Objects, we have hundreds of amplification facilities. Since you temporarily sealed off the Flyby Collider, can you guess what those do? They scatter the nanotech across the entire continent. The Flyby Collider will cover the continent and the three Early States will control it!! You know what that means, don¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°You will be able to freely bend those high-output electron beams over the entire continent and send long-distance attacks against our Objects from any direction. The horizon will no longer be a restriction. But did you forget about attenuation in the air?¡±


    ¡°This is nanotech. By regulating the location and amounts of the acid, a space similar to a vacuum can be created. Like a whirlwind, it will be incredibly short lived and only exist in an exceedingly small area, but we have the technology needed to accurately pass the electron beam through that narrow tube!! In other words, we can almost entirely ignore attenuation!!¡±


    ¡°I see. And as the ¡®flyby¡¯ in the name suggests, I suppose you can greatly increase the output by passing the electron beam between each Son of a Bitch and reaccelerating it. What a convenient age we live in. This wonderful tech lets you overturn the simple differences between Objects. ...And in exchange, acid will eat into over half the continent.¡±


    It was similar to expanding the current local conditions over the entire continent of Oceania.


    None of the Objects in range would be able to hit with their attacks and the Early States would be able to destroy any enemy by freely bending their electron beams.


    It was not a long, drawn-out battle or one-on-one fight based on an implicit understanding.


    They were assuming zero losses on their part.


    The completely unilateral destruction would lead to all the losses being on the other side.


    ¡°The smallest system is used to rule the largest area! This is the perfect system for the new world police!! Once we succeed in Oceania, we need only expand the range bit by bit. In less than a decade, this new system will cover the entire surface of the earth. And Oceania will be at the center. Anyone who cannot keep up will be swallowed up by the new era and die!!¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯ll have time for that?¡± mocked the enemy soldier over the radio.


    But the young man¡¯s gaze did not waver.


    ¡°Are you referring to the first generation Object waiting in the distance? It will not make it in time. This ice is only a few millimeters thick. In less than ten seconds, control of the Flyby Collider will-...¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant.¡±


    That declaration was immediately followed by a great roar and vibration passing through the thick sides of the Object. The noise assaulted the young man¡¯s eardrums.


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget about the Catapult Cargo¡¯s unexploded ordnance? Those are the true main weapons of an Object. What do you think is inside them? The gas for a low-stability plasma cannon? A battery filled with power taken directly from the Object¡¯s reactor? Or maybe a COIL set? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter what. It will all damage you just the same,¡± said the enemy soldier. ¡°After all, you eliminated the expensive craftsman-made onion armor because you could rely on your Flyby Collider. Without that defense system, you only have armor which is inferior to the average Object.¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    (Did they swap out the fuses so they could use them!?)


    The young man in black looked around the cockpit once more.


    There were over ten levers and hundreds of buttons. Those controls would normally be used in conjunction with a system that read eyeball movements with a laser, but he could not use that very well without the training of a pilot Elite.


    Yes.


    He was not a pilot Elite.


    Destroying the existing style of Object with a normal soldier had held ideological meaning for them.


    They would hold the most powerful position by deploying large numbers of cheap yet effective weapons.


    That was their first step toward being the same as that ideal nation that had once existed.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t an Elite! The reason you¡¯ve just been sitting there wasn¡¯t because disseminating the acid capsules took time. You didn¡¯t understand the extremely complex piloting system, so a high-speed battle was out of the question for you!! You planned to remain motionless and crush any Object that approached. It makes for a nice performance, but that was your only option!! And that means one thing!!¡±


    He could not avoid the large explosions bursting up from the ground.


    If those tremendous explosions produced by the infantrymen reached the Early States before the thin ice melted, its inferior armor would be destroyed.


    ¡°Kh...¡±


    The young man in black reached his hands toward two of the many levers.


    He grabbed them.


    And he pushed them forcefully forward.


    ¡°You idiot!! We knew from the beginning a normal soldier would be piloting it! We have a way of letting the computer handle as much of the piloting process as possible. Even if it is not enough for a battle against another Object, I can still move this Object! I can even move at high speeds, so I will not be caught in your explosions!!¡±


    An explosive noise burst out.


    More than one burst out.


    But these were not caused by the explosions the enemy soldier had caused.


    They were the sounds of the recoil as the Object moved in a lightning-like zigzag to escape the explosions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll crush you.¡±


    The young man in black smiled.


    The thin layer of ice covering a portion of the Early States had melted.


    He had his main weapon back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll crush you!! I¡¯ll show you how irreverent it was to think that was enough to oppose the MIB and the return of the world police! I will crush you into a cruel symbol of what happens when someone opposes us!!¡±


    Everything turned red.


    The young man¡¯s intense anger caused his the color crimson to seep in from the edges of his vision.


    And...


    Part 17


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± blankly muttered Heivia. His voice quickly grew to a shout. ¡°What in the hell are you doing!? Provoking him only made the Son of a Bitch move more quickly! This is no different from committing suicide by agitating the enemy!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Quenser grinned.


    They had no hope.


    They would be smashed to pieces if the Son of a Bitch simply gave into its anger and charged forward, but he still smiled in assurance of his victory.


    ¡°We¡¯ve won. He¡¯s the one who''s committing suicide.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Objects are over fifty meters tall and weigh over twenty thousand tons. They¡¯re as massive as two nuclear aircraft carriers, but they rule the battlefield while moving faster than five hundred kilometers per hour.¡± He paused to take a breath before continuing. ¡°The inertial Gs felt by the pilot are much greater than those of a supersonic fighter. Those Gs are resisted with a special suit filled with cutting-edge technology and thoroughly altering the Elite¡¯s body. And do you know what that means?¡±


    ¡°If a perfectly normal soldier is forced through those actions...¡±


    Heivia gulped.


    Quenser gave the answer with the cruelty of stabbing in a knife.


    ¡°If they¡¯re lucky, not enough blood will reach their brain and they¡¯ll black out. If not, a major blood vessel or organ could burst, killing them instantly.¡±


    With a great rumbling noise, the Son of a Bitch moved off in an odd direction. It passed right by Quenser and the others. As it forced its way through the piles of rubble, it gently continued in just that one direction. That mindless action showed the one piloting the Object had lost control.


    ¡°You...gwah...aaaaaaahh!¡±


    The voice coming from the radio seemed to be cursing them.


    Quenser smiled and brought the device to his mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did the capillaries in your eyes burst? You sound like you¡¯re having trouble because your entire vision is being dyed red.¡±


    ¡°You...idiot...¡± The young man¡¯s voice was intermittent as if he was having trouble breathing. ¡°This was...the last chance...to correct this world...that was broken like stained glass... The world desires...the return of its former police.... Do you...love war that much...?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± spat back Quenser. ¡°The collapse of the UN symbolizes the destruction of the world map, but how many decades ago was that? At the very least, it was before the time of someone who sounds as young as you. The old maintenance woman is about the only person I know who is just barely old enough to have experienced it.¡±


    ¡°Ah...gh...¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know anything, did you? It was just easier to fool the people if you had some kind of historical background. For example, I could say I am a well-known noble and that I found some old documents related to an ancestor¡¯s sunken ship that disappeared in the stormy sea long ago. Then I would go on to ask you to help fund the mission to salvage any valuables. What you MIB did was similar to that.¡±


    It was possible the former world police had performed a useful role.


    The age ruled by a superpower may have been much more peaceful than the modern age.


    As a member of the younger generation, Quenser had no intention of denying something he knew nothing about.


    However...


    ¡°Are you really the successors of that superpower?¡± spat out Quenser. ¡°If you can say yes with a straight face, I¡¯ll clap my hands and laugh in your face.¡±


    At the very least, these MIB had no connection to the world police.


    They were villains who were merely using that name in the distant future.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken about something. This isn¡¯t your country or a colony ruled by the Legitimacy Kingdom. This country belongs to the people of Oceania and no one else!! We are merely intruding for the time being. As soon as you forget that simple fact and begin taking this land because you like it, you can¡¯t call yourselves police!! You¡¯re nothing but invaders who look up to a former ideal!!¡±


    ¡°Gh...gbh.¡±


    The sound of someone coughing up blood came over the radio.


    But the Son of a Bitch still came to a stop.


    It seemed that comment was something the young man could not overlook.


    The movements of the Object grew more human.


    ¡°Gbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    The machine quickly turned toward Quenser.


    The Flyby Collider activated and the bluish-white main cannon began accelerating in rings around it.


    But Quenser did not even turn toward it.


    What sounded like a water balloon bursting echoed hollowly from the radio.


    ¡°That finished it.¡±


    As if a thin thread had finally snapped, the Son of a Bitch came to a complete stop.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty cruel.¡± Heivia grinned bitterly. ¡°You knew the more he moved at high speed the more damage would build up inside him, but you kept provoking him.¡±


    ¡°What else could I do? I had no other way to attack him.¡± Quenser shrugged and raised his middle finger. ¡°I manipulated that bastard with my words. A perfect end for a conspirator, don¡¯t you think?¡±

 Volume 7, Epilogue

    Volume 7, Epilogue


    ¡°The operation to track down the MIB is still ongoing. We will meet any resistance with force. We will send photos to confirm their deaths, so please check them against the list.¡±


    ¡°We are currently investigating the terminal facilities they used as bases. Surprisingly, we really did find two more Objects awaiting their final preparations. We also found over five hundred of the amplification facilities for the Flyby Collider. Given another twelve hours, they might have been able to release it all and bring war to the entirety of Oceania. Fortunately, we managed to defeat them before they could do so.¡±


    ¡°A large number of MIB members have been found in an abandoned factory near Sydney. We are hoping they will surrender. Please prepare to hold them as prisoners of war.¡±


    ¡°The night sky movement is calming down. We were warned it was a possibility, but I¡¯m relieved it looks unlikely we will have to engage the civilians in combat.¡±


    Froleytia puffed on her long, narrow kiseru while listening to the reports in the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s mission control room.


    Her expression was no different from normal.


    ¡°Do you think we can bring this all to an end?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly over already. The Black Uniforms are likely handling the sponsors hidden in safe countries. It may have helped that we managed to secure the Objects before they were completely ready. If they could have run off, they might have disappeared into the darkness.¡±


    ¡°Did that false hope lead the MIB personnel to be focused in those areas?¡±


    ¡°The Objects acted a lot like the...what do you call it? That sticky tape stuff you stick in the corner of the kitchen to catch roaches. Anyway, I¡¯m glad we could bring an end to this chaos.¡±


    Froleytia thought for a moment and then spoke.


    ¡°That means there is one remaining problem.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the one functioning MIB Object that Quenser and the others ran into. The Flyby Collider especially could cause conflict between the different world powers that want to get their hands on it.¡±


    ¡°I would love to take it for ourselves, but I doubt it will be so easy. Acquiring the technology and monopolizing it are two different things.¡±


    Also, there was more than just the one Object. Even if they were incomplete, there were two Objects with reactors installed as well as hundreds of the amplification facilities. If multiple world powers tried to take them for their own army, it could easily cause another war.


    Also, if the technology to scatter acid over a target area spread around the world, it could dry up farmlands and have catastrophic consequences on mankind as a whole. It would be best to destroy it so the foolish military officials would not covet it.


    If everyone began thinking they needed the technology to stand up against the others who had it, there would be no stopping it.


    ¡°If only the MIB had tried to prevent their technology from leaking out by rigging a system to detonate all the reactors and acid tanks when a signal was sent over the internet.¡±


    ¡°Out of curiosity, would it be possible destroy everything they left behind and make it look like that was what happened?¡± asked Froleytia.


    ¡°If those are my orders, yes. But I wouldn¡¯t want the higher ups to know about it. If they found out I abandoned new technology and blew up a veritable treasure trove, they¡¯d string me up.¡±


    ¡°What if I was the one taking the risk?¡±


    ¡°Then give me the order. It is our duty to carry out your wishes.¡±


    After a quick command, Froleytia ended the transmission.


    She brought the kiseru back into her mouth.


    A young female operator looked up at her worriedly.


    ¡°Y-you do not look very happy.¡±


    ¡°There is another problem,¡± she muttered.


    (We still don¡¯t know where the gold bars that funded the MIB were hidden.)


    The predecessors of the MIB were said to have stolen a large number of gold bars during the collapse of the UN.


    The upper levels of the military, the soldiers on the battlefield, and the captured members of the MIB had all dismissed it as an absurd illusion.


    (But could they really maintain an organization of that size on nothing but a lie? I¡¯m not about to say it¡¯s completely true, but surely they would have had to show some people a pile of gold bars as ¡°proof¡± to get them to believe the lie.)


    If the truthful portion of that absurd story came to light, it could cause a large problem.


    The current system of currency was based on a market where all those gold bars did not exist.


    What if enough gold bars to fill the ocean suddenly appeared all at once?


    (The price of gold would plummet and the current system of currency could easily collapse.)


    It was a frightening ¡°bomb¡±. It could cause a commotion on a level rivalling the collapse of the UN. But even if they interrogated all of the captured MIB members, it was unlikely any of them would say they knew where the gold was.


    After thinking that far, Froleytia cracked her neck.


    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous line of thinking. Was it by wielding this sort of ¡®reality¡¯ that they gained so much power? It¡¯s like a computer virus that eats into the human brain.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    After the helicopter crash and the defeat of the Son of a Bitch, Quenser, Heivia, and the rest of their group hurried back to the maintenance base zone.


    They had lost the ability to walk on their own, so a rescue team came to retrieve them.


    The military vehicles were a wonderful sight when they drove up.


    They cried tears of joy that they belonged to a unit filled with outdated old-style weapons.


    ¡°Ugh, this is horrible. I¡¯m covered in sweat, sand, blood, oil, and I don¡¯t even know what else!! Hey, how many days of leave do I have left? Actually, do we even get any!?¡±


    ¡°Why would I know what your schedule is? I just want to take a shower and crawl into bed. I think I might be an idiot. I go to all that extra work on my own, but I still get paid the same as everyone else.¡±


    When the vehicle came to a stop, the two idiots rolled out the door. The sandy desert ground awaited them below. Getting fine sand all over the stains covering their bodies only made everything worse.


    They did not have it in them to stand back up, so they began wriggling like exhausted worms. As they did, the old maintenance woman walked up.


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. Why couldn¡¯t we at least be greeted by the princess?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s taking a post-battle shower,¡± replied the old woman.


    The two idiots immediately stood up and shouted in unison.


    ¡°That means it¡¯s time for our reward!!¡±


    ¡°You two can try to peep if you like, but you¡¯ll probably be shot in the name of protecting classified information.¡±


    The two idiots were not using their brains for anything worthwhile, so they did not listen.


    The old maintenance woman stood before them. That was valuable information. That eliminated the possibility of the greatest trap where they peeped on the women¡¯s bath and found an old woman inside. That only increased the value of trying this now. Also, every woman other than the old woman was an acceptable result for the two of them.


    They crouched down and began drawing up a detailed map with a fallen stick.


    ¡°Quenser, doesn¡¯t this part go like this? The base is made up of over one hundred large vehicles, so what looks like a wall can actually be opened.¡±


    ¡°No, Heivia! We can¡¯t use a camera! This is just a vacation event, so we need to keep it at the tried and true method of peering over the fence. A gentleman must follow the rules.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re disqualified as gentlemen the instant you try to peep,¡± sighed the old maintenance woman.


    Quenser and Heivia continued their strategy meeting, but the old woman radioed Froleytia once their plans became a little more realistic. That was when everything went downhill. The two idiots were forced to run around while chased by a military vehicle driven by an especially muscular soldier and with Froleytia sticking her upper body out of the roof.


    They shouted while running with all their might.


    ¡°What is wrong with her!? If she runs us over, there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll rest in peace!! And why isn¡¯t she and her huge breasts in the bath!? Go wait in the women¡¯s bath, you idiot!!¡±


    ¡°No, wait!! Do you think we can find a way to escape into the princess¡¯s personal shower room? We might be able to get the whole intrusion thing written off as force majeure!¡±


    However, the world they lived in was not that convenient.


    The two enemies of women were ultimately cornered, taken away by muscular soldiers, and forced to clean toilets as punishment. Nothing could have been worse.


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We know it isn¡¯t these MIB, but who actually knows why the world ended up the way it is? The people who experienced the atmosphere of the time are growing older and dying off.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible someone really was fighting to bring back the world police before those people took the name for themselves. They may have been buried in the shadows of history while still holding the truth of these wars, and now someone else used their empty husk and name.¡±


    Quenser leaned up against the bathroom wall while speaking.


    His knees trembled from extreme exhaustion and he felt as if he would end up kissing the bathroom floor if he relaxed for even an instant.


    Nevertheless, he somehow managed to remain standing and stared off into the distance.


    ¡°While there¡¯s still someone to ask, it might be a good idea to ask someone what it was truly like back then. ...We could ask the old maintenance woman, I suppose.¡±


    Even as he spoke, the flames of the next war began to burn brightly in the darkness.


    Those wars continued on and on with no one knowing the reason why.

 Volume 7, Afterword

    Volume 7, Afterword


    Volume 7! Whether you bought them one at a time or all at once, hello.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    The story began with a wrong number. When you receive a threatening call from an unknown kidnapper, how far will you go for a complete stranger!? It began that way, but Quenser and the others demonstrated how far from the standard they are by how everything spiraled out of control once they got involved. It comes back to the fact that they normally handle wars rather than incidents.


    This time, I narrowed the focus down to Oceania. As you would know from reading Volume 1, the Oceanian military nation¡¯s Generation 0.5 was a deteriorated version of the Rush piloted by the Information Alliance¡¯s ¡°oh ho ho¡±. The core of this story is found in the question of who brought that classified information to Oceania. If you recall where the Information Alliance¡¯s home country is, you might realize it would be a relatively easy task for ¡°them¡±.


    The enemy was the MIB. That mysterious organization often appears in urban legends related to UFOs. In this series, they do not handle UFOs and aliens. Instead, they are in control of the secrets of Objects and the reason behind the destruction of the world map. Well, it¡¯s very like this series to not let anything be so simple. Objects are the greatest ¡°foreign element¡± in this series, so I wrote this thinking they would be a good bet as for who would have the secrets behind Objects. What did you think?


    I must thank my illustrator, Nagi Ryou-san, and my editors, Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. It may have been more difficult to handle a story filled with large crowds than one with Objects. I apologize for all the trouble I put them through.


    I would also like to thank the readers. I created this series primarily to provide the simple sense of exhilaration of slaying a giant foe, but your acceptance of it has given me great opportunity that I cannot put into words. I will try my hand at various things from here on out, so please continue your support.


    And I will end this here.


    I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    Things have finally settled down in Oceania...


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 8, Prologue

    Volume 8, Prologue


    From ¡ö¡ö¡ö to the age of Objects.


    It¡¯s rumored that it was due to the fall of the UN, but the real reason was ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.


    At the time, I was sent out as a student soldier. Yes, that was when we were in the middle of the first extreme aging society, so the working population had dropped drastically. Both agriculture and commerce were practically empty. The only thing left to rely on was intellectual property. And so everyone started skipping grades like crazy. I was already in graduate school by the time I got my first period.


    But I digress. Let¡¯s get back on track.


    In the end, ¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö, and everyone else wanted some kind of event.


    Humans ¡ö¡ö¡ö too much ¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö at least five or six times. The next thing we knew, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö was gone. It wasn¡¯t just that ¡ö¡ö¡ö was focusing on ¡ö¡ö¡ö of ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. Even creating ¡ö¡ö¡ö wasn¡¯t enough to ¡ö¡ö¡ö. Weapons began to stagnate and stopped advancing. To put it simply, there was no excitement in ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. Once the upper limit was reached, responsibility had to be taken for the arms reduction. As a final ¡ö¡ö¡ö, what else was there other than ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö? And the negligence of those high-cost ¡ö¡ö¡ö had to have been ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö to the anti-government side.


    Everyone was hoping for the appearance of ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.


    A love of bigger and bigger ships and guns was perfect. We had ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö as an obvious ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö and, unlike with ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, the entire earth could not be supplied to ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. In other words, ¡ö¡ö¡ö and ¡ö¡ö¡ö were split and ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö could be watched a lot like a sports match.


    Everyone dreamed of the arrival of ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.


    The Island Nation decided to play the villain. As if it had been arranged in advance, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö formed a ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, brought out all sorts of exaggerated ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, and challenged ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.


    Even the later ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö was ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. Fairly and justly, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö and ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. And it was all to create that.


    I wonder what¡¯s happened to the Island Nation now.


    As someone who fled from there, I have no obligation to say anything self-important, but I do have one thought as I watch it from the outside.


    What a pitiable country.


    (A written version of Legitimacy Kingdom 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion Maintenance Soldier Ayami Cherryblossom¡¯s oral testimony concerning the Island Nation. The original text is only viewable by those ranked major general or higher, so it is speculated to include some highly classified information.)

 Volume 8, Epilogue

    Volume 8, Epilogue


    ¡°A new treaty is needed.¡±


    That comment led Frolaytia to hold her head in her hands.


    She was on the bridge of the Scarlet Princess which she was using as a flagship. The low voice of the colonel who acted like a sister-in-law came from her personal laptop which was not military equipment.


    ¡°That...Amaterasu was it? Anyway, the global weather control weapon. Work is underway to remove the Twelve Earthly Branches reactors from the ocean, but it is still undetermined whether they will be returned to the Capitalist Corporations. The Megalodiver controlled them, so its loss seems to mean the remnants of Ichirei Shkon cannot control or detonate them. However, it would be a problem if the other world powers constructed ocean fortresses at those points and dropped reactors down. Something is needed to put an end to this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about all this.¡±


    ¡°There is no reason for you to apologize. Ichirei Shikon is the one at fault in all this.¡±


    ¡°The self-defense PMC that they were using seems to have lost the will to fight. We¡¯re providing food and beds for a large number of POWs, so our accountants are starting to wish we had just killed them all.¡±


    ¡°Well, these are nothing more than people who thought they would all be led to heaven if they followed a charismatic leader. With the Object and leader both gone, it¡¯s only natural they are straying. Perhaps we should compliment them for being intelligent enough to not throw a temper tantrum and keep fighting.¡±


    Incidentally, Frolaytia had intended to order the Object to relentlessly hunt them down had they tried that. She was merciful enough to respond to the white flag signal, but she would not hold back if faced with continued resistance. While the modern battlefield was clean, it was not necessarily kind.


    The only remaining problem was Amaterasu.


    Or rather, the possibility of a copycat system being created.


    ¡°Will anyone really enter into an international treaty in this era of war?¡± asked Frolaytia. ¡°Everyone will want to expand their military. Even if it is highly destructive, won¡¯t they want to copy this possible new weapon?¡±


    ¡°Strange as it may seem, all of the top level military commanders stand at the peak of politics rather than the military. They do not want to destroy the world, so they will quickly work together if the possibility of a desert planet is presented to them. They¡¯re even more likely to work together when there is a common enemy they can defeat together.¡±


    ¡°You mean Ichirei Shikon will be made to take responsibility?¡±


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations have already purged them. Of course, if your report is true, an international search is pointless.¡±


    Ichirei Shikon was a prediction search engine not even on the level of an AI.


    The entire incident was similar to terrorists being moved to action by the diary left by some long dead geniuses.


    The true masterminds were all in their graves which made it difficult to say who to put on trial.


    ¡°Difficult to bear, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It really is,¡± answered Frolaytia.


    ¡°This incident reminded me that the Island Nation seems open on the surface, but it¡¯s actually a giant black box. I suppose I should expect nothing less from the group of engineers who first released Objects on the world. Just the notes left behind by the dead were enough to cause a war twenty or thirty years later. I can¡¯t even imagine what else lies hidden there.¡±


    ¡°And yet as a black box, it holds too much possibility to be cast aside.¡±


    ¡°It really is a mixed blessing.¡± The old colonel breathed a heavy sigh on the screen. ¡°This will probably all be resolved where neither of us can see it. We won¡¯t even be able to view the reports. There¡¯s someone originally from the Island Nation in your unit, isn¡¯t there? Talk to them while you can. A gag order might be put into effect before long.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to tell anyone, so what¡¯s the point?¡±


    ¡°That much harassment can¡¯t hurt, if you ask me. Your unit was the one that actually worked to put out this fire.¡±


    The transmission ended without any of the usual complaining.


    That showed just how cornered the old colonel felt.


    Frolaytia placed her long, narrow Island Nation kiseru in her mouth and spoke.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the center of the world, but it¡¯ll probably be one of the more important points. Scary to think it¡¯s left to its own devices so much.¡±


    The old maintenance woman guided in the Baby Magnum as it returned.


    This had been another horrible battle. Three of the seven main cannons had been twisted and blown away. Just because it was a first generation, the higher ups tended to use it on dangerous missions as if it were expendable. That did not please someone who worked to maintain it.


    When the princess left the Object, a female maintenance soldier placed a towel over her shoulder and someone else handed her a bottle of sports drink. She was being treated like this was the end of a marathon. In truth, the slender girl was even more exhausted than that.


    The princess spotted the familiar old woman upon stepping onto the small aircraft carrier¡¯s deck.


    She approached on slightly unsteady footing and spoke honestly.


    ¡°That was a close one.¡±


    She would not show this side of herself to Quenser, Heivia, Frolaytia, or the others in her unit.


    ¡°If Quenser and Heivia hadn¡¯t ended that, I don¡¯t know if I could have won.¡±


    ¡°But you survived. Using what opportunities you have and making it back alive is another part of an Elite¡¯s skill,¡± replied the old woman. ¡°No easy miracles occur on the battlefield. You need some skill to grasp the good fortune that does present itself.¡±


    Hearing that, a very slight smile appeared on the princess¡¯s face that was pale from exhaustion.


    ¡°It seems that kid used an open frequency for that last transmission,¡± continued the old woman.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to that, Ichirei Shikon¡¯s Elite managed to eject just before the reactor exploded and the intelligence department managed to capture them. By the way, it seems this Elite was female.¡±


    ¡°I need to go punch anything and everything I can find.¡±


    The princess found some extra energy somewhere and stomped away.


    After watching her departing back for a while, the old woman pulled a handheld device from her pocket.


    She switched it on and displayed the chat log from her conversation with Ichirei Shikon.


    She displayed the last vestiges of the man she had once walked alongside.


    ¡°The future you dreamed of was destroyed,¡± she said quietly.


    She operated the device with her fingertips and erased all the logs in a few seconds.


    With that, she erased Ayami Cherryblossom¡¯s lingering regret.


    ¡°Although I have a feeling you saw visions of this as well.¡±

 Volume 8, Afterword

    Volume 8, Afterword


    If you¡¯ve been buying one volume at a time, welcome back. If you bought them all at once, welcome.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    The theme this time was the Island Nation. As this is a work of fiction, I added in a bunch of crazy things to make it all seem more uncanny. The small Island Nation has few resources and little food yet takes on the world with great technological ability. I created this story while wondering if there was a large trick to overturn those established facts.


    The idea of a meteorological weapon has shown up in this series before, but this novel increased the scale to include a global weather control weapon. I read some material on ocean temperature for this novel and it¡¯s quite frightening. The term may sound peaceful enough, but everything I read about it brought nothing but fear. All scientific materials bring a mixture of curiosity and fear, but it¡¯s not often the scales are tipped so heavily toward one side. It was to the point that I added it to a personal list of things not to search. I absolutely do not recommend it. ...However, you can¡¯t do anything about it if you don¡¯t face it first.


    To bring out the unique feeling of the Island Nation, I put some thought into the names of the Objects and other things. I thought about giving them warship-like names, but the Capitalist Corporations framework has a rule about giving Objects female names. I also had the Object use the tatami shield, gave the final boss multiple forms, had body doubles, put in a steam-filled bath scene, and plenty of other things. Adding in those things made me wonder what exactly the unique feeling of the Island Nation is.


    Also, this novel had all the battles take place on the ocean. I personally think the most beautiful ocean scenery is the ocean dyed orange, so I set the final battle at dawn. What did all of you think?


    I had thought about a diving Object pretty early on. Despite being a submarine, it isn¡¯t hiding at all and it can shoot down nuclear torpedoes or whatever else with its lasers. It would quietly rule over all life while manipulating the weather of every continent from the dark ocean bottom. I feel like I gave it some symbolic elements of a giant monster. I would be delighted if you loved it enough to come up with some other ways of defeating it.


    By the way, I could have made a more sentimental story by mixing in memories of the old woman and the mastermind when they were younger, but I decided not to. I thought it would build up the worldview better to leave how the Island Nation turned out that way as a sort of black box. I hope you understand.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator, Nagi Ryou-san, and my editors, Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. I apologize for all the unreasonable requests I made this time. From the small details to the gigantic weapons, it was all a lot of trouble, so I thank them for sticking with me.


    I also give my thanks to the readers. This story used an entire novel for the defeat of a single Object. This was simply the story of slaying a giant foe. I hope you enjoyed it.


    And I will end this here.


    I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    Maybe I should have made it a volcanic island so it could have been a real hot spring.


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 9, Prologue

    Volume 9, Prologue


    Welcome to Lost Angels, the city of freedom and disaster!


    If you¡¯re sick of your parents, teachers, childhood friend next door, best friend, lover, nuns, counselors, and everyone else who won¡¯t quit nagging you, then come on down for some fun with only a sports bag under your arm. You¡¯ll learn all too well just how much they were worried about you and just how much danger there is packed into the small box we call ¡°the world¡±.


    If you follow the whitewashed guidebook and visit all the famous sightseeing spots, you might just be stripped of all your possessions after twelve hours and shark food after twenty four, but there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. As long as you follow these simple rules, outsiders can enjoy themselves just fine.


    1. Always pay attention to where the surveillance cameras are located and turn right around if you see one¡¯s broken.


    2. From 9 PM to 5 AM, don¡¯t take a step outside your hotel no matter what happens.


    3. You can¡¯t stop yourself from happening to look at people with a sharp look in their eyes, but make sure you don¡¯t take a second look.


    That should probably cover it.


    The first two are stupidly obvious, but the last one¡¯s the tricky one. This city of two million has four violent gangs lurking in it and those are just what¡¯s officially announced. And these gangs aren¡¯t wearing black suits on the sandy beaches of everlasting summer, nor are they blasting hip hop from outdated boom boxes on their shoulders in this age of internet music.


    They blend in to everyday sights, like the middle-aged man handing out tissues on the roadside or the bikini girl brushing sand from her ass on the beach. So here, you can¡¯t cast off your shame, get a swelled head after drinking too much, pick a fight with just anyone, or hit on just anyone. But if you want to be stuffed in a wooden box and turned into a piece of living concrete artwork, then be my guest.


    You can just run to the police? Your uncle¡¯s a government worker, so you have connections?


    That¡¯s useless in this city.


    The gangs lurking here aren¡¯t like your normal ¡°team¡± or ¡°family¡±.


    Will this be enough for you to catch on?


    Watch out for those with an overly sharp look in their eyes. Watch out for those ¡°soldiers sans uniform¡±.

 Volume 9, 1: Light-Emitting Magician >> Urban Battle of Lost Angels

    Volume 9, Chapter 1: Light-Emitting Magician >> Urban Battle of Lost Angels


    Part 1


    It was designated a safe country belonging to the Faith Organization.


    The Coromandel Region was a narrow strip of coast running north to south along the Indian Ocean and a military port and industrial city were located on the southernmost end.


    ¡°So I¡¯m finally here in Lost Angels.¡±


    Quenser Barbotage muttered to himself as he walked through the international airport¡¯s lobby.


    He wore a thin tropical shirt and shorts instead of his usual military uniform. He also wore pale sunglasses, but they looked frighteningly out of place on him. He pulled a cellphone from his sports bag and switched it on. He had been instructed to turn it off during takeoff and landing, but he could not relax with that signal cut off even momentarily.


    He already had a few missed calls, so he called back one of them.


    The call was to Heivia Winchell who was quickly becoming a close yet awful friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m in the airport now. Aren¡¯t you coming to pick me up?¡±


    ¡°Why would I head out into that godawful heat to see some filthy guy? I¡¯m not taking a step outside this air conditioned room.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what about the beach? I thought Lost Angels was filled with girls whose horniness is barely contained in a swimsuit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but with all the money they¡¯ve clearly spent on their skin, who knows what organization¡¯s mistress they are. Are you sure you want to play a game of concentration where a single mistake means having your balls torn off?¡±


    ¡°Can I leave right this instant? You just killed any hope I had for this city.¡±


    ¡°Shut up, hail a taxi, and get your ass over to the hotel. It¡¯s the Luxury Coast Hotel. ...Well, there are five hotels with the exact same name, but you¡¯ll get here if you tell the driver to turn off Muscat Street at the museum and head straight down Palm Street.¡±


    Quenser hung up and left the airport building.


    His entire body was immediately assaulted by a sweltering heat. It was enough to completely forget it was May, but the heat was not all that surprising since the city was farther south than Hawaii.


    He could immediately tell how safe this city was by the old man with a cigar blatantly taking a bunch of crumple-up money from several women and by the masked men sneaking up behind the old man like it was all some kind of skit.


    A group of teenage boys and girls ¨C likely from a safe country somewhere ¨C were being led around by a tour guide. Quenser glanced over at the School Trip Students who were boarding a tour bus as he hailed a taxi and asked the driver to take him to the Luxury Coast Hotel as instructed.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be taking the long way around,¡± said the driver.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just follow that obvious route.¡±


    The coolant must have been losing its effectiveness because the taxi¡¯s air conditioner was barely working.


    A small monitor was installed on the back of the front seat and it silently played an ad for health foods that looked like they would make you sick, a magic show where a passenger plane was made to disappear, and news about a civilian long-term space flight project that was cancelled due to energy problems, but Quenser was not watching any of it.


    His eyes were focused outside the window.


    The large street was lined with colorful flowers and palm trees and fine beach-like sand covered the ground. All of the buildings were polished and sparkling like a mirror, so it felt like being exposed to the concentrated fire of a giant solar cooker.


    Before long, Quenser¡¯s phone rang.


    ¡°What is it, Heivia? You can tell I¡¯m having a bad day when I get more than one call that isn¡¯t from a girl.¡±


    ¡°Just listen. I forgot to tell you something. Let me tell you about a certain ¡®specialty¡¯ found on Muscat Street. Try opening the window and holding out the phone. Hold on tight because you¡¯ll be the one who suffers if you drop it.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this about? I¡¯m not innocent enough believe those rumors about a sixty kph wind feeling like a D-cup, you know?¡±


    Quenser complained, but he did as he was told. And with the air conditioner barely working, he had no problem with opening the window.


    Right at that moment, the taxi passed a black bulletproof car that had come to a brief stop.


    The luxury car was protected by escort vehicles, its window was open, and an elderly man with silver-gray hair was leaning out.


    As a disgustingly insincere show of charity, he may have been calling over a child wanting to wash his windows for some loose change.


    But...


    Quenser¡¯s hand struck the top of his head.


    Something glittered and a toupee that had to have cost five thousand euros flew through the air.


    Quenser paled when he heard laughter coming from his phone.


    ¡°What did you just make me do!?¡±


    He then heard angry yelling from behind the taxi. Screeching tires followed and the taxi driver sensibly began driving more dirtily to deal with the pursuit.


    After ignoring around three traffic lights, the gun-toting group of vehicles was finally cut off by a stream of cars.


    The driver did not turn around, but he did show Quenser his middle finger.


    ¡°Next time! That¡¯ll cost extra!!¡±


    The fact that he did not just say ¡°never do that¡± seemed to be the Lost Angels style.


    After losing their pursuers, the rattling taxi pulled up to Quenser¡¯s destination. He handed over the set fare as well as a rather large tip, left the taxi, and gave an annoyed comment.


    ¡°How is this a ¡®Luxury Coast Hotel¡¯? It¡¯s a run-down motel.¡±


    It looked a lot like a two-story apartment building. The stairs and corridors were on the outside, so they would probably be soaking wet on a rainy day with any kind of wind. Simply having this place chosen for his lodgings was enough to know he was going to be making anything but bright and shining memories here.


    He received a text with timing so perfect he felt he was being watched.


    The subject was only a three-digit message and the body was blank.


    He found the indicated room number and lightly knocked on the first-floor door.


    The door opened to reveal a studio apartment sized room with all four walls packed full of military computers.


    ¡°Hurry up and get in. We don¡¯t want what¡¯s in here exposed for too long.¡±


    Heivia Winchell wore a Hawaiian shirt and jeans instead of his usual military uniform. After closing the door, the room grew as dimly lit as a home theater. While doing what his awful friend said, Quenser looked around in annoyance.


    ¡°A cramped room, a ton of strange computers, and nothing but soldiers? And you have the air conditioner on full blast to combat all the stuffy heat? Have you ever heard of the World Clock, Heivia? It¡¯s because of stuff like this that mankind¡¯s lifespan is being worn away.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. Don¡¯t forget that those useless humanitarian commercials use up energy too. I¡¯m not listening to people who think they¡¯re the exception.¡±


    ¡°How many days ago was it that you were rejoicing over getting to do an actual analyst¡¯s job for once? What have you been doing in this cave of junk?¡±


    ¡°There are five people who outrank me in this cramped room. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s going on by the time the introductions are over.¡±


    However, no one was wearing their uniform, so none of them had rank insignia on their shoulders. The woman with short blonde hair seemed to be in charge, but she was wearing baggy cargo pants and a bikini top.


    ¡°You¡¯re Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage, I take it. I¡¯m Millia Newburg. I¡¯m from the intelligence division and my rank is lieutenant. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Oh, right.¡±


    ¡°This is a pretty nice city if you ignore how bullets fly around like an afternoon shower and no restaurant has anything but chicken burgers. Now, let¡¯s discuss some details.¡±


    Millia pressed a button on a projector remote and the image appeared on the roof for some reason.


    ¡°With all the machines in here, this was the only surface left.¡±


    ¡°Is this...a map of Lost Angels?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t get by in this city just by glancing through the airport pamphlet, so I¡¯ll give you some basic knowledge. First of all, Lost Angels is located on the southernmost point of the Indian subcontinent. It belongs to the Faith Organization and its classified as a safe country, but it¡¯s actually one of the least safe places you can be and people die more easily than on your average battlefield.¡±


    The map of the city was divided into four different colors.


    There was no obvious pattern, so it looked like bizarre bright camouflage.


    ¡°This is the division of power in Lost Angels. You could call it the territories of the four organizations that are causing this city to rot. But don¡¯t rely on it too much. They all make sure to deliver for your convenience. Assume you¡¯ll have lead flying your way no matter where you are.¡±


    The bikini officer pressed another button on the remote and a red circle surrounded one point on the map.


    It was the cape at the far south of this southern city.


    ¡°This right here is what¡¯s led to all this. The Faith Organization has a large facility for Object construction and maintenance here. Currently, the second generation Collective Farming is moored there. Subsidies are pouring in in the name of stimulating the region, so everyone¡¯s lost the will to do any real work. Everyone just assumes they¡¯ll have money, so they spend it all on gambling, prostitutes, and insane ¡®rock candy¡¯. But as soon as their own habits leave their wallets empty, they get mad and go on a rampage. This is a city of two million where everyone¡¯s the kind of embarrassing adult who acts like a child throwing a tantrum. And all while holding handguns and odd-smelling grass.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Feeling blue? Well, you just have to understand that I wouldn¡¯t exactly recommend going swimming here. More importantly, do you have the phone our division lent you? Let me see it.¡±


    ¡°Um, you mean this?¡±


    Quenser held out the cheap cellphone he had been using and Millia tossed it to Heivia. Heivia stuck a broad belt-like cable into the phone¡¯s bottom connector to link it to the computer.


    ¡°Here we go, here we go, here we go. This is just what we wanted! This is Mr. Mayonnaise¡¯s final puzzle piece!!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°A crazy old man who smothers everything from curry noodles to Mont Blanc in mayo. But he¡¯s the boss of the Faith Organization¡¯s state-run factory, so we needed his biometrics for our operation.¡±


    ¡°You mean like his fingerprint and blood?¡±


    ¡°He started getting cautious after we¡¯d collected a few of them. We only needed his heartrate pattern, but that meant someone had to hold their nose and get right in the smelly gorilla¡¯s face. Just as we were going to play rock-paper-scissors to see who had to do it, we heard you were on your way. So thanks, Quenser. You won¡¯t get a bonus for your trouble, but we appreciate it.¡±


    Quenser recalled passing by a luxury car with several escort vehicles on the taxi ride here. He had unintentionally knocked a man¡¯s toupee off and nearly been killed.


    He must have been told to take such a roundabout way to the hotel in order to match the man¡¯s schedule.


    ¡°I need to punch you later, but can you really use this? Won¡¯t they have noticed what we¡¯re doing and be on their guard?¡±


    ¡°Using biometrics is secure, but you can¡¯t change them once they¡¯ve been stolen,¡± explained Heivia. ¡°He¡¯s probably sweating bullets right about now. He can¡¯t recover from this mistake, so I doubt that stupid mayo man will report it to anyone. We just have to take care of our job while he¡¯s figuring out how to save his own skin.¡±


    Heivia was in a pretty good mood for being forced into this city, but that may have been because he had actually gotten an analyst¡¯s job for once. Then again, he was supposed to be a ¡°radar¡± analyst.


    However, a cloud fell over Millia Newburg¡¯s face.


    ¡°That means we just have to take care of ¡®that¡¯.¡±


    Quenser changed his mind and decided Heivia¡¯s good mood was due to the beautiful woman in a bikini.


    ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re going to do this the Lost Angels way?¡± asked the idiot.


    ¡°Yes. Although, if the people here were as clever as a London stockbroker, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much.¡±


    It may have been a comfort issue, but she tugged on her bikini¡¯s central string with her index finger.


    ¡°We have no choice. I¡¯ll gather the data and put together a definite plan. You two...I know. Heivia, you take Quenser with you to show him around while getting us a meal before we have to head out next. Anything¡¯s fine as long as it isn¡¯t curry or chicken, so buy enough for everyone. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Part 2


    With that, Quenser and Heivia were stuck walking through Lost Angels during the afternoon.


    The city seemed to use cars more than trains and there were also a lot of bicycles and inline skates. There must not have been much of a distinction between the city and the beach because plenty of men and women were walking around in swimsuits.


    ¡°If we¡¯re getting food, we should probably head up Apple Street and then down Pineapple Street.¡±


    ¡°Hm? But there are food carts set up right over there.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even want to know what¡¯s in those. The sign might say chicken, but you¡¯re lucky if it¡¯s actually frog.¡±


    There were no crosswalks in the area, so they ran across the wide street with horns blaring at them.


    Quenser spoke up while passing by a College Girl in a Monokini who was taking a selfie with her smartphone.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s surprisingly defenseless for what I¡¯d heard was a city of guns and crime.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one of the digital exhibitionists. They purposefully carry around vulnerable smartphones and transmit their crazy personal life to the world 24/7. I do hear they make lovely bed partners for the people undercover here, though.¡±


    The two idiots made their way into a small restaurant district. They ignored all of the restaurants with direct ¡°takeout¡± counters and entered a large supermarket. There, they threw some random food into a cart: soft French bread, thick fillets of salmon, a few salads, anchovies, deli horse meat, canned olives, etc.


    Quenser was clearly annoyed with the lineup in the cart.


    ¡°Are you planning a homemade hot dog party?¡±


    ¡°This one is sausage made out of the Island Nation¡¯s tofu. If you let people choose their own ingredients, then it¡¯s their responsibility if it doesn¡¯t taste good. That¡¯s a trick to slip free of your commanding officer¡¯s ridiculous demands.¡±


    ¡°And why are you inspecting it all so closely? Can¡¯t you just check the expiration date to see how fresh it is?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Lost Angels¡¯s transformer facilities are in the mountains and they¡¯re so worn out that the power goes out all the time. If the refrigerators aren¡¯t working, the food will often rot in its packaging.¡±


    A young woman was working the register, but the employee training seemed to be decent because she had a pump-action shotgun casually leaning up against the counter. The sight was enough to make Quenser¡¯s balls shrivel up. Heivia seemed used to it, so he held out some Faith Organization money. That money did not seem real to Quenser and felt more like a toy.


    With bags in both hands, they both left the automatic door.


    ¡°Heivia, couldn¡¯t we have driven?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to own a car here. In this city, people get one by breaking the window in the parking lot or hijacking it from someone waiting at a red light. It¡¯s like sharing a girlfriend with your roommates, so it just seems disgusting.¡±


    Heivia spat out that comment as they waited for a break in the cars and a Pizza Deliveryman on a scooter so they could cross the road.


    Quenser wiped sweat from his brow.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t think that would lead to all this.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re clearly the one that caused this. Just because we¡¯re only trying to kill some time doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t take the discussion seriously. You may have been joking, but the higher ups will take it all seriously.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but...¡±


    Quenser¡¯s complaint trailed off.


    Suddenly, a Hot Dog Stand in a van exploded as it drove by in front of them.


    The explosives flames and shockwave sent the mass of steel into the air. It flew from the road and began tumbling along.


    ¡°...!?¡±


    Quenser fell to a sitting position and wordlessly flapped his mouth opened and closed.


    He first thought it was a car bomb but quickly realized he was wrong.


    He noticed a thin trail of smoke coming from the opposite side of the road. He followed it back and found a black SUV stopped about one hundred meters away with someone leaning out the back window.


    That person threw away what looked like a large cylinder.


    ¡°A rocket!?¡±


    ¡°If you get what¡¯s going on, then hide! C¡¯mon, this way!!¡±


    Heivia immediately abandoned the supermarket bags full of food, grabbed the back of Quenser¡¯s neck instead, and dragged the other boy behind the flaming kitchen truck.


    ¡°Do gangs shoot those things in safe countries these days!?¡±


    ¡°In Lost Angels, they¡¯re as common as seagull droppings.¡±


    ¡°First I knock off some guy¡¯s toupee and now I¡¯m caught in a gang war? What kind of first day is this? I came here because I¡¯d heard its beaches had the highest topless rate in the world, but I¡¯ve been seeing nothing but old men!!¡±


    ¡°What are you blathering about!? They fired that at us! And it¡¯s not the topless rate this place is #1 in; it¡¯s the nipple piercing rate, which is just disturbing! More importantly, you check for a sniper with the binoculars. I¡¯ll take out the enemies I can see with my own eyes!!¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Surprised, Quenser turned around and saw Heivia reach into the backpack he was wearing with only one shoulder strap.


    He pulled out a submachinegun with a suppressor attached. It was such a tiny fully-automatic weapon that the suppressor actually looked larger than the gun itself.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The student looked back and forth between Heivia who was loading the first bullet behind the burning kitchen truck and the five or six thugs approaching with shotguns in hand.


    The delinquent soldier did not hesitate in the slightest.


    He slaughtered those civilians with short bursts of muffled gunfire.


    There were corpses everywhere.


    ¡°Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°Could you please shut up!? We¡¯re the ones being attacked. If we don¡¯t shoot back, we¡¯ll be killed. What¡¯s wrong with returning fire!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, but, Heivia! This is a safe country! Even if they¡¯re part of a local gang, they¡¯re still technically civilia-...¡±


    ¡°Are you completely braindead!? Do you see a single goodhearted civilian around here!?¡±


    He did not understand what his horrible friend was saying.


    And as the boy shouted, that friend let loose some more bursts of gunfire that accurately killed a few more people on the streets.


    ¡°Listen, you bastard. For the most part, there are four organizations lurking in this city, but that¡¯s just the official story.¡±


    Heivia swapped out the magazine.


    ¡°They¡¯re actually all hideouts for the intelligence division of the world powers: the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization. They¡¯re after the Faith Organization¡¯s Object construction and maintenance facility. They steal or destroy classified information and do whatever else they can. We¡¯re officially labelled civilians, we¡¯re secretly part of the gang named Azul Hive, and we¡¯re secretly secretly with the Legitimacy Kingdom military.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m lying? The place has gotten so dangerous that all the local people have left. This is both a safe country and the front line. It¡¯s a mystery how the place even still functions as a city!¡±


    He loaded the first bullet again.


    ¡°The entire place is crawling with military personnel using suspicious, falsified resumes. Everyone else is a wanted criminal or someone else who can¡¯t live in any other city. Simply put, the city is half soldiers and half exiles. But it¡¯s obvious at a glance who are the predators and who are the prey. The girl at the supermarket register and this Hot Dog Stand are the same! This thing contains a giant illegal wireless router and the guy who runs it is a spy who steals data from all the devices around here!!¡±


    ¡°But wait. Why is the Faith Organization military a part of all this!? Isn¡¯t this their home turf!?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been forced to dirty their own hands to get rid of the people who they can¡¯t drive out through normal means. Anyway, the ones after us here are Information Alliance soldiers without their uniforms. If they¡¯re taking this seriously, we have no reason to hold back either!¡±


    Quenser heard a horn coming from somewhere else.


    A giant truck cut by, crashing into the side of a car that had just pulled into the intersection. The truck came to a sudden halt, blocking all traffic through the intersection and the container on the back opened like a giant treasure chest.


    Heivia groaned when he saw what appeared from within.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re screwed.¡±


    It was a mass of composite armor and it measured somewhere from ten to fifteen meters tall when it stood up on the truck bed. It was definitely a weapon, but it intentionally retained a humanoid silhouette.


    ¡°Let¡¯s scram. We don¡¯t have the firepower for that thing! In fact, does it even still qualify as a powered suit!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the kind of crazy thing you see at weapons shows! Y¡¯know, like the lunar invasion tanks and personal-use jet engines that are clearly just someone having some fun with the tax money funding them!¡±


    ¡°Either way, that thing will be a demon straight from hell once it¡¯s ready to go. Let¡¯s get out of here before that macho man crawls out of his grave. Otherwise, people will start making amateur bets on how long we¡¯ll last! Come with me!!¡±


    Countless bullets were already flying back and forth, so Quenser crouched down and ran after Heivia.


    Heivia contacted someone using a sturdy radio that clearly was not a normal cellphone.


    ¡°This is Blue 05, we¡¯re currently engaged in combat with the Crimson Party. Yeah, as you know, that¡¯s the Information Alliance¡¯s hideout! We¡¯re hopelessly outgunned, so we need to lose them. Find us some wheels to steal and an escape route!!¡±


    ¡°That will work perfectly,¡± replied Millia Newburg. ¡°Keep them on your tail as you run down Pineapple Street to Mango Square. Get there in less than ten minutes and you¡¯ll run into a group of transport vehicles from Mustard Cowboy...that is, the Capitalist Corporations. Having those two sides run into each other will give you more of a chance to escape, plus the Capitalist Corporations still have ¡®that¡¯ stolen. We can¡¯t continue with our original operation until we take care of them. Can you do that for us?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t believe this! Where¡¯s a car I can steal!?¡±


    ¡°The guy on the large motorcycle at the front of those waiting for the light is with the Information Alliance.¡±


    A short burst of muffled gunfire followed.


    Shot in the leg, the driver fell to the road, but Heivia ignored him and righted the large motorcycle.


    A Female Police Officer in a miniskirt was well within sight, but for some reason, she seemed to be doing her best to ignore everything that was going on.


    ¡°Damn this thing¡¯s heavy!! Hurry, Quenser! If we don¡¯t get going, that huge thing will catch up!!¡±


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve wandered into a post-apocalyptic world!!¡±


    Quenser shouted his complaints as he hopped onto the back of the motorcycle.


    With both of them riding it, the large motorcycle took off with its tires scraping against the asphalt. The scenery quickly began to fly by.


    ¡°I¡¯ll focus on driving, so you take care of the gun!¡±


    ¡°Do you really think a student like me can do that? And you try twisting around in this unstable position!¡±


    Several engines roared like monsters as they began their pursuit. Quenser twisted around to check behind them and saw several black bulletproof SUVs approaching with no regard for the lane markers. They would hop into the air each time they crossed a short hill.


    One of them opened its thick window and a man holding a carbine leaned out.


    ¡°Dammit! I¡¯m gonna turn left at the next intersection, so lean!!¡±


    ¡°Why!? Isn¡¯t straight the quickest way to Mango Sqaure!?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s an international theater up ahead! It¡¯s where Crimson Party gets their funding and where the rich have their orgies! They have way more funding than a hideout in a run-down motel, so they¡¯ve at least got guardhouses and enough security to make it a large-scale fortress!! So much as brush up against it and you¡¯ll be filled with holes!!¡±


    Heivia took a sharp turn at the intersection as he yelled his explanation. Quenser was slow to react and did not lean quite in time, so they just about toppled over. One of the pursuing SUVs crashed into a normal car in the intersection, started spinning, and nearly took out a telephone pole along with the Worker up at the top of it.


    ¡°Quenser! If you can¡¯t use a gun, then at least pull out your phone! Hold it out!!¡±


    ¡°What good will that do!? Am I supposed to upload a picture to a social network!?¡±


    ¡°Run the app called #109 and then take a picture like it tells you to. The machine will take care of the rest!!¡±


    Quenser did not understand, but he did as he was told.


    As he was shaken back and forth, he placed one of the pursuing bulletproof SUVs in the center of the screen and took a photo.


    The phone did not fire a strange deadly radio wave or laser beam.


    Instead, an air-to-surface missile dropped from the heavens.


    The explosion blasted the thick four-wheel vehicle straight upwards. It landed and tumbled over and over, dragging the SUVs behind it into the mess.


    ¡°What the hell!?¡± shouted Quenser.


    ¡°Look up. That¡¯s a UAV called a Short Bow! Your phone is linked with the targeting system of the unmanned plane flying above us. Make sure you aim carefully. Just like a well-trained maid, that thing will obey even mistaken orders!¡±


    Several of the bulletproof SUVs managed to steer around their destroyed allies and continue the pursuit, but then Heivia glanced over at the metal street sign.


    It said Mango Square.


    ¡°Ha ha! We made it!!¡±


    They saw three vans with all the windows covered in metal plates drive out of a narrow road behind a bank.


    ¡°That looks like a bank¡¯s armored car and its escort team to me!¡±


    ¡°And that bank is from a chain run by the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ gang. They also happen to be the bastards who stole ¡®that¡¯ from us. Hold on tight because we¡¯re dragging them into this too!!¡±


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. I¡¯m glad to see the hands of the World Clock are moving ever onward!!¡±


    ¡°Killing some villains is sure to extend mankind¡¯s lifespan by a little!¡±


    Heivia opened the throttle further and moved the large motorcycle closer to the armored vans.


    They reacted quickly.


    The rearmost of the three Capitalist Corporations¡¯ vans threw open its back double doors, revealing what lay within.


    ¡°Dammit!! Another powered suit!?¡±


    The humanoid composite armor was sitting with its knees up to fit in the limited space.


    An autocannon that resembled a steel spear passed between its legs and straight backwards.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing funny about a robot spreading its legs for you! What¡¯s it targeting!?¡±


    Heivia clicked his tongue and made a quick turn. He burst into the oncoming lane, putting an angle between them instead of distance, and entered their blind spot.


    The powered suit fired almost immediately afterwards.


    The repetitive explosive sounds were far too deep and the Information Alliance¡¯s bulletproof SUVs and the asphalt they drove on were filled with holes as easily as a paper box. There were no screams or shouts. The road was simply blocked by flames and smoke.


    Heivia observed that filthy gravestone in the rearview mirror and spat out a comment.


    ¡°They¡¯re already all dead? Talk about useless!!¡±


    ¡°As I hope you know, our real target here is the Capitalist Corporations. Unless we take out that armored van, they¡¯ll still have ¡®that¡¯ and we¡¯ll have lost our chance to continue the operation.¡± Millia Newburg gave that coolheaded clarification over the radio, so she may have been observing them using the UAV overhead. ¡°And if you take too long, you¡¯ll be cut off by the Great Fence...the no-entry zone. Three kilometers north of the Object construction and maintenance facility on the southern cape is a double fence with machinegun-equipped guard towers. Nothing good will come of getting close to that, so hurry up and finish this.¡±


    Heivia clicked his tongue.


    ¡°You heard her, student! Now order the Short Bow to blow away those escort vans!!¡±


    ¡°The phone¡¯s antenna icon just died, so can I even use that anymore?¡¯


    ¡°They¡¯re jamming us now!?¡±


    Heivia weaved in between the oncoming traffic that shot their way like arrows.


    The rearmost of the windowless vans kept its back door open and tried to target them with the autocannon sticking lengthwise down the vehicle. Unlike a normal gun turret, it could not turn the barrel, but it was possible the van could swing its back end toward the motorcycle and put the two boys in the weapon¡¯s line of fire.


    They were going to fail at this rate.


    They could not escape the enemy¡¯s line of fire forever and focusing too much on that could easily lead to a collision with a completely unrelated car.


    ¡°Return to the original lane!¡± shouted Quenser. ¡°Approach the van from the right!¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid!? We¡¯ll be torn to pieces the instant we enter that thing¡¯s line of fire!!¡±


    ¡°Just do it before we reach the next curve!! This is our first and last chance!!¡±


    Heivia clicked his tongue and did as he was told, half out of desperation.


    Naturally, the powered suit in the van reacted as soon as they entered its line of fire. The autocannon spewed 30mm bullets at frightening speed and the recoil was too powerful for a flesh-and-blood human to hope to contain.


    But...


    ¡°What?¡±


    A high-pitched screech rang out.


    By the time Heivia realized it was the van¡¯s tires sliding to the side, the situation was already past the point of no return. The van completely lost its balance and toppled over. The sounds of bending metal and breaking glass followed.


    ¡°They kept firing that autocannon with its ridiculous recoil and the powered suit had already shifted the van¡¯s center of gravity, so of course it was going to knock itself over if it fired during that sharp turn!¡±


    ¡°More importantly, watch out! It¡¯s coming this way!!¡±


    The large motorcycle just barely swerved out of the way of the approaching van and continued pursuit of the others.


    Quenser looked down at this cellphone.


    The antenna icon had recovered, so that rearmost van must have been the one jamming them.


    The student immediately held up the phone and an air-to-surface missile dropped from the heavens three seconds later.


    Like a large tree struck by lightning, the lead escort van was split in two.


    The main armored van lost control after crashing into the exploding and burning escort van. It plowed into the sidewalk, collided with the traffic light pole, and bent in a V all the way up to the driver¡¯s seat.


    The large motorcycle¡¯s engine roared wildly as it circled around and Heivia stepped down to peer in to the driver¡¯s seat.


    He raised his submachinegun in one hand and mercilessly fired inside the van.


    The windshield quickly filled with white cracks, but there was no sign of the bullets getting through.


    However, that was fine.


    Heivia gave a shout to whoever was beyond the bulletproof glass.


    ¡°Get out, now!! We¡¯re professionals! If you get that you can¡¯t win this, then do what we say!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re with the Capitalist Corporations, so we¡¯ll do what they¡¯ll like least,¡± said Heivia. ¡°We¡¯ll blow away all the money in here with a missile! Pass this message on to Mustard Cowboy¡¯s boss: ¡®If we don¡¯t get ¡®that¡¯ back unharmed, then we¡¯ll keep doing this for as long as it takes. How about we wreck all of your luxury cars next time? Or would you prefer we soak your lovely golf course in weed killer? Your luck ran out when you interfered with our work to earn a little extra cash!¡¯ And don¡¯t get a word or letter of that wrong!!¡±


    Quenser sighed when he heard that and then whispered to the other boy.


    ¡°(If we¡¯re gonna burn it all, no one would know if we swiped a stack or two, right?)¡±


    ¡°(That¡¯s already part of the plan. But don¡¯t get greedy. Stuff too much below your clothes and you¡¯ll look like you¡¯re wearing a conspicuous bulletproof vest.)¡±


    Part 3


    An explosive rise in land prices had affected two different areas in Lost Angels: the west and the east. One was an ultra-luxurious residential district where every house had a jacuzzi and a live-in doctor and the other was filled with ultra-high rise buildings polished enough to look like mirrors.


    Mustard Cowboy ¨C and thus the Capitalist Corporations ¨C had their base of operations in the latter area. A set of twin towers stood forty stories tall and one of them had a pool on the roof which was filled with hard rock and beautiful women in swimsuits year-round. No matter how much anyone tried to conserve, the hole in the bottom of the tank would never be plugged so long as people like this remained. The advocates of the World Clock had to be crying.


    A bearded man sat in the chlorine-smelling water with paid-for woman on either side of him and he received a report from a male subordinate who looked like he deserved a label saying ¡°abstinence¡±.


    The man was George Coral.


    He did not even wear a swimsuit, leaving him nude except for his pure gold necklace, but that defenselessness was an indicator of his power. He did not need to use anything as a shield and he did not need anywhere to hide. If he fired ten thousand rounds into the nearest police station while puffing on a cigar, not a single siren would sound. It was because he had built up that system and because he was protected by that system that George Coral was the organization¡¯s kingpin.


    And while he achieved splendid results as a member of the Capitalist Corporations, he had also gained a thorough knowledge of the military¡¯s ¡°barriers¡± and had created several loopholes for himself. And those loopholes were of course to hide the income from his side businesses that he did not want the military or state to get their hands on.


    In other words, his life was much like these twin towers.


    It had two pillars and one of those had started to fall. And sadly, when one of the twin towers collapsed, it took the other one with it.


    He looked like he was enjoying the scent of one of the women¡¯s hair, but he actually had cold sweat pouring down the back of his neck as his subordinate on the poolside calmly spoke to him.


    ¡°Management has requested that ¡®Branch Manager Coral¡¯ provide them with an appropriate explanation. And not just about the lens incident. They would like to know about everything leading up to this...in other words, about all of your side businesses.¡±


    ¡°...Ha...ha ha.¡±


    ¡°The bank, the jewelry store, the art gallery, and the various transport vehicles. The attack by Azul Hive ¨C in other words, the Legitimacy Kingdom ¨C has led to losses reaching four hundred million. Also, we just received a telegram saying they ¡®hope to do similar business with you in the future¡¯. Management is most interested in how you plan to settle this.¡±


    ¡°There is no distinction between the public and hidden part of a business. Everything I did was to provide the funding we needed for our activities. Surely you understand that.¡±


    ¡°Your answer please.¡±


    ¡°If, hypothetically, I said I had no way of paying, what would happen to me?¡±


    The poolside subordinate did not immediately answer.


    Instead, the beautiful women in swimsuits playing in the water all turned to silently stare at George Coral.


    The Capitalist Corporations had some truly unpleasant sayings.


    Those who do not work, shall not eat.


    When the money vanishes, so do I.


    The cold wind on that forty story roof robbed the bearded man of his body temperature.


    In this moment, the system of this city which had protected him for so long was being switched off.


    When that ¡°Branch Manager¡± finally grasped the situation, his subordinate resumed speaking.


    ¡°Some of the more extreme individuals at the emergency shareholders meeting back in the home country are saying we can demonstrate our good faith to Azul Hive with the return of the lens and a newspaper article about a jumper suicide.¡±


    Part 4


    By evening, ¡°that¡± had been safely returned.


    It was contained in a wooden box larger than a bathtub and protected by a lot of cushioning. Quenser peered at it on the back of a truck stopped in the motel¡¯s parking lot.


    It was made of tempered glass, it had an average thickness of twenty-five centimeters, and it had a diameter of two hundred centimeters.


    ¡°Now we can finally get back on track.¡±


    Millia Newburg, their superior officer who wore a bikini top and baggy cargo pants, sounded satisfied.


    Quenser on the other hand sounded annoyed (which may have had something to do with nearly getting the nickname Booby Boy for his failure at getting lunch).


    ¡°Are we really doing that?¡±


    ¡°According to Major Frolaytia Capistrano, this was your idea.¡±


    ¡°It was only a theory I came up with for a discussion to kill time! I never imagined it would be used in an actual operation! If I had, I¡¯d have written up something more fun with lots of seducing women!!¡±


    ¡°Calm down. Either way, it¡¯s an exciting and unprecedented operation. I¡¯ve been in intelligence for a while, but you don¡¯t often see a job that sounds like something right out of a spy movie.¡±


    Millia smiled and placed a notebook-sized tablet computer on the edge of the wooden box.


    It displayed an image created by combining the great many photographs they had taken up to this point.


    It came together to form a collection of cutting edge military technology.


    It had armor that could resist a nuclear strike.


    It had an extremely powerful reactor and a colossal main cannon that transformed all that energy into destructive power.


    It was synonymous with war.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s enemy codename for it was Collective Farming.


    The Faith Organization¡¯s official name for it was Sarasvati.


    ¡°This is their Second Generation Object receiving maintenance in the construction and maintenance facility, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Besides its pure combat ability, it also has large-scale agricultural cultivation technology mainly meant for use in deserts. It¡¯s a part of the Re Terra project meant to alter the entire planet¡¯s environment. Restoring the environment sounds lovely, but it¡¯s actually a weapon to invade the whole environment. Even the desert has its own endemic species, but this thing ignores all that and covers it all in its own plantation. That¡¯s nothing but bad news for us. It would be especially bad if it expands the production of potatoes and corn. We can¡¯t stop them when they claim to be doing it to combat food shortages, but they can actually turn it into biofuels and shake up the price of oil.¡±


    Millia smiled with an oddly childish and mischievous light in her eyes.


    ¡°So it would be too boring to lie in wait and sink the thing. I was dumbfounded when I heard your idea to steal all the technology without putting a scratch on it. I was fed up with all the boring surveillance and interception, so make sure to let me join this party of yours, student.¡±


    That was the plan.


    It was fifty meters tall.


    It weighed two hundred thousand tons.


    The monstrous weapon¡¯s magnificent form was visible from anywhere in the city.


    But Quenser and the others would secretly and boldly steal it without putting a scratch on it and with everyone in that city of two million none the wiser.


    Part 5


    It was 8 PM.


    Even at night, Lost Angels was not the least bit chilly and the filthy motel room was wrapped in an odd heat. It was enough to suspect the musty air conditioner and its old coolant had finally kicked the bucket.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back over the necessary conditions.¡±


    Millia Newburg pulled on the central bridge-like string on her bikini top as she started talking.


    ¡°Our target is the Collective Farming, a Second Generation Object from the Faith Organization. And instead of destroying it, we¡¯re going to steal it unharmed to get our hands on its tech.¡±


    ¡°Um,¡± said Quenser as he raised a hand. ¡°I know I keep saying this, but that really was just a theory. Are you sure we have everything needed to pull it off?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The large facility for constructing and maintaining Objects is the heart of Lost Angels. It¡¯s located on the southern cape and it¡¯s a no-entry zone protected by a double fence called the Great Fence and by machinegun-equipped guard towers. ...Just as you read in the report. This is a city of two million, but all of the witness¡¯s eyes are turned in the same direction: southward. This should all go off without a hitch.¡±


    ¡°The local residents...are foreign spies I guess. But ignoring them, what about the guards and surveillance cameras at the Faith Organization base? For that matter, what about UAVs and military satellites?¡±


    ¡°Nothing to worry about there,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Their Pilot Elite, Putana Highball, has extreme scopophobia, so she can immediately sense whenever someone¡¯s eyes or a camera are looking at her. That may sound like it makes her invincible, but it has a huge downside. When tuning up her mental side, she supposedly meditates inside her Object, remember? They have to move all of the guards and surveillance away during that time. Just by intercepting her meditation schedule, we have a time when everyone moves away from the thing.¡±


    ¡°But the Object¡¯s own high-sensitivity sensors take over, right? If we get close, we¡¯ll still be blown away by the Collective Farming.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Mr. Mayonnaise was for,¡± said Millia Newburg as she tugged down on her bikini¡¯s string. ¡°He¡¯s the manager of the state-run factory, so we can use his biometric data to sneak into the Faith Organization¡¯s system. Since the maintenance port is open right now, we can overwrite the image displayed in the Collective Farming¡¯s cockpit. It doesn¡¯t matter if the sensors notice us as long as the information doesn¡¯t reach the Pilot Elite.¡±


    ¡°To look at it another way, we don¡¯t get a second chance if we let this one go. The Pilot Elite¡¯s meditation spans several days, so if we tried to wait until the next time, the Collective Farming¡¯s maintenance would end and it would head out to another battlefield. This is our only chance.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the ocean? Oh, and what about the lighthouse?¡±


    Quenser persistently asked about everything and Millia diligently answered all of his questions.


    She was likely doing so out of respect for the one who had thought up the plan while also making sure there were no discrepancies between their actual plans and the one in his head.


    ¡°About three kilometers south of the southern cape is a small island with nothing but a lighthouse on it. It was easy to take over. The soldiers were confused why they got a bonus for attacking something so insignificant, though.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s the weather? Is there actually going to be fog?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see when you step outside. Lost Angels is covered in a thick fog almost every night. It¡¯s only a weather issue, but the place seems to transform into a city of perverts and eccentrics once the sun sets. When you spend too long faking your identity in enemy territory, even a spy can get fed up with the world. I still don¡¯t see why that makes you head out into the night wearing nothing but a trench coat, though.¡±


    ¡°What about the model?¡±


    Heivia cut in to field that question.


    ¡°You can thank the recent craze of 3D printers for that one.¡±


    ¡°The blackout?¡±


    ¡°There are a few ways to pull it off, but they won¡¯t suspect any of them. The transformer equipment in the mountains is so run down that the power goes out all the time on a really hot day.¡±


    ¡°So that just leaves...the boat, the light source, and the lens.¡±


    ¡°You already know we have all that. We put our own lives on the line for that last one.¡±


    Quenser fell silent and thought back over the idea he had put together.


    Was anything missing?


    Could they go ahead with what they had?


    He thought and reached his conclusion.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. I¡¯ve lost any reason to oppose this.¡±


    ¡°Then I guess your theory is about to enter reality.¡±


    Millia Newburg smiled and threw her fist into the palm of her open hand.


    ¡°As a kid, I loved munching on popcorn as I watched spy movies. Now I kind of wish I¡¯d gotten a tuxedo.¡±


    Part 6


    Putana Highball was a fifteen-year-old girl.


    She had brown skin and her long black hair was tied back behind her head.


    As the Pilot Elite of the Faith Organization¡¯s Second Generation Object named Sarasvati, her entire body was contained within the characteristic special suit. The primarily green skintight suit covered her from the top of her neck to the tips of her toes. The hat on her head and the miniskirt-like design was somehow reminiscent of a nurse¡¯s uniform.


    In a way, that was the very concept of her Object.


    While the Sarasvati was a purely strategic weapon, a bedrock road roller that destroyed obstacles with its great weight and vibration was attached to the front and a cultivator was attached to the back. It used those devices to cultivate large areas of wasteland or desert in a short period of time and to construct long waterways and large-scale farms.


    After all, it was named Sarasvati, a water goddess and the protector of wisdom.


    This great machine used human technology to rule over both life and death and Putana was the one who controlled it.


    That was why her special suit resembled a nurse¡¯s uniform. The Sarasvati would cut open the planet Earth, remove the lesion, pour in water, and give it new life. That directly led to prosperity for mankind. That Second Generation Object had been built to grant that very wish.


    (...)


    Putana Highball sank deep into her ¡°seat¡± within a colossal weapon that could endure a nuclear attack, which also meant it was a more claustrophobic prison than being buried alive below the bedrock.


    However, her seat was much different from the reclining chairs of a beauty parlor or a dentist¡¯s office.


    Simply put, belts made of synthetic fibers stretched from various parts of the cockpit. Each of the countless belts attached to her special suit, was drawn taut, and distributed her weight so she hovered in midair as if sitting in an invisible seat.


    Why would she use such a roundabout method? There was a simple reason.


    (...)


    With her eyes gently closed, she became strongly aware of the ¡°gazes¡± moving across the surface of her body.


    More than ten endoscope-like tubes wriggled around her and the points of infrared laser light emitted from the end of the fiber optics constantly crawled across her body.


    The movements on her skin¡¯s surface allowed them to accurately read the flow of her blood, the tension of her muscles, the movement of her organs, and other information. This system directly connected her to the Object¡¯s controls.


    Putana Highball silently judged that, even in this state, she had yet to fully combine with Sarasvati.


    When she did achieve that combination, it felt like having her human nerves reach every corner of the machine until she no longer saw any distinction between the two. When she reached that point, it was no longer the ¡°gazes¡± inside the cockpit that she felt. The idea of being inside a machine left her mind entirely and all the many ¡°gazes¡± running rampant through the outside world stabbed into her at once.


    Once she reached that point, there was nothing to be afraid of.


    From human eyeballs to the sensors of machines and from the birds flying in the sky above to the bugs crawling on the earth below, she could accurately trace any and all ¡°gazes¡± back to their sources.


    To put it another way, the Sarasvati was very difficult to pilot and it required an Elite with enough skill to pull that off.


    It was obvious if one thought about it, but it had the large-scale cultivation functionality added in on top of the simple strategic weapon functionality. That inevitably added more weight and energy costs.


    (...)


    The brown Pilot Elite slowly breathed in and released the air little by little.


    Her consciousness melted away.


    By the time her existence fully vanished, she would once more be reborn as the goddess that brought moisture and blessings to the enemy of the wasteland.


    Part 7


    When Quenser left the motel, the outdoors felt like a sweaty locker room. A sticky fog covered his hair, which only made the oppressively hot night all the more miserable. The fluorescent and decorative lights had become vague blobs with no real outline, so it felt like being thrown out into a nightmare.


    He recalled what Millia Newburg had told him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet up in the southeastern shopping district. That¡¯s where we in Azul Hive get our funds. They might notice us if we moved as a group, so everyone find your own transportation and take different routes.¡±


    The sound of a bolt unlocking snapped him back to the present.


    He saw Heivia forcing open the door to a two-seat sports car parked on the side of the road. He then removed the plastic cover below the steering wheel and started messing with the wires.


    ¡°Hop in already, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. Do you have any idea how old a car would have to be to turn on by touching two wires together?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯m shorting it to reset the immobilizer. See? This is how this city works!¡±


    Quenser heard the roar of a cheap engine and the blinding beams of the headlights.


    He clicked his tongue, climbed into the passenger seat, and saw Heivia ripping out the GPS car navigation and chucking it out the window.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Time isn¡¯t gonna wait around for us.¡±


    ¡°Wow... You know there¡¯s something wrong with the world when I¡¯m the closest thing to a symbol of benevolence.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Reusing cars is the ecological thing to do. This¡¯ll move the hands of the World Clock back a little.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I hope this city¡¯s crazy rules never catch on anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°To be clear, I¡¯m following my own rules here. I check the door and the lock and only steal the cars that have already been stolen. Then I search out the original owner based on the number and secretly take it back to them. I¡¯m kind like a rough towing service. And it¡¯s true I tend to get into car chases and that¡¯ll damage it a fair bit, but it¡¯s still better than nothing.¡±


    With that, the two idiots drove the stolen car off into the foggy city.


    Even with the poor visibility, barely any of the other cars were showing any caution. In fact, it looked like most of them were not even obeying the traffic lights. There were also plenty of people on the sidewalks, but unlike during the day, there were far fewer in swimsuits. Instead, there were a lot of women in shiny strips of cloth that may have been cocktail dresses or stripper outfits.


    ¡°The old man in that black luxury car we just passed is the city¡¯s most famous Jeweler. And I of course mean that he¡¯s willing to launder the precious metals that people have stolen. He¡¯s been getting carried away lately, so people have been betting on when he¡¯ll be attacked by men in masks.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That tow truck is actually a Car Thief who steals luxury cars in broad daylight. If you see him, don¡¯t get too close. He¡¯s made a lot of enemies, so you never know when a stray bullet will fly his way.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser heard a dry explosive sound and thought he saw something like a life-size doll falling from a building¡¯s balcony, but no one paid much attention.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That wasn¡¯t targeted at us. These days, I¡¯ve heard a lot about a mysterious Sniper appearing on the building roofs at night.¡±


    Quenser got the feeling he would wear himself out pointing out how ridiculous it all was.


    The normal old men and women walking along the street were as likely to be carrying guns as the more conspicuous people. Just watching it all seemed to wear down his spirit. He was feeling homesick for the battlefield country he had left to come here, but he concluded that meant he was normal.


    He then heard Millia Newburg¡¯s voice from the radio tossed on top of the dashboard.


    ¡°I just received word from the unit in the mountains. The blackout will begin in thirty seconds. Be careful as you approach traffic lights and railway crossings. It would be safest to stop on the curb ahead of time.¡±


    A low rumble and a darkness deeper than a movie theater covered all of Lost Angels. Even with the car¡¯s headlights, there was some confusion.


    Quenser heard sounds of bending metal and breaking glass from all around, but Heivia slipped through it all with only one hand on the wheel.


    ¡°It takes an average of fifteen seconds for it to recover. As awful as this city is, it is supported by the military, so don¡¯t get greedy and think you can break open a roadside ATM while the security is down.¡±


    Just as she had said, the power returned as quickly as it had gone out.


    The city¡¯s lights recovered and blinded the already confused drivers.


    After entering an intersection and nearly getting hit by a large bus, Heivia cheerfully honked the horn several times and turned the corner.


    This new road was a straight shot to the wharf.


    ¡°What¡¯s the Faith Organization military doing?¡±


    ¡°No obvious movements from the Object or the people,¡± replied Millia. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to have realized what we¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°So Step 1 was a success.¡±


    ¡°This is where it really begins. Hurry on to the port.¡±


    Part 8


    A group of Faith Organization soldiers known as the Clovers witnessed the blackout too.


    They had originally been naval experts, but the reliance on Objects could be glimpsed in the fact that they were simply guarding a harbor. They seemed to have some interest in the distant Island Nation because their name was a pun on that nation¡¯s words for white clovers and the white collars they wore.


    They were meant to protect the Object construction and maintenance facility at the southernmost point of the city, but the Sarasvati had requested that they all move outside of the Great Fence three kilometers to the north.


    Also, the naval Clovers were not the only ones to receive that request.


    Everywhere they looked, the cafes and donut shops near the Great Fence were packed full of men and women in lab coats and work uniforms. They had all settled down here until Pilot Elite Putana Highball finished her meditation.


    A young white collar who was really only a boy gave the foggy sky an annoyed look.


    ¡°What are we even doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get you down, youngster. We wouldn¡¯t get any money without the Object.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this ¡®scopophobia¡¯ is about, but I can¡¯t believe she had even her personal bodyguards leave.¡±


    The too-young white collar glanced over at the Great Fence.


    The fog kept him from seeing the details of the Object, but its dark silhouette was more than visible. A lighthouse on a small island provided a backlight for the Sarasvati and the Object¡¯s shadow was displayed on the screen created by the fog.


    ¡°You can complain if you want, but don¡¯t look back at the base. She¡¯ll read the emotions in your gaze.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Seriously. The Elites are manmade espers, after all.¡±


    That was of course untrue, but it was the view held by normal soldiers who knew little of Objects.


    ¡°Even the full security network of the base can¡¯t hope to match the Object¡¯s sensors. If she¡¯ll do our job for us, that¡¯s fine by me.¡±


    ¡°That may be true, but...¡±


    He trailed off as Lost Angels was suddenly wrapped in pitch darkness. Even the lighthouse went out.


    The too-young Clover pulled his visor down over his eyes and started to raise his carbine, but...


    ¡°Put down your gun! Panic and you¡¯ll shoot one of us!¡±


    Someone grabbed the gun from the side and pointed it straight up.


    ¡°Calm down, youngster. These blackouts happen all the time on hot nights. It¡¯s because of all the air conditioners. This is a part of being ecological. The young wives who are so obsessed with the World Clock will be rejoicing.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Either way, the Sarasvati has power from its reactor, so its sensors are up and running. Crossing the Great Fence in the dark will only get you vaporized.¡±


    The city was not even wrapped in darkness for a full twenty seconds.


    The power soon recovered, beginning with the most important regions. Fortunately for the donut shop, the lights came on just in time to reveal a young man preparing to break the register, so the workers were able to gang up on him.


    ¡°A toast to night in Lost Angels,¡± said the older white collar.


    The lighthouse on the small island seemed to have recovered as well because the Sarasvati¡¯s silhouette appeared on the fog once more.


    ¡°Let¡¯s call a Pizza Deliveryman and get something to eat. I hear they¡¯ll deliver anywhere in the city as long as you give them a GPS signal.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that one of our researchers being attacked in that donut shop!? We need to help him!!¡±


    Part 9


    Once Quenser and Heivia arrived at the wharf, they gathered with plenty of other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. They had all stolen cars from here or there, so it looked like a gathering of a small street-racing gang.


    The shopping port was a large scale source of funding and criminal infrastructure for the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Azul Hive, so once in there, the Faith Organization and the Information Alliance could not reach them so easily. They could see some guards/snipers on the top of gantry cranes and container piles here and there.


    ¡°Step 1 is complete and they haven¡¯t noticed a thing. We¡¯ve ¡®removed their gazes¡¯.¡±


    Still wearing a bikini top and baggy cargo pants, Millia Newburg sat on the hood of convertible and encouraged them all.


    ¡°Step 2, using Mr. Mayonnaise¡¯s biometrics to hack into the Faith Organization¡¯s system, was also a success. We have a direct line into the Collective Farming through its maintenance port. The cockpit screens will never tell the Elite anything is wrong.¡±


    She raised a finger at a time as she continued.


    ¡°But Step 3 is the problem. We don¡¯t have unlimited personnel, so you all need to help. We¡¯ll be splitting into small groups and boarding submersibles. We¡¯ll bypass the Great Fence by using the sea. Do you understand? Then get going.¡±


    They opened a metal container and pulled out a ton of oxygen tanks.


    The submersibles were not downsized versions of whale-shaped submarines. They were forty centimeter wide, two meter long cylinders with a seat and handlebars forcibly attached. The rider would grab on while the cylinder was lying on its side.


    ¡°These are human torpedoes, aren¡¯t they?¡± said Millia.


    ¡°Bfh!? Human...what!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Heivia. These are harmless leisure products. They¡¯re not even based on the Island Nation¡¯s original weapon. They¡¯re from European models made to take two soldiers there and back instead of giving them a one-way ticket. You¡¯re apparently supposed to sneak up to a ship, attach the main portion with a magnet, and then detonate it from a safe distance.¡±


    Quenser frowned with an oxygen tank in hand.


    ¡°Huh? This says it was made in the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the free market for you. We know someone who¡¯s convenient to use even if they belong to a different world power. That RC Girl carries everything in with a drone and monitor glasses.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia put some goggles on, placed the tanks on their backs, put the mouthpieces in, and jumped into the dark ocean. They both climbed up onto a seat and grabbed the handlebars.


    ¡°Quenser, why can you use a submersible just fine, but you can¡¯t drive a car or a motorcycle?¡±


    ¡°I used one of these on a field trip back in the safe country. That one was shaped more like a jet ski, though. There are no roads in the ocean and you can¡¯t fall over.¡±


    They travelled along at a depth of about ten meters while moving much faster than a bicycle.


    They were heading toward the jagged cape that looked like shark teeth.


    After moving well past the cape and approaching the small lighthouse island, they surfaced.


    ¡°Amazing. They really haven¡¯t noticed.¡±


    ¡°The simpler the trick, the harder it is to escape once you¡¯ve fallen for it.¡±


    Heivia pointed up with his thumb from the submersible next to him.


    Quenser looked in the same direction and saw that the lighthouse¡¯s light was out.


    Up ahead, Millia Newburg gave them a hand signal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡±


    There was no more need to stay underwater.


    They took a few items from the team that had taken control of the lighthouse and they travelled across the water toward the Faith Organization¡¯s Object construction and maintenance facility dock.


    A fifty meter presence was there.


    It was the Collective Farming.


    It used an air cushion propulsion device and had a low-stability plasma cannon for its main cannon. However, it also had a giant bedrock road roller on the front and a cultivator on the back that looked like a street cleaner¡¯s brush placed on its side and with metal blades attached. That equipment for Re Terra was attached by arms that could move up and down, so it could likely switch between combat mode and cultivation mode.


    Even if they had secured their safety in something like a balancing act, a single mistake would mean instant death here. Quenser and the others could not stop the uncomfortable sweat pouring down them.


    Heivia spoke up, perhaps wanting to calm himself by focusing on their own side.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s our Princess at anyway?¡±


    ¡°Out at sea. But I doubt she¡¯ll come to save us if we screw this up. Still, she¡¯s doing well enough to be complaining about the ice cream flavors provided in the cockpit. When I contacted her earlier, she said something about the mint being too strong.¡±


    ¡°Wow. And we¡¯re at war. The worries at the top are on a completely different scale, I see.¡±


    The facility¡¯s cameras and the Object¡¯s sensors would not detect Quenser and the others. Once they arrived below the colossal weapon, they attached metal wires to the backs of their submersibles, soaked the other end in military-grade instant glue, and attached those ends to the air cushion¡¯s float. The lighter of them climbed up the ropes to the Object¡¯s spherical main body. They dropped down large pieces of cloth as if unfurling hanging banners. After binding them together with ropes, they had made several sails connecting the cannons.


    ¡°Pull out your handheld devices,¡± ordered Millia. ¡°Open the throttle when the screen tells you! This thing weighs two hundred thousand tons, so the wires will snap right away if we try to force it. We only need to ride the waves and prevent it from sliding to the side. We have plenty of time, so take it slow! Nice and slow!!¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? These are one-man submersibles and this thing weighs as much as two old-fashioned nuclear aircraft carriers. Can we really move an entire Object with fifty of these toys?¡±


    Quenser answered Heivia¡¯s annoyed question.


    ¡°It¡¯s like pushing a snowball at the top of a hill. We¡¯re borrowing the power of the wind. If we give just a bit of help at the start, the waves will carry it from there. To get it started, we need distributed force. If any one spot sticks out, the wires will all snap starting from there.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but sometimes I just can¡¯t believe the math!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can explain why a bowling ball and feather fall at the same speed in a vacuum, but it doesn¡¯t quite click in my head.¡±


    Regardless, the die had been cast.


    All they could do was continue on and trust in their success and their victory.


    Millia Newburg gave one last comment with a daring smile on her lips.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s pull Excalibur from the stone.¡±


    Part 10


    The meditation lasted until four in the morning this time.


    Putana Highball slowly opened her eyes.


    After concluding she had completed her combination with the Second Generation Object named Sarasvati, she slowly moved her hands and legs while still bound by her harness like a butterfly trapped in a spider web. The surrounding interface writhed like tentacles as it used its infrared lasers to detect the minute changes in her skin and send signals to the digital controls.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    She then realized a clear discrepancy in the scenery and readings displayed in the giant screen when compared to her artificially enhanced senses acquired through the combination.


    Putana chose to believe her own senses which she had honed so thoroughly.


    She sent a few commands in quick succession, but something was clearly wrong.


    Namely, the Object was slowly turning, but the scenery on the screen remained entirely unchanged. The familiar vision of the Object construction and maintenance facility was a fake that looped every few minutes.


    ¡°What...happened!?¡±


    She became painfully aware that everything inside the cockpit was just series of zeroes and ones. She checked through the entire system much more quickly than a mechanical virus scanner could and swiftly found the source of the problem.


    ¡°External interference. The source code was illegally overwritten. ...Dammit. A cyber attack!?¡±


    She instantly deleted the malicious line and manually typed in the proper source code.


    The data network that rivalled the data link of an entire fleet was back up and running.


    The view on the large screen changed.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    She saw nothing but ocean in every direction. There was no land to be seen.


    She was sitting exposed in the ocean with no protection from the Faith Organization.


    She sensed countless gazes. Dozens of wires were attached to the air cushion float, those wires were attached to small submersibles, and unknown soldiers were clinging to the Object, performing some unknown work.


    And to top it all off, a First Generation Legitimacy Kingdom Object sat outside her main cannon¡¯s movable range with the muzzle of its own cannon essentially pressed to the back of her head.


    The Baby Magnum sent an open radio transmission to the Sarasvati.


    ¡°I will fill you with molten lead.¡±


    She did not say where and that seemed to corner Putana Highball all the more.


    ¡°More importantly, I am much faster than you from this position. I can hit you three times in the time it takes you to turn around, so surrender. If you do, I can at least guarantee your survival.¡±


    What had happened?


    The Faith Organization Pilot Elite was so confused that she forgot to even breathe.


    However, this was not a bad dream.


    No matter how long she waited, she never woke up.


    Part 11


    Putana was not the only one who was confused.


    It happened as soon as dawn arrived.


    ¡°Wh-what the hell!?¡±


    The marine experts of the Clovers had been killing time along the Great Fence three kilometers north of the southern cape, but the too-young member let out a hysterical shout.


    The rising sun had lessened the effect of the lighthouse and the screen of fog had gradually cleared away, but at the same time, the fifty meter weapon had vanished like an illusion. As they all watched, that massive machine disappeared.


    ¡°What is going on? O-oh, I know! We need to contact the Pilot Elite!!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already tried, but we can¡¯t get through!!¡±


    While communicating to a number of places via radio, they crossed the Great Fence and hurried back to their workplace. They got the security system back up and running and performed a thorough scan of the land and the sea, but the cameras and sensors found nothing.


    They were looking for a two hundred thousand ton mass.


    That was far too large to hide, yet their cutting-edge observation equipment could not find a single trace of it.


    ¡°What the hell is going on? Did it really just vanish in the fog?¡±


    ¡°C-could it have had some trouble and sunk into the ocean?¡±


    ¡°The water around the dock is only about ten meters deep. Even if that round thing sank, it would still rise far above the surface. That wasn¡¯t it. But if it wasn¡¯t...then what was?¡±


    At that moment, an operator gave a report of something below the ocean further out to sea.


    But it was not the Object.


    The data from the ultrasonic scan said it was less than twenty meters, putting it at about the size of a tug boat.


    However, it had something attached that a normal tug boat would not have.


    At first, they thought it was a crane meant to drag up rocks and sunken ships, but it was not.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°A metal tower?¡±


    That guess by the older white collar was not entirely wrong.


    However, another name came to mind when they saw what was attached to the top.


    The photograph taken by an underwater drone showed a giant light that could not even rotate and a special lens that focused the light on a single point.


    Altogether...


    ¡°A lightship?¡±


    Instead of building a tower on an island or cape, the lighthouse would float in the sea like a buoy.


    And if it had sunk there...


    ¡°Wait. Does that mean...there were two lighthouses last night?¡±


    The older white collar quickly looked over to the sea.


    There was supposed to be a small island out there with nothing but a lighthouse on it.


    ¡°Then which of the two lights were we seeing!?¡±


    Part 12


    The trick itself was simple.


    It was an optical illusion only meant to last one night.


    ¡°You know those magic tricks on TV shows where they make a large passenger plane disappear? What they do is slowly turn the platform the audience is sitting on, show them a completely different direction, and make it look like the plane disappeared. My suggestion is something like that.¡±


    During a discussion to kill time, Quenser Barbotage had given his explanation while attaching colorful magnets to a whiteboard.


    ¡°Basically, you just need two lighthouses.¡±


    He had moved the magnets.


    ¡°On a foggy night, you switch one lighthouse off and the other one on when the power goes down and then back up. That will slightly alter the source of the light. Then the guards looking to the southern cape will think the shadow projected onto the fog is the Object. Even if...¡±


    He had showed off by holding a kids¡¯ meal toy between his thumb and forefinger.


    It was a doll(?) of the Baby Magnum sold in the safe countries.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a toy as small as this. They¡¯re only seeing the silhouette, so they won¡¯t know the exact distance and size.¡±


    He had added arrows to the magnets on the whiteboard.


    ¡°As long as we can get them to focus on the decoy silhouette, we can do whatever we want. The original lighthouse will be off, so we can remove the real Object without worrying about a backlight. It won¡¯t show up on the fog screen no matter how much we move it, so no one will stop us. Of course, we can¡¯t have the real silhouette ever showing up, so we would need to keep the lightship¡¯s light from rotating. Instead, we¡¯d need to have the light strengthen and fade so it looks like it¡¯s turning when seen from head on,¡± he had added. ¡°Then we just have to sneak up to the Object and drag it out to sea. If our Princess threatens the Elite with her main cannon, we might be able to get a Faith Organization Object without a scratch on it.¡±


    That had all been nothing but a theory.


    What if it was not foggy on the night in question?


    What if the blackout did not work properly?


    How were they supposed to fool the Object¡¯s own cameras and sensors?


    What if the Elite found she really needed to use the bathroom in the middle of her meditation and what if a delinquent soldier did not feel like leaving the Large Fence and stayed in his barracks?


    How exactly were they supposed to drag it out to sea?


    If any one of those did not work out, it would all fail, so it was a dangerous tightrope act.


    But experts on the scene were the kind of people who found a way to make up for what they lacked.


    And a few days after that idle discussion, Major Frolaytia Capistrano had grinned and made a certain announcement.


    ¡°Rejoice. It seems the higher ups took a liking to your unique suggestion. You should get orders to head to Lost Angels before long, so make sure you¡¯re packed and ready to go.¡±


    Part 13


    ¡°Yayyyy!!¡±


    Quenser and the others cheered while clinking together mugs of cheap soda water.


    They were thirty kilometers south of Lost Angels on the deck of a small aircraft carrier of the Legitimacy Kingdom Object Maintenance Fleet floating in the Indian Ocean.


    For some reason, a table with a pure white tablecloth was placed in the middle of the deck and it was covered with a simple feast of pizza, fried chicken, and French fries.


    The surrounding soldiers who only had soap-like rations to eat were giving them murderous looks, but Quenser, Millia, and the rest of the Lost Angels team were the MVPs of the winning team today.


    They had captured a cutting-edge Second Generation Object entirely intact. That alone was a victory worth five billion dollars, but the various technologies they were sure to find when they dismantled it would up that value to immeasurable levels. It was hardly surprising that the extremely satisfied higher ups would demand that the team was rewarded in every way possible.


    Incidentally, the feast was especially luxurious because Millia Newburg had confiscated the money Quenser and Heivia had snuck out of the Capitalist Corporations armored van. When it came to information management, they could not hope to match someone from the intelligence division.


    And that meant their only choice was to make the most of this.


    Heivia stuck his fingers in his mouth to whistle and then shouted with a piece of fried chicken held up like a microphone.


    ¡°Okay, okay! It¡¯s time for an interview with today¡¯s hero! This operation was thought up by Quenser Barbotage, the super genius of our own 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion!! How are you feeling now!?¡±


    ¡°Now, now, now. I only came up with the idea! It was Millia and the others who made it a reality!!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, you can¡¯t let yourself be so hardheaded while on the front lines! And I never imagined the intelligence division would get a turn in the spotlight!!¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    ¡°Wa ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    In a win-win scenario like this, people¡¯s tolerance knew no bounds. Those two idiots would normally fight over any loose change they found on the ground, but here they pretended to be intellectuals and tried to let the other have the honor.


    The Princess was also a part of the winning team as she had made the final holdup, so she had joined in even though she always had nice things to eat.


    Frolaytia however did not get to eat.


    She breathed out some sweet-smelling smoke from her kiseru and wrapped an arm around Quenser¡¯s shoulder like a delinquent.


    And she took no notice when the Princess grew a little irritated.


    ¡°You did a great job this time, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Heh...eh heh heh! You really think so!? Y¡¯know, if you¡¯d taken off that formal uniform and exposed that nice body of yours to the sun, you might have been able to join us in this reward!!¡±


    ¡°Well, that might have been a nice change of pace. Drawing lines on a screen to order an attack can get old. How about you let me join in on your discussions from now on?¡±


    ¡°Dwa ha ha ha!! We can have a nice ¡®hands-on¡¯ discussion right now if you want! It can be just the two of us in your room and on your bed!!¡±


    Millia Newburg then wrapped her arm around Quenser¡¯s shoulder from the other side and spoke cheerfully.


    And she was oblivious to the Princess growing truly angry.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why not? W-wait, is everyone finally realizing what a great catch I am!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a city full of gangs and mafias has really fallen for you.¡±


    Millia¡¯s comment flash froze Quenser and Frolaytia sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either. If your theory had proved useless in practice, I could have taken you right back, but after such a tremendous success, I¡¯ve lost my excuse to take you from the intelligence division.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Eh? Wait...¡±


    Millia ignored his complaints.


    ¡°The city of bullets and desire is waiting! Take three steps and a car is liable to explode, but don¡¯t worry!! Lost Angels is filled with villains, but you¡¯re the only one to pull off such a daring heist. You¡¯ll probably be given either a bed of money or a gravestone, but if you¡¯re lucky, you might just escape the city alive!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯ve seen this pattern before! Now that I¡¯ve used up my beginner¡¯s luck, I¡¯m done for!! I don¡¯t want to go back! I want to quit while I¡¯m ahead and leave that place forever!!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, Quenser. Let¡¯s see...ahem! ¡®Effective immediately, Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage¡¯s temporary assignment to Lost Angels is extended indefinitely until further orders are received. He is to work hard for the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion and the Legitimacy Kingdom as a whole.¡¯ Whew, HR sure can be scary.¡±


    Frolaytia must have been in a really good mood because she grabbed a piece of shiso leaf from a large plate of food, placed it below her nose to create a handlebar mustache, and did an impression of someone¡¯s voice.


    But Quenser could hardly laugh.


    ¡°Going back to Lost Angels is a really bad idea. The gang the Faith Organization controls is definitely going to be on the lookout for me!! And even as the most dangerous city in the world, it¡¯s technically a safe country, so I can¡¯t hope for any support from the Baby Magnum!!¡±


    The Princess turned around in a huff in her seat a short distance away.


    She apparently did not like that he assumed she would always come rushing in to save him.


    ¡°Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    ¡°Wa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    Meanwhile, his superior officers drowned out his completely legitimate fears with laughter.


    Tears had no place at a victory party!


    Even if death awaited the very next day, that may have been the rule for anyone in the military.

 Volume 9, 2: Guardian Deity of Talent >> Mountain Battle of Lost Angels

    Volume 9, Chapter 2: Guardian Deity of Talent >> Mountain Battle of Lost Angels


    Part 1


    Long story short, they were back in the run-down Lost Angels motel.


    Drawing a board game on the back of some paper seemed like a good idea at the time, but Quenser and Heivia began arguing over whether the paper die was warped or unfair and they ended up in a light scuffle.


    Of course, Lost Angels had enough entertainment to last a lifetime (however short that might be), but...


    ¡°Oh, screw this! My stress just keeps building up and I don¡¯t feel like heading out for some fun when there are criminals and spies everywhere.¡±


    ¡°This is still better than a Capitalist Corporations safe country. They have constant shootouts between ¡®talent trafficking¡¯ kidnappers and school PMCs.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? You can make a lot of money selling genius kids to corporations, so there are organizations that specialize in going after elementary and middle school kids. That¡¯s why their school buses are bulletproof and are escorted by armored trucks armed with machineguns. The kidnappers use attack helicopters to go after them from the air. Makes you wonder how that can be called a ¡®safe¡¯ country.¡±


    ¡°And the big companies buy the abducted kids!?¡±


    ¡°With DNA tests, you won¡¯t get a 100% match even with a sample from the same person. And when there¡¯s even a 0.1% margin of error, it¡¯s a job for the corporate lawyers. Even if the parents sue them and bring in pictures and hair samples, the lawyers will twist the truth with their words. They¡¯ll make it so the kid is someone else who ¡®just so happens to look a lot like them¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it helps that the big companies that control the judicial system and administration are the ones doing this. You¡¯ve probably heard how the Capitalist Corporations very nearly completed a long-term civilian space travel project, but there¡¯s talk that those kids were a part of it. Naturally, just like with the moon landing way back when, there are conspiracy theories that it was all a fake to frighten the other world powers. At any rate, the number of geniuses on their payroll is directly related to the technological power of a corporation, so that market isn¡¯t going away anytime soon. It sure is scary to think about.¡±


    That was when the door cracked open and Millia Newburg of the intelligence division entered with a smile.


    ¡°Hi there, everyone. I have a new member to introduce! C¡¯mon in, transfer student!!¡±


    ¡°What? Did some idiot get drunk, pull off an officer¡¯s toupee, and get demoted or something?¡± asked Heivia while removing his hand from his awful friend¡¯s collar.


    But Millia shook her head.


    ¡°In a way, this is even more interesting. Heh heh. C¡¯mon already! We¡¯re going to be roommates, so don¡¯t be so shy!!¡±


    She tugged on an arm and pulled someone into the dimly-lit motel room.


    ¡°...Wait,¡± said Quenser in a scratchy voice.


    It was a brown-skinned girl with her long black hair tied back. From neck to toes, she was covered in a special skintight fabric. That green outfit with a nurse-like silhouette was most likely the same kind of Pilot Elite special suit that the Princess normally wore.


    Green was the color the Faith Organization liked to use and Quenser only knew of one Elite who had recently been forced to leave the Object that was like a part of her own body.


    ¡°Tah dah!! It¡¯s Putana Highball who piloted the Collective Farming! After we released her, she was placed against the wall and about to be shot for her failure, so I attacked and collected her because it sounded like fun!!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll kill you!! I¡¯ll slaughter every last one of you who took the Sarasvati, the Faith Organization, and everything from me!! Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!¡±


    When he saw the disgrace of a former Elite starting to struggle and being restrained, Quenser Barbotage grew somewhat blue.


    If something happened, he would of course be the first she killed.


    ¡°But she¡¯s cute, so who cares!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty sinful yourself, you know that, Quenser?¡±


    Part 2


    However...


    ¡°Our job today is in the northern mountains. You each need to secure your own transportation and hurry there. Oh, and Quenser! Putana may be from the city, but I doubt she¡¯s left the Faith Organization base much. Show her around Lost Angels while also teaching her our way of doing things. Teaching the newbies is a job for the old newbie. Heivia did the same for you, remember? Have fun¡î¡±


    ¡° ¡®Teacher¡¯, if you¡¯re going to show me the way around Lost Angels, I¡¯d like you to show me a lot more ¡®shortcuts¡¯ and ¡®back streets¡¯!!¡±


    ¡°Noooooo!! I¡¯d always wanted a girl to invite me into an empty back alley, but not like thiiiiissssssssssssss!!¡±


    In a supermarket parking lot near the run-down motel, Quenser screamed like a girl stopped by an old man wearing nothing but a trench coat.


    The city of Lost Angels was as insane as ever. A nearby store was blown up, black smoke rose into the blue sky, and a Pizza Deliveryman ignored it while riding his scooter down the road.


    ¡°By the way, teacher, I have a question.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what is it?¡±


    ¡°Who was it that thought up the plan to steal my Sarasvati? From what I¡¯ve overhead, it was an idea suggested by a normal soldier.¡±


    ¡°Ha...ha ha ha ha ha!! I-I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. That was a plan to steal a Second Generation Object, right? To think up that, you¡¯d have to be a sexy genius from some new breed of human!!¡±


    ¡°Mhh... Come to think of it, you¡¯re right. A normal person like you wouldn¡¯t know anything about that.¡±


    Anyway, they were not out here to pick up some food.


    A clattering sound made it clear Quenser was in the process of stealing a light off-road motorcycle.


    ¡°If I connect this...to this... Wow, Heivia was right! It actually started up! I can¡¯t believe it. How cheap is this thing!?¡±


    ¡°No matter how complicated they make it, it¡¯ll still get stolen, so I doubt anyone tries that hard. That motorcycle was probably stolen from another parking lot.


    Starting up the engine was one thing, but Quenser could not drive a motorcycle.


    After seeing a macho man quickly running over from a store with a handgun at the ready, Putana Highball hopped onto the seat and Quenser clung to her back. She must have made a mistake operating the clutch because the off-road two-wheel vehicle hopped up in a flashy wheelie.


    This was a common sight in Lost Angels.


    Dry gunshots rang out behind them.


    ¡°I see,¡± said Putana. ¡°So this is why they call it the city of corruption.¡±


    ¡°Eh? What was that!? I can¡¯t hear you over the wind!¡±


    ¡°Lost Angels is a part of the Faith Organization, but it doesn¡¯t look like it, does it? Rumor has it it was a giant experiment to see what happened to people after they lost their faith. ...And it¡¯s making my skin crawl, so don¡¯t cling to me like that, teacher.¡±


    ¡°Buhahhh.¡±


    ¡°Why are you sniffing at me so obviously right after I warned you!?¡±


    ¡°Nothing you say will change the fact that I¡¯m in a good position here. So no matter how much you¡¯ll hit me later, I¡¯m gonna do it! Oh, your body is so soft and warm. Girls are the best!!¡±


    That was when Millia Newburg¡¯s familiar voice came in over the radio.


    ¡°Hey, there! Looks like you¡¯re going at it already, so I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re making progress with her training.¡±


    With a deep roar of an engine, a motorcycle pulled up alongside theirs. Millia was driving, Heivia sat behind her with his arms around her waist, and neither of them was wearing a helmet. They had clearly had a rough ride because Quenser¡¯s horrible friend was completely pale and did not seem able to enjoy the warmth of his beautiful commanding officer. He was clinging to her for dear life.


    To prevent the wind from drowning her out, Millia was speaking through the radio despite how close they were.


    ¡°This is a good opportunity. How about we have a race to our destination in the northern mountains? We both have a guy loaded on the back, so the conditions seem fair to me. Think of it like a welcome party to get to know each other.¡±


    ¡°Your bike is the large kind used in professional races. I can¡¯t hope to match those specs.¡±


    ¡°Finding the best ride is part of the challenge here in Lost Angels. Or are you afraid that a great Elite is going to lose to a normal soldier in a vehicle race because of a slight handicap like that?¡±


    ¡°.........................................................................................................¡±


    ¡°Oh, no!¡± shouted Quenser. ¡°I think this Elite had too sheltered an upbringing to know when someone¡¯s provoking her!¡±


    The two motorcycles stopped side by side in front of a lowered railroad crossing barrier.


    As a rusty freight train slowly passed by, Millia gave a simple explanation of the rules.


    ¡°The goal is our original destination and you can choose whatever route you like. The witnesses can be the luggage we have sitting behind us. Any other local rules necessary?¡±


    ¡°Only that we ban gunfire and running each other off the road.¡±


    ¡°Hah hah! Sounds like you¡¯ve figured out how this city works!¡±


    The final car of the freight train passed by, a bell sounded like the clattering of an empty can, and the barrier lifted.


    Intense acceleration immediately pressed in on Quenser and Heivia¡¯s guts.


    The scenery flew by and a blast of wind struck their entire bodies. The two motorcycles passed some cars waiting at a light, did not hesitate to drive right out into the traffic flowing like a river through the intersection, took a sharp curve, and started down the major road. Once again, the world was wasting all sorts of energy and the hands of the World Clock were moving ever faster.


    ¡°Abah. Abababababababah!?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, not so loud.¡±


    Despite Putana¡¯s casual tone, Quenser did not have it in him. If not for his overflowing passion for enjoying this girl¡¯s body temperature for as long as possible, he would almost certainly have been thrown off already.


    At first, Putana fell behind due to her inferior engine. She kept her position about ten meters behind Millia Newburg and used her superior off-road ability to switch between lanes and take the shortest route, even if by only a meter or ten centimeters. The way she took the inside of every turn to the point of just about hitting things was taking years from the lifespan of Quenser¡¯s heart, so the World Clock was now the least of his worries.


    An old man who had apparently been stripped of everything he owned was sitting in a daze on the roadside. He only wore underwear and the luxury car next to him had all of its bulletproof glass broken. Quenser was pretty sure he was the Jeweler famous for laundering, but from now on, he would have his hands full finding a cardboard box to sleep in.


    Millia¡¯s voice arrived over the radio again.


    ¡°How about we kill some time by reviewing the mission?¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    Suggesting that in her spare time seemed to have stoked Putana¡¯s competitive spirit.


    The brown girl violently twisted the throttle lever and Quenser¡¯s scream rose in pitch.


    Up ahead, Millia moved into the opposing traffic to get around a slow-moving truck and she spoke calmly with cars zooming by on either side.


    ¡°Our job today is to support the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion. Specifically, we¡¯re going to be supporting their Object, the Baby Magnum.¡±


    ¡°The Princess¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°The northern mountains are considered a part of Lost Angels, but the other side of the mountains doesn¡¯t fall into the safe country category. A battlefield country juts sharply in there and there¡¯s someone there just asking for a nice heavy punch.¡±


    While ignoring three lights in a row, Putana continued pursuit, but she was not closing in any.


    More than just the difference in engine specs, Millia was a skilled driver.


    ¡°Our opponent is a Second Generation Faith Organization Object named the Flyaway.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s frivolous?¡±


    ¡°The name does have a meaning, but not in a good way. That¡¯s why they want the Princess to blow it to smithereens.¡±


    Putana¡¯s control of the handlebars grew a little stiff when she heard the Faith Organization mentioned.


    The distance between them opened up, even if by only a few meters.


    Millia Newburg passed by a few cars as if shaking her butt in Putana¡¯s direction.


    ¡°The simplest way to explain its fighting style is ¡®always flee¡¯. As soon as things get dangerous, it releases its main cannon and uses the reduction in weight to escape the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Its main cannon? But isn¡¯t that full of military secrets?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why the main cannon is like a beehive made of large containers. It¡¯s got a ton of large-capacity batteries and bug legs, so it can run around on its own for a bit even after being abandoned. It can¡¯t fire without the reactor, but it can regroup with the Object or be picked up after escaping the battlefield. And if you try to stop it by firing on it, it¡¯ll melt like candy. Either way, you lose your chance to get those secrets.¡±


    ¡°Another pain in the ass...¡±


    ¡°Agreed. The information we¡¯ve gathered says it uses its beehive-like coilgun to scatter eighty percent of its ammunition in the first five seconds, abandons that main cannon, and uses it as a diversion to escape. And if it¡¯s about to be caught, it won¡¯t hesitate to send out the White Flag signal. ...It uses that combination of surprise attack and retreat for months at a time while waiting for its enemy to be worn down.¡±


    In an age where clashes between nuke-resistant Objects had become daily topics of conversation, the six or seven billion people on earth had not gone extinct due to a few ridiculous implicit understandings about the battlefield. The White Flag signal was one of those. If one of the Objects was destroyed or unable to continue fighting, that signal would be sent out to avoid a slaughter of the people in the undefended maintenance base.


    However...


    ¡°The White Flag is supposed to be for emergencies, so if they keep using it like that...¡±


    ¡°Yes. They¡¯ll create a situation where people are so fed up with it that they ignore it. This one idiot could easily ruin one of the rules of the battlefield. That¡¯s why we have to settle this before it happens.¡±


    There were a few different ways to do that.


    1. Destroy it with a single attack before it could use the White Flag.


    2. Obstruct its propulsion device so it could not escape after abandoning its main cannon.


    3. Somehow prevent it from transmitting the White Flag.


    Of course, if they could pull off #1 with no real preparation, this enemy would not have been a problem in the first place.


    ¡°The battlefield is in the treacherous mountains I mentioned before and that¡¯s where the Flyaway works best. It uses its eight legs with a static electricity propulsion device, so it almost seems to slide up slopes as steep as sixty-five degrees. If it wanted to, it could slip back and forth between this side and that side of the mountains.¡±


    The Princess used a multi-role First Generation Object, so it was designed to work just as well in a desert or the Antarctic Ocean. However, that meant it did not specialize in any one environment, so she would be slower than the Flyaway on a mountain slope.


    ¡°To put it another way, would the Princess be able to take it out if its legs were dealt with?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you catch on so quickly. No matter how special its design is, the Flyaway still uses static electricity to float. If we do something to the ground below its feet, we can still interfere with its movement.¡±


    Lost Angels was a city of two million, but as they traveled north, the buildings gradually grew shorter and a wasteland covered in fine, orange sand grew more obvious. Looking down the path of tall metal towers carrying high-voltage lines brought a wall of treacherous mountains into view.


    Those were the northern mountains.


    The tallest of them was not even two thousand meters and there was no hint of snow.


    Instead, a hydroelectric power station and a ropeway were visible on the slope even from the distance.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need any mountain climbing equipment. There¡¯s an observatory on the peak, so you can get up by winding road or by cable car. We can easily take our bikes up to the top, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°A winding road? So a series of hairpin curves? ...That means I still have a chance!!¡±


    Millia likely understood that as well, but she still needlessly opened up the throttle and produced an explosive backfire to provoke the new girl.


    But all of a sudden, the mountains up ahead shook.


    A great cloud of dust blew down from the mountains and there was nothing the puny humans could do even though they saw the wall approaching.


    Their vision narrowed considerably like they were caught in a sandstorm, the bright sunlight itself was cut off, and the area grew as dark as dusk.


    A stinging pain ran across their cheeks. They had no helmet visor or goggles to protect them, but they continued the race. After switching on the headlights, Putana opened the throttle despite the limited visibility.


    ¡°Ugh. Peh, peh!! What just happened!?¡±


    ¡°Damn, that was sooner than predicted. This must be what they call an unexpected turn of events. It looks like the Princess has run into the Flyaway!!¡±


    Part 3


    ¡°...¡±


    The Princess took shallow breaths inside the Baby Magnum¡¯s cockpit.


    Beads of sweat trailed down her relatively unexpressive face.


    The alarms sounded quite distant.


    She could hear someone¡¯s voice in her ear, but it took her a while to comprehend the words.


    ¡°Prin...cess... Save your confusion for when you return safe and sound! It¡¯s too soon to sit there in a daze!!¡±


    The transmission from Frolaytia acted like a slap to the face and the Princess somehow managed to grab one of the countless levers again.


    Her eyeballs and their pupils gave targeting instructions to the machinery.


    Her target was the Second Generation Faith Organization Object named the Flyaway.


    It looked like a massive eight-legged insect clinging to the steep slope.


    Its main cannon was made up of moving containers, so it could be abandoned like a lizard¡¯s tail.


    But it was not exposure to that threat which had made the Princess¡¯s heart race.


    She felt no real danger from an Object that would have its main cannon crawl around as a diversion and escape after the first attack.


    She heard a crumbling sound as the mountain slope broke away below her.


    But there was something strange mixed in that was not earthen dust or broken rock. She also saw a curved metal rail and a few pieces of metal that looked like they had burst from within. Before they had been destroyed so spectacularly, they may have been advertised as follows in a Lost Angels pamphlet with some photographs to go along with it:


    Take a ride through the miraculous night scenery of Lost Angels.


    How about a midair stroll in the world¡¯s fastest cable cars?


    ¡°...Ugh.¡±


    The Princess clenched her teeth and groaned as she used her gaze to aim.


    But before her seven main cannons could roar, the Flyaway crossed the mountain ridge and escaped to the other side of the mountain.


    That other side was Lost Angels, a Faith Organization safe country.


    Starting from the route it took, the Flyaway had repeatedly violated the rules of war, so it had apparently not cared too much when it fired either.


    ¡°Uph!!¡±


    The Princess brought a hand to her mouth and just barely held back the urge to vomit.


    No matter how many powerful Objects she had destroyed or gun-wielding soldiers she had killed, that was completely different from killing innocent civilians. This slaughter that left the bounds of what could be called ¡°war¡± caused her consciousness to flash in and out.


    Her eyes turned toward one corner of the large screen.


    More than ten seconds had passed since the ¡°accidental shellfire¡±, but the wreckage of the cable cars continued to fall from the cliff like it was rolling down a hill.


    The Princess did not know how many dozens or hundreds of people had been onboard, but that movement made it all too clear that no miracle would allow them to return alive.


    Part 4


    ¡°This is F-F-F-Flashtime News (¨¤ la a DJ¡¯s scratch)!! Today¡¯s headline: Legitimacy Kingdom vs. Faith Organization, Mistake in the Mountains? There¡¯s been a great tragedy involving all eighty-nine cable car passengers. Not much investigation has been done since the place is still a battlefield, but the odds of survival are looking grim. And it seems the victims were mostly children here on a trip. Both sides¡¯ PR offices are giving conflicting explanations, so there¡¯s a fear the truth may never be known.¡±


    With their mission put on hold, Quenser and the others had returned to the run-down motel.


    Quenser gave an annoyed sigh as he watched the news playing on the old TV in one corner of the room.


    ¡°If they investigated the scene, it¡¯d be obvious it was the Flyaway¡¯s coilgun that did it.¡±


    ¡°This guy isn¡¯t a representative of public opinion around the world. There was an Ice Cream Truck driving by outside, remember? This is a pirate broadcast sent out by that thing, so no one believes it. When he was pissed at the outcome of a race he¡¯d bet on, there was an entire day where every channel was nothing but the asshole of a ¡®beautiful¡¯ bulldog. On that day, trying to watch some TV while eating was a mistake.¡±


    ¡°No one here is remotely ecological.¡±


    ¡°You mean that World Clock thing? If they put out a report saying the energy used by safe country wives in the living room had grown to ten times that used by the military in battlefield countries, do you think those virtuous civilians would believe it?¡±


    There was no tension in Millia Newburg¡¯s voice.


    Heivia spoke up while sipping on some bland instant coffee that tasted like a chain store¡¯s coffee diluted with muddy water.


    ¡°Regardless, we can¡¯t ignore this forever, Quenser. The White Flag was bad enough, but now the bastard piloting the Flyaway has completely forgotten his table manners. If we leave now, the same thing will keep happening around the world.¡±


    ¡°Those mountains are his home turf, so he¡¯s bound to get carried away. If we poke at him, he¡¯ll respond, so it won¡¯t be hard to get a rematch.¡± Quenser held a hand to his chin as he spoke. ¡°The Princess will deliver the finishing blow, but the problem is how to mess with the Flyaway¡¯s footing. Also, he can slide along those treacherous slopes with his eight legs, so how can humans like us catch up to or cut him off. If we can¡¯t stop him, not even the Princess can get a shot in.¡±


    That was when a girl raised her hand.


    It was Putana Highball who had remained perfectly silent all this time.


    ¡°I have an idea about that.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Given Millia¡¯s approval, the Pilot Elite continued.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of secret tunnels filling those mountains. Lost Angels is a safe country and the other side of the mountains is a battlefield country, so those tunnels allow people to lose any pursuit when they¡¯re transporting weapons, drugs, dirty money, jewels, or anything else.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s a network of hand-dug smuggling tunnels? That sounds like something Mustard Cowboy ¨C that is, the Capitalist Corporations ¨C would do.¡±


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom doesn¡¯t have any tunnels?¡±


    ¡°Azul Hive is based in the southeastern commerce port and we get our funding from there. We can bring in as many weapons and people as we want, so there was no need to make any tunnels,¡± explained Millia. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get back on topic. The tunnels through those northern mountains are probably based on the drug tunnels connecting the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ main country to Central America. I didn¡¯t want to get involved with something so complicated, but I guess we have no choice.¡±


    While making those preliminary calculations, she weighed the risks against the benefits and found the benefits won out.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a rumor, but those mountains are supposed to be as full of tunnels as an ant colony. They may be hand-dug, but I hear they¡¯re big enough for a small motorcycle to drive through without issue. But if this is true, it¡¯s one of the cornerstones of their business. They¡¯ll have made it so we can¡¯t easily grasp its full scope. In other words, it would take too long to enter the mountain with surveying equipment now.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡± asked Heivia with a frown.


    Their bikini commander answered immediately.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this Lost Angels style. We¡¯ll abduct a Mustard Cowboy leader and get the information we need that way. They¡¯ll actually be a soldier eating on the taxpayer¡¯s dime, so there¡¯s no need to hold back. Plus, I happen to know the perfect target.¡±


    She operated one of the military computers filling the walls and displayed what looked like a resume with an attached photo. But to be clear, this file had not been written by the man in the photo. It came from a list of dangerous people created using information gathered by the intelligence division.


    ¡°George Coral. Male. Age thirty-six. Five registered homes in this city alone. He¡¯s a former leader of Mustard Cowboy who had made a name for himself in Lost Angels¡¯s western financial district.¡±


    ¡°Former?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°He was purged after that incident with the stolen lightship focusing lens.¡± Millia sounded amused. ¡°Technically, he¡¯s still running around the city. He¡¯s only a poor little lamb who had everything taken from him, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he has Mustard Cowboy¡¯s information. Attacking a current leader would mean starting a citywide war, so this should be far easier. It¡¯s the perfect chance to get our hands on an accurate map of the smuggling tunnels.¡±


    ¡°That settles it then. If we sit around, he¡¯ll be killed by Capitalist Corporations soldiers. You can¡¯t get a dead man to talk, so it would be best to nab him ASAP.¡±


    No one opposed Heivia¡¯s opinion and several sets of footsteps moved toward the run-down motel¡¯s exit.


    Quenser looked over at Putana.


    ¡°What is it, teacher?¡±


    ¡°Well... Whoever¡¯s piloting the Flyaway is a Faith Organization Elite just like you. I thought maybe you could give us a hint there.¡±


    Putana looked like she was spitting on the ground as she answered.


    ¡°They¡¯re a disgrace to the Faith Organization.¡±


    Part 5


    There were piles of trash even among the countless high-rise buildings of western Lost Angels. For example, there was a garbage dump at one corner of an intersection. A bearded man lay face up, practically buried in the piles of black garbage bags that were probably no longer used anywhere else in the world.


    His former dreadful and impressive aura was gone. An RC Girl may have been flying a toy around because she held a remote control while looking up into the blue sky, but not even she paid the man any heed.


    The man¡¯s former subordinate gave an exasperated comment.


    ¡°You are still in the western area?¡±


    ¡°Shut up... This is my territory, my turf, my domain. Dammit, who¡¯s swimming in that rooftop pool now? Is it Kenny? Or maybe Rob? I¡¯ll find whoever it was that stole my stuff and fill them with holes.¡±


    It may have been this unpredictability that had allowed him to live this long. He had been the boss, so they never would have thought to find him buried in a pile of trash.


    That was all it was.


    Once they corrected their image of him, he would likely be found by the Mustard Cowboy soldiers before the long hand of the clock made a full circle, receive a bullet between the eyes before it made a second circle, and be thrown out into the ocean before it made a third.


    ¡°It would be best if you left the city and quickly,¡± said his former friendly subordinate.


    ¡°Are you mocking me? Listen. I¡¯m putting together a plan for a comeback. I¡¯m not gonna die here. Why? Because it isn¡¯t my time to die yet, goddammit! First, I¡¯ll get my hands on a gun. I can just punch someone around here and take one!!¡±


    ¡°What do you hope to accomplish with a 9mm bullet?¡±


    ¡°If you want to know, then come with me. I¡¯ll show you the kind of luxury you¡¯ll never find in the tax-funded lifestyle of a soldier. C¡¯mon!! If you¡¯re looking for George Coral, he¡¯s right over herrrrre!! If you¡¯ve got a problem with that, then come face meeeeee!!!!!!¡±


    As soon as the man stood on the top of the trash heap and gave a roar, something happened.


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    With that casual comment, Heivia crashed a stolen four-wheel drive vehicle into the trash heap by the intersection.


    He did so at full speed and without touching the brakes.


    With a great crash, the piled-up black trash bags were knocked every which way like bowling pins.


    George Coral, the kingpin at the top, flew through the air and slammed heavily into the vehicle¡¯s roof. The group of School Trip Students crossing a nearby crosswalk in a line of boys and a line of girls all widened their eyes in surprise.


    Heivia was filled with excitement.


    ¡°Ha ha! That tech-illiterate digital exhibitionist¡¯s smartphone was a lot of help. I never thought we¡¯d find the idiot this quickly!!¡±


    A College Girl in a Monokini intentionally tripped in feigned surprise and made sure the friction with the ground slide her swimsuit down, but unfortunately, Heivia did not have time to go along with her exhibitionism. After reminding himself he could use the internet to see her changing any time he wanted, he focused on the task at hand.


    After all, the man who had fallen on the roof managed to jump down as if rolling off the back of the vehicle and he had started making a run for it as soon as he landed on the asphalt.


    He was getting away.


    ¡°What the hell!? The guy¡¯s still alive and kicking!!¡±


    ¡°You hit the pile of trash, not him! Backup, backup! Run into him and break his hip. As long as you don¡¯t kill him, we can still get him to talk!!¡±


    Obeying Millia Newburg¡¯s fairly cruel instructions, Heivia threw the vehicle into reverse with the tires screeching against the asphalt.


    The shocked bearded man frantically changed direction and climbed onto the scaffolding of a building under construction.


    Despite the sound of bending metal and of a heavy impact, the four-wheel drive vehicle missed its target.


    George Coral was running up the scaffolding. He was well-built despite being a former leader.


    ¡°Oh, honestly! We can¡¯t do anything in this thing!¡±


    ¡°We have to chase after him like monkeys? What a pain in the ass!!¡±


    ¡°No, we can leave this ¡®aerial battle¡¯ to the newbie. We¡¯ll grab another vehicle and pursue on the surface. Whether it¡¯s providing support or cutting off his escape, there has to be more we can do.¡±


    As Millia instructed Heivia, she brought the radio to her mouth.


    ¡°You heard me, Putana! Chase him down in that off-road motorcycle you like so much!!¡±


    As soon as she spoke, the roar of an engine passed over the four-wheel drive vehicle.


    It did not pass ¡°by¡± it.


    The off-road motorcycle used the upward sloping road to make the kind of large jump seen at a circus, passed over the four-wheel drive vehicle¡¯s roof, and landed on the scaffolding.


    ¡°Wow. I guess she is a Pilot Elite after all.¡±


    ¡°But why is Quenser clinging to her back?¡±


    ¡°He volunteered to keep an eye on her. He¡¯d be too scared otherwise. He¡¯s the one she would want revenge against, so I bet he doesn¡¯t want to let her out of his sight to prevent any surprise attacks.¡±


    The construction scaffolding was narrow.


    The building¡¯s wall and the pillars of metal pipes shot by at tremendous speed only fifty centimeters to either side. They easily drove up the long, narrow metal panels placed diagonally instead of stairs.


    ¡°Oh, god! Oh, god! Oh, god! Oh, god!¡±


    ¡°Teacher, why are you even on my bike?¡±


    They were three stories up.


    George Coral had relaxed once he had escaped the vehicle, but he stiffened in shock when he turned toward the engine noise behind him.


    Putana Highball showed no mercy.


    She safely drove through and blew away the professional soldier who had become a gang leader.


    The bearded man¡¯s arms and legs flailed wildly, but doubt and fear filled him as the shock of landing never came.


    His muscular body had flown over the scaffolding and into empty air. He had broken through the net meant to keep people from falling, slowed down because of it, and finally fell to the ground below.


    After confirming that, Putana opened the throttle of her off-road motorcycle and unhesitatingly jumped down from the building¡¯s scaffolding.


    A three-story freefall began.


    As Quenser flew through the air, he felt a chill on his spine when he saw a Worker clinging to a telephone pole at eye level. That had reminded him just how high up they were.


    The pressure in his stomach from the fall was different from that of simple acceleration, so the student let out a scream.


    Putana pressed the back wheel down as she accurately landed the motorcycle right next to George Coral¡¯s head where he had fallen ahead of them and did not get back up. She forcefully swerved around to turn the light motorcycle¡¯s front wheel toward the bearded man¡¯s head. With fine control of the brakes, she stopped at the last second as if lightly biting his head between the tire and the ground.


    At this point, it was no different from pressing the muzzle of a gun against his forehead.


    ¡°Do as I say,¡± calmly instructed the girl. ¡°Otherwise, I will splatter your brains on the ground here.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Tears filled George Coral¡¯s eyes and he heard two short horn blasts.


    A station wagon stopped nearby.


    He heard several doors open and close and then a woman in a bikini top and baggy cargo pants walked up with a smile on her face.


    ¡°There technically are Faith Organization police in this city, so hurry and load him up. ...Now, then. How long a day this will be is entirely dependent on how patient you are, Mr. George Coral.¡±


    ¡°Uhh... You pieces of shit...¡±


    The bearded man breathed out, his limbs went limp, and his eyes squeezed shut.


    It seemed his return to stardom in Lost Angels was still a long way off.


    Part 6


    Quenser, Heivia, Putana, and Millia reported on their progress while taking the station wagon randomly down the large Grape Street.


    ¡°This is the microchip hidden in his necktie pin. He was also quick to talk since he feels no obligations to a group that threw him out. Thanks to that, we didn¡¯t have to put on a raincoat and go stand in the bathroom with a knife in hand.¡±


    Their information source, George Coral, was no longer in the station wagon, but not because they had fired a bullet into his head and chucked him from the speeding vehicle.


    ¡°What did he ask for in return?¡±


    ¡°An instant fake ID and a Capitalist Corporations brand handgun. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be found out within three days, but he probably plans to do something by then. And it¡¯s hardly a problem for us if some infighting breaks out within Mustard Cowboy.¡±


    Abandoning one¡¯s morals brought a lot of possibility.


    That was the best part about Lost Angels.


    At any rate, they now had an accurate map of the smuggling tunnels through the northern mountains.


    If they could take a shortcut through those mountains, even they could cut in front of the Flyaway¡¯s path as it slid along the slopes.


    They could strike back against that insane Second Generation that had blown away so many civilians.


    Quenser spoke up while fiddling with his radio.


    ¡°Hi, Frolaytia? Our preparations are complete. How¡¯s the Princess?¡±


    ¡°A little longer and I would have mixed a sedative into her tea. She¡¯s about ready to give into her anger and start Armageddon. In other words, her head is boiling over. She¡¯ll rush in the instant I remove the leash, but I have no intention of sending her in without a plan. Do you have an actual idea as to how you¡¯ll trip that thing up?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s meet and talk sometime.¡±


    ¡°What? Have you been so dyed by the intelligence division¡¯s ways that you¡¯re worried about someone intercepting the signal?¡±


    ¡°(No, that isn¡¯t it.)¡±


    ¡°(Why are you whispering?)¡±


    ¡°(How should I put this? Um... There¡¯s this girl real nearby who wants revenge on the level of a murdered parent, so I¡¯m a little afraid of revealing any clever ideas around her.)¡±


    ¡°(In a way, you really are living the life of an intelligence operative, Quenser.)¡±


    He gave a nervous look to the side received a puzzled look from the girl in a green special suit modelled after a nurse uniform.


    Part 7


    Even Lost Angels had the karaoke boxes that had originated in the Island Nation.


    Of course, since they were essentially soundproofed, private rooms that could be rented by the hour, they were mostly used by the customers of the women who stood on the street corners in dresses that did not cover much of anything.


    And that was why Frolaytia was in an extremely bad mood after meeting up there.


    ¡°Quenser... I don¡¯t see an ashtray, so could you hold out your hands? Yes, like you¡¯re scooping up water.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re stressed out, why not sing a song!? This is a karaoke box, after all!!¡±


    ¡°Why did you bring me to this love hotel?¡±


    ¡°If a fancy officer showed up at the run-down motel, we¡¯d be advertising that it¡¯s an intelligence division hideout. The place would be blown away by a rocket or bomb the next day.¡±


    Incidentally, Legitimacy Kingdom bodyguards had rented the two neighboring rooms while disguised as customers and a bulletproof SUV was casually waiting in the alley closest to the emergency exit. The defenses put in place for an officer were on an entirely different level.


    Frolaytia grabbed a pitcher, poured a carbonated drink into a glass, and grabbed some fried chicken from a large plate of greasy foods.


    ¡°What are you planning to do here in Lost Angels?¡±


    ¡°As I said, we got an accurate map of the smuggling tunnels the Capitalist Corporations use. If we use them, we can sneak up on the Flyaway.¡±


    After asking permission, Quenser reached for the same large plate as his commander and munched on some fries.


    The onion rings must not have been very good because neither of them took any.


    ¡°He uses a static electricity propulsion device just like the Princess, so it¡¯s possible we can stop him from moving using a weakness there.¡±


    ¡°Specifically?¡±


    Frolaytia must not have liked how salty the fried chicken was because she dipped it in a small plate of mayonnaise.


    If they used a giant charged sheet commonly known as a Floor Heater, they could pump in a whole bunch of power to mess with the static electricity letting the Object float.


    However...


    ¡°We can¡¯t rely on a large system like the Floor Heater. The tunnels were hand-dug and only a light off-road motorcycle can get through. They were made to let unregistered guns and drugs through, so we can¡¯t hope for much.¡±


    After Quenser shoved several fries into his mouth, Frolaytia took a sip of her carbonated drink and then spoke to the boy.


    ¡°Then what will you do? The battlefield covers the entire mountain range, so it¡¯s a large area. Also, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be worried about his own footing. Is there really a way to trip him up without getting caught by his many sensors?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a theory, but yes,¡± said Quenser.


    Frolaytia grinned and urged him to continue.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something that can mess with his static electricity while also affecting a wide area. All we have to do is transport it through the tunnels and onto the mountain slope.¡±


    ¡°But what exactly is it? You already told me you can¡¯t use the Floor Heater.¡±


    ¡°The tunnels are narrow, but if we aren¡¯t transporting a ¡®solid¡¯, we can send quite a lot through at once.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    Frolaytia was surprised and Quenser placed a handheld device on the table.


    It displayed a satellite photo of the mountains.


    The slope was covered by several metal pipes that looked like water slides enlarged several dozen times over.


    ¡°There¡¯s a hydroelectric power station...in other words, a dam. We just have to use a large pump to draw out the water and send it through the ant colony of smuggling tunnels. Static electricity propulsion devices can¡¯t directly cross rivers or oceans, so they have to attach naval floats first. As the Flyaway gets carried away, we¡¯ll create a fountain of water at his feet and turn the entire slope into a giant waterfall. That¡¯ll stop him.¡±


    ¡°And if the Princess keeps enough distance to not get caught too, she just has to fire one of her main cannons...¡±


    ¡°That will be an issue of speed. After the first attack, the Flyaway will remove its main cannon to lighten itself. That means the Princess won¡¯t have to think about evading anymore. If she can blast him before he realizes what¡¯s going on and sends out the White Flag signal, we¡¯ll win.¡±


    It was nothing but a theory.


    If the Princess and the intelligence division creating the waterfall could not work together, it would all go up in smoke, so it was a risky gamble.


    However, a definite chance for success was beginning to form.


    They would be able to strike back against the bastard who had sacrificed so many civilians.


    ¡°I leave the decision up to you.¡±


    ¡°Of course you do. I¡¯m the maintenance base commander.¡±


    Naturally, if the report was submitted under the name Quenser Barbotage, a battlefield student and therefore an amateur, the higher ups would not take it seriously. The Collective Farming incident had been a special case.


    However, things would be different if it had the name of Major Frolaytia Capistrano.


    ¡°I hope you will ¡®consider¡¯ it.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll give it some ¡®thought¡¯.¡±


    Part 8


    They began to move late at night.


    Partway along the winding road up the northern mountains was a space that functioned as a rest area and a shop. It was a lot like a highway service area and it was likely supported by the people working at the dam and observatory.


    Lost Angels¡¯s nights were supposed to be covered in thick fog, but the mountains seemed to be an exception. The fog was probably a product of the cold mountain wind blowing down into the lukewarm ocean, but that humid sea breeze was absent here.


    Millia Newburg was speaking with someone over the radio while sitting on the hood of a classic car (that she had of course stolen).


    Perhaps to keep them awake, the car¡¯s stereo was playing a pirate broadcast at high volume.


    ¡°This is F-F-F-Flashtime News (¨¤ la a DJ¡¯s scratch)!! Lip Service, the attorney¡¯s office well-known even within the Capitalist Corporations, is gathering attention by opening an online consultation service. The office specializes in family troubles, so they¡¯re a must-have for fixing any trouble with future geniuses being sold to big companies AKA talent trafficking.¡±


    She spoke to Quenser and Heivia who were filling their stomachs with the cold steamed chicken and salad pasta left in the cheap store.


    ¡°The team we sent ahead has taken control of the hydroelectric power station. We¡¯re about to prepare the large pump. The travel team needs to switch over to the off-road motorcycle.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the Princess doing?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on standby. After getting carried away and starting the battle before we were ready last time, she¡¯s being a lot more cautious.¡±


    With that, all of the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers got moving.


    They searched through the parking lot that had a number of cars and motorcycles parked in it even late at night.


    ¡°Putana, won¡¯t you make yourself sick if you eat curry this late?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t understand how you can call something food if it doesn¡¯t have more than eight kinds of spices mixed together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just thankful I can eat something other than rubber-like rations even though we¡¯re at war. Hey, Quenser, whose ass will you be riding this time?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯m going to be clinging to someone¡¯s waist, you should know I¡¯ll choose the girl.¡±


    ¡°Teacher, that isn¡¯t something to look so proud of. And please just get a license.¡±


    While they complained, they stole motorcycles with practiced motions.


    Having your means of transportation taken from you in the mountains late at night was a frightening thought, but the damage near the keyhole suggested these had been stolen already. That meant their ¡°owners¡± had brought this bad luck upon themselves.


    ¡°I hate these hot nights and their lack of women. Maybe I should call out to one of those women on the street corners.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t if I were you. Spread your noble blood around like that and you¡¯ll have someone killing you in your sleep decades down the line. It¡¯ll be like a scene out of Whatever-It¡¯s-Called Suspense Theatre.¡±


    ¡°My brain knows that, but...y¡¯know, people sometimes have to follow their hearts. Like when I see that beauty in a dress over there with the horny-looking expression.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a trap. You can tell from the location of the pelvis.¡±


    Heivia did a spit-take, but Quenser ignored his intensely regretful friend and gave the Woman in a Dress a skeptical look. What was he(?) doing on this mountain road?


    Before he could find an answer, Millia spoke up.


    ¡°Those of us on the transport team will go in the trucks. We have to carry the large pump and other equipment in ahead of time, after all.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Putana, keep some distance from the trucks. We don¡¯t want to look like we¡¯re traveling together.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a few of the motorcycles go on ahead. It can¡¯t hurt to make sure there isn¡¯t an ambush waiting for us.¡±


    With that decided, two of the motorcycles took the lead.


    Quenser¡¯s group watched as the trucks left.


    Finally, with a roar of engines, the intelligence division¡¯s travel team continued up the winding road in two lines of motorcycles.


    They were wary, but fortunately, they did not notice an obvious attack or interference.


    They did hear some dry gunshots in the distance, but that was normal in Lost Angels. A tow truck drove down the opposite lane with a luxury racing car in tow and a group of modified cars chased after that Car Thief disguised as a road service.


    Quenser clung to Putana and she spoke without turning back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t feel any gazes on us.¡±


    ¡°Gazes?¡±


    ¡°The military satellites are also mostly focused on the city of Lost Angels, so they aren¡¯t paying much attention to these mountains. Of course, that¡¯s why they can¡¯t blame anyone else for the cable cars being blown away.¡±


    Hearing that made Quenser shudder.


    He did not know how much truth there was to that, but he doubted it was a mere bluff or assumption. This girl could use her scopophobia as a weapon, so just how much of a threat to the Princess would she be inside an Object?


    (I¡¯m really glad we got rid of that possibility ahead of time.)


    ¡°Teacher?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! Did my smoldering gaze send a tingle down your spine, Putana?¡±


    Before long, the group of motorcycles arrived at the hydroelectric power station partway up the mountain.


    Millia Newburg gave them a casual wave from the parking lot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started. We¡¯re using Quenser¡¯s idea. We¡¯ll set up the pumps to draw the water from the reservoir, so you all lay out the pipeline in the smuggling tunnels.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia hopped down from the motorcycles and walked over to the back of the trucks, but Heivia frowned after opening the metal doors.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? There¡¯s only enough for one hundred meters! That¡¯s not enough to get the water all the way through the mountain!!¡±


    ¡°How many trucks do you think we¡¯d need to carry that much pipework around? We¡¯d stand out too much if we did that and it¡¯s all over if the Faith Organization gets suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve marked certain spots on the map. We¡¯ll divide the ant colony of tunnels into the human pathway and the water pathway. We just have to cover up all of the branches from the water one to make it a single route. If we pour water in there like a flash flood, it¡¯ll work just like a pipe.¡±


    Quenser pointed his thumb back at the hydroelectric power station.


    ¡°Lost Angels¡¯s power is unstable and blackouts are common, right? The data we have says the power company had started to add more turbines but stopped construction for a variety of reasons. There should be bags of quick-dry cement piled up like sandbags, so let¡¯s borrow those.¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that nice. You¡¯re suggesting we steal civil property like it¡¯s nothing. You really have been dyed in the colors of Lost Angels, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Did you know cement has an expiration date? They¡¯d have to throw those things out like box lunches at a convenience store anyway. Another nation¡¯s military is disposing of it for them, so they should actually thank us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and readily making excuses like that is also part of the Lost Angels way of life. Let¡¯s call this being ecological. That stuff would be wasted in the hands of those morons.¡±


    The two idiots continued to complain as they smashed the lock to the giant storehouse next to the power station. The bags of cement looked a lot like bags of rice or flour, but they were a lot heavier.


    The very first one just about crushed Quenser.


    ¡°You idiot! Quenser, don¡¯t you know being frail is only a plus for sheltered rich girls!?¡±


    ¡°What is this...? Am I a slave being forced to build the pyramids?¡±


    While Quenser groaned from the floor, the delicate-looking Putana Highball quickly placed three of the bags over her shoulder.


    ¡°Teacher.¡± Her expression was perfectly composed. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we talked about what you owe me by this point.¡±


    ¡°Please no! If I do that with a genius Elite, I¡¯ll end up buried in debt!!¡±


    Quenser could not actually lift the bags of cement, so he ended up grabbing one by the edge and dragging it along.


    They tied them to the back of their motorcycles with wire.


    And of course, only those who could drive could sit in the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°I really do think we need to talk about what you owe me.¡±


    ¡°No, wait. I don¡¯t think you should judge a guy based on whether he knows how to drive a motorcycle or not. Even when I learned to play the guitar, it didn¡¯t make me popular!!¡±


    Heivia and Putana drove their off-road motorcycles into the smuggling tunnel, leaving Quenser and his complaints behind.


    Millia came over to check on the boy as he spread a map on the hood of a car and checked the route with a military flashlight.


    ¡°Is everything going well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, assuming my calculations are correct, using the giant pump to pour water into this one point will split along a number of routes but ultimately turn the opposite slopes of these three mountains into a water slide. If we can lure the Flyaway in, we can seal off his static electricity legs. There¡¯s no escape for him.¡±


    ¡°From here, we can¡¯t tell what¡¯s happening on the other side, so you tell us when to send in the water.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    In less than an hour, Heivia and Putana returned.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s been flirting with a beautiful woman while we were out there sweating and doing construction work. Just how much are you going to enjoy the Lost Angels way of life!?¡±


    ¡°Rewarding the slacker feels like a rebellion against society to me,¡± added Putana.


    After waiting for the other off-road motorcycles to get back, Quenser, Millia, and the others completely sealed off the tunnel entrance after connecting the two meter wide plastic pipe running from the giant pump.


    Millia clapped her hands.


    ¡°Okay, head to the other side of the mountains through another tunnel. It¡¯s time for round two.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Hey, Putana, you heard her, so let me ride your ass again.¡±


    Quenser hopped onto the back of Putana¡¯s off-road motorcycle. Since he was researching cool ways to get on, he had likely gotten used to being treated as baggage.


    As a jack of all trades, Heivia had no girl with him and he was muttering under his breath with a look in his eyes that suggested he was in serious need of some counseling.


    ¡°Maybe I should just throw away my license.¡±


    ¡°Listen, Heivia. You only score some points with their protective instincts if you can¡¯t do it. If you can but you don¡¯t, you aren¡¯t going to catch any girl¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°Teacher, can I just throw you off now?¡±


    Regardless, Putana and Heivia drove their motorcycles into a different smuggling tunnel hidden partway up the mountain path.


    There were no lights inside, so they only had the unreliable illumination of their headlights. The tunnel was less than two meters wide and the ground was bumpy since it was hand-dug. Also, it had only been dug out, so there were no pillars or concrete to reinforce it.


    Instead of an occult test of courage, it felt more suited for a frightening theme park attraction.


    ¡°This really feels handmade. It¡¯s like a tunnel someone made for a summer project.¡±


    There were concrete walls here and there, but they were probably what Heivia and the others had made from the quick-drying concrete.


    The pathway for dozens of tons of water was on the other side of those walls.


    After traveling about seven kilometers, they left the tunnel on the other side of the mountain.


    They braked and viewed the mountain scenery from the tunnel exit.


    ¡°Looks like the Princess has gotten started,¡± said Heivia while still sitting on his motorcycle.


    A low, heavy roar echoed around them like storm clouds approaching from the distance.


    That was the sound of a static electricity propulsion device.


    ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ve poked at the hornet¡¯s nest well enough. That king of chickens is showing himself!!¡±


    Something like a giant insect sat on the slope like a row of fangs belonging to some ferocious beast towering into the heavens.


    That nuke-resistant insect had eight legs and a removable main cannon attached to its fattened spherical body.


    It sent out the White Flag signal with reckless abandon and it had no problem making civilian sacrifices to get a shot in.


    Quenser gulped and named the crazed insect.


    ¡°The Faith Organization¡¯s Second Generation Object, the Flyaway!!¡±


    Part 9


    Despite everything else going on, the main player on the battlefield was the Princess and the Baby Magnum, so Quenser held his radio in one hand as he waited with the others.


    ¡°The enemy falls back as soon as he fires his first shot, so to catch him in our trap, you need to delay his first shot as much as possible and lure him as far forward as you can. Don¡¯t give him a chance to aim. Keep firing to force him to move left and right while you back away bit by bit. That will draw him over this way.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°He believes he can escape no matter what, so he¡¯ll get bolder. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to have him get carried away. If you¡¯re confident enough, you can even pretend to slip on the steep slope. He should jump at that chance.¡±


    ¡°So I just have to ensure my safety while intentionally stimulating his greed? That should be easy.¡±


    As Quenser spoke with the Princess via radio, Putana observed the boy from the side.


    That Pilot Elite would bring about the conclusion, she held everyone¡¯s lives in her hands, and everyone relied on her.


    That should have been Putana¡¯s place, too.


    ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    An ear-splitting explosion tore through the mountains.


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s coilgun main cannon had ripped through the air at supersonic speeds to create a sonic boom as it instantly flew toward the Flyaway.


    Using that as its cue, the Flyaway also began to move.


    The enemy Object moved in a small circle on the steep slope to avoid the shell and then approached the Baby Magnum.


    Its main cannon was made from a honeycomb of containers and it creaked as it aimed.


    It specialized in a spray of attacks that filled an entire surface.


    To put it another way, it was a one-time attack that had to be held in reserve.


    Or so they had thought, but it was acting oddly.


    Explosive sounds burst from the Flyaway again and again.


    Instead of its main cannon, it was firing smaller railguns and rapid-fire beam cannons that were of no use in an Object vs. Object battle.


    ¡°Wah!?¡±


    ¡°That bastard is destroying this mountain!!¡±


    Quenser and the others frantically got down as a concerning crumbling sound came from overhead...no, near the peak of the mountain. A full-on landslide had apparently begun further down and a wall of dust completely enveloped and hid everything near the surface.


    The Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum was no exception.


    All of the dirt flowed down the slope, the slope itself began to fall, and it all continued further and further down. That overwhelming current slowed the Baby Magnum¡¯s movements. Staying put on the slope was the most it could manage and it could not keep up its sharp movements.


    ¡°Not good. The Princess has been stopped! If that thing gets close, she¡¯ll be turned to Swiss cheese by its main cannon!!¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing we can do. Even if six of her main cannons are blown away and the spherical main body is blasted open like an empty can, we¡¯ll still win if she can move at the end. We need him to get carried away and get close. Otherwise, our trap won¡¯t work!!¡±


    The Flyaway approached further when it saw the Princess¡¯s confusion.


    It was now within range of its main cannon.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Not yet!! If he¡¯s only on the edge of the effective range, he¡¯ll just escape backwards once it starts. We need to lure him into the center of the effective range so he¡¯ll be swept away by the water slide no matter which way he tries to escape!!¡±


    The Princess could no longer put on an act.


    Based on how much she was struggling, it seemed certain the Flyaway was going to win.


    The Flyaway continued to advance.


    It approached the vertical slope looking down on Quenser¡¯s group.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The student pressed his thumb down on his radio¡¯s switch.


    The shortened number sent out a sign to Millia Newburg and the others waiting on the other side of the mountain. That single button set the giant pump in motion, so dozens of tons of water would be sent from the reservoir and onto the slopes of the three mountains, turning them into water slides.


    The running feet would be stopped.


    ¡°Okay!! Millia, do it! Now!!¡±


    He heard a light click and then a low rumbling shook the entire mountain. The tunnel Quenser¡¯s group had traveled through had been separated for human use, so the water would not flow through it. Still, the vibration of the water in the other tunnel reached them here.


    However...


    ¡°Hey, Quenser, something isn¡¯t right.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t making a water slide. It doesn¡¯t look like any water is flowing out of the other tunnel exits.¡±


    Quenser turned around in shock.


    Small fragments were falling from the ceiling of the hand-dug tunnel there.


    ¡°Oh, no... Oh, no!!¡±


    ¡°Quenser, explain this,¡± demanded the Princess over the radio.


    ¡°The Flyaway¡¯s bombardment caused the hand-dug tunnels to collapse! The impromptu pipeline for the water is full of cracks and is useless! Princess, change of plans. Fire your main cannon to the coordinates I¡¯m about to-...¡±


    He trailed off as the situation continued to develop.


    ¡°No, wait. If the water pipeline isn¡¯t working, where is that rumbling coming from!?¡±


    ¡°The plan failed because the water did not follow the proper route,¡± said Putana. ¡°That means...¡±


    ¡°Dammit.¡± Quenser¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°Is it flowing down this tunnel!?¡±


    They did not have time to brace themselves.


    A tremendous torrent of water burst from the mountain and mercilessly knocked them into the air.


    Part 10


    The fountain of water was much smaller than in the original plan.


    It would not have been enough to stop the Object had it been caught by it, but it was more than enough to sweep away some flesh-and-blood humans.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!???¡±


    They rolled and slipped down. Quenser¡¯s group fell down the giant slide along with quite a lot of dirt and rubble.


    They were caught by something partway down the mountain.


    If not for that, they may really have fallen all the way to the bottom of the cliff.


    ¡°Damn...it... What just happened?¡±


    Quenser still could not move properly, but he reached for his radio. However, there was no response when he pressed the button. Whether due to the fall or the mud, it seemed to be broken.


    (You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.)


    An ominously deep rumbling continued on the slope above and the Flyaway was still on the move.


    It was the type to shoot once and then flee, so it did not have time to focus on something other than its true target.


    (He¡¯ll get away again at this rate. The Princess will be worn down if this ridiculous game of tag continues. We need to find a way to blow him away tonight!!)


    He steadied himself by grabbing onto something like a broken pillar sticking out from the muddy slope, he looked around again, and he finally realized where he was.


    ¡°The cable car station?¡±


    ¡°Yup, the one with the one-way trip to heaven thanks to that slaughter of civilians. It¡¯s a good thing the cable cars were stopped after the accident and no one was left inside the station.¡±


    He heard his awful friend¡¯s voice.


    Still clinging to the pillar, he looked back and saw Heivia covered in mud.


    ¡°What happened to Putana?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she¡¯s wearing the same kind of special suit as the Princess, right? I doubt she would die so easily.¡±


    At any rate, the two idiots moved from the unstable, muddy slope and into the half-destroyed station building.


    Now that they could finally catch their breath, Heivia asked a question.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°What we need to do hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°The water slide plan? That was a failure! There¡¯s nothing we can do now that the tunnel for the water has collapsed!!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? There¡¯s still a chance we can pull it off.¡±


    ¡°You mean cause a landslide like the Flyaway did? But he was whizzing across the slope he made collapse!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Regardless, we have to move to where we can set this up.¡±


    Quenser switched on his military flashlight and cut across the collapsed building.


    He was searching for a maintained mountain-climbing trail, but he stopped before reaching the exit.


    ¡°There¡¯s a staff room.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it couldn¡¯t hurt to check for a map or something. The locals might have marked animal trails not on the official maps.¡±


    The door was already broken and dirt from the landslide had gotten inside.


    Everything was covered in mud, but they still found some documents.


    ¡°A business journal? No, it¡¯s too small for that. A private journal, then? It¡¯s not from the station staff...so the drivers? Did they take turns making entries in here?¡±


    ¡°That thing¡¯s not going to tell you the secret to defeating that monstrous weapon. Quit getting sidetracked.¡±


    ¡°But this....¡±


    Quenser frowned as he flipped through the pages.


    Most of the pages were too covered in mud to open, but some were unharmed.


    This is what they said:


    ¡°May 1: They came by again. I can¡¯t exactly complain when they¡¯re giving me money, but with how much trouble this is, I wish they¡¯d do it somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°May 13: Today¡¯s the day. I don¡¯t know what the point of this is, but I¡¯ll just do as I was told. I only have to send out the cars without anyone on them, so it¡¯s not all that difficult a job.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    They¡¯re giving me money


    Today¡¯s the day.


    I¡¯ll just do as I was told.


    I only have to send out the cars without anyone on them.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. The story was that all eighty-nine cable car passengers died, right?¡±


    ¡°Hold up. Are you saying...?¡±


    Suddenly, a transmission from an ally reached Heivia¡¯s radio.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get through to teacher¡¯s radio, but is he there?¡±


    ¡°Putana?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m down below, but I seem to have found something unbelievable.¡±


    Putana Highball was clearly a little bit shaken.


    ¡°No, maybe I should say it¡¯s what I haven¡¯t found.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess.¡± Quenser cut in from the side. ¡°You¡¯re at the site of the accident, but you can¡¯t find the corpses that should be strewn all over the place. Is that it?¡±


    Part 11


    Putana Highball stood near the bent, twisted, and broken cable car rail.


    Moving around her military flashlight was enough to spot the cars that had fallen and lost their connections.


    However...


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly it, teacher. I can¡¯t find anything that might be corpses.¡±


    The accident had occurred earlier that same day. With bodies covering a large area, it would take at least a day or two to recover them all.


    Nevertheless, there was not even one in evidence.


    In fact, there was not even a single bloodstain or possession of the deceased.


    ¡°That¡¯s an area of suspicion,¡± explained Quenser. ¡°If either the Legitimacy Kingdom or Faith Organization¡¯s investigation team holds a press conference, their credibility will only be about 50/50. If they insist there were no bodies or that the people vanished, the other side will claim they stole the evidence and it will all end in a giant gray zone. Someone used that situation to pull off a large-scale kidnapping.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened to the people who were supposed to be on the cable cars?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. Wait, wait. One of the computers here is still functioning. There might still be some surveillance camera footage on here.¡±


    Putana turned off her military flashlight and held her breath.


    The bottom of the valley grew pitch black, but she confidently sharpened her eyes.


    (I sense a gaze.)


    The gaze was sweeping about in every direction. She guessed they had noticed the light but did not know how many people were there. This gaze did not home in on her as if obscenely licking across her body.


    (There¡¯s just one of them. Probably a scout, or...)


    She moved through the mud to avoid the gaze.


    She circled around a cable car lying on its side and made her way behind the owner of the gaze.


    She lightly tapped the metal surface with the back of her hand.


    ¡°!?¡±


    She shined her extremely powerful military flashlight toward the person who turned around in surprise.


    The beam of light seemed to stab into their brain and she aimed for the moment they froze in place. She took advantage of the high-capacity battery¡¯s weight to use the flashlight like a club and beat them on the side of the head.


    They groaned after collapsing to the dirt, so she beat them a second and third time to knock them out cold.


    She fished through their pockets and found a cellphone, a wallet, and an ID.


    ¡°I found a Faith Organization scout,¡± she whispered into her radio. ¡°However, he isn¡¯t from the Garuda¡¯s...I mean, the Flyaway¡¯s unit. I think he¡¯s from Viridian Edge, the Faith Organization gang back in the city.¡±


    She also found a handgun, but it was the type with a maintenance chip contained in the grip cover. It had a GPS transmitter embedded inside. The transmitter required a special tool to remove, so she gave up on it.


    Once the transmitter stopped moving, the main unit would quickly notice something was wrong.


    Regardless, Putana checked the data on the cellphone.


    It seemed he really was part of an intelligence agency. The machine¡¯s default password lock was one thing, but the data inside was encrypted and there was nothing she could do. However, she could still see the filenames and a few terms stuck out to her.


    ¡°Nataraja?¡±


    Back in the cable car station, Quenser and Heivia checked through the surveillance camera footage on the functioning computer.


    They were most interested in the footage from just before the accident.


    ¡°Oh, goddammit,¡± groaned Heivia ¡°There it is.¡±


    The grainy footage showed several masked men walking across the cable car station¡¯s platform. A few dozen people who seemed to be on a trip were being led outside the building with their hands up.


    Lastly, the cable cars in question were sent out empty.


    ¡°It¡¯s a large-scale kidnapping. But what for? Are they going to be making a bunch of ransom calls with helium voices?¡±


    The masked men must not have expected this footage to remain.


    It was possible the bribed worker...no, driver had failed to delete it to keep as a sort of ¡°insurance¡±.


    ¡°We have no way of tracking down the masked men, but what about the kidnapped people? It looks like a lot of them are kids, but we can actually see their faces. Is there no kind of hint?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any powerful facial recognition software if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking. ...No, but wait.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°These kids all have the same badge on their chests. Can you zoom in on that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll probably still be really grainy.¡±


    Quenser did as he was told and Heivia fell silent.


    After a while, the rich noble spoke up.


    ¡°These kids are probably from the Capitalist Corporations. They¡¯re from California Biochemistry University. That school of geniuses loves taking in kids who skipped grades, so they produce tons of nine or ten year olds with PhDs. But while they do great in academics, the kids have no social experience, so people call them a twisted factory school.¡±


    ¡°Why do you know so much about this? Do you have a thing for genius girls or something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s royals and nobles to get genetic disorders unique to their bloodline. They can¡¯t exactly let it get out, but it¡¯s pretty common for people to be secretly funding projects to research their rare diseases.¡±


    ¡°In that case...¡±


    ¡°These weren¡¯t just any old kids who were abducted. They¡¯re all researchers with PhDs in the biochemistry field. Worst case, their heads might be packed full of technical data related to Pilot Elites.¡±


    ¡°Then this kidnapping wasn¡¯t for a ransom.¡± Quenser gulped. ¡°This is talent trafficking. Are they going to sell them on the black market as current or future talent?¡±


    Talent trafficking.


    Putana Highball recalled that dreadful word.


    That form of organized crime was especially common in the safe countries of the Capitalist Corporations. Small children expected to be geniuses were abducted and they were legally recognized as someone else who ¡°simply looks a lot like them¡± thanks to an army of corporate lawyers abusing the fact that a DNA test will not get a 100% match even with a sample from the same person. Afterwards, they were sold to a large company that wanted their talent.


    There was an element of luck in whether the child would actually become a genius, but Putana had heard that made it a target for financial speculators.


    (This was a case of talent trafficking?)


    As she looked at the cable cars lying here and there, she felt anger scorching her nerves.


    She did not know what the word Nataraja in ¡°their¡± cellphone meant, but...


    (Were they targeted by a local group while here on a trip? Or was the trip itself part of the kidnapping plan?)


    She had no guarantee, but she felt she should assume it was the latter.


    Capitalist Corporations safe countries had specialized school PMCs to completely guard the children from talent trafficking, but there was an opening as soon as they entered a country without that system.


    Not to mention that anywhere near Lost Angels was an odd choice for a trip. It seemed likely it was chosen because it would make the children easy to abduct.


    ¡°Teacher.¡±


    After some thought, Putana brought the radio to her mouth.


    ¡°I knocked out one of their scouts, so the main unit should show up soon. However, that also means their main unit is probably still nearby. If I check around here, I might be able to take out the talent trafficking group.¡±


    ¡°The main unit? You mean the abducted children might not have been taken away just yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. For one, it can¡¯t be easy to sneak out more than eighty people. It would be reasonable to assume they would wait until it was dark to start moving, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Understood, Putana. But you don¡¯t have a gun, do you? We¡¯ll head there and-...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    A rumbling shook the mountains.


    The Baby Magnum and the Flyaway were still battling on the steep slope. And since the surprise attack had failed, the Flyaway would have the upper hand on its home turf.


    ¡°You two head back up. If the Baby Magnum is taken out, we lose our escape route. Even if we did rescue the eighty or more people, it would be impossible to sneak all of them out without being caught by the Object¡¯s sensors.¡±


    ¡°Putana...¡±


    ¡°Please go.¡±


    The girl in a green special suit directly denied him as she stared into the darkness.


    ¡°I will be taking the credit today, teacher.¡±


    Part 12


    Quenser and Heivia both clicked their tongues in the half-destroyed station.


    ¡°What do we do, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°Putana has a point. Even if we do rescue the hostages, they¡¯ll be slaughtered just for being with Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers if we don¡¯t take out the Flyaway. More importantly, we don¡¯t know where Putana is and we¡¯ll never find her if we just randomly search through the mountains!¡±


    Also, if the cable car incident had been part of a talent trafficking plot, then there was a good chance the Flyaway was in on it. It was not clear whether he was leading the crime or if he had been paid off, but either way, he would try to erase the evidence if it fell apart.


    ¡°Dammit. Then let¡¯s hurry up and deal with the problem up there. Without the Object¡¯s anti-air lasers, we can have a helicopter sent in.¡±


    They were reluctant, but every second they waited only worsened the situation.


    Staying where they were would not improve things.


    ¡°Anyway, we need to climb back up to where we slid down. ...Hey, Quenser. What¡¯s that you¡¯ve got there?¡±


    ¡°The driver¡¯s journal from before.¡±


    ¡°What use is that now!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure it¡¯s useless.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    They rushed from the station building and chose a relatively gentle route up the slope. All the while, they heard the intermittent rumbling of Object cannons.


    The Baby Magnum was not the only one firing.


    ¡°Hey, something isn¡¯t right.¡±


    Heivia came to a stop and his cowardly fear ¨C his proper fear of an Object ¨C rose to the surface.


    ¡°The Princess isn¡¯t the only one firing. In fact, it looks like the Flyaway is sending out the fiercer bombardment!¡±


    ¡°Why? The Flyaway¡¯s main cannon is meant to be abandoned, right!? Isn¡¯t that thing supposed to use all of its firepower at once and then run away!?¡±


    Part 13


    After Quenser and the others slid down the mountain slope, a lot had happened between the Baby Magnum and the Flyaway.


    First of all, the plan to transform the three mountains into giant water slides had failed.


    That meant the Flyaway had an overwhelming advantage in speed on the steep slopes.


    In no time at all, it had taken up the ideal firing position.


    The container main cannon attached to the front of the machine gave a roar and it sprayed a fan-shaped downpour of coilgun fire at tremendous speed.


    The sounds of the air being torn apart mixed together and reverberated throughout the area like a high-pitched whistle.


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s spherical body was worn down, orange sparks surrounded it, and two of its seven main cannons were torn off and blown away.


    ¡°Kh!?¡±


    But it was not crushed.


    It did not break.


    Even in that hopeless position, the Princess moved her machine around to use the smallest possible movements to avoid a fatal blow in the torrent of shells.


    Her opponent¡¯s container main cannon was mostly a one-use weapon.


    No matter how close to death it brought her, she could strike back as long as she overcame this fierce attack.


    Finally, that moment came.


    The Flyaway released the container main cannon just like a lizard tail. With some ammunition remaining, it would wander around the battlefield using something like insect legs. That left the slight possibility of it reconnecting and firing again. While the enemy was worried about that, the Flyaway would make its escape. That was the cannon¡¯s role here.


    But firing the main cannon without a connection to the reactor was impossible, so the Princess could ignore it.


    She quickly accelerated the Baby Magnum.


    She approached all at once while the Flyaway fell back and fired its smaller cannons toward the mountain peaks. It was trying to create landslides to stop the Baby Magnum.


    (The movement of the landslides doesn¡¯t change. If I can predict the pattern and make course corrections, I can reduce the lost time.)


    She kept at it and continued her pursuit.


    The Baby Magnum slid into position at the proper distance and angle to kill the Flyaway before that other Object could cross the ridgeline and vanish.


    But then the Flyaway¡¯s front two legs bent sharply.


    It looked a lot like when an innocent child twisted and ripped off an insect¡¯s legs.


    However, this meant something else entirely.


    For one thing, those were not legs.


    They had a muzzle on the end.


    ¡°A low-stability plasma cannon!? The Flyaway has two main cannons!?¡±


    The Princess frantically switched over to evasive action, but it was far too late.


    The Flyaway had more than one ideal strategy.


    The first was to wear down the enemy Object by continually spraying shells and releasing its main cannon while abusing the White Flag signal to ensure its safety.


    The second was to wait for the enemy to expect the first strategy and let its guard down when the main cannon was removed. Then, it would fire straight through its enemy with its second main cannon in a surprise attack.


    The blinding beam of a low-stability plasma cannon flew toward the Princess at close range.


    Part 14


    Quenser and Heivia felt an unpleasant sweat cover their bodies when they saw the beam of light sweeping through the air.


    ¡°Dammit, what has the electronic simulation division been doing!? Their specs were completely wrong!!¡±


    ¡°Complaining isn¡¯t going to help. Whatever the situation, we have to make sure the Princess wins!¡±


    ¡°But how!? He¡¯s faster on these steep slopes and he¡¯s firing a second main cannon even after abandoning his container one! This is getting worse and worse, so the Princess is just going to be worn down!!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m saying we have to turn that around somehow. Come with me!¡±


    The mountains shook ominously as the two of them worked at climbing the slope.


    They felt an extra large tremor, so the Flyaway had probably damaged the Princess with its plasma main cannon, regrouped with its container main cannon, and started firing the remaining coilgun shells.


    How far had the Baby Magnum been worn down?


    Was the Princess okay?


    Could they all leave this battle alive?


    Heivia nervously turned toward the noise, but the student was not looking toward the Flyaway. He walked along with his eyes glued to the muddy driver¡¯s journal.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. What are you going to learn from that thing!? There¡¯s a horrifying monster right in front of us, you know!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. And Heivia, hand over your radio. Mine¡¯s broken.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but what are you going to do!?¡±


    ¡°That thing¡¯s so full of secrets that we¡¯d never have a complete idea of its systems if we checked over everything one by one. More importantly, the Princess might not last that long. It¡¯s being a little forceful, but we have to move things along ourselves.¡±


    ¡°What can we possibly do after all this!? The water slide using the smuggling tunnels was a failure and he can whiz along the slope during a landslide! Can you really put together a way of defeating it like some kind of adlibbed recipe!?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, we¡¯ll use this.¡±


    Quenser gently shook the muddy journal and said more to Heivia who clearly did not understand.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take them out with what they left behind.¡±


    Part 15


    ¡°For example, people can sense light across their entire body. There was even an experiment that found shining a powerful light on the back of the knees could adjust the time people woke up in the morning. Because people have some faint sense of light even with their eyes shut, it is possible to prepare for in attack from any direction if trained properly.¡±


    Putana recalled the words of the witch doctor who had examined her body.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t seem to be what¡¯s happening with you. A lot is still unknown about the process you use to directly sense other people¡¯s gazes. When we line up a bunch of identical cameras, you can accurately tell us which ones are active, and that isn¡¯t normal. Yes, yes. This is a truly fascinating case.¡±


    Even the girl who used it did not understand exactly how it worked, but she did know how to use it as an Elite¡¯s weapon.


    ¡°...¡±


    Putana slowly closed her eyes in the almost pure darkness at the bottom of the valley.


    The surges of invisible pressure were much like flashlights being rudely pointed this way and that. After estimating their locations and directions, she opened her eyes again and continued on while avoiding each one.


    Not much had been done to keep rocks from falling into the valley, so some rather large ones were sitting here and there. She also saw some military-looking canopied trucks. They seemed to be ones that had blown a tire on the hard rocks. No one remained inside the trucks and there was no sign of the talent trafficking children stuffed inside the back. Instead, extra shotguns and light machineguns had been left behind, so they had apparently not had time to destroy them all.


    (Are they still stuck here because of the blown tires?)


    Putana weaved her way between the trucks.


    She sensed several gazes, but one of them had an odd color to it.


    She moved through the darkness to approach the gaze that trembled in fear and she reached an arm around from behind the person.


    It was a boy of about ten.


    ¡°Mgh!?¡±


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± she whispered while dragging him behind a truck.


    She turned the boy around to get a look at him and placed her index finger on her lips.


    She then whispered a question from close by.


    ¡°Are you one of the children from the cable cars?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The boy nodded again and again.


    ¡°They all went over there.¡±


    ¡°Over there?¡±


    ¡°To the Star. ...They¡¯re all going to get on the Star. I decided it was too strange and ran off at the last second, though.¡±


    ¡°The Star?¡±


    She doubted the kidnappers could trick the children onto a car or airplane. They were young, but they were geniuses who already had PhDs. With that much involvement in the world of adults, those cold-eyed children would see nothing in that kind of farce.


    In that case, was it some kind of metaphor?


    What mattered was that this boy had parted ways with the other children.


    ¡°Did any other children escape with you?¡±


    ¡°No. They all happily continued on to the Star. And yet none of us has actually seen what it is.¡±


    That was when the randomly searching gazes gained a singular focus like iron sand being sucked in by a magnet. An unpleasant sensation ran down Putana¡¯s back and the gazes focused on the other side of the truck.


    Whether a shadow or footprints, they had detected something.


    Someone would be sent here to check, so she could not wait around any longer.


    Still crouching down, she placed her hands on the boy¡¯s shoulders and looked straight at him.


    ¡°Listen. You need to turn around and keep running in that direction. If you keep running in a straight line with the truck in the way, you will remain hidden from the hunters for a bit. Ignore any difference in height and keep running even if you have to climb over a hill.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But...¡±


    ¡°And then...¡±


    Without letting him speak, she removed a hand from his shoulder and pulled out a card-sized firearm attached with reusable tape to her nurse-like green special suit.


    It was a one-use flare gun.


    ¡°This will send a scramble signal to the white collars, Faith Organization navy experts that work with the Object rather than Viridian Edge. A unit commanded by the major won¡¯t have been corrupted. After making it one hundred meters...no, two hundred, point this straight up and pull the trigger. The military satellite will detect the flash signal and the white collars will come to rescue you.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t running away?¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    Her way was cut off by Viridian Edge, the Faith Organization intelligence agency disguised as a gang, and the Clovers also known as white collars were also from the Faith Organization. As a runaway, she might as well have been surrounded.


    However, she did not let that fact show on her face as she responded.


    ¡°I have something I have to do, so you go on ahead and tell them honestly everything that happened here. It would be bad to hide anything. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    The boy seemed hesitant, but his small fingertips finally touched the flare gun.


    He grabbed the grip.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay, won¡¯t you?¡± he cautiously asked her. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe, won¡¯t you?¡±


    She did not reply, but she rubbed his hair instead.


    After pulling a pump-action grenade launcher from the back of the truck, she gave him a sharp command.


    ¡°Get going! Hurry!¡±


    He left the truck as if struck by her words.


    The sound of his footsteps gathered countless gazes in his direction, but Putana cut them off by moving out from behind the truck with the grenade launcher over her shoulder.


    ¡°Putana, Putana! I heard what happened from Quenser and Heivia. The smuggling tunnels have all crumbled or flooded, but we¡¯re searching the routes for a way to send reinforcements to the bottom of the valley. Do you think you can last that long!?¡±


    Millia spoke over the radio, but Putana paid little attention.


    ¡°There is no need. I will end it all before you even arrive.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. I thought Elites were supposed to be the steel queens of a clever and clean battlefield.¡±


    A noise much like the removal of a champagne cork sounded behind her.


    The burning of the chemicals in the flare scattered bright red light overhead and Putana Highball calmly responded with that light behind her.


    ¡°Not today.¡±


    With a movement of her index finger, the girl used explosives to mow down the spies disguised as gang members.


    The battle had begun.


    Part 16


    In the Legitimacy Kingdom, it was known as the Flyaway.


    In the Faith Organization, it was known as the Garuda.


    The male Pilot Elite inside that Second Generation Object¡¯s fully-protected cockpit was irritated. He still had the upper hand against the enemy Object pinned to the steep slope, but that meant he had gone this long without getting a lethal shot in.


    He had released his coilgun main cannon, picked it back up with the tube-shaped manipulator, and reconnected it.


    After firing it again, it had no remaining ammunition. He could always abandon it, but he wanted to avoid any possibility of the technology being captured.


    The low-stability plasma cannon disguised as the front two feet was only meant for close-range surprise attacks. Its power was far lower than the container one and he could not seem to get a clean hit in after the enemy just barely avoided the first shot.


    It was probably about time to leave.


    For one thing, it was strange for him to spend more than ten minutes on a single battle.


    His enemy was damaged enough that he could easily escape even with the container main cannon.


    The communication line to the maintenance base zone entered the back of his mind. He only had to press the button to contact them and the base commander would send out the White Flag signal. That was how it was set up.


    However...


    ¡°Ksshh...kssshhh! Hey...ksshh...can you hear me, you piece of shit...ksshh!?¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Someone had cut in over the radio.


    It was an extremely weak signal with only the most basic encryption.


    It was not the Faith Organization¡¯s format, so it was probably from the enemy, the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    ¡°That sure was an awful thing to do: Bribing a cable car driver, kidnapping a bunch of children on an overseas trip for talent trafficking, and then placing the blame on us. You probably felt pretty safe because the back and forth between PR offices would leave it all a giant gray zone even if some evidence was found. ...But did you really think it would turn out like that?¡±


    The Object¡¯s large-scale communication equipment could immediately locate the source of the signal.


    Determining the exact location was hardly difficult in the empty mountains.


    ¡°We¡¯ve got the driver¡¯s journal and it seems the security camera footage was left behind. We already know what you did. The only question is how exactly to reveal it to the public.¡±


    ¡°The cable cars were empty. I didn¡¯t actually kill anyone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. If you look at how the cable cars work, they can¡¯t be sent out completely empty. You might have saved the children since they were your merchandise, but you blew away the driver along with the cable cars. We¡¯re going to make sure you pay for that.¡±


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t innocent. He took our money.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so righteous when you killed him to keep him quiet. Besides, if you hadn¡¯t offered him the money, he never would have left the straight and narrow. You know what? That man you killed took the job to search for his daughter who had disappeared one day. He didn¡¯t do it for the money; he did it so he could catch you people.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So as I said, we¡¯re going to make sure you pay for that. You can¡¯t stop us now. You can sit there in your nuke-resistant room trembling in fear as you wait for the lid to be peeled away, you villain.¡±


    However, the Pilot Elite grinned.


    The search was complete.


    The signal was coming from behind some rocks at the top of a mountain approximately three hundred meters away.


    He immediately aimed there and accurately fired the low-stability plasma cannon at the source of the signal.


    In an instant, the entire slope boiled and whoever was sending the signal was vaporized.


    Part 17


    Putana Highball held a pump-action grenade launcher.


    It looked like a fatter shotgun. She loaded a grenade by sliding the foregrip attached below the rest of the weapon and she pulled the trigger to fire. Instead of a bullet, it fired an explosive the size of a can of coffee. Once it landed, it scattered shrapnel and an explosive blast, creating a ten meter radius of casualties.


    Each time she fired, the roughly-dressed soldiers flew through the air and even the military trucks spewed flames and tumbled along the ground. This weapon was far more powerful than a normal gun. Even if her opponent hid behind some rocks, she could fire the grenade in an arc so it landed beyond the rocks and turned her targets to mincemeat.


    ¡°Putana, you...traitorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!¡±


    Someone yelled at her with blood covering their face.


    Multiple handgun and submachinegun triggers were pulled at once.


    Dry gunshots rang out again and again, but none of them reached Putana. She was not hiding behind cover. She instead twisted her body in midair like a gymnast or figure skater and slipped past every last line of fire.


    No, it was not the lines of fire she saw.


    She sensed the gazes of the ones wielding the guns.


    She fought back with the explosives.


    Small explosions occurred here and there, screams were drowned out, and lives were cut short.


    (It will take at least ten minutes for the real Faith Organization soldiers to arrive after noticing the flare. I have to hold them back until then.)


    She hid in the black smoke and fired grenade after grenade from the open ejection port.


    She slid the foregrip and turned the muzzle toward her former allies.


    Wind blew along the bottom of the valley and cleared away the smoke.


    All of the gazes stabbed into her and bullets flew toward her with twice the intensity of before.


    No matter who was firing them, bullets were bullets.


    Putana fired her pump-action grenade launcher while constantly twisting around to avoid the gazes, but there were too many of them.


    The dry gunshots were accompanied by heavy impacts in her ribs and just above her navel.


    ¡°Ha...ha ha! Take that, you disgrace!!¡±


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    She clenched her teeth and pulled the trigger while doubled over. Whoever had gloated was blown to smithereens.


    A Pilot Elite¡¯s special suit was made to endure any climate or environment, but it also contained high-level protection against bullets and blades. A submachinegun scattering 9mm handgun bullets would not be fatal unless she took one directly to the forehead.


    However, it was not as effective as the bulletproof vests in movies and dramas.


    (Ow!! My organs are crying out. I can¡¯t let myself get hit five or six times in the same spot!!)


    The bullets would not pierce her body, but that was all. The shock of impact still propagated inside, so multiple hits could easily break bones or injure organs.


    More importantly, if the damage locked up her movements, she would be hit again and again.


    She would no longer be able to use her ability to accurately sense gazes as an attack.


    (There¡¯s no turning back. If I swallow the pain and take out more of the enemy, I can reduce the number of bullets coming my way!!)


    She pulled the grenade launcher¡¯s trigger some more.


    Her repeated evasion and attack had almost become a pure attempt to crush her enemy.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    She yelled loud enough to cough up some blood as she wore down Viridian Edge¡¯s numbers.


    Or so she thought.


    Just as a distant military truck seemed to shake, something fell from the back of the truck.


    It was a mass of composite armor.


    It used humanoid arms and legs and it wielded a weapon.


    ¡°A powered suit!?


    The roughly-dressed spies had only needed to buy enough time for it to activate.


    Putana clicked her tongue and released more grenades from her weapon, but the can-sized explosives could not destroy that armor even with a direct hit.


    She could only watch as the powered suit leisurely pulled the cocking lever of its heavy machinegun.


    It loaded the first round and aimed the muzzle toward her.


    That weapon had enough destructive power to slice a bulletproof vehicle apart, so she would be turned to mincemeat even with her bulletproof special suit.


    ¡°!!!???¡±


    She first jumped behind a military truck.


    A moment later, a storm of bullets blew by and the entire truck was enveloped in explosive flames and blown away.


    Part 18


    The Flyaway blew away the entire mountain slope like it was crushing a bug.


    The radio signal vanished, so no traces would remain of the soldiers accusing the Pilot Elite.


    ¡°Did you really think that would work, you idiot?¡±


    Quenser laughed quietly as he hid on a different slope, far removed from the blast site.


    He held a handheld device that had been linked to the radio sending out the ¡°obvious¡± signal. The Flyaway had only destroyed Heivia¡¯s radio which had been relaying the signal. The radio and the handheld device had been communicating via a laser signal, so that connection had not been detected at the same time.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Tricking him¡¯s all well and good, but what do we do now!? It might be true that we can catch him off guard now that he thinks we¡¯re dead, but he¡¯s too fast, heavy, and ¨C most of all ¨C solid! What can we do to fight!?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to think that hard.¡± Quenser sounded cheerful. ¡°After all, it¡¯s already over.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Heivia¡¯s confusion was immediately followed by the mountain slope being torn away. This collapse was much larger than the previous landslides. Almost the entire slope of a mountain slid straight down, along with the Flyaway that had fired on it.


    ¡°Wh-what the hell!?¡±


    ¡°Hint 1: These mountains are filled with smuggling tunnels made by the Capitalist Corporations. We used them as a water pipeline, but that failed. Now, where did that water end up? It had nowhere to go, so it would still be filling the mountain.¡±


    Quenser raised a finger each time.


    ¡°Hint 2: Safe country cities sometimes experience landslides on a much larger scale than the hill or mountain should have allowed for. These are called deep-seated landslides. When an underground reservoir gathered on a mountain quickly exceeds its limits after a strong burst of rain, the entire slope can slide down.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second! You don¡¯t mean...!!¡±


    ¡°Hint 3.¡±


    Quenser bent his fingers down to clench a fist.


    ¡°That idiot fired a finishing blow when the mountain slope was already full of water. What do you think happens then?¡±


    A frighteningly powerful landslide swept down, carrying the Flyaway with it. Its eight legs ¨C or was it six if you removed the ones camouflaging its second main cannon? ¨C used their static electricity propulsion devices to their fullest in an attempt to hold its ground, but...


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on? That damn insect is sliding right on down!¡±


    ¡°Of course he is. This deep-seated landslide isn¡¯t just dry earth. I told you the mountain is full of water, remember!? The static electricity propulsion devices are weak against water, so there¡¯s nothing they can do with this muddy landslide!!¡±


    That was why Quenser had only needed to get him to fire a shot at his own footing.


    He had only needed a radio to disguise his location and some kind of material to anger the Pilot Elite.


    Even a journal left by someone no longer among the living had been enough.


    ¡°Did you look down on him for being a normal person? Well, you lost to that cable car driver you killed.¡±


    The Flyaway gave up trying to stay put and instead tried to maintain some control while falling down into the valley.


    However, it did not manage even that.


    It wobbled and lost its balance.


    ¡°Have a nice long taste of muddy defeat!!¡±


    Once it collapsed, it was over.


    Like a snowball rolling down a hill, there was no stopping it. Whether on its main cannons or legs, it rolled and rolled, crushing its own equipment under its weight. The king of the mountain fell to the bottom of the valley in no time at all.


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s remaining main cannons and even its spherical body were heated to a glowing orange, but it still aimed those remaining cannons toward the valley bottom.


    However, it did not fire.


    The two idiots could guess what the Princess was thinking.


    ¡°Hey, do you think that guy is still breathing inside that cockpit?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s bet on it. I¡¯ve got one hundred euros on him being dead.¡±


    Part 19


    Struck by the explosive blast, Putana rolled along the ground. She managed to hold onto the pump-action grenade launcher, so she adjusted her grip on it and aimed at the powered suit while still lying on the ground.


    However, she did not directly target it.


    That would not have broken through its armor.


    The military truck right next to the powered suit probably had plenty of weapons and ammunition piled up in the back, so she mercilessly fired an explosive into it.


    A tremendous explosion occurred and sizzling pain raced across Putana¡¯s skin even from a distance.


    (I did-...)


    As soon as she got up, her expression froze over.


    The powered suit had been knocked onto its back, but it had not stopped moving.


    It slowly got up with creaking movements. Its heavy machinegun may have been bent because it did not bother picking it up.


    Instead, it rushed toward the brown girl.


    ¡°...!!¡±


    She frantically adjusted her grip on the grenade launcher and fired toward the powered suit¡¯s feet. When it flinched back, she detonated another military truck. However, it still was not enough firepower. The powered suit was not even knocked over this time. It continued moving closer and grabbed her in its giant hand. She was squeezed by fingers that could be used to demolish a building.


    ¡°Gah...ghh...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad, Putana.¡±


    Someone went to the trouble of talking through the speaker.


    ¡°I never was able to become a Pilot Elite, so part of me looked up to you. I can¡¯t help but feel so very, very sorry for you as I wonder how you could have fallen so low.¡±


    Putana wanted to respond, but her ribs were creaking, her diaphragm was blocked off, and she could not breathe properly.


    But that was why the powered suit did not notice the ¡°ending¡± approaching behind it even at the very last moment.


    A massive landslide poured into the bottom of the valley and swallowed up the powered suit from behind.


    The mass of mud and brown water swept everything away.


    It had enough force to send the massive rocks and military trucks rolling along. The powered suit was no exception. It was knocked to the ground and then swept about in the water.


    At some point, the pilot may have noticed that the powered suit had let go of its target.


    However, there was nothing to be done. With no sense of up or down anymore, the puny weapon was swept away like a bug down the drain.


    Part 20


    Three minutes after the Faith Organization military satellite detected the optical pattern of the flare, fully-equipped soldiers rushed to the bottom of the valley.


    They were the Clovers.


    They were also known as the white collars and they were navy experts, so one might think they were unused to fighting in the mountains or anywhere that required wearing camouflage and firing handheld weapons. However, that was not the case. They were as well trained as any marines that specialized in landing operations.


    Their pure white uniforms would have been too dangerous even in the middle of the night, so they wore black cloaks over them as they descended from a transport helicopter by a single rope.


    ¡°Putana¡¯s signal came from here.¡±


    They were surprised by the deep-seated landslide that had transformed the valley bottom into a muddy river.


    As they climbed a little from the valley bottom, they found a boy on a slight hill.


    They recognized what he held.


    ¡°That¡¯s Elite equipment. It probably belonged to Putana Highball because she superstitiously preferred outdated models.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened here?¡±


    The Clovers looked to the boy.


    He kept his promise.


    He honestly told them what had happened without hiding anything.


    ¡°Everyone was swept away by the river.¡±


    Part 21


    A splashing sound could be heard far downstream of the muddy river created by the landslide.


    Putana Highball was using both hands to somehow crawl out of the water.


    ¡°Pant, pant... Ugh... Cough, cough!!¡±


    She coughed the water from her mouth and caught her breath.


    She then lay on the ground staring up into the night sky.


    What would she do now?


    A few options presented themselves to the brown girl.


    She could find some way of contacting them or return to the run-down hotel on her own in order to meet back up with the Legitimacy Kingdom intelligence division calling itself Azul Hive.


    She could also pretend she had been drowned in the muddy river and escape the surveillance of both the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Faith Organization.


    No amount of work would bring the Sarasvati back, but that did not change the fact that the Legitimacy Kingdom group had been the ones to steal it from her.


    On the other hand, she would lose their support if she turned on them. It was obvious what fate would await her if she had two world powers pursuing her at the same time.


    Would she obey and live?


    Or would she fight back and die?


    She thought for a while, but she was suddenly interrupted.


    Someone¡¯s face jutted into her upturned field of vision.


    ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re still alive.¡±


    It was Millia Newburg.


    She smiled and held out a hand.


    ¡°No matter how it happened, we took you in, so I¡¯m not about to lose you here.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    At the very least, she did not feel the ¡°gaze¡± of a military satellite.


    How had the woman found her after she was swallowed up by the muddy river?


    She decided not to think too much about that.


    It seemed she had only one option left.


    ¡°The Flyaway has stopped moving. The Pilot Elite is probably soaking the cockpit like tomato juice from a juicer. Well, the rest is a job for the technology division. They¡¯ll be taking it apart and bringing parts home while worrying the reactor was set to self-destruct.¡±


    Putana grabbed Millia¡¯s hand and unsteadily rose to her feet.


    The woman¡¯s (obviously stolen) motorcycle was stopped nearby and they both climbed onto it.


    Putana wrapped her arms around the officer¡¯s back as the motorcycle took off.


    ¡°Now, that settles that. I¡¯ll admit Lost Angels is a worthless city, but it¡¯s a huge plus getting to eat something other than soap-like rations while on a mission. Let¡¯s drink as much as we can today!!¡±


    ¡°But I think today has already ended.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s keep drinking until ¡®tomorrow¡¯ is over. That¡¯s two in such a short time! Two! And both of them were captured instead of destroyed. Of course, we can¡¯t get conspicuous medals because we¡¯re from the intelligence division, but we¡¯ve done enough for the Legitimacy Kingdom to get a bronze statue at a school, don¡¯t you think? No one¡¯s gonna get after us if we have a bit of a party.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Putana¡¯s Sarasvati was one of those prizes.


    The brown girl clenched her teeth a little and heard some static.


    ¡°Ksshh.¡±


    It seemed to come from the headset on Millia¡¯s ear.


    She heard Quenser and Heivia¡¯s voices coming from it.


    ¡°I found Putana,¡± said Millia. ¡°I¡¯ll take her back to the city, so you head to the restaurant ahead of us. The workers probably won¡¯t be happy about how muddy you are, but they¡¯ll warm up to us once we eat and drink and leave plenty of money for them.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So Putana didn¡¯t run off? I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean she¡¯s going to stick with us no matter what she actually thinks about us?¡±


    The conversation was being held over the headset, so they must not have known Putana could hear them.


    They had no idea that could change if she was pressing against Millia¡¯s back with her arms around the woman¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Hah hah!¡± laughed Millia. ¡°Given her situation, she might not be able to survive any other way. I guess this was to be expected.¡±


    ¡°You heard her, Quenser. Aren¡¯t you glad she isn¡¯t some obsessive girl who¡¯s willing to get revenge at the cost of her own life? Now you don¡¯t have to live in fear anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I really am glad. I was seriously afraid she¡¯d find out we¡¯d been acting on an idea I came up with.¡±


    Putana quietly bit her lip behind the commander where no one would notice anything.


    When she spoke, it was only in her heart.


    (I pretty much already knew that, you know?)


    The rusty flavor of revenge spread through her mouth.


    Her story was far from over.

 Volume 9, 3: Obsessive Faith >> Ocean Battle of Lost Angels

    Volume 9, Chapter 3: Obsessive Faith >> Ocean Battle of Lost Angels


    Part 1


    Frolaytia Capistrano smoked her long, skinny kiseru in the officer¡¯s room of a small aircraft carrier waiting in the Indian Ocean.


    She was comparing the situation surrounding Lost Angels with the reports from the intelligence agents undercover on the scene.


    Talent trafficking was the sale of potential geniuses to corporations and laboratories.


    The Flyaway was thought to be a part of such a plan and it had been defeated, but they had no proof it was the ringleader or that everyone involved had been destroyed.


    Putana Highball, who had joined them from the Faith Organization, had reported a few additional facts.


    Most of the children had been moved elsewhere.


    They were supposedly going to the ¡°Star¡±.


    And the name Nataraja was involved.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough to say much of anything.¡±


    Frolaytia filled the room with sweet-smelling smoke as she spoke.


    The information on her laptop zoomed out from a map of Lost Angels to one of the entire world. A number of red X-marks covered the map.


    Those were not the locations of wars.


    They were all located in large cities belonging to safe countries.


    People were vanishing from large cities of the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization. Plus, these were not just normal people.


    They were all geniuses driving a field of research and their talents were in a variety of fields: biochemistry, mechanical engineering, low-temperature chemistry, aviation physics, and extreme environment research.


    The victims were men, women, boys, and girls of all ages.


    The talent trafficking Quenser and the others had mentioned was limited to young ¡°potential geniuses¡±. This series of incidents included the elderly who had already achieved a stable position on the forefront of their field, so it felt like something else.


    (This means the cable car incident may have only looked like the Capitalist Corporations style of talent trafficking. It may have been something else entirely. They might be targeting adults and the elderly and these targets just happened to be young.)


    On top of that, the missing geniuses were experts in their fields, but combining their specialties together centered on a truly interesting genre.


    Simply put...


    ¡°Outer space... The Star, huh?¡±


    She thought about the location of Lost Angels. It contained a major base for constructing and maintaining Objects. That brought countless subsidies and spies to the area which had ruined the rule of law there, but there was a single project that had led to the city¡¯s initial development.


    (I believe it was a large-scale launch site. Although they changed their plans once they managed to import a mass driver from the Capitalist Corporations.)


    According to Putana Highball, one of the abducted children had said the others had happily gone to the ¡°Star¡±.


    ¡°...¡±


    Of course, there was no way the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s surveillance network would fail to detect the launch of an unidentified rocket or shuttle. If a dot on the radar could not be identified, no one could complain if it was shot down by an Object¡¯s anti-air lasers.


    However, it was too soon to laugh this off.


    Something about it bothered Frolaytia.


    (Honestly, that place really is a city of freedom and disaster. It keeps finding new ways to give me a headache.)


    At the very end, she focused the map on the Indian Ocean.


    A giant red circle was drawn there.


    ¡°And it all has to happen when a new Object is headed our way.¡±


    Part 2


    Quenser and Heivia still had not been ordered back to the rest of the battalion.


    That meant some kind of trouble was going to rise to the surface before long.


    ¡°This is what you call the Lost Angels way, Putana,¡± said Quenser as he grabbed one of the plastic shopping baskets stacked up at the supermarket entrance. ¡°If we wanted to, we could have the Legitimacy Kingdom fleet send us more weapons and ammunition, but if we caused any trouble with those, we¡¯d be announcing to the world that we¡¯re from the Legitimacy Kingdom. When we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen or where, it¡¯s apparently best to keep a supply of handmade explosives to erase any clues we might leave behind.¡±


    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t know much about explosives, but are they that easy to make, teacher?¡±


    Heivia was not with them.


    It seemed to be the way of the world to send that jack-of-all-trades out on odd jobs.


    ¡°Plastic explosives shouldn¡¯t be that difficult. Basically, you just have to mix a stretchy rubber adhesive in with the explosive. The problem is the fuse.¡±


    Quenser passed right by the perishables and moved to the spice corner.


    ¡°A fuse is needed to detonate a plastic explosive. It¡¯s a delicate explosive, so static electricity can easily set it off. If an amateur carelessly mixes it all together with a juicer or mixer, they can blow their own face off. Switching the device on can be a fatal mistake.¡±


    ¡°Is it that difficult?¡±


    ¡°The ingredients are easy to get your hands on. You have to be careful mixing them together, but the main ingredient is this right here.¡±


    Quenser grabbed a heavy bag from the shelf and tossed it into the basket.


    ¡°Sugar. Those disarmament treaties are completely useless.¡±


    He grabbed a few more ingredients and the two of them made their way to the register.


    After leaving the supermarket, Putana used a handgun to drive off some delinquents messing with the (stolen) motorcycle she and Quenser had been using.


    ¡°Oh, did Millia give you that as proof of her trust?¡±


    They heard a siren from somewhere nearby, but it had nothing to do with them. If every attempted theft was reported, the police would never get anything done. It seemed something had happened at another store.


    A Female Police Officer could be seen slipping out the back entrance.


    ¡°That¡¯s just a costume,¡± said Putana.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s either the criminal or her job is to sneak into the scene of the crime and nab some evidence. She¡¯s something like us.¡±


    ¡°Ugh... I was thinking her hips were a little too sexy for a public servant.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, teacher.¡±


    ¡°What is it now, Putana?¡±


    ¡°Why are we wearing swimsuits?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be too scared to mix together an explosive in that run-down motel. I asked Millia and she told me to use a car repair workshop on the beach. But the best way to get the ingredients there is to hide them in a cooler and only fishers or beachgoers would be carrying a cooler around.¡±


    ¡°Then why not dress as fishers?¡±


    ¡°A young guy and girl? Going to the sunny beach to do nothing but fish!? If anyone thought that was realistic, they¡¯d have to be pretty damn bookish!¡±


    Putana had to hide her handgun on her person, so she wore a light jacket over her green bikini.


    At any rate, Quenser stuffed the contents of the shopping bags into the cooler and placed the cooler¡¯s strap over his shoulder. As always, Putana climbed on the motorcycle and he pressed up against her back.


    They rode the motorcycle to the southeastern beach.


    Quenser was used to riding without a helmet by now and he spoke to Putana while glancing over at the roadside restaurants.


    ¡°What do you want for lunch?¡±


    ¡°I feel like a spinach saag curry. It goes better with saffron rice than naan and if you add some melted margarine to the rice for flavor...¡±


    ¡°We had curry yesterday!¡±


    ¡°That was keema curry,¡± casually replied Putana while driving along a seaside road. ¡°It¡¯s completely different.¡±


    Lost Angels was in top form as always. A quick glance around showed men with stockings over their heads running out of a bank.


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. They make it too obvious. That fat one¡¯s the Jeweler who lost everything, isn¡¯t it? He¡¯s really hit rock bottom.¡±


    ¡°But, teacher, there¡¯s a Worker up on that telephone pole.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve seen him around, but I guess he¡¯s in charge of cutting the power and camera lines.¡±


    Nothing in that scene showed the slightest hint of interest in the World Clock or mankind¡¯s lifespan. Of course, that made sense when they had no guarantee of their survival three minutes into the future.


    They drove along a land bridge crossing a subway line running parallel to the road and finally reached the car repair workshop. The building looked like a collection of concrete and sheet metal. Putana drove the motorcycle inside after they opened the garage shutter.


    A muscular man in a tank top and work pants awaited them.


    ¡°Millia¡¯s already paid me and explained the situation. You can use whatever you want in here, but if you destroy anything, it¡¯ll cost you extra.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Should I run some random machinery to make a bunch of noise?¡±


    ¡°Our work isn¡¯t that noisy. We¡¯ll be quietly mixing some ingredients like someone enjoying some classical music, so you can keep the place quiet.¡±


    Hearing that, the repair workshop workers all left.


    Quenser climbed down from the motorcycle and spread the cooler¡¯s contents out on a random work bench.


    He put on some special static-resistant gloves and used cups and scales to measure out the ingredients he placed in a mortar. He then carefully mixed them together.


    Putana seemed to not have anything to do.


    ¡°Teacher.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling a sneeze coming on, hold it in. If I drop this on the floor, we¡¯ll be blown to pieces.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect. How about we have an important talk?¡±


    He heard a metallic sound.


    Putana Highball stood right in front of him and she was aiming a handgun at his chest from three meters away.


    It was close range but still too far to reach out and grab the weapon.


    Also, his hands were full of a delicate explosive mixture.


    ¡°Hey, Putana... This is a joke, right?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for this moment,¡± she answered in a monotone voice.


    When he heard that, an unpleasant sweat finally started pouring from Quenser¡¯s entire body.


    ¡°Wait. Wait, Putana! There¡¯s no place for you in the Faith Organization anymore! If you want the Legitimacy Kingdom to protect you, then you can¡¯t do this!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter!!¡±


    Quenser stiffened at her explosive shout.


    The mortar in his hands shook a bit.


    ¡°Do you even understand? That Object being stripped bare on the ocean is my Sarasvati!! That was a part of me! It was my life! And it is being dismantled on my own advice! Do you have any idea how humiliating that is!?¡±


    Quenser had trouble breathing.


    He looked up to heaven and confirmed that the bastard known as god was not going to help out a liar like him. Only then did he open his mouth again.


    ¡°Shooting me won¡¯t bring the Collective Farming back.¡±


    ¡°I already told you. That doesn¡¯t matter. My Sarasvati is being tormented without even being allowed to die and the cause of it all is standing right in front of me. What¡¯s wrong with wanting to at least take his head as an offering?¡±


    Putana¡¯s hand trembled as it held the gun.


    It may have been more than just anger. She may not have actually decided where she would go or what she would do after shooting Quenser.


    ¡°I had my life taken from me. Even if I¡¯m going to come to an agreement with the Legitimacy Kingdom, I have to settle this first.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If I kill you, I might be punished for it. But I¡¯m a former Elite and I have plenty of classified Faith Organization information, while you¡¯re just a student. Isn¡¯t it obvious which one the Legitimacy Kingdom will choose? ...Even if I kill you, I can work out an agreement, so I¡¯m going to do it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t actually believe that, do you? If so, you would have pulled out your gun in the motel. Whatever you might say, you felt deep down that it would be too dangerous to act when you weren¡¯t away from our home base.¡±


    ¡°Then what about you? Can you give me a single reason why I shouldn¡¯t kill you?¡±


    She was serious. It was not clear if her plans were as solid as she believed they were, but she was at least prepared to pull the trigger.


    Once he realized that, the puny student named Quenser cast aside his own hesitation.


    He threw the highly flammable mortar to the ground.


    The bursting sound was much louder than a firecracker and whitish smoke filled the entire room.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Putana flinched back and the ringing in her ears kept her from hearing the footsteps.


    But even through the smokescreen she accurately sensed the gaze leaving her.


    ¡°Teacher!! Dammit!!¡±


    With her gun in hand, she frantically ran forward through the white smoke, but Quenser was nowhere to be found in the repair workshop. He must have run outside.


    Fortunately, he would be on foot while she had her motorcycle. But when she looked over, she found a screwdriver stabbed into the off-road motorcycle¡¯s back tire.


    (He sure is thorough!!)


    She clicked her tongue and slipped outside through the shutter.


    She saw some distinctive footprints in the fine sand of the beach next to the asphalt road. They had been made by the sandals Quenser was wearing.


    She ran around the repair workshop searching for him.


    She found someone in the gap between two buildings, but it was not Quenser. They looked like a Woman in a Dress, but then they tossed aside a long-haired wig. Based on the long case for a pool set leaning against the wall nearby, he(?) was probably a Sniper.


    Putana crossed the land bridge.


    She heard the clattering of a train on the subway below.


    (Strange. He can¡¯t drive a car or a motorcycle. He shouldn¡¯t be able to run that far on foot, so where did he go?)


    ¡°Putana!!¡±


    She heard a sudden shout from behind.


    She turned quickly around and saw her target had jumped down below the land bridge. Or more accurately, he had jumped onto the roof of the train.


    He placed his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and shouted to her.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I want to talk about, but it¡¯ll have to wait until we¡¯re back in the usual room!!¡±


    ¡°Why you...!!¡±


    By the time she climbed up onto the guardrail and tried to aim her handgun down, gazes of intense anger surrounded her.


    Her caution shifted her attention from her target to her surroundings. The car repair workshop¡¯s workers were surrounding the swimsuit girl.


    The muscular man in a tank top spoke in a deep voice.


    ¡°I told you up front that destroying the equipment would cost extra, didn¡¯t I? Let¡¯s have a chat back in the office.¡±


    Quenser had planned it all.


    Putana Highball stuck the handgun back in her jacket¡¯s pocket, clicked her tongue quietly, and still gave a wordless scream to release her excess anger.


    Part 3


    Real_Time_Log.


    Network_System_From_¡°Shuttle_NATARAJA¡±.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.¡±


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom was supposed to leave sooner than this, weren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. They were supposed to retreat after the Sarasvati¡¯s maintenance was complete or, in the worst case, after the Garuda destroyed their Object.¡±


    ¡°If our plans have been thrown off, we have to find a way to compensate.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We must eliminate any possibility of the Nataraja being discovered.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s send out the other one. This time, we will drive the Legitimacy Kingdom away from the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Will that end it?¡±


    ¡°It will.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°We will complete our escape from earth without delay. Our eternal journey in search of paradise will finally begin.¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve gotten thoroughly sick of chicken burgers and lassi, the higher ups have given us some orders to kill some time. ...Hm? What¡¯s with this tense atmosphere?¡±


    Quenser answered Millia with some bitter laughter.


    Putana was standing next to him in her swimsuit and jacket and she glared at him so intensely he was afraid she was going to snap his neck right there.


    Heivia had been working on other things, so he looked over at them in confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, Quenser? Did you push a little too forcibly for some premarital fun?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just that being a popular guy isn¡¯t easy. We¡¯ve gotten a lot closer since that last incident and she just can¡¯t keep her smoldering gaze off of me¡î¡±


    He heard the brown girl loudly grinding her back teeth.


    However, she seemed to still have enough sense to not pull her gun out in the middle of the run-down motel room.


    The fact that she had waited until they were in the repair workshop to attack was proof that she did not want to start a fight here.


    ¡°A Faith Organization Second Generation Object is crossing the Indian Ocean toward Lost Angels. Our codename for it is Oriental Magic. It¡¯s a formidable foe with an air cushion and a laser beam main cannon.¡±


    ¡°What about it? It isn¡¯t going to head onto land and directly attack the city, is it?¡±


    Their commander in a bikini top and baggy cargo pants unconcernedly nodded in agreement with Heivia¡¯s comment.


    ¡°This city is a Faith Organization military port, so it isn¡¯t unusual for their Objects to show up. However, our Legitimacy Kingdom fleet and the Baby Magnum are currently out at sea. Do you really think they would risk drawing our fire just to load up on supplies here? Yes, that would mean bringing an empty Object in need of supplies to the front line.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s here for some other reason?¡±


    For example, it could want to drive the Legitimacy Kingdom away from Lost Angels¡¯s ocean entrance.


    For example, it could want to take back or sink the captured Collective Farming that was being dismantled out at sea.


    For example, it could want to quickly finish off Pilot Elite Putana Highball who had vanished with plenty of military secrets.


    ¡°Major Capistrano has reached the same conclusion and she wants some information to help confirm her suspicions. But don¡¯t get too worried. There are others gathering information, too. We just have to do what we can. Searching through it all is their job.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the perfect question, Quenser. Of the information we have, there¡¯s one thing we never managed to follow up on: the term Nataraja.¡±


    Putana had run across that information.


    It had been in the cellphone memory of one of the perpetrators behind the talent trafficking (or an incident closely resembling that) disguised as an accidental hit on the cable cars.


    ¡°It¡¯s unknown if this has anything to do with the Oriental Magic on its way here, but it can¡¯t hurt to have more information. If what we¡¯re actually looking for lies elsewhere, one of the other groups will find it, so we need to focus on this. And with that said...¡±


    Millia Newburg grabbed the projector¡¯s remote and the ceiling filled with white light.


    ¡°We want to investigate the Nataraja, but most of those connected to it are dead or missing. We don¡¯t have any other clues. That¡¯s why I think we should start with him.¡±


    A map of Lost Angels appeared on the ceiling and a complex winding route was marked on it. The red line ran from the southern Great Fence to the international airport.


    ¡°Mulqueen Sonora. He¡¯s a ten-year-old boy with a PhD from California Biochemistry University. He¡¯s the child Putana rescued and handed over to the unit guarding the Faith Organization base. The unit is known as the Clovers or the white collars.¡±


    The brown girl¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly, but Millia continued regardless.


    ¡°He¡¯s the closest hint we have, but we can¡¯t question him with the Faith Organization in the way. Fortunately, little Sonora is set to be transported to the airport and flown back to his safe country. That means we can get our hands on this information source if we attack his escort team.¡±


    Heavy sounds came from behind Quenser and the others. The members of the intelligence division who had trouble hiding were known as the assault team and they were getting ready as they listened. They supplied firepower. They lived in a world where the names of armored cars and buildings they had blown up were exchanged instead of business cards.


    ¡°I have a question.¡± Quenser raised a hand. ¡°I assume this will mean knocking the car over and dragging the boy out of it, but isn¡¯t that pretty risky? To be honest, the odds of Mulqueen Sonora dying from the impact of the car rolling over are probably more than 50/50.¡±


    ¡°Do you have another suggestion?¡±


    ¡°The people staying in them may be gone, but why not check the hotel rooms? We might be able to find some information left behind in phones, computers, or journals.¡±


    ¡°The children who disappeared were geniuses from the Capitalist Corporations. Plus, the hotel they stayed in was owned by people they had some influence over. It was the Hotel Grand Jackpot, the biggest casino in the city. That¡¯s Mustard Cowboy¡¯s fortress, so if those of us from Azul Hive charged in there, we¡¯d be starting a gang war. That sounds a lot more dangerous to me. We could even get a ton of sightseers caught up in it all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Now you get it. We¡¯ll split into two groups for the attack. One to make the attack as planned and the other to cut off their escape if things go awry. After you all secure your own transportation, go to the marked spot on your map and remain on standby. That¡¯s all.¡±


    Several sets of footsteps filled the room.


    Quenser looked around amid them, but his awful friend Heivia was already leaving the room with Millia. Heivia was joining the assault team for the mission to abduct Mulqueen, so there was no way to speak with him without their commanding officer knowing.


    (Fine, then!!)


    He switched his thoughts over to Plan B and grabbed Putana¡¯s arm in the parking lot out front.


    ¡°Putana, help me out here!¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    Her voice was low as she replied, but he practically embraced her so he could speak with her in private.


    ¡°You saved Mulqueen Sonora, so you don¡¯t want him to die by your hand, do you? Let¡¯s do something about that. If we can acquire and hand over the necessary information before the assault team attacks the escort team, we can eliminate the entire justification for this attack mission. We can settle this without letting that boy die.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you suggesting?¡±


    ¡°The Hotel Grand Jackpot. I¡¯m going to sneak into that source of dirty money for Mustard Cowboy...for the Capitalist Corporations soldiers. What about you, Putana? Will you join me?¡±


    ¡°Fine. But...¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Before he could wonder what she meant, a heavy shock ran through his stomach.


    He doubled over, his feet were swept out from under him, and he was slammed to the scorching asphalt.


    As he struggled to breathe, Putana Highball crouched down near him, pulled out her handgun, and pressed it to the center of his forehead.


    She then whispered to him in her monotone voice.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean I have forgiven you.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough! I-I don¡¯t care if you just think I¡¯m useful. The first step is getting a means of transportation.¡±


    Part 5


    This time, they were in a sky blue convertible.


    In what had become the usual course of events, Putana was driving and Quenser was the baggage in the passenger seat. The engine was a little loud, but it was a comfortable ride. Quenser messed with the radio and found a pirate broadcast announcing the current odds for the black market gambling.


    Putana spoke up as they passed a large tour bus full of what looked like School Trip Students.


    ¡°That¡¯s a PMC camouflaged as tourists. That does seem like something the Capitalist Corporations would do.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding... Can you tell because they¡¯ve been marked like how dogs go around peeing on stuff?¡±


    Their goal as they raced through Lost Angels was not the expected attack point that Millia had given them. They were on their way to the Mustard Cowboy-run Hotel Grand Jackpot, a five star luxury hotel with the city¡¯s largest casino.


    Based on what Millia had said while bored during late night work, more money changed hands there than anywhere else in the city, but that was not due to the gambling. Basically, it was a luxury gathering spot for gang leaders to talk things out, make deals, resolve problems, and make connections. Paying bribes and depositing money in an underground bank were illegal activities, but nothing could be done if large sums of money moved from Person A to Person B in a bet at a legit casino. If they controlled who won the games of poker using code words in their conversations, the casino could be used for money laundering and deposits. To the Capitalist Corporations, the Legitimacy Kingdom was behind the times by nervously opening attach¨¦ cases in the harbor at night. Of course, that was according to the group that had failed to get their hands on that harbor.


    That was just how dangerous a place the hotel was.


    It would be absolutely filled with guns.


    ¡°Teacher, we¡¯re disobeying orders, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°If we pull it off, it¡¯ll all cancel out in the end.¡±


    ¡°Is that the Lost Angels way of doing things?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s more like a summary of my entire life.¡±


    The Hotel Grand Jackpot was in the western financial district. The district seemed filled with mirror-paneled intelligent buildings, but walls here and there were covered in yellow graffiti. That was the team color of Mustard Cowboy.


    ¡°Where do we go in?¡±


    ¡°The front entrance. It¡¯s the city¡¯s biggest casino and a luxury hotel, but it also has a restaurant and gym open to the public. It¡¯s easier to get in as a customer than trying to sneak in.¡±


    They were using a stolen car, so they could not leave the convertible with the valet driver at the entrance. They abandoned it in the street in front of the hotel and walked right in the main entrance.


    The lobby was no different from any other hotel¡¯s. There was the usual row of counters and a lounge selling coffee that was likely quite expensive. There were no gaudy bunny girls walking around shaking their butts. The money-making casino probably did not really begin until one took the escalator down to the casino section.


    ¡°This place really is run by the Capitalist Corporations,¡± said Putana. ¡°The atmosphere is entirely different.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, we¡¯re from Azul Hive and they¡¯re with Mustard Cowboy. If they decide to solve this problem as a gang rather than as the military, we won¡¯t be protected by any treaties related to prisoners of war.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second, Putana. It¡¯s that guy.¡±


    Quenser spotted someone dangerous, but he did not jump behind a column. That would only draw more attention. He could not remember if the man¡¯s name was John or George, but it was the former Mustard Cowboy leader they had abducted before.


    The bearded man was muttering to himself as he crossed the lobby with several men in the kinds of suits stock brokers would wear.


    ¡°Honestly, I made sure to get that fake ID and handgun and here I am. I decided to steal the printing plates for the dollars or euros they rely on and taking over their business, so why am I here helping out some commoner nun?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. I get the feeling you could die a dozen times and it wouldn¡¯t fix your weak mind and lack of planning. It would probably take one death per flaw.¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Then why are you working with me?¡±


    The gang members passed by while speaking back and forth.


    Fortunately, they did not seem to notice Quenser and Putana. They seemed to be headed toward the escalator to the casino rather than the elevators to the hotel rooms. Quenser and Putana started toward elevator hall by cutting across directly behind those gang members.


    They boarded an elevator and Putana asked a question.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be searching the missing children¡¯s rooms, but do you know what floor they were on?¡±


    ¡°Floor 38.¡±


    ¡°Based on what?¡±


    ¡°In a hotel for VIPs, the options are limited when you want to rent out an entire floor for a group. It has to be an unpopular floor. The elevators wait at the very top and very bottom, so it takes the longest for them to reach the floors in the middle. Now, Putana, how are the elevators laid out in this hotel?¡±


    ¡°Floors 1-5 are shared, but the rest is split between 6-25 and 26-50.¡±


    ¡°What matters is that these people were being welcomed as VIPs. That means the hotel couldn¡¯t let them know they were being put on an unpopular floor. The hotel would put them on a higher floor to distract them with the wonderful night scenery.¡±


    ¡°Which means...¡±


    ¡°The center of the upper section. That means Floor 38.¡±


    The elevator stopped on their destination floor and the door parted.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s all something Millia told me when we were killing time.¡±


    They entered the hall and found a long line of doors. The place had been rented out as a group, so any of the doors would lead to the rooms those genius boys and girls had stayed in.


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re gone, I think the doors will be locked,¡± pointed out Putana.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do this the Lost Angels way.¡±


    ¡°Blow off the doorknob with a shotgun?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be a little gentler than that.¡±


    Quenser approached the icemaker, reached behind it, and pulled out the plug.


    ¡°Teacher?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Putana. This isn¡¯t a military facility that stores important secrets. In case of unforeseen trouble, they¡¯ll prioritize the safety of their guests and have all of the rooms unlock. For example...¡±


    Quenser stuck his hand below the icemaker and grabbed some balls of dust.


    He wrapped them around the power plug and stuck it back into the outlet.


    This was the stereotypical cause of an electrical fire found in user¡¯s manuals.


    ¡°When a small fire sets off the fire alarm.¡±


    Heivia Winchell slowly stopped a garbage truck behind a narrow alley leading to Kiwi Street. The truck looked like a rectangular hunk of steel and he was making some attack preparations along with the assault team.


    One might think stolen cars were all high-riding sports cars, but there was sometimes a demand for heavier vehicles like this. They were especially important when someone wanted to make sure they knocked their target off of the road, when someone wanted to make an assault amid gunfire, or when someone wanted to abandon them in the road to change their target¡¯s plans.


    Millia Newburg sat in the passenger seat.


    She was trying to suppress a grin and she had a simple reason.


    ¡°Quenser and Putana have vanished. Do you think they¡¯re refusing the mission?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke. If they refuse to submit or receive their paperwork and then they vanish, they¡¯ll be treated as deserters. Don¡¯t they know that?¡±


    ¡°Well, Quenser¡¯s a student and Putana¡¯s a POW. They might just barely squeak by if it comes to a serious court martial. Of course, we use corporal punishment here on the scene.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s all it¡¯ll get them, maybe I should¡¯ve run off with them.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. I¡¯m sure they have some kind of plan.¡±


    Millia reached for some caffeinated gum of unknown ownership on the dashboard and tossed a piece into her mouth.


    The bright sun poured onto the street three meters ahead of them and plenty of cars passed by, completely unaware of the attack Heivia and the others were planning. A convertible full of nearly-nude women passed by and a Pizza Deliveryman drove cheerfully by on a scooter.


    To distract himself from his tension, Heivia spoke to his commanding officer.


    ¡°Come to think of it, the pizza shop in front of the station has started a new fair, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised seeing that guy makes you hungry. He¡¯s a spy who goes around delivering bombs in between actually delivering pizzas.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we sometimes use his services, so we can¡¯t just fill him with lead.¡±


    Whatever happened, it seemed Lost Angels would always be Lost Angels.


    Heivia was fed up with it all and Millia began giving instructions to the other assault team members located elsewhere.


    ¡°Kiwi Street, we¡¯re prepared for the attack. Report on their progress.¡±


    ¡°Blue 03, the package has turned from Orange Street to Lemon Street.¡±


    ¡°Blue 18, an identical model vehicle spotted on its way to Lemon Street. I believe it¡¯s meant to confuse us.¡±


    ¡°Blue 29, we¡¯re in position. Waiting for permission to cut the package¡¯s line.¡±


    If they were even slightly afraid of an attack, the escort team would not take the long, long highways forming a cross as they ran east to west and south to north through the city. They would turn again and again through the net-like layout of roads running through Lost Angels in an attempt to reduce the risk of an ambush.


    Could an accurate and certain attack be made in that situation?


    The answer was yes.


    ¡°You have permission. Cut the package¡¯s line.¡±


    Millia Newburg¡¯s tone was entirely casual.


    Private matters were private matters and work was work. For that reason, this woman was willing to wield guns and set up bombs.


    A high-pitched bell rang through the straight hallway.


    Quenser and Putana ignored it as they grabbed the knob to a nearby room.


    The knob turned without needing to check the electronic key.


    Putana spoke after they slipped inside.


    ¡°Are you sure the fire won¡¯t spread and cut off our escape?¡±


    ¡°I sabotaged the icemaker. If the fire gets too strong, it¡¯ll melt the ice and get covered in tons of water. This isn¡¯t going to turn into a huge fire and kill a bunch of civilians.¡±


    Quenser looked around the room as he answered.


    It seemed to be a single room because it had only one bed and the sofa by the side table was only large enough for one. There were no personal items scattered around. There was only a suitcase covered in stickers by the wall.


    The suitcase was locked, but it was made of a thick synthetic fiber. He cut it open with the knife in his survival kit and checked on the contents.


    ¡°Clothes, a toothbrush, a guidebook, and...is this allergy medicine?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s a phone or computer. No camera or video games either.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see a journal or notebook either. It looks like they cleaned up everything before disappearing.¡±


    Quenser and Putana exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Come to think of it, that boy said the others had happily gone to the Star.¡±


    ¡°Well, we need some information. If there was any digital data, it had to be something they went out of their way to hide. If we check on it, it might give us an important hint.¡±


    ¡°How do we do that?¡±


    Quenser grabbed the TV remote and hit the ¡°details¡± button instead of tuning to a specific station.


    ¡°They checked in three days before, asked to have their clothes washed, and were charged for an off-hours cleaning service. No room service or pay TV, huh? Ha ha. What a teacher¡¯s pet.¡±


    ¡°How does this help?¡±


    ¡°Listen, they were here for three days. If they did have a computer, they would have used the internet. They would¡¯ve gotten withdrawal symptoms otherwise.¡±


    Quenser checked the phone on the side table.


    ¡°It¡¯s an IP phone. Is that to cut down on the fees? If so, there has to be a router or modem... No, or does the phone double as one?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°When working late at night, Heivia was downloading some adult video and the screen froze up. He froze up, too. He had me help him get it running again, the electronic simulation division got involved in exchange for the secret address Heivia had, and we got our hands on some pretty sophisticated file recovery software. I¡¯m gonna run that on here.¡±


    ¡°But this is a phone with a router, right? I doubt it has a hard disk like a computer does.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Then how do you think the router¡¯s settings file gets updated?¡±


    He used a cable to connect his military handheld device to the IP phone and a ton of letters and numbers filled the small screen in no time.


    ¡°See? Traces of all the data they looked at is still in the temporary files! I¡¯m never gonna trust public internet again!!¡±


    ¡°You learned all of this from Millia, didn¡¯t you? Quit looking so proud of yourself. You¡¯re embarrassing yourself.¡±


    Before long, the letters and numbers had been converted to human-readable data.


    The child must have passed the time surfing the internet because several URLs were apparent. It was all on topics that did not paint humanity in a positive light: environmental pollution, the negatives of clean wars, financial problems, racial discrimination, the estimated remaining amounts and consumption rates of various resources, and the World Clock.


    ¡°It looks like they visited SNSs and forums too. Looks like I can¡¯t do much about that without the IDs and passwords used.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at all that, you peeping tom?¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, if we don¡¯t get any useful information here, the car carrying Mulqueen Sonora will be attacked and he has more than a 50/50 chance of dying.¡±


    He could not access the sites the child had accessed, but he could browse the data that was uploaded to them. There was quite a lot of it and the file was in a special format.


    ¡°What...is this? This is pretty specialized software used when drawing blueprints.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it odd? This is used to the store the data for Object designs.¡±


    There was so much data that it took some time for the small handheld device to open the file. They could only wait for the ¡°loading¡± bar to slowly fill up.


    Finally, the data was displayed.


    It was indeed a diagram.


    But...


    ¡°What...the hell?¡±


    Quenser was dumbfounded.


    This was not an Object.


    It was shaped like the mantas he had seen on a documentary.


    But if the scale given was accurate, it was over ten thousand meters long.


    Heivia waited in a garbage truck at the entrance to the alley off of Kiwi Street and he heard sirens in the distance.


    The package¡¯s line had been cut.


    What that code phrase meant was simple


    Reports from the assault team continued.


    ¡°Blue 09, I¡¯ve finished cutting the traffic light¡¯s cable.¡±


    ¡°Blue 17, the water pipe has burst.¡±


    ¡°Blue 34, the fake traffic accident has been set up at the corner of Lemon Street and Grape Square. Abandoning our vehicles and retreating.¡±


    Mulqueen Sonora¡¯s escort team would be most afraid of coming to a stop. Even if the windows were bulletproof and the tires were stuffed with sponge, a door could be forced open if they were surrounded and violently attacked.


    That was why Heivia and the rest of Azul Hive were causing trouble around the city.


    That would create traffic jams on the roads they wanted.


    To avoid a situation where they could not move forward or back and were pretty much asking to be attacked, the escort team would definitely avoid any traffic jams. If the routes through the network of roads were limited, the chance of making an attack would go up.


    Their enemies were experts too, so they would know someone was setting them up.


    But they would have no choice but to go along with it.


    ¡°Blue 11, the package has moved from Lemon Street to Kiwi Street. Ten minutes until the expected point.¡±


    ¡°Understood, 11. Heivia, start the engine.¡±


    ¡°Blue 12, beginning action. Urging the package forward from behind.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Are the deserters not going to pull off a miracle after all!?¡±


    Heivia turned the key as he spat out those words.


    Millia was looking a little worried, too.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when to go. You just have to push the accelerator down to the floor. We¡¯ll slam into the first car from the side and bring the entire escort team to a stop. The rest of the assault team will attack the back car to keep them from backing up and we¡¯ll help ourselves to the delicious toppings squished in the middle of the sandwich.¡±


    It was a simple enough plan, but that was the ideal outcome.


    A single mistake or unfortunate coincidence and it would all fall apart.


    It may have changed form somewhat, but it was still a military action and that meant loss of life was possible.


    Quenser and Putana looked at the unknown blueprints they had found in the hotel room. The mysterious machine was shaped like a ten thousand meter manta, which made it larger than an Object.


    Notes were written at various points:


    Anti-cosmic ray coating.


    Ion engines.


    Solar power panels.


    Circulating environment.


    2500 person capacity.


    Low-temperature extreme environment preservation pods.


    Seed and embryo freezing technology.


    ¡°The Star.¡±


    Putana Highball seemed dumbfounded, but she somehow forced out a quiet voice.


    ¡°That boy mentioned that everyone went to the Star. If so, is this...?¡±


    ¡°An artificial planet.¡± Quenser gulped. ¡°This is on an entirely different level from the rockets and shuttles of the past. This is a colossal spaceship with a proper living environment that¡¯s meant to circle the sun like a needle on a record, just as Mars or Jupiter do. No, maybe the solar system is just for practice and they¡¯re actually planning to join another star system. If they have cold sleep tech, they can ignore the time it takes to get there.¡±


    Technically, a planet needed to rotate to have a stable orbit. With this, there would be a risk of slipping out of orbit, but it was possible it could make corrections with its various engines.


    It mostly secured energy from sunlight, but it seemed it was also designed to terraform the satellites of other planets for various kinds of fuel and resources. There was even a report on growing potatoes and corn for biofuels. That was the basis of the Re Terra technology built into Putana¡¯s Object.


    ¡°But is this even possible?¡± Putana looked dubious. ¡°This giant ¡®Star¡¯ is ten kilometers long. Even if they did construct it, wouldn¡¯t its own weight prevent it from escaping the earth¡¯s gravity?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a suggestion here about building it in satellite orbit, but I doubt that would work either. After all, it¡¯s just too big. It would be torn up by all the debris up there before it was finished. Holes would be torn in the hull as soon as it was made and new holes would be made as soon as they patched up the old ones. Even if they did complete it, it would be too weak and it would break apart pretty quickly.¡±


    ¡°Then what is this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Quenser. ¡°But it looks the word Nataraja is definitely related to this artificial planet.¡±


    The blueprints had completely unrelated thoughts written alongside the necessary information.


    It was almost like someone had been doodling in the margin of their notebook while bored in class.


    It said, the following:


    Humanity will destroy itself in another three hundred years. If they want to die, that¡¯s fine by me, but I don¡¯t want to be dragged down with them.


    It will all be over soon.


    Once the Nataraja is complete, we can overcome even the worst Kali Yuga. We were chosen, so we will escape this earth and all its problems.


    ¡°Teacher, this might be a form of eschatology just like Armageddon.¡±


    ¡°Eschatology?¡±


    ¡°Kali Yuga is the age when the teachings of the gods have been lost and it refers to modern times. When it ends, all of human civilization is destroyed and Nataraja...that is, Lord Shiva burns it all away to make a brand new world.¡±


    It was not clear what all that referred to in reality, but looking at the plans for that giant ¡°Star¡± was not going to help calm them down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over what we know.¡± Quenser sat directly on the side table. ¡°The missing geniuses are fed up with modern society and all of its problems. If possible, they want to leave the earth in search of a new paradise.¡±


    ¡°And the result is this Star?¡±


    ¡°They used their fields of research to help construct this giant artificial planet. They may have received passports to the new world in return. The cable car incident was not talent trafficking. It wasn¡¯t a kidnapping. It was an act for the children to disappear.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true clever weapons developers wouldn¡¯t be allowed to leave or defect so easily.¡±


    ¡°And based on what I¡¯ve heard from Frolaytia and Millia, these geniuses are turning up missing in safe countries all over the world, so it isn¡¯t just the cable car incident. The plans for the artificial planet said it can hold 2500 people. In the worst case, they might have that many geniuses working with them.¡±


    ¡°In other words, this problem goes beyond Lost Angels.¡±


    ¡°They might have built a secret network spanning all four world powers. And it would have to slip past the surveillance to connect the geniuses surrounded by the military and research facilities.¡±


    This was a plan to put a great number of geniuses in cold sleep and send them outside the solar system.


    But could the artificial planet realistically escape earth¡¯s gravity after growing so large?


    And how was this related to the Oriental Magic approaching the Indian Ocean?


    At that moment, the fire alarm suddenly stopped ringing.


    Putana looked up in surprise and glared at the door.


    ¡°I sense eight gazes filled with killer intent... They¡¯re coming this way!¡±


    ¡°Is this as far as we get!?¡±


    Quenser yanked out the handheld device¡¯s cable.


    He continued operating the device while looking at the small screen, so Putana spoke up in annoyance.


    ¡°What are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°A lot of the data couldn¡¯t be converted to text, so I¡¯m having the program decrypt the rest. How much it can do with one click is up to the electronic simulation department¡¯s secret weapon, though!¡±


    After finishing the necessary process, he shoved the device in his pocket and asked a question of his own.


    ¡°Putana, you have a gun, right? Head to the emergency staircase. They should have an emergency escape tube there. Use that.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to fight too, but a certain someone kept me from making my fuses. Can you take responsibility for that?¡±


    She clicked her tongue and made her way to the room¡¯s door.


    She fired a few times before turning the knob and kicked the hole-filled door into the hallway.


    She ignored the collapsed thug spraying blood everywhere with a submachinegun in his arms and she fired further down the hallway.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, teacher!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t use the elevator. Get to the emergency stairs!¡±


    The Hotel Grand Jackpot was Mustard Cowboy¡¯s (and therefore the Capitalist Corporations¡¯) home. They would keep sending in reinforcements during a long, drawn-out battle, so they would eventually overrun Putana with pure numbers.


    That was why she sprayed bullets to make them flinch back rather than trying to kill them all.


    The two of them ran down the hallway while the enemy could not move.


    The emergency staircase was attached to the outside of the building. It looked bad and there was a risk of drunks jumping off of it, but if the emergency stairs were inside the building, they would become a giant chimney during a fire and there was a danger of everyone using them dying of carbon monoxide poisoning. They were on the outside to prevent that.


    Quenser jumped down to the landing and removed the latch on a metal box.


    He pulled out a seventy centimeter wide tube made of synthetic fibers. He attached the end to the stairway railing and threw the rest of it over the edge.


    ¡°Putana, hurry up!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll stand out too much if we go down in that!! They¡¯ll be waiting for us at the bottom and it will take over three minutes until we reach the ground, so if they unhook the top partway through, we¡¯ll be in a freefall!!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! Hurry over here!!¡±


    An unpleasant sweat was collecting on Heivia¡¯s hands as he held the garbage truck¡¯s steering wheel.


    Millia must have been used to this sort of situation because she looked nervous but not worried.


    The rest of the assault team was giving reports over the radio.


    ¡°Blue 12, the package is still on its way down Kiwi Street. There are no unrelated cars in between us anymore.¡±


    ¡°Blue 20, I will keep any unrelated cars from getting in.¡±


    ¡°Blue 15, 12 was hit. Continuing action.¡±


    ¡°Blue 07, finished picking up 12. Withdrawing. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Here they come,¡± said Millia. ¡°At worst, you can miss the first car. Just make sure you hit the escort team and stop them in the middle of the road. That will leave the package at a standstill.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Calm down, boy. Don¡¯t be so afraid of messing up that you make yourself mess up.¡±


    ¡°If I mess up here, a civilian will die! And a ten-year-old kid at that! I¡¯m confident I can pull this off, but a human life is resting on my shoulders!! Of course I¡¯m going to be breathing a little heavily!!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like worrying, then try not to think about anything that isn¡¯t absolutely necessary. Tuning your brain is a standard technique for a soldier.¡±


    The time approached.


    Heivia clenched his teeth and squeezed his hands around the steering wheel.


    They looked like thugs in flashy suits, but they were actually spies from the Capitalist Corporations. They had gathered on the landing of the hotel¡¯s emergency staircase.


    They heard scraping cloth coming from the opening to the emergency escape tube.


    Someone was sliding down it.


    One of the men removed the safety device on the railing and threw it out into the air.


    As there was a weight partway down, the synthetic fabric fell straight down to the asphalt without the wind carrying it.


    A soft thud rang out and they contacted the team on the surface via radio.


    ¡°We¡¯ve eliminated the intruder. Just to be sure, check the body on the surface.¡±


    ¡°Blue 15, beginning countdown at 100.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, the package is less than five kilometers away. They¡¯re closing in at twenty-five meters a second. Are you ready!?¡±


    ¡°Dammit!! I¡¯ll do it! I just have to do it, right!?¡±


    Quenser and Putana were hiding in a room one floor down whose lock had also been released.


    ¡°Won¡¯t they figure out pretty quickly you only dropped a fire extinguisher down?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they figure out the trick. We just have to make sure we¡¯re long gone by then.¡±


    They had put on the clothes they found in the closet and generally changed their hairstyles in front of the mirror. Quenser was wearing a white suit and Putana was wearing a dress with a miniskirt so short her butt was just about visible. The poor taste made it obvious what kind of guests had been staying in this room.


    They slowly left the room.


    The elevators had recovered, so they boarded one and made their way to the first floor.


    The glass-covered elevator shaft gave them a view of some thugs riding another elevator straight up, but it was too late.


    ¡°Okay, we need to report this. We¡¯ll spoil the others¡¯ fun with our information on the artificial planet.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Putana¡¯s eyes sharpened. She may have been planning to put a bullet in Quenser¡¯s forehead as soon as she was certain Mulqueen Sonora was safe.


    However...


    ¡°Millia? Millia! What¡¯s going on!?¡±


    ¡°Can you not get through?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that the radio isn¡¯t reaching. There¡¯s more to this.¡±


    The quick elevator reached the first floor entrance.


    As some thugs rushed to the landing site of the outdoor emergency escape tube, Quenser and Putana hurried out the main entrance. They could tell Mustard Cowboy was as confused as they were. The men were looking down at their cellphones and radios and repeatedly messing with the settings.


    Whether he had been successful or not, the bearded former leader they had seen before was walking on the road out front.


    ¡°See? I told you the printing plates for the money were in that fortress of a casino! Of course, that fire alarm did kind of save our asses!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our boss. I¡¯ll follow you to the ends of the earth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got that nun to take care of, so let¡¯s scram.¡±


    Right in front of Quenser and Putana¡¯s eyes, they hopped into the sky blue convertible parked on the curb and started the engine.


    ¡°That¡¯s our car!¡±


    ¡°Wait, teacher. We don¡¯t want a firefight here.¡±


    They checked their surroundings while leaving the hotel on foot and spotted a Hot Dog Stand van parked on the curb. It must have been overhauled in a hurry recently because the frame was clearly quite old and falling apart. The man in the driver¡¯s seat was raising his middle finger toward the blue sky.


    (Huh? Isn¡¯t that the guy who steals device data over Wi-Fi?)


    Quenser checked where the man was looking.


    ¡°There we go.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a UAV flying through the northern sky. That thing is jamming us!¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s a high-grade RC. If it was using an ECM, wouldn¡¯t it lose control, too?¡±


    ¡°Not if it¡¯s using lasers to communicate or if it¡¯s autonomously controlled by a program. Also, that attack in the hotel was strange. Someone may have sent an email to the guards to get it started.¡±


    ¡°Someone related to the Star?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone else who would be worried about information on the Nataraja getting out.¡±


    Regardless, if they did not get the information to Millia Newburg, the others would continue as planned and attack Mulqueen Sonora. No matter how perfectly they prepared, they could not guarantee the safety of that mission.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t armed, so this is pure electronic warfare. ...Putana, can you shoot it down?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke. This is a 9mm automatic.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to find some other way.¡±


    Quenser looked around and ran out into the road.


    The sound of screeching brakes filled the sunny city.


    ¡°Putana, the driver¡¯s seat!!¡±


    She shoved her gun forward as told. A man in his early twenties was visible on the other side of the windshield. He went pale, let go of the steering wheel, and raised his hands. Luckily, he was not the type to take a gamble on accelerating to knock them out of the way.


    Quenser forced open the driver¡¯s side door and grabbed the young man¡¯s collar.


    ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ll be helping us.¡±


    ¡°W-with what?¡±


    ¡°I know this Ice Cream Truck sends out a pirate broadcast.¡±


    Quenser looked to the windowless metal box on the back of the truck.


    The young man¡¯s face was soaked with sweat.


    ¡°Ha...ha ha. What on earth are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb. You were spreading half-truths during that cable car incident, so how about I throw you out in front of the Baby Magnum? If you¡¯re really an innocent civilian, the Princess won¡¯t crush your truck. But if you¡¯re guilty and an expert soldier, she won¡¯t see any reason not to kill you as an enemy combatant.¡±


    ¡°Heh...eh heh...eh heh heh. Wh-what would you like?¡±


    ¡°There are two ways of breaking through radio jamming: choosing a bandwidth not blocked or breaking through with an even more powerful signal. You can handle that, can¡¯t you?¡±


    Even back in the alley, they could faintly hear the target¡¯s engines. The assault team was keeping them moving from behind, so their tires were screeching in their hurry.


    Heivia would slam his garbage truck in at a right angle to cut them off.


    That would end it.


    If successful, they would get valuable information. If they failed, they would turn an innocent ten-year-old boy to mincemeat.


    Was this really worth the risk?


    Was this information worth betting a human life like a chip on the poker table?


    ¡°...¡±


    Heivia slowly breathed in and then exhaled.


    ¡°10, 9, 8...¡±


    The countdown continued.


    It felt like grains of sand falling down the disturbing hourglass that measured someone¡¯s remaining life.


    His eyes had fallen to the steering wheel, so he looked back up. He stared at Kiwi Street up ahead.


    His left foot held the clutch halfway down, he removed his right foot from the brake pedal, and the sole of that foot stroked the surface of the gas pedal.


    He prepared to slam that foot down.


    But just before he did...


    ¡°Kssshhh!! This is Blue -1! We have acquired the information from the Hotel Grand Jackpot! I repeat, we have acquired the information from the Hotel Grand Jackpot! Ksshh. You¡¯ll probably only get this same information if you attack the escort team!! I recommend a change of plans!! Ksshh!!¡±


    A strange wrinkle came over Heivia¡¯s brow.


    (That idiot has to contact us now of all times!?)


    He was not sure what to do. Their cooperation had been thrown off and that kind of minor thing could lead to accidentally killing Mulqueen Sonora.


    He frantically glanced over at Millia, but she remained silent.


    The engine sounds of the escort team had almost arrived.


    ¡°5, 4, 3...¡±


    The countdown continued.


    Heivia clicked his tongue and stepped on the gas pedal. The garbage truck finally began to move. If he lifted his left foot, the clutch would fully connect and the truck would burst forward into Kiwi Street. It would crash into the lead car from the side and the bulletproof cars carrying the ten-year-old child would crash into it from behind one after another.


    ¡°...2, 1...¡±


    He heard a dull sound as Millia Newburg bit her lip and shouted into the radio.


    ¡°Abort mission!!¡±


    Heivia and the others watched the group of black cars drive past.


    Heivia pressed down the clutch at the very last second. The truck engine roared fruitlessly and it moved no further forward.


    In that instant, his eyes briefly met with those of the boy innocently pressing his hands against the window to peer out at the scenery.


    Before they could begin to make an emotional connection, it all vanished into the flowing scenery.


    Still, guilt very nearly broke the dams holding back Heivia¡¯s tears.


    Finally, the rest of the assault team contacted them.


    ¡°Blue 15, change of orders confirmed. Breaking away from behind the escort team.¡±


    ¡°Blue 07, awaiting permission to support 15.¡±


    ¡°Blue 15, this is only my personal opinion, but this is a weight off my shoulders. Thank you.¡±


    Millia switched off the radio without saying anything back.


    She leaned forward, scraped her forehead on the dashboard, and slowly sighed.


    She seemed stunned at her own actions and spoke in a self-deprecating tone.


    ¡°It is for me, too.¡±


    Part 6


    Real_Time_Log.


    Network_System_From_¡°Shuttle_NATARAJA¡±.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said that countless times already.¡±


    ¡°They were supposed to be taken out in the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ home base, but they escaped safely and forced through the UAV¡¯s ECM. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this. If information on the Nataraja is brought back to the Legitimacy Kingdom, knowledge of its existence will spread.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter if they don¡¯t know its exact location.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...? No, that¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Either way, we have already sent the Second Generation Kali there. You should have been prepared for this.¡±


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.¡±


    ¡°We will move the Nataraja.¡±


    ¡°If we move it now, we¡¯ll be announcing its presence to the world. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°This is the only option left for the Star now. Or should I say, for the future of those exposed to the Fourth Age of Kali Yuga?¡±


    Part 7


    Quenser wiped some unpleasant sweat from his brow inside the Ice Cream Truck¡¯s kitchen portion (that was mostly used to cool the large communications equipment).


    He gave a quiet sigh.


    ¡°It seems the attack on Mulqueen Sonora was aborted. We just barely got by on that one. Now, Putana, how about we go punch Millia and the others?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, why didn¡¯t you tell me you were feeling suicidal? I have a 9mm automatic right here, so you only had to let me know.¡±


    ¡°Ah, eh? That¡¯s still going on? Really!? Please no! And there¡¯s nowhere to run in this small truck!!¡±


    Quenser leaned hard against the wall while bursting into tears. Thinking it was some kind of gag, Putana watched coldly, but the situation suddenly changed.


    The wall rotated around like in an Island Nation ninja mansion.


    To save space, the counter for exchanging money and ice cream was made to fold up into the side wall while driving. Quenser had leaned against it as a shortcut outside.


    Putana pulled her handgun from the pocket of her far-too-short dress and clicked her tongue.


    ¡°Teacher!! Oh, damn. Where did you get off to!? And this was the perfect chance to put a bullet between your eyes!!¡±


    She quickly climbed out over the counter and set out on a journey to search for the boy.


    Meanwhile, Quenser quietly sighed from below the truck.


    ¡°I really thought I was a goner there.¡±


    When he crawled out, the ice cream truck¡¯s private TV broadcaster spoke to him.


    ¡°C-can I go now? You aren¡¯t going to ask me to help you transmit classified data, are you?¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. You can go. I¡¯d like to send the data on the Nataraja, but I¡¯d be afraid the temporary files would stick around in your devices. I¡¯ll hand deliver this.¡±


    ¡°Ha...ha ha. I see.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but one thing. You sell ice cream for camouflage, right? If I pay, could I get some chocolate chip mint?¡±


    The battlefield student finally left the truck with some bright green ice cream.


    He thought to himself while enjoying the cold sweetness.


    Putana was gone, but the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Mustard Cowboy had a lot of influence in this western region. Plus, they had just caused some trouble in the Hotel Grand Jackpot. Even without that, she was being constantly pursued by the Faith Organization¡¯s Viridian Edge. If she wanted to guarantee her safety, she would leave the western region and regroup with the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Azul Hive.


    (That means we¡¯ll meet back up in the usual motel. The communication situation is still awful, so I can¡¯t contact Heivia, Millia, or the others either.)


    He looked up into the blue sky.


    The electronic warfare UAV was still flying high above, but luckily, it had no weapons. Still, he did not want to be stalked from the air and have troops sent in based on the aerial photographs. He looked around, crunched through the cone holding the ice cream, found the stairs down to a subway station, and ran down.


    Lost Angels¡¯s subway was about the worst possible ride and was only recommended for ¡°indebted men who want to commit suicide or women who want to be impregnated ASAP¡±, but he had no choice here.


    Quenser felt a little dejected when he saw the great variety of clientele: a mohawked man with a strong odor of paint coming from the mouth, a depressed-looking office worker with a full suit on his upper body and only briefs on his lower body, and a young wife smiling happily as she pushed around a stroller that for some reason carried a battered piece of driftwood. Regardless, Quenser let the train rock him back and forth as he made his way to his destination as quickly as possible.


    To escape reality, he turned his eyes toward the LCD advertisement installed above the automatic door, but then his face clouded over.


    It only displayed a simple text headline: Another clash between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Faith Organization? A battle between Objects has been confirmed in the Indian Ocean off of Lost Angels.


    ¡°...¡±


    (The Legitimacy Kingdom in an Object battle on the Indian Ocean? Did that Second Generation called the Oriental Magic attack the Princess!?)


    He would not find any more detailed information here.


    Those with the information waited in the run-down motel.


    Part 8


    An invisible hell covered the blue ocean.


    The Princess had not been killed because she sat inside the Baby Magnum which could take a direct hit from a nuclear weapon, but otherwise her eyeballs might have boiled and her entire body might have been cooked away.


    She glared at the source through the cameras and sensors linked to the giant monitor.


    It was the Faith Organization¡¯s Second Generation Object named the Oriental Magic.


    It was about seven kilometers away. It hovered a bit above the ocean¡¯s surface using its air cushion propulsion device, its laser beam main cannon included a cylindrical excitation system larger than the cannon¡¯s barrel, and it also had a Gatling system containing several giant cannon barrels.


    However, the Gatling system was not just a rotating machine cannon.


    It made a sound like a broken buzzer as it scattered five meter spears around. They were never aimed at the Princess and they landed all across that area of ocean. They would then float with their long, narrow bodies sticking vertically from the water, just like a fishing bobber or a buoy.


    More than eight thousand of them were fired every minute.


    The spears covered the unobstructed ocean like a strange plantation. Whenever the wind or waves rocked the ocean surface, they would gently wave like ears of rice.


    ¡°Kssshhh!! Prin...cess....ksshh!! It happened...again! Ksshh....This exceeds...ksshh...the saturation level...ksshh!! Even for an Object¡¯s...ksshh...anti-air lasers! It¡¯ll never end...if you focus on that!!¡±


    ¡°I know that!!¡±


    The communication issues were not a problem with the Baby Magnum.


    The Oriental Magic was emitting radar waves in every direction. They were sometimes strong and sometimes weak, but at their highest, they were powerful enough to roast all of the seabirds in the area.


    Radar might sound like something special, but they used the same microwaves as a microwave oven.


    They had heated the Baby Magnum¡¯s outer shell of onion armor to a faint orange and countless sparks were flying everywhere.


    (That¡¯s a lot of power. If this thing approaches the maintenance fleet, everyone will be turned into human torches!!)


    These specs seemed to completely ignore the optimal solution for radar.


    It made the Princess suspect this was only disguised as radar because of the international criticism they would receive if it was registered on paper as an electromagnetic weapon meant to cook people alive.


    That invisible hell was expanded around the Oriental Magic.


    At thirty kilometers, there was a risk of it negatively affecting the human body. At ten kilometers, death was guaranteed and one¡¯s blood might even boil despite being inside a warship.


    The Object was already on the edge of that first range.


    The Princess had to settle this before that range of guaranteed death reached the Legitimacy Kingdom fleet.


    ¡°Kh!!¡±


    She operated the seven main cannons and fired low-stability plasma cannons at the enemy in front of her.


    But...


    ¡°I can¡¯t hit it!! No matter how many times I try!!¡±


    It was true the Oriental Magic was using her pre-fire movements to predict where she would fire and take evasive action, but even when the Princess predicted those evasive actions, her cannon blasts were not even scratching the other Object.


    This was no longer an issue of the Pilot Elite¡¯s skill.


    There was a discrepancy between the ballistic path in her head and the one the cannon blast actually took.


    It was almost like...


    ¡°There¡¯s a deviation in the ballistic calculations?¡± blankly muttered the Princess.


    Meanwhile, the Oriental Magic continued forward with nothing blocking its way.


    Surrounded by the massive field of deadly microwaves, it approached the fleet the Baby Magnum was meant to protect.


    Part 9


    By the time Quenser arrived at the run-down motel, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Azul Hive gang was just about ready to get moving.


    It was no longer time to be punching anyone.


    As a greeting, he was chased around by a stolen car and very nearly hit in the butt by the bumper.


    ¡°Wah! Wah!! Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°Okay! Stop, Heivia! Now, Quenser, do you have anything to say to the nice woman who just had the driver stop only twenty centimeters away?¡±


    Millia leaned out from the car¡¯s sunroof with a smile and Quenser answered her question while collapsed on the ground with tears and snot covering his face.


    ¡°E-e-eeeeeeeek!? I-I¡¯m sorry... I won¡¯t ever disobey your orders again! I¡¯m sorryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s some nice crying, but I don¡¯t buy it. ...Say, that¡¯s an awfully nice smell coming from your mouth.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s because I ate some chocolate chip mint ice cream while I was out.¡±


    ¡°Run him over, Heivia. What does that brat think he was doing while his commanding officer was stuck in a sour-smelling garbage truck?¡±


    ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!?¡±


    Having cleverly given up on her search and quickly returned to the motel, Putana sat in the back seat of the car and she raised her hand to give a suggestion.


    ¡°Millia, if you are going to execute him, leave it to me. I will give it my all.¡±


    ¡°I feel like you really would kill him, so no. More importantly, get in, Quenser. Some excitement has reached the fleet out at sea, so we need to head out there and support them.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Um, what? What do you mean support them?¡±


    He quickly opened the car¡¯s back door and climbed inside.


    Heivia answered from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Sneaking around delivering presents like Santa Claus isn¡¯t enough anymore. The fleet is in trouble, so they want a little help.¡±


    Millia waved her hand in the passenger seat. Putana must have already told them what they had found, so he handed his handheld device to her.


    He shared the artificial planet information with the others.


    As usual, Quenser sat next to Putana. They looked friendly enough packed in next to each other, but he had no idea when she was going to shoot him at point blank range.


    After Quenser got in, several stolen vehicles made their way to the southeastern commercial harbor. That was the source of Azul Hive¡¯s funding.


    The cylindrical submersibles they had used when stealing the Collective Farming were stored there. They were the type one rode on top of rather than inside of.


    The vehicles stopped on the dock, they unloaded the submersibles, goggles, and oxygen tanks from a pile of containers, and the soldiers made their way back out to sea.


    ¡°Our information says the Oriental Magic is constantly sending out powerful radar waves while making its way toward the Legitimacy Kingdom fleet. The insurance organizations that are already screaming about cell phone signals causing cancer would faint if they saw this. Apparently, human flesh would turn as white as boiled chicken at a kilometer away.¡±


    ¡°Then how are we supposed to get close!?¡±


    Heivia¡¯s childish falsetto protest was not enough to stop Millia.


    ¡°Submarines prefer to use sonar over radar. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying the wall of seawater will weaken the electromagnetic waves enough for us to be safe?¡±


    Quenser found it hard to believe even as he said it, but Millia nodded.


    ¡°Despite the overwhelming power they¡¯re using, they still seem to be thinking about efficiency. Instead of sending the microwaves uniformly in three dimensions, it¡¯s more like a two dimensional disk. Think of it like a lighthouse. The light won¡¯t reach the dark ocean. Or rather, it doesn¡¯t need to reach it.¡±


    Still, those numbers had only been roughly detected using an underwater drone. Given the timing of the battle, they would not have had time to get more accurate readings.


    There was no safe path.


    They only had a path that would keep them alive for the time being.


    ¡°Once we¡¯re on the battlefield, make sure you never move to the surface. Stay at least five meters down although ten meters would be ideal. But keep in mind that heading too far down increases the risk of decompression sickness when you come back up. The next time you breathe natural air will be on the deck of the cornered fleet. Let¡¯s go!!¡±


    On Millia¡¯s order, Quenser and the others used the small submersibles to dive down into the lukewarm seawater.


    Quenser did not know all that much about the ocean, but he still noticed something strange while operating his submersible. The schools of small fish were moving oddly. They were not approaching the surface and he doubted they were simply afraid of seabirds. He spotted a few fish up above floating on their sides, but the other fish showed no sign of trying to eat them.


    He was already seeing the damage being done.


    The way the scenery was overwritten by a twisted form of learning gave him a chill.


    ¡°What...is that?¡±


    Heivia spoke over the radio from the neighboring submersible.


    He was looking straight up.


    Several objects resembling long, skinny spears were sticking down from the swaying ocean surface. They looked like strange stalactites or icicles, but they were probably the opposite. In other words, they were actually sticking up above the water.


    ¡°Are they like a fishing bobber? Their center of gravity has to be lower down to stay vertical, so the underwater portion is actually larger than the exposed portion.¡±


    ¡°I get that, but what are they? They¡¯re covering the surface for as far as I can see.¡±


    Millia answered that one.


    ¡°They¡¯re apparently equipment the Oriental Magic is firing everywhere with a Gatling system. So far, none of them have exploded like a remote cannon or mine. There are unconfirmed reports of them emitting powerful magnetism, so the electronic simulation division suspects they¡¯re auxiliary sensors.¡±


    ¡°Killer radar and extra sensors everywhere? Talk about neurotic. Does the Pilot Elite suspect they¡¯re being stalked if their toothbrush is five centimeters from its usual spot?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Putana listened to them while silently looking up with a grim look on her face.


    It looked like she was having difficulty accepting something.


    The Oriental Magic used its air cushion propulsion device to float from the ocean¡¯s surface, but the massive layer of compressed air below the two hundred thousand ton mass created tiny waves within the ocean as well. The faint stinging on the skin informed them of the monster¡¯s approach.


    ¡°That thing can zip around the battlefield at five hundred kph, so why are we catching up to it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because the Princess is holding it back of course.¡±


    They could tell the Princess was moving along the ocean with its naval floats attached. After all, its stability shark anchor plunged deep into the ocean and that giant extendable pillar very nearly smashed them to pieces.


    They frantically moved out of the way, but a few of the submersibles were knocked about and flipped over by the massive water current.


    Quenser lost control of his.


    ¡°Wah!?¡±


    He was thrown from the submersible as it rotated around like a leaf in the wind. He flailed his limbs around, but he could not stop the momentum carrying him toward the surface. He was headed full speed toward being cooked in the human microwave oven of the killer radar.


    But then someone grabbed his hand.


    ¡°P-Putana?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t get yourself killed. Then I can¡¯t do it myself.¡±


    Putana had apparently become a tsundere.


    ¡°Puny humans can¡¯t keep up with a battle between giants!¡± said Millia. ¡°Putana, carry Quenser with you from here on. If he stays here, he¡¯ll just be crushed by our own ally. That Object wouldn¡¯t notice any more than we would if we stepped on an ant!¡±


    At any rate, they had to continue on.


    They turned their backs on the Princess who continued fighting on the surface and sent their submersibles ever onward.


    ¡°Kssshhhh!! Ksshh!! Kssssshhhhhhh!! Ksshhh!! Ksssshhhh!!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no good. I thought I could get a word in to the Princess, but the noise is so bad I can¡¯t get through.¡±


    ¡°Well, of course not with all those radar waves.¡±


    ¡°I guess we can only reach other people underwater with us.¡±


    Quenser began to shift his focus away from the radio, but something stopped him.


    One channel was left open.


    ¡°What is this? Oh, I get it. It¡¯s the line for the laser transmissions from the auxiliary cameras on the drone. ...But wait.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Really, what is this? Why is this down there?¡±


    Quenser had one arm around Putana¡¯s waist while the other held his handheld device. His face froze over as he stared at the small screen.


    The underwater drone had taken a one-way trip toward the ocean floor to become scrap metal.


    It gave a view beyond the vast darkness below that was not visible to the naked eye.


    Was it dozens, hundreds, or thousands of meters to the bottom?


    Something lay on its side in a place completely cut off from them despite being in the same ocean.


    It resembled a manta measuring over ten thousand meters long.


    Most likely, it was the giant artificial planet known as the Nataraja.


    Part 10


    Real_Time_Log.


    Network_System_From_¡°Shuttle_NATARAJA¡±.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°They noticed us. The Legitimacy Kingdom saw the Nataraja!¡±


    ¡°We already knew we would be exposed. That¡¯s why the Kali is on a rampage overhead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this!¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, our freezing process has already begun. We can¡¯t stop it now. You were prepared for that when you came onboard, weren¡¯t you?¡¯


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t supposed to-...¡±


    ¡°And either way, the frogmen can¡¯t get their information out of the ocean. The powerful microwaves will jam the signal.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Also, those microwaves function as an anti-radar ECM. They can¡¯t perform a large-scale search from the surface now. The Kali¡¯s cannon fire and the air pressure from the air cushion are vibrating the water enough to prevent both active and passive sonar from searching the ocean. You understand what that means, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°This ocean has been blacked out?¡±


    ¡°Enough that we could wave our hand right in front of their nose and they wouldn¡¯t notice. It doesn¡¯t matter where the Nataraja was five seconds ago. Even if we move only a kilometer away from there, we can hide in the infinite darkness down here.¡±


    ¡°But the Nataraja is so large it will stir up the water if it moves. We can¡¯t hide like a submarine.¡±


    ¡°The entire point of Kali¡¯s rampage is to let us move. ...And it¡¯s all for a single purpose.¡±


    ¡°To escape earth, hm?¡±


    ¡°To surpass Kali Yuga, mankind¡¯s dark age, and gain a new paradise.¡±


    Part 11


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s dazed comment quickly grew to a shout of anger.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this!! I thought they were making some gigantic artificial planet, but is this what they were doing!?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, what are you talking about? I thought the Star we discovered at the hotel was meant to leave the earth and all its conflict behind so they could reach a new paradise?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s their goal all right, but we had the method wrong,¡± groaned Quenser. ¡°The Nataraja is a ten thousand meter long artificial planet. They couldn¡¯t launch it into space even if they did complete it. Just like debt snowballing out of control, it wouldn¡¯t be able to support its own weight. That¡¯s why they gave up on that and remade their escape plan into one that didn¡¯t require flying.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°They built their star to take a centuries or millennia long trip through waterless and airless outer space, so the people inside would still be protected if it dove underwater. And what if no one back up on the surface knew they were there?¡±


    The plans for the ship had contained hastily added notes on a low-temperature environment.


    In other words, cold sleep.


    That system froze a human at an extremely low temperature to store them for so long it could be called eternity.


    ¡°They¡¯re waiting for humanity to destroy itself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if they planned for one or two thousand years or even for just a month or a week, but they¡¯re waiting for the balance between the Legitimacy Kingdom, Information Alliance, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization to fall apart, some truly hopeless problem to reach us, and for the human race to go extinct. And once that eliminates all the problems, they¡¯ll head back up to the surface. Like the old planet shedding its skin, the Nataraja itself can be seen as a small continent. They can move up next to a tropical desert island and create a biofuel resources base.¡±


    ¡°Nataraja...that is, Lord Shiva is said to destroy the dark age of Kali Yuga himself and then create the new age. In that case...¡±


    ¡°Their escape from Earth isn¡¯t breaching the atmosphere,¡± declared Quenser. ¡°They¡¯re escaping into their artificial planet within the planet.¡±


    Supposedly, geniuses had vanished all over the world in all of the world powers.


    Those geniuses¡¯ lives had likely been a constant fight against the ugly adults. Simply hearing about talent trafficking was enough to know just how unimaginable their hardships were. Plus, that had to only be the tip of the iceberg.


    That was why the current planet had left them in despair and they had secretly built an artificial planet to escape it.


    And after vanishing while disguising it as abductions and accidents, they had gathered at the Star.


    They were the next human race.


    Only the skilled and clean people who would not bring any of the current problems with them were allowed on that ark.


    ¡°But how much did they prepare for this? They would need energy to support the ten thousand meter structure, energy to support the life support infrastructure, and energy to keep it hidden.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. Are you saying they¡¯ve opened a hole in the bottom of some storage base¡¯s tank!? I know the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ long-term civilian space flight plan was scrapped because it used up way too much energy for mere entertainment, but still!!¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t care at all about the old earth, so why would they bother leaving anything for us? They¡¯re keeping the data for the World Clock or whatever looking normal while they¡¯re actually stealing all the fuel, food, and rare earths they need to survive! And they know the world will fall into chaos once that¡¯s found out and the data anesthesia runs out! What kind of future is waiting for us? Will all of the military vehicles stop running as we fight to grab what food we can all while we can¡¯t stop the world¡¯s food from rotting away at room temperature? You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!¡±


    A new icon began flashing on the edge of the screen.


    It indicated some data analysis had finished.


    ¡°That¡¯s not some swimsuit pinup photos, is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the data that was left on the hotel¡¯s IP phone. The router was built in, so it recorded all of the data sent out from the room. It¡¯s their data. ...What is this? Energy storage filter list? Lure data and a comparison to the real values?¡±


    According to Putana, all of the genius boys and girls except for Mulqueen Sonora had continued on to the Star.


    The data on the supposed artificial planet had also come from that hotel.


    Quenser had expected to find more detailed information, but he had accidentally reached for the lid of Pandora¡¯s Box.


    ¡°The real amount the world has stored?¡±


    The numbers were different from the official reports.


    They were far, far removed from the values everyone believed in.


    What was it he found there?


    ¡°........................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser, what¡¯s the matter? Hey!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re better off not knowing.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°This is...this is just hopeless. The world would completely boil over!!¡±


    Electricity and fuel truly would vanish from the world. The little bit brought by solar or wind power would be meaningless. They could try to use Object reactors for general power, but they did not yet have any way of setting them up like that. In other words, everything would rot away like trash. A single type of the saprophytic bacteria that consumed trash would prosper and all other microbes would have no place left. But that single type of saprophytic bacteria would be wiped out when exposed to its weakness of heat or ultraviolet light.


    That would lead to a world without microbes.


    In that world, the piles of trash would never rot. They would simply be eroded into dust and the rain or mist would turn it into sticky sludge. The sea of sludge covering the surface would become the enemy of bacteria, plants, animals, and all forms of life.


    Quenser understood why the geniuses had hidden the existence of their artificial planet.


    If something like that was ¡°within reach¡±, no one would allow it. Some would simply try to take back the stolen fuel and resources while others might arrive with a smile as they asked to be let onboard.


    That ark of salvation would transform into a plank of Carneades that washed out blood with blood.


    That was why they had to hide it at all costs.


    Quenser looked back while clinging to Putana¡¯s waist.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible the Oriental Magic attacked the fleet so forcefully because they didn¡¯t want the fleet staying in this area of the ocean for so long. They attacked before we could discover them.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. Are you saying that Nataraja thing is using this commotion to escape to some other part of the ocean!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and while wasting a bunch of the stolen resources that we all need to live. Hurry, Heivia. We can¡¯t head down to the bottom of the ocean with our current equipment. We need to get to the fleet and tell Frolaytia and the others about this!! With the killer radio waves and cannon vibrations, we can¡¯t search above or below the sea, so we¡¯re practically blind. We won¡¯t be able to track it whether it moves one hundred kilometers away or just one hundred centimeters away!!¡±


    Part 12


    Quenser and the others arrived at the Legitimacy Kingdom fleet.


    They were nervous enough for their throats to dry up when they surfaced, but fortunately they did not become human torches.


    A rope ladder was lowered for them to climb up onto a small aircraft carrier. They roughly secured the small submersibles with ropes and adhesive. They looked a lot like the magnet-attached human torpedoes seen in old war movies.


    Frolaytia met the soaking-wet group in a conference room and she got down to business without bothering to greet them.


    ¡°Technically, it was the submersibles I wanted here, not you. As you should know, we can approach the battlefield from below using them. It gives us more options than waiting for the final moment as that killer radar approaches.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s that bad, why not move the ships back?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°You¡¯re not serious, are you?¡± replied Quenser with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re up against an Object here. If it wanted to, it could move at five hundred kph. If the Princess messes up holding it back, it¡¯ll chase us to the other side of the planet with its killer radar on at full blast.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The situation is hopeless. With this much interference, they can even pretend they didn¡¯t receive our White Flag signal. We need to make sure the Princess wins no matter what and that means breaking through the Oriental Magic¡¯s stronghold.¡±


    While speaking, Frolaytia connected the projector to her laptop with a cable.


    She displayed some quickly thrown together documents on one wall.


    ¡°The biggest bottleneck is that the Princess¡¯s main cannons can¡¯t hit the enemy. We¡¯ve done some scans, but the Oriental Magic¡¯s own movements aren¡¯t all that clever.¡±


    ¡°You mean there¡¯s something diverting the Princess¡¯s shells or screwing with her ballistic calculations?¡± asked Quenser.


    He looked to the projector and saw the many ¡°spears¡± sticking vertically from the ocean surface.


    ¡°We can¡¯t perform any decent scans with all the electromagnetic waves, but we still have some partial information. They seem to be sporadically emitting extremely powerful magnetism, but it isn¡¯t all of the spears all the time. It¡¯s like a game of whack-a-mole. Which ones activate must be randomized, but there are always three of them emitting magnetism.¡±


    Quenser groaned quietly when he heard that.


    Despite the approaching threat, his curiosity as a promising engineer reared its ugly head.


    ¡°The three-body problem? That does sound like something people obsessed with a ¡®Star¡¯ would come up with.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It can be the moon, the earth, or the sun. All celestial bodies have a gravitational pull and all of them are pulling on each other as they move around. Now, here¡¯s the question: how do you find what kind of influence is caused by three celestial bodies pulling on each other?¡±


    ¡°What? How should I know? The rotation of the earth and the revolution of the moon are probably explained by a chalkboard full of cryptic equations. That¡¯s not a very good riddle.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Quenser shook his head. ¡°The answer isn¡¯t known. No one can reach an accurate answer.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not. You can easily calculate out the influence of two, but there¡¯s nothing we can do when it gets to three or more. Lately, they can reach ¡®approximate values¡¯ using a supercomputer, but that¡¯s like saying pi is more or less three. The exact answer is still impossible to find.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this is a control system that artificially creates that three-body problem.¡± Frolaytia pointed at the projected document with her long, skinny kiseru. ¡°Powerful magnetism can bend the paths of plasma, electron beams, coilguns, or railguns, but if it¡¯s a simple pull in one direction, the post-interference trajectory can be calculated out and corrected for. ...That¡¯s when they bring in this randomized three-body problem. Honestly, it¡¯s giving me a headache.¡±


    Still absolutely soaking wet, Millia frowned.


    She seemed to be having trouble picturing the situation.


    ¡°Major Capistrano, didn¡¯t Quenser just say a supercomputer can produce an ¡®approximate value¡¯? Can¡¯t you reassign the Object¡¯s electronic processing time to open up some space for that? For example, you could abandon control of the smaller anti-personnel cannons.¡±


    ¡°We thought about that, but it was no use. The approximate value for a rocket¡¯s trajectory would take months to calculate. With the spears¡¯ magnetism constantly being turned on and off randomly, reaching an instant calculation is impossible. Not to mention that we wouldn¡¯t be able to correct for the error introduced by the approximate value. The shells are useless if they don¡¯t hit. We won¡¯t get a participation trophy just because we graze the Object two centimeters off the side.¡±


    ¡°Um, what about laser beams?¡± asked Putana. ¡°Those are pure light, so I don¡¯t think the magnetism would affect them.¡±


    ¡°They seem to have another defense system for that. They¡¯ve made unbreakable bubbles by mixing a special rubber adhesive with water and scattered them around to bend any light that hits them. In any other situation, I¡¯d want to take a video and pass it on to the technology division.¡±


    The low-stability plasma cannon, railgun, coilgun, rapid-fire beam cannon, and laser beams could not reach the Oriental Magic.


    That meant the Princess could not win as long as that system existed.


    ¡°I want one of these.¡±


    Frolaytia used her kiseru to point at the spears on the screen.


    ¡°Dive down and collect one. How do they work, how do they coordinate with each other, and how can we break this system? If we can figure that out, we can find a way out of this. At the very least, we can place the Princess in the same ring.¡±


    In other words, their mission was as awful as ever.


    Heivia and the others looked on the verge of tears. It almost seemed they were going to give up on it all, board a submersible, and run off on their own, but then they realized something.


    The entire unit could not afford for them to reject this mission.


    More importantly, running away here would not solve the Nataraja problem. It was using up all of the resources it had stolen to maintain its ten thousand meter form. If those resources were not retrieved soon, everyone would have to bear the debt. The entire world would become a waste dump which would leave the explosive expansion and extinction of the one kind of saprophytic bacteria. That would lead to a world of sludge with no microbes. Every continent would be covered in gray sludge and that would leave no escape.


    So they had to do this whether they liked it or not.


    They had no choice but to succeed.


    (Fortunately, the two objectives are pointed in the same direction. If we can silence the Oriental Magic, we can search this area of ocean like normal. The Nataraja is huge and it wasn¡¯t originally designed to dive down like a submarine. They set up this situation because they were afraid of being heard as they moved through the ocean, so the Nataraja won¡¯t be able to escape.)


    Quenser forcibly encouraged himself like that.


    With doom only ten minutes away, he tried to give his heart a running start.


    But he was being too na?ve.


    The next problem arrived only a moment later.


    The entire small aircraft carrier shook and tilted as if an explosive blast had hit it.


    Part 13


    This was different from a simple fire or explosion in the ammunition storage.


    They could hear the short, dry bursts even from the conference room.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. Did they directly board the ship to eliminate anyone who knows about the Nataraja¡¯s secret!?¡±


    Heivia was utterly shocked, but he still caught the submachinegun Frolaytia threw his way. He smoothly loaded the first round while Millia and Putana pulled out their own handguns.


    Frolaytia tore the internal phone line receiver from the wall.


    ¡°Where are they coming from!?¡±


    ¡°A huge hole was blown in the port side near the waterline! It was probably one of the Faith Organization¡¯s Spear Squids. To avoid an Object¡¯s anti-air lasers, they remain in the water to the very last second and hop up only twenty meters in front of their target!¡±


    ¡°Who got in through the hole?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a single midsized transport submersible sticking in through the hole. But, major, be careful what route you choose to evacuate. This thing has a ton of amphibious powered suits inside it!!¡±


    Heivia looked up at the ceiling when he heard that.


    This was a military warship, but it only had rockets and shoulder-fired missiles for handheld self-defense. If the soldiers were given too much firepower, they could easily blow away a fuel pipe or the ammunition storage if they panicked. People often thought of a military ship as a hunk of steel, but they were filled with flammable materials. That was why they generally let the ship itself or a fighter take care of things when the situation called for a missile.


    However, the enemy had made it onboard.


    Gathering all the handguns and submachineguns in the ship would not help when their opponent had powered suits.


    There were hundreds of people onboard, but they would be tormented to death at this rate.


    ¡°Heivia and Putana, help me out here.¡±


    But Quenser quickly spoke up.


    Heivia was dumbfounded as the mere student elaborated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s drive out those amphibious powered suits! Frolaytia, please tell us the shortest route to the hangar. We can get one of the missiles loaded on the fighters there. If I swap out the fuse, I can use it like a normal bomb to blow away the powered suits!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. No matter the situation, the army has to make do with what¡¯s available to them. Let¡¯s go with that.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s handheld device received a transmission. Frolaytia had sent him a map of the aircraft carrier.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll be headed to the bridge. Whatever they¡¯re after, we need to prepare for the worst and set the emergency lock on the classified information. That should require my authorization. Lieutenant Newburg, can I borrow some bodyguards from your intelligence division?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I suppose. Although I¡¯m little confused why a base commander would want to stick around at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple: because this battalion was left in my care.¡±


    That could not be as simple as she claimed. With all the high-level classified information she had, she could not afford to be captured. She most likely had a ¡°special bullet¡± in her breast pocket just in case.


    They all left the conference room and turned in different directions.


    Frolaytia spoke without looking back.


    ¡°Make sure you survive this.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    They hurried on their separate ways. Quenser¡¯s group was on the way to the hangar to obtain the missile they needed to use against the amphibious powered suits while Frolaytia¡¯s group was on the way to the bridge to protect the classified information.


    The ship was intermittently filled with disconcerting shaking.


    ¡°Who are these people anyway?¡±


    ¡°What? They¡¯ve got to be the people working with the artificial planet...no, the ocean shelter called the Nataraja.¡±


    ¡°Not that. The Nataraja intends to abandon the human race living on the old planet. They want to hide their position at all costs, so I doubt they¡¯ll be collecting these people. So why are they obeying the Nataraja?¡±


    ¡°They probably don¡¯t want to be saved themselves,¡± said Millia Newburg. ¡°They don¡¯t care as long as they can save whatever it is they call ¡®the world¡¯. They think they¡¯re too filthy for that perfect world. They can say that with a smile on their lips and a gun in their hands, so the Nataraja is using them as disposable soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Guilt might be at the root of it all,¡± added Putana.


    Guilt.


    At the very least, the Nataraja had the Oriental Magic helping it. And maybe the Flyaway from the northern mountains as well. The powered suits attacking the aircraft carrier clearly were not amateurs.


    They were all highly-trained professional soldiers.


    Perhaps only the ones who had grown disgusted with their jobs had been recruited.


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna get caught in the middle of their burnout syndrome. It sounds to me like they¡¯re afraid of dying alone, so they want us to all die together.¡±


    Heivia and Putana took the lead, Millia stayed back as the rear guard, and Quenser walked between them as the only one without a gun. They made their way down the corridor, but the going was tough. The corridor was tilted diagonally, one steel wall was split because the ship itself had twisted from the initial blast, and shrapnel had skewered into the opposite wall. The pipes running through the ceiling must have broken in places because white steam was blowing down here and there.


    Also...


    ¡°Those bastards.¡±


    Heivia could not help but groan when they arrived near the hangar.


    He had heard intense gunfire coming from their destination.


    ¡°Were the powered suits targeting the hangar, too!? It¡¯s starting to look like they¡¯re just going to sink the entire ship to silence us!!¡±


    There were a few highly flammable areas of the aircraft carrier that were especially dangerous. For example, the engine room and the ammunition storage. The aircraft hangar was just as dangerous and important. The fighters naturally had missiles hanging from their wings and jet fuel filling their tanks. Any kind of fire was completely off limits there. If it was set on fire, the damage could quickly surpass what the ship was designed to endure and it could erupt from within.


    However...


    ¡°That¡¯s even more reason we can¡¯t ignore this. If we don¡¯t drive them out, we¡¯ll all be fish food.¡±


    ¡°I get that, but I¡¯m not about to play the hero and get roasted like a turkey. I¡¯ve already decided I¡¯m going to die on top of a woman.¡±


    With sweat covering his face, Heivia pressed in next to the small door for maintenance soldiers to enter the hangar. Putana moved to the other side and they lowered the watertight door¡¯s lever to open it.


    Immediately, a scorching wave of heat stopped them in their tracks. Orange light swept horizontally across the room they were just about to step inside.


    ¡°Gyah!?¡±


    Heivia frantically grabbed Putana by the back of the neck and pulled her back.


    Flames continued to rage on the other side of the half-opened door. This was not an accidental blaze. Someone was clearly switching it on and off.


    ¡°That¡¯s a flamethrower,¡± groaned Millia.


    They were in trouble if the amphibious powered suits had brought weaponry like that. The heat of flamethrowers was frightening, but their greatest threat was the lack of oxygen they created in closed spaces. In older wars, that had been used to take care of enemy soldiers hidden in trenches or tunnels, but it would be just as cruelly effective in the corridors and cabins of an aircraft carrier.


    But a moment later, Quenser saw something unexpected.


    The ones wrapped in flames and running around in a panic were masses of exposed metal. It was the amphibious powered suits.


    He also heard an overpowering shout coming from the hangar.


    ¡°You fools!! Did you think we couldn¡¯t fight without any rockets!? Did you forget an aircraft carrier is in no short supply of jet fuel!?¡±


    The two idiots exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Hey, that sounded a lot like the old maintenance lady¡¯s voice to me.¡±


    ¡°What a coincidence, Quenser. But we might be hearing the same hallucination in a case of mass hysteria. Let¡¯s do this carefully.¡±


    The two of them hesitantly peered inside the hangar.


    It was a complete disaster.


    Several blackened powered suits lay on the ground while tongues of flame still burned here and there. They were covered in thick armor, but if the external heat reached their internal processors, it was no different from burning the motherboard with a lighter. The silicon circuits would be fried and the suits would be brought to a stop.


    The one ruling over it all was a veteran old woman carrying a jet nozzle that seemed to have a refueling hose jury-rigged onto it.


    ¡°Wahh!! That¡¯s clearly her!¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, I tend to get really fired up when it comes to an outmatched force resorting to guerrilla warfare. I am from the country Nobunaga conquered, after all.¡±


    ¡°Are you insane!? How can you use a flamethrower in the hangar!? Aren¡¯t you afraid of setting something off!?¡±


    ¡°If I let them in, they would¡¯ve blown up the entire ship, so I didn¡¯t have a choice. And I did put together a countermeasure. I took the missiles, the fuel tanks, and anything else that¡¯s really dangerous and covered them in the electrified fire-resistant coating of a dust collector. It may not be much, but it¡¯s the silicon powder used in weapon paint. And nothing blew up, so there¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just scary. In fact, now I¡¯m curious what this old lady was like when she was younger.¡±


    The old maintenance lady ignored Heivia¡¯s annoyed comment and turned her eyes in a new direction.


    She looked to the brown girl named Putana Highball.


    ¡°Are you the pilot of the Collective Farming I¡¯ve heard so much about?¡±


    ¡°No, I am the Elite of the Sarasvati.¡±


    Putana¡¯s unnecessary correction only elicited an ¡°I see¡± from the old lady.


    She then said one more thing.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    She did not explain what that was in reference to.


    And then...


    ¡°Ksshh!! This is the engine room. The powered suits have arrived right in front of our door. We¡¯re returning fire, but we don¡¯t have enough firepower. Anyone who can, please come help!!¡±


    ¡°Did those fools send troops to all of the fuel-related facilities? Are they trying to split the entire ship in two!?¡±


    The old maintenance lady clicked her tongue and Heivia spoke up.


    ¡°What should we do? Remain here or head to the engine room!?¡±


    ¡°Neither. There¡¯s something you all need to do. And something else that Elite needs to do.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Putana frowned and the old lady grabbed a notebook-sized tablet from a nearby wooden box before tossing it to Quenser.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°The monitoring data related to the Baby Magnum. It¡¯s incomplete due to those killer radar waves, but it¡¯s enough to know things aren¡¯t going well. The Princess is being worn down pretty bad. At this rate, she¡¯ll be crushed before we can find a way out of this.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!!¡± swore Quenser as he looked to the screen.


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s mobility was its main selling point, so it would continually evade the enemy¡¯s cannon fire, block the enemy¡¯s escape with its seven main cannons, focus those main cannons once the enemy was stopped, and fire them all into the enemy. That was the ideal strategy.


    But the data on the screen showed it all falling apart.


    First and foremost, the Baby Magnum¡¯s cannon fire was not reaching the Oriental Magic. The enemy was being careful and never approaching within five kilometers, so the Baby Magnum had to use a much more dangerous strategy of forcing its way in close and trying to get the enemy to fall back on its own.


    And because of that...


    ¡°What is this? Is she sacrificing the outermost main cannons?¡±


    ¡°For the attacks she can¡¯t completely avoid. But it¡¯s a double-edged sword. They can¡¯t take hits like that forever. And if they explode, it¡¯ll throw off the Object¡¯s balance. If the Oriental Magic uses its main laser cannon in that moment, it¡¯s all over.¡±


    The Princess would understand that, but she could not protect the fleet behind her any other way.


    The disturbance in the monitoring data showed just how much she was struggling and suffering.


    And even after all of that, the Baby Magnum was slowly being pushed back. The maximum range of the Oriental Magic¡¯s killer radar waves was pushing in on the maintenance fleet.


    But...


    Even if Quenser and the others could search out a weakness in the countless ¡°spears¡± standing up from the ocean, they saw no way that would actually help. There was no guarantee it would speed up the process.


    The old lady did not expect that either.


    She said something else instead.


    ¡°I have only one idea of how to escape this situation, but it requires disobeying military regulations. Are you still willing to hear me out?¡±


    ¡°What exactly is it?¡±


    ¡°The Collective Farming is moored here for analysis and we have the one and only Pilot Elite who can use it in battle. The reactor is still running for analysis of the system. As long as she has the unlock key we added on, Putana Highball can bring it back to life.¡±


    Everyone turned toward the brown girl.


    She responded with a self-deprecating smile.


    ¡°You want me to save this fleet and end up in a court martial? And all to save the enemy fleet that stole my Sarasvati and essentially stripped me bare!?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t have to do it. Either way, we don¡¯t have the authority to force a POW to fight.¡± The old lady explained the facts with a grim look on her face. ¡°If that happens, we¡¯ll either sink with the ship or be roasted by the killer radar waves. In a way, you¡¯ll be getting your revenge.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was now Putana¡¯s turn to look at everyone else.


    Unable to bear the silence, Heivia let a comment slip out.


    ¡°W-will everyone really let that happen? What about our huge-breasted commander?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m sure she expected us to do this. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have let a former enemy soldier keep her gun in front of an officer. It¡¯s just that her position prevents her from directly ordering us to do this.¡±


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, where would we find the unlock key the Legitimacy Kingdom added?¡±


    ¡°That boy has it right there.¡±


    The old lady¡¯s comment almost made Quenser drop the tablet.


    They had everything they needed.


    Putana narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°Will an argument from emotion work?¡±


    ¡°Your idea of justice is not the same as mine.¡±


    ¡°How about you sink the Collective Farming in the sea afterwards and make it look like a malfunction? If you detonate the reactor while you¡¯re at it, it won¡¯t be possible for us to continue analyzing it. You can make an offering of your Object.¡±


    Putana¡¯s eyelids twitched a bit.


    It was clear the old lady had found a weak point.


    ¡°Fine then. The word ¡®offering¡¯ has a nice ring to it. I need to offer it up to heaven myself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in your debt.¡±


    A moment later, a heavy impact shook the entire hangar.


    In fact, it might have shaken the entire aircraft carrier.


    Millia stared toward one of the waterproof doors.


    ¡°That was close by!!¡±


    ¡°Go, boy! The Collective Farming¡¯s help and the analysis of those spears are both necessary for our survival. Get that Elite in her Object before she¡¯s killed!!¡±


    They heard another explosion.


    The entire floor tilted like a slide. Heivia and Millia immediately grabbed on the sides of containers held down with wires, but Quenser and Putana were too slow. They could only slide down with the tilt and were quickly carried seventy meters away.


    There was no way to regroup due to the tilt, so Millia shouted down at them.


    ¡°Getting shot while waiting around would be too boring, so we¡¯ll meet up in the ocean!!¡±


    ¡°Understood!!¡±


    Quenser yelled back, grabbed Putana¡¯s hand, and made his way to the nearest steel door.


    All of the corridors were in an awful state. The entire ship must have bent because the walls and ceiling were split. White steam and bluish-white sparks were falling down like a weeping cherry tree. Fortunately, there was no noisy gunfire or explosions.


    ¡°What route do we take!?¡±


    ¡°We need to climb to the deck up top. The Object is held between two aircraft carriers with countless wires, so it would be fastest to get there that way.¡±


    They ran up some narrow metal stairs.


    Once they reached the flat flight deck, they found several impromptu research rooms that looked like armored metal containers. They would probably get in the way of jets taking off or landing, but analyzing the Object was more important than normal weaponry.


    Quenser used the tablet the old lady had given him to check on the numbers and roles of the different research rooms. He entered one that was filled with computers and cables, but he ignored all that and grabbed a mannequin in one corner.


    ¡°Putana, this is your special suit, right? You can change into it later, but you¡¯ll definitely need it.¡±


    ¡°Currently, I have close to zero chance of defeating this enemy. I can buy some time, but do not expect too much.¡±


    ¡°I understand that. We¡¯ll do something in the ocean before you¡¯re sunk.¡±


    As soon as they left the container research room, they heard a great roar.


    The door of the elevator that carried fighters down below shot up like a manhole during a sudden downpour.


    A scorched metal arm grew from the door.


    A monster was crawling up from the hangar below.


    ¡°A powered suit!?¡±


    Quenser frantically pushed Putana¡¯s slender form.


    That was all he managed.


    A multiple-launch rocket launcher blew away the container research room.


    Part 14


    Putana Highball fell onto her butt.


    The black smoke and dust obscured her vision. The disastrous scene was only revealed once the sea breeze blew the smokescreen away.


    The container research room was taller than she was, but it had been blown to pieces and the walls and ceiling were scattered everywhere.


    Quenser Barbotage had pushed her out of the way and he was lying face-down on the ground. Metal wreckage covered him from the waist down.


    ¡°Teacher?¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Hurry up and go, Putana.¡±


    There must have been firearms in the research room because they were lying all over the ground. He was trying to reach a shotgun that would be relatively easy for an amateur to use, but he could not reach it. That proved that he was pinned either at the legs or the waist.


    Putana quickly grabbed at the container wall, but a human¡¯s strength was not enough to move it. It did not even budge a few millimeters, so it felt like it was welded directly to the deck.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use, Putana, so hurry to the Object! The powered suit is still moving!!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t defeat that with a shotgun!¡±


    ¡°I can destroy its camera lenses or sensor heads!!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t even shoot a 9mm handgun!¡±


    The powered suit produced a rough metallic sound. It must have carelessly fired all of its rockets, so it was selecting another weapon.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t this kind of person. You weren¡¯t like those powered suits that don¡¯t care if they die as long as they can help someone save the world!¡±


    ¡°I know that. I know I¡¯m just trying to look good.¡±


    He breathed heavily and stretched his hand even further out.


    His fully extended hand touched the shotgun¡¯s grip.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t help but wonder. If we fail here and you can¡¯t get to the Collective Farming, what will happen to the Princess who¡¯s still fighting? What will happen to everyone else who¡¯s counting on her to win!? So please, Putana! Please!! Get in that Object to go save the Princess!!¡±


    This time, Quenser¡¯s hand got a solid grip on the shotgun.


    He aimed not toward the powered suit but toward the brown girl.


    Putana shook her head.


    Still, she took a few steps back.


    She moved toward the Object.


    ¡°Sorry, Putana...¡±


    Quenser said the same thing the old maintenance lady had.


    But what he meant was probably a little different. He said more afterwards.


    ¡°I was ecstatic. At the time, I laughed and thought that was the best possible method. We didn¡¯t have to fight a war, the Princess didn¡¯t have to head out to battle, the enemy Elite didn¡¯t have to die, and we could still win. It seemed like a dream come true and I was so happy. But I was wrong.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It may have changed form, but war is still war. I set up a cheap surprise attack and stole your life from you. I finally understand that. So I¡¯m sorry, Putana.¡±


    A metallic sound burst out.


    The powered suit¡¯s palm had changed form and a harpoon-like tip jutted out.


    It was probably a speargun but with enough power to tear through a steel wall.


    Quenser held the shotgun¡¯s stock to his shoulder despite not really knowing how to hold it and he gave a shout to numb his fear.


    ¡°Go, Putana!!¡±


    That finally gave the girl the push she needed.


    She grabbed the tablet that had fallen nearby.


    She turned her back on the boy whose legs were pinned and she ran as fast as she could. The sounds of the powered suit continued, but the speargun did not skewer her back. Instead of a laser pointer, the shotgun had a circular guide light and Quenser relied on it to fire just before the speargun did. The scatter shot hit the arm and body to shift its aim just enough.


    But it was obvious what the powered suit would do after that interference.


    It would temporarily take on a new target.


    ¡°...!!¡±


    Putana did not turn around despite the repeated gunfire she heard.


    She made her way to the Object held between the two small aircraft carriers by wires. The wires both held the Object in place and allowed the maintenance soldiers to move around. They would walk on one while another two acted as railings. She followed that upside-down triangle layout toward the spherical body.


    Sorry, Putana.


    Two people had said that to her here.


    And of all people, they were soldiers of an enemy nation.


    Her parents, teacher, instructor, and priest had all insisted piloting the Object was the right thing to do, so she had not even questioned it when they trampled on the dream she had drawn in crayon while little.


    What had she truly wanted to protect?


    What path had she truly wanted to take?


    She had gotten unusually angry at the talent trafficking in Lost Angels¡¯s northern mountains. She had seen herself in that, but wasn¡¯t that because she was not entirely satisfied with her upbringing?


    When the Sarasvati had been taken, she had felt like she had lost a part of herself, but had that really been pure anger? The Sarasvati had trampled on her true dream, so hadn¡¯t her hatred of the Legitimacy Kingdom come from her fear of no longer being able to justify the fact that she had thrown away her dream?


    ¡°...!!¡±


    The identity within her was stripped away, bit by bit.


    Or perhaps the safety device the Legitimacy Kingdom had installed to effectively control her and her unique power was beginning to break.


    She reached the back of the spherical body. When she brought the tablet close, a wireless signal opened barriers one through seventy, exposing a straight slide-like tunnel. She ran inside. What awaited her at the very end was the cockpit of the colossal weapon that she had relied on and that had relied on her.


    All of the monitors were dead and none of the lights were on.


    The only light source was the tablet and it linked with the Pilot Elite voice recognition system.


    So she spoke.


    Quenser Barbotage and the old maintenance lady whose name she did not know had said something to her that no one else had during her life.


    She thought of them as trustworthy comrades a she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Sarasvati. It¡¯s time for war.¡±


    All of the monitors immediately came to life.


    She stripped off the short dress she had worn from Lost Angels and she donned the special suit of a Pilot Elite. She attached the many belts and they tightened to hold her in midair. Ten or more endoscope-like sensors extended to observe various parts of her body.


    She became a weapon.


    She combined with a colossal weapon that had the destructive power of a god.


    Part 15


    With his leg caught in the rubble, Quenser held the shotgun as he had seen others do. The only reason the shots hit was the excellent automated assistance including the circular guide light.


    But that was not enough to destroy the approaching powered suit.


    Each time he fired, the pain shooting through his shoulder felt like a bicycle was running over it. Also, the noise stabbing into his ears made him feel dizzy. The powered suit grew unsteady every time it was shot, but it did not stop walking. Eventually, a shallow cut appeared on Quenser¡¯s cheek. The enemy had not fired. One of his shots had ricocheted back.


    And even that did not last long.


    An odd sound came from the shotgun. No matter how often he pulled the trigger, it would not fire. He was out of ammunition. When he realized that, the powered suit was already looking down on him.


    ¡°.....................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    Neither of them said anything.


    He did not have time to feel any obvious fear.


    The powered suit simply lifted its leg as if to crush an empty can.


    A moment later, a great force from the side swept the powered suit away like a toy.


    The suit had to be heavy enough to hold its ground if a small car hit it, but it was not some bizarre super weapon that sent it flying for over five meters.


    It was a snapped wire.


    The countless wires supporting the Object began snapping once the monster started moving. They shot outwards like a stretched rubber band cut by scissors and one of them had flown across the deck.


    The powered suit still tried to get up.


    Yet if it had played dead, it might have been overlooked.


    A dark shadow covered the entire flight deck that was easily large enough for a basketball game. It was like a giant peering into a miniature garden. But this giant had a huge cultivator attached. It looked like a street cleaner with the rotating brush exchanged for dull metal blades.


    The two arms supporting the rotating blades lowered them from the steel sky.


    A tremendous sound followed.


    With the sound of crunching metal, the aircraft carrier¡¯s flight deck was pried open like a can. A deluge of orange sparks flew out. The destruction was so great it was impossible to tell what had happened to the powered suit in the middle.


    The entire aircraft carrier tilted.


    ¡°Ah...waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!?¡±


    Quenser reached toward the flight deck so he would not slide down. That was when he realized he had been freed. The wreckage of a metal wall pinning him down had been knocked off of him and into the ocean when the aircraft carrier tilted.


    ¡°Putana?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, I have no intention of taking responsibility for your life.¡±


    When he held his aching ankle and looked up, her voice came from the Collective Farming¡¯s speakers.


    ¡°If you want to survive, stand on your own two feet.¡±


    Nothing more needed to be said.


    Quenser used his own two feet to jump from the edge of the flight deck and into the ocean. He then swam to the small submersibles attached to the hull by ropes. Meanwhile, the Collective Farming left the two aircraft carriers and crossed the great ocean to support the Baby Magnum.


    Work to defeat the Oriental Magic was in progress both above and below the water¡¯s surface.


    Part 16


    Quenser joined Heivia, Millia, and the others in the ocean.


    Millia spoke over the radio while taking the lead.


    ¡°The closest of the ¡®spears¡¯ are about five kilometers away, but the problem is the depth. We¡¯ve been staying at around ten meters, but we¡¯ll have to cut that distance in half to investigate them.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? Can¡¯t cellphone signals kill sperm? I think I heard someone say not to keep them in your pants pocket for that reason.¡±


    ¡°Worst case, this will boil your balls white,¡± said Quenser in annoyance. ¡°Millia, how about we attach a rope or wire to it and drag it into the water? That way, we can investigate the exposed portion without going up to the surface.¡±


    ¡°You saw how big those ¡®floats¡¯ are, didn¡¯t you? Are we really strong enough to pull them down?¡±


    ¡°We just have to destroy whatever it¡¯s using for buoyancy. If it has a layer of air, we can open a hole and let water in.¡±


    ¡°Then we would need wires to keep it from sinking.¡±


    As they discussed the issue, they arrived at their destination.


    They could see the sharp spears sticking down from the ocean surface like icicles or stalactites.


    ¡°The edge of the asparagus field has already spread within five kilometers of the fleet. If the Object itself rushes in, the ten kilometer line of death won¡¯t be far off.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started. We need to attach the wire with rubber adhesive. We¡¯ll play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets to do it.¡±


    When Millia immediately lost despite having suggested the idea, she quickly began pulling rank. Unable to disobey his commander¡¯s selfish orders, Private First Class Heivia was stuck with the job as the lowest ranking person there.


    ¡°Wait! What about the student over here!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a guest, of course. Now get going, errand boy.¡±


    Quenser was heartless when dealing with anyone who was not a beautiful girl. That was a universal law.


    One of the intelligence agents had managed to grab a tool kit during the commotion, so they had an electric drill to work with.


    As Heivia nervously attached the wire, he received a ridiculous demand from below.


    ¡°Heivia, when you¡¯re done, drill some holes in the side. If it¡¯s like a fishing bobber, the top half is a balloon and the bottom half is a weight!¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t be ridiculous!! If I go up to the surface, I¡¯ll be throwing myself into a human microwave oven!!¡±


    ¡°Quenser. I know it¡¯s reckless, but how about you attach the ¡®spear¡¯ to your submersible and dive straight down? If we can bring the thing down by even a few meters, Heivia can work more safely in the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s just great!! All of a sudden, it¡¯s set in stone that I have to do all the work up here!!¡±


    The burden was enough to cause a disconcerting rumbling in the submersible, but the buoyant spear was forced down into the water. Heivia used that short time to drill several holes on the upper half of the side.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. And you could electrocute yourself if you sever any of the cables inside, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°Bfh!! Tell me that before I¡¯ve done it all!!¡±


    White air bubbles blew out, so they seemed to have successfully gotten the seawater to flow into the layer used to provide buoyancy.


    After supporting the falling spear with the wire and the submersibles, they gathered around it to investigate the equipment.


    ¡°This is the top and this is the bottom. Now, listen. It might still be running, so don¡¯t go anywhere near the top.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why not?¡±


    ¡°It has a huge magnet powerful enough to bend an Object¡¯s main cannon, so what do you think would happen if it activated here? It might tug on our belts and smash us all into one happy chunk of mincemeat.¡±


    ¡°Waaaah!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t strip, Heivia. That¡¯s just pathetic. If I¡¯m right ¨C oh, and it looks like I am ¨C this thing¡¯s magnetism is set in a single direction. If you¡¯re not in the direction of that trumpet opening, it won¡¯t affect you.¡±


    ¡°How can you tell?¡± asked Millia.


    Quenser pointed to the unit on the top.


    ¡°If this was a normal magnet, the submersibles would have been wiped out when we passed below the battlefield the first time. And while railguns and coilguns are one thing, you don¡¯t find magnets powerful enough to bend a low-stability plasma cannon just anywhere. Most likely, this uses the same kind of cluster electromagnet used inside plasma cannons or to protect JPlevelMHD reactors.¡±


    ¡°That tech has its roots in the tokamak fusion reactors of an older age, right?¡±


    ¡°That trumpet opening might use the Meissner effect. That refers to the perfect diamagnetism created as a byproduct of superconductor technology. Simply put, this trumpet concentrates the magnetism in a single direction instead of letting it scatter in every direction. It¡¯s a lot like a shaped charge.¡±


    ¡°Hm? But wait.¡±


    Heivia moved below the spear that was lying on its side.


    ¡°You say it¡¯s using a crazy powerful electromagnet, but how¡¯s it running? If it was battery powered, it would need a pretty big one.¡±


    ¡°Its power source probably isn¡¯t contained inside.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s connected to the Object with an underwater cable?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. Here¡¯s your answer.¡±


    Quenser pointed to another unit on the top of the spear.


    It was shaped like a twenty centimeter decorative plate.


    ¡°It uses wireless power. Specifically, microwave power transmission.¡±


    ¡°Micro...ah!? You don¡¯t mean...!?¡±


    Part 17


    On the Indian Ocean, the Princess sat utterly confused inside the Baby Magnum¡¯s cockpit.


    Her usually reliable main cannons were of no use, she could find no solution to the artificial three-body problem, and now the supposedly captured Collective Farming was providing covering fire without sending out an identification code.


    But even in that extreme situation, she did not forget her job.


    To untangle the threads as much as possible, she stared at one of the countless opened windows.


    A normal radar scan could not gather much information with the powerful microwaves filling the region, but she could still guess at the situation using the pieces of data she did receive.


    ¡°...¡±


    She felt like a criminal standing in the city square for a public execution.


    That was just how just many irritating gazes she seemed to feel concentrating on her.


    And there was a reason she felt that.


    (I had thought it was strange.)


    Her enemy¡¯s Gatling ejector had scattered spears across the region of sea. The plate-like devices attached to the side were slowly turning their heads.


    They seemed to be focusing on a single point.


    They accurately followed the Oriental Magic¡¯s movements as if receiving something from it.


    (It¡¯s far too powerful for simple radar. I thought it was a cruel killer microwave weapon, but it isn¡¯t. It¡¯s actually...)


    ¡°Microwave power transmission. Are all of those ¡®spears¡¯ receiving power from the Object and transforming it into magnetism!?¡±


    Part 18


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Heivia. Something was bothering me about that killer radar because it seemed unnecessarily over-the-top. I could understand it if we were in some complicated array of trenches or the deep rainforest, but do you really need something like that to kill people on the open ocean? Just tackling them with the two hundred thousand ton Object would do the trick. So it seemed natural to assume it had some other purpose, right? The radar and anti-personnel usage was just some chemical seasoning used to hide the true purpose.¡±


    ¡°And that purpose was wide-area microwave power transmission tech, huh?¡±


    Millia spat out the words as she grabbed the edge of the plate-like part and found it moved around like a sunflower.


    ¡°Normally, there isn¡¯t much point in sending out Object-class cannons and letting them borrow the reactor¡¯s power. The shockwaves of firing a railgun or coilgun and the residual heat of firing a laser beam or low-stability plasma cannon would destroy the thing. On the other hand, if they add on enough armor to withstand that, the tank or bomber would be crushed by its own weight.¡±


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter with these. They¡¯re only emitting highly directional magnetism, so there is no recoil or residual heat. And as an added bonus, it only uses technology originally used to protect reactors or cannons, so it fits in quite well.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it,¡± cut in Heivia with another question. ¡°These ¡®spears¡¯ are being randomly switched on and off to prevent analysis using the three-body problem, right? But would they be able to communicate properly through all these microwaves?¡±


    ¡°Heivia, what¡¯s the only main cannon that can get through the pseudo three-body problem made with magnetism?¡±


    ¡°The laser beam... Oh, so that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Look, it has an infrared emitter. It probably uses that. Laser transmissions can be harder to use than electromagnetic waves, but there are ¡®spears¡¯ all over the place. I bet they have a spider web of a network set up.¡±


    As he spoke, Quenser covered the infrared emitter¡¯s lens with rubber adhesive.


    That would prevent the electromagnet from suddenly activating and swallowing them up.


    ¡°We probably should have brought laser transmission equipment of our own. Then we could have coordinated with the Princess and Putana up top.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost impossible to use laser transmissions between the ocean and the surface. The surface bends it too much. Haven¡¯t you ever done the experiment where you shine light diagonally into a water tank?¡± After explaining that, Quenser went over their conditions one by one. ¡°A float, an electromagnet, wireless power transmission, and laser communications... The pieces are gradually coming into view. As long as we know what it needs, we can get rid of that to interfere with them. The real problem is the number of ¡®spears¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an idea?¡± asked Millia.


    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Quenser. ¡°I¡¯ll explain on the way. But this is just a theory, so could you leave some of the intelligence division to continue investigating this thing in case we hit a dead end?¡±


    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s fine. But ¡®on the way¡¯? Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°The fleet. I need to prepare some things to take out all of the ¡®spears¡¯ at once. I¡¯ll get what I need from the fleet.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser, will you really find exactly what you need? We¡¯re not talking about ammunition cases in a zombie game here.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry. We¡¯ve already seen what we need.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser and the others left their fellow intelligence division members as they turned back toward the fleet.


    However, the situation soon changed.


    They saw the entire small aircraft carrier before rising to the water¡¯s surface.


    There was a simple reason: it was filling with water and beginning to sink.


    ¡°Dammit!! Were they not able to push them back!?¡±


    Heivia frantically operated his radio and Frolaytia¡¯s staticky voice reached them.


    ¡°Ksshhh. Due to the great damage, we abandoned the ship and...ksshh...moved to the neighboring one. The powered suits...kssshhh...happily stayed onboard to...ksshh...declare victory, so we blew them away...kssshhh...by setting alight the fuel pipes. Overall...ksshh...it wasn¡¯t a problem, but more importantly...kssshhh...why have you turned back? Kssshhh... Is there something you...ksshh...need?¡±


    As he approached the sinking aircraft carrier, Quenser grabbed some wooden boxes and metal drums floating in the ocean.


    ¡°Electric pumps, tubes several meters long, bags to hold air, and some electrified coating powder. ...I should be able to manage with what¡¯s here.¡±


    After grabbing what they needed, Quenser and the others turned right back toward the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, he explained the plan forming in his mind.


    When Heivia and Millia heard it, they smiled quietly in the water.


    ¡°I see. Quite a unique idea.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not some detective. If you you¡¯d told me right away, I wouldn¡¯t have been so worried.¡±


    After returning, the intelligence division soldiers took the equipment and scattered across the battlefield on Millia¡¯s orders.


    The remaining three could only wait until those soldiers arrived in position.


    In the meantime...


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Quenser did not recognize this voice and it was using a different bandwidth. It was not being transmitted by the Legitimacy Kingdom, but nor was it from the Oriental Magic on the water¡¯s surface. The powerful microwaves for the killer radar...no, for the wireless power transmission kept almost any communications from reaching the ocean.


    In that case, where else could it be from?


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this.¡±


    ¡°The...Nataraja?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s words brought a harsh look to Heivia and Millia¡¯s eyes too.


    This could be their best chance to locate the Nataraja, but they did not have the appropriate equipment and they could not coordinate with the fleet or the Objects.


    Did this person know that or not?


    In fact, were they calculating the risks at all?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but why are you getting in our way? We aren¡¯t trying to conquer the world or destroy the existing civilization. Yes, we wanted to be reborn. We will stop our hearts with cold sleep and be born anew when the breath of life returns to us. This planet will be the same. We will redo it all with the Nataraja. That is all.¡±


    ¡°And how much have you wasted for that selfish desire? How far have you moved the hands of the World Clock? There had to have been lives lost, too. That counts both the ones you eliminated because they were ¡®in your way¡¯ and the ones you¡¯re using up on the surface. ...You¡¯re free to hope for some other place to live, but we¡¯re going to make sure you make up for the damage you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Hey, how long do you think this world will last?¡± asked the mocking voice. ¡°The answer is it won¡¯t last. It¡¯s already ending. It sounds strange, but it¡¯s true. The World Clock? That thing had reached the end before we were even born. The world was done for from the moment the UN collapsed and the world map shattered like stained glass. Its heart has already stopped and the blood in its veins is only moving on inertia. That¡¯s the age we live in. A long-term space flight? That was nothing but Capitalist Corporations propaganda. The most they could do was bluff by making a ship in the desert that would never fly. Not even the VIPs devouring this planet were able to escape into space, so no one at all will be saved. All that remains is to see how long it takes for the planet to remember. It¡¯s already dead and it¡¯s only hope is to be reborn. Do you understand now, boy?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The Faith Organization, the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, and the Capitalist Corporations may look like solid new categories, but they¡¯re all frantically trying to cover up the contradictions and errors. For example, the Faith Organization contains every single religion. There¡¯s no way that would work. They either refuse to accept any other or see themselves at the top. When you gather those religions together, it only brings conflict. That¡¯s why they¡¯re constantly hoping for a common enemy to bring them all in line. If they don¡¯t find one, then they start an internal witch hunt that ends up burning each other at the stake. Lost Angels is just one obvious witches¡¯ forest, a breeding ground to safely secure the easiest internal troubles. And to be clear, that¡¯s just one example.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°By our estimations, we¡¯ll be lucky if the planet¡¯s anesthesia lasts for another two hundred years. There¡¯s no way it will last for three hundred. So there¡¯s no point in thinking about world domination. Once people lose all of their fuel and resources, they can¡¯t even wage war. Even Object maintenance relies on existing energy sources. All the desperately gathered water and food will start rotting on the edges and the explosive growth of saprophytic bacteria will reach the clothing, homes, forests, and mountains. Entire cities, countries, and continents will rot. And after the one type of saprophytic bacteria covers the world, it will be easily wiped out by a single cause. But this ending is one you all created yourselves. We have only shown you the future that awaits you. ...That¡¯s all we¡¯ve done, so why are you so persistent? You were the ones that created this destruction.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll only be left with dried-out trash heaps that will never rot, but the rain and mist will turn them into a sticky world of sludge. That will prevent animals, plants, and even germs from reproducing. The ground will quickly decay with the sun blotted out and the supply of rain and air cut off. Of course, it¡¯s possible the sludge will become a new type of fuel if it¡¯s dried out, but that would be interesting, too. After all, the cities, countries, and continents would be covered in piles of solid fuel. Even a tiny spark from friction or static electricity would set a continent ablaze. Forest fires spread at about fifty kph, but this would be much faster. It would devour the people like an underground pack of beasts.¡±


    The world had no chance left.


    The current age saw war as normal.


    The population had grown without control, no one seriously tried to conserve no matter what they claimed, they greedily consumed the food supplies, they erased forests for their own luxury, they were about to tap out the resources, they were ignoring all non-war technological development, and they were losing themselves in the fighting while looking away from all else. Winning or losing would not save anyone, but the soldiers were still obsessed with victory as if only to get the right brain chemicals pumping and the civilians mocked others for not thinking for themselves while they themselves blindly accepted the information they were given.


    The planet was overflowing with those things.


    This was the age after the World Clock¡¯s hands had reached the end.


    So they would reset it all.


    They would turn back the hands of the clock.


    They were not doing anything as savage as carrying out a mass slaughter. This was more than just stealing fuel and resources so the rest of the world would dry up. Unusably massive amounts of solid fuel would cover the world and the fires on the earth¡¯s surface would chase the fleeing people to the edges of the continents. They would not be killed because there was not a drop left. They would be killed because they drowned in it all. It was a frightening reversal.


    And after considering what that meant and weighing it against the current age, Quenser Barbotage gave his answer.


    ¡°Give it a rest, you brat. Your delusions don¡¯t matter.¡±


    He heard someone gasp on the other end of the radio.


    But not at the fact that Quenser had spoken.


    Yes, Quenser had seen through this unseen individual and determined they were a ¡°brat¡±.


    And he continued.


    ¡°Are you in middle school? No, you¡¯re even younger. You talk with an air of importance and you might have a machine altering your voice, but you¡¯re actually around ten I bet. That was obvious enough after I heard this great plan of yours. If a brat like you is the leader, were all the adult geniuses considered expendable?¡±


    ¡°Wh-wha...?¡±


    ¡°You want to go somewhere else? Who is it that says they want that? Who is it that says the world is filthy and the adults are ugly, yet tries to run off without working to resolve all that in your own generation? With cold sleep, an artificial planet, and escaping the earth, your actual methods are on a huge scale, but it all comes down to the childish reasoning that wants to abandon all responsibility. You think we¡¯ll all die off without you having to do anything, but that just means you think someone will eventually make your dream come true. ...Don¡¯t look down on this world, you brat. Thinking you can get away with anything because you¡¯re a kid is just more childish logic.¡±


    Quenser spat the words out.


    ¡°Listen. It only looks like kids get away with what they do because, unbeknownst to you, someone else is covering for you. It¡¯ll be your parents, your teachers, or one of the other adults you hate so much. So you can¡¯t use your special privileges forever. Once the adults can¡¯t cover for you anymore, it¡¯ll all come crashing down on you. ...To sum it up, you¡¯ve gone too far and now it¡¯s time to pay the piper.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke.¡±


    The voice grew lower than before.


    What would these oozing, sticky words have sounded like without the alteration?


    ¡°They were covering for us? Them!? Don¡¯t joke!! You have no idea what kind of environment we came from!!¡±


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°You saw Lost Angels, didn¡¯t you? But that¡¯s only the model room version of a criminal city created for Faith Organization propaganda. They faked it as a convenient example of what happens when people lose their faith. The real thing is nothing like that. You haven¡¯t even seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to real malice!!¡±


    ¡°What does that matter?¡±


    It was true that just hearing about talent trafficking made it impossible to imagine the kind of ugly benefits and smirking adults that had surrounded the geniuses that went to the Nataraja. And that was probably only one small portion of it.


    But...


    Even so...


    ¡°From the moment you thought you could unconditionally trample on other people¡¯s convenience for your own convenience and not let them complain, you proved you¡¯re just some brat. If you were just swinging a stick around, someone would have taken the blame for you, but once you¡¯ve gone this far, no one¡¯s going to cover for you. You brought this all on yourself.¡±


    ¡°Like I said...¡±


    Something caused an odd sound on the other end of the radio transmission.


    ¡°Nothing that convenient actually exists in this world!!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the very fact that you can¡¯t see it that makes you a hopeless brat.¡±


    Escaping earth.


    Going somewhere else.


    Finding a world with no ugly adults where they were the oldest.


    ¡°You can cry, but I won¡¯t forgive you,¡± said Quenser indifferently. ¡°There aren¡¯t any chances left in your life.¡±


    They had predicted that the Nataraja project was split between the cold sleep group that actually boarded the artificial planet and waited for the next earth and the surface group that would fight to keep the artificial planet hidden.


    The surface group was willing to die and they were likely motivated by guilt.


    They had seen the children¡¯s dream and it was so bright that those adults cursed how small they themselves were.


    That probably explained it all.


    It went beyond the ugly leaders that the young geniuses considered their enemy. They saw everyone but themselves as ugly and had no problem eliminating them. That included the adult geniuses who had grown up under the same circumstances. They kicked them down, laughed, and said it was their just deserts. This was a war brought about by those childish dictators.


    Quenser reached a new understanding of the situation.


    From the middle of the battlefield, he mercilessly presented the truth to the mastermind who claimed he could keep things clean because he had not dirtied his hands.


    ¡°I will destroy it all. If you want to dream of the stars, then curl up with your pillow, cold sleeper.¡±


    Part 19


    A muffled popping rang out.


    It may have been an earsplitting explosion above the water, but not to Quenser and the others under the water.


    ¡°Acting tough to that brat is great and all, but is there really anything we can do!?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I explain it to you already?¡±


    Quenser let go of what he held.


    It was a plastic bag full of air.


    Millia operated a battery-powered electric pump. The tube attached to it extended out from the ocean¡¯s surface like a snorkel.


    One after another, round inflated bags rose toward the surface like helium balloons.


    As soon as they were exposed to the air, the powerful microwaves roasted them and caused them to burst.


    The intelligence division members would be doing the same thing elsewhere.


    ¡°My men say they¡¯ve distributed the proper amount!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do the rest as planned!!¡±


    Quenser controlled his small submersible. The wire attached to the back was connected with rubber adhesive to the spear floating near the surface.


    Quenser, Heivia, and Millia moved in different directions.


    They each pulled a spear around with a wire.


    ¡°Anything you do is a waste of time.¡±


    The same unfamiliar voice came from the radio.


    It belonged to the mastermind on the Nataraja.


    ¡°The Second Generation Kali on the surface will not die. Surely you¡¯ve noticed the three-body problem by now. Combining that with optical refraction technology neutralizes the ballistic calculations of any main cannon. As long as the Kali continues disturbing this area, we can freely swim through the dark ocean!!¡±


    ¡°Did you want me to agree with you? This isn¡¯t a customer service center, so I¡¯m not about to say anything that would calm you down.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t lose!!¡±


    ¡°The three-body problem isn¡¯t as perfect a defense system as you claim it is.¡±


    As soon as Quenser said that, he heard a tremendous explosion and something tore into the Oriental Magic¡¯s spherical body.


    ¡°Quenser! I have a report from the ¡®periscope¡¯. The Princess¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon got a clean hit on the Oriental Magic! Another two or three hits and it¡¯ll sink!!¡±


    ¡°Did you hear that? What do you have to say now?¡±


    ¡°Impossible...! It doesn¡¯t add up... No, we set up the three-body problem so it wouldn¡¯t add up, so how did you find the answer!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called the restricted three-body problem.¡± Quenser laughed. ¡°You can¡¯t accurately calculate the influence of three or more astronomical bodies pulling on each other. That¡¯s the three-body problem. But that¡¯s not true under certain exceptional conditions. For example, if three bodies with identical pull are arranged at the vertices of an equilateral triangle or if they¡¯re all lined up. That¡¯s the restricted three-body problem. You don¡¯t need a huge supercomputer for that. A simple formula gives you the answer and the very first shell will hit.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the issue. Are you saying you kept waiting until the conditions just so happened to fit the restricted three-body problem?¡±


    ¡°No. We could always connect submersibles to the ¡®spears¡¯ with wires and drag them around. By putting each one in the proper position for an equilateral triangle or a line, it raises the odds a bit.¡±


    ¡°No, not that!! Which ¡®spears¡¯ were turned on and off was determined randomly. Just because you positioned some of the ¡®spears¡¯ in an equilateral triangle or a line doesn¡¯t mean those three will actually be used.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Quenser readily admitted. But he was not done. ¡°But the random number generation of whack-a-mole is way easier to analyze than the three-body problem. We only had to give each ¡®spear¡¯ a number and send their positions to the Princess and Putana up above. We bet it all on the genius brains of those Pilot Elites.¡±


    ¡°You communicated with them? But the wireless power microwaves would have kept you from...¡±


    The voice trailed off and seemed to realize something.


    ¡°Oh, those popping sounds. You sent something to the surface, didn¡¯t you!? Did you create a simple signal of zeroes and ones using the presence or absence of that popping!?¡±


    The student did not answer the question.


    He said something else instead.


    ¡°As long as the Oriental Magic is stopped, the ability to search the Indian Ocean returns to normal. We¡¯ll know the second something ten thousand meters long starts moving. Checkmate, brat.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure.¡± The mastermind slowly breathed out. ¡°Even if you have eliminated the three-body problem defense, you haven¡¯t actually sunk the Oriental Magic. This isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s two against one.¡±


    ¡°But one of them is worn out after continually evading for so long. We only have to target that one.¡±


    ¡°Does the Princess look that weak to you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said the mastermind. ¡°But the thoughtless and na?ve try to protect their allies. That¡¯s why the newcomer will die first.¡±


    A massive pillar of air bubbles appeared far in the distance. It looked like a white cascade, but it came from something over fifty meters tall sinking further and further down.


    Underwater, nothing should have been visible beyond a few hundred meters, but Quenser still clearly saw the monstrous weapon sinking into the sea. That was just how big it was.


    This was not the Princess.


    In addition to the strategic weapons, it included a distinctive road roller and cultivator.


    ¡°Putana!!¡±


    There was nothing he could do.


    He could not reach her by stretching out his hand. And even if he could, his arms could not support something that weighed two hundred thousand tons.


    He could only watch as the mass of metal sank into the dark, dark depths of the ocean with the brown girl closed inside.


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha!! Seems like it worked. And now it¡¯s one against one, so it isn¡¯t so easy to say who will win! And let¡¯s not forget that your Elite is exhausted!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He had known that this could be the result whenever someone stood on the battlefield or an Object was sent out.


    But...


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, you brat!!!!¡±


    ¡°How!? You can¡¯t rely on your precious Objects. Or are you going to head out into the vortex of microwaves to face the Kali yourself?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Quenser clenched his teeth and spat the words out like mud.


    ¡°Everything is set up now, you brat.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Someone else spoke as soon as the mastermind trailed off.


    ¡°Quenser, I have a report from the ¡®periscope¡¯! The dust collector effect is working and it¡¯s covering the surface of the ¡®spears¡¯!!¡±


    ¡°This is Millia. I¡¯m hearing the same thing. It seems to be altering the direction of the microwaves being scattered everywhere. The plan was a success.¡±


    Someone cut in.


    It was the Nataraja¡¯s mastermind.


    ¡°What...? What did you do now?¡±


    ¡°We made a dust collector,¡± said Quenser. ¡°That¡¯s the technology that removes dust from air ducts or blows powder coating onto metal panels. It mostly uses static electricity and electrified particles, but have you figured out what this means yet?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°The aircraft carrier had tons of electrified powder coating for fire resistance. It¡¯s probably made by breaking down the materials for blast furnace walls, but that was all we needed.¡±


    ¡°You mean what you sent to the surface wasn¡¯t just a primitive signal to the Objects? It also scattered that powder coating across the ocean!?¡±


    ¡°The dust collector effect sent the floating powder coating to the ¡®spears¡¯. More accurately, it covered the disk-shaped antennae for receiving power.¡±


    The scorching answer session continued.


    ¡°Those antennae were meant to collect the microwaves and convert them into power, but they were transformed into electromagnetic mirrors that reflect the microwaves. And funnily enough, the antennae were made to change direction like a sunflower to more efficiently collect the microwaves. ...Simply put, they¡¯re all set to constantly follow the Oriental Magic.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no! That¡¯s what you did!?¡±


    The mastermind seemed to have realized something, but it was too late.


    For one thing, the Nataraja was at the bottom of the ocean and would have no way of directly contacting the Oriental Magic on the surface. That was all thanks to those microwaves.


    And that meant nothing he could do would make it in time.


    ¡°Hey, what do you think will happen if the full power of the microwaves that Object is emitting is concentrated on a single point? Those electromagnetic waves are powerful enough to negatively affect life at thirty kilometers and to cause a slaughter at ten kilometers. Wouldn¡¯t that energy far exceed your average main cannon?¡±


    A brilliant flash of light surged out.


    Visible light was a portion of electromagnetic waves, but focusing microwaves would never give them a visible wavelength.


    That light came from the Oriental Magic melting as it turned red and scattered sparks due to its own massive microwaves.


    That light signaled the destruction of the ultra thick armor that could withstand a nuclear blast.


    An enormous mass plunged into the ocean in the distance. It had lost its original form and become a fluid, but it still sank into the deep, deep depths just as Putana had.


    At the same time, the communications grew clearer.


    The Princess¡¯s voice arrived from the Baby Magnum which was the only Object remaining on the surface.


    ¡°It¡¯s over. I¡¯d like you to explain later what exactly happened, though.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. We can talk till morning in your room.¡±


    Even as he made his carefree comment, Quenser glared deep into the ocean.


    The naked eye could not see into that deep darkness, but he spat some words into those depths.


    ¡°Now there¡¯s no one left to protect you.¡±


    ¡°Ah...ah...¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s no one left to protect your dream. The next time you open your eyes, you won¡¯t be in the paradise you¡¯d imagined. You¡¯ll wake up to just another morning in a world beyond the end of the World Clock where common evils and unfairness run rampant.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    Part 20


    Real_Time_Log.


    Network_System_From_¡°Shuttle_NATARAJA¡±.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this! It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this!!¡±


    ¡°Quit shouting.¡±


    ¡°Get the Nataraja moving right now! The Indian Ocean is too dangerous! We need to get out of here!!¡±


    ¡°With the Kali destroyed, we can¡¯t keep the ocean electromagnetically locked down. If something this big moves through the water, it will be detected immediately. We can only stay put.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like this!! O-oh, I know. If all we can do is wait and the Nataraja is done for, we need to escape as soon as-...!!¡±


    ¡°Do you really think we can? Now that the preparations for cold sleep have begun, we can¡¯t leave until the process is complete. Ending it midway will cause your body¡¯s cells to rupture.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!!¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°That just means we have to buy some time. If we contact some adults who we can let know about the Nataraja and invite them along with us, we can get the soldiers fighting with each other and use the confusion to retreat to some other part of the ocean. So there¡¯s nothing to worry about. We only have to abandon the adults in the very end. Only we¡¯re allowed on the Nataraja. Only us.¡±


    Kssshhh!!


    Ksssssssssshhhhhhhhhh! Kssshhh!! Ksssshhhh!!


    Ksssssshhhhh!!


    ¡°What...was that!?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t in the software. It was hardware trouble. There¡¯s a large burden on...you¡¯re kidding...¡±


    ¡°What is it!? It wasn¡¯t supposed to...¡±


    ¡°An incredible mass is bearing down on the Nataraja! Its estimated weight is two hundred thousand tons!! Could this be...!?¡±


    Caution.


    This_connection_has_an_irregular_password.


    ¡°I finally arrived. You can¡¯t pull off a vanishing act with an entire Object on top of you, can you? Just because you¡¯re ten kilometers long doesn¡¯t mean you can take a hit from a two hundred thousand ton meteor without issue. Having the force concentrated on a single high heel is painful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Who...are you!? Did you use a powerful enough signal to break through the cosmic ray shielding and access the internal radio network from outside!?¡±


    ¡°Outside!? That couldn¡¯t be. How powerful do you think the water pressure is out there!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the Object you sunk. Is calling it the Sarasvati enough for you to understand? Ahh, it feels so great being able to say what I want without being so formal all the time. The military is exhausting.¡±


    ¡°After you were sunk...you fell all the way down here!?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m an Elite, but I don¡¯t like being stuck on the receiving end of everything.¡±


    ¡°What...is this?¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯ll do what I know you least want me to do.¡±


    Kssssshhhhh!!


    Kssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhh!!


    Kssssshhhhh!!


    ¡°What is this!? There¡¯s a powerful laser beam directed toward the surface!!¡±


    ¡°Now the Legitimacy Kingdom knows where you are. And as long as I¡¯m holding you down, you can¡¯t run off anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I-it wasn¡¯t supposed to...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s both wait as long as it takes. Let¡¯s wait for the people who are sure to come save us even in this extreme water pressure.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be like thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!¡±

 Volume 9, Epilogue

    Volume 9, Epilogue


    Quenser stood on the deck of one of the fleet¡¯s supply ships.


    He leaned on the metal railing and stared off into the shining blue sea.


    ¡°That was pretty crazy.¡±


    The sounds of a moving crane accompanied his words.


    A small submarine floated in the ocean directly below and it was attached to a thick tube from the supply ship. It was not receiving water or fuel. Instead, the fuel stored inside the submarine was being sucked out.


    No, not even that was entirely accurate.


    Technically, it was the fuel taken from the side of the Nataraja as it sat on the ocean bottom two thousand meters down.


    ¡°Putana apparently swung around her main cannon and road roller to choose where she landed after sinking. That took her right on top of the Nataraja. Pilot Elites are all so scary. They must think on an entirely different scale.¡±


    He was speaking to the Princess who stood next to him.


    She replied while giving the seabirds breadcrumbs she must have brought from her cockpit¡¯s supplies.


    ¡°You just don¡¯t have enough of a fighting spirit, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Eh? What? You¡¯re on her side!?¡±


    The supplies inside the Nataraja were being returned to the Legitimacy Kingdom, Information Alliance, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization.


    The fossil fuels were simple to deal with, but the Nataraja¡¯s own structures would eventually be dismantled, melted, broken down, and finally returned to their rightful owners. Quenser could not even imagine when the work would be complete. In all seriousness, it was like the creation of a new undersea mine on a global scale.


    Even the genius children who had rebelled would be returned.


    ¡°Those brats said the world has already ended. They said the hands of the World Clock had reached the end before we were even born.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°They said it was a matter of when we would realize it. They claimed we would remember we were dead in the next two hundred years.¡±


    There were countless problems.


    They were all intertwined and they would be difficult to untangle.


    And while they resolved one problem, another four or five would rise from the chaos.


    But the Princess gave her answer with emotionless eyes.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the proper reaction.¡±


    Overly tidy people sometimes did not notice their own messy hair.


    Even if those children had risen from the sea after mankind¡¯s destruction and terraformed a burned continent with plants and microbes they had preserved, they probably would not have created the utopia they hoped for.


    They would have created the same sort of society with some of the positions shifted around a bit.


    Take the present for example.


    No one got along and war was an everyday occurrence, but when everyone¡¯s interests aligned, the world powers would put on forced smiles and push for a path of cooperation.


    They had all been children once and now they were adults.


    That was all there was to it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the world will end in two hundred years,¡± said the Princess.


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°But in two hundred years, I think the world will have become something we could never imagine.¡±


    ¡°Probably. If humans were the kind of creature to give up and let themselves be destroyed, the world never would have ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°Do you really understand what ¡®the world¡¯ is?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. After all, the world is waiting for me in the future. I¡¯ll become an Object designer and look down on it from the top floor of a skyscraper with a champagne glass in one hand.¡±


    Fleets from the other world powers had arrived and similarly retrieved resources from the Nataraja.


    They would almost certainly use those resources to wage new wars.


    Or maybe someone would try to avoid that by sending an Object to attack the returning transport fleets.


    As oil reserve estimates were corrected and new technology reduced the consumption rate, the hands of the World Clock would move forward or back quite easily. The colossal ship at the bottom of the ocean would become a new basis for a countdown to replace the old countdown based on the tapped out deposits around the world.


    And thus, the world continued to change, bit by bit.


    It travelled down such a complex path that it was impossible to tell who wanted it to head in that direction.


    So...


    ¡°We at least have to do our best to make sure the world isn¡¯t an ugly place in two hundred years¡¯ time.¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano used her laptop¡¯s camera to speak with a superior officer waiting in a distant safe country.


    ¡°You all have a way of digging up these bizarre international problems, don¡¯t you?¡± asked the officer.


    ¡°What scares me is that some people might think those boys are actually diligent soldiers.¡±


    ¡°But all this business with geniuses really makes you think, doesn¡¯t it? It¡¯s simple enough to say you hate liars, losers, thugs, and selfish people, but just swinging around a stick isn¡¯t going to do anything about it. You won¡¯t change the world and you¡¯ll have your corners removed as you¡¯re rounded off like stone in the river. But they had the strength needed to fight that flow.¡±


    The officer seemed to be enjoying himself.


    Or perhaps a soldier who never set foot on the battlefield needed the flexibility of mind to turn any situation into a positive.


    ¡°But at the same time, this was an opportunity for us. This Nataraja incident let us divide the geniuses between the usable and the unusable, between the safe and the unsafe. It¡¯s a lot like the good and evil gods the Faith Organization sometimes talks about. We know who to make offerings to and who to seal away, and that means a lot.¡±


    ¡°But given the recent technology race, I doubt the masterminds will be executed. While they are dangerous, they have the brains needed to pull something like that off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re evil gods, not demons. You fear and yet revere them. Although that might be a tragedy for them and not salvation,¡± smoothly added the officer. ¡°It seems the Island Nation has a tradition of worshiping unmanageable evil spirits as gods, but this may be similar. Malice only needs a shrine to contain it. And the system used to utilize these malicious geniuses will probably look bizarre to any normal person. In fact, they would probably see it as a fate worse than death.¡±


    ¡°Doing that is not the military¡¯s job.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. That¡¯s true. You can end the conversation by saying they brought it upon themselves, but the world really is extremely cruelly made.¡±


    Human history was already over.


    They would remember that within two hundred years and it would all crumble away once they did.


    Those geniuses had experienced something that made them think that.


    They had been presented with all sorts of ugly data to solve the problems at hand and it had led them to give up on Planet Earth.


    ¡°Even I sometimes wonder if this world should have been destroyed long ago,¡± said the officer.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I wonder if the curtains of history should have been gallantly lowered as soon as something as bizarre as the collapse of the UN occurred. I wonder if everything¡¯s been coasting on inertia ever since and there¡¯s no chance of a bright future remaining.¡±


    ¡°But our history is what has continued afterwards. And now that it has continued, we can¡¯t exactly throw in the towel.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that is true. But aren¡¯t you saying that thinking is too much of a pain, so you¡¯re giving up? That too is childish reasoning.¡±


    The old maintenance lady operated her notebook-sized tablet while checking on the damage to the Baby Magnum. The onion armor always had to be replaced, but the damage this time was far from light.


    While performing her work, she spoke to the brown girl next to her.


    ¡°Are you sure that was what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I suggested you detonate the Collective Farming¡¯s reactor in exchange for helping us, but you didn¡¯t actually do it.¡±


    The girl in a green nurse-like special suit shrugged at that question.


    That had been an option at that time and in that place.


    She could not have escaped and would have been caught in the blast, but she could have kept the Legitimacy Kingdom from analyzing the technology any further if she had detonated the Sarasvati.


    She could have offered up the Sarasvati.


    And if the stolen resources in the Nataraja had been lost in the Sarasvati¡¯s explosion, the world powers may have been unable to keep up appearances and may have rotted away in despair. Beginning with the extinction of the saprophytic bacteria, the continents would have been buried in seemingly living flames created by the sludge and solid fuel covering the world.


    That may have let her take revenge against the Legitimacy Kingdom for taking everything from her and it may have had the greatest anesthetic effect on her suicidal desire.


    But the brown girl had not done it.


    She had wanted to see what came next.


    She had likely found something that made her think that way.


    ¡°I only did what I needed to.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but not many people can do that in such an extreme environment.¡±


    The Sarasvati remained on the bottom of the ocean, but the Legitimacy Kingdom apparently intended to send an underwater drone to continue analyzing the technology. Another project would use underwater arc cutting to slice away the components and retrieve them, bit by bit.


    Once the Legitimacy Kingdom fully absorbed the technology, Putana might be summoned as the Pilot Elite for an Object based on it.


    Of course, the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Faith Organization were in the middle of an international trial over who owned the Sarasvati, while the Information Alliance and Capitalist Corporations wanted to interfere. There was no guarantee it would all go as planned.


    ¡°What do you intend to do now?¡± asked the old lady.


    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll be going somewhere beyond the Faith Organization¡¯s reach. I was custom made with military secrets, so I will probably be sent to a laboratory that deals with Elites.¡±


    ¡°I see. I heard Millia wanted you.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t have been bad either.¡±


    The old lady received a text message summons on her tablet.


    It was from Frolaytia.


    Frolaytia was busy putting together the paperwork for the higher ups who leisurely sat around in the safe countries. If she needed the old lady¡¯s help, she probably needed detailed data on the condition of the Baby Magnum or the Princess.


    The old lady left the rest of the work to her maintenance soldier subordinates and started toward the motorboat that would take her to the small aircraft carrier holding the high ranking officer.


    On the way, she turned back to speak.


    ¡°Oh, right. I forgot to say one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for not giving up on the current world.¡±


    Putana Highball¡¯s emotionless eyes softened a bit at that.


    ¡°I should be thanking you. It was your words that showed me a wider world.¡±

 Volume 9, Afterword

    Volume 9, Afterword


    Doryahh! We¡¯re finally at Volume 9!!


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    This may be sudden, but I have a habit of intentionally leaving black boxes in my series. It¡¯s less of a technique and more of a product of my writing process. In Heavy Object, the protagonists move between battlefields around the world, but their everyday lives are left vague (for example, what level of technology their music players are at) and the biggest example is the safe countries. Most likely, everyone who has read this series has their own idea of the safe countries, ranging from the setting of a normal school life story to that of a serious near-future SF story.


    For these black boxes, I have an actual setting in mind, but I never actually reveal it. The black boxes can really relieve the author¡¯s mental pressure. After all, it leaves room for creating a side story at any time. You can think of it like a heroine¡¯s hair. If it¡¯s long, you can give them a different impression by toying with the hairstyle, but if it¡¯s short, you can¡¯t play with it like that.


    This volume focused on a safe country, but ¨C as everyone who has read the book knows ¨C it was mostly filled with foreign spies and the Faith Organization intentionally caused the law and order to decay in order to create a model case for a city of crime. It was far removed from the normal safe countries.


    Some of the readers might be wondering why I would do something so strange, but cutting some things out like that leaves the flexibility to fit many different ideas inside the series. That¡¯s the wonderful thing about those black boxes.


    Anyway, this story was set in a single city, so the each chapter focused on the passage of time instead of a change of setting. I think Putana¡¯s position was the most obvious example, but actions of Mustard Cowboy Leader George Coral and the other residents of the city were constantly changing.


    The residents given in bold may have interacted with the protagonists and may not have, but that was to make it feel like one big city. I constructed the story so you could find out what happened to them or who they really were as you read each consecutive chapter. I couldn¡¯t do it this time, but it might have been fun to show different sides of the city by dividing the chapters up by morning, noon, and night.


    Also, spending an entire volume on the Faith Organization might be pretty rare. The Objects were based on Hinduism. The previous novel Festival of Death already had an Object with the name of Ratri, the goddess of the night. The legends say all of the stars in the night sky are her eyes, so you can see how Hindu legends are a wonderful treasure trove for things that appeal very, very, very much to the chuuni mind. This volume included Sarasvati, Garuda, Kali, and Nataraja. If you¡¯re interested, it might be amusing to look into them. It should be about three times more appealing than what you¡¯re expecting.


    Unlike the Princess or the Oh Ho Ho, Putana Highball is the kind of Elite whose skills can be used in direct combat as well. The other two Elites are unbeatable in their Objects, but they can be dealt with if you aim a gun at them while they¡¯re outside of their Objects. That will not work with Putana. As you would expect of the Faith Organization, she has constructed a method based on her faith that keeps her from betraying anything.


    On that note, the most dangerous person in this series might be Mariydi Whitewitch who has the same specs as an Elite but isn¡¯t bound like an Elite. She can¡¯t defeat an Object, but I think she would be a thorough pain in the butt if she infiltrated the enemy safe country controlling the Object.


    It may be because they¡¯re used to dealing with the Princess, another Elite, but an important point is how the comments by Quenser and the old maintenance lady stabbed directly into Putana. I wanted to show through Putana that they have an understanding of all Elites (who are a symbol of awe in a way) as human beings, but what did you think?


    The theme of the masterminds here was ¡°somewhere else¡±.


    It can take many different forms: an overseas trip, beyond the solar system, the home of the gods, simply running away from home, into your dreams, a special job such as in show business, reincarnation, an alternate fantasy world, and maybe virtual reality too? The desire itself is pretty popular. This series takes place in an age with villas on the moon, but I put together the story while thinking that wouldn¡¯t stop people from dreaming of falling asleep on a crescent moon bench.


    Then again, this is Heavy Object. When you add this series¡¯ flavor to a popular desire, it ends up like this.


    Some readers might have been excited by the sudden introduction of the term ¡°artificial planet¡±, but even the Collective Farming in Chapter 1 had its beginnings in the terraforming technology that can create a livable environment on the moon or Mars. Of course, it was being used for the Re Terra project to reclaim the earth¡¯s undesirable environments such as deserts instead of going to other planets.


    The other theme this time was genius boys and girls. And not just as allies to consult with or targets of protection. They can become pure enemies as well. But when you think about it, they¡¯re human, so it seems to me there¡¯s going to be good ones and bad ones. Unconditionally rejecting someone¡¯s malice feels like turning them into a doll to me.


    The Hindu coloring to this volume was to use the polytheistic motif to highlight the idea of kind geniuses and frightening geniuses. Of course, it was wrong of Quenser to decide not to judge geniuses by his standards because he couldn¡¯t know what they are thinking.


    The masterminds here became malevolent gods, but they might have traveled a different path had they had someone like the old maintenance lady is to the Princess.


    I intentionally omitted most of the descriptions of the adults who had decided to destroy themselves when faced with the children¡¯s dream. But if you think about their position, it seems to fit their style best for them to speak with their backs instead of their words. If you follow the story from their point of view, it might have a somewhat bittersweet structure.


    Speaking of technological geniuses, the series has already shown Sladder Honeysuckle in Adoption War and Claire Whist in Path to the Third Generation. Compare this to them, and you might see what position geniuses hold in the series. It really is like the good and evil gods of polytheism. Quenser uses his skills to destroy Objects and protect the social system, so from the polytheistic perspective, is it possible he could grow into the same position as a god of destruction?


    I give my thanks to my illustrator, Nagi Ryou-san, and my editors, Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. Everyone ended up in normal clothes most of the time and I think that alone caused trouble on the design side. Thank you very much.


    And I also give my thanks to the readers. What did you think of this story structure that began in a city of organized crime and ended up in a battle against an Object? There are still a lot of curveballs I want to use that fall outside ¡°the usual¡±, so it would help a lot if you stuck with me for quite a while yet.


    And I will end this here.


    I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    The term Hand Axe never actually showed up even once.


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 10, Prologue

    Volume 10, Prologue


    Weekly Military News ¨C April 3 Special Edition ¡°The Soberania Disturbance has Begun!!¡±


    Monica: ¡°This is Monica, your battlefield idol reporter who can both sing and kill! Today I think I¡¯ll speak with an expert about the Soberania Disturbance that has occurred near the Panama Canal. And our military commentator is of course this person here! This former colonel has won countless battles as an Object¡¯s strategic commander and is now an influential commentator. It¡¯s Mister Catherine! Mister!!¡±


    Catherine: ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call a lady ¡®mister¡¯. Do you want me to give you some cosmetic surgery with my fist?¡±


    Monica: ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that from someone with a butt-chin, an eyepatch, and stubble. Now, let¡¯s get to the topic at hand. What do you have to say about the Soberania Disturbance officially caused by the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ invasion?¡±


    Catherine: ¡°The Soberania District was a blank region, so it didn¡¯t even have an Object. It was obviously a bad idea to pick a fight with the Capitalist Corporations which have plenty of Second Generations.¡±


    Monica: ¡°But the district was a permanently neutral nation, so the Capitalist Corporations are sure to receive international criticism for invading.¡±


    Catherine: ¡°By the way, a recent search found secret training camps in the Soberania District. And not for a regular army. These were for special commandos trained in guerilla warfare, terrorist attacks, and sabotage. They were meant to attack safe countries.¡±


    Monica: ¡°That goes completely against the idea of clean wars, doesn¡¯t it? The Soberania District borders the Panama Canal, so it¡¯s obviously positioned just south of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ home country.¡±


    Catherine: ¡°Professionals who can create inhumane weapons at an abandoned gas station are much more frightening than a strategic weapon that stands out and would be spotted even in the most cursory inspection. So before an actual terrorist attack could begin, 7th Core ¨C the seven giant corporations that manage their home country ¨C began to directly clean up those camps. It does make sense, but...¡±


    Monica: ¡°But?¡±


    Catherine: ¡°Once this is over, who will own the Panama Canal which is so crucial for transportation? I know I shouldn¡¯t speak on pure speculation, but this disturbance smells fishy to me.¡±


    Monica: ¡°What¡¯s this!? Could it be a conspiracy theory!? Those things have a way of getting our viewers on the edge of their seats!!¡±


    Catherine: ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s ever been a war without a conspiracy behind it.¡±


    Monica: ¡°Why¡¯d you have to kill our excitement, you butt-chin!!¡±

 Volume 10, 2: Rapidly Growing Conspiracy Theory >> Joint Military Exercise in the Kariba District

    Volume 10, Chapter 2: Rapidly Growing Conspiracy Theory >> Joint Military Exercise in the Kariba District


    Part 1


    The multinational group military exercise known as Gigant Hustler begins April 15 in the South African battlefield country of the Kariba District!!


    ¡°This is insane.¡±


    The Princess muttered to herself while taking a break from preparing for a real war by staring at the posters covering the Object maintenance area¡¯s wall.


    Several Objects and the green savanna grasslands of the April rainy season acted as the poster backgrounds and a sexy idol gave an exaggerated wink while aiming a handgun gesture straight out from the poster.


    The Princess repeated herself as a shell supported by wires was slowly moved by heavy machinery groaning so loudly it sounded like the end of the world had come.


    ¡°This is completely insane.¡±


    ¡°This was the only way.¡± The old maintenance lady cut in with a sigh in her voice while using her index finger to send instructions out over her tablet device. ¡°Objects are the symbol of war and there are eight of them here. That means eight monsters have gathered in a single spot to wage war. Without manipulating the information like this, the safe countries would think a world war was starting and social unrest would run rampant.¡±


    In other words, the ¡°exercise¡± was a front for a true battle to the death.


    If a single shell strayed into the stands, the entire area would be soaked red.


    ¡°And this Gigant Hustler thing is a giant farce in the first place,¡± complained the Princess.


    ¡°That just shows how much the higher ups of the world powers are afraid of this Sixth Branch that specializes in psychological warfare. If its effectiveness spreads, the entire clean war structure will crumble. If people like them start showing up in the safe countries, they won¡¯t be safe in the slightest. So the world powers have prepared this major event to drown out the historical impact. Basically, they want to put out this fire as soon as possible.¡±


    Some young maintenance soldiers carrying toolboxes passed behind the two of them. The portable disaster radios and 1seg TVs hanging from their necks provided a mixture of cheerful voices.


    The event had grown well beyond a mere joint military exercise.


    One radio was giving a grand celebration from the surprise visit of a Capitalist Corporations VIP.


    ¡°Four weapons shows are being held in the surroundings of the Gigant Hustler. And now Acre Kiss-of-Rose, CEO of Salem Logistics, one of the 7th Core corporations that control the Capitalist Corporations home country, has made a surprise visit, so speculation abounds that some major defense contract negotiations are underway.¡±


    One TV was announcing the online concert of an Information Alliance idol Elite.


    ¡°Ho ho ho. Oh ho ho ho ho ho!! Welcome to the Stardust Concert where the stars fall on the stage! Let¡¯s enjoy this night below the full screen of a meteor shower!! Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!!¡±


    ¡°This is insane...¡± repeated the Princess as she gently brought a hand to her forehead.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom, Information Alliance, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization had sent in a total of eight Objects for a major battle there. It resembled a scene from the end of the world or some kind of ultimate showdown, yet the higher ups had thoroughly diluted the sense of fear and danger.


    As a result, everyone was treating it like a giant festival. Countless clusters of food stands and several concert halls had been haphazardly set up around the maintenance bases, several weapons shows and concerts were underway, and temporary tent hotels filled the savanna to house the more than two million people who had showed up from safe countries.


    And yet none of them knew what turn this battle was going to take.


    None of them could predict when a stray shell would fly their way from the eight-Object melee.


    Part 2


    ¡°The Princess needs some mental stabilization. Quenser, you go show her around ¡®downtown¡¯. We can¡¯t have her grogginess get worse and send her into a gloomy bout of war-weariness.¡±


    Even if the place was called a desert, it was not covered with scorching sand and giant pyramids.


    The rain of the rainy season had cleared up, so the entire area was covered in short green grass. It looked something like a pasture without fences.


    ¡°...This really is insane.¡±


    ¡°Do you not like crowds, Princess?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant.¡±


    The Princess gave the ¡°peaceful scenery¡± an icy look and she pouted her lips a little next to Quenser.


    The vibrant grasslands were overflowing with a deluge of people, people, and more people. Makeshift stages with roofs and corporate display booths were set up here and there. The floors were polished like a new car and companion girls were standing next to the new weapons, showing off their white teeth in a smile and waving at passersby.


    Everyone here thought the event was nothing more than a military exercise and a lot of them had used their precious vacation days to visit from a safe country.


    Quenser and the Princess knew this was actually a great battle between eight Objects owned by all four major world powers, so the smiles surrounding them were bad for their hearts.


    ¡°They have new anti-materiel rifles and wheeled armored vehicles?¡± commented Quenser. ¡°Huh, so I guess there is a demand for normal, non-Object weapons.¡±


    ¡°Objects are filled with national secrets, so they¡¯re all ¡®self-made¡¯. I don¡¯t think you can run a business selling any of its parts.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it works?¡±


    ¡°Everything here is for urban warfare where they can¡¯t send in an Object. That armored vehicle¡¯s design focuses on its light weight more than its defenses because they don¡¯t want to damage the roads or bridges.¡±


    Also, most of the companion girls were wearing outfits modeled after a Pilot Elite¡¯s special suit. The colors of their costumes were divided between blue, red, yellow, or green, depending on the world power they were affiliated with.


    There were an awful lot of people dressed like that in the crowds too. It was not clear if that was for their job or just for fun, but it helped a real one like the Princess escape the strobe light of camera flashes that would have found her otherwise.


    There was of course also a Legitimacy Kingdom bodyguard team blending into their surroundings.


    ¡°Come to think of it, there aren¡¯t very many unmanned weapons here,¡± noted Quenser.


    ¡°They¡¯re afraid of cyber attacks. And if you use a powerful ECM, they can be brought down in enemy territory or an urban area.¡±


    Some booths had gone full circle and started showing off analog sights one could add to a gun. They were for ¡°just in case¡± there was equipment trouble, a cyber attack, or an electromagnetic pulse.


    ¡°Part of me thinks there¡¯s something wrong when soldiers are worried about their cellphone battery, but I bet all this extra trouble is due to the military and the corporations working together a little too closely.¡±


    One booth was selling normal semiconductors as well as printed circuit boards encased in tiny vacuum tubes as an electromagnetic pulse countermeasure. The advertisement tried to spread fear far more than necessary, so it reminded Quenser of how disaster goods were sold.


    ¡°That¡¯s just how it is for the higher, higher, higher, higher ups,¡± said the Princess. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about how many backdoor deals go into the five billion dollar Objects.¡±


    A sweet smell reached their noses.


    Quenser followed the Princess¡¯s gaze and found a rest space just outside the weapons booths. Stands selling ice cream, frappes, crepes, etc. were crammed in around it, but he grabbed her hand to stop her.


    Even through her special glove, he could feel the unique marshmallow softness of a girl¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we¡¯re in the middle of a war here. Who knows what¡¯ll be mixed in with the food.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have my heart that set on getting something to eat. Besides, I have my fridge and microwave back in the Object.¡±


    Despite what she said, he had a feeling her lips were slightly pouted.


    Then he felt her squeeze his hand back a little.


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The maintenance soldiers told me something interesting. During the battle against the copied weapons factory...¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°D-did you really say I¡¯m a ¡®girl you¡¯re int-...¡±


    Suddenly, their conversation was cut off as something ran into Quenser¡¯s back ¨C or rather, near his butt.


    Their hands were pulled apart.


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser looked back, but he only saw the never-ending crowd of people and could not tell who had bumped into him.


    ¡°Ahhhh!! Papa, everything around here¡¯s made of metal. It¡¯s so boring.¡±


    ¡°Now, we can crunch out the exact numbers over there. Oh, and I forgot to introduce myself. I am Heavy Bullet Co.¡¯s special out-of-store sales division representative. My name is...¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Understood. I¡¯ve finished with my detour, so I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    (Hm? That voice...???)


    He briefly felt a shudder run down his spine, but he did not have time to check on it.


    As soon as their hands had parted, the Princess had started kicking at his shin.


    ¡°Wha-? Ow. Princ- Wait, that really hurts. Princess, I¡¯m telling you that hurts!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The Princess had clearly reached her zone of displeasure.


    The intelligence division contacted Frolaytia to tell her the Princess¡¯s fighting spirit had returned.


    Part 3


    After accomplishing his goal for the day, Quenser was thrown down to the bottom level of society along with Heivia. They had been sent out for training.


    ¡°I¡¯d heard this was the rainy season, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen a clearer sky. If only it¡¯d start pouring. Then they might change the training menu.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re apparently using a meteorological weapon for the big event.¡±


    ¡°Tch. Then why can¡¯t they just screw with the atmospheric pressure enough for a tornado or downburst to blow away the enemy maintenance bases?¡±


    ¡°There are plusses and minuses. The cheap silver iodide types apparently lead to soil contamination.¡±


    Their full course of hell for the day was being held in the grassy plain far away from the weapons show booths. For some reason, it was being run by a female soldier wearing a chef¡¯s hat instead of a helmet.


    They looked around and found everyone else there had a similar background. That is, they had been labeled ¡°problem soldiers¡±. That only made their bad feeling about this even worse.


    Then the chef started speaking.


    ¡°Major Capistrano has made a wonderful order to celebrate our trip to Africa! Since you¡¯re all so fat from your gourmet lifestyles, you get to learn some true survival skills! The basic rule of food is to eat everything that¡¯s nontoxic and digestible!! Something being hard, bitter, smelly, or gross is not an acceptable excuse!! I will make sure to remind you that you are mere animals first and foremost and proud humans only second, so prepare yourselves!!¡±


    The soldiers all perked up when they heard talk of food.


    They were stuck eating rations that could only be described as erasers or soap, so some odd cuisine was not going to faze them. Present them with a tiger or a lion and they were prepared to chop it up and cook it. Anything on four legs looked like a meal to them.


    ¡°The soul of cooking is salt and oil. You may think of ¡®roasted meat¡¯ when someone mentions makeshift meals made on the battlefield, but that is often not enough to cover the texture, bitterness, and odor I mentioned earlier. That is what makes frying so good. Just like fries are as addictive as drugs and just like slimy octopus or squid fries up nice and crispy, frying fixes everything. Carry a metal pot if you have the room or just use a mug if you have to. Make sure to carry cooking oil at all times. And with that said...¡±


    The chef soldier carried out a basket covered by a scarf.


    For some reason, the scarf was wriggling a little bit.


    ¡°(Hey, what do you think¡¯s in there?)¡±


    ¡°(Our ingredient. Maybe snakes or frogs? That¡¯s not about to shock me at this point.)¡±


    They were so hungry that they were beginning to suspect the tasteless soap-like rations were part of a masterplan to get the soldiers to go on suicide missions in exchange for a burger.


    ¡°Tah dah!! This is today¡¯s ingredient!!¡±


    The female soldier removed the scarf and revealed what was inside: crickets.


    The entire basket was filled with a wriggling mass of shiny black insects.


    ¡°Byah!?¡±


    ¡°Are you insane!? Are you completely insane!? I can¡¯t eat bugs! And these don¡¯t look all that different from roaches! Not to mention that there isn¡¯t meat inside them! It¡¯s just some kind of weird juices!!¡±


    Everyone here was a problem soldier charged with disobeying orders or negligence in their duties, so this was obviously meant as a punishment.


    But the chef soldier put her hands on her hips and snorted proudly.


    ¡°Insects sit at the bottom of the food chain and they are an abundant source of protein that supports the entire ecosystem. And as long as they aren¡¯t poisonous, they¡¯re easy to obtain. You can eat the whole thing, so you don¡¯t leave any bones or skins behind for enemy soldiers to find. ...You just need to know how to make them taste good. Got that?¡±


    She began preparing to show them how.


    She started a fire without using a lighter, boiled the vegetable oil inside her metal pot, and dumped tons of live crickets inside.


    ¡°They¡¯re really the same as fries. Fry them up and then add salt. When not using any batter, the trick to making them taste good is to apply plenty of moisture beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. That sizzling really does sound like fries.¡±


    ¡°Stop that. I¡¯ll never be able to eat fries again!!¡±


    It was a teacher¡¯s job to answer all of her students¡¯ questions.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like how they look, you can crush them and roll them into a dumpling. Use about ten of them per dumpling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d vomit at least three times in the process!! And is it just me or would this count as abuse in a safe country!?¡±


    This recipe was meant to be made during military operations, so the fewer tools needed, the better. They used forks to scoop the crickets directly from the oil.


    ¡°They come out perfectly bite-sized.¡±


    ¡°They still look just like crickets.¡±


    ¡°But they sometimes stick together even when not using batter. See, like this one.¡±


    ¡°Ew, that is disgusting! Twenty of them have fused together into some kind of cookie!¡±


    ¡°By the way, this works for wasps and scorpions too. Even if they¡¯re poisonous, that can be neutralized by the high heat. Of course, it isn¡¯t a perfect method, so don¡¯t put too much faith in it. And don¡¯t even try mantises. They often have parasites, so I can¡¯t recommend them to rookies.¡±


    The cricket dishes were lined up in front of them.


    The slimy black luster was gone, but they mostly maintained their original shape.


    ¡°You should be thankful for this gift from your battlefield chef. Follow my example and add this to your repertoire of skills. And don¡¯t forget to say grace and follow your table manners like proper ladies and gentlemen.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    They did not want to do this, but doing nothing would get them nowhere. Plus, the crickets were sure to taste even worse once they cooled, just like fries after they went cold and limp. If potatoes tasted that bad, they did not even want to know how bad crickets would get. Waiting would only increase the difficulty level of this hellish ordeal.


    ¡°I guess we just have to bite the bullet.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat them together. On the count of three.¡±


    ¡°Three.¡±


    ¡°Two.¡±


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°Zero... I knew you weren¡¯t going to eat it!! You were gonna have me eat it first as your little guinea pig, weren¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°You waited too, Heivia!! So stop making me out like the only bad guy!!¡±


    A small scuffle broke out between the two idiots, but they were not going to escape the issue at hand like that.


    Now, what do cooked crickets actually taste like?


    Part 4


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time for war!! ...Hm? Someone¡¯s eating something in here. What¡¯s that smell?¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano frowned on top of the dais and the source of the smell was the usual two idiots.


    ¡°(These crickets are surprisingly good.)¡±


    ¡°(They¡¯re like small fried shrimp. Y¡¯know, like those sakura shrimp. Anyway, let¡¯s eat them all before they get cold.)¡±


    They were so focused on munching away that they were relatively quiet for once.


    Frolaytia looked suspicious, but she began her briefing.


    ¡°The battlefield today is a grassy field covering forty square kilometers around here. There are some hills, but they won¡¯t even break out of the margin of error for an Object. There are no rivers, mountains, canyons, deserts, or other geographical features of note. It¡¯s just a boring field.¡±


    A map was projected on the wall behind her, but it was nothing but green.


    Several giant circles were added to indicate the expected positions of the Objects.


    ¡°We and the other world powers are calling this a joint military exercise known as the Gigant Hustler and the most important point is the number of Objects taking part. There¡¯s a total of eight and this isn¡¯t the usual structure of one-on-one or many-against-one. The Legitimacy Kingdom, Information Alliance, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization have all sent out two Objects each. That makes this a balanced melee with little room for power games. No one can predict how this will turn out.¡±


    Records of past battles were used to display photos and predicted specs around the circles representing the Objects.


    Legitimacy Kingdom.


    Baby Magnum.


    Its main cannons were supported by seven arms attached to the back of the spherical body by joints. It used a static electricity propulsion device and its floats were structured in a reverse Y-shape.


    This all-purpose First Generation used its seven changeable main cannons based on the principles of diffusion and convergence. It had no outstanding features, but that allowed it to apply even damage to any opponent. Even if an opponent had specialized armor or defense methods for lasers, coilguns, or whatever else, it could swap out the type of cannon used to adapt.


    Royal Residence.


    Uneven rectangular structures larger than the main body were attached to the left, right, and back of the spherical body. It had plenty of additional equipment such as a supercomputer, an armory, and extra cooling devices. It was also armed with equipment too large for a normal Object such as a largescale radar, a main cannon larger than a bridge, and rocket boosters for high speed movement. It used a static electricity propulsion device with irregularly positioned circular floats.


    This oddly shaped Second Generation had further increased the size of its already giant exterior using its many additional pieces of equipment and armor. By lighting the countless boosters attached across itself despite their great size and weight, it could achieve great mobility in exchange for some intense inertial Gs.


    Information Alliance.


    Rush.


    A rapid-fire beam Gatling cannon was attached to the left and right side of its spherical body. It used an air cushion propulsion device with the floats arranged in a cross. The bottom of the floats contained giant chainsaw-like treads that allowed for extremely high-speed evasive actions when used in addition to the air cushion.


    This Second Generation excelled at close-quarters combat while swinging around its two rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons. It used the quick evasive actions of its air cushion and tread combo to slip through the gaps in its opponent¡¯s barrage and threaten them with a point-blank range rapid-fire blast.


    Band Station.


    Its one main cannon was located on its right side. The rear of the cannon had four pieces linked together on top of each other. By sliding those up and down, it could switch between a low-stability plasma canon, a railgun, a coilgun, or a rapid-fire beam cannon. The left side contained a sensor turret the same size as the main cannon that had tons of cameras, microphones, sensors, radars, etc. attached. It used an air cushion propulsion device and the floats were attached to the end of four devices resembling heavy machinery arms that extended from the top of the spherical body.


    This Second Generation had a very ¡°Information Alliance-y¡± design that used its many cameras and sensors to search for the enemy¡¯s weak points instead of focusing on direct firepower. It was also known for the powerful broadcast equipment inside that sent out a quiz show with extremely lucrative prizes for the people back in the safe countries. It used the entertainment and greed of over one billion people to analyze the enemy Object.


    The Capitalist Corporations.


    Spider Joust.


    It had an extremely large main cannon on the top of its spherical body. Containers were lined up on the left and right sides of that body to eject barbed wire and instant glue meant to slow down the enemy. It used an air cushion propulsion device, the floats were arranged in a line at the front and back of the Object, and those floats were supported by arms.


    This Second Generation preferred to use a low-stability plasma cannon from extreme close range. It would approach at extreme high speed, but it was also well-equipped with barbed wire, instant glue, molten metal and other ways to slow down the enemy Object. It was known for fighting like a jousting spider, just as its name suggested.


    Mobius Infinity.


    It had three main cannons equipped on the upper back of the spherical body. Those main cannons could freely change their angle to aim anywhere between straight ahead and straight up. It used a static electricity propulsion device that arranged five rings like flower petals.


    This unique Second Generation used three large railguns as its main cannons. The shells had wings for attitude control and it preferred to fire them straight up to an extremely high altitude where they would turn in the shape of a Mobius strip and destroy the enemy from above. The attack combined the kinetic energy of the railgun with the potential energy of the high altitude to produce destructive power rivaling a meteor strike experiment.


    Faith Organization.


    Self Deception.


    The main cannon attached to the top of the spherical body was a rapid-fire beam cannon structured like a reflecting telescope. Its static electricity propulsion device had a single main float passing straight below the spherical body with a sub float on either side that was attached with an arm bent into a V-shape. Overall, it resembled a balancing toy. A variety of deception armaments were supported by the suspended wings extending horizontally from the left and right sides of the spherical body.


    This Second Generation was intensely focused on deception weapons like chaff, flares, and jammers. More than just keeping the enemy¡¯s attacks from hitting, it sometimes had the enemy fire on its own forces or get caught in a blast after mistaking the range of an explosion.


    Sand Cluster.


    Its one main cannon was attached to the very front of the spherical body. Several giant, speaker-like gravitational control devices and iron sand launchers were attached to the left and right sides. It used an air cushion propulsion device, two of the floats extended from the center to the left and right, and four others extended diagonally backwards.


    This Second Generation controlled its low-stability plasma cannons with massive amounts of magnetism. The cannon itself could spread out like a fan which allowed for a number of tricky cannon techniques such as diffused plasma blasts, disseminating magnetized iron sand through the air, or curving the plasma¡¯s trajectory a little to better target the enemy.


    As he saw the data appear one after another, Heivia gulped down some of his cricket food and raised his hand.


    ¡°Teacher, this is way too much to take in at one time. Are you screwing with us?¡±


    ¡°Even if failing to grasp all this could directly lead to your death? And look, Quenser¡¯s eyes are shining.¡±


    ¡°P-pant, pant!! A-as far as the eye can see...pant, pant, pant! Completely surrounded...pant, pant, pant!! Shudder... So much classified information...uuh!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, god!! There¡¯s a rainbow light coming from this pervert!!¡±


    Heivia shouted as his awful friend stood next to him trembling.


    Frolaytia ignored them to continue with her briefing.


    ¡°The battlefield is forty kilometers in each direction and an Object¡¯s average firing range is ten kilometers. Send eight of them in there, and they¡¯ll be scraping up against someone¡¯s firing range whenever they move. The Princess needs to assume she¡¯ll always be under attack from multiple directions.¡±


    There was no guarantee of a one-on-one battle, but the one-against-many structure was generally considered bad news during Object battles.


    What would these eight Objects do?


    The battlefield would not remain in balance forever. Some would try to keep their distance while others would actively move in to attack. Those uneven ¡°irregularities¡± would set the entire battlefield in motion.


    In the worst case, it was entirely possible one would be ganged up on as soon as the battle began.


    ¡°This was called Gigant Hustler because the Objects act a little like billiards balls, but it¡¯s really more like a game of musical chairs. Whether it¡¯s to attack or escape, standing out carries the risk of death.¡±


    Frolaytia marked two of the eight Objects.


    ¡°And the two that stand out the most now are the biggest threat and the smallest threat. Should we defeat the big boss to secure our safety or should we take out a small fry we know we can handle? Excluding our own forces, the former is the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Mobius Infinity which can produce the destruction of a meteor strike and the latter is the Faith Organization¡¯s Self Deception which has plenty of deception weapons but comes up short in firepower.¡±


    The strongest was the Mobius Infinity.


    The weakest was the Self Deception.


    In a battle of life-or-death, chivalry was meaningless. When asked who to target, the standard idea was to begin with the enemy they could most easily defeat.


    Except Frolaytia had a different idea.


    ¡°We have narrowed down our target to the Mobius Infinity because we can defeat the weakest one at any time. If we don¡¯t bring a many-against-one battle against the Mobius Infinity and destroy it early, we¡¯ll have more trouble later once it has fewer enemies to worry about. Plus, fear is a powerful motivator. Once one Object starts the attack, the others will decide to join the winning team.¡±


    In this game of musical chairs, they would isolate the Mobius Infinity and set up a situation where all the other Objects ganged up on it.


    Quenser swallowed some fried crickets and asked a question.


    ¡°Um, what exactly are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°That is the excellent question of an excellent student. This battle is being passed off as a military exercise, so the odds of an Object directly attacking infantry is extremely low. ...Although that probably means there are going to be some ¡®accidents during live fire exercises¡¯ between infantry teams. You¡¯re going to use that to infiltrate the warfront. And of course, your goal is sabotage.¡±


    Frolaytia marked another Object.


    It was the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Band Station.


    ¡°This one is named after a broadcast station because it observes the enemy Object with its many sensors and sends it back to their safe countries as a quiz show with extremely lucrative prizes. Basically, over a billion bored people are used to find a weakness. First, turn its attention toward the Mobius Infinity. The Mobius Infinity is filled with cutting-edge military technology, so it won¡¯t want to reveal all of its secrets in front of that analysis device. And the other Objects are sure to jump at the chance to attack while its movements are dulled. After all, it¡¯s the one they least want to fight at full power.¡±


    ¡°Will that really work?¡±


    ¡°Just like poker, this is a world of strategy. If the Mobius Infinity has weathered the battle for a while and used its secret attacks several times already, it¡¯ll grow defiant and go all out. But the electronic simulation division predicts it might not be willing to show that much resolve right away. Based on the records of its past battles, the Mobius Infinity¡¯s Pilot Elite is very cautious. The odds are good they¡¯ll try to avoid as much damage as possible as they fight.¡±


    The two idiots began whispering with crickets in hand.


    ¡°(What do you think? She¡¯s basically telling us to pretend we¡¯re doing something to the Mobius Infinity. We haven¡¯t found an actual weakness, but we¡¯re supposed to purposefully get caught by an Object. She claims the Band Station will notice us doing something and start focusing that way, but I get the feeling the Mobius Infinity is going to ignore her assumptions and start slaughtering the infantry.)¡±


    ¡°(How the hell should I know? Nothing she and those huge tits have ever suggested has turned out well for us. Anything that sound good ends up being the worst thing imaginable, so maybe we should count ourselves lucky that we have a chance to prepare ourselves for the coming danger this time.)¡±


    Meanwhile, someone else spoke.


    It was the Pilot Elite Princess.


    ¡°I understand not wanting to expose yourself to the Band Station, but then what about me?¡±


    Frolaytia removed the kiseru from her mouth and slowly exhaled the sweet-smelling smoke.


    For once, she sounded apologetic as she answered.


    ¡°Information on your First Generation is already pretty well known, so the damage will be minimal compared to a cutting-edge Second Generation. ...Or so the higher ups concluded.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The Princess fell into a sulking silence.


    Her mental condition could have a major impact on the course of a battle, but Frolaytia had chosen to give her a direct answer.


    ¡°Think of this as a chance to get the upper hand while they¡¯re looking down on you. Princess, you can decide what to do after the Objects have focused on the Mobius Infinity. You can assist them in destroying the Mobius Infinity or you can start attacking your #2 and #3 enemies while they¡¯re focused on the attack. Just play it by ear. But whatever you do, remember that allowing the Mobius Infinity to survive would be dangerous. As long as its destruction is a part of your plan, you are free to decide what order you will deal with the rest.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I just have to destroy them all and be the last one standing, right?¡±


    Frolaytia grinned at that.


    This was nothing like an overly-protective school in a safe country. The military knew the best way to motivate someone was to hurt their pride just a little.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯m sure the other world powers will also send in plenty of soldiers as part of the ¡®exercise¡¯. They¡¯ll be doing what they can to get the upper hand in this game of musical chairs. Be on the lookout for conspiracies and saboteurs, and defeat them if necessary. Or kill them for no real reason. I don¡¯t really care. That is all.¡±


    Part 5


    And so Quenser and Heivia were hiding on the ground with some other soldiers. The area was covered by waist-height grass, so crouching down a little was all someone would need to do if they wanted to get away with some outdoorsy baby-making.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a Slingshot,¡± complained Heivia.


    The metal tube on his back was two sizes larger than his normal shoulder-fired missile launcher. There was even a small LCD monitor attached to the side. Just like modern laptops, the screen could be removed, allowing someone other than the firer to set up the targeting.


    It was cutting-edge, but the soldiers hated it because it was heavy, fragile, expensive, and filled with so much technology they were not allowed to abandon it on the battlefield.


    ¡°Are they morons? Did they name it that because they want us to point out that isn¡¯t what it is!? Why do weapons developers have to have such a warped sense of humor!?¡±


    ¡°Quit shouting. This is the battlefield, so we need to be quiet. Got it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what we do. There are eight objects here and they¡¯re all bristling with sensors. They¡¯ll find us even if we take a nice leisurely nap here. Maybe I should ask someone to rub some sun oil on my back.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia both had a reinforced plastic case in each hand. They contained the missiles warheads and firing powder for the Slingshot. They would never be able to fight while trudging along with such a large burden, but this was a joint military exercise.


    ¡°Oh, there they go,¡± muttered Heivia as he heard explosive sounds in the distance.


    They did not come from Object cannons. If they did, the shockwave would have been enough to knock them over. They were hearing the little people firing on the giant from Gulliver¡¯s Travels.


    ¡°That¡¯s meaningless,¡± decided Quenser.


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right it is! They¡¯re attacking the...which one is that?¡±


    ¡°The Sand Cluster. It¡¯s a Faith Organization Second Generation that uses a low-stability plasma cannon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. And are those multiple rocket launchers the little people are firing at it? Did their Object ask them to judge its interception accuracy?¡±


    ¡°And yet a direct hit from one of those wouldn¡¯t even scratch it. It sure is nice to bother shooting them all down.¡±


    The soldiers were firing like crazy now that they had seen the Object would not fire back at them. Otherwise, they would only have been able to tremble and ball up on the ground in fear.


    Then a cheerful voice arrived over the radio.


    ¡°...Ksshh... Yes, this is a momentous occasion, so I would have loved to send in Cynthia, our company¡¯s cutting-edge Second Generation, but she is currently busy suppressing the Soberania Disturbance near the Panama Canal. That said, the two Objects we did send in are wonderful as well. The copycats made elsewhere can never hope to match how we give physical form to the fighting spirit of our Pilot Elites.¡±


    ¡°That concludes the scheduled interview with Acre Kiss-of-Rose, the very busy CEO of Salem Logistics. Also, a Capitalist Corporations PMC is planning some wartime evacuation training based on an imagined attack by special commandos from another world power...ksshh...¡±


    ¡°What was that? Are we picking up some other radio broadcast?¡±


    ¡°This is just a giant plain and broadcast stations from all over the world have shown up to relay the Gigant Hustler. Add in the amateurish news site reporters and the people obsessed with uploading videos to the internet, and the chaos only grows. There are no rules about what frequencies to use here, so people will end up using the same one.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean our transmissions are reaching them?¡±


    ¡°We just have to pray whoever developed our encryption tech wasn¡¯t slacking off. ...Anyway, it sure is peaceful on the ¡®outside¡¯. And what good is evacuation training if you announce it¡¯s only training in the first place? Even a school¡¯s evacuation training has a little more tension than that.¡±


    At any rate, Quenser and Heivia had work to do and could not get caught up in a pointless conflict.


    The two of them gave the Faith Organization¡¯s Sand Cluster a wide berth as they stayed low and walked through the waist-height grass.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be good for my hips.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯ve decided I don¡¯t want to hurt my hips from anything other than a night spent with a woman.¡±


    A few wild birds flew into the air about five hundred meters ahead.


    Heivia raised a hand horizontally and Quenser stopped moving.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s there.¡±


    ¡°You mean that rustling? But all this shooting is bound to scare some animals.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t timed with the explosions.¡±


    Heivia¡¯s rifle had a number of sensors, but infrared could be blocked to a certain extent with special materials and both ultrasonic waves and the microwaves of radar were not very effective in this tall grass. But holding his breath and observing carefully revealed something in the scenery that did not belong.


    ¡°Found them. The Faith Organization¡¯s Valkyries are five hundred meters ahead and an Information Alliance powered suit unit is three hundred to the left of them.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°One group is an internal discipline squad meant to deal with the unfaithful and the other is made up of walking wireless routers meant for electronic warfare. Small fries like us aren¡¯t going to get paid any more for fighting each other and the Gigant Hustler is underway, so ignoring each other is the best plan for everyone involved.¡±


    As soon as Heivia moved to the side, the other groups started moving as well.


    The three groups did not want a direct confrontation, so they moved in giant circle to pass by each other without moving closer than a few hundred meters to each other. It looked like the roundabouts seen on European roads or rotating sushi being removed from the conveyer belt after no one chose it.


    Quenser spoke quietly to his awful friend while following him.


    ¡°We handled that peacefully. Mankind has finally overcome our history.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. They¡¯ll be marking out location on their maps. We need to assume they¡¯re burying a landmine while smiling so kindly our way. And there are plenty of landmines made from wood, glass, or plastic that can slip right past a metal detector.¡±


    The two of them looked back to watch the other figures disappear.


    ¡°Did you see all the antennae on those powered suits?¡±


    ¡°I said they¡¯re for electronic warfare, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t jam an Object that has a control center bigger than a fortress¡¯s and the amplification provided by any targeting assistance would be less than a decimal point.¡±


    ¡°Still better than the Valkyries. Those scouts are sent out to observe the infantry at the bottom in an attempt to read the intentions and movement patterns of the entire pyramid structure, but that¡¯s completely useless if the Object decides to trample on its own allies to win.¡±


    Distant explosions rang out once more.


    There had likely been a lag to reload the multiple rocket launchers.


    ¡°Those must be the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ mechanized combat engineers.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a cool name.¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re cyborgs. It means they use vehicles. They¡¯re apparently all from civil engineering companies and their main mission is to stop the enemy Object by digging tunnels through the battlefield to create pitfalls, by pumping water to submerge the area, or by whatever means they can come up with. Basically, they¡¯re specialists in military tractors and tunneling machines.¡±


    ¡°Neat. They sound like the most effective ones.¡±


    ¡°How!? One stray shell from an Object creates a giant crater. Slowly digging a little tunnel isn¡¯t going to stop those cutting-edge machines, you idiot!!¡±


    ¡°Sure the pitfalls would be useless, but what about the water? If the Object uses static electricity propulsion like the Princess...¡±


    ¡°This entire map is a giant green plain. Do you see any rivers to draw water from?¡±


    As they argued, they continued through some even taller grass. They occasionally came across the paths left by other units, but they chose to trample their own way through the grass instead of using the easier ¡°premade¡± paths. Simply put, they were afraid of mines.


    Heivia came to a stop again when he heard some unnatural rustling to the side.


    ¡°They¡¯re on our side.¡±


    Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers gathered in this one spot after taking different routes to get there.


    And up ahead...


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s still warming up.¡±


    Quenser looked at its majestic form through gaps in the grass.


    Going all out, an Object could instantly reach speeds of over five hundred kph. It could easily lose these infantry soldiers, but a total of eight Objects were taking part in the Gigant Hustler. Any thoughtless movement would be like making the first shot in a game of billiards.


    It might seem harmless at first, but that one move could end up placing a noose around its neck.


    And so it tried to give that first move as much thought as possible even if that meant ignoring the insignificant infantry.


    The crawling challenger spat out the name of the ruler sitting in its throne.


    ¡°A Capitalist Corporations Second Generation... The Mobius Infinity.¡±


    Part 6


    Sad to say, no matter how much computerization and digitization advanced, soldiers who got separated from their unit were far from uncommon. In fact, the more they grew to rely on precise machinery, the more they had difficulty regrouping or returning to base once the machines malfunctioned. Basically, they had gone soft.


    And so...


    ¡°The focus of today¡¯s Grand Eyes News will be wars fought over supply routes.¡±


    ¡°This might not be immediately obvious, but everything I¡¯m wearing ¨C from the suit, the shirt, the tie, the belt, the socks, the shoes, and even the underwear ¨C may say they¡¯re domestic products on the tag, but the original materials are not necessarily so. Does that much make sense?¡±


    ¡°Oh? But what about the toupee? That had to have cost more than any of those other things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, you bitch of a newscaster! ...As you can see, the ability to maintain supply routes by deploying largescale units including Objects has great strategic importance that even affects your own lives. Memories of the incidents in the Indian Ocean, the Panama Canal, and the Strait of Gibraltar are probably still fresh in your minds, but...¡±


    A man wandered through the Gigant Hustler exercise grounds while listening to a radio show like a housewife taking care of housework with the TV on.


    ¡°Honestly, this is so heavy.¡±


    No one paid him any heed as he wandered around one edge of the battlefield. Units from the four world powers were moving every which way at the moment, so enemy and ally alike were ignoring this soldier who had lost his way and his will to fight.


    And so he was overlooked.


    The middle-aged man with pristinely parted hair did not look built for physical labor and his military uniform was worn down like used clothing. He set down the metal tripod resting on his shoulder, spread the device¡¯s legs, and fixed it in place.


    It resembled a camera¡¯s tripod, but one aspect was decidedly different.


    Another long, narrow metal cylinder extended straight down from the joint of the three legs. The cylinder¡¯s tip formed a sharp stake and one side had a plain lever and a ¡°sliding metal window¡± meant for loading and ejecting cartridges.


    ¡°Now, then. It was 7.62mm blanks that worked, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    He almost seemed to be recalling the manual as he pulled the lever to open the metal window, pulled a cartridge from his pocket, and slid it inside the cylinder. He pushed the lever back into place to finish loading. It was much like forcibly loading a bullet through the ejection port after a bolt-action sniper rifle¡¯s magazine broke.


    But this device was not meant to blow someone¡¯s brains out.


    International weaponry law did not even classify it as a firearm.


    The man lowered the vertical cylinder by rotating the round metal wheel attached where a camera would normally be. Its sharp tip stabbed into the soft dirt. Rather than the sharpness of a sword, it had the gradual but constant pressure of a vise. He brought it accurately down to the red line on the side of the cylinder.


    The preparations were complete.


    ¡°Time for the first shot. ...There are explosions all over the place, so I wonder if this will even work.¡±


    The man brought his finger to the trigger.


    Part 7


    The Mobius Infinity was a Second Generation belonging to the Capitalist Corporations. It used a static electricity propulsion device and its five ring-shaped floats were arranged like flower petals. It had been made for long-distance attacks and it had three ultra-large railguns attached on the back. Instead of directly targeting the enemy, it primarily fired straight upwards, sending giant shells with control wings up to the stratosphere where they would turn like a Mobius strip and attack the enemy Object from the sky. Immense kinetic energy was combined with the potential energy of the great altitude to produce destruction rumored to rival a meteor strike.


    That Object was considered the greatest enemy here and thus it bore the risk of being the first target out of the eight.


    ¡°This is insane.¡±


    Heivia lowered his Slingshot multipurpose missile launcher to the grassy ground.


    ¡°That shell would continue on up into space if they didn¡¯t have it turn, so why are they dropping it back down? Couldn¡¯t they use that cannon to build a peaceful country on Mars or something?¡±


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations are supposed to be pioneers in the field of mass drivers, aren¡¯t they? I¡¯m sure they have plenty of offshoots like this.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying this world is filled with idiots?¡±


    As Heivia complained, Quenser opened the reinforced plastic case he had placed on the ground. Inside were cylinders five centimeters wide and thirty centimeters long placed inside waterproof packages. They contained the powder combination used to fire the missile.


    ¡°Two of them make a set. I need to cut off the edge with my survival kit¡¯s knife and attach the clasp and plug that reveals.¡±


    ¡°The warhead is still empty. Don¡¯t forget to add in Set C.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Leave it all to the legendary maid Quensette. Would you like fries and a drink with that?¡±


    He unscrewed the rugby ball-shaped warhead and opened it up. After splitting it in two, he attached a sheet of explosives on the inside of the back. He then shoved inside the unit packed in plastic and closed the capsule once more.


    He finally attached the firing powder cylinder to the rugby ball-shaped warhead and pushed the club-like missile toward Heivia.


    ¡°What a pain in the ass. Couldn¡¯t they just give us the completed missile?¡±


    ¡°This freedom is the entire point of the thing. We can prepare and fire warheads with any number of effects, so it comes in handy in a variety of situations.¡±


    In this case, they were using a combination of instant glue and a special wire net sharp enough to cut off a human finger. It could not destroy an Object, but there was some hope it could gum up some of the movable parts or joints.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why it¡¯s on the verge of being classified as an inhumane weapon? If you wanted to, you could fire liquid nitrogen or the growth medium for a biological weapon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw a video online of a soldier on an angry rampage after one covered him in dogshit. But that had to be a setup. Once it went viral, he started showing up in the ads.¡±


    ¡°But people always associate him with being covered in shit, so no one liked having him show up on TV during dinner time.¡±


    Heivia stuck the club inside the firing tube and twisted it until he heard a click. The Slingshot missile was now complete.


    ¡°Get a few spare shots ready. And deal with this.¡±


    Heivia removed the flat monitor attached to the side of the launcher and tossed it to Quenser.


    ¡°Hey, what am I supposed to do with this?¡±


    ¡°Were you even listening to the pre-mission briefing? Over a hundred of our comrades are hiding around here like peepers in the park at night. We¡¯ll synchronize all of our triggers to make a simultaneous saturation attack from one hundred directions at once. I¡¯m busy making some minor adjustments to the hardware, so you take care of the network setup.¡±


    ¡°But I want to be a designer. I live in the world of mechanics. Can I just hit ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®okay¡¯ to everything that appears on the screen?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is easier to use than a tablet for housewives. Just keep your finger moving like you¡¯re looking up the recipe for dinner tonight.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure...?¡±


    Quenser frowned as he leaned over the tablet and moved his finger across the display. It was unclear if he was controlling the device or vice versa.


    ¡°I¡¯m done, I think. ...Wait, is this connected through normal Wi-Fi!? That¡¯s really dangerous!!¡±


    ¡°Want a real shock? Each of these launchers can be used for tethering. Makes me want to leave one in a net caf¨¦.¡±


    The setup on the screen was complete, but Quenser and Heivia¡¯s work was not done. The student set the monitor down and began preparing more missiles while Heivia rested the launcher on his shoulder and looked up at the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Second Generation Mobius Infinity.


    Quenser began complaining under his breath.


    ¡°(Tch. I brought a high-quality loupe and a millimeter wave scanner, but it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll get a chance to use them.)¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re about to get started, skinny boy. Watch where you stand if you don¡¯t want to get caught in the backfire.¡±


    The sound of the missile firing resembled escaping steam.


    The missile rocketed out from the launcher on Heivia¡¯s shoulder. A normal missile might have looked like a great spear in the sky with a long shaft of smoke and a blade of orange light, but this one did not. From over one hundred directions along the 180 degrees behind the Mobius Infinity, over one hundred shots were fired. The missiles had all been fired from a single pull of the trigger, so they looked like the dancing digital meter on the screen of a sound system.


    They were targeting the three main cannons attached to the back of the Mobius Infinity¡¯s spherical body. Those dangerous weapons fired giant shells into the stratosphere where they twisted around and dropped from the sky. But if something went wrong there, the situation on the battlefield would definitely change. The other Objects would move to defeat their most powerful enemy before it could recover.


    An Object¡¯s anti-air laser beams could shoot down any aircraft or missile headed its way, but what about a simultaneous attack from too many missiles for the optical weaponry to handle?


    What if they surpassed its limits and just one shot slipped past the net of death?


    That was the definition of a saturation attack.


    However...


    Orange explosions blossomed across the entire sky.


    They had not hit; every last one of them had been shot down by the laser beams.


    Quenser glanced down at the monitor on the ground. The paths of the missiles were drawn like a reverse hedgehog, but they all ended in an X-mark and the word ¡°lost¡±. The repeated word was overlapped too much to read it anymore.


    ¡°Oh, honestly! I knew this wouldn¡¯t work! This entire job was pointless!!¡±


    ¡°Even the worst Object can withstand a nuke, so the entire concept was wrong from the moment they tried to cause a malfunction with traditional firepower!¡±


    With missiles and recoilless rifles, the smoke of firing allowed the enemy to quickly locate the origin point, so Quenser and Heivia grabbed the launcher, spare warheads, and monitor before making a mad dash through the tall grass.


    Their comrades who had fired from over one hundred other locations were probably scattering as well.


    ¡°So far, this is all going as planned! Quenser, tap the monitor to start up the communication software with the yellow triangle icon. You take care of the rest!!¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t those Second Generations get suspicious when we used encryption before!?¡±


    ¡°This is meaningless if we aren¡¯t certain they¡¯ll intercept it. Just get to it! A weird time lag will make them suspicious too!!¡±


    Quenser operated the machine in complete desperation.


    He attached the image of their ¡°results¡± that had been prepared in advance and then spoke to silver-haired well-endowed Frolaytia who was sitting safely at the very back of the battlefield.


    ¡°Oh! Behold the crimson furor of yonder flame!! The Mobius Infinity¡¯s fearsome fangs are caked in ebony soot and lack the bite necessary to devour its foe. Oh, radiant warrior princess, great honor is sure to be thine afore thy gain any muscle in thine delicate arms!!¡±


    Heivia did a spit-take.


    After Quenser ended the transmission, Heivia just about grabbed his collar as he shouted at him.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a school play, you moron! Why did you turn this into something from a musical!?¡±


    ¡°If an amateur tries to add in a subtle flavor, everyone will notice right away. So it¡¯s better to dump a bunch of curry powder in so it tastes the same to everyone. ...Besides, that¡¯s basically how people see the Legitimacy Kingdom. They actually seem to think we still throw white gloves at each other to pick fights with a sabre in one hand.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? But even nobles like me shop online.¡±


    A light flashed on the monitor in Quenser¡¯s hand.


    They were far enough away from their previous spot, so the two idiots stopped and looked to the screen.


    ¡°They¡¯re moving, they¡¯re moving. A few Objects are approaching the Mobius Infinity and starting to secure a line of fire. It worked!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I like that they were fooled by that. Maybe I need to work on improving the Winchell family¡¯s diplomatic image.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re our representative, everyone will think the Legitimacy Kingdom is Sodom and Gomorrah.¡±


    Meanwhile, Quenser¡¯s farce had set the situation in motion. Negative attention was turning in the Mobius Infinity¡¯s direction.


    The Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Rush.


    The Faith Organization¡¯s Second Generation Self Deception.


    The Faith Organization¡¯s Second Generation Sand Cluster.


    And to get it all started and to draw the others in, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s First Generation Baby Magnum and Second Generation Royal Residence were also approaching while making bluffs to the left and right.


    The only one taking a ¡°wait and see¡± approach was the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Band Station which was in charge of information analysis and broadcasting. Then again, it could be seen as ¡°attacking¡± by filming like a sniper or paparazzo.


    The Capitalist Corporations Second Generation Spider Joust positioned itself as the vanguard to shield the Mobius Infinity from the approaching Objects while firing from long-distance, but at this point, its enemies could push past it using their superior numbers.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally turning out the way we wanted.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe all this was just the first step of our plan. How many more steps before the Princess and the Baby Magnum can come back alive? It feels like it¡¯s about time for someone to bring out the tea and cookies.¡±


    But as the two idiots complained, something unexpected happened.


    Part 8


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The man in the camouflage military uniform would have looked more at home as a door-to-door salesman in a cheap suit, but he was instead wiping sweat from his brow while surrounded by tall grass.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be long now.¡±


    Part 9


    The phenomenon itself was extremely simple.


    The three main cannons attached to the back of the Mobius Infinity¡¯s spherical body were long-range railguns. They used Fleming¡¯s left hand rule to fire metal shells larger than a small car at tremendous speeds.


    As soon as the other Objects surrounded it at five kilometers (mid-range for an Object), the Mobius Infinity fired its multiple main cannons in quick succession.


    Those railguns were aimed straight up like metal towers.


    The metal shells had adjustable control wings on the sides, so they did not fly in a simple arc like a long throw in baseball. It was more like a figure eight, the infinity sign, or a Mobius strip. After being fired straight up, the metal shells followed an unnatural curve to an altitude of twenty-five thousand meters where they turned around, added the gravitational acceleration on top of their magnetic acceleration, and dropped toward their targets with dreadful speed.


    And what happened then?


    One of the surrounding Objects, the more than fifty meter Self Deception, spilled its insides like a crushed fruit.


    The ground was torn up for kilometers, creating a great crater. It almost looked like a giant¡¯s foot had stomped on the ground there.


    The shockwave was visible thanks to the dust and sand as it approached from beyond the horizon.


    ¡°Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia knew it was coming, but there was nothing they could do. They immediately got on the ground and covered the backs of their heads with their hands, but they were still peeled up and tossed into the air. They were reminded of news footage of cars and pieces of houses blown away by a hurricane.


    Fortunately, they were only lifted about two meters and being slammed back into the soft grassy ground was not going to kill them, but then the second wave arrived.


    Far in the distance, the flattened Self Deception¡¯s reactor exploded as if it had only just now remembered to do so.


    The blast itself did not reach them, but the bright flash of light stabbed into their eyeballs.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta...dammit...be kidding me! Damn, that huge-breasted commander! This time...this time I¡¯m going to...!!¡±


    Heivia wailed as he held his head in his hands, but Quenser could not hear what he was saying.


    He desperately rubbed his eyes to bring back his vision, but then his blurry vision managed to see yet another explosion.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding... The Mobius Infinity¡¯s main cannons are skewering the other Objects from above while they¡¯re shaken by that first blast!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, goddammit!! You mean another flash is going to blind us!?¡±


    This time, the Faith Organization¡¯s Sand Cluster was transformed into scrap metal.


    Next, the Rush piloted by the Information Alliance¡¯s Oh ho ho was almost hit, but it sacrificed its right main cannon to just barely avoid it.


    Heivia was sent tumbling along the ground again and again, but his expression changed entirely when he looked up.


    The Objects had scattered wreckage in every direction like a volcanic eruption, so twisted pieces of cannon barrels the size of bridges and armor panels larger than busses were raining down around them.


    It did not matter that they were four or five kilometers away.


    ¡°Watch out! Dodge!!¡±


    ¡°Dodge where!?¡±


    Quenser attempted a meaningless dive to the side, but Heivia grabbed the back of his neck and forced him to his feet. They somehow managed to escape disaster like an un-athletic player running away from the baseball after being stuck in the outfield to fill an empty spot on the team.


    ¡°Can we really beat something like this!?¡±


    ¡°Not if it was just us, but this is the Gigant Hustler! There are plenty of Objects just like it!¡±


    The Mobius Infinity had achieved astounding results, but it was still outnumbered.


    If the four remaining non-Capitalist Corporations Objects made a suicidal charge together, they may have been able to defeat the Mobius Infinity.


    However...


    ¡°Dammit, something isn¡¯t right,¡± spat out Heivia while leaning against the wreckage of a main cannon sticking out of the ground nearby. ¡°The Objects surrounding it are getting oddly wary of each other. Have they given up on defeating the final boss together and are instead trying to defeat whatever enemies they can!?¡±


    Gigant Hustler was the world¡¯s greatest battle which included eight Objects, but it was also a massive psychological battle between the Pilot Elites.


    Who would target who first?


    Whose help would they use to attack who and when would they make their betrayal to get ahead?


    ¡°This was is a battle to survive. None of them are going to agree to work together when it could easily mean their own destruction.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but if the Mobius Infinity sticks around, they don¡¯t stand a chance against it on their own. Don¡¯t they all get that!?¡±


    ¡°Then, Heivia, are you going to volunteer as the first to sacrifice himself to help the others? That¡¯s what this is about. We can¡¯t count on the Objects. They¡¯re holding the bottom of their skirt and fidgeting as they try to keep from wetting themselves, so we¡¯ll be at checkmate in no time if we rely on them!¡±


    Quenser clenched his teeth as the Objects ended their brief joint fight against the Mobius Infinity and started moving away from the others.


    The Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum was one of those.


    Given her mission objective, it was obvious she didn¡¯t want to end the fight against the Mobius Infinity, but if she alone remained, she would be immediately picked off by that enemy Object. She could not fight the current trend of the situation.


    So who would be the first one ejected from this deadly game of musical chairs?


    The Mobius Infinity was the most powerful yet had used brute force to stop anyone else from targeting it.


    The Self Deception had been the weakest and it had already been blown away.


    No one knew what would happen next and anyone could be the next one kicked out.


    And that was when another unexpected event occurred.


    The ground around the Baby Magnum suddenly split apart and a massive amount of water burst out.


    Water was the greatest weakness of a static electricity propulsion device.


    ¡°What...the hell?¡± muttered Heivia.


    This was more than a water pipe bursting. Cracks covered the entire surface and the Baby Magnum was nearly swallowed up by a great torrent like a South American waterfall turned upside down.


    ¡°No, wait. Wait, wait!! The Princess is using static electricity, so she can¡¯t cross rivers or the ocean. So isn¡¯t all that water really bad!?¡±


    Once it caught her, she would be unable to move.


    The Princess spun her Object around as if kicking at the ground like a horse and desperately tried to escape the flooded area, but even if she did escape, the impassable zone would grow as the water continued to surge out. And what would the other monsters do once her freedom of movement was restricted?


    ¡°Where did all that water even come from!? The entire map is green and there aren¡¯t any obvious rivers anywhere!!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± muttered Quenser. ¡°We were thinking about this wrong. Why isn¡¯t this place a desert? Because there¡¯s water. I don¡¯t know who, but someone searched out an underground water vein and set up bombs at the Princess¡¯s feet! They weaponized the water that¡¯s keeping this giant plain nice and green!!¡±


    ¡°But how? And who? Was it those mechanized combat engineers from the Capitalist Corporations? It¡¯s true I¡¯ve heard those civil engineers use tunnels and manmade wetlands to stop Objects.¡±


    ¡°If they could accomplish this, they would be doing a lot more. And they would stand out so much that we probably would have been sent out to shoot them.¡±


    ¡°Then who did this!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care. Besides, that isn¡¯t the biggest problem.¡±


    Far in the distance, an Object made a large turn.


    It was the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Rush.


    The Pilot Elite they referred to as the Oh ho ho mercilessly aimed her one remaining rapid-fire beam Gatling cannon to take advantage of the Baby Magnum¡¯s unexpected trouble.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s going to overlook this just because they know each other.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s had one of her main cannons destroyed. If she¡¯s seen as an easy target, the others will be quick to attack, so she can¡¯t let herself look weak.¡±


    A few other Objects followed the Rush¡¯s lead and targeted the Baby Magnum.


    And one of those was the Mobius Infinity.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± groaned Quenser. ¡°We need something to turn this around. If we let this continue as is, we¡¯ll have to see the Princess torn into from every direction!!¡±


    Part 10


    The lanky man rested something like a giant steel compass on his shoulder and slowly left the front line.


    With its barrel, trigger, ejection port, and cocking lever, the device resembled a simplified bolt-action sniper rifle, but it was not meant to shoot people. It was an explosive underground probe that searched for buried objects using the shockwave of an explosion.


    It could of course be used to locate underground water veins.


    The device was meant for use in deep forests or deserts with no cars anywhere nearby, so it required miraculous skill to accurately locate anything with all the explosions in the area.


    The skinny man looked back just once to view the battlefield he had set into motion.


    ¡°Now, then. I¡¯ve poked the hornet¡¯s nest with water from the hose. I look forward to what you do next, gentlemen.¡±


    No one noticed the man slipping away from the confused battlefield. Or rather, he appeared on the Objects¡¯ anti-personnel sensors and the cameras of drones, but he only looked like a pathetic modern soldier who was trying to find help outside the exercise grounds after getting himself separated from his unit. He had set everything up to make sure he looked that way.


    The voices of a broadcast station reached his ears.


    ¡°Special commando units that specialize in terrorist attacks on safe country metropolises have been in decline in this age of clean wars using Objects and all related nations have announced a reduction in their usage.¡±


    ¡°But at the same time, there are many unknowns about what happened to those commandos ¡®afterwards¡¯. Some are suspected to have joined antigovernment or anti-Object groups where they plan attacks on safe countries or help smuggle people into the safe countries. Even the previous Soberania Disturbance near the Panama Canal is said to have involved those commandos.¡±


    As the tall, skinny man parted the tall grass, he listened to a supposed specialist from a peaceful country.


    As he did, he spoke words that were swept away by the wind.


    ¡°It really isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    Part 11


    ¡°Ding, ding, ding, dong. It is now two o¡¯clock and time for a relaxing afternoon oasis courtesy of the Queen¡¯s Caf¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Salem Logistics is introducing a brand new online shopping system. Order on your smartphone and the product is guaranteed to arrive anywhere on the globe within twelve hours.¡±


    ¡°Leave the first song to me. I¡¯ve got the perfect thing to put you in a good mood. It¡¯s a classic from when the band Boy Racer still had some sanity left.¡±


    Inside the cockpit used to control a machine measuring over fifty meters and weighing over two hundred thousand tons, the Princess was swallowed up by a deluge of sound.


    She had chosen not to eliminate any of the voices being broadcast over the same frequency because she was desperate for as much information as she could get.


    An explosion had occurred directly below her and an unbelievable amount of underground water had leaked out.


    The spot she had been in five seconds before was now a giant wetland and the puddle had grown to five kilometers. If she was caught in that, she would be trapped in the bottomless swamp and it was obvious what the other Objects would do then.


    New water was continuing to well up from the countless cracks and the Baby Magnum was moving left and right in a desperate attempt to escape the net of water.


    Another machine was in hot pursuit.


    It used an air cushion to keep the entire Object afloat with the power of air, so unlike the Princess, it could ignore the water as it moved.


    ¡°Ho ho ho. Oh ho ho ho ho ho! Once you smell the stench of defeat, it¡¯s too late to recover. Sorry, but this is the end for you. I¡¯ll make sure to at least send a message and some flowers to your unit. Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even understand how I was giving you a chance to be on the winning side, do you? That head of yours really is empty, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I will answer all of your questions after I¡¯ve won. Oh, and after we win the Gigant Hustler, I¡¯ll make sure to look after your defeated soldiers. It would be a shame to let that bomb-using student¡¯s talents continue being wasted with you.¡±


    ¡°I will destroy you.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. How could you possibly-...bwah!?¡±


    Countless shells flew from the fleeing Baby Magnum, but they were not fired by its seven main cannons. The Princess was firing the many railguns and coilguns attached all over the spherical body.


    Those were not enough to damage the Rush, but that was not her intention.


    By sending a downpour of shells toward the Oh ho ho¡¯s feet, the ground was filled with holes.


    An air cushion device kept the two hundred thousand ton Object afloat using a massive layer of air.


    It could compensate for irregular terrain by scanning it with lasers and ultrasonic waves ahead of time, but what happened when the ground below underwent such a rapid change?


    The Rush shook violently.


    The Oh ho ho used the giant chainsaw-like treads attached as secondary propulsion devices to forcibly regain her balance.


    ¡°Wha- Ah, wait!?¡±


    ¡°I hope you get motion sickness and barf. It¡¯s time you learned air cushions aren¡¯t perfect!!¡±


    The two Objects seemed to kick off the ground as they moved at sharp angles and aimed their main cannons at each other.


    An exchange of ultra heavy shellfire was about to begin, but then a familiar boy¡¯s voice joined the deluge of noise filling the cockpit.


    ¡°Can you hear me, Princess? Our plan failed and you¡¯ve been kicked out of the game of musical chairs instead of the Mobius Infinity!¡±


    ¡°Is that all you have to say!?¡±


    ¡°So...¡±


    Quenser was not done yet.


    He went on to say more.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many hits you take as long as you keep your life, so do everything you can to survive while we change the flow of battle again. We¡¯ll hit the Mobius Infinity with a fatal blow, transforming it into some irresistible bait.¡±


    The expression on the Princess¡¯s graceful, doll-like features rarely changed, but all alone in the cockpit, she gave a look she could never let anyone else see.


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    Shells flew back and forth and she almost seemed to dance as she dodged them.


    The transmission ended and she faced her enemy once more.


    ¡°As you can see, there¡¯s no room for you here. You need to realize which one of us is giving off the stench of defeat! Then you can die!!¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. True love is taken by force. If you don¡¯t understand that, you truly are a child!!¡±


    Part 12


    After ending the transmission, Quenser spoke to his awful friend.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Heivia. It¡¯s time to blow away the Mobius Infinity.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? I mean, are you serious!? This is officially a joint military exercise and the Band Station is providing a live broadcast. Obsolete infantry aren¡¯t going to be slaughtered by cutting-edge weaponry here, so if we stay quiet and leave the battlefield, we can escape safely!!¡±


    ¡°But the Baby Magnum can¡¯t. I won¡¯t let the Princess be disgraced while people watch from their living rooms. We¡¯ve already worked up a sweat helping her out, so what¡¯s wrong with sticking with that to the end?¡±


    ¡°Oh, goddammit!! Why couldn¡¯t it be a filthy old man on there!? Then we could just abandon him!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia motivated each other while traveling across the battlefield. The Mobius Infinity had moved away from them in order to take up the optimal firing spot.


    They hid behind scattered pieces of armor wreckage bigger than cars and ran through the tall grass.


    ¡°What exactly are we going to do!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of what we need to look into, but I have a general idea.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°Remember that first saturation attack? That colossal weapon can withstand a nuke, but it still shot down all of our missiles to avoid a direct hit.¡±


    ¡°The other ones did that too. Remember when the Capitalist Corporations mechanized combat engineers had all their multiple rocket launchers shot down while we were on our way to the Mobius Infinity?¡±


    They spoke back and forth while moving from wreckage to wreckage in quick bursts of speed.


    ¡°Then what about my musical-style false report? The Mobius Infinity immediately started firing its prized main cannons. Yet saving that secret weapon until later would have been better.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that because everyone was starting to gang up on it!? It probably just wanted some big fireworks to scare everyone away!¡±


    ¡°Yes. It ¡®just¡¯ wanted to do that.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s comment made no sense, but he was not done yet.


    ¡°Have you forgotten what Frolaytia said in the pre-mission briefing? With the Band Station¡¯s analysis and worldwide broadcast, it wouldn¡¯t want to fire its precious weapons in front of the cameras. ...It needed to scare everyone away and it had a reason worth using its main cannons despite the risk.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that peashooter might have been able to destroy its main cannons?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯s that simple, but it feared something. We need to hunt it down and crush it with pinpoint accuracy. That has to be the shortest route to catching the last train out of here.¡±


    That was when they heard a rustling of grass and Heivia held up his assault rifle.


    ¡°!! Why now!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, Heivia, it¡¯s the Faith Organization Valkyries!!¡±


    ¡°So what!? Do you not want to kill them because it¡¯s a women-only unit!?¡±


    Even as he shouted back, Heivia was confused by the lack of bullets flying their way.


    ¡°Their Objects were the Self Deception and the Sand Cluster, so they don¡¯t have anything left. They won¡¯t want to attack another army¡¯s unit right now. If we asked for supporting fire, they¡¯d be blown to bits.¡±


    Most likely, Quenser and Heivia had only heard the rustling grass because the Valkyries had intentionally given away their position. If they seemed too powerful, an enemy might feel the need to kill them.


    Heivia clicked his tongue and aimed his assault rifle a little further upwards.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve got somewhere I have to be, so I don¡¯t have time for you ladies! ...I¡¯ll overlook you for now, so make sure to give me your email addresses later.¡±


    He was answered with a warning shot over his head.


    The two idiots and the Valkyries passed each other by and continued toward their respective destinations.


    ¡°There it is. It¡¯s the Mobius Infinity. ...Hey, Quenser, let¡¯s spy on it from behind that leg-like wreckage over there.¡±


    The other Objects were not going to start attacking the Mobius Infinity and it did not want to leave its optimal firing position, so it only made quick movements here and there instead of rushing all throughout the forty square kilometer battlefield. If it had done that, Quenser and Heivia could never have kept up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s check out those main cannons.¡±


    Quenser used binoculars to view the back of the Object.


    ¡°They¡¯re supported at one point. The giant cylinder is just attached horizontally to the back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the standard method used on tanks and battleships, right? Is there really a weakness there?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    Quenser tilted his head back without removing the binoculars.


    He seemed to be focused on the very top of the three main cannons towering above them.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly it. Tank and battleship guns are both attached at one point, but their concepts are entirely different. Do you know why, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°What? Because the battleship guns are way bigger?¡±


    ¡°Close, but no cigar.¡± Quenser looked entirely serious as he answered Heivia¡¯s joking reply. ¡°The answer is that tank guns are much thinner. When positioned horizontally, the end of the barrel bends under its own weight. ...Check out the end of the Mobius Infinity¡¯s main cannons, Heivia. Isn¡¯t it a little curved like it¡¯s made from glass fiber?¡±


    ¡°What? Can you even use a bent cannon!? The shell wouldn¡¯t go where you aimed it and it might even blow up inside the barrel!¡±


    ¡°Long ago, they apparently used to intentionally shift their aim a little for the first shot. The heat of the shot would straighten the barrel afterwards, so they would fine-tune their aim based on that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that. Do the Princess and the Oh ho ho do that too?¡±


    ¡°No, this technology is probably unique to the Mobius Infinity.¡±


    ¡°I seriously doubt it. That thing fires it shells to extreme high altitude and drops them back down to create destruction on the level of a meteor strike. They wouldn¡¯t use such an analog method to determine the exact bend of the barrel.¡±


    ¡°Tanks have advanced since those times, so let¡¯s follow those advances to their conclusion.¡±


    Quenser focused his mind on the nearly vertical cannon barrels as if stroking his fingertips along the kilometer long metal towers.


    ¡°Basically, they have to make sure the metal cannon doesn¡¯t bend under its own weight or heat. The easiest method is to cool the entire cannon. One method is to use a thermal jacket. That¡¯s a system that places a container of water over the barrel to constantly cool it with the power of water.¡±


    ¡°Then is that what¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°No, the thermal jacket itself was a failure. This has either overcome its weaknesses or is using a system from a later age.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡±


    ¡°Attaching small mirrors to the barrel and sending infrared lasers out from the base. The reflected light can be used to determine the bend, so the targeting information can be corrected before firing. I believe that¡¯s the method our tanks use.¡±


    But from a distance, it was difficult to determine what method was being used here.


    Quenser waved the flat monitor to the shoulder-fired missile set.


    ¡°Heivia, can we use this to access the military database? The intelligence division has to have been investigating the Mobius Infinity.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think their report is going to have a big red circle labelled ¡®there¡¯s a weakness here¡¯? If so, we would have been given a different plan.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser fell silent for a moment.


    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t have to be the military database. What about the normal internet?¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait. Don¡¯t tell me you just want to check on your favorite swimsuit model¡¯s blog!¡±


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t it. The Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Band Station broadcasts a TV show which gives out tons of prize money to any normal people who come up with an Object¡¯s weakness, right? Don¡¯t you feel like taking a peek at that show¡¯s official site?¡±


    The two of them fiddled with the monitor¡¯s settings until they somehow managed to access the normal internet.


    The site¡¯s address was easily found: it was painted in giant letters on the side of the Band Station.


    In order to gather information from as many people around the world as possible, the site did not require an ID or password.


    However...


    ¡°Are you serious? There¡¯s a ton of posts here. Do we really have to look through all of this?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happens when you get billions of people fighting over a ton of prize money. The scariest thing out there is human greed.¡±


    ¡°Not that we¡¯re any better. ...Anyway, will this really help? It all looks like posts from safe country amateurs.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not one to talk since I¡¯m only a student.¡±


    Fortunately, the high-priority posts (i.e. the ones closest to the prize money) were ranked and marked with different colors. Rookies were meant to use the top opinions as a starting point to further pursue the truth. That structure intentionally fostered a dead heat situation.


    The two idiots read through only the posts marked with the highest priority.


    ¡°The heat distribution over the barrels is incredibly low. They probably use a thermal jacket that surrounds the cannon in a giant water tank.¡±


    ¡°The cannons have several protrusions surrounding the barrel at about two-thirds out from the base. They might be mirrors for infrared lasers, but I doubt they would use something that would break from the shockwaves.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re using a thermal jacket, there would be a deviation in the heat distribution just like the surface of bathwater growing hotter than the rest. Maybe they¡¯re using propellers or jets to continually stir up the liquid inside.¡±


    Heivia looked up from the screen in disgust and looked to the true monster on the other end of the scenery.


    ¡°So which is it? Don¡¯t tell me it uses both a thermal jacket and lasers.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if it does,¡± replied Quenser. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, it can use both or it can use some magical new technology that uses the heat distribution of the thermal jacket to freely bend the barrel and increase its accuracy. Either way, they still have to rely on lasers to get the information needed to adjust their aim, so we just have to destroy those. If we destroy the laser oscillators or the reflectors, it won¡¯t be able to use its main cannons. Who cares how powerful it is if it can¡¯t hit?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, the false report we let the enemy intercept mentioned ¡®ebony soot¡¯, didn¡¯t it? If that¡¯s what got it so worked up...¡±


    ¡°Did it not want anyone to know dirtying its reflectors would create an opening?¡±


    ¡°But even the amateurs online were saying its weakness couldn¡¯t just be the mirrors. It won¡¯t be that simple.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why we still have work to do here on the scene. There has to be something there that made it panic, so let¡¯s go, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Go where!?¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t see the answer from here, we just have to get closer until we can.¡±


    Quenser moved out from their cover and started approaching the Mobius Infinity.


    Heivia groaned but ultimately followed.


    ¡°I really think it¡¯s about time to abandon you for once.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like you¡¯ve been saving me from myself each time, but without me, you¡¯d have died long ago.¡±


    Just as they started arguing, they heard a dull sound and the main cannon on one side tilted forward. The giant railgun had resembled a vertical tower before, but it now took a horizontal angle like a tank¡¯s gun.


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on? It¡¯s collapsing, Quenser! What the hell is going on!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not collapsing. It¡¯s aiming?¡±


    It was not aiming at them, but still...


    ¡°Uh, oh.¡±


    With a deafening roar, a metal shell was fired at terrifying speed. The side effects of it splitting the air were enough to throw the two idiots forcefully to the ground.


    At the moment, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s two Objects were fighting. The Baby Magnum was being exposed to concentrated fire and the Royal Residence was fighting a defensive battle to shield the other since it was large enough to take a fair bit of damage without issue.


    The shell flew horizontally into the middle of that.


    And it did so in the shape of a figure eight tilted on its side, an infinity sign, or a Mobius strip.


    The shell passed right by the Royal Residence, flew in a large arc in the distance, and shot back in to hit the Baby Magnum from behind.


    The sound of destruction rang throughout the battlefield.


    The shell had struck the structure containing the attachments for the arms supporting the seven main cannons.


    ¡°Shit!! Sparks just flew from the back!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that bastard. ...Did it just fire that giant shell like a boomerang!?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia shouted their surprise despite having their breath knocked from them after landing on their back.


    The series of events had occurred too quickly to see with the naked eye, but they had managed to see a tremendous shower of sparks flying from the Baby Magnum¡¯s rear attachment joints. The Object was still moving, but it had taken quite a bit of damage. It was possible all of its main cannons had been taken out.


    Quenser got up on top of the flattened grass and spoke aloud to reassure himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The reactor wasn¡¯t hit and it didn¡¯t add on the force of gravity like normal, so it wasn¡¯t as powerful. So this is fine.¡±


    ¡°How about you worry about us before anyone else!? ...Hm? What¡¯s this?¡±


    Heivia stopped complaining and wiped something cold from his cheek.


    He had thought it was rain, but it was not.


    The substance he had wiped onto the back of his hand was melting, but it seemed to have been a snow crystal.


    ¡°Really, what is this? Aren¡¯t we in Southern Africa during the summer?¡±


    ¡°Wait. Could the contents of the thermal jacket be leaking? ...No, probably not. But if this isn¡¯t a special coolant, then where¡¯d the ice come from?¡±


    Quenser once more observed the scenery cautiously ruled by the Mobius Infinity and spotted quite a few white, cotton-like objects falling from the sky. It did indeed look a lot more like snow than water or ice.


    He spotted one that fell on a blade of grass and, without touching it, pulled out a loupe like a jeweler would use.


    It was a personal possession he had brought along in case he could steal some technology from a destroyed Object. Carrying it with him was of course against military regulations, so he was prepared to have Frolaytia kick his ass if she found out.


    ¡°It really is ice with bonds at 120 degrees, so it¡¯s definitely a snow crystal. Although each and every one of them has the exact same shape.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound natural then. Where¡¯s it coming from? What part of the Mobius Infinity is frozen!?¡±


    ¡°It started falling when it fired, so is it related to the main cannons? Are the shells coated in ice? Or the inside of the barrel?¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡±


    Heivia raised his voice when Quenser licked the mystery ice crystal.


    ¡°It has no flavor... That means I¡¯m wrong. Those main cannons are railguns. If the inside of the barrels or the shells were coated in ice, they¡¯d definitely use salt to raise the conductivity. But then what could it-...?¡±


    Quenser trailed off, frantically grabbed his binoculars, and stared up at the Mobius Infinity¡¯s main cannons again.


    ¡°...There it is.¡±


    ¡°There what is?¡±


    ¡°There are small protrusions on the side of the cannon barrels. They¡¯re reflectors for detecting the bend with lasers. It¡¯s blowing in ice crystals to make the reflectors instead of using normal glass!!¡±


    Part 13


    The protrusions were only about the size of hand mirrors.


    Lasers were a convenient way to detect the bend caused by a barrel¡¯s weight or heat, but they were not perfect.


    The very nature of the method required the reflectors to be exposed on the outside.


    And as mirrors, the reflectors were easily broken.


    Plus, they would not work as well if dust or paint got on them.


    Since they were the key to making targeting corrections, the shells would not hit if they were taken out. It was a lot like breaking a sniper rifle¡¯s scope.


    That may not have been a huge issue for a normal tank. The reflectors could simply be replaced whenever they broke. However, an Object was a weapon made to endure a nuclear attack. If it would fail to work after a direct hit from shockwaves, nuclear fallout, and heat spread evenly across its surface, it never would have been adopted as a crucial part of the main cannons.


    ¡°That¡¯s why the Mobius Infinity makes new reflectors.¡± Quenser gulped. ¡°Instead of using indestructible mirrors, it uses ones that can be replaced as soon as they break. The snow crystals are made by gathering moisture around the dust in the air and then freezing it. It probably uses nanotechnology to create the core and sprays supercooled water around it to complete the crystal. Unlike normal snow, the crystal didn¡¯t ¡®just so happen¡¯ to take this shape. Like a photonic crystal, this is artificial snow designed to have the optimal design for bending the lasers.¡±


    ¡°But...what are we supposed to do?¡± Heivia was confused. ¡°I get the concept, but that¡¯s not a weakness! We can fire all the missiles in the world at it or dump an ocean of paint on it, but it can keep blowing in new reflectors. There¡¯s no point in even trying to take on infinitely reproducible mirrors!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure.¡±


    Quenser grinned and did the last thing Heivia had expected.


    Despite his apparent confidence, he grabbed the flat monitor to access the official site for the Band Station¡¯s prize show.


    ¡°Wait. After all this, you¡¯re relying on other people¡¯s knowledge?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± replied Quenser. ¡°After risking our lives so much, doesn¡¯t our measly pay seem a little lacking? Don¡¯t you want to post our ¡®answer¡¯ in the hopes of hitting the jackpot?¡±


    Part 14


    The Princess was just about at her limit.


    She was under attack from several Objects, including the Rush, and the Mobius Infinity was firing boomerang-like horizontal shots. With two or three attacks arriving at any one moment, she was gradually running out of space to escape.


    For one thing, clean wars were decided by the number of Objects.


    One-against-two was considered near hopeless and one-against-three was to be avoided at all costs.


    She knew her luck would run out sooner or later.


    ¡°Oh, dear. You aren¡¯t using your precious main cannons? Are they broken...or are you pretending they are for a chance at a surprise attack? But do you really think the Information Alliance would fall for a cheap trick like that? Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°You really are stupid. Throwing away your own options like this will only leave you all alone to be crushed by the Mobius Infinity.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Do you think fighting is the only way to wage war? This is the problem with you uncivilized Legitimacy Kingdom Elites.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°I have a reset button.¡±


    The Information Alliance grim reaper laughed over the radio while firing her rapid-fire beam Gatling cannon that combined thousands or tens of thousands of electron beams that were each powerful enough to tear into a shelter.


    ¡°This is the world¡¯s largest battlefield, but it is officially known as a joint military exercise. I can use those two facts to my advantage. If things are looking bad, I can have the truth leaked via a variety of routes to inform the masses that a battle on the level of a world war is underway. And our ECM110 is gathering all the footage we need to prove it.¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Once panic spreads throughout the world, no one will have time to worry about clean wars, will they? If the higher ups don¡¯t force smiles, shake hands, and pretend to get along, the safe countries would fall apart, wouldn¡¯t they? So that makes this a reset button. Once we press it, all of the Objects will be forced to withdraw.¡±


    ¡°You knew from the beginning you would lose? You were gloating because you had a way out so you could turn tail and run!?¡±


    ¡°This is war. The game of chess is not just about taking your opponent¡¯s king; it is also about keeping your own king from being taken.¡±


    She would kill as much as she could.


    She would laugh as much as she could.


    And once her own life was in danger, she would immediately hit the reset button and escape to safety.


    This was a clean war.


    These ideal wars were fought as casually as taking an overseas trip or going out for a picnic and it was assumed none of your own forces would be harmed.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. That¡¯s exactly what I would expect from an Elite who can¡¯t even protect the infantry she brought with her.¡±


    Suddenly, a new broadcast cut in to the torrent of sounds from the many military lines and civilian broadcasts mixed together over the radio.


    It was the prize show run by the Information Alliance¡¯s Band Station, which they apparently called the ECM110. A broadcast station from an enemy nation had the danger of including false information, so the Princess had not been paying much attention to it before. However, the host¡¯s tone of voice suddenly grew much calmer.


    ¡°Some incredibly useful information was just submitted. Oh, might this settle it right here!? Further work is needed to complete the acceptance of the submission form, but someone might just have won a bathtub full of dollar bills!!¡±


    The Princess must not have been the only one to find this odd because the Oh ho ho spoke over the communication device.


    ¡°That¡¯s strange. This wasn¡¯t how the reset button was supposed to work.¡±


    A high-speed battle between several Objects was still underway, but this broadcast from a distant safe country reached the two girls¡¯ ears.


    ¡°The new theory in question comes from Billy the Kid in the Legitimacy Kingdom. ...The Mobius Infinity uses lasers to detect the bend of the cannon barrels, but the reflectors are made from artificial snow created with nanotech and supercooled water. No matter how much they¡¯re broken or dirtied, it can blow in new reflectors.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But whether natural or artificial, snow crystals are made when supercooled water covers the tiny core floating in the air.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°If you investigated the structure and shape of the tiny cores made with nanotech, made cores with a different shape, and scattered them around the reflectors, it would create reflectors with the wrong reflectivity. Once that happens, the Mobius Infinity can¡¯t target its main cannons and will be completely defenseless. It says here that our submitter Billy the Kid is going to demonstrate this method on site. Now this is getting exciting! How about a commercial break!?¡±


    Part 15


    Back on the battlefield, Quenser and Heivia were incredibly busy.


    ¡°Will this really defeat that Object!?¡±


    ¡°Weapons are a type of system, so they¡¯re weak against unpredicted situations, just like with a computer error. It doesn¡¯t matter how big or small it is!¡±


    What they had done was simple.


    They gathered all the artificial snow they could find scattered around the Mobius Infinity. At first, Quenser had made sure to check its shape with his loupe, but he quickly gave up on that. If they melted that snow, they would have a large number of identically-sized materials, so they poured it all into the stainless steel cup from a survival kit and placed it over a fire to get rid of all the moisture.


    ¡°Always carry a metal cup you can put oil in, huh? We need to thank that cricket chef.¡±


    ¡°The scary thing about survival skills is how you never know when they¡¯ll come in handy.¡±


    Once only the tiny cores remained, it looked like a pile of pepper almost too small to see at the bottom of the cup. Quenser stuck a spoon inside and mixed it all around as if scraping at the bottom of the cup. He was intentionally destroying the microscopic cores to change their shape.


    ¡°We¡¯re using homemade techniques against cutting-edge nanotech. It¡¯s too bad we can¡¯t check to see what shape they are now.¡±


    ¡°All that matters is that we know the shape has changed. Once the incorrect snow crystal is made, the laser will be reflected all wrong. ...More importantly, Heivia, are the missiles ready?¡±


    ¡°The Slingshot¡¯s ready when you are. I¡¯ve got a special seat reserved inside the magic warheads that can hold anything from explosives to glue. I just have to shove these in there, right?


    ¡°We have two shots, but only one chance. We need to aim at the reflector creation points located a little over halfway up the barrels. We¡¯re assuming the anti-air lasers will shoot it down, but we only need for the core dust to be dumped down on the reflectors. From there, its own supercooled water will create the artificial snow crystals for us.¡±


    ¡°Oh, damn. If that one cannon wasn¡¯t aimed horizontally, I could¡¯ve aimed at them all along the same line.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my point. You have to fire one shot at the horizontal one and then another at the two vertical ones. If either misses, it¡¯s all over. If you have any good luck charms, now would be the time.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure! So what are we gonna do with the prize money once it¡¯s in that net bank account? That prize rivals the world¡¯s biggest lottery jackpot, so we could build a villa on the moon and live surrounded by topless girls.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about using it all up like that is why lottery winners tend to go broke. How about we do some day trading until someday we can buy an entire Object and fund some wars?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the type that dumps it all into investing or gambling and ends up broke in a night, aren¡¯t you? C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get started!¡±


    Heivia rested the launcher on his shoulder and Quenser used the flat monitor for targeting support.


    A long trail of smoke cut straight up through the blue sky. It reached the height of the three main cannons extending from the back of the Mobius Infinity.


    A flash of light as if from welding immediately followed.


    The missile¡¯s fuel was roasted by the anti-air laser and it violently exploded in midair.


    Quenser and Heivia ignored that as they loaded the next shot and fired it into the sky as well. It too was shot down.


    It looked like a perfect defense system at first and its accuracy was so great they could almost see the smirk on the Pilot Elite¡¯s face.


    But Quenser and Heivia exchanged a high five.


    ¡°All right! Just like we wanted!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, then we need to get out of here. If that worked, it¡¯ll probably get pissed and attack us. And if it didn¡¯t work, this battlefield is going straight to hell. Either way, running away sounds like a great idea to me!!¡±


    The two idiots exchanged a glance and turned their back on the Mobius Infinity as fast as they could. They no longer worried about leaving a trail in the tall grass and they focused on putting as much distance between themselves and the Object as possible.


    An explosive sound burst from one of the tower-like main cannons.


    The shockwave struck their backs and they tumbled forward. They choked as they got up and continued running on wobbly legs.


    The giant metal shell had flown up into the stratosphere where it added on the gravitational acceleration as it fell back toward earth.


    However, there was no Object there. One had not even taken hasty evasive action; it simply tore into already empty ground. The green plain was blown apart and a giant crater was born.


    ¡°Talk about luck! It actually worked. Ha ha. Now the Princess¡¯s life and the prize money are ours!¡±


    ¡°Hey, but what about the second shot? If it keeps firing, won¡¯t the snow crystals be destroyed by the shock? And won¡¯t the new ones blown in actual work?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®wrong¡¯ cores will hang around and stick to the area around the reflectors for a while, so it won¡¯t be a problem! It might have a system that uses static electricity to deflect dust and other unwanted substances, but it would be difficult to tell apart powder of the exact same size and material. It might be like giving someone a transfusion of the wrong kind of blood!¡±


    It test fired a few more times and must have concluded that all of the shells landed in the wrong spot.


    A deafening creaking came from the Mobius Infinity.


    The two idiots were sent tumbling to the ground with each shockwave, but now the many cannons attached to the spherical body turned their way.


    They could feel clear anger on their backs that could not have come from a mere machine.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look good.¡±


    Heivia looked back and almost froze in place.


    ¡°This really doesn¡¯t look good!! Any one of an Object¡¯s cannons can turn us to mincemeat! And I doubt we can escape its sensors at this point!!¡±


    They immediately changed direction and leaped behind the wreckage of an Object¡¯s armor lying nearby, but they had no clue how effective it would be.


    However, something else happened before that defense had to be tested.


    A low-stability plasma cannon blast punched through the Mobius Infinity as if stabbing it in the side.


    ¡°What...!?¡±


    ¡°It was the Princess... She finished it off in the very, very end!!¡±


    In a way, hiding behind the armor wreckage may have been the right decision.


    The overwhelming surge that followed completely overturned the definitions of sound and light. They felt like even the backs of their eyeballs were scorched white and they lost all sense of up or down. Quenser thought the ground was shaking like a small boat rocking in the waves, but after more than half a minute, he realized it was actually his own limbs convulsing unnaturally. It took him another half minute to remember how to stop his body from moving.


    Part 16


    The Baby Magnum fired its main cannon right by the Oh ho ho¡¯s Rush. It pierced through and destroyed the Mobius Infinity which had been using that area as a safe zone.


    The absence of that one Object turned the situation on its head.


    The Gigant Hustler was the world¡¯s greatest battle which included eight Objects, but it was also a massive psychological battle between the Pilot Elites.


    The Mobius Infinity had been defeated despite being the strongest one there.


    That title had been taken by the Baby Magnum.


    And which Object was most obviously attacking the Baby Magnum while having lost one of its main cannons?


    If the other Elites wanted to be on the winning team, who would they turn against now?


    ¡°Ho...oh ho ho...¡±


    ¡°Checkmate,¡± muttered the Princess.


    A moment later, the remaining Objects except for the Band Station which was also from the Information Alliance (i.e. the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Baby Magnum and Royal Residence and the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Spider Joust) all focused on that one Object.


    ¡°Quenser kept his promise. I won¡¯t let you have him.¡±


    The Oh ho ho¡¯s ally, the Band Station, was still an Object, but it would be overpowered in a head-on shootout. Plus, the Rush was damaged and not in top form. Not to mention that the three-against-two structure meant they would be overpowered and killed eventually regardless.


    A number of thoughts had to be spiraling through the Oh ho ho¡¯s mind.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance both had two Objects while the Capitalist Corporations had one. Could she get the neutral Spider Joust to join her and overturn the current majority?


    Or could she hold onto her life by immediately destroying the isolated Spider Joust?


    But at the same time, she had to have realized something else.


    The Princess would undoubtedly target her first and that Princess had taken control of this situation.


    She had no freedom of choice here.


    Even a second¡¯s hesitation could easily leave the Rush punched full of holes without even giving her time to eject.


    ¡°E-ECM110.¡±


    So...


    ¡°Hit the reset button!! Now!!¡±


    With those few words, the ¡°exercise¡± was revealed to the world to be a ¡°war¡±.


    Comments on the internet exploded and news sites were flooded.


    The people in the stands and in the safe countries had learned this was a very real danger.


    That villainous switch left no option but to forcibly end the world¡¯s largest battle.


    And that naturally meant admitting defeat against the enemy before their eyes.


    Part 17


    The Gigant Hustler exercise was cancelled due to ¡°unforeseen trouble¡±, so Quenser and Heivia were being carried from the battle line in a large transport helicopter.


    Not many soldiers had ever had a chance to look down at Objects and all their anti-air lasers from a helicopter. One of the Legitimacy Kingdom infantry on the same helicopter was trying to film the Object from above with his camera.


    ¡°Large transport helicopters are weak to crosswinds, so lean out too much and you might get dumped out,¡± warned Heivia. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve really got ourselves a bath full of dollar bills. How many million is that in euros? It might even be ten million euros. Even if we¡¯re splitting it between the two of us, it¡¯s still more than enough to live on easy street for the rest of our lives.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t get it right away. I¡¯m sure the other participants will try to protest. It¡¯ll probably show up in the bank account after the TV show finishes shooting down all those complaints. Let¡¯s try to take it easy while we wait for Santa¡¯s visit.¡±


    ¡°Hah hah! There¡¯s nothing like stability! We can actually just wait around now!!¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. The slow life is for the people who made a ton of money and then moved out to the countryside. If you do that after failing, it just looks like you¡¯re running away! Hah hah!!¡±


    As the two idiots laughed vacantly in a sort of exhausted high, Frolaytia contacted them for the first time in a while.


    ¡°Hey, the electronic simulation division just told me they found signs of someone opening an illegal port over the military line and leaking highly classified military information to an Information Alliance prize show.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell!! Did they get wind of this money already!?¡±


    ¡°Who cares? I¡¯ll still be laughing even if they throw us in a cell for half a year! After all, a bathtub full of money is waiting for us!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but that isn¡¯t happening,¡± cut in Frolaytia¡¯s icy voice. ¡°Even war has rules. The intelligence division is protected by a few different war treaties if they¡¯re doing so as a means to gather intelligence, but leaking classified information to a quiz show is entirely unprecedented. The Capitalist Corporations are requesting a significant sum of damages via the international courts. Listen, a single Object costs five billion dollars and that number doesn¡¯t shrink all that much when when converted into euros. Do you have any idea how valuable the classified intellectual property you ¡®illegally¡¯ divulged was?¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, please wait!! All we did was make a submission to an official Information Alliance show. I¡¯ve never heard of some safe country housewife being sued for that much money.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a gray zone. After all, they¡¯re a normal person in a safe country. Plus, the weakness is normally found by combining hundreds or even thousands of different ideas. The situation changes considerably when just one or two professionals working on site perfectly reveal an Object¡¯s technological information. There isn¡¯t much we can say if they accuse you of stealing and disseminating the plans, even if you didn¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And so the Capitalist Corporations have sent a request for damages that truly shows their love of money. ...All told, it¡¯s thirteen million dollars. Oh, would you look at that? Isn¡¯t that the exact amount you two won on that quiz show? Having the entire army spend years fighting this in court for some worthless soldiers would be a pain in the ass and refusing could easily start a back-and-forth divulgence war of intellectual property and lists of spies, so I¡¯ve been told to get you to pay up.¡±


    ¡°Those liars!! Don¡¯t you force this crap on us! Do you want me to start another war, you greedy bastards!!¡±


    Heivia began meaninglessly firing his assault rifle down from the helicopter¡¯s cargo door, but that was obviously not going to change a thing.


    Part 18


    Acre Kiss-of-Rose was the chief executive officer of Salem Logistics, one of the seven corporations that directly controlled the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ home country. Currently, his made-to-order jacket was soaked on the inside.


    However, this was not due to the heat of Africa. It came from sweat brought on by a much more unpleasant feeling.


    The Gigant Hustler had been both a giant battle and a giant weapons trade fair. That weapons show had a certain important objective in addition to holding sales negotiations for military weapons and threatening the opposing world powers by showing off one¡¯s technological might.


    Simply put, it was to create connections.


    To do that, it had been assumed that his Capitalist Corporations would win the battle fought between eight Objects. That had been the scenario set up in advance.


    But it had all crumbled down around him.


    One moment, Acre had been boldly swinging up his fist. The next, he had become a laughing stock. The gentlemen in suits, the ladies in dresses, and the high-ranking military officers in berets and plenty of medals had all given him false looks of pity and those faces were burned into the back of his mind. He might as well have been updating his unwritten execution list.


    (I will recover.)


    He had a ¡°large physique¡± that was a fair bit removed from the ideal human body and he had neatly-maintained white hair and an identically-colored beard. He had aged so naturally that it looked like he had been born with hair that color.


    But his eyes alone were filled with blazing light.


    (No matter what happens and no matter what it takes, I will take back the respect I lost at the Gigant Hustler! Even if it means faking a largescale accident!!)


    Heat filled him until it seemed he would burn out the thin circuits in his mind, but then a driver opened the back door of a black luxury car. Acre climbed in without thanking or tipping the man. In a space rivalling a small bus, he sat on the sofa and pulled a chilled bottle of champagne from the mini-fridge.


    Instead of speaking to the driver directly, he used a small microphone.


    ¡°What happens next?¡±


    ¡°You have special evacuation training as part of the weapons show.¡±


    ¡°I know that! I¡¯m asking what kind of accident we¡¯ll be faking to recover my...no, I mean Salem Logistics¡¯ reputation!!¡±


    ¡°It has all been planned out. The impression left by that battle will be wiped clean and you will stand at center stage once more. Tomorrow, the world will be shocked by the new turn history has taken, CEO.¡±


    ¡°As long as you understand. And just to be clear, this is for Salem as a whole, not just me.¡±


    He was a man who had no distinction between his work and private life. An enemy of the company was an enemy of his life and his victories were the company¡¯s victories. He was the stereotypical example of someone who would have nothing left if his job was taken from him.


    So as he fidgeted with the audio set, he could not stand the relatively insignificant broadcast he found.


    ¡°Salem Logistics has announced a new generation of online shopping with their Silver Key service. This revolutionary system allows you to order something from your smartphone anywhere on the globe and have it delivered within twelve hours.¡±


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°But the system has a dark side. It¡¯s set to use a number of routes used by air tankers, which shows just how much fuel it will consume. And consuming all that fuel requires expanding the tanker routes used to carry it. There¡¯s a possibility the international conflicts over the Indian Ocean and Panama Canal have been strongly influenced by Salem Logistics.¡±


    ¡°What is going on? This audio set is broken! None of the buttons are working and it won¡¯t even turn off!¡±


    Only after shouting in anger and looking up did he realize that the black luxury car was driving through an area he had never seen before.


    The area was nothing like the bright international airports, luxury hotels, or casinos the old man was used to seeing. It was filled with people he suspected would punch him in the jaw and steal his gold teeth not five minutes after he started walking around there.


    ¡°Let me ask again: what is going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple: first the Sixth Branch incident in the Arctic and now the pitiful defeat at the Gigant Hustler. Of course, stirring up the battlefield took some doing. I even had to dig up an underground water vein below the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s First Generation.¡±


    A mocking tone filled the driver¡¯s voice.


    ¡°But setting that aside, this is really quite sad, CEO. All I did was claim this was part of your evacuation training and I easily abducted someone with power rivalling a head of state. The secret service readily opened the way when I told them their boss had selfishly changed his plans and that I couldn¡¯t reveal the details. Being a one-man manager certainly has its downsides, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You...?¡±


    There was a questioning tone in Acre¡¯s voice, but not because he was questioning who this was.


    He was asking why this person was alive.


    For one, the skilled abduction could not have been as easy as the man claimed. He would have had to overcome countless barriers to pull it off. And that went beyond the security around Acre. If this man had not had the Gigant Hustler advance as he wanted, Acre would not have been so panicked. In fact, if the negative psychological warfare of the Sixth Branch had not shown itself, the Gigant Hustler would not have happened in the first place. If any one of those pieces had not succeeded, Acre would never have taken the first step toward this abduction.


    Acre knew of only one person who could so easily pull off that kind of world-scale tightrope act just to accomplish a single goal.


    Meanwhile, the driver continued speaking.


    ¡°One: I am a poor man who was swallowed up by Salem Logistic¡¯s new service, the Silver Key.


    ¡°Two: I am a feeble former spy who had already retired and started a second life in a small household in the Soberania District near the Panama Canal, but had it all taken from me by your money-driven war.


    ¡°Three: if I used the name Nyarlathotep, would you still have to ask why you haven¡¯t been killed yet, Azathoth?¡±


    Things had yet to truly begin.


    An unmanaged war was about to start and it would be far from clean and would surpass the boundaries of a mere military exercise.


    The Capitalist Corporations home country was managed by a group of seven corporations known as 7th Core.


    The position at the top of one of those corporations was equivalent to being a king in the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    And one such CEO¡¯s life was at the center of the madness about to burn through the world.

 Volume 10, 3: The Sixth Branch in Full Bloom >> Disturbance Intervention in the Soberania District

    Volume 10, Chapter 3: The Sixth Branch in Full Bloom >> Disturbance Intervention in the Soberania District


    Part 1


    The Panama Canal was a major entranceway to the world¡¯s sea transportation routes and the Soberania Disturbance was fought over controlling the key to that entranceway. However, a ¡°cleaner¡± justification was given.


    There was a hideout for an anti-Object force in the Central American Soberania District.


    That hideout was secretly training a special commando unit that specialized in largescale terrorist attacks on safe country metropolises.


    Just north of the Soberania District was western North America, the home country of the Capitalist Corporations.


    The special commando unit could create deadly weapons out of everyday items like detergent and compressed gas cylinders, were skilled at slipping into countries undetected, and most importantly, were as elusive as ghosts. The police force in charge of protecting the cities would be helpless, and even the intelligence agencies that worked in secret only had a fifty-fifty chance of capturing them.


    Once they arrived, the concept of the ¡°safe country¡± would collapse. No one could imagine how many cities would sink into rubble.


    So they needed to be defeated before that happened.


    They needed to be killed before their northward operation began.


    ¡°There was no special commando unit. The supposed training camp was nothing more than a digital detox nature camp set up by a tour company from your Capitalist Corporations. You sent young people out there and punished them as villains while they were none the wiser. It was quite the setup. You used overblown reports and doctored photos to get them registered as a truly frightening combat squad.¡±


    The man spat out the words.


    The square space was surrounded by metal walls and everything was blotted out by darkness.


    ¡°Saying you slaughtered them because you wanted the Panama Canal would damage the reputation of a great nation. Compromising with international society sure isn¡¯t easy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But thanks to that farce, my family is dead.¡±


    His voice remained flat, which made it terrifying in a different way from an angry shout.


    That man was said to have a thousand faces, so the standard expressions may have been meaningless to him.


    ¡°The funny part is that I had my skills as Nyarlathotep, but I had completely forgotten them as my family was killed before my eyes. I was so afraid of bringing those deadly skills into that small household that I used self-suggestion to fully seal them away. Do you understand now? It was the shock of seeing my family die that broke the seal of Nyarlathotep. If it had broken just a few minutes...no, just a few seconds early, it all might have turned out differently.¡±


    His voice sounded like dripping coal tar and it was likely directly linked to his emotions and expression. After undergoing so much cosmetic surgery, he had completely forgotten the proper face he had been born with. His face may have melted in the darkness and splattered all over the floor.


    ¡°Laugh.¡±


    That word felt like strength slowly building into a supposedly safe rubber knife until it stabbed into someone¡¯s body.


    That was the cruelest method that brought far more pain and fear than a simple sharp blade.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to laugh at times like this, CEO. Or should I call you Azathoth?¡±


    ¡°Why...?¡±


    That single word spoken by an old man sounded like forcing it out had worn an entire year off his life.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just kill me already?¡±


    ¡°A death changes meaning entirely depending on the circumstances. In a back alley, you would be a victim. On a battlefield, you would be a war hero. At the execution grounds, you would be a despicable criminal. So I need the proper place to kill you. You already know where I¡¯m taking you, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°Welcome to my home, the hell that was once the Soberania District.¡±


    A metal door opened wide with a creak and a rusty smell.


    Only then did the old man realize they were inside a container loaded on a ship.


    They were surrounded by the colors red and black.


    The entire sky seemed to be dyed in the colors of twilight, but it was not. It all came from the fires of war. The wreckage of homes, the historical remnants, the vast swaths of nature, and the people who had lived there had been mercilessly piled up and burned as the fuel for these crimson flames.


    The idea of clean wars did not apply in the slightest. It was a literal hell.


    And this apocalyptic scene had been created by Acre Kiss-of-Rose, CEO of Salem Logistics.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the stage.¡±


    Despite the red and black coloring the world, Nyarlathotep relaxed his entire body with an expression that said ¡°I¡¯m home¡±.


    With a heavy sound, he pressed his palms against something, but it was not a table. It was a giant wooden barrel filled with something incredibly heavy.


    ¡°Now, how about we get started? You wanted the Panama Canal so badly, so that¡¯s where I¡¯ll kill you. So make sure you appreciate the effort I¡¯m going to here, Azathoth.¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°This entire situation makes my head hurt.¡±


    Frolaytia¡¯s words were in stark contrast to how she was lounging on a beach chair and re-crossing her legs while staring up into the sky.


    She had removed her usual stuffy uniform and now only wore a white blouse over a brightly-colored bikini. The strings on the sides of the bottom were only loosely tied, so the knots looked about to come apart just from the fidgeting of her legs.


    ¡°During the Gigant Hustler, Acre Kiss-of-Rose, CEO of Salem Logistics and thus one ruler of 7th Core which controls the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ home country, was abducted. I¡¯d love to say that doesn¡¯t matter since he¡¯s the VIP of an enemy nation, but for better or for worse, this has been far too influential. The waves have even reached us in the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia were of course not paying a lick of attention to their silver-haired huge-breasted commander.


    They may have looked like they were obediently hanging on her every word, but they were actually staring at the bottom of her shirt (or rather, at what lay within the shirt) from directly in front of her.


    ¡°(I¡¯m scared. Why is Frolaytia giving us a treat like this out of the blue? It feels like watching swarms of bugs moving away before a natural disaster strikes.)¡±


    ¡°(Then move out of the way! And quit crouching down for a better look! You¡¯re being too obvious!! Besides, I don¡¯t care if this is a trap! I¡¯m gonna milk it for all it¡¯s worth. So outta the way!! Outta the way!!!!)¡±


    ¡°(There has to be something more to this. Something¡¯s coming that she has to distract us from.)¡±


    Despite their fears, the two subordinates continued trying to send strange telepathic waves to the knots at Frolaytia¡¯s hips.


    Meanwhile, she continued talking.


    ¡°He was apparently abducted by a Capitalist Corporations¡¯ spy, but the problem is where he was taken: the blank region of the Soberania District. It borders the Panama Canal, that world-famous entrance to the sea, and it¡¯s the hottest battlefield at the moment. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve seen the term ¡®Soberania Disturbance¡¯ pop up as a top search when you¡¯ve opened a search engine.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t the Capitalist Corporations send a large unit to the Soberania District to eliminate some special commandos being secretly trained to attack safe countries?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the existence of those commandos is extremely suspect.¡±


    Frolaytia spread and closed her toes.


    To the north of the precious Panama Canal is the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Azuero District and to the south is the Soberania District. ...The conflict is officially known as a clash between those two districts, but in reality, the Legitimacy Kingdom has sent quite a few military advisors to the Soberania District to trip up the Capitalist Corporations. The point is to thoroughly train them in things that a regular army will hate. So if that CEO is brought there and killed, who do you think the blame will fall on?¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, it really was a Capitalist Corporations spy that did it, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but will international society believe that?¡± Frolaytia sounded as melancholic as the morning of her period. ¡°The Capitalist Corporations has to be hoping to find someone else¡¯s secret stash of cash in the rubble after the devastating hurricane blows away their house. That means this could lead to war. If we¡¯re falsely accused of directly attacking a 7th Core CEO, I can¡¯t even imagine how far the madness will spread. ...It could even start a world war that erases the boundaries between safe and battlefield countries. If they distort the death of one of their seven corporations¡¯ leaders into an attack on their home country, that could quickly become no laughing matter.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser and Heivia fell silent at that.


    If the bikini knot effect(?) had not already gathered their blood in their lower bodies, they might have been fighting over a shovel to dig their own shelter.


    ¡°So our job this time is to rescue a VIP. ...Even if that VIP is the enemy boss. Before Armageddon breaks out, we need to find the spy hiding in the Soberania District and secure CEO Acre who that spy abducted. Do you get the situation now?¡±


    ¡°I get that it¡¯s a dangerous situation, but why us? If things are that bad, wouldn¡¯t it make sense to send in some special forces with masks over their faces and medals covering their chests?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone sees the danger quite so clearly.¡±


    Frolaytia started crossing her legs again but instead rolled onto her side on the beach chair. This put even more of a burden on the bikini¡¯s knot.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain the geographical layout now. To the north is the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Azuero District, to the south is the Soberania District where the Legitimacy Kingdom is helping out, and in between is the eighty kilometer Panama Canal. The Panama Canal is a demilitarized zone, so neither army is allowed inside. ...The canal is a lot more complicated than a simple waterway, but do you know why?¡±


    ¡°If I remember right, it doesn¡¯t have just one set water height. Several water gates and pumps are used to raise or lower the ships in stages like an elevator using water.¡±


    ¡°And if that system were destroyed, taking control of the Panama Canal would be meaningless, so no soldiers are allowed in. The only people who are allowed there are the Blue Cross, an international peace organization that is working to maintain and preserve the water gates and pumps.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me...¡±


    ¡°The spy in question has moved deep into the demilitarized zone. We will naturally have to follow suit to pursue him, but it would be an international incident if we¡¯re caught. We can¡¯t be spotted by the civilian Blue Cross, and if we are, we have to take some rather severe ¡®emergency measures¡¯. ...The heroes in black masks don¡¯t want to act here for fear of being caught by trap cameras and talked about around the globe or of having to shoot civilians and dirty the reputation of their unseen career.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re refusing the mission in a situation like this?¡±


    ¡°That gets down to the nature of special forces. They¡¯re meant to thread the needle and complete their jobs under the best of conditions, so they have a greater authority to refuse missions than normal units. They¡¯re even allowed to turn them down because they¡¯re on their period or having a fight with a sibling.¡±


    Quenser groaned at his busty commander¡¯s words.


    It may have sounded soft for supposed special forces, but no matter how experienced they were, soldiers were still human. Even if they had a number of mental switches that allowed them to kill without fear or guilt, they still could not handle situations that stepped outside that.


    For example, if the enemy soldiers cruelly slaughtered civilians, they could probably stuff those corpses into body bags.


    For example, if they failed to rescue a hostage, they could probably face that dead body without issue.


    But they would not be able to personally aim their guns at the vitals of perfectly innocent civilians and pull the trigger.


    So what if their own mistake would create a situation in which they had to kill civilians themselves?


    Their unwavering sense of justice gave them the resolve needed to dirty their own hands to protect the current age, but that very justice would completely shatter from a single mistake.


    However...


    ¡°Are you serious? But the world is in as precarious a situation as a vase about to be knocked to the floor by the giant ass of a clumsy maid. What good are special forces if they can¡¯t act under special circumstances?¡±


    ¡°I agree with you there, but unfortunately, the abduction occurred during the Gigant Hustler we were taking part in. No one else wants to do this shitty job, so it¡¯s been deemed our ¡®responsibility¡¯. Are you impressed I had the courage not to break that carefree brigadier general¡¯s jaw?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure they aren¡¯t getting back at us because they didn¡¯t like that an outdated First Generation won the Gigant Hustler?¡±


    Quenser spat out the words, but Frolaytia neither confirmed nor denied the possibility.


    She rolled onto her back again before continuing.


    ¡°Officially, the Baby Magnum is being sent to the southern Soberania District to hold the Second Generation Extra Arc in check with long-range fire. And while the spotlight is shining on the Princess, you all need to walk along the dimly-lit catwalk and crush that pesky bug. The assassination and rescue operation will be carried out by our stars in the shadows, the intelligence division, but don¡¯t trip them up. Use every skill you have to help them as much as possible. That is all.¡±


    With that said, Frolaytia raised her slender white legs straight up. She then swung them like a pendulum to gather momentum and stand up from the beach chair. Even then, the bikini¡¯s side knots did not come undone.


    They were not at the beach of a luxury resort or on the deck of a luxury cruise ship.


    This was a manmade floating island built in a square shape with two kilometer sides.


    That megafloat beachhead was known as the Garden Gate, it was floating alongside the Soberania District which was wrapped in the flames of war and the large curve of the Panama Bay, and she stood barefoot on its reinforced stainless steel surface.


    She cracked her neck while looking just a few kilometers ahead, where crimson flames and black smoke filled both the ground and the sky.


    ¡°Now, we have our work cut out for us today too. Let¡¯s line up the pieces on the board and begin the ladies and gentlemen¡¯s game.¡±


    Part 3


    And so...


    ¡°This is stupid.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s voice was muffled.


    He was wearing something like a thick raincoat over his uniform. The material resembled the fire-resistant cloth that firefighters wore and its shiny surface was incredibly bad for his heart after growing so used to normal camouflage. He felt like he was holding up a placard saying ¡°please spot me¡± with his email address at the bottom.


    ¡°What¡¯s the temperature right now? Not only are we almost right on the equator, but there are fires burning all over the place. I¡¯m sweating like crazy and I¡¯m pretty sure heatstroke is going to kill me before any bullet has the chance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 75 degrees Celsius, but don¡¯t take that thing off. It¡¯s like a sauna out there.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they use a meteorological weapon to make it rain? Why did they even make those things?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Adding more moisture would only steam us to death.¡±


    Heivia was also part of the shiny team that included the intelligence division.


    ¡°Besides, the Extra Arc is watching from the other side of the canal. Without these sensor-blocking cloaks, we¡¯d be spotted right away and on our way to an international incident.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s this hot when we¡¯re still upwind. ...And do you really think these things will help? If they did, I would think the age of Objects would have ended a lot sooner.¡±


    ¡°Better to have it than not. Especially when the government¡¯s tax money is paying for it.¡±


    They were walking through what had once been a metropolis of metal and concrete, but there was no sign of it now. The structures had not so much burned or crumbled as they had melted. It was not often that not just the metal and plastic but even the concrete would completely melt.


    That was the result of Objects firing back and forth at each other from north and south of the canal.


    In places, the way forward was blocked by orange rivers or by solid black objects where it had cooled, so Quenser spoke up in annoyance.


    ¡°What century have we wandered into? What ever happened to clean wars?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope everyone made it to the refugee camp set up by the Blue Cross. If anyone was left here, they wouldn¡¯t have survived. Even divine miracles would run out of gas about an hour into it.¡±


    They knew what had caused this and it had done so without directly showing up here. It had instead fired long-distance from beyond the Panama Canal.


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations Second Generation Extra Arc, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hard to believe, isn¡¯t it? It uses low-stability plasma cannons, but the light and heat is so far off the charts that it screws with any observation equipment and the crucial moment of firing isn¡¯t captured. Just how powerful is that thing?¡±


    Fortunately, their objective here was not to be the dragon slayers from an opera.


    They had to slip past the Object, enter the demilitarized zone of the Panama Canal, and rescue Acre Kiss-of-Rose, a Capitalist Corporations VIP. At the same time, they were to assassinate the spy who would be trying to stop them.


    ¡°And the Extra Arc belongs to Salem Logistics. It isn¡¯t going to play around if this gets out. It might charge in to save its big boss without worrying about what kind of international incident that¡¯ll cause.¡±


    ¡°The best way to survive this is to find CEO Acre, take him as a hostage, and withdraw to the beachhead while making sure he¡¯s indebted to us. But will it really go that well?¡±


    ¡°If we fail to rescue him, we¡¯ll seriously have a world war on our hands. That¡¯s the death of a CEO of their home country, which is like a king for us. Revenge plots will boil over and the laughable clean wars will be burned away. It¡¯ll lead to an age that could easily annihilate six billion people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about our sense of duty or justice. I¡¯m talking realistically.¡±


    ¡°Well, in that case, it comes down to the specs of the Object and the skill of the spy trying to stop us.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say there¡¯s just the one spy and he doesn¡¯t have a huge organization backing him up?¡±


    ¡°What, were you only interested in the information on that huge machine? Just listening in on the intelligence division¡¯s discussions made my head hurt. He goes by Nyarlathotep and his real name is unknown. He¡¯s had so much cosmetic surgery that any old documents are completely worthless. They¡¯ve estimated that he was only active around twenty years ago and it isn¡¯t even known if he¡¯s alive or dead at the moment. The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s intelligence division developed so rapidly because they needed to strengthen the organization after the mess he made of things all over the place. He truly is a legend.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like someone who would show up in a stealth spy game.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. Anyway, his specialty is faking his own death. In the official records alone, he¡¯s already kicked the bucket more than thirty times and even some dictator¡¯s kid was shot as revenge for ¡®killing¡¯ him.¡±


    ¡°I stand corrected. He sounds like he would be more at home in an open world zombie game.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard a single thing about him that doesn¡¯t make me more worried. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s gone after this CEO, but we can¡¯t relax just because we¡¯ve finished him off with a bullet or a bomb. This isn¡¯t over till we get home. In fact, we¡¯ll basically be on a nerve-racking test of courage until we get back.¡±


    As he listened to Heivia, Quenser checked the weight pressing down on his right shoulder. Instead of his normal plastic explosives, he had a special device hanging from his shoulder on a sling belt.


    It looked like a bullpup assault rifle (i.e. one with the grip on the front and the magazine attached on the back), but the caliber was quite large at 25mm. However, it was not the kind of fully-automatic human mixer that got the anti-war crowd so upset.


    Although in a way, it could cause an even more gruesome scene if directly aimed at a human being.


    ¡°Will this thing really help?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why anyone would give that thing to an amateur who doesn¡¯t know how to fire a handgun. It¡¯s a sticky bomb launcher, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called the War Hammer. Once you fire a jelly-like liquefied explosive plus fuse onto the wall or floor, you just have to pull the wireless trigger for a huge explosion. You can apparently stick the bombs on a car or a person¡¯s back as they try to escape.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just dangerous. When are we going to see an age of peace?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I had a choice. This place is a hell of seventy to eighty degrees, so normal plastic explosives would melt. I can¡¯t use my usual Hand Axe here.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. That reasoning is insane. It¡¯s the same giving a child a grenade because you can¡¯t give them a handgun.¡±


    Heivia was complaining about more than just the War Hammer¡¯s specs. Even with the support of the laser sight, having a firearms amateur behind you created a very real possibility of having that ¡°grim reaper egg¡± splattered onto the back of his head.


    While it was true he would still be fine as long as Quenser did not pull the wireless trigger, that did nothing to slow the racing pulse of the person who had a bomb stuck to the back of their head.


    ¡°Look.¡±


    A member of the shiny army physically pointed to gather attention and the voice muffled by the hood of stealth material could have been male or female.


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally reached the Panama Canal. The demilitarized zone starts now, so at least the stench of burning fingernails and hair should end.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. What do you think about the intelligence division¡¯s sense of humor?¡±


    ¡°I deal with it by assuming everyone whose face I can¡¯t see is actually a beautiful girl.¡±


    The eighty kilometer canal separated the American continents between north and south, but it was not that wide. It was only a little wider than a fifty meter pool, so Quenser could probably have swum to the other side if he took off his clothes and jumped in.


    Both sides were entirely covered in concrete and metal rails ran along parallel to the canal. They had likely been meant to carry some kind of maintenance equipment.


    Even as they approached the water, the temperature did not drop. In fact, the wind had more room, so the intense waves of heat seemed to reach them with even more force.


    The canal¡¯s waving seawater was dyed red and black because it reflected the color of the sky. It resembled the sea at twilight, but it was much more sinister looking. It looked like the perfect place for ghosts to appear in any pictures taken.


    ¡°This is awful. And the other side of the canal¡¯s covered in a filthy industrial region. If the Soberania Disturbance goes the other way, will that desert spread to this side too?¡±


    A three meter tall metal fence covered the opposite side for as far as the eye could see. Perhaps just to buy time, there was a second fence not far beyond it.


    The area beyond that was filled with steel pipes, cylindrical tanks, and smokestacks rising into the sky. Overall, it looked like a petrochemical complex. The kilometers long facility was entirely covered in asphalt like an international airport and it looked like concrete boxes and thick silver pipes were piled up on that.


    However...


    ¡°Why is that side burning too? Their double fence is completely broken.¡±


    ¡°How should I know? That place is perfect for hide-and-seek, so it was probably easier to create a completely unlivable space than to search out and kill any enemies that might be there.¡±


    Regardless, the opposite side of the canal did not matter, so Quenser focused on their side.


    ¡°Where is this Nyarlathotep guy supposed to be hiding?¡±


    ¡°Near the Miraflores Water Gate. That¡¯s not even two kilometers from here. ...But I can already see those Blue Cross people busy preserving the canal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. You mean the people we have to kill if they see us?¡±


    Quenser sounded annoyed as he too spotted the people in yellow heat-resistant suits.


    Heivia crouched down.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay low as we continue on. I don¡¯t want to mass-produce some PTSD and suffer from nightmares for the rest of my life.¡±


    They were wearing shiny cloaks with nothing to hide themselves, but no one seemed to notice them as they followed the concrete bank. They could of course have used some cover, but with orange flames everywhere, the fire reflected in the silver surface drew the most attention.


    The intelligence division took the lead and the two idiots followed them further along the canal.


    Heivia checked his sensors from time to time and some areas apparently reached an instantaneous temperature of over ninety degrees. The average sauna was around one hundred degrees, so it was enough for a human to pass out after thirty or forty minutes.


    ¡°Is this Mars? This is no place for human life.¡±


    ¡°Look, there¡¯s something like a giant mountain beyond the canal. Is that the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Extra Arc!?¡±


    Life returned to Quenser¡¯s eyes once an Object was involved, but he was not given time to look back there.


    A moment later, his vision was dyed in white.


    ¡°...... ............ ............ ............ .................. ............ .................. ............ ............... ............... ............... ............¡±


    For a while, he completely forgot about the passage of time.


    He felt a cold liquid flowing into his mouth and finally realized that he had collapsed and Heivia was sticking a water bottle in his mouth.


    ¡°Cough, cough! Wh-what...the hell?¡±


    ¡°The Extra Arc fired its plasma right over our heads.¡±


    As Heivia spoke, his hearing gradually returned.


    He could hear explosive sounds, but they were not only coming from the Extra Arc. Back in the Soberania District, the Baby magnum was firing back with its different varieties of main cannon.


    Those Objects could not set foot in the Panama Canal.


    They would suffer an astronomical financial loss if they destroyed the water elevator made from giant water gates and pumps.


    ¡°This time, it wasn¡¯t about you being weak. The flash was so bright that a few of the intelligence division are still convulsing on the ground. The shock seems to fade as your eyes get used to it, but I¡¯ll agree that isn¡¯t something you want to look directly at.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? No normal low-stability plasma cannon goes that far.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something to it that goes beyond normal. After all, this is the personal Object of one of the seven corporations that manages the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ home country. ...There¡¯s no way I want to take on that thing. Let¡¯s stuff that Acre bastard in a bag and get back to the beachhead.¡±


    Quenser could understand now how the light and heat messed with cameras and sensors. The abnormal plasma was still being fired and it seemed to burn through his optic nerves to torment his brain. Heivia was right about getting used to it, so he was just barely able to avoid passing out again.


    ¡°Dammit, we should have brought welding masks with us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d sweat so much you¡¯d get athlete¡¯s foot all over your face. But if you¡¯re doing good enough to complain, then get up on your feet. I¡¯m not about to keep nursing a guy any longer.¡±


    He may have been imagining it, but the surrounding waves of heat seemed to have grown in intensity.


    Like this, they could easily go blind before being able to see what kind of technology the Object used, so they unsteadily continued along the canal.


    The previous exchange must have only been a ¡°skirmish¡± because an overwhelming firefight had finally broken out.


    But at the same time, Quenser and the others let out a heavy sigh of relief.


    ¡°Found it.¡±


    That comment came from one of the intelligence division members of their shiny army.


    Twenty or thirty meters up a gentle slope was a small lakeside house on a small hill.


    That may have sounded nice, but it was still in the scorching hell of red and black that required heat-resistant firefighting equipment to survive even an hour. The paint on the walls was scorched and peeling, the windows were gone, and the roof was nowhere to be seen. No normal person would ever try to hide there.


    ¡°This matches the satellite photos taken through the gaps in the flames and smoke. If nothing has changed since then, Nyarlathotep should be in there.¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, there were two people inside, right?¡±


    ¡°According to the image analysis, yes. But we can¡¯t rely on the heat signatures since this hellish sauna drowns out any human body heat.¡±


    They did not even know if the VIP was still alive, but they had no reason to stop here. The intelligence division silently approached the half-destroyed house and quickly spread out to cover each entrance. Quenser and Heivia helped by pressing against the wall on either side of the backdoor.


    The intelligence division passed fiberscopes through the cracks in the doors or the broken windows and sent the footage to everyone¡¯s handheld devices, so Quenser checked it all.


    ¡°There are no traps. Or at least, we shouldn¡¯t have to worry about the spy faking his death by blowing the house to smithereens as soon as we kick down the door.¡±


    That was the final sign needed to begin their assault.


    ¡°We may know the house¡¯s layout, but we only know the people¡¯s approximate locations. Killing the CEO would make all this effort worthless, so be careful not to shoot the wrong person as we rapidly check every room. On the count of three.¡±


    After the short countdown over the radio, bullets destroyed the locks at each entrance and the intelligence division rushed inside the house.


    Quenser and Heivia followed after them.


    ¡°Clear!¡±


    ¡°Clear!!¡±


    There were several short bursts of gunshots muffled by suppressors.


    Heivia quickly raised his assault rifle to assist, but several members of the intelligence division were already surrounding a man.


    There were bullet holes in the wall and the man put his hands up at a battered table.


    He wore the same kind of fire-resistant suit as the Blue Cross, but his head was exposed. He had neatly parted hair, but it looked eerily out of place like a stuffed animal floating in a muddy river.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t Acre,¡± groaned Quenser as he showed up late. ¡°Is it Nyarlathotep?¡±


    The man with the parted hair responded from his chair in what had likely been a dining room.


    ¡°Welcome to my home, guests.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about, you bastard!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember inviting you over for supper, but you are still welcome. Had the Legitimacy Kingdom not figured out that I bought this house myself by taking out a loan?¡±


    As if to say that did not matter, an intelligence division member grabbed the man¡¯s parted hair and slammed his face against the partially broken table.


    Then they turned the man¡¯s head on its side, pulled a handgun from their holster, and shoved it against the man¡¯s head.


    ¡°Where is Acre Kiss-of-Rose, CEO of Salem Logistics?¡±


    ¡°He decided to take a nap. He must have been tired after our long trip from Africa.¡±


    ¡°Answer me now. Now!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find him if you look. I can¡¯t guarantee you he¡¯ll wake up again, though. Have you still not figured out why I didn¡¯t put up any kind of resistance?¡±


    Even with his head shoved against the table, Nyarlathotep¡¯s eyes seemed to be focused on some other place entirely. Quenser followed his gaze and found an opened door, a hallway, and another door.


    ¡°...¡±


    He walked over and reached for the knob.


    That simple action was enough to get his fingertips trembling.


    Not even he was sure why those feelings were welling up inside him.


    Some dreadful torrent of emotion was stopping his fingers from moving, just like a mother who had learned the horrifying true identity of the baby formula she had happily been feeding her young child.


    It felt like his mind and body were separating.


    He grabbed the knob while so unsteady he seemed to be sleepwalking.


    He turned it.


    With a creak, the wooden door opened away from him.


    It was a dark, windowless room. It may have originally been a storage room rather than a living space and it seemed the roof here had survived. In addition to some scattered tools and a pile of broken airplane models, a wooden barrel the size of a small industrial drum sat in the middle of the dusty room.


    The barrel was filled with to the brim with a massive amount of pebbles.


    And like something sticking above the water¡¯s surface or an egg-shaped brooch inside a jewel box, an old man was buried in the pebbles up to the neck with his tongue hanging from his mouth.


    Quenser fell to the ground and screamed.


    Some intelligence division members rushed over, saw what was there, and continued on inside. They knocked the wooden barrel onto its side. Most of the pebbles were packed together in a single block. Glue, coal tar, melted rubber, caramel, or some other sticky substance may have been mixed in. In other words, the gaps had filled in and it had grown tighter as it had solidified, slowly and gradually squeezing down on the helpless old man buried inside.


    The old man wore only his underwear, his eyes were sunken in, his cheeks were gaunt, and his white hair was falling out. He had looked old in the photograph they had been given, but not this much. His white hair had looked carefully maintained, but now it was coming out like an old carpet. His skin had turned red and purple, but he could no longer complain about the pain. Perhaps due to rigor mortis, his body was bent in an unnatural shape as he lay on the ground like a dried up dead insect. Was that really just the effect of the compression from the stones? How long had it been since he had gone missing? How long had he been soaking in that barrel? Was that really long enough to crush someone to death? Or...


    (This wasn¡¯t an issue of the physical damage. He died of shock.)


    In movies and dramas it was not uncommon to see people quickly age or have their hair go white due to excessive fear.


    But how much fear was necessary to actually reproduce that nearly legendary phenomenon?


    This was the work of Nyarlathotep, an expert spy who excelled in madness and psychological change.


    ¡°Match...confirmed,¡± blankly muttered a member of the intelligence division. ¡°This is definitely Acre Kiss-of-Rose, CEO of Salem Logistics. It¡¯s him. The package is dead. I repeat, the package is dead!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s entire face had paled.


    It took over ten seconds for his nearby ally¡¯s voice to enter his ears and reach his mind.


    But not just because he had seen a human corpse.


    This was not just a normal person like the Blue Cross people, so his death had an added meaning.


    ¡°What...do we do?¡±


    Heivia spoke with a scratchy voice as he peered inside the room and his voice quickly rose to an almost tearfully desperate shout.


    ¡°That Acre bastard was killed!? But he led one of the seven giant corporations that control the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ home country! That¡¯s a VIP on the level of our royals!!¡±


    If an enemy leader was dead, shouldn¡¯t they be throwing their hands in the air and celebrating?


    That reasoning did not apply here.


    After all...


    ¡°Does this mean the end of the managed clean wars we have now...?¡±


    Quenser looked like he had just witnessed the giant meteor strike that had caused the ice age.


    This battlefield was the site of an intense competition between the Capitalist Corporations and the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    If the world found out a Capitalist Corporations VIP had been brought there and killed, where would their suspicions land?


    ¡°Is this the beginning of a true war of revenge that will erase the distinction between safe and battlefield countries as it burns through six billion people!?¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°Carry the corpse back with you. If that isn¡¯t possible, dig a hole and burn it. Napalm, an aluminum reaction, or a grenade with some kind of chemical incendiary properties would be perfect. If the Capitalist Corporations can¡¯t check his teeth, fingerprints, or DNA, we can just barely pull through.¡±


    They had contacted Frolaytia for some help with their troubles, but her answer was more severe than they would have liked.


    But since the blue planet Gagarin had seen was on the verge of turning red with flames, that kind of severity should not have been surprising.


    ¡°Normal gasoline or oil wouldn¡¯t have enough firepower, so you need to make some modifications to turn it into napalm. That shouldn¡¯t be a difficult job for a bomb specialist like you.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t killing the enemy before my eyes to survive. I¡¯ll be destroying an unmoving corpse until even the bones burn away. I feel like I¡¯m only one step away from cannibalism here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to focus on the fact that it¡¯s better than dumping gasoline over the head of a living person who can still beg for their life. And make no mistake here. Everything you¡¯ll be doing here is still ¡®to survive¡¯. And now the survival of another six billion people is hanging in the balance too.¡±


    She ended her transmission there.


    Quenser desperately suppressed the urge to vomit rising from the pit of his stomach and kicked the sole of his military boot against a partially broken pillar.


    With that loud sound, he finally gathered his resolve.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we can carry him back, is there?¡±


    One of the shiny members of the intelligence division answered him.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ll have to sneak past the Blue Cross on our way out, not a chance. Disposing of him here to lighten the load would be best. The garage out back had collapsed, but there was some gasoline left in the scrap metal that had been a car. Can you make napalm out of that?¡±


    ¡°I can manage as long as I have some cleaning supplies, some household painting supplies, a metal bowl, and the kind of mixer used to make shortcakes. They¡¯re all a housewife¡¯s allies, so I¡¯ll look around for them.¡±


    ¡°Then you take care of that. We¡¯ll dig a hole out back. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After a few members of the intelligence division left, Quenser breathed a heavy sigh.


    From there, nothing felt real and he felt like his feet were floating.


    It was not easy work, but losing himself in it lessened the pressure on his heart.


    The kitchen had mostly collapsed, so he placed the metal bowl on the dining room table and got to work. Naturally, Nyarlathotep sat obediently in the same room with the intelligence division aiming their guns at him.


    As Quenser transformed the gasoline into jelly with the electric mixer, Nyarlathotep spoke with a smile that was strangely lacking in humanity.


    ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve caused you all a lot of trouble. Sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Why did you turn on your own big boss? You may not have known the Legitimacy Kingdom would be involved, but you had to have guessed it would cause a war somewhere in the world.¡±


    ¡°The Soberania Disturbance began because Salem Logistics tried to take the Panama Canal for themselves to expand their business. And this was my house. ...If this is what remains of the house meant to protect my family, what do you think happened to the wife and son who lived with me here?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°My wife was helping the Blue Cross. She was creating a list of the people who fled to this blank region to help them register for citizenship and insurance. My only son was just five and he was so excited about getting to go to school for the first time. But all of that was taken from me by that money-worshiping piece of shit.¡±


    What did Quenser look like to him?


    What did he think of the boy creating napalm to burn away a corpse using the mixer that may very well have been used to make his son¡¯s birthday cake?


    That man had brought the entire world to the precipice, but that did not change the fact that his smaller world was being trampled on.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Quenser heard a low, low, dreadfully low voice cut in.


    It belonged to Heivia Winchell.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of life you lived or what kind of despair you carry with you. That¡¯s no excuse for burning our homes and families to the ground!! This is...this is really why the world¡¯s gonna end? Thousands of years of human history are going to come to an end for one guy¡¯s private life!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Heivia...?¡±


    ¡°Do we really need to bring this bastard back alive? Who knows when this expert illusionist of a spy is gonna slip from our fingers! Wouldn¡¯t the world be better off if we put a bullet between his eyes!?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t shoot him here, Heivia!!¡±


    ¡°Why not!? What possible reason do you have to cover for the guy who set the world on fire!?¡±


    ¡°The napalm! The air here is already around a hundred degrees, so the contents of this bowl are pretty unstable. Fire your gun now and we¡¯ll all be roasted like turkeys!¡±


    Heivia clicked his tongue.


    He removed his eye from his assault rifle¡¯s sight, but he did not remove his index finger from the trigger. He was in such a state of disarray that he was completely ignoring the most basic lessons from boot camp.


    ¡°I won¡¯t run away.¡±


    The man with the neatly parted hair spoke up as if to throw oil on the fire.


    He had a disturbingly thin smile on his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished everything I wanted to do. After all this, I have no dreams for my future.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Heivia moved both arms and produced a sound like a swinging metal bat.


    Next came the sound of Nyarlathotep¡¯s nose being broken by the rifle¡¯s stock.


    The man did not even utter a groan.


    Heivia tapped a member of the intelligence division on the shoulder and made his way to the dining room door.


    ¡°Call me first when it¡¯s time kill the bastard. If we¡¯re out of ammo, I¡¯ll tear out his throat with my teeth.¡±


    ¡°The napalm¡¯s done. If you want a breath of what passes for fresh air around here, then take it to the group digging the hole out back. But tell them to detonate it with a wire and fuse, not a lighter or matches. Otherwise, they¡¯ll end up roasting their own face with a magnificent pillar of fire.¡±


    Heivia snatched the metal bowl and finally vanished from the dining room.


    Quenser toyed with the mixer still covered in sticky flammable jelly, but finally set it on the table and collapsed into a chair. He was sitting directly across from Nyarlathotep.


    He glared at the man across the table that could burst into flames at any time for any reason.


    ¡°Just to be clear, I¡¯m not on your side.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know.¡±


    The man with the neatly parted hair smiled but sounded like he was spitting out the words.


    ¡°If a single person in this world were on my side, I might have walked a different path.¡±


    Quenser also wanted to kill the bastard a hundred times if he could.


    However, he was valuable as the ¡°true culprit¡±.


    Quenser could not guess how much the Capitalist Corporations would learn about Acre¡¯s death or how far the chaos would spread around the world, but he knew losing the true culprit would be incredibly bad. Once the Legitimacy Kingdom and Capitalist Corporations began arguing back and forth, the truth might become as valuable as a scrap of paper, but it was still possible that a ¡°confession¡± from Nyarlathotep could act as a safety switch to calm down the boiling world.


    Killing him was like drilling a hole in the bottom of Noah¡¯s ark.


    While it would be best for the deluge to never occur in the first place, ruining the boat before your eyes was a lot like a gentle form of suicide.


    ¡°They¡¯ll probably be burning the corpse in the hole before long. Are you sure you shouldn¡¯t be helping them? You seem to be the most experienced with this sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Oh, can you kill an enemy actively attacking you, but you¡¯re reluctant to burn a defenseless corpse? A very European way of thinking. I suppose it¡¯s why you like to bury bodies under crosses.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even remember what my wife and son looked like anymore.¡±


    Nyarlathotep continued speaking words that may or may not have been true.


    ¡°You¡¯re wondering how I could say that when I set the entire world on fire for my family, aren¡¯t you? But it¡¯s true. No matter how much I try to remember those pleasant times, their charred black faces are all I can see. So I understand why your hands are trembling. That fear isn¡¯t something you should give visual form. ...But will you really finish this in time if you rely on others?¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations aren¡¯t stupid. If you¡¯re trying to burn an inconvenient corpse, you should have done so as soon as possible. They¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    It happened before the unease could race down Quenser¡¯s spine.


    The small house had already lost its roof, but a tremendous shock caused it to collapse altogether.


    Quenser fell from his chair and the walls collapsed. In fact, fragments flew parallel to the ground as if a directional mine had gone off. Then the walls fell over with rattling sound. A great strength grabbed Quenser¡¯s arm and pulled him under the battered table.


    Surprisingly, it was Nyarlathotep who had saved him.


    The lack of the roof had helped them. The amount of rubble falling from above was not enough to break through the table or bury them alive.


    When he pulled himself out from below the table and rubble, a noise started hurting Quenser¡¯s ears.


    It sounded like an electric fan amplified many, many times over.


    That was the sound produced by the propeller of an aircraft given a reciprocating engine instead of a jet engine for longer flight times.


    ¡°Drones!!¡± shouted Heivia. ¡°They got a picture from above. They saw where we were and they saw the corpse in the hole!!¡±


    A pillar of fire loudly rose from the hole. That was the napalm Quenser had made, but it was anyone¡¯s guess how effective that would be at this point. If the corpse had been photographed from the sky before it was burnt, they might have even wrapped the noose around their own necks by burning it.


    ¡°Hey, do you think the war here¡¯ll end now that their big boss is dead!?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance! This¡¯ll just cause a chemical reaction transforming the rescue operation into a mission for revenge!! In fact, now that we¡¯ve lost our shield, they can relax and start shooting all they want!!¡±


    The drones in question were not fighter jets with high-level computer equipment onboard. Instead, they looked like a giant paper model with an engine attached. A whole bunch of them were flying around like dragonflies in the autumn sky. It would have been hard to get an accurate count of them all.


    ¡°Those don¡¯t carry missiles,¡± explained Nyarlathotep as he dug through the rubble and (for some reason) pulled out a member of the intelligence division. ¡°Do you have an Object on your side? Now that they know where you are, you don¡¯t need to hesitate to ask for some assistance. If you don¡¯t have those eyes in the sky shot down by anti-air lasers, you¡¯ll be blown to bits by Cynthia¡¯s anti-personnel and anti-vehicle cannons. The smoke and waves of heat seem to be affecting their targeting for now, but they should correct that before long.¡±


    Quenser frowned at the man¡¯s prediction.


    ¡°Cynthia? Oh, you mean the Extra Arc. Is it linked with those drones to indirectly target us!?¡±


    ¡°No, both of those names are inaccurate. I guess I¡¯m not thinking straight either,¡± curtly replied Nyarlathotep. ¡°Its true name not recorded on any official Capitalist Corporations documents is the Miskatonic. That is the truly cruel Second Generation personally funded by Acre Kiss-of-Rose...no, by Azathoth who was using that name.¡±


    Part 5


    Even for a Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Second Generation, an absurd amount of funding and technology had been pumped into the Miskatonic. The Object represented one of the seven giant corporations making up 7th Core which directly managed their home country.


    Even from the edge of the scarlet lake which reflected the burning color of the sky, it could clearly be seen deep in the giant destroyed industrial sector across the Panama Canal.


    It had a bizarre design.


    One look at its main cannons was enough to know that.


    A giant mechanical flower spread out from the back. It was shifted upwards a little like a straw hat on someone¡¯s head. Except the flower was actually made up of giant reels and two meter wide tubes extending from them. Eight identical devices were laid out in a circle like on a clock face and the special tubes could move freely like the fiber scopes used for endoscopes.


    They looked like eight snakes or the tentacles of a squishy sea creature.


    The Miskatonic¡¯s main cannons were high-power plasma cannons that were fired through the tubes. It fired from different positions, at different angles, and with different timing to seal off its opponent¡¯s movements.


    It was similar yet completely different from the Baby Magnum¡¯s cannons that were supported by seven arms and could be used for diffusion or convergence.


    However, they did not have time to sit there analyzing its structure.


    Death was pursuing Quenser and the others in the form of drones.


    ¡°This ain¡¯t good! The forest! Run into the forest, Quenser!!¡±


    Heivia gestured toward and instructed the student as he ran.


    ¡°Get somewhere where they can¡¯t see you from the sky! Luckily, they can¡¯t use an IR search with all this heat and smoke. If we can escape the cameras, we still have a chance!!¡±


    Quenser immediately grabbed Nyarlathotep¡¯s wrist, much to the surprise of the man with the neatly parted hair.


    ¡°You could just leave me, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you use this confusion to fake your death.¡±


    Quenser started running while dragging along a ghost who showed no desire to live.


    Lots of drones were fried, blown up, and shot down overhead. That was thanks to the Baby Magnum¡¯s anti-air support. But the surviving ones and even the ones that were shot down produced whirring sounds from their camera lenses and transmitted the fleeing soldiers¡¯ location to the Miskatonic.


    An explosive roar followed.


    This was not the Object¡¯s fierce plasma main cannon. Most likely, its many railguns and coilguns had been simultaneously fired into the sky.


    It poured down just like rain.


    This downpour of death was meant to crush the target even with some level of targeting error.


    Its own drones were shot down as the shells rained down on the edge of the lake.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    After a scream, Quenser flew through the air.


    He could no longer feel Nyarlathotep¡¯s wrist in his grasp, but his vision was spinning around too much to tell if he had let go or if one or the other¡¯s arm had been blown off.


    He slammed back-first into the ground and something soft fell from the heavens.


    The items that had been blasted into the air with the black soil were horribly dark-red metallic-smelling clumps.


    Quenser nearly tore at his hair in a panic, but a powerful strength grabbed his arm.


    Nyarlathotep was pulling him to his feet.


    ¡°Can you stand?¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Run. If you aren¡¯t ready to meet the grim reaper before finishing your job, that is.¡±


    He fully focused himself on running.


    Whether it was rain or spears falling from the sky, he forced his legs to continue moving.


    He finally half-slid into the deep forest next to the lake.


    Shells poured down on the forest as well and trees too thick to reach one¡¯s arms around splintered like chopsticks.


    Still, the accuracy had dropped and the shells started falling nowhere near them as they ran deeper and deeper into the forest.


    It finally stopped after about ten minutes or a little more, but that hell seemed to have lasted an eternity.


    Had it given up?


    Or had the Princess¡¯s anti-air support successfully shot down all of the drones?


    That was Quenser¡¯s guess as he leaned against a tree and tried to catch his breath, but then Nyarlathotep spoke up.


    ¡°Here it comes.¡±


    The world vanished into whiteness.


    Eight blasts of high-power plasma instantly filled the entire terrain with destruction.


    The forest melted.


    The trees were not even allowed to burn. They and the ground turned to a glowing orange liquid which formed rivers of lava.


    The downpour from the heavens had been at least generally aimed, but the eight main cannons had not even done that.


    The enemy had escaped into the forest, so the Object was melting the entire forest.


    Instead of just wiping them off the face of the earth, it was wiping off the face of the earth too.


    That was just how insane the fan-shaped attack was.


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser stared blankly as he slid his back down the tree trunk to sit down.


    The scenery that had been there a moment before had transformed into a red river.


    Nyarlathotep glanced upwards and seemed to be sniffing at something.


    ¡°No second wave... So was that all? Or it may be focusing on its battle with the Legitimacy Kingdom Object. Either way, this is our chance to escape.¡±


    A crackling sound reached their ears.


    They looked over and saw Heivia unsteadily approaching while treading on the embers.


    Quenser frowned.


    ¡°Hey, what happened to the intelligence division?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There were a ton of them with you, weren¡¯t there!? What happened to them!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s...¡±


    Heivia did not give a clear answer.


    But the rivers of lava and his next words said enough.


    ¡°It¡¯s time...we killed this guy.¡±


    Heivia¡¯s assault rifle suddenly hopped up.


    Quenser immediately grabbed the firearm that hung from his shoulder.


    It was the bullpup sticky bomb launcher known as the War Hammer.


    Two boys wearing the same military uniform aimed their weapons at each other from about twenty meters away.


    ¡°You can¡¯t, Heivia. If you kill him, we¡¯ll lose any way to fight back against the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ accusations!!¡±


    ¡°What the hell do you think we can clear up or stop now!? We¡¯re past the stage where the fuse was lit. The spherical bomb with a skull and crossbones on it was has already blown up! And the friendly idiots who were supposed to stop it are all below the lava. This hell is going to cover the entire world before long. And yet the gigantic idiot that set the initial fire is still alive!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia!¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t fix anything, so we have no reason to risk our lives to protect him. We should just execute him already. Even if we did drag him back to the beachhead, some bizarre political decision would get in the way. ...Do you really think the VIPs want this war to end? Just like the Capitalist Corporations wanted a reason to attack the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Legitimacy Kingdom has tons of reasons to have an excuse to attack them! It isn¡¯t fear that¡¯s burning through the world! It¡¯s a fire of greed, so there¡¯s no way to end it!!¡±


    ¡°Are you saying taking him back still wouldn¡¯t stop this world war?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t get a proper hearing. He¡¯ll be found suspiciously hanged in his cell and it¡¯ll be called a suicide, so why protect him? If it¡¯s an issue of sooner or later, then we might as well kill him ourselves!!¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Quenser gave an anguished groan as he held enough firepower to blow his awful friend to smithereens.


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t leave him with the Legitimacy Kingdom. We¡¯ll have to leave him with the neutral Blue Cross and have the truth revealed in the international courts. It¡¯s a long shot, but that¡¯s the only way to stop the entire world from burning down!¡±


    ¡°All you¡¯ve done is give me the justification I need, Quenser. Now I can shoot you to prevent you from deserting and leaking our information.¡±


    ¡°Heivia...¡±


    ¡°Stop. You can¡¯t win this. Do you really think we¡¯re on equal footing here? There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll lose to a student.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You get one warning. I¡¯ve got an assault rifle, so even if I shoot an arm or leg, it¡¯ll still tear open an artery. ...Put down that War Hammer. I¡¯ve said my part, Quenser. The rest is up to you.¡±


    Still, the two boys remained entirely motionless for over ten seconds.


    If either one of them moved their trigger finger five millimeters back, it would all fall apart.


    But finally, something seemed to drive Quenser to remove his eye from the sight.


    He slowly removed the stock from his shoulder and lowered the muzzle of the gun. Then he let it dangle down from his hands.


    ¡°There, that¡¯s a good boy. Now you-...¡±


    Heivia never finished speaking.


    Without even looking through the sight, Quenser pulled the trigger of the firearm dangling from his hands.


    Something was fired onto the thoroughly heated ground at the exact midpoint between them. It was a translucent slime that covered twenty or thirty centimeters.


    A piece of metal the size of a watch battery released a mechanical flash and a large explosion followed.


    Both Quenser and Heivia were swept backwards by the blast.


    A cloud of dust filled the sky to block their view of each other.


    Those boys always seemed to be together, but now the distance between them seemed to stretch out forever.


    Part 6


    Quenser pulled on Nyarlathotep¡¯s hand as he ran through the boiling orange forest.


    ¡°Ah...ahh...¡±


    As he did, he opened his mouth wide.


    He could not stop screaming even though the scorching wind could roast his lungs at any moment.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    He was not dead.


    He was not dead.


    There was no way that could have killed him.


    That prayer filled his heart, but he did not have it in him to turn around as he raced across the battlefield.


    As the world teetered on the verge of destruction, he could not allow Nyarlathotep to be killed.


    That should have been the right decision, so how had his methods strayed so far?


    Extreme anguish filled him as Nyarlathotep asked him a question.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    The man sounded as casual as someone asking him to buy some bread for breakfast tomorrow, so Quenser thought the circuits in his head were going to fry.


    He violently let go of the man¡¯s hand and aimed the War Hammer at him.


    At a distance of less than a meter, he mercilessly pulled the trigger while aiming at the man¡¯s stomach.


    With a muffled sound, Nyarlathotep¡¯s body flew through the air and crashed into a broken tree trunk.


    He coughed and looked down at his stomach for a while.


    Quenser kept the bullpup War Hammer at the ready and his finger on the detonation trigger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get along with you either!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But the world will end without you. So I¡¯ll use you! Listen, if I pull this wireless trigger, your body will be blown in half and your organs will scatter everywhere!! I can do that at any moment! So do as I say. I don¡¯t care what kind of justification you had. Whatever your reason, I¡¯ll make sure you take responsibility!!¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Fine.¡± Nyarlathotep smiled. ¡°If I could redo my life a hundred times, I would still kill Azathoth every single time, but I don¡¯t want any lasting effects. Take me wherever you want. Take me someplace where I can take responsibility for what I did.¡±


    ¡°First, we¡¯ll pay the Blue Cross a visit,¡± replied Quenser. ¡°Both the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Capitalist Corporations avoided attacking them. It can be the refugee camp, the tent hospital, or the food support center, but we need to get someplace with the same authority as a temporary embassy or consulate. Even Objects are banned by international law from firing their main cannons there. I can¡¯t think of any other way to survive against those monsters.¡±


    Part 7


    Heivia groaned as he got up from the scorching ground.


    He started tearing at his hair when he found Quenser and Nyarlathotep had vanished.


    ¡°Does that idiot really get what this means?¡±


    Requests were still flowing in over the radio.


    The intelligence division members had been wiped out.


    The Princess on the Baby Magnum and Frolaytia commanding the battalion from the megafloat beachhead would both want to know of any survivors.


    But what would they do when they learned about this?


    What would they do when they found out Quenser Barbotage had taken Nyarlathotep with him as he left the Legitimacy Kingdom and tried to flee to a different group, even if that group was the Blue Cross.


    ¡°If I could have stopped him here, it all would have worked out once this was over.¡±


    Heivia was a Legitimacy Kingdom soldier.


    He had his reasons for taking part in this war, so he could not walk the same path as a battlefield student like Quenser.


    He could not just throw it all away.


    Still, he raised his voice while thinking about the boy who had watched his back all this time.


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations aren¡¯t your only enemy now! Don¡¯t you get that the Baby Magnum is going to be after you too!?¡±


    Two armies and two Objects would now be sent after a mere student.


    Part 8


    Quenser and Nyarlathotep no longer needed to hide from the Blue Cross civilians, so they approached one and asked where their base was located.


    There, they learned the refugee camp and tent hospital were located even further south than the Baby Magnum stationed five kilometers south of here. It made sense when they thought about it. They could hardly let people sleep on the ground when it was ninety degrees Celsius, so they would need to place their base far away from the heat and lava.


    But...


    ¡°But...I don¡¯t see how we can possibly slip past the Baby Magnum.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. As a First Generation, it was made with enemies other than Objects in mind and has a lot of excess fat to show for it. A Second Generation would be one thing, but we can¡¯t hope to survive a traditional anti-personnel battle here.¡±


    As the two of them discussed the issue, the young volunteer in a fire-resistant suit said more.


    ¡°The Panama Canal is a giant entranceway that¡¯s eighty kilometers long in all.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a water gate maintenance point at the forty kilometer point in the center. It should be protected by international law too. If you can make it there...¡±


    They were near the eight kilometer point on the far western end of the canal, so they still needed to travel more than thirty kilometers through this scorching hell that would be deadly after an hour without a fire-resistant suit.


    However, that faint hope was all they had.


    As they thanked the young man, they advised that he leave the Panama Canal because the usual rules were not going to apply, but he only smiled and shook his head. But that was not because he did not see the danger.


    ¡°The canal gathers the most attention, but there was a lot of vegetation around here. It used to be a famous for its coffee and quite a few corporations came here to investigate rare insects in search of chemical compounds to use in drugs.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Back when the UN still existed, a destroyed Eastern European city was apparently reproduced down to every last crack in the bricks as a symbol of restoration. I¡¯m not going to give up. This is our fight and it¡¯s far more difficult than wielding guns or bombs. So I¡¯m not going to give up the fight until this land is filled with water and vegetation and everyone¡¯s smiles have returned.¡±


    ¡°I see. Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    The young man tilted his head at Nyarlathotep¡¯s oddly affable voice.


    The three of them turned to face their separate objectives without knowing which one of them was truly approaching almost certain death.


    Quenser and Nyarlathotep walked along the scorching concrete bank of the glowing orange canal. Their side of the canal was a world of orange lava and the other side was a burning industrial region partially hidden by a tall, broken double fence. The scenery never seemed to change and simply viewing it seemed to wear away one¡¯s stamina.


    Even so, Quenser kept his feet moving.


    This work slowly but surely wore down his life.


    For some reason, Nyarlathotep did not seem to like walking in silence, so he kept speaking as he walked alongside Quenser.


    ¡°I did quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°The most notable jobs were mostly ways of obstructing an enemy nation¡¯s weapons development and manufacturing. I would infiltrate a fighter jet production line and inject some data that would mass produce defective products. Or I would lure them into making a cyber attack where I would let them steal the plans to a decoy reactor. The scientists in lab coats would construct the test reactor and happily blow themselves up on the other side of the planet. They didn¡¯t even have time to feel any pain.¡±


    ¡°Did you really enjoy tricking people for a living that much?¡±


    ¡°It would be more accurate to say that was the only way I could face society. I didn¡¯t become an expert in faking my own death because I wanted to. I screwed up so many times that I had no other way to get by.¡±


    Nyarlathotep was an expert spy.


    He may have wanted to keep the conversation going so he could keep the mental initiative.


    But he may not have had any real goal in mind. It may have been more of a habit, like a squirrel hiding nuts.


    ¡°I often worked with Acre Kiss-of-Rose...that is, Azathoth who created an ID with that name.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with those Nyar and Aza names? I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re nothing more than common pseudonyms. You need to learn more about recreation, boy. He was originally a Capitalist Corporations¡¯ spy just like me. Other people often don¡¯t accept the things we do for our jobs and it can be difficult getting on everyone¡¯s good side or finding a weakness to exploit, so Azathoth decided it would be faster to send someone to the higher ups and have a ¡®system¡¯ created that made it easier for us.¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, he was the CEO of a 7th Core corporation, right?¡±


    ¡°That just shows how well he did for himself. Although it is true he knew how to use the carrot and the stick to control people¡¯s hearts like a true spy.¡±


    Nyarlathotep stared down the seemingly never-ending path as he continued speaking.


    ¡°But once he could command his own Object, a gear seemed to come loose. A change in the earth¡¯s crust transformed the equal round table into a distorted pyramid. From there, it became nothing but a series of uninteresting jobs.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you took out Acre...I mean, Azathoth?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s skipping a fair bit.¡± The man with the neatly parted hair smiled a little. ¡°After my heart was worn down quite a lot, I joined with some others who felt the same and we used my usual method.¡±


    ¡°Faking your death?¡±


    ¡°Even as skilled as I am at it, it wasn¡¯t easy against that CEO of a major corporation.¡±


    While it ¡°wasn¡¯t easy¡±, he had managed to pull it off.


    That summed up the man¡¯s talent and skill.


    ¡°Anyway, after erasing all traces of ourselves, we parted ways. I chose my new home in a carefree land near the equator that had plenty of water and a certain level of medical facilities. ...In other words, I chose the Soberania District.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so was the Soberania Disturbance started because Azathoth was pursuing you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that. Personally, I don¡¯t think he knew.¡± The man rejected the idea. ¡°He was trying to start a new online shopping service known as the Silver Key. It was set to bring in a massive fortune, but that meant it needed a massive amount of jet fuel. That in turn meant he needed a system to safely transport all that fuel by tanker, so he tried to take the Panama Canal while claiming to be wiping out special commandos that would infiltrate large cities and cause largescale damage with detergent, fuel, and other everyday items. That was probably his entire purpose here. Reality isn¡¯t always driven by conspiracies or long, drawn-out plans. If it was, I could have cut him off more quickly.¡±


    Still, he had killed him.


    It did not matter if the man had done it intentionally.


    Nyarlathotep raised a finger as spoke.


    ¡°There were two tragedies for him. The first was not realizing that I, Nyarlathotep, was here.¡±


    He raised a second finger.


    ¡°The second was the fact that the self-suggestion I used to seal away my spy skills was broken by the deaths of my wife and son. ...If something had been a little different somewhere along the line, I would not have been given that chance to kill him.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Inside that half-destroyed house, he had claimed he might have walked a different path had a single person in this world been on his side.


    This may have been what he had meant.


    What if someone had told him ahead of time and he had been given a chance to escape?


    What if a hero had appeared and saved his family before his eyes?


    What if, when he decided to walk the path of murder, a small hand had remained to grab at the sleeve of his uniform?


    Quenser had no reason to support this man.


    He understood that, but he still muttered a few words.


    ¡°...That is a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. What, are you going to believe the words of someone who worked as a spy for over two decades?¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡±


    Nyarlathotep¡¯s expression did not change at the blunt admission.


    He may have felt a reason to use his ability to fully block any emotion from showing on his face.


    ¡°You deceived a lot of people for your work and for your revenge. ...But I don¡¯t see any reason why you would lie about the story you¡¯re leaving behind in the end.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re captured by the Legitimacy Kingdom or sent to the international courts via the Blue Cross, you have no future. You¡¯re a living corpse. You have no idea if you¡¯ll ever come across someone else who won¡¯t twist your words to help their organization or for appearances, so you¡¯ll take this chance to leave behind what it is you hold inside.¡±


    As they spoke, Nyarlathotep suddenly grabbed Quenser¡¯s shoulder and tugged him behind a forklift for some kind of maintenance that was so scorched that its paint looked like a blackened banana.


    They were hiding, but from what?


    The answer was only three hundred meters ahead.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Legitimacy Kingdom,¡± whispered Nyarlathotep.


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    Quenser just about clicked his tongue on reflex, but he quickly slammed on the brakes. Fortunately, the soldiers had yet to notice them. Even so, the War Hammer felt extremely heavy hanging from its sling belt.


    ¡°Why are they blocking our way? Did they predict where we would go?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been hard since you mentioned the Blue Cross before running off. The safest plan would have been to kill that boy instead of just creating a smokescreen.¡±


    Quenser did not have it in him to respond to that.


    They were still more than twenty kilometers from the Blue Cross water gate maintenance camp. Even if they slipped past these soldiers, more Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers could easily be patrolling along the rest of the way.


    Would they continue on or make a change of plans?


    The extreme situation sent sweat pouring down Quenser¡¯s face, but something even more ominous approached.


    It was a long, deep wing-like sound much like the propellers in an old war movie.


    When the student looked up from behind the forklift, his expression crumbled.


    The drones that acted as the Miskatonic¡¯s anti-personnel eyes in the sky were slowly passing through the dark red sky.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this...¡±


    He spat out the words and stood up from behind the forklift.


    It was hard to tell thanks to the hooded cloaks meant to protect against the heat and the sensors, but a close look revealed the soldiers blocking the way (and being observed from the sky) were all boys and girls even younger than Quenser himself.


    ¡°Dammit, and that Second Generation¡¯s locked onto them! If I don¡¯t do something soon, a deadly downpour is gonna fall right on top of them!¡±


    ¡°Can you really save them? They might put a bullet between your eyes the second you show your face.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but while I might be working against them, I¡¯m not their enemy!!¡±


    Loud gunfire rang out as the panicking soldiers started firing their assault rifles into the sky, but Quenser doubted that would help. It would only call in more drones.


    Quenser opened a container the size of a vaulting box that sat next to the forklift. There were thick pipes and safety valves inside, but that was not what he was interested in.


    Some thick paper was crumpled up inside as cushioning.


    ¡°They may be using reciprocating engines, but they can still move at three or four hundred kph,¡± whispered Nyarlathotep. ¡°I doubt you can shoot them down with a bomb launcher.¡±


    ¡°Who said that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing? Hey, you help too!!¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    He looked confused, so Quenser clicked his tongue and spoke.


    He did not have time for this.


    ¡°Was your kid who died a boy or a girl?¡±


    ¡°As I said, he was my son. What about it?¡±


    ¡°Then if he were alive, how old would he be?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit of a cheap shot?¡±


    ¡°How different was he from those kids who are about to be killed over there? Answer me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And this time you can save them. You can make it in time. So think carefully about this.¡±


    It was now Nyarlathotep¡¯s turn to click his tongue.


    They may not have looked anything like him. There may not have been anything in common between the dead boy in his memories and the living people before him. Not their build, not their personality, and not their age.


    But the associations made by the human mind were powerful.


    Once a connection was made, it was impossible to escape it.


    ¡°Fine then... What should I start with?¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything I can tie with? It can be a string, a wire, or whatever else. I need to tie together this paper!¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making a weapon that had its first major debut in the Swedish army¡¯s river crossing operation back in 1701!!¡±


    ¡°I see. That does seem like it would be effective.¡±


    Quenser worked with Nyarlathotep to tie up the thick paper, stuck a War Hammer fuse inside, and threw each of them into the orange canal one after another.


    The loud splashing seemed to have clued the Legitimacy Kingdom boys and girls into their presence, but they could not back off now. Quenser pulled the detonation trigger to set off the fuse inside the paper. With an impact greater than a firecracker, the damp paper burst into flames.


    The man with the neatly parted hair faithfully raised both hands but spoke with a thin smile on his face.


    ¡°The originals were clumps of straw, so I wonder if these will actually work.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if they don¡¯t burn perfectly. We already proved this would work back at the Miraflores Water Gate!¡±


    A moment later, black smoke started rising from the paper floating on the water. Just like an octopus or squid would muddy the seawater with ink if they sensed danger, a portion of the scenery was quickly filled with the color black. The heated wind immediately swept the smoke over their heads.


    Quenser raised his hands as well and shouted to the soldiers that he still believed where his allies.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fire! You¡¯ll tell them where you are! The heat and smoke will blind their eyes in the sky. All you need is an impromptu smokescreen weapon! If you don¡¯t cause a commotion, the Miska-...the Extra Arc¡¯s anti-personnel cannons can¡¯t target you!!¡±


    A dull metallic sound rang out.


    Despite the countless guns aimed his way, Quenser turned just his head toward the sound.


    At one or two kilometers away, it was closer than he had expected.


    It was the Extra Arc...no, the Miskatonic.


    (What happened back at the Miraflores Water Gate? After the drones lost sight of us, what did that monster do once we ran into the forest?)


    With a great roar on the opposite bank, the area around the Miskatonic was surrounded in scarlet flames. Its own industrial region crumbled even further. It may have been scattering chemical incendiary rounds at the same time. Not only did the entire area burn indiscriminately, but it seemed to cover even its own surface in a deep red hood.


    The eight flower petals on the back of the spherical main body began to wriggle. The main cannons squirmed through the air like the tentacles of a mollusk capturing its prey and they slowly turned toward Quenser and the others.


    Those plasma cannons had abnormal power. They contained a disastrous fire that could instantly transform the entire scenery into orange lava.


    Heivia must have contacted the others to inform them of that firepower because the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers started retreating. They were slowly backing away from the canal as if to put as much distance between them and the Object as they could.


    But Quenser shouted out as if to tap them on the back.


    ¡°No, jump in!!¡±


    As if to demonstrate, Quenser ran full speed toward the Panama Canal, and thus toward the Capitalist Corporations-controlled Azuero District and the Miskatonic itself. Nyarlathotep followed after him with a thin smile on his face.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers aimed their assault rifles at the two, but not a single bullet flew their way.


    After a moment of hesitation, several sets of footsteps ran after them.


    They all jumped into the water that reflected the orange light. They did not at all feel like they were inside the ocean. It was worse than a hot bath. It was possible all of the fish had long since died.


    But they could hardly complain.


    They immense quantity of water and the current saved them. The water had an average temperature between sixty and eighty degrees and it would occasionally reach as high as ninety. If the liquid were not being churned up by the current, it might have been the same as boiling water.


    Quenser poked just his head from the water and glared at the Miskatonic.


    He waited in silence.


    And waited in silence.


    And waited in silence.


    Finally, the Miskatonic¡¯s giant form moved. It slowly backed away and accelerated northward.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t want to get the Panama Canal¡¯s water gates and pumps involved. Looks like those rules are still in effect.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no real reason to relax.¡±


    Quenser spat back at Nyarlathotep¡¯s comment.


    He then shouted at the boys and girls wearing the same uniform he was.


    ¡°Do you know why it withdrew? To come up with a countermeasure! Next time, it won¡¯t be using drones. They might have to throw something together at the last second, but they¡¯ll attach some anti-personnel sensors directly to that thing and resume the hunt. Once that happens, a smokescreen will be useless and we¡¯ll be blown away as soon as it locks onto us. You need to get out of here before that happens! Hurry!!¡±


    ¡°Ah...Huh?¡±


    Nyarlathotep ignored the confused boy and asked a question.


    ¡°You can worry about others if you like, but what about us? I think we¡¯ll be targeted first and foremost.¡±


    ¡°Change of plans,¡± groaned Quenser. ¡°We¡¯re going to swim across to the Azuero District to the north. We¡¯ll slip into their maintenance base and stop them from using what little knowledge they have to find a way to get the anti-personnel sensors they need. ...I said I excel at that kind of thing, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had to be prepared to die about three times along the way?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m sick of babysitting some kids that I¡¯m not sure have even grown any hair down there yet. Let¡¯s destroy the source of the danger so we can safely reach the goal line.¡±


    With that decided, Quenser and Nyarlathotep began swimming across the fifty meter wide canal.


    There were armed soldiers behind them, but no one fired at them.


    The soldiers may have realized that pulling the trigger could lead to something unpleasant dropping down on their heads.


    Part 9


    An unpleasant tension stung at Quenser¡¯s skin.


    It had begun the moment he had crossed the canal and entered the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Azuero District. It may have come from his awareness that he was standing in enemy territory.


    A double chain-link fence nearly three meters tall blocked the way, but it was not much of an obstacle with so much of it broken and collapsed. There were also guard towers with gun turrets, but they had fallen over.


    The entire scenery changed.


    The Soberania District had resembled a resort town or forest after a fire, but the Azuero District was covered in asphalt and filled with giant concrete boxes and cylindrical metal tanks. It all looked like an unhealthy industrial sector.


    However, the entire place had transformed into a scorching red and black hell with the buildings melted into lava.


    Here and there, Quenser saw groups of metal pipes that almost seemed to form a brain. They even passed by overhead like overpasses, so he opened his mouth.


    ¡°This is right on the border, so what kind of factory was this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too scorched to read properly, but you can just barely make out ¡®Liquid-N¡¯ on the tanks.¡±


    ¡°Liquid nitrogen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably officially meant for humanitarian medicine, but I bet it was actually being used in research and development for a new type of night assault cannon.¡±


    ¡°Those weapons are meant to silently attack a maintenance base zone and then leave, right?¡±


    ¡°Mortars and multiple rocket launchers are the standard weapons for attacking a base, but they don¡¯t have much initial speed and it takes a few seconds before they hit. If people react to the sound of them being fired and jump out of the way or get down on the ground, the number of casualties goes way down, so everyone wants a way to launch a shell without using any powder.¡±


    ¡°I know our intelligence division was doing some research by launching a baseball with compressed air...but I think that was a failure because it didn¡¯t give the ball much distance for how heavy the unit was.¡±


    ¡°Here, they were probably trying to gain even more power by flash vaporizing liquid nitrogen inside the barrel. It might sound difficult to use, but liquid nitrogen can be safely stored in a thermos.¡±


    ¡°It still doesn¡¯t seem to fit with the ¡®firepower above all else¡¯ ideal of the Object worshippers.¡±


    ¡°If the research was actually important, they would never build the factory next to the border, even if it is a border with a blank region. It¡¯s probably a dumping ground for anyone who messes up in defending their home country.¡±


    The industrial sector burned loudly as Quenser and Nyarlathotep walked through it.


    The sky was covered by black smoke as far as the eye could see, but it was not coming from the smokestacks. They could not hear a single sound indicating the facilities here were running.


    Similarly, no one else seemed to be around.


    ¡°Those main cannons we saw back at the Miraflores Water Gate were insanely powerful.¡±


    The facilities were packed in tightly despite how much space there was, so they had poor visibility. Quenser glanced around, but he could not see the giant Object from here.


    ¡°Those weren¡¯t normal low-stability plasma cannons. How do they get that much power? Are they compressing a huge amount of catalyst, are they sending in a powerful electric current, or does it have something like a circular particle accelerator inside?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably simpler than that. That¡¯s plasma, but it leaves the category of the low-stability plasma cannon. That¡¯s why it can use an unprecedented level of power.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    Quenser initially did not seem to know what the man meant, but...


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re kidding, right? Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°All of the energy swirling through the JPlevelMHD reactor is directly retrieved and launched from the tubes. ...So that¡¯s plasma that can¡¯t be called ¡®low-stability¡¯. It¡¯s the overwhelming heat that keeps a two hundred thousand ton giant fighting at speeds in excess of five hundred kph. Do you see now why that would have the destructive power to carve orange paths into the planet?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any proof that¡¯s what it¡¯s doing?¡±


    ¡°No. But I can¡¯t think of any other theory to explain what I saw.¡±


    Quenser was not about to take the words of an enemy spy at face value, but he placed it in a corner of his mind as a possibility.


    But if that theory was true...


    (The explosion of a test reactor has enough power to stop an Object. If all that energy is being directly sent out, even the Princess would be vaporized in a single hit. And it can keep firing it from eight different cannons?)


    Those were some frightening specs, but he still had his doubts.


    If that was true, they would need a way past a certain problem present in the design of an Object.


    Nyarlathotep pointed forward.


    ¡°If you have any doubts, check it out for yourself. That¡¯s the best course of action in an environment filled with both truth and lies.¡±


    After walking around the corner of a giant crumbling factory, Quenser frantically backed up.


    The Miskatonic was hidden there.


    That nightmarish Object used its eight tentacles to freely fire the energy drawn directly from its reactor.


    ¡°Why!? Shouldn¡¯t there at least be guards around it if it¡¯s undergoing maintenance!?¡±


    ¡°Even with heat-resistant suits, they can¡¯t keep soldiers around at all times when it¡¯s ninety degrees here. But if they send the Object back to a safer area, the Legitimacy Kingdom will use that as an opportunity to advance. Instead, they send only the bare minimum of equipment into this scorching region to keep the soldiers out of this sauna as much as possible. ...After all, an Object can¡¯t be damaged by a surprise attack from rank and file soldiers. Or so they believe.¡±


    Based on their experience so far, the Miskatonic most likely used the drones for everything but anti-Object targeting. Currently, it was busy having anti-personnel sensors installed because it could not trust its eyes in the sky. It was unlikely it would send out the drones it no longer trusted.


    With that in mind, Quenser and Nyarlathotep moved out from the factory wall again. They stayed low and jogged over to the Object.


    It used an air cushion propulsion device. The air cushion was shaped like a diagonal ¡°#¡± with the front two lines stretched out. Overall, it had the silhouette of a double-edged sword. The edges suck out from the Object a little bit and they looked like an aircraft carrier¡¯s flight deck.


    ¡°Wow... The entire road is covered in a forest of steel beams. How many of them are there? And the Object is sitting on top of that metal forest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a way of distributing the weight. They do the same thing in shipbuilding. When a seventy thousand ton cruiser is being constructed, it¡¯s supported by countless wooden beams before it¡¯s allowed to float in the water.¡±


    Countless thick wires extended from the surrounding factories and cylindrical tanks and they connected to the Object like it was Gulliver. Maintenance soldiers in fire-resistant suits were traveling up and down those wires. Most of the work was being done overhead, so Quenser and Nyarlathotep rushed into the forest of steel beams so as not to be seen. They were directly below the two hundred thousand ton Miskatonic.


    Quenser groaned as he nervously looked overhead.


    ¡°That float looks like a sword. It extends so far forward. Wouldn¡¯t half...no, a third as much be able to support it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how incredibly powerful its main cannons are. It needs this giant float for the recoil.¡±


    They continued to the very back of the metal forest and poked their heads out from below the Object ceiling.


    There, they saw the eight flower petals attached to the back of the spherical main body. The eight tentacles attached to those giant reels were far too close.


    ¡°They¡¯re basically endoscopes. Do you think they use electromagnets to control the plasma?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what else they could use. They basically have a small sun trapped in there, so even if they make the walls thicker, the plasma¡¯s heat will still melt the material.¡±


    They did not know if it was the tokamak method or the torus method, but the inside of those tubes had to be filled with extremely high power electromagnets. That immense magnetic line would restrain the plasma and fire it by letting it ¡°escape¡± in the desired direction.


    Quenser pulled his head back to hide below the Object ceiling again.


    ¡°I have one question about its targeting.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°Our theory was that the Miskatonic uses its own sensors to target Objects and the drones for soldiers and anything else.¡±


    Quenser leaned against one of the steel beams.


    ¡°But how? Its main cannons are overwhelming. I¡¯d heard the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s observation equipment was blinded in the instant it fired because the values grew too high. In that case, how is it targeting the enemy Object from the center of that vortex of plasma?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, that is strange.¡±


    ¡°It obviously can¡¯t use optical or IR sensors. And all the noise rules out auditory or ultrasonic.¡±


    ¡°That much plasma would also render electromagnetic waves unusable. It couldn¡¯t be using radar.¡±


    Quenser followed up Nyarlathotep¡¯s comment by thinking through a human¡¯s senses.


    ¡°What about smell or taste?¡±


    ¡°Do you know how chemical weapons like poison gas are disposed of? Most of the time, they¡¯re incinerated in the high temperature of aluminum of napalm. The particles behind smell can¡¯t be relied on in that plasma.¡±


    ¡°But the particles aren¡¯t wiped out entirely. That would break the conservation of mass. They¡¯ve only been made harmless and invisible, but they¡¯re still floating around, right? The extreme heat simply changes their chemical structure into something else.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re suggesting an olfactory sensor that assumes the indicator has been oxidized? In other words, it has a particle collection device? We should have paid attention to the direction of the wind.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s about to fire. It must use something scattered by the target...like a static electricity model¡¯s repellant or an air cushion model¡¯s turbine lubricant. It uses that ¡®smell¡¯ to maintain an accurate targeting lock in the middle of this hell of heat and light.¡±


    In exchange, the Object¡¯s own sensors had not been able to accurately target Quenser and the others when they fled into the forest near the Miraflores Water Gate. Humans did not scatter that much material when they breathed.


    That was why it had been forced to attack the general area and create those rivers of lava.


    It had only been able to assume it had killed them.


    Nyarlathotep accepted the idea before saying more.


    ¡°But how does that help us? All that lets us do is divert its aim with chaff or a flare when it targets another Object.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. We can abuse that method to get it to fire its main cannons wherever we want. And the Miskatonic uses massive plasma cannons. It¡¯s possible we could...¡±


    ¡°Get the enemy to fire on its own forces?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser fell silent for a while and finally responded.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s wait until later to get greedy. Right now, we just need to take out its anti-personnel sensors. We need to figure out what they¡¯re attaching to it.¡±


    ¡°What a pain. Are we going to walk up one of those wires? That would definitely be hard to do without being spotted. It would be easier if we could get our hands on those fire-resistant suits they¡¯re wearing.¡±


    ¡°All that matters is that we know they aren¡¯t done working yet.¡±


    Quenser grabbed his War Hammer with both hands.


    ¡°If I fire at the tip and base of their crane game, I can interrupt their work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all for blowing something up, but wait until after we have an escape route. That has a wireless trigger for remote detonation, right?¡±


    Just as they started discussing their plans, a high-pitched whistle sounded overhead.


    It was the same explosive roar as the jet engine hanging down from a large passenger plane¡¯s wing. Quenser looked up without thinking and was amazed to find his body still had enough moisture to sweat.


    ¡°Oh, no. The air cushion is starting up! We need to get out of here! We¡¯ll be crushed by the compressed air!!¡±


    They did not have time to worry about the danger of being spotted by the Capitalist Corporations maintenance soldiers. The two of them ran through the forest of steel beams and out from below the roof formed by the Miskatonic.


    A moment later, a tremendous wall of air blew through.


    Just as the two hundred thousand ton mass began to float, the excess air scattered in every direction. Their bodies seemed to grow weightless and their toes left the scorching asphalt. Quenser swallowed a scream and focused exclusively on not biting his tongue as he was forced to enjoy an aerial swim at more than five meters up.


    He lost his balance, crashed into the road again, and rolled another twenty meters.


    ¡°Ah...gah! Gh!? Bghah!!¡±


    Occasionally the news would get worked up over a story of a truck dragging someone behind it, but this may have been similar. If not for the thick helmet meant to fight the flames and sensors, his head might have looked like it had been grated.


    Similarly, Nyarlathotep was saved by his firefighter¡¯s outfit and he slowly rose to his unsteady feet. Quenser¡¯s mouth was still flapping wordlessly, so the man grabbed his arm and forced him to his feet as well.


    There was a good reason for doing that.


    A sudden flash of light sliced through the industrial sector.


    There was a thick orange afterimage through the air and a white flash of light as if from welding at the point of contact.


    The giant concrete factory was roasted through. The Miskatonic snapped its many wires and jumped to the right to escape. The maintenance soldiers working up top were vaporized, set on fire, or sent into a freefall.


    Yes, the Miskatonic dodged.


    The attack had come from somewhere else.


    In other words...


    ¡°A laser beam!? Was that the Princess!?¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯ve crossed a line too. I never thought the Legitimacy Kingdom would be the first one to enter the demilitarized zone.¡±


    Part 10


    Removing rubble would leave one a sweaty mess at the best of times and doing it in an 80+ degree sauna did not help. The word ¡°heatstroke¡± seriously entered Heivia¡¯s mind as a weapon.


    While he focused on his surroundings, a rumbling passed him by. A metal bucket on the front of a military tractor was shoving the rubble (and the asphalt below it) away like a snowplow.


    Heivia and the rest of an infantry unit followed to make sure there was nothing remaining on the road and finally called in a report over the radio.


    ¡°The road has been levelled. I repeat, the road has been levelled! If you blow a tire here, you¡¯re either incredibly unlucky or the maintenance soldiers haven¡¯t been doing their job. Let¡¯s get this over with and leave the rest to the Princess!!¡±


    A response came in the form of an even greater mass of noise approaching from up ahead.


    Or rather, it was a tremor running through the ground.


    A vehicle two or three times the size of trucks seen on normal roads traveled down the path they had cleared. Lengthwise, it was on the same level as the Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum.


    The giant vehicle had thirty-two wheels and it was on the way to the Panama Canal that divided the Soberania District and the Azuero District.


    The entire chassis was lifted up by fixed legs like with a crane and the creaking of hydraulic cylinders rang out.


    The already giant vehicle extended even further like an accordion. It was enough to slowly cross the entire Panama Canal that was made for tankers to pass through.


    ¡°This is incredible. We can build a bridge to reach the battlefield in only ten minutes.¡±


    Heivia commented out of habit but cleared his throat when he remembered his usual companion was not with him.


    Meanwhile, the large bridge vehicle extended its body that was folded up like an accordion. The mountains and valleys flattened out as it extended further and further.


    It soon reached the other bank and something like a stake was driven in.


    ¡°Can I go now?¡± asked the Princess.


    ¡°Not yet. If we don¡¯t attach floats at even intervals down the bridge, it¡¯ll snap down the middle. It¡¯s just like a girl¡¯s ass: being too big can be a problem too.¡±


    The Princess did not respond to his joke.


    The awkward silence of an elevator ride with a stranger followed, but she used the downtime to say something else.


    ¡°Did Quenser not know this would happen?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? What matters is that he made an enemy of the Legitimacy Kingdom. And to protect the guy that caused all of this. He¡¯s got a boner for the fact that he holds the fate of mankind and the trigger to war in his hands.¡±


    ¡°...Sigh.¡±


    The Princess only had secondhand information, so she did not know the exact situation in which Quenser and Heivia had aimed their weapons at each other.


    She only knew that she had been ordered to resolve this situation even if it meant killing Quenser.


    ¡°But no matter how hard he tries, he can¡¯t defeat the Baby Magnum.¡±


    She was not simply overestimating her ability. She had seen Quenser and Heivia blow away cutting-edge Second Generations on several occasions, but she could still confidently state that fact.


    Her Baby Magnum was an ¡°outdated¡± First Generation. That meant it was constructed to overwhelm any weapon, including nuclear missiles, instead of just fighting other Objects. Simply put, it contained far more anti-personnel sensors and weapons than those other Objects.


    Defeating a Second Generation was no proof that he could defeat a First Generation.


    ¡°And apparently he¡¯s doing it all to protect some old guy,¡± she complained. ¡°Does it not even have to be a girl anymore?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? From what I¡¯ve heard, he charged right into danger to protect our novice unit from that Object. It scares me how far that suicidal pervert has expanded the range of who he¡¯ll protect.¡±


    Part 11


    ¡°The Baby Magnum has crossed the demilitarized Panama Canal using the bridge vehicle. The invasion of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Azuero District has begun. As planned, contact with the Extra Arc has been confirmed.¡±


    A young female operator read off the report in the operation control room of the giant square megafloat beachhead near the Panama Bay.


    The dimly-lit room was kept a little too cool and the operator glanced just once over at Frolaytia.


    ¡°Are you sure we should have done this?¡±


    ¡°The situation is urgent enough to warrant it.¡±


    An orange glow came from the end of her long, narrow kiseru as the busty silver-haired commander gave her annoyed reply.


    She was currently using the laptop sitting next to her to speak with an old man relaxing in a distant safe country.


    ¡°Do you think you can manage this?¡± he asked. ¡°I have my hands full dealing with the hard-liners who can barely contain their smiles as they shout shrilly at me. They want you to attack the enemy¡¯s valuable weapons manufacturing facilities and resource mines as a preemptive strike to protect the valuable lives of our own people. ...And would you look at that? All of the marks they¡¯ve put on the map are cities with populations of at least a million. Makes you wonder if they even know how to read a map.¡±


    ¡°If we do capture Nyarlathotep, is there a chance he¡¯ll be silenced before he can be transported to a safe country for a military trial?¡±


    ¡°Of course. And even if he does give his testimony, they¡¯ll buy as much time as they can by claiming his confession was forced through torture. Those damn berserkers have forgotten the terror of war after living in peace for so long. It¡¯s those kinds of idiots who end up with foolish-looking pictures in the history books.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t come up with a countermeasure, the entire globe will be sent back to the stone age.¡±


    ¡°The Faith Organization might be crying tears of joy since some of them think it¡¯s about time humanity was destroyed for a global reset, but we disagree. You¡¯re on the beachhead instead of in your usual maintenance base, right? Do you know why that change was made?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°Open the container marked top secret in the corner of the third bunker. On top of that giant float is everything you need to hold a military trial. It doesn¡¯t have to last more than a minute or even half a minute. As soon as Nyarlathotep gets there, begin and end that trial. That will leave the conclusion that this series of events was all his doing and the Legitimacy Kingdom had no part in it. ...As long as we have that judgment paper, we can avoid giving the solar system a second star.¡±


    ¡°In other words, you aren¡¯t giving any thought to what happens to Nyarlathotep afterwards?¡±


    ¡°If the defendant kicks the bucket, there¡¯s no risk of an appeal. We won¡¯t have to worry about war breaking out during a years-long process or some skilled attorney overturning everything. This is actually the best option for anyone who wants world peace. When the hard-liners¡¯ assassin shows up, make sure to pay them a tip.¡±


    The smiling old man ended the transmission.


    Frolaytia breathed out some sweet smoke and spoke with a bitter look on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think it really is time humanity was destroyed for a global reset.¡±


    Part 12


    Quenser was covered in scrapes, but he could not complain.


    His goal had been the destruction of the anti-personnel sensors set to be added to the Miskatonic. That had been meant to reduce the sacrifices among the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers, but the situation had changed.


    The two Objects were fighting now.


    Led by Nyarlathotep, Quenser ran from the Miskatonic. The Object moved every which way as it dodged the main cannon shots fired by the Baby Magnum. The orange ruins were destroyed even further like some kind of natural disaster.


    Nyarlathotep spoke as he ran.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find some masks somewhere. There must be some in these specialized factories.¡±


    ¡°Masks?¡±


    ¡°Those tanks are filled with liquid nitrogen, right? If they burst and the contents get out, it will vaporize almost immediately. That is not an environment for a human being that inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide.¡±


    ¡°This place is going to get even closer to being like the surface of Mars!?¡±


    Quenser shouted in fear as he held his War Hammer in both hands.


    Not far away, the Miskatonic began returning fire. It scattered chemical incendiary rounds while its eight tentacle-like main cannons began to wriggle. Pure white beams were released from various angles.


    The industrial sector had just barely maintained its scorched form as it was dyed orange, but it quickly melted into the lava now.


    It had been enough of a shock to knock him unconscious when he first saw it, but was growing accustomed to this a good thing? Quenser swore in his heart to see an eye doctor once this was over.


    The two of them were assaulted by scorching waves of heat and a tremendous shaking below their feet.


    Walls collapsed and Object maintenance materials fell from large trucks. A metal sphere several meters across even rolled across an intersection in the work roads.


    ¡°Wah!?¡±


    Quenser was nearly crushed, but his surprise did not come from the near miss.


    The item was far different from a giant wrecking ball.


    ¡°A test reactor!? They carried in one of those as a spare part!?¡±


    ¡°Do you think we could make it go supercritical to blow away the Miskatonic from below?¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Even if we did try to get close, those randomly fired chemical incendiary rounds are too scary. Let¡¯s just keep going!¡±


    However, a giant wall blocked their way. It was actually a tube over two meters wide wriggling around the area. It was probably a spare part for the Miskatonic¡¯s main cannons.


    Quenser clicked his tongue and searched for a way around it.


    The clash between the two monsters was underway not far away.


    ¡°She¡¯s at a disadvantage,¡± said Nyarlathotep in reference to the Princess. ¡°Part of it comes down to the power of her main cannons, but the lava also stops her static electricity propulsion. Plus, her sensors are blinded. And if our theory is correct, the Miskatonic can accurately aim using its high-level olfactory sensors. She has no chance in a head-on battle.¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, the Miskatonic¡¯s new anti-personnel sensors weren¡¯t added in yet. The Princess is one thing, but we don¡¯t have to worry about it locating us.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you chose to charge in to fight after hearing my explanation tells me they should build a statue to honor you. I sympathize with that partner who must always be following you around like this.¡±


    Quenser adjusted his grip on the War Hammer and changed direction with Nyarlathotep. They gave the Miskatonic a wide berth as they ran through a factory.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that the Legitimacy Kingdom is firing on us too, boy. Look, there are foot soldiers deployed in addition to the Object. How are we going to get past them?¡±


    ¡°I know that. Besides, the First Generation Baby Magnum¡¯s sensors are enough of a-...¡±


    He trailed off as he heard something explode behind them. He quickly looked back and saw a burst pipe partway down the way they had come.


    (Did the heat raise the internal pressure too far!?)


    But that was not the only explosion. More and more sounded out and they were getting closer.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be swallowed up.¡±


    ¡°But if we run out from here...!!¡±


    There was another large building across a large work road. If they made it there, they would find new, safer cover.


    But the second Quenser poked his head out, orange sparks flew from the nearby wall.


    He ducked down and pulled his head back.


    He poked just his survival kit¡¯s knife out to check again and could tell someone was wielding an assault rifle seven hundred meters ahead.


    Quenser clenched his teeth and shouted the familiar boy¡¯s name.


    ¡°Heivia!!¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re cornered. He seems to be using a silencer, but I don¡¯t see why he would need to avoid telling his comrades where his enemy is.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    The explosions were approaching from behind.


    ¡°Without a rifle that has support sensors, they¡¯ll have to get closer to shoot. We can make a run for it now. If we can find a way past that idiot, that is.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s proven his skill. Step out there and you¡¯ll have your spine shot out before you make it ten steps.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    ¡°Just tell me what it is.¡±


    ¡°If he can shoot at us, that means the line of sight between us is clear.¡±


    ¡°But we have no gun. A handgun and your precious War Hammer can¡¯t fire seven hundred meters.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t all I have on hand.¡±


    As he spoke, Quenser reached for his bullpup sticky bomb launcher.


    With a solid clicking sound, he removed a piece of it.


    In the fiery hell of nearly one hundred degrees, Heivia Winchell could not lie down on the asphalt to steady himself.


    Instead, he stood upright as held his assault rifle and secretly clicked his tongue.


    (Dammit. I would¡¯ve hit on the first shot if I could do this by the book.)


    The young soldier next to him spoke from below a silver cloak.


    ¡°What is it, Heivia? Quit firing needlessly. Just because this is an abandoned Capitalist Corporations factory doesn¡¯t mean you can blow up all the fuel tanks like this is a video game. Wars have rules, you know?¡±


    ¡°You idiot, that¡¯s not the point!!¡±


    Just as he removed his eye from the scope to shout back, a transmission reached his radio.


    The frequency and encryption format had long since been changed, but he still had Quenser¡¯s bandwidth set in case he could ¡°intercept¡± something. The reason for that went without saying: intelligence itself was a weapon for the military.


    ¡°...Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯ve got that right. I never knew you were so heartless.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re the one that blew me away with a bomb! Besides, you still owe me two hundred euros! And when we went to peep on the women¡¯s bath the other day, you ran off and abandoned me!!¡±


    ¡°I have a suggestion, Heivia. ...By the way, what do you think happened to the photo I took back then?¡±


    ¡°Hm? ...Photo?¡±


    Heivia¡¯s expression grew incredibly serious.


    At the same time, a small piece of paper slowly stuck out from behind a distant wall.


    It was a picture of Frolaytia Capistrano in the bath.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal, Heivia. This will be our little secret.¡±


    ¡°Tch!!!!¡±


    Reason and instinct began an all-out battle inside Heivia Winchell.


    Killing Quenser would be easy, but if he let go of that photo, the wind would blow it right into that sea of flames. The only way for Heivia to get his hands on this was to accept Quenser¡¯s terms.


    Blood focused in the soldier¡¯s head until he thought he would get a nosebleed, but he finally reached his conclusion.


    (Okay, I¡¯ll burn it into my memory and then kill him.)


    A hopeless guy was only going to reach a hopeless conclusion.


    He began staring through his sniper scope so intently he thought the capillaries in his eyes were going to burst.


    (This isn¡¯t good. I know it¡¯s only a photo, but it still looks like red light is shining from her eyes. She¡¯s trained me pretty well, hasn¡¯t she?)


    But the idiot soon rejected that idea.


    ¡°No, wait...¡±


    He blinked.


    That alluring bathing scene photograph had a tiny, tiny pinprick of a hole in it. It was right on Frolaytia¡¯s eye.


    And something was aimed Heivia¡¯s way from behind the photograph and thus hidden from his sight.


    ¡°A laser sight!? What are you, a rude spectator!?¡±


    With the photo in his right hand and the War Hammer¡¯s sensor in his left, Quenser¡¯s hands were full.


    So it was Nyarlathotep who used the boy¡¯s survival kit knife as a mirror to observe the situation.


    ¡°The sniper looked away. He probably doesn¡¯t want to be blinded.¡±


    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance. Let¡¯s go!!¡±


    Quenser and Nyarlathotep both charged out from behind cover.


    At the same time, the exploding pipes swallowed up the spot they had been hiding in.


    The surrounding soldiers began spraying bullets their way, but reaching them and hitting them were two different things. Without a mid-range sniper unit, an assault rifle¡¯s average range was between three and four hundred meters. That was not enough.


    They ran across the wide work road and behind the cover provided by the wall of the next building.


    ¡°That settles it. They know we¡¯re here now. They¡¯re going to start a human wave attack soon.¡±


    ¡°Either way, we can¡¯t escape from the anti-personnel sensors of the Princess¡¯s First Generation. Plus, the more of their people are here, the more options we have.¡±


    Quenser reattached the laser sight to the War Hammer and poked his head out once more.


    A few guns immediately aimed his way, but he fired his War Hammer before they could do anything.


    A few of the lenses attached to the Baby Magnum¡¯s smaller cannons whirred as it fought the Miskatonic.


    Rather than hitting a person, the jelly-like bomb had hit a giant cylindrical tank filled with liquid nitrogen.


    Quenser ignored the assault rifles as he brought his radio to his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk this out peacefully, Princess! Call off the soldiers. If that tank bursts here, the heat of the lava will immediately create a cloud of nitrogen and that will kill everyone here like it¡¯s a gas chamber.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to kill you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit I look like a caged bird about to be killed by the fat cat, but are you sure you want to shoot me? Even the smallest of an Object¡¯s cannons will cause too much destruction. Ha ha ha! If only you had a way to kill me without destroying the tank.¡±


    That was when he heard a muffled explosion and a wave of heat washed over the surface of the earth with enough force to feel like a physical wall.


    The Miskatonic was scattering its chemical incendiary rounds while moving at high speed.


    Quenser covered his mouth with a hand and crouched down to weather the storm.


    He had to peel his dried lips apart to shout into the radio.


    ¡°Just have them fall back, you idiot!! It¡¯s too late by the time all your adorable little comrades are holding their throats and writhing in pain!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was a short pause and confused looks covered the faces of all the soldiers aiming their rifles his away.


    They all glared at him while moving back without turning around.


    Heivia did the same, but he accurately aimed at the center of Quenser¡¯s chest as he gave a shout.


    ¡°Quenser!! What are you trying to do!?¡±


    ¡°If you want to stand on the same stage as me, you should¡¯ve been at least a little bit better of a guy, noble!!¡±


    Quenser shouted back while stroking his finger over the War Hammer¡¯s wireless trigger.


    Even if they shot the boy, he could still blow up the liquid nitrogen tank if he was not killed instantly.


    ¡°Are you still gonna use that radio!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you!?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re in real trouble, contact me on that frequency. If you kiss the burning asphalt, I¡¯ll listen as you beg for your life!¡±


    Heivia clicked his tongue and withdrew with the other soldiers.


    Then the Princess spoke over the radio.


    ¡°Now what are you going to do? You lost your hostages, so I don¡¯t have to worry about your tank shield.¡±


    ¡°That just means I need to use a different bargaining chip.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Give me your scent, Princess. That will give me everything I need to defeat the Miska-...the Extra Arc.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I really should kill this pervert...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about the repellant for your static electricity propulsion device!! It¡¯s divided into small containers you can eject to avoid any trouble if it gets clogged up, right? Eject one of those containers at your feet!!¡±


    Part 13


    The Miskatonic was not exactly an easy Object to control.


    The Pilot Elite sitting in the cockpit readily admitted that fact.


    After all, the main cannons were far too powerful because they took energy directly from the reactor. The extreme recoil needed to be controlled and the brilliant torrent blinded any sensors, whether they used light, heat, sound, or electromagnetic waves. The residual heat could easily set his fellow soldiers on fire and, even if the high-level olfactory sensors could pick up the enemy¡¯s location, no other information was known, not even the layout of the terrain. He would often run into buildings or walls and he had often almost plunged right into the rivers of lava he had created.


    But he accepted all of that risk.


    The great advantage that came with the risk had gathered many people to the Object.


    ¡°...¡±


    The monster blinded itself with its own main cannons, so it pursued its enemy by smell.


    This was a sightless world.


    And this scorching hell gave the advantage to the one accustomed to blindness, even if the other side had greater specs and originality.


    Even now, several fluorescent lines were drawn on the pure white screen. Those were the trails from the repellant that supported the enemy Object¡¯s static electricity propulsion device. The Elite¡¯s prey lay at the end of those trails. With that targeting information in mind, he used a trackball to hold the reins of the eight automatically wriggling tentacles and waited for the enemy to change direction at high speed. In other words, for the instant of motionless when the enemy was controlling their inertia.


    In that instant, the leading edge of the ¡°smell¡± vanished.


    A moment later, a new point of light appeared about twenty meters to the left.


    But given an Object¡¯s size, that was only a ¡°half step¡±.


    (The repellant reading jumped? Did they use some kind of booster or is something wrong with the olfactory sensors?)


    He clenched his teeth and immediately fired the main cannons.


    The surrounding speakers were turned off, but a deafening torrent of noise still reached him.


    Regardless, it was over now.


    The high energy plasma stabbed accurately at the source of the smell and melted even part of the earth¡¯s surface into an orange liquid.


    Or it should have.


    A moment later, something incomprehensible happened.


    An overwhelming heat pierced through the center of the Miskatonic and melted it to the color orange.


    Part 14


    Quenser and Nyarlathotep¡¯s tactics had been simple.


    Some spare parts for the Miskatonic had been scattered about. Among them had been the main cannon¡¯s giant reel, the tentacle-like tube attached to it, and a sphere several meters in diameter...in other words, a test reactor.


    Nyarlathotep had been the one to break the lock on a piece of heavy machinery and then to operate it.


    ¡°The setup is simple! Just place it in a giant U-shape near where our Princess is fighting!! Use the War Hammer¡¯s laser pointer to get the exact angle of the muzzle more or less right!!¡±


    ¡°Do you really think this will work?¡±


    ¡°It scares me that the test reactor is cold, but it should still work. We don¡¯t need to run the entire system. We just need the band of electromagnets inside the main cannon to run, so we should get enough energy even if it isn¡¯t in a perfect critical state!!¡±


    The two of them had secretly continued their work while the two Objects continued their intense battle.


    Normally, not even a Second Generation specialized for use against other Objects would have overlooked this, but the Miskatonic blinded itself with the flash of its own main cannons and its anti-personnel sensor modification had not been completed. Someone could run right in front of it naked and it would never notice.


    Once the preparations were complete, Quenser grabbed the repellant container meant for use with a static electricity propulsion device and placed it near the end of the tentacle main cannon.


    He fired one of the War Hammer¡¯s jelly explosives on the side of the container and moved far away.


    Then he shouted into the radio.


    ¡°When I give you the signal, move right past us and switch off your propulsion device! I¡¯ll blow up the container to release the repellant! It should look to him like you made a quick reversal!!¡±


    The moment of truth had finally come.


    A brilliant flash was released from the Miskatonic¡¯s tentacle-like main cannon. It was absorbed into the spare part Quenser and Nyarlathotep had laid in a U-shape and it obediently traveled through the tunnel like a signal down a fiber optic cable. It looped hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of times around the wrapped reel and then shot back out the other end.


    Yes.


    It was almost like the blast had been reflected by a giant mirror.


    The result was obvious.


    The Miskatonic¡¯s own main cannon blast pierced through its spherical body.


    The armor capable of enduring a nuclear blast instantly melted. The air cushion on the bottom and the eight main cannons arranged on the back like a giant flower or straw hat had not melted yet, but those external components and wreckage exploded like a firecracker placed inside the top of some melting ice cream. After a short delay, there was another explosion. The reactor itself had melted and exploded.


    Quenser and Nyarlathotep should have been plenty far away, but they were still blasted into the air.


    The boy slammed back-first into the ground and entered a fit of damp coughing, but he was still wrapped in a sense of relief.


    The greatest enemy had been defeated.


    He still had to escape the Legitimacy Kingdom, but the hurdle had just lowered significantly. He grabbed and shook Nyarlathotep¡¯s shoulder as the man lay on the ground nearby.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s fake our deaths. That explosion had to have blinded the Baby Magnum¡¯s sensors for a while, so how can we make sure they lose our-...¡±


    He trailed off as further terror arrived.


    Or perhaps it was more accurate to say the battle was not yet over.


    Quenser Barbotage had forgotten something.


    The Miskatonic¡¯s main cannons gathered and released energy directly from its reactor.


    But that also meant the heat built up in the reactor would escape at uneven intervals. Needless to say, that would create extreme irregularities in the energy supply to the entire Object. Normally, it should have lost speed every time it fired its main cannons. In the worst case, the reactor could have even lost its critical state, causing the entire Object to stall.


    But it had shown no sign of that whatsoever.


    In other words, Quenser¡¯s analysis had been half right and half wrong.


    Simply put, it had two reactors.


    The eight tentacles extending from the eight flower petals on the giant clock face had fallen to the earth, but one of them released a dreadful blast toward the Baby Magnum.


    Part 15


    ¡°The Baby Magnum has been damaged! I repeat, the Baby Magnum has been damaged!! Her evasive action failed. The reactor is stable, but the propulsion device¡¯s output has dropped by more than seventy percent. Keeping the Object afloat is the most it can manage, so I doubt she can avoid the next shot!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    Frolaytia swore at the shouted report from the young female operator.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that bastard. It has armor that can withstand a nuke, but they still put the cockpit on the outside? That¡¯s a nearly suicidal bluff.¡±


    But it did not matter how bizarre the trick was if they had fallen for it.


    A simple tank or bomber could finish off the Extra Arc now, but it would be difficult for Heivia and the others there to make that theory a reality. The eight main cannons would obviously turn the entire area to a hell of lava before they could do anything.


    And what would happen if they could not get the testimony from Nyarlathotep, the ¡°true culprit¡± and only person who could stop the madness from covering the entire globe?


    The countdown to mankind¡¯s end had begun.


    Part 16


    Quenser stood in a daze as he watched the end of the world.


    The Miskatonic had had two reactors. Or more accurately, it had been two Objects. Like a bizarre alien attached to the back of someone¡¯s head, the cockpit had been attached outside the onion armor.


    ¡°...I should have noticed.¡±


    The right half of the Baby Magnum looked like melting ice cream. The cannons and armor were all glowing orange. The Miskatonic was forcibly extending and raising its tentacles from the giant flower or giant UFO, but it would be difficult for the Princess to shoot it now.


    Nyarlathotep spoke with a thin smile still plastered to his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. I also overlooked it when we found that test reactor. I should have considered the possibility that it was a cartridge and not a spare part. After all, this Object represents a 7th Core corporation and Azathoth spent a massive budget on it. I should have known that it could easily have more than one reactor.¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I should have noticed. Yes, I should have noticed from the very beginning!! How stupid am I!? Was anything I eating sending nutrients to my brain!? I don¡¯t have any tits to absorb it all, so where was it all going!?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Are you focusing on something else here?¡±


    ¡°Yes!! The Soberania District across the Panama Canal was getting support from the Legitimacy Kingdom, so I get why it was filled with rivers of lava! But why did the Miskatonic turn its own side into a sea of flames!? That doesn¡¯t make any sense!!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t rely on its anti-personnel sensors, so it was scattering chemical incendiary rounds to keep any foot soldiers away, right?¡±


    ¡°So what if foot soldiers get close? Are they going to fight this two hundred ton monster with their fists? It wouldn¡¯t be afraid of that. Even if the cockpit was built on the outside of the onion armor.¡±


    ¡°Then why?¡± Nyarlathotep looked like that question had only now hit him. ¡°Why was it using the chemical incendiary rounds?¡±


    ¡°To create fiery hell of ninety degrees...no, it would be far hotter in the danger zone. More like a thousand degrees or more.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°That shrinks the temperature difference between the interior of the reactor and the outside air. You mentioned before that it doesn¡¯t need a thick wall to control the plasma, right? Even if they tried, the wall would just melt, so they used powerful magnetic lines instead.¡±


    ¡°I see... So it works like a vacuum coffee maker.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It didn¡¯t want much of a temperature difference between the outside and inside, so it used the incendiary rounds. ...But if liquid nitrogen rapidly cools the air and creates too much of a temperature difference when the valve at the base of the tube-like tunnel opens, the high-energy plasma will be drawn from the high to low temperature and from the high to low pressure. And at a level that it can¡¯t control. It might even break the valve too badly to close again.¡±


    A vacuum coffee maker functioned by changing the pressure inside a sealed container, but pressure changes did not necessarily have to happen inside a sealed container. Some meteorological weapons used dry ice or liquid nitrogen to cool the air and cause a tornado or downburst.


    ¡°Even with both its reactors working, there was a risk of melting itself, so now that it only has one...¡±


    ¡°We can cool the inside enough that it loses its critical state and stalls. No, in the worst case, it might even drown inside that stuff its spewing out itself!!¡±


    As he shouted his idea, Quenser raised his War Hammer at the ready.


    The Miskatonic was just beginning to re-aim its tentacle main cannons toward the Baby Magnum.


    He fired everything remaining in the thick magazine for 25mm ammunition. The jelly explosives splatted onto the cylindrical tanks around the Miskatonic.


    He had no reason to hesitate, so he pulled the wireless trigger and detonated them all.


    Explosion after explosion rang out and the thick surfaces of the tanks were blown through. The explosion went beyond what the explosives had been designed for and the entire tanks were blown away. The intense heat of the lava had entered those thermoses and flash vaporized the nitrogen.


    A lake of liquid nitrogen quickly formed.


    With the sound of stir-frying, the flash vaporization spread and the surrounding fiery hell instantly transformed into an icy hell.


    Fortunately, the Miskatonic was barely functioning and did not have the equipment left for a detailed scan of its surroundings.


    It released blinding light from its tentacle-like main cannons to eliminate its greatest threat.


    A moment later, everything was swallowed up by white light.


    This time, every last trace of the Miskatonic was erased from the planet.


    Quenser¡¯s eyes were nearly fried by the intensity of the explosion, but Nyarlathotep pulled on his hand when he fell to the ground.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet,¡± said the spy with the neatly parted hair. ¡°You need to punish me to prevent the collapse of the world, don¡¯t you? Let¡¯s vanish before the Legitimacy Kingdom can recover from this confusion. Fortunately, the cloud of nitrogen is still spreading, so those without any chemical warfare equipment will probably be too afraid to approach. We have a chance of escaping now.¡±


    Quenser slowly started to stand up, but another voice stopped him.


    ¡°No, this is over, you worm.¡±


    A heavy impact ran through the midpoint between the back of Quenser¡¯s head and neck. His knees gave out and he collapsed to the scorching ground.


    It took him some time to realize he had been hit by the stock of an assault rifle.


    ¡°Hei...via...?¡±


    He received no response.


    The most he could do was watch military boots step past his head and toward Nyarlathotep.


    The war had ended.


    It was truly over and the official records would say the Legitimacy Kingdom had been victorious.

 Volume 10, Epilogue

    Volume 10, Epilogue


    Disobeying orders, desertion on the battlefield, unauthorized use of and destruction with an issued firearm, and jeopardizing the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion and the interests of the Legitimacy Kingdom as a whole. Even as a battlefield student, Quenser Barbotage was unable to avoid being thrown in a cell.


    ¡°Wow, so I¡¯ve finally gotten thrown behind bars. I wonder if the nasty food can be any worse than those eraser-like rations.¡±


    His solitary confinement cell looked like a dice with five meter sides and the only light was a bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. Tragically, the only supplies were a portable bathroom and a blanket. The metal door had nothing but a food slot, not even a doorknob. They had most likely removed the knob from his side to prevent the occupant from killing himself by tying the blanket to the knob and his own neck.


    Heivia Winchell, his awful friend who had so kindly guided him here, spoke from beyond the steel door.


    ¡°You should be thankful you¡¯re at least alive. If you feel like praying to the god of the Faith Organization, I won¡¯t stop you. That¡¯s how much of a miracle this is.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I have no intention of saying I was wrong. I clearly did the right thing.¡±


    ¡°How can you possibly say that!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if what I did was good or bad, but the results can tell you whether it was wrong or right. Heivia, this result wasn¡¯t due to your effort. If I had handed that POW over to you in that crumbling home, you would have bought a world in flames at the price of a single bullet to the head.¡±


    He received a click of the tongue in response.


    The fact that he received no argumentative excuses meant the boy had enough sense remaining to accept the point.


    ¡°Go to hell.¡±


    ¡°You first.¡±


    Believing that the other boy was doing the same, Quenser raised his middle finger toward the door. It may have sounded like a strained atmosphere, but this was just right for those awful friends. In fact, it would have been a lot scarier had Heivia tried to see to his every need with an oddly kind voice. He would have assumed he was being executed soon.


    Heivia¡¯s footsteps left.


    With nothing to do, Quenser opened and closed the food slot and realized the opposite cell¡¯s slot was open too.


    He saw Nyarlathotep¡¯s eyes through it.


    ¡°Hi, sorry I can¡¯t throw a moving-in party to celebrate our new home. It¡¯s strange that this cell feels like heaven, but I guess that¡¯s what happens after escaping such an extreme environment.¡±


    ¡°You were given a military trial, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was quite the farce. It only took thirty seconds from beginning to end. Still, that means my job is complete.¡±


    ¡°Did they only read the defendant¡¯s name and then the judgment? Any lawyer that heard about it would probably start crying.¡±


    ¡°And if they had this ready on the beachhead, there was no need to pay the Blue Cross a visit, was there? We should have raised our hands and surrendered from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Are you trying to rub salt in all of my scrapes and aching muscles!?¡±


    But with their sanity so fried, it was entirely possible Heivia and the others could have ignored what the Legitimacy Kingdom as a whole wanted and shot the man. Also, they might not have defeated the Miskatonic and instead had their entire base wiped out by that plasma. Solely looking at the conclusion, every twist and turn had been necessary to reach this point.


    ¡°Even if it was a farce, it was an official trial. It still has real authority when the judgment paper is officially registered under international law. That means we¡¯ve stopped the destruction of the world just like you wanted.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good at least. And if they were going to build a statue of me, I kind of feel like having it melted down and sold as scrap metal.¡±


    ¡°Whatever future awaits you, I bow my head to you. I had to kill Azathoth to take revenge for my wife and son. I still feel no shame about that. But if an unrelated safe country had been reduced to rubble in the process, it would have lowered the purity of my revenge. That would be like laying a shit-covered bouquet next to their graves, so I am truly thankful. As part of my job, I was always deceiving people. Even my family. But this alone is not a lie.¡±


    ¡°Hey...what are you-...?¡±


    ¡°And no matter how much that farce of a trial or the history books are distorted, I was blessed to meet someone I could tell the truth to. So here alone, I will include no lies. You were my hope, so don¡¯t worry yourself over what¡¯s about to happen.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute! What are you talking about!?¡±


    His question received no answer.


    Instead, he heard quiet footsteps. When the cell area¡¯s entrance opened, the usual buzzer did not sound. A horribly unpleasant sweat covered Quenser¡¯s face. Finally, someone appeared within his view from the food slot. They were clearly different from the guards and they were holding a small handgun with a silencer.


    ¡°Hello there. Are you an assassin from the hawkish hard-liners? Or are you taking revenge for the intelligence division members thrown into the lava?¡±


    The way Nyarlathotep spoke from the opposite cell made it clear he had predicted this moment.


    He received no response.


    Who could say where the assassin had gotten it from, but he held out a plain gray card that was obviously not official and the cell door opened with almost amusing ease.


    This person in a Legitimacy Kingdom uniform stepped inside the opposite cell.


    ¡°Wai-...¡±


    Quenser did not even have time to yell.


    A few muffled gunshots sounded.


    And it did not end there.


    It continued.


    An intense explosion and tremor shook the Garden Gate megafloat beachhead positioned next to Panama Bay.


    ¡°There¡¯s a fire in the cell area! No, calling it an explosion might be more accurate...¡±


    The female operator¡¯s report led Frolaytia to hold her head in her hands.


    Noisy footsteps raced by just outside the room.


    The explosion must have taken out either the cameras or the wiring because they were receiving no footage from the cell area. A few of the monitors switched from static to some wobbly footage. These images were being transmitted from the small cameras on the soldiers¡¯ helmets.


    Heivia was apparently one of those.


    Visibility was poor more due to dust than flames, but one of the cells was especially bad. The steel door and even the wall around it had been blown to bits.


    ¡°That¡¯s Nyarlathotep¡¯s cell,¡± said Heivia¡¯s voice as he approached with rifle at the ready. ¡°Oh, no. These fragments...it was blown up from within! Damn, damn, damn! Oh, goddammit!! The inside is covered in red sauce! Who brought an explosive in here!?¡±


    Frolaytia breathed a heavy sigh as she listened.


    The thirty second trial had ended the world¡¯s predicament, but she had known what was likely to happen afterwards.


    Quenser sighed quietly inside his cell as he listened to the panicked shouts of his friend beyond the slot.


    Through that slot, he had seen a truth the others had not.


    He knew the face of the true culprit behind this.


    It had happened ten minutes before the explosion.


    After several muffled gunshots had sounded, a painful silence had fallen. Finally, the steel door had creaked open and Quenser had seen the truth.


    He had seen the face of the man in the Legitimacy Kingdom uniform and holding the small handgun with a silencer.


    ¡°Nyar...lathotep!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sorry. I was planning on accepting my fate, but the assassin was even weaker than I expected. Tell your intelligence division to read people¡¯s hearts, not the data.¡±


    With that, Nyarlathotep had stuck a fuse in the plastic explosive he had pulled from his waist pouch and had tossed it inside the empty cell...no, the cell that now contained someone¡¯s bullet-riddled corpse.


    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. But I¡¯ve fulfilled the bare minimum of what was required of me. With the judgment paper containing my testimony, the world can escape disaster. Deciding what to do with the rest of my life is my job.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you can escape? And I¡¯m not just talking about this beachhead. I¡¯m talking about this entire planet that¡¯s so thoroughly controlled by the four world powers!!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha! How many times do I have to tell you?¡± Nyarlathotep toyed with the radio used as a detonator. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m found out here if I can lose them in the end. That¡¯s why this is my specialty.¡±


    A tremendous explosion had followed.


    He had not use his counterfeit master key or handgun to kill Quenser.


    Most likely, he had been confident he could escape even if the boy did reveal the truth.


    ¡°And that¡¯s what supposedly happened. Being a soldier can¡¯t be easy. They say the clean wars can make for a nice temporary home if you bungle your job in a safe country, but it really is all about running around with a gun in hand.¡±


    This was a small Southern European country floating in the Mediterranean. It was a luxury resort region said to be a stepping stone toward a conflict between the Legitimacy Kingdom and Faith Organization. A young woman spoke in a bar there, wearing clothing that exposed her shoulders and midriff even though it was only April.


    No matter how advanced the firewalls or security systems were, there was no stopping drunk officers from talking as they begged to sleep with some topless women at a luxury resort. This had been a paradise for spies for nearly a century, but the careless fools always showed up.


    The world had been fairly shaken up by the news that the defendant had been blown up shortly after a questionable trial, but once the media realized the masses were not all that interested, they had switched to other topics.


    A man sitting in one of the counter¡¯s stools poured just a bit of whisky into his glass, watered it down quite a lot, and squeezed some lemon into it. He was shamelessly taking the chicken¡¯s way out.


    After placing some ham he had not ordered on the counter, the young woman grabbed a piece for herself and spoke up in exasperation.


    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of getting drunk, why even go to a bar?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sort of ritual. A way of building my resolve, I suppose. I had finished a big job and thought my life was over, but it turned out it wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m thinking about what to do with the rest of my life.¡±


    ¡°Drinking when you¡¯re worried is a good way to become an alcoholic. Drinking because you enjoy it and drinking to keep your worries away are two very different things.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I said it was to build my resolve, didn¡¯t I? I only have to do it once.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You said something about a big job, so are you changing careers?¡±


    ¡°Well, in a way. That job used some skills I would prefer not to use if I can avoid it.¡±


    He spoke vaguely and may have been thinking back on something as he did so. This young woman was used to speaking with drunks, so this was not unusual for her.


    ¡°My life was supposed to end back there, but I felt some lingering regret when I saw that boy.¡±


    ¡°Eh!? You¡¯re into boys, old man!?¡±


    ¡°No. ...It made me want a kid again. Although it¡¯s not all that noble a desire since it¡¯s only because the memories of my previous wife and son are fading away.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha!! What¡¯s wrong with that? You can redo your life as many times as it takes. Life is long, so god was probably doing you a favor when you broke up with your wife. Getting a clean start and wrapping your arms around a new wife would probably be a good idea.¡±


    The man smiled a little and licked at the watered-down whisky before saying more.


    ¡°This is a nice place. I like how it has a way of building a foundation for people.¡±


    ¡°Are you really going to stay here for long? The ridiculously high rent is a downside, but if you do what I did and start lodging with a bar and eventually gain enough trust to run the place yourself, you can get a place to live for almost free.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s some useful information.¡±


    With that said, the man grabbed his glass and drank it down.


    He slammed the thick bottom of the glass against the counter and made a suggestion to the surprised young woman.


    ¡°By the way, I have a question. Is this bar still accepting new lodgers like when you started out here?¡±


    The man with one thousand faces had walked several different lives with an eerie smile on his face.


    Would he throw the entire planet into chaos once more or would he immerse himself in modest happiness?


    That was up the world¡¯s sanity.

 Volume 10, Afterword

    Volume 10, Afterword


    If you¡¯ve been buying one volume at a time, welcome back. If you bought them all at once, welcome.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    Volume 10! I think? This series is structured so the first volume is the ¡°starter volume¡± and the order of the rest doesn¡¯t really matter, so even I sometimes forget. But that doesn¡¯t matter as long as I know what was in them!!


    The theme this time was a sixth branch of the military I made up to go after the existing five: land, sea, air, marines, and either space or cyber. I defined it as specialists in psychological warfare that thoroughly destroy a human¡¯s inner universe. But with the morale of a small unit, the wartime propaganda of an entire nation, or the justification given to the international community, wars already deal with the human heart quite a bit. I defined the Sixth Branch as a centralization of all that which focuses on using destructive information to directly crush the enemy and destroy their organization rather than just using it to gather the most allies.


    Plus, I used the terms Yog-Sothoth, Azathoth, Miskatonic, Salem which a certain city was modeled after, the Outer Gods, and Nyarlathotep. With all of that, you should be able to see a certain motif. Since I was using a theme of destroying an opponent¡¯s mind, I added in some Cthulhu stuff.


    For that reason, I immediately decided to make the Miskatonic¡¯s main cannon into eight tentacles to resemble you-know-who¡¯s you-know-what. But that might not seem as creepy as it should to us Japanese since we eat octopuses all the time. Firing laser beams from the squirming endoscope cannons might have been a more direct way of doing it, but I followed the theme of ¡°once it surfaces it¡¯s all over and simply seeing it drives you mad¡± by having the cannons draw energy directly from the reactor and creating such great light and heat that it blinds any and all sensors.


    And since I already used a deep sea Object with the Megalodiver, I made this one an evil octopus god ruling over a sea of orange glowing lava.


    I think that helped give it the impact needed for a colossal weapon bringing about the end of the world, but what did you think?


    The most important aspect this time was the heart. I had a lot of fun with this one by having the great war started for one man¡¯s revenge and having the usual two idiots forced to aim their guns at each other. There may have been some scenes that felt different from the usual Heavy Object, but I¡¯ve always wanted to do the buddy film clich¨¦ of the two protagonists parting ways and opposing each other partway through. I think the freedom to not have to center everything on the idea of ¡°doing everything for a girl¡± is one of the wonderful things about this series.


    Nyarlathotep is not the kind of character who can be a protagonist, but I seem to have a habit of occasionally writing a revenge story.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. With eight Objects and a city half melted into lava, there was a lot I could write so easily but must have been hard for them. Thank you very much.


    I also give my thanks to the readers. This story¡¯s theme truly was people and not Objects. The fact that I can call that a rare thing, shows just what a miraculous balance I¡¯ve set up with this series. I am truly thankful that you¡¯ve given me an environment where I can spread my wings like that.


    And I will end this here.


    I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    The War Hammer might be a little too convenient...


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 11, Prologue

    Volume 11, Prologue


    Call Sign Ice Girl 1 to CT.


    Objective achieved in combat airspace RG-219. Red Target confirmed killed. Successfully prevented target¡¯s entry into the country. Requesting return to Texas AB. Awaiting approval.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve figured it out based on the point at which you lost the signal, but it crashed in a fairly troublesome place. It¡¯s that oasis involved in the territorial dispute. I¡¯m sure ¡°they¡± will get themselves involved in this soon enough. That said, the greedy border patrol is probably celebrating. The inspectors have been insisting they need a chance to prove their worth and they¡¯re terrified of having their funding cut, so this is a good chance for them.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Ice Girl 1 to CT. Don¡¯t worry about us. We might have skipped some of the formalities, but it was necessary given the overall state of the Capitalist Corporations. And I¡¯m used to being thrown in a cell.


    This is only a personal opinion, but there are a few things I just can¡¯t stand: red meat that hasn¡¯t been prepared properly, kids who kick old folks in the back, and you know what else.


    Do you know the band Boy Racer?


    I don¡¯t have enough fingers to count the number of reasons they went off the deep end, but that was the biggest reason. Just talking about it is enough to piss me off.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Roger that, CT. Thanks for the approval to return.


    Ice Girl 1 to Ice Squadron. Our next destination is Texas AB. An ice cold bath and sodas are waiting in the middle of the desert. This short break is your chance to request at least a smidgen of leave. If you want to spread your wings in Vegas, then get that paperwork ready. You only have yourself to blame if you aren¡¯t prepared.


    Oh, c¡¯mon, you idiots.


    Don¡¯t worry about me. Only the one in charge needs to spend any time in a cell.

 Volume 11, 2: Elusive Financial Source >> Ice Breaking Bombardment at Africa’s Cape of Good Hope

    Volume 11, Chapter 2: Elusive Financial Source >> Ice Breaking Bombardment at Africa¡¯s Cape of Good Hope


    Part 1


    A structure floated oddly on the lead-colored ocean.


    It was somewhere between five and ten meters long and it was spherical in shape, but it oddly did not roll as it was shaken between the waves. The hatch remained on the top at all times and the porthole on the side remained in the same spot.


    It was a type of lifeboat.


    It had plenty of emergency supplies, communications equipment, a heater, and even a generator making use of the current and the wind. As opposed to something prepared on a ship, it was more of a product for the wealthy disaster-prepper.


    Inside that cradle were three blonde girls with red military uniforms meant for parades.


    They each had a different hairstyle, but their identical faces made it clear they were triplets.


    Alisa Martini Sweet.


    Rica Martini Medium.


    Orsia Martini Dry.


    They were all genius girls created by the Information Alliance¡¯s Project Whiz Kid. It would be hard to find a more severe upbringing in any of the four world powers, but the girls themselves barely seemed to care. They elegantly grabbed tea cakes and reached for the cups inside the round boat.


    Instead of coffee or tea, the cups contained an energy drink full of caffeine and other stimulants that was ¡°kind to the body in its lack of sugar, yet somehow unsatisfying¡±. That showed the Information Alliance side of things most of all.


    ¡°A-are you sure this is safe? We left the fleet a long time ago and we¡¯re just floating out here on the ocean with no one to protect us.¡±


    The young man in charge of their care was sweating bullets.


    Alisa, the triplet with the largest chest, replied lazily.


    ¡°Dooon¡¯t worry. This isn¡¯t some big ship like a cruiser or a missile submarine.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    The other two were not so much agreeing as they were driving away the question because they did not feel like dealing with it. However, the normal young man was too worried to accept anything but a proper explanation.


    ¡°B-but we¡¯re in the middle of the battlefield here, the Legitimacy Kingdom Object will be here any moment, um, and all of you are officers with medals hanging from your chest, so it would be very bad if you were captured. In the worst case, you might meet the same fate as someone in a light SM video!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but there is nothing to worry about. Look, our Laser Cracker 001 was sent out to this region of sea. That¡¯s turned this into an ocean of death, so there¡¯s plenty of wreckage from cargo ships and cruise ships. And of course, there are plenty of lifeboats that dried up after no one detected their SOS signal.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just scaring me more!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying no one will notice us because we¡¯re disguising ourselves as one of those. Do you want us to completely vanish from the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s radar? Cutting-edge stealth fighters might be able to reduce their cross-section to a minimum, but not even they can completely vanish. The clever approach is to create a situation where the enemy will remove you from consideration even if you appear on their radar screen. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    But the normal young man did not grasp that at all. He could not even imagine a chess game three moves ahead, so it may have been asking too much of him to stand in the same world as the Martini Series that would look a hundred years into the future. Blaming only him would be cruel.


    After all, the girls were intentionally avoiding a smooth conversation.


    Alisa responded to his question by showing off more knowledge than necessary, Rica toyed with some playing cards while feigning apathy, and Orsia feigned disinterest in the opposite sex while clinging to the young man¡¯s arm.


    The triplets all held the same thing in their hearts.


    It was said these unmanageable geniuses would stage a jailbreak even if they were thrown into a top-security prison, but for some reason they acted like proper members of society when around this young man. That fact explained what was going on here.


    ¡°Hey, Dry. It looks like the Laser Cracker 001 has reached its position.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m monitoring the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s movements, Medium. You need to get ready too, Sweet.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Dry. Now, let¡¯s get to work.¡±


    The young man nervously looked around.


    His presence was the sweet chain tying the three Martinis to the Information Alliance.


    He was the sword that divided genius from eccentric.


    He was oblivious to this great feat, but that was exactly what made him so adorable to them. The Martini Series narrowed their eyes in his direction and then spoke in unison.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the mission. Let¡¯s charm them with our angelic performance.¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°This is awful.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia wrapped their arms around themselves and shivered in the cold on the flight deck of a small gray aircraft carrier. Their breath was white and the sky was the color of lead. Dull vibrations occasionally ran through the deck because the blade hastily attached to the bow was breaking through some pure white drift ice.


    Just to be clear, it was currently mid-July.


    They watched two connected icebergs that looked like giant breasts float past the fleet.


    ¡°What happened to our summer? For what possible reason were we sent to the tip of the Southern Hemispheeeeerrrrrre!? The seasons are reversed here, so it¡¯s freezing midwinter! There are penguins jumping into the water over there! What happened to my paradise of the Princess and our busty commander in swimsuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuits!?¡±


    ¡°The pamphlet said the average temperature at this time of year is eleven degrees.¡±


    ¡°Like hell it is! Our breath is white! How could it be that far off average!? There¡¯s a giant tits iceberg right over there!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, it¡¯s your fault for saying you wanted to get out of the heat after that desert. Our higher ups always take things too far.¡±


    ¡°There could have at least been some swimsuits in there somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Speaking of swimsuits, Lieutenant Meena was shot. That¡¯s actually a real shock. Both that she was the one behind all that and that I¡¯ll never get to see that great rack that was about as underappreciated as baby¡¯s-breath.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why do swimsuits make you think of her?¡±


    ¡°What a shock...¡±


    ¡°Hold on! We¡¯re supposed to keep each other informed in this unit, so tell your pal Heivia what happened!!¡±


    Heivia shook Quenser by the shoulders, but Quenser¡¯s soul had half-escaped his mouth and he would not give a proper answer.


    Then something else stopped Heivia.


    The handheld device in his pocket rang.


    ¡°What? Are you using video chat to pretend you¡¯re having phone sex?¡±


    ¡°This is a little classier than that.¡±


    After checking the screen, Heivia walked away from Quenser.


    Once he reached the landing on the narrow stairway from the flight deck to the maintenance area directly below, Heivia leaned against the metal railing, touched the screen with his fingertip, and answered the call.


    It was not a soldier contacting him.


    It was a blonde noble girl in a white dress.


    ¡°Took you long enough to answer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trading stock, so don¡¯t get so upset.¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s over the internet, we still arranged for this date in advance. You¡¯re a disgrace to the title of nobility if you keep a lady waiting, Winchell boy.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t do something about your attitude, you¡¯re going to be in the news for being divorced on your honeymoon, Vanderbilt girl.¡±


    Even if it was a private conversation (in fact, because it was), this conversation over the military line was being monitored. However, the member of the electronic simulation division monitoring the line may have been wide-eyed in shock.


    The Winchell family and the Vanderbilt family were two of the biggest noble families in the Legitimacy Kingdom as well as enemies going back centuries. The dark age that had triggered the collapse of the UN had occurred just under one hundred years before, so they had carried the feud of an older age across the end of civilization.


    ¡°Well, um, how should I put this?¡± said Heivia. ¡°Sorry about interrupting your vacation.¡±


    ¡°My, my! That is like work to me, so I don¡¯t mind. I am currently in the middle of the Atlantic ¨C oh, excuse me ¨Cenjoying the world¡¯s greatest fireworks festival, so are you having trouble hearing me?¡±


    ¡°No. And you people have to be insane to gather more than five hundred cruise ships and launch fireworks for a full week. Are fireworks even any fun during the day?¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear. Our rocket fireworks reach an altitude of ten thousand meters, you know? I can¡¯t have you thinking the Technopics is the only festival in the Atlantic.¡±


    Heivia nearly said those were normally called surface-to-air missiles or surface-to-surface rockets, but he held his tongue.


    ¡°And once night falls, the fireworks and the aurora will create a wonderful collaboration,¡± she said.


    ¡°Where are you right now? It isn¡¯t the Arctic, is it?¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha. The aurora is created when solar winds reach the ionosphere. Um, I think it¡¯s a large railgun meant to clear debris, but they said something about chemically producing a massive amount of electricity just like a laser known as a COIL.¡±


    ¡°Oh... So instead of firing a huge shell, it uses debris reduced to a sandstorm of metal fragments measured in microns to directly repel the entire ¡®field¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Solar winds are streams of plasma and easily influenced by electric and magnetic fields, so that whatever-it¡¯s-called can alter their course to a certain extent. By guiding it to the desired coordinate in the ionosphere, they can create a manmade aurora.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t solar winds and the aurora play a role in electromagnetic pulses? Won¡¯t that violate some treaties?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay as long as we aren¡¯t using it for military purposes. It¡¯s the same as X-rays.¡±


    That was truly entertainment for the rich. Although that kind of performance to say ¡°look what we can do¡± could be seen as a sort of wartime PR.


    ¡°So how did things go with the favor I asked of you?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t accomplish a simple task? Besides, I only had to check through the newspapers and the TV news. That was easier than looking up a fish recipe.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m awful at that formal stuff, so reading through a week¡¯s worth of newspapers sounds harder than sharpshooting from a thousand meters.¡±


    ¡°If you wish to call yourself my husband, you need to be more cultured.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back on topic,¡± insisted Heivia.


    The girl on the screen sighed.


    ¡°Yes, it was just as you said. There was no article on the Special 15th led by Lieutenant Meena Stinger. Of course, there are wars occurring all over the world every single day, so listing out every last death would fill up the entire paper. Plus, they provide a variety of ¡®anesthetic¡¯ to ensure the fear of war does not spread to the safe countries. There was a lot of talk about the surprise visit from that...Blue Rose, was it? Heh heh heh. They may not have had any space left after talking about your little sister so much.¡±


    ¡°Nothing about a drug war either?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Is that something from a movie?¡±


    Heivia silently grimaced when he saw his fiancee¡¯s confused look on the screen.


    (No sign of Colorful Vanilla, then. So any news that would disgrace the military as a whole might as well have never happened, is that it? I thought they would at least stick in a cover story that pinned the war crimes on Meena Stinger alone, but they aren¡¯t even showing the lizard¡¯s tail.)


    When (supposedly) Quenser had shot the Special 15th as they tried to burn away the ergot containers with white phosphorous, he had used a Capitalist Corporations carbine.


    Even when Meena Stinger had been shot in the maintenance base zone, the crushed bullet they had later found was the kind that same faction commonly used for heavy machineguns and anti-materiel rifles.


    That meant no further investigation would be done.


    There was nothing they could do.


    Lieutenant Meena Stinger and her Black Uniform Special Platoon 15 had bene killed by enemy soldiers during battle. There was nothing more to say and they were being treated as normal war dead.


    That was all.


    ¡°If you¡¯re curious, I could look further into it,¡± suggested the girl on the screen.


    ¡°No, knowing what the safe country newspapers and news shows are saying is enough. Besides, what does a civilian know about the military and war?¡±


    ¡°Oh? Nothing is more frightening than the wealthy when they have nothing better to do, you know?¡±


    She bowed with a smile and her image vanished from the screen.


    Heivia toyed with the device in his hand for a while and slowly exhaled.


    After that, he gave another annoyed comment.


    ¡°It¡¯s too clean. Whose plot am I getting involved in here?¡±


    Part 3


    The Cape of Good Hope was the southern tip of Africa.


    It was hard to tell on the standard Mercator projection maps, but that area was a quick southward trip over the ocean away from the South Pole. Penguins walked through the streets, so it was not the sweaty land of the blazing sun that people normally pictured when they thought of Africa. Latitude-wise, it was about the same as the Oceanian continent, but it looked more like the kind of rough waves, leaden skies, and rocky land that suited a traditional Island Nation enka song. In terms of the North Wind and the Sun, the north wind was going all out, so no one would ever think of trading their uniform for a swimsuit.


    Or so one would have thought.


    ¡°Ahhh. It¡¯s so hot in here. I know you¡¯re trying to be hospitable, but don¡¯t you have the heat cranked up too high?¡±


    ¡°Blue Rose, the Island Nation has a saying: oden for the air conditioner and ice cream for the kotatsu. This is truly the best.¡±


    Just one of the small aircraft carrier¡¯s rooms had all its windows fogged up.


    In that sweltering heat, Frolaytia Capistrano was providing a mistaken sort of welcome and Azureyfear Winchell was accepting that mistaken sort of welcome. They had traded their uniform or dress for swimsuits and were unnecessarily sweaty.


    The plastic pool that Black Uniform Meena Stinger had secretly used in the Rio Grande District was filled with water and the two of them sat in chairs with their seductive feet soaking in the pool. They were clenching and unclenching their toes and topping it all off by sucking on vanilla popsicles.


    Quenser had been called here for some reason and he had been struck by a thick wall of feminine aroma the instant he opened the door.


    He had reflexively raised his voice.


    ¡°You people are awful!! You damn bourgeois are killing the earth in about every way possible!!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re finally here, commoner. Come closer. Yes, close enough to touch me.¡±


    ¡°Woof woof!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh. How wonderfully obedient. Do you like ladies¡¯ swimsuits that much?¡±


    Blue must have been her favorite color because Azureyfear smiled at Quenser in a blue bikini that glittered like a tropical butterfly.


    Frolaytia pulled her popsicle from her mouth and pointed it at the student.


    ¡°I may not be one to talk, but she is a powerful noble. And the type who can actually use the Winchell family¡¯s authority. Don¡¯t screw this up.¡±


    ¡°Um, can I ask why you¡¯re calling for me so often today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken a liking to you,¡± said the young lady in a blue swimsuit. ¡°Yes, this visit is something of a performance, but if I¡¯m going to be shown around by someone, I¡¯d like it to be someone I have some slight connection to. I heard what you did. You fought well against those Black Uniforms involved in the drug war in the Rio Grande District.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But that was-...¡±


    Confused, Quenser spoke on reflex, but then a sweet flavor filled his mouth.


    Azureyfear had stuck the tip of her popsicle in his mouth.


    While he was unable to speak, vanilla-flavored lips moved from extreme close range.


    They mouthed the word ¡°no¡±.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Commoner, if you are to be my guide, I would like to know what kind of person you are. As a test, find an online video that can amuse me.¡±


    ¡°Um, eh? Okay, but...¡±


    ¡°Look at this cleavage. I¡¯ll even squeeze my breasts together and give you an upturned look. Do you also want me to put the popsicle in my mouth and faffefaafafhfhefh?¡±


    ¡°Woof woof woof woof!!¡±


    There seemed to be a difference in understanding concerning the previous incident, but the idiot decided to set those issues aside and take advantage of this opportunity.


    He began his first mission with his handheld device in hand.


    ¡°Wh-what about a kitten chasing a laser pointer on the wall?¡±


    ¡°Old hat.¡±


    ¡°This is the silver snowscape from the peak of Mont Blanc.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point if you don¡¯t conquer the mountain yourself? I climb Mont Blanc twice a year. You need physical strength and knowledge of nature to hunt well, after all.¡±


    ¡°Kh!! ...Since it¡¯s come to this, I¡¯ll break out this video showing a breakdown of a chronometer. Look at all these gears! It¡¯s controlled by springs and gears instead of electronics, so just think of the accuracy needed in the mechanic¡¯s fingertips to...pant, pant...make this a reality...uuhhhh!!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, tech nerd. Are you one of those people that would prefer I step on them?¡±


    Quenser thought the exasperated look in Azureyfear¡¯s eyes would crush his soul. Out of ideas, his fingertip accidentally touched the banner for trending news near the search box.


    The small screen filled with a greasy middle-aged man¡¯s face. A stand was covered in microphones and cameras flashed like machinegun fire. A female newscaster spoke over the footage of some sort of press conference.


    ¡°As a royal and a member of the royal council, First Prince Flag Eggnog¡¯s words gather international attention. This was a portion of the standard press conference after the council session ended the other day.¡±


    ¡°As I have been saying, drug wars only exist in spy movies. Besides, this nonsense is likely only being spread by the weak-willed youth. The addicts who cannot stop abusing Colorful Vanilla must be clinging to conspiracy theories that blame their problems on the military and government.¡±


    ¡°Many groups and individuals have fiercely opposed this statement, including the Legitimacy Kingdom Academics of General Medicine and the White Knights of Women¡¯s Rights. They claim the prince¡¯s statement is inconsistent with the medical facts of Colorful Vanilla¡¯s spread and addiction and they ask whether he is forgetting about the victims who have been forced to use these illegal drugs due to their surroundings. These groups are filling the road in front of the safe country royal palace with various protest signs in hand.¡±


    ¡°If you can say those insane things with a straight face, we can¡¯t let you lead our country!!¡±


    ¡°The royal family needs to kick that bastard out right away!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m bored, so I want to cause a scene!!¡±


    ¡°Hooray!!¡±


    Quenser found the festival of anger to be a horrifying scene.


    ¡°French fries! Does anyone need some French fries!? Damn I¡¯m going to make a killing out here!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you idiot! Put the mustard mayonnaise on your own fries! Ahhh! They¡¯re absolutely covered!!¡±


    He doubted any of the news videos could move the heart of a bored noble girl, but...


    ¡°Heh heh heh. Ah ha ha!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re completely carefree!? I know they say teenage girls find anything funny, but really!?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no. Quenser, you have quite the sense of humor. To nobles like us, the misfortune of others is like the most exquisite honey. Isn¡¯t that right, Major Capistrano?¡±


    ¡°Ahem... I would prefer not to answer that.¡±


    Frolaytia cleared her throat to hold in the laughter, so this was apparently not just Azureyfear¡¯s personal tastes. It did not really make sense to Commoner Quenser.


    ¡°Sigh. It must be tough being a royal. He was definitely careless, but any man his age probably says stuff like that with a mug of beer in hand.¡±


    ¡°This is noblesse oblige. Authority brings responsibility. The greater authority of a noble or royal brings just as great responsibility with it. If a royal acts like a gossiping commoner at a press conference, it¡¯s obvious what will happen.¡±


    At any rate, he had cleared his first mission of amusing her. In her blue bikini that glittered like a tropical butterfly, Azureyfear slowly lifted her small butt from her chair.


    ¡°Major Capistrano, may I borrow him for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But...ehhh!? You¡¯re going out dressed like that!?¡±


    ¡°I have completely boiled, so I could stand to feel the chilly wind for a bit. Quenser, bring that bath towel with you.¡±


    With that said, she really did move to the heater-filled room¡¯s door in her swimsuit. Quenser looked back and forth between Azureyfear and Frolaytia, but his commander only shrugged in her swimsuit. She was apparently ordering him to obey the selfish noble girl.


    When they left the room, Quenser was a little chilly even in his uniform.


    Much like after leaving a sauna, Azureyfear looked comfortable even in her blue bikini. She raised her hands, bent backwards, and let the chilly air wash over all of her skin.


    Quenser asked the main question on his mind.


    ¡°Um, about before...¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean in the sunflower field?¡±


    She did not seem to care much.


    She even shrugged while mentioning the sniping attack on the Blue Uniforms at the desert oasis.


    ¡°That is simple. The Winchell family is not permitted to hunt humans.¡±


    ¡°No one is!!¡±


    The idiot leaned forward without thinking and the noble girl¡¯s cleavage filled his vision.


    She was incredibly cute, but he was not sure what to do when she had the same blood as Heivia. Or rather, that guy¡¯s unwelcome face flashed through his mind and he could not concentrate.


    ¡°So it would be convenient if you took the credit for those kills as you were the one to pick up a Capitalist Corporations gun. What must be done and one¡¯s reputation are very different things, especially in noble society. Well, try not to think about it too much, commoner. I suggest you take the credit for saving your unit. More importantly...¡±


    Azureyfear rotated her raised arms behind her back, bent her hips forward, and peered up at him from below.


    ¡°I would like to hear about my brother. You are closer to him than anyone, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°...So that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°You look like you want to know why I would not meet him directly when we are brother and sister. I can almost sense the warm image commoners have of family. ...But that concept is meaningless among nobles who are constantly in conflict with their own flesh and blood.¡±


    ¡°But if you want to know about it, you must not be completely divided.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how he feels about it, though. Besides, he is something of a heretic when it comes to the Winchell family. When someone is hated by their surroundings, they will in turn hate their surroundings. It¡¯s a sort of defensive measure.¡±


    ¡°Well...I¡¯ll admit he isn¡¯t your stereotypical noble.¡±


    Quenser did not quite understand and Azureyfear laughed. She seemed to like that he could not imagine what it was like to be in conflict with his own flesh and blood.


    It was the proof that he had a truly happy relationship with his family.


    ¡°Quenser, my bath towel.¡±


    ¡°So it was only a short luxury, huh?¡±


    He held it out and she draped it over her shoulders like a cape to keep some of her warmth.


    ¡°Then again, Heivia¡¯s Heivia. It would be heard to find something that¡¯s different from normal. In fact, I can¡¯t imagine his condition would change much even if he ate a rotten egg he found on the side of the road.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my. He must really be spreading his wings here.¡±


    Quenser wondered if the boy had been different in his safe country mansion, but he had difficulty picturing Heivia Winchell during peacetime.


    ¡°Is he receiving letters or telegrams with any frequency?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not some kind of Echelon Quenser who monitors all of his communications, but he gets calls and emails. It¡¯s monitored by the military server, but everyone here at least plays an online golf game.¡±


    Then Quenser remembered something.


    ¡°But I do see him messing with his handheld device a lot lately.¡±


    ¡°My.¡±


    ¡°I asked if he was pretending to have phone sex, but he denied it. I wonder if he was telling the truth.¡±


    ¡°My, my!!¡±


    Azureyfear elegantly brought a hand to her mouth and her eyes sparkled for some reason.


    She may have just had too much time on her hands.


    ¡°Then he must have a hotline to the Vanderbilt family after all... No, there is no reason to let this get to me... I already knew he had a relationship with our sworn enemy... That is just the kind of person he is...¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser tilted his head as the noble girl faced the wall and muttered something under her breath.


    Then an irregular tremor ran down her spine. She rubbed together her pale thighs, fully wrapped the bath towel around her body, and glanced awkwardly toward Quenser.


    ¡°I have cooled down a fair bit. Thank you for the amusing chat, commoner. I need to visit the powder room, so return to your normal post.¡±


    ¡°So nobles really call it the powder room...¡±


    ¡°Do not even think about asking too much about this.¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°Our mission today is to eliminate a negative campaign being run by the Information Alliance.¡±


    In the briefing room, Frolaytia began her briefing (having changed into her usual uniform).


    A map of Africa was displayed on the white wall behind her and a red dot had been added to the cape at the southern tip.


    ¡°As you know, the Cape of Good Hope is a crucial marine transportation point. With instability in the Mediterranean and Suez due to a conflict between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Faith Organization, tankers are using the safer but longer route around Africa and through the Cape of Good Hope. That means having an Object sitting there is a major problem.¡±


    ¡°And some idiot¡¯s done that?¡± asked Heivia.


    Frolaytia hit a button on the remote, the projector emitted a mechanical whir, and the map zoomed in on the Cape of Good Hope.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Information Alliance Second Generation named Spectre Q&A. It¡¯s an amphibious air cushion model with a laser beam main cannon that uses a dye laser. But the specs can come later.¡±


    She used the remote again and a completely different map appeared.


    It was of the Arctic at the very top of the Northern Hemisphere.


    ¡°Since the Arctic ice has begun to melt due to global warming, a new sea route is appearing: the Arctic route. The Information Alliance is actively pushing for the opening of that route, so they must want to force everyone to rely on it by blocking the Suez and Cape of Good Hope routes.¡±


    ¡°So they want to harass everyone at the Cape of Good Hope and stop all the tankers and cruise ships to gather attention?¡± Quenser sounded disgusted. ¡°Are they grade schoolers?¡±


    ¡°But this is no laughing matter.¡±


    Frolaytia hit another button and a few photographs appeared.


    They were of the ocean around the Cape of Good Hope.


    ¡°The south¡± brought warm images to Quenser¡¯s mind, but this was the extreme south of the continent. It was also midwinter due to the reversed seasons of this hemisphere, so there was drift ice everywhere. In fact, some areas were completely covered with thick white ice.


    However...


    ¡°No matter how bizarre the weather here, the formation of the ice is apparently meteorologically impossible. The odds are good the Information Alliance is using some kind of meteorological weapon. So without a truly large icebreaker, no one can cross this thick layer of ice. To be blunt, even this aircraft carrier fleet we borrowed won¡¯t cut it. Our makeshift icebreaking blade can only do so much, so we can only get so close. I¡¯d rather not meet the same fate as the Titanic out here.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait. Then...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Quenser. This battle is mostly a naval one, but there are also several layers of thick ice all around here. The Princess uses static electricity which requires attaching or removing a float when switching between land and sea. But I don¡¯t want the Spectre Q&A noticing that and targeting the ground below her. I don¡¯t even want to think about that two hundred thousand ton mass sinking to the bottom of the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Then the Princess will be doing this with the naval float attached?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. But that makes things difficult for us. Footwork is everything in battles between Objects. Particularly in the Spectre Q&A¡¯s case since it¡¯s laser beam main cannon will require quick movement. And yet the Princess will be restricted by the need to break the ice. That will increase the resistance and slow her down. If she gets careless, she could play right into their hands.¡±


    The Spectre Q&A was an amphibious air cushion model. They had not been shown the specs yet, but it may have been able to freely move between the ocean and the ice. If it did not need to break the ice, it would have nimbler footwork.


    ¡°As a side note, as the name Spectre Q&A suggests, it is a Second Generation that specializes in optical sample analysis. Quenser, as a battlefield student, I assume you¡¯re familiar with femtosecond optics, the world of one quadrillionth of a second.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. But...you can¡¯t possibly mean...!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just one of its Swiss army knife of options. An atom¡¯s oscillation lasts from a few dozen to a few hundred femtoseconds, but a pulse laser of only a few femtoseconds is even shorter. That special light can isolate and record the movements of atoms like movie film and then analyze the footage frame by frame. Simply put, the chemical changes are stripped bare in their microscopic states. Even if you mix yourself an original drink at the soda fountain, it can probably break down each of the components and list them in order. And even more accurately than the person who mixed it.¡±


    Quenser gulped, but Heivia had not understood any of that. The difference was so stark it was almost sad, but Frolaytia continued regardless.


    ¡°This Swiss army knife was probably originally designed to extract and analyze the makeup of fragments of the enemy Object¡¯s armor, the static electricity repellant floating in the air, or the special gas for low-stability plasma cannons. That way they can find an effective means of attack.¡±


    ¡°Originally?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting back to that drug war. The various ¡®products¡¯ may seem the same, but there are differences depending on where they were made. You could call it the drug¡¯s ¡®fingerprint¡¯. A detailed examination of the impurities introduced in the refinement process would show slightly differing signatures even in the same sort of drug. For example, the impurities will differ depending on whether a certain ingredient was obtained by soaking commercial cold medicine in alcohol or if it was grown as a plant. By combining all those differences, a unique signature for a manufacturer will appear. Colorful Vanilla has a cloyingly sweet smell from the vanillin-like impurity it gains during creation, so it¡¯s worth looking into a little more.¡±


    Frolaytia spun the remote in her hand.


    ¡°We found the ergots used to make Colorful Vanilla in that crashed plane in the Rio Grande District. Out of the seventy-five drugs circulating through the Capitalist Corporations, the intelligence division has acquired samples of the Colorful Vanilla that has increased so dramatically recently. If we could use the Spectre Q&A¡¯s optical sample analysis, we could determine just how it¡¯s made. By the way, the Spectre Q&A¡¯s Pilot Elite has a PhD in pharmaceutics and physiology and is suspected to have created a few different designer drugs in the past. A designer drug is one with the original chemical structure changed slightly to slip past drug tests like a variation of a computer virus. But it doesn¡¯t seem they¡¯re targeting safe countries in a drug war. Their MO seems to be using the internet to send the recipe to the worn-down soldiers in the enemy maintenance base zone and triggering a moral hazard there. But either way, nothing good can come from the spread of funny-smelling cigarettes or sodas that make you feel a little too happy.¡±


    In other words, the ergots made in the Legitimacy Kingdom were being made into drugs in the Information Alliance and the completed Colorful Vanilla was being sent to their common enemy, the Capitalist Corporations. It was a little confusing and it made one wonder how much any single part of the process knew about the whole.


    ¡°It looks like the drug war run by Black Uniform Special Platoon 15 was just one gear in the giant contraption that is the Legitimacy Kingdom. In other words, there is still a mastermind behind all this. It hurts that Meena Stinger was killed before she could say who, but we¡¯ve found another line back to them here. If we can get to the Spectre Q&A¡¯s Pilot Elite or get the necessary data out of the Object itself which doubles as an optical sample analysis lab, we might be able to uncover the mastermind hiding in the Legitimacy Kingdom. We can¡¯t ignore someone who seems to think they¡¯re a chess master as they infect both battlefield countries and safe countries. We will find the clue we need here and settle this. That is all.¡±


    Part 5


    Any maintenance base tended to be full of motion just before a mission.


    The naval base made of a fleet built around several small aircraft carriers was no exception. Quenser, Heivia, and many other soldiers were rushing through the ship¡¯s narrow corridors. They were all preparing cold weather gear and small boats. Basically, they were scrambling for the most well-maintained gear. Getting the short end of the stick would mean being thrown out in the midwinter ocean with only a coat that had a big hole on the butt.


    ¡°This is just plain awful! Isn¡¯t this a one-on-one between giant Objects? Why is that busty commander sending worthless soldiers to the front line? What possible reason is there? She isn¡¯t just using up a quota like road construction at the end of the fiscal year, is she!?¡±


    ¡°I want to be on the battlefield even if I don¡¯t have to. There¡¯s no point in being a battlefield student otherwise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because of idiots like you that war will never end!¡±


    ¡°What movie do you have a hard-on for now? Some Capitalist Corporations anti-war film?¡±


    Of course, the two idiots were not the only ones running around.


    Men and women, old and young, were desperately grabbing for the newest gear. If he was going to be crushed in the middle of a crowd, Quenser decided he would make the most of it and charged right into an area with a high concentration of female soldiers, but then he noticed a different voice in the mix.


    ¡°Marie, I swear I¡¯ll come back to you. Wells, take care of your mother while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Kevin, let¡¯s not get all melancholy while staring at a picture before heading out to the battlefield!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Quenser. Hello. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not about to lose here. Once this battle is over, I promised to put in for some leave and take my family to an amusement park. Eh heh heh.¡±


    ¡°Kevin, you idiot! What kind of setup is this!?¡±


    As he began that fruitless argument, another voice cut in.


    ¡°Commoner.¡±


    It was the previous Blue Rose, but she was not in her previous blue swimsuit. She instead wore her previous blue dress with. She had her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall to stay out of the way of the soldiers rushing around.


    But unfortunately, she did not have a large enough chest to lift up the way Frolaytia did.


    When Quenser came to a stop, he was immediately driven out of the race for the best gear. Even gloomy Kevin left, but that was hardly surprising when staying still was a lot like fighting an even greater current than a salmon swimming upstream.


    But even before Quenser, Heivia looked over to her and their gazes met.


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    The siblings barely spoke.


    Heivia clicked his tongue irritably and left the unwelcome family member to continue preparing for battle. The look on his face made it clear her very presence was a problem, not just anything she would say or do.


    Azureyfear Winchell left the wall and approached the student who had been left behind. When her sudden approach brought her face right in front of his nose, Quenser lost his nerve.


    She whispered to him so no one else could hear.


    ¡°Take care of my brother, will you? I can only watch from here, after all.¡±


    ¡°So you are worried for him,¡± he muttered in annoyance.


    What was even the point of her surprise visit? If it was for foreign negotiations or a performance for the press, she would not have stayed for the move from Central America to southern Africa. It was possible she was using the status of her family to disguise the fact that she was simply checking in on her family member.


    ¡°Listen, noble girl. He wouldn¡¯t die even if a shell blew up right next to him. After all, he doesn¡¯t have an ounce of pride, so he¡¯ll immediately curl up and reduce the odds of being hit. Did you know the rate of death from a shell explosion drops from eighty to fifty percent depending on whether they¡¯re standing up or down on the ground? In other words, there¡¯s statistical backing for his endurance, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He sighed and gave that arbitrary comment, but then he felt a soft sensation and a faint rosy scent on his right cheek.


    After pulling her head back, Azureyfear placed her index finger on her lips and peered up at him from below.


    ¡°If you bring my brother back safely, I¡¯ll do the same thing on the other side.¡±


    ¡°...Ohh.¡±


    ¡°If you have time to stand around, then get moving. You take care of things where I can¡¯t go, Quenser.¡±


    With that said, the girl in a blue dress spun around and left.


    For once, Quenser was left behind with a hand on his cheek.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re finally here, tech nerd. It was like a fight for soba bread at the school cafeteria, but I snagged us a high-tech boat. Hurry up and help me fold this-...bgyah!?¡±


    As soon as the noble boy faced his awful friend, a fist slammed into his nose.


    ¡°What!? Wait. What the hell was that for!?¡±


    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter, but take care of your sister, you spoiled bastard.¡±


    Part 6


    ¡°Mh...¡±


    The Princess puffed out her cheeks while sitting on the very top of the Baby Magnum¡¯s spherical body.


    The 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s prized weapon was currently held between two small aircraft carriers by hundreds of wires as it underwent maintenance, but this meant the Princess had to wait and thus had nothing to do.


    Rather than doing any direct work, the old maintenance lady was using a tablet to manage the maintenance as a whole and give instructions, so she spoke to the Princess while operating the touchscreen.


    In the modern age of clean wears which were entirely focused on Objects, the mental state and conditioning of a single individual could lead to serious problems for everyone.


    ¡°Does it bother you?¡±


    ¡°I feel like Quenser has been neglecting his studies lately. He isn¡¯t coming to see the Baby Magnum.¡±


    The old lady gave an exasperated sigh.


    This was a matter of impressions, not statistical data. A greedy commoner hoping to strike it rich would never overlook a treasure trove like this.


    However, there was a reason for the Princess¡¯s inaccurate ¡°impression¡±. Arguing back with accurate data was not going to convince her and the old lady was used to dealing with her, so she continued the conversation in search of another angle to use.


    ¡°It¡¯s an issue of frequency. He sees the Baby Magnum all the time, but he only gets to see the enemy Object once. A new Object might seem more important to him because it holds fresh new surprises.¡±


    ¡°Boo. So I¡¯m the boring girl he can see any time he wants?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, who do you see as your enemy here? The Spectre Q&A or the Blue Rose of Winchell?¡±


    Only then did the Princess realize her mistake, so she began waving her hands around.


    ¡°No. I was being serious here.¡±


    ¡°Who ever said love isn¡¯t serious? And since bloodline comes first in the Legitimacy Kingdom, you could call it the foundation of society.¡±


    ¡°Uuhhhhh... Uuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±


    The Princess completely overheated. She seemed to be at a complete loss as to what to say. They could not have her getting a fever like a child too excited about an upcoming field trip, so the old lady intentionally changed the subject.


    ¡°It may not be our place to talk since it¡¯s Objects that put food on our table, but weapons development is a sinful business. Meteorological weapons in particular make me think that.¡±


    ¡°You mean the ice?¡±


    The Princess stared into the distance where the horizon was dyed white. The scale made it hard to tell, but the thick ice had to have covered kilometers of the ocean. The fleet built around small aircraft carriers could not cross it, so normal tankers and cruise ships could easily sink after colliding with it.


    That unnatural ice blocked off the sea.


    As the old maintenance lady operated her tablet, it looked less like she was maintaining weapons and more like she was using big data to optimize inventory work at a large drug store.


    There was a reason for that.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯ve been checking over the secondary cannons so carefully, isn¡¯t it? This is a fight between Objects, so anti-personnel and anti-vehicle weapons would be meaningless.¡±


    ¡°You were planning to do that from the beginning, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the Princess readily admitted. ¡°Why would I just break through the ice like normal? I don¡¯t need to fight on their turf if I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    Part 7


    The Cape of Good Hope was stormy.


    The tall waves of the ocean were gray, as if they had absorbed the color of the cloudy sky. The worker ants of the Legitimacy Kingdom advanced using the electric motors of their rubber boats and they quickly ran across some white ¡°mines¡±. In other words, drift ice. At first, they were the size of a stone one could carry with both arms, but they soon grew to the size of bathtubs and finally a noble¡¯s mansion.


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s that tits iceberg from before. Kevin, watch where we¡¯re headed! I¡¯m not about to crash into that thing and sink.¡±


    ¡°Wow, they¡¯re covered in penguins. Do you think they and the ice came all the way from Antarctica?¡±


    ¡°They might just be taking a vacation in this area.¡±


    There were about ten people per boat. The middle-aged man named Kevin was pointing his handheld device¡¯s lens around taking photos.


    ¡°What are you doing, Kevin? If you¡¯re analyzing the ice, could you share that data?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Quenser, but I¡¯m taking pictures of the drift ice. My son Wells absolutely loves penguins, so he¡¯s sure to love this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t summoning the grim reaper and getting us caught in the crossfire, are you?¡±


    The ratio of ocean to ice gradually reversed and they found themselves sailing through rivers or valleys in the gaps between the ice. Eventually, there was no excess space and they had trouble getting the boats any further.


    A white wall over a meter tall waited ahead of them. If it stuck up that far from the water, they could not even imagine how far it spread beneath.


    ¡°This ice really is weird,¡± said Quenser as he stroked its surface through his thick glove. ¡°It¡¯s like one meter dice were packed together like chocolate crunch. That gives it a lot of handholds though, so we shouldn¡¯t have any trouble climbing up it.¡±


    However, the student did not hear any of the usual complaints from his awful friend, so he sighed.


    ¡°Are you still in a bad mood, you gloomy noble?¡±


    ¡°A pat on the nose from some skinny SOB isn¡¯t about to deter the Great Heivia. But I still can¡¯t believe you would take Azureyfear¡¯s side and treat me like a villain when you have no idea what¡¯s going on there. Being a beautiful girl must be nice. A single teary look and you can overturn any law!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser looked like someone who had just noticed a pile of old newspapers after the recycling truck drove by, middle-aged Kevin looked nervous, and Heivia raised his voice because he could not stand the annoying ¡°pressure¡± bearing down on him.


    ¡°Fine, fine! I¡¯ll admit it. I may not know where exactly Azureyfear falls in my list of sisters, but I do know her!! She was pretty cute when she was a kid, but that completely changed after I started dating Lady Vanderbilt. It turned out she didn¡¯t have a personality of her own and she was only following the program placed in her head by the Winchell family. She was completely done in by her noble blood.¡±


    ¡°So you started having trouble with your cute little sister because of your girlfriend? Do you want me to punch you again, you spoiled bastard?¡±


    Seeing a boy pout his lips and sulk was only creepy. Quenser dealt with him and turned back to the rough ice wall again. The rocking rubber boat made for unsteady footing, but since it was higher than the ocean¡¯s surface, the meter tall ice was between waist and chest height when he stood up.


    Everyone on the boat crawled up onto the ice land where they found a different world covered in a flat plain of pure white. The ice literally continued to the horizon. It may have been bigger than a small megafloat airport.


    ¡°This iceberg is practically an ice shelf. It¡¯s like a continent.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, I know your eyes only know how to stare at girl¡¯s asses, so quit pretending to appreciate the scenery and help me with this work.¡±


    ¡°You get so hesitant, complain-y, and just an all-around pain-in-the-ass when it comes to your family. Are you in a rebellious phase or are you a kid with his parents at school for parent¡¯s day? The problem is that you actually think it makes you look cool.¡±


    They used the synthetic fiber rope prepared in the boat to pull the boat up from the ocean. Then the ten-person boat visibly changed form. The air inflating the balloon was released, the umbrella-like framework bent like an arm, and the alloy armor opened up. In less than twenty seconds, it had become a rectangular suitcase-sized mass. It had treads and looked like a miniature snowmobile or tank.


    Kevin used his handheld device, but not to take photos of the penguins this time. He seemed to be controlling the miniature.


    ¡°It¡¯s called an Armadillo. It normally follows along automatically to analyze images and monitor the situation, but it still needs some human help. Although that makes it kind of cute.¡±


    Quenser scratched his head while listening to the middle-aged man.


    ¡°Will this thing really help?¡±


    ¡°We have a lot to carry this time, so a robot should come in handy.¡±


    ¡°True...¡±


    There was not much infantry could do in a battle between Objects.


    The mission these idiots had ¡°gladly¡± received from Frolaytia was to take samples of and analyze the makeup of the unnatural ice as well as scattering decoy armor and shell fragments to interfere with the Spectre Q&A¡¯s analysis work.


    That meant carrying back containers of the ice they had carved off as well as carrying around some amount of trap fragments to spread across the wide range of the battlefield.


    ¡°Yeah, this is a pretty unwieldy job.¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha. Well, it¡¯s still better than going out for a firefight with other human beings.¡±


    They did not know when, where, or how the Spectre Q&A would take its samples, so they could only place the fragments at evenly spaced intervals as if aligning them on graph paper. They had to carry around the equipment and measure everything out, so the robot was a lot of help.


    ¡°Come to think of it, they sent bull robots after us in the Rio Grande District. Everyone¡¯s developing this kind of thing, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I would think this style makes more sense than adding legs. I¡¯d heard whispers that the infantry is starting to need power station vehicles for all their electronic equipment. Having your soldiers worried about their phone battery would be pretty sad, after all.¡±


    In his own stupid way, Heivia must have realized that his bad mood was not very productive because he casually replied.


    ¡°Basically it¡¯s a durable caddy. It¡¯s got power, water, food, and even that boat we were using. There¡¯s more of a demand for these indirect weapons that don¡¯t help fight but carry the equipment needed to maintain the front line. It can be used to block bullets in a pinch, but the electronic simulation division¡¯s calculations didn¡¯t recommend it. They said the gunfire could trigger a spark explosion in the transformer and we¡¯d be caught in the blast.¡±


    ¡°Eh heh heh. Isn¡¯t it cute? It reminds me of a cleaning robot. When we would run ours back home, Wells would chase after it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you might be missing your family, but don¡¯t draw a face on it with permanent ink. It¡¯s military property.¡±


    That said, they would not need to use it to block bullets.


    Their enemy was not infantry with assault rifles or handguns.


    ¡°...¡±


    The pure white land underwent a great change. An unbelievably large crack ran through the icy surface that continued to the horizon. Seen from a satellite, it may have looked like a pane of glass after it was stabbed with the tip of an umbrella, but it looked like a giant valley to those on the scene. The rocking of the waves caused an even greater height difference between the two sides of the fault.


    ¡°Here she is,¡± spat out Heivia. ¡°That was our Princess.¡±


    The icy land seemed to be made from one meter dice packed together like extra-large chocolate crunch and a giant form crashed into it with its naval float still attached. It was the Baby Magnum with its seven main cannons and reverse Y-shaped support.


    And if the Princess was here, then the other Object would be somewhere nearby too.


    The Information Alliance Second Generation was known as the Spectre Q&A.


    It was an amphibious air cushion Object, so it smoothly slipped up onto the flat-looking ice in the distance. It looked like a fusion between a spider and a crab. It was supported by four long, narrow legs and it had four pincer-like arms on the front. The surface of the pincers was likely covered with vacuum cleaner-like suction devices. Those would collect the armor panel fragments or low-stability plasma cannon gas floating in the air, find their weak points with its optical sample analysis, and construct its tactics based on that.


    This battle was one-on-one, so it was obvious what would happen next.


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia, and everyone else. Be on your guard.¡±


    The Princess warned them over the radio.


    Immediately afterwards, a frighteningly indiscriminate bombardment began.


    They did not begin with their main cannons.


    Instead, it was the many secondary cannons covering the spherical bodies like a sea urchin or chestnut burr that moved first. The Princess did not bother breaking the ice with her icebreaking blade. She started by firing metal railgun and coilgun shells to break the white scenery into countless blocks and then fired laser beams and low-stability plasma cannons to instantly vaporize the blocks. She advanced while turning the field ahead of her into the ocean and water she needed for her naval floats.


    Quenser and the others had no choice but to watch.


    But they did not have a chance to just calmly watch as the Baby Magnum and the Spectre Q&A exchanged fire with their low-stability plasma cannon and laser beam main cannons.


    There was a white explosion near the surface.


    The dangerous drift ice could have opened a hole in the side of a cruise ship, but the intense heat had forced it to flash vaporize, triggering an explosion of water vapor. But by the time they realized that, a white wall several kilometers long was approaching the soldiers with intense pressure.


    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    They got down on the ground. Quenser and Heivia both got down, realized they had nothing to grab onto, and got chummy with the suitcase-sized Armadillo power vehicle made from folding up the rubber boat. The white wall struck a moment later. The beads of ice stung their cheeks. Their vision was as poor as in a sandstorm and Quenser saw a large silhouette flying by at greater than his height. Rather than a UFO, it was a poor Legitimacy Kingdom soldier who had not been blessed with anything to grab onto.


    ¡°Keviiiin!!¡±


    ¡°I told you! This is what happens when you carry a picture of your family around on the battlefield, you idiot!!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t investigate the ice or scatter fragments like this. What do we do!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Just focus on surviving, skinny boy! At this rate, they¡¯ll grab our corpses and use their optical sample analysis to reveal the locations of every last mole and erogenous zone on our bodies!!¡±


    Next, they heard yet another explosion like a balloon popping.


    The Princess was not using these water vapor explosions to damage the enemy Object. They were simply meant to destroy the endless obstacles getting in her way, so these white walls would reach the soldiers again and again.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding! You have got to be kidding! Let¡¯s head back to the crack in the ice shelf. If we stay up here, we¡¯ll be just like a line of ants being sprayed with a hose!!¡±


    ¡°When the land is shaking this much!? The chunks of ice are rocking in the waves, so if we climb between them, we¡¯ll be crushed by a giant mouth!!¡±


    An icy South African wind blew through.


    It quickly washed away the water vapor and the scenery opened up once more.


    Quenser felt like he was seeing something he should not be.


    A giant mushroom cloud covered a radius of one hundred meters. It looked like a scene from some old footage.


    That too may have been a massive water vapor explosion and Heivia¡¯s eyes widened as he shouted out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the weather can get any more bizarre than this!!¡±


    They did not have time to stick around.


    They were assaulted by intense pressure, like an invisible giant¡¯s hand was sweeping them away. This time, they were pulled up into the air. There were not given a choice in the matter and tossed right into the nearby canyon-like crack.


    They plunged into the gray sea.


    The Armadillo had fallen with them, so it opened on its own and instantly filled with air to form a rubber boat.


    The seemingly depthless water squeezed at their hearts, so they frantically swam for the surface and grabbed at the boat. But then they noticed someone else with them.


    It was Kevin.


    He seemed to have fallen into the crack ahead of them.


    ¡°Cough, cough! A-are you two okay? L-let me grab on too.¡±


    ¡°Kevin, grab on here. That was the Princess. Our life insurance only pays out if the enemy shoots us, so you¡¯ll lose big if you let that kill you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to die. My son Wells gave me a good luck charm to ward off bullets. Dying here would mean rejecting his efforts and I¡¯m not about to have him feeling down.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh!! Someone please stop this guy from calling in any more bad luck!!¡±


    Even soldiers decked out with cutting-edge equipment were superstitious. The two idiots covered the man¡¯s mouth so he could not do anymore to summon an unknown grim reaper.


    Also...


    ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore! Why are we even out here again!?¡±


    ¡°There is a lot we need to do. Let¡¯s review, Heivia. We¡¯re supposed to get the Spectre Q&A to gather decoy materials so it performs an erroneous optical sample analysis and we¡¯re supposed to gather samples from this unnatural ice. If we know the system behind its solidification, we might be able to use a chemical to instantly melt it.¡±


    ¡°Leave all that to the Princess! With all that firepower, what does a little ice matter? If she wanted, couldn¡¯t she fire some plasma into the South Pole to wipe out all of mankind?¡±


    ¡°No, not necessarily.¡±


    Quenser climbed onto the Armadillo boat, stood up, and observed the battlefield like a pervert peeping over the fence of the girl¡¯s bath.


    Kevin asked a hesitant question.


    ¡°Wh-what is it, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s melting the ice before she moves. That means her route is visible in advance, so the Spectre Q&A can predict the Princess¡¯s next move. Nimble footwork is everything in an Object battle. It can predict where she¡¯ll be one second later and fire its laser main cannon there.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°What we were sent out here to do: search for a way of melting these mountains of ice without relying on the Princess. If we can get rid of all this unnatural ice, we can overturn the Information Alliance¡¯s advan-...¡±


    Quenser trailed off and looked down at his soaking wet uniform. Then he looked to his surroundings: Heivia and Kevin who were still submerged in the water and clinging to the Armadillo boat, the gray sea, and the ice wall made from unnatural dice packed together.


    ¡°This is strange.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Dammit, did my assumptions about the winter sea and this waterproof and cold-resistant equipment get the better of me? They did, didn¡¯t they!? This isn¡¯t right at all!!¡±


    Heivia looked at his awful friend in confusion because Quenser removed his glove and stuck his hand in the seawater.


    ¡°And even if she¡¯d been in a sauna, it was strange that Azureyfear could walk around the ship in only a swimsuit.¡±


    ¡°That pervert! Is my sister the type that says she can only sleep in the nude!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also strange that you two can soak in that seawater while only looking chilly and that my uniform didn¡¯t freeze after I climbed up into this biting wind! And to top it all off, there¡¯s this!!¡±


    Quenser slapped the water¡¯s surface from the boat.


    ¡°This water isn¡¯t cold.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Eh?¡± asked Kevin. ¡°What do you mean, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just your average seawater. This isn¡¯t anywhere near the midwinter environment you need for it to freeze! That¡¯s right. If this was cold enough to create an Antarctic-style ice shelf, we probably would have died a few minutes after falling into the seawater. The average temperature for the southernmost part of Africa is eleven degrees. It just isn¡¯t the right environment for ice to form naturally!!¡±


    Heivia and Kevin skeptically removed a glove and checked for themselves.


    The idiot was right.


    They did not feel the piercing cold of icy water. They felt the lukewarm temperature of water left sitting in a cup.


    ¡°Wait. Wait, wait. So what? This ice drifted here from Antarctica, right? Then it isn¡¯t that strange that these giant icebergs are floating in normal seawater, is it?¡±


    ¡°One meter dice of ice were packed together into this giant ice shelf. It¡¯s clearly manmade. And there¡¯s no sign of the corners melting and rounding off. It wouldn¡¯t look like this if it had been left in normal seawater for long periods of time.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand if you carve off a piece with a knife and taste it. While the surface has been exposed to the sea wind, the inside won¡¯t taste salty. The trick to creating ice that won¡¯t melt is to reduce the impurities. If this is a meteorological weapon, they¡¯ll have used a filter or a centrifuge to remove the salt, dead plankton, and the like.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. Then...you¡¯re kidding, right!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s making the ice here. Right here and now. No one else is supporting it.¡±


    Quenser really did carve off a piece of ice with a knife, stuck it in a thermos, and continued chatting.


    ¡°And it¡¯s made enough to create this white land that reaches the horizon. This is history¡¯s greatest obstacle. Not even a tanker full of the polymer used for diapers could build a wall like this. If you¡¯ve got to obey conservation of mass, it¡¯s best to use the seawater that you¡¯ve got a near unlimited supply of.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Then let me ask you something. How much coolant would they need to create a new continent for the planet? Are they using Freon, liquid nitrogen, or liquid helium? Whatever it is, they¡¯re violating entropy or whatever! It would never work out. Even refrigerators and freezers need more than a ton of electricity. You need some kind of coolant and you can only cool as much as the coolant¡¯s specs allow for!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The student thought for a bit on his awful friend¡¯s objection.


    ¡°No, it may not be cooling the water at all.¡±


    ¡°So...what? Are they using some kind of magical device from the future?¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t a rule that says water only freezes after being cooled down to 0 degrees. Melting points and boiling points vary depending on the environment.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the fact that cup ramen tastes worse when made in the Andes shows up on quiz shows a lot. Marie loves those shows, but Wells always pouts his lips when she doesn¡¯t let him change the channel.¡±


    ¡°You can tell us more about your wife and kid later. Those cup noodles are what matter now. That¡¯s because the boiling point for the water changes due to the difference in atmospheric pressure. Ice is the same. Apply pressure and the temperature at which it freezes will change.¡±


    ¡°What? So are we supposed to look at this in reverse? Like dig down 4000 meters below the ground?¡±


    ¡°No, normal water turns to ice at around 7000 atmospheres of pressure. There¡¯s a professor at my safe country school that was always doing experiments related to that. Something about creating a holy bullet by making water molecules act like metal molecules.¡±


    ¡°Seven thousand!? How are they supposed to do that, you idiot!? That¡¯s just unrealistic. This isn¡¯t a micro-level lab. It¡¯s the macro-level battlefield!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Objects are two hundred thousand tons. That¡¯s twice the weight of old aircraft carriers. It could easily supply that pressure by creating a press that focuses its weight on a single point like stepping down with some high heels. Take those four legs for example.¡±


    Kevin groaned, either at the crazy ideas Quenser could come up with or at the extraordinary specs of the enemy Object. Water froze at zero degrees. He never would have reached this point without first questioning that standard assumption.


    Meanwhile, the student continued like normal.


    ¡°There¡¯s also a paper on applying one million volts of electricity to a meter cube of pure water to solidify it into ice. The Object¡¯s reactor can supply that, so that might act as a secondary method.¡±


    The student placed the thermos in the rubber boat¡¯s holder. When the boat folded up to the size of a suitcase, it would be safely stored inside the Armadillo.


    ¡°Anyway, it doesn¡¯t need a ton of coolant that way, so it can ignore that limit. Whether it uses pressure or electricity, it can indefinitely produce ice without turning the entire Object into a giant freezer.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Heivia and Kevin fell silent for a while.


    Those conditions brought a troublesome problem to the surface.


    ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you? The Spectre Q&A isn¡¯t working with some other unit. It can create all this ice and block off the sea all on its own. No matter how much ice the Princess melts, it can fill the gaps back up. She¡¯ll be a bird in a cage the entire time.¡±


    ¡°This is no joke. So we¡¯ll be getting slapped around by our own Object the whole time!? Even those water vapor explosions will kill us eventually!!¡±


    ¡°About those water vapor explosions,¡± cut in Quenser. ¡°Its main cannon is a laser beam using a dye laser, right? The unnatural ice and the screen of water vapor... They both interfere with light. If it was designed with both of those in mind, it might have some trickier tactics prepared.¡±


    Part 8


    The Princess maintained her focus even as a white screen of water vapor covered everything and new ice flowed in below the Baby Magnum.


    She had done nothing more than secure her means of passage.


    The true earth-shaking battle between Objects was yet to come.


    ¡°!¡±


    The locations of both Objects, the changes in the opponent¡¯s movements, the orientation of their cannons, the movements and creaking of their lenses and sensor heads, etc. All of the data taken in by the Object was ultimately analyzed by a human mind and she operated the Baby Magnum with the instincts of her fingertips. The Spectre Q&A fired its frightening laser beam main cannon a moment later.


    She just barely managed to avoid it.


    And instead of a straight line attack that flew at the speed of light, this attack had curved slightly through the curtain of water vapor.


    ¡°I already experienced a bending main cannon back in the Rio Grande District!!¡±


    This time, a laser beam flew off in a seemingly random direction, collided with a hunk of ice, and bent at a sharp angle with some reduction in power. However, the Princess had predicted this as well, so she had moved her machine out of the way.


    It was the same as a mirror, lens, or prism.


    The Spectre Q&A was using some kind of technology to remake the icy land, reflecting its light with that ice, and bending it with the water vapor screen. But if one viewed the enemy Object as the source of the light and knew how the various obstacles would interfere with that light, it was not impossible to deal with.


    Of course, this was the same as constantly doing the mental arithmetic to determine how a laser pointer would bounce around an amusement park¡¯s house of mirrors, and while the source of the light was constantly moving around at over five hundred kph.


    But...


    (I can do it.)


    The Princess operated the control stick while placing some belligerence on top of her logical thinking.


    Weak lasers in her special goggles read the movements of her eyes and sent her wishes to the machine.


    (This isn¡¯t an unbeatable foe. Second Generations have a single point of specialization, so if I can bring an end to that gimmick, they aren¡¯t a threat. With my focus on the fundamentals, I have less excess weight and have lighter footwork!!)


    None of that was wrong, but that did not mean it was entirely correct either.


    Yes, where did the Spectre Q&A¡¯s name come from?


    It retrieved samples and optically analyzed them to work out its enemy¡¯s weakness.


    So the longer the battle continued, the more clues it had to make a comeback.


    Part 9


    ¡°The discord between the Winchell family and the Vanderbilt family is concentrated inside this bottle,¡± said Azureyfear Winchell inside the borrowed aircraft carrier¡¯s command room.


    Frolaytia mentally held her head as she sat in front of a laptop at a work desk. She was trying to directly command the Object that was currently in battle, but modern warfare¡¯s advanced digitization allowed her to do so almost anywhere as long as she had communications equipment. But unforeseen trouble was always a possibility, so she did not want to receive a message like, ¡°The LTE antenna just died and there¡¯s nothing we can do. Tehepero.¡± The entire battalion could be wiped out like an online game character after the player¡¯s signal cut out.


    That was when the noble girl started speaking.


    The girl¡¯s bewitching body looked a little pale and she held a small bottle of blood-red wine.


    ¡°Young lady.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to drink any. I only spray some on my clothes and hair like perfume.¡±


    She giggled and then her voice dropped in tone.


    ¡°That way I will never forget the centuries of hatred contained in this bottle. That is the Winchell family way.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, Blazer Bouquet is a very...unique brand that people often claim tastes like drinking perfume.¡±


    ¡°My, my. So you enjoy it too, major?¡±


    Frolaytia was always smoking her long, narrow kiseru, but for some reason, she coughed now. She may have been reminded of her safe country maids and tutors.


    ¡°Blazer Bouquet is made by mixing together several rose petals and allowing them to ferment and brew within quite a lot of flower nectar. As you mentioned, major, wheat or grapes are much better if flavor is what you seek, but a powerful impression is needed for a drink served at a celebration.¡±


    Azureyfear held the perfume-like bottle¡¯s lid between her fingertips and swished the contents around.


    ¡°It all began several centuries ago. It was far before even the fall of the UN that is seen as the turning point between eras. This is a fairy tale about a princess who was pursued by an entire nation. Our Winchell family remained loyal and hid the princess even if it meant breaking the law, while the Vanderbilt family upheld the law and pursued the princess even if it meant betraying their loyalty. The princess tried to cast aside her name and position to live happily among the commoners, but they would not allow it. On the day of a secretly-held wedding, it was a bottle of this rose wine turned into a Molotov cocktail that broke through the chapel¡¯s stained glass window.¡±


    Frolaytia narrowed her eyes a little.


    This was a delicate historical issue directly linked to ideology. If she said the wrong thing she would trigger the kind of harsh response that was willing to continue hunting someone down for one hundred years. She chose her words carefully as she responded.


    ¡°I had heard that story is merely a highly plausible theory, just like the big bang theory.¡±


    ¡°Yes. When the rise of Objects brought the demise of the nuclear age, all sorts of storage media were turned to ash. There¡¯s no telling just what people threw into that figurative conflagration if they had any inconvenient truths they wished to rid themselves of. It must have looked like the most effective shredder imaginable. For one thing, no one even knows if the fall of the UN really was what created the Objects. Similarly, no one knows the truth of our two families after crossing that turning point.¡±


    The Blue Rose continued after kissing the small blood-red bottle.


    ¡°But if facts were intentionally erased, there was a reason for them to be erased. Even if the story contained within the Blazer Bouquet is false, something even more repulsive lurks even deeper within. Could you feed your baby some baby food that listed its ingredients simply as ¡®unknown¡¯? Can you really rest easy just because you don¡¯t know? Really??¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The very fact that it is listed as ¡®unknown¡¯ is suspicious. Thus there is no real reason to search any further. Even if the maker sent out a correction, you would never believe it. You would throw out all of the baby food and rely on a different maker, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    She was already set in her ways on this.


    It was not just the lack of a stairway to compromise. She had prepared arguments to justify not seeking compromise.


    That was Frolaytia¡¯s honest opinion, but she of course did not speak that aloud.


    Then an electronic tone sounded.


    Her laptop was lending a helping hand at the best possible time.


    ¡°Major Capistrano, this is not quite an emergency, but the large-scale water vapor explosions among the icebergs have altered the weather over a wide area.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, young lady. ...Is a tornado or downburst forming?¡±


    ¡°Nothing yet, but our Doppler radar is showing a definite supercell. Noise from the gathering storm clouds and surges of lightning might interfere with our transmissions. In order to stay informed of the changing environment, I would recommend coming down to the battle command station if possible.¡±


    She did everything she could to keep it from showing on her face, but Frolaytia was relieved and concluded she was blessed with some excellent subordinates. She had no problem with historical romance, but that changed when it had brought about hatred that still continued to this very day.


    She folded up her laptop and stood from the large chair at the work desk.


    ¡°Allow me to see you to your room.¡±


    ¡°No need. I would collapse from heat stroke in there. Might I stay here?¡±


    That would normally not be allowed, but they were essentially ¡°renting out¡± the entire small aircraft carrier. The command room had nearly been turned into a hotel room, so it only contained a change of clothes and the laptop Frolaytia held under her arm. There were no documents or equipment with classified information and the drawers were all empty.


    So she could easily answer.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. I will be posting a guard in front of the door, though.¡±


    ¡°Please do.¡±


    After their formal exchange, only Azureyfear remained in the room.


    She removed the small bottle¡¯s lid, attached a spray cap, and lightly sprayed some on the thick blood vessels on her wrists and neck.


    She calmed herself as she enjoyed the rosy smell and then reached for the chest of her blue dress. She pulled out a small handheld device she had not informed the battalion she had.


    She used a communications method based on a special detour to contact a certain someone.


    ¡°How do you do, White Lily of Vanderbilt? You seem to be investigating us, but did your lovely rat-like efforts turn anything up?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you... This isn¡¯t passing through the military server. What kind of dirty magic trick is this?¡±


    ¡°Secrets are the ultimate luxury only afforded to the privileged. The common folk put all their effort into experiencing cheap imitations, but those of us at the top are of course laughing at their wasted efforts.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Just talking to myself, White Lily. I care not what the Whore of Vanderbilt does in her spare time. I will praise you for shaking that vulgar ass of yours to steal away a portion of our Winchell family as part of your plan, though¡±


    The Blue Rose placed the word ¡°but¡± on her tongue.


    With one hand holding the handheld device, she used the other to spin around the perfume bottle of hateful wine.


    ¡°If you drag my brother into that pathetic hobby you call ¡®pacifism¡¯, you will wish I had only burned your face off with a Molotov cocktail, Bitch of Vanderbilt. I will turn every last hair on your head into dust.¡±


    She did not speak particularly strongly, but a strange pressure was hidden within her tone.


    A commoner with no history behind their name may have fainted when that pressure struck them head-on.


    But the girl she was speaking to was different.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Vanderbilt family had been around for at least several centuries, just like the Winchell family.


    The young lady of that family laughed as she replied.


    ¡°Oh, dear. ...Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Don¡¯t tell me you think I forced Master Heivia to join me in all this.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If so, I¡¯m sorry to say I was only doing what he asked me to. I will, however, admit I had some spare time on my hands and continued my investigation after interpreting his request more broadly than he probably intended.¡±


    ¡°You whore.¡±


    ¡°Blue Rose. It isn¡¯t right to blame your brother¡¯s lover just because he isn¡¯t giving you any attention. ...What are you doing? The Vanderbilt family has a countermeasure office dedicated to the Winchell family and you are hiding something that not even their network could detect.¡±


    ¡°You will know soon enough.¡±


    Water splattered against the window


    Dark clouds had rapidly filled the sky and rain was pouring down.


    ¡°Or should I say, it is already too late.¡±


    Part 10


    It was raining.


    Raindrops large enough to hurt on the cheek poured down like a waterfall.


    The artificial rain shower created a great din. The previous water vapor explosions had caused this. The vaporized water had cooled in the air, solidified, and fallen as water once more.


    ¡°Is it just me or is the Princess the one kicking us around this time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably just you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because you were flirting with Azureyfear! Nothing good comes from pissing off the goddess of victory that holds all of our lives in her hands!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re blaming this on your sister again, you gloomy noble!? I¡¯m sick of hearing that. That has nothing to do with the Princess¡¯s mental state!!¡±


    ¡°Are you on Colorful Vanilla!? How else could you be so clueless!? You¡¯re the real spoiled bastard here, so I think you¡¯re the one that deserves a fist to the face!!¡±


    ¡°S-stop that, you two. C¡¯mon, you shouldn¡¯t fight.¡±


    The two idiots ignored the weak-willed middle-aged man and started grappling on top of the artificial ice shelf, but they soon realized they had bigger problems.


    A flash of light much brighter than before stabbed into their retinas.


    ¡°Gh...ah!?¡±


    ¡°What the hell!?¡±


    They curled up like lightning had struck nearby, but the light had not been targeting them. If so, they would have been vaporized already.


    It was a laser beam.


    It had grazed one of the Baby Magnum¡¯s seven main cannons as the Object continually dodged the Spectre Q&A¡¯s man cannons.


    ¡°Dammit! It didn¡¯t react that much before, did it!?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. I think the Princess was shaken by that!¡±


    The optical weapon had done more than tear at the thick armor. A tremendous explosion and shockwave followed. The half-melted main cannon had already been rendered useless, but it bent and strained like a fishing rod. The entire two hundred thousand ton mass seemed to be shoved to the side and it stopped moving.


    The Spectre Q&A¡¯s main cannon moved carefully.


    It fired the main cannon again and again. The Princess quickly resumed her evasive action, but it lacked life.


    Heivia muttered to himself in the downpour.


    ¡°What was that? It didn¡¯t look like a normal laser.¡±


    ¡°A dye laser. Damn, Frolaytia even mentioned it back in the pre-mission briefing!!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what is that, Quenser?¡± asked Kevin. ¡°How is it different from a normal laser!?¡±


    ¡°A dye laser has color added to the medium used to oscillate the laser. By switching between media, this almighty laser can theoretically create light with any wavelength, from ultraviolet to visible light to infrared.¡± Quenser demonstrated the fruits of his studies to his awful friend. ¡°But dye lasers are pretty inefficient. Enough that a different type of laser is needed for the pumping...that is, adjusting it to a usable band of light. You could say that thing¡¯s main canon is a combination of different types of lasers, like a multi-stage rocket. Since it uses different wavelengths of light, it has to switch between different media like a color palette. And of course, the more complicated the system, the harder it is to maintain and the greater the risk of it malfunctioning. Normally, a dye laser isn¡¯t well-suited for use as a weapon.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to say, Quenser!?¡± asked Kevin.


    ¡°It¡¯s a really useful but really inconvenient laser! The end!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well that giant thing¡¯s gotten it to work. There has to be a reason why. Unless some shitty government official had some shitty plot to embezzle the people¡¯s shitty tax money.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, how do lasers do damage in the first place?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°Setting aside some special cases, they transmit the energy of the light to their target and destroy it with that. That¡¯s the basic idea of a laser. That means efficiency matters. What wavelength of light will build up the most energy in the material making up the armor? What matters here is that the Spectre Q&A¡¯s dye laser main cannon can produce light ranging from the ultraviolet to visible light and infrared.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. So that blast just now...¡±


    ¡°We already know it performs optical analysis on the stripped pieces of armor panels and the special gas floating in the air and puts together its tactics based on that. There are countless variations in Object armor. The expert craftsmen add in the fire-resistant reactive material almost by instinct and no machine can emulate it. But what if the Spectre Q&A¡¯s analysis has reached that level?¡±


    ¡°It can choose the laser that will have the most effect on the Princess¡¯s armor? That¡¯s what caused that explosion!? She took far, far more energy than from a normal laser!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s more about efficiency than power.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. That isn¡¯t just a tricky-to-use optical weapon. Is it more like an explosive laser that destroys the material with all its built-up energy!?¡±


    Kevin trembled in fear at what Heivia was saying.


    Even now, the Princess was making quick evasive actions. Her footwork was as nimble as a mixed martial artist¡¯s, but the Spectre Q&A was sending in more drift ice. That artificial ice was created by freezing the sea water with great pressure. Once that stopped her, her enemy could get a definite hit in. The preparations for that were already underway.


    ¡°B-but it¡¯s still a laser isn¡¯t it? She already knew it was bad to get hit by it! So she just has to make sure she isn¡¯t hit! Then it won¡¯t explode, right!?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening, Heivia?¡±


    Quenser rejected that optimistic view.


    ¡°Its dye laser can create any wavelength.¡±


    A moment later, several explosions erupted from the space around the Baby Magnum rather than the Object itself.


    The noise alone was enough to not just pound on their eardrums but fill their heads with internal pressure. Heivia curled up and yelled while suffering from a dull headache.


    ¡°What is it now!?¡±


    ¡°It created the optimal wavelength for either the surrounding air, the low-stability plasma cannon gas floating around, or the static electricity repellant!! It¡¯s just like a laser space elevator. The air expanded to create explosive shockwaves that hold the Princess in place!!¡±


    The laser contained enough energy to pierce through an Object which could survive a nuclear blast.


    That pressure exploded in the air and scattered around.


    The Baby Magnum was not at the center of the blast and was not destroyed, but entirely avoiding the surface of pressure created by the shockwave was not easy and that pressure approached from multiple directions at once. The fifty meter machine¡¯s movements were cut short and it could not keep up its nimble evasions.


    The Spectre Q&A had no reason to rush.


    It had the optimal game piece on the optimal square on the game board, so it could tease its opponent until they self-destructed.


    With the drift ice interfering from below and the shockwaves from above, the Baby Magnum was losing valuable seconds and would eventually be fatally delayed.


    Then the monster¡¯s dye laser would switch its palette and fire the most efficient attack for the Baby Magnum.


    Whether opening a photo album or activating a voice recorder, Kevin curled up and muttered something while staring at his handheld device.


    ¡°Marie, Wells. Dad is doing his best on the other side of the globe. I swear I¡¯ll keep my promise, so let¡¯s have a blast at the amusement park. But...ahh, but if dad can¡¯t make it back...Wells, listen up. You need to support your mom. This is a promise between men, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up you. Stop praying like that. More importantly, what are we going to do?¡±


    Still curled up, Heivia clenched his teeth against the shockwave that was breaking apart the icy land.


    ¡°We were caught in this thing¡¯s web from the beginning! How are we supposed to win!?¡±


    Part 11


    A round lifeboat floated between the drift ice.


    Inside were three blonde girls in red parade uniforms and the young man in charge of their care.


    ¡°Good, good. I was a little worried when the Legitimacy Kingdom melted the ice and triggered all those water vapor explosions, but we should be fine now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all progressing well.¡±


    ¡°It feels like we¡¯re finally back on track, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    All three were facing each other with military handheld devices in hand as if they were children playing coop with handheld games. The young man was left out and he kept glancing out the round window at the intermittent light and noise.


    The three sisters (who actually wanted to show off to him) were a little displeased with that, but they refocused themselves.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would accept this job, Dry.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because this request for help came from the Laser Cracker 001. Y¡¯know, the one suspected to be involved in that drug war. That may be efficient, but isn¡¯t it disgusting?¡±


    The sensible young man¡¯s shoulders gave a start as he stared out the window.


    The triplets (mistakenly) concluded they could gather his attention with this topic, so there was no stopping them.


    ¡°He¡¯s not some money-obsessed drug dealer. In a way, he is taking part in the drug war, though.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Then wat is he doing?¡±


    ¡°The Laser Cracker 001¡¯s Elite uses the internet to send his designer drug recipes to the enemy maintenance base, but he doesn¡¯t do it to sow confusion in their maintenance or command structure.¡±


    ¡°Ohh, I get it now.¡±


    ¡°He wanted a bad example. Something like a poster hung up in an infirmary.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Just like any other type of war, there¡¯s offense and defense in a drug war. You attack by sending your products to the enemy nation and earning money. You defend by blocking the products from entering your own country and secretly spreading awareness to make the youth afraid of using the products. A bad example is the best for that. Like showing pictures of paint thinner addicts¡¯ teeth or the torn-up skin of addicts after they tried to scratch at the hallucinations of bugs crawling all over them.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t use your own people for that bad example.¡±


    ¡°And even if it¡¯s an enemy nation, you don¡¯t want to destroy the people in a safe country.¡±


    ¡°So he used an enemy nation¡¯s soldiers. If the news runs a story on the sorry state of the soldiers after abusing drugs on the battlefield, no one will try to use that ¡®cool and artistic key to the gates of heaven¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Even drugs are about brand name and image, aren¡¯t they? You can see that pretty clearly when a legal drug becomes an illegal drug, when the illegal drug starts being called an herb or something, and when it¡¯s finally known as a dangerous drug. That¡¯s a different sort of defense.¡±


    ¡°It leads to rumors that the filthy soldiers on the battlefield were caught in a national conspiracy, have their teeth falling apart as if from cavities, have their noses constantly running, and get hallucinations that lead to chewing their own fingers to shreds. Of course no one¡¯s going to try to use it after hearing that.¡±


    The young man was reaching information overload and had completely lost track of who was saying what. Oblivious to that minor change yet hoping to attract that normal person¡¯s attention, the three genius girls continued their complicated discussion.


    ¡°But what does that say about the current incident?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that ergot alkaloid lysergic acid derivative.¡±


    ¡°Colorful Vanilla.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the one in charge of producing that, right? That seems out of character for the Laser Cracker 001. He usually takes the defensive side of the drug war to reduce the damage done.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason behind it.¡±


    Alisa Martini Sweet smiled thinly with the kind of cruelty unique to a genius.


    ¡°This is but the tip of the iceberg.¡±


    Part 12


    ¡°Heivia, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°What is it, goddammit!? My ears are hurting too bad to hear you properly!!¡±


    As the repeated explosions and shockwaves gradually cornered the Princess, Quenser grabbed Heivia¡¯s shoulders and shouted loud enough to not be drowned out.


    ¡°We need to pull up the rubber boat that¡¯s still in the water! We need the Armadillo¡¯s help. Heivia, you and Kevin help me out!!¡±


    ¡°What are you even trying to do!? Wouldn¡¯t jumping down to the boat be the faster way out of here!?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±


    Quenser glared at the distant Spectre Q&A that was firing its explosive laser main cannon that made use of a dye laser.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to do something about that thing. I can¡¯t let it keep bullying the Princess. And if it gets away, the drug war affecting safe countries will continue. Colorful Vanilla will be spread without end while some government official¡¯s wallet gets fatter. That would leave a bad taste in my mouth, so we need to do something, whether that means capturing the Pilot Elite or analyzing the drug.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re...right. It seems to only be targeting the Capitalist Corporations for now, but they¡¯re still targeting safe countries. I don¡¯t want to leave any chance of that being spread anywhere near Marie and Wells.¡±


    They used the synthetic rope to pull up the boat. Once it was up on the ice, they let out the air and it automatically transformed into the suitcase-sized Armadillo.


    ¡°Let¡¯s turn this around before they reach checkmate. Come on, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding!? We have to run through all those explosions and shockwaves!?¡±


    The two idiots and the middle-aged man crouched down and ran along the cracked ice land with the small power supply Armadillo.


    As they felt vibrations that seemed to beat all of their skin like a drum, Quenser spoke over the radio.


    ¡°Princess, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Quenser? I¡¯m a little busy.¡±


    ¡°Turning down people¡¯s invitations on the pretext of being ¡®busy¡¯ is a warning signal when it comes to interpersonal relations, so be careful.¡± He twisted his lips in a smile as he joked. ¡°Can you move from the point you¡¯ve been concentrating your fire on and move the primary battlefield elsewhere? I want to set up a trick while you do, so you¡¯ll have to make sure the Spectre Q&A doesn¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like giving easy requests, do you?¡±


    ¡°If you can¡¯t, the situation will only get worse. You know you¡¯re being pushed around on the chess board, right? You¡¯ll only be cornered if you let more time pass.¡±


    She replied through her actions rather than words.


    The Baby Magnum veered to the side. Laser beams and low-stability plasma cannons blew away the surviving portion of the artificial ice shelf, clearing a new path with water vapor explosions. She was running off.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Heivia! You too, Kevin!!¡±


    ¡°I know, you bastard, but can you at least tell me how many times you¡¯re planning to get us killed today!?¡±


    In the area where the Objects had been fighting, the thick ice had either melted or was full of cracks in a web-like pattern. It was not a ship designed to float, so it could capsize at any time. It was quite thrilling, but the two idiots and the middle-aged man got as close to the ¡°cliff¡± as they could.


    But then short bursts of gunfire reached them.


    ¡°Wah!!¡±


    Kevin curled up on the spot and Heivia dragged him back behind the suitcase-sized Armadillo.


    ¡°What!? Why are soldiers showing up now!? Are those Information Alliance!? I thought the Spectre Q&A worked on its own!¡±


    Heivia used his large knife as a mirror to check on the situation from behind cover. He saw four or five frogmen in pure white wetsuits, so they may have been planning to fight on the ice. They were about two hundred meters away. There were more cracks on the seemingly pure white surface, so they had likely crawled up from the ocean rather than appearing from thin air.


    ¡°Seriously, what is this!? I have no idea what role they could be playing.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If we don¡¯t take them out and keep moving, we can¡¯t help the Princess! She¡¯ll be bullied to death by the Spectre Q&A!!¡±


    Part 13


    Inside the round lifeboat, the three girls in red parade uniforms clicked their tongues in unison.


    One of them opened her mouth.


    ¡°Our white frog bodyguards reacted. They may have gotten unexpectedly close.¡±


    Part 14


    Dry gunfire echoed across the icy land.


    However, the enemy had the upper hand. The three guys were crammed in behind the suitcase-sized cover and unable to move, plus Heivia was the only one who could return fire. There were not that many Information Alliance frogmen, but they still worked together to corner their enemies.


    Heivia realized the situation was not going to improve, so he made a suggestion.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s let Kevin escape. If we drop him and the Armadillo into the water, he can escape with the boat.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t keep moving, the Princess will lose! Then the entire battalion will be wiped out!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯ll stay here! Quenser, pull out those bombs you love so much. I¡¯ll throw a smoke grenade to block their vision, so let¡¯s stack up the blocks of ice to create a new shield. You can blow up a nearby mountain to get the ice. I don¡¯t see how we can fight back otherwise.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s risky, but it¡¯s looking like our only option.¡±


    Quenser gulped and agreed, but middle-aged Kevin looked nervous.


    ¡°W-wait. You¡¯re going to build yourself a pyramid in the middle of all those bullets? Even with the smoke blocking their vision, they¡¯re still going to be firing. You¡¯ll be killed if you¡¯re hit!!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. On my signal, fall back with the Armadillo. You meet up with the rest of the battalion!!¡±


    ¡°But why just me!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t want to protect a greasy old man, but you¡¯ve got a wife and kid, right? You promised to take them to an amusement park when you take leave next, right!? If I let you die here, they¡¯d hate me forever. I¡¯m not about to let that happen!!¡±


    ¡°Say hi to Marie and Wells for us. Have enough fun for us all.¡±


    It was not that Quenser and Heivia were used to this.


    The two idiots¡¯ faces were covered in unpleasant sweat.


    But they stuck with it.


    They stared at the Information Alliance frogmen who had come from who-knows-where, but Kevin¡¯s face crumbled as he looked at those two.


    And he made a confession.


    ¡°It was...¡±


    ¡°Hm? What!? I can¡¯t hear you over the gunfire, Kevin! And just get going already!!¡±


    ¡°It was all a lie!!¡±


    Kevin shouted over the deadly din this time.


    ¡°I made up the marriage!! I was ashamed of not being married at my age, so whenever anyone asked about it, I said I was. And as I kept lying, it got more and more detailed. Next thing I knew, it was like this. I don¡¯t have anything. You¡¯d be wasting your deaths if you covered for me! So let¡¯s think of something else!! Something that doesn¡¯t require risking your lives for someone who¡¯ll spend his leave going to strip clubs alone and eating cup noodles in his tiny apartment!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was a lovely confession.


    All expression vanished from the two idiot¡¯s faces.


    They removed their assault rifle, backpack of Hand Axe plastic explosive, and other equipment. Then they equipped it all on Kevin instead. In no time at all, he had evolved into a snowman-like Full Weapon Kevin. It even looked like he would have trouble moving with all that on.


    ¡°Eh? Eh? Wait. What is this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Your job is simple: Run, kill, and come back. It¡¯s the standard job for a Legitimacy Kingdom soldier living off of the people¡¯s taxes.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second! I forced myself to make that confession because I didn¡¯t want to lose anyone! I wanted us to find a solution where everyone survives!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is the best option.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia both placed a hand on Kevin¡¯s shoulders, brought their smiling faces in close, and spoke in unison.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. There¡¯s no way a guy like you would die.¡±


    Part 15


    ¡°Wah, wah! That¡¯s gunfire! Wh-what do we do?¡±


    The young man let out a shout as he looked out through the round lifeboat¡¯s window. The three girls of the Martini series continued relaxing and reached for a radio.


    ¡°Yes, retreat, retreat. All you white frogs need to find a good point to escape! Don¡¯t be stupid. They¡¯ll send reinforcements if you kill them and they¡¯ll continue the investigation even if you die. Having some unknown people disappear for some unknown reason is perfect!! The Object is still making a mess of things up there, so the birdbrained Legitimacy Kingdom will forget about you pretty quickly. Just! Do! It! You need to make sure they don¡¯t find us here in the ocean!!¡±


    Part 16


    And finally...


    ¡°Wow, Kevin actually survived.¡±


    ¡°From now on, he can be our shield. Let¡¯s just follow him around.¡±


    The white frogmen (probably) from the Information Alliance were gone. Kevin¡¯s suicide charge had not actually killed them all. They seemed to have retreated into a crack in the thick ice.


    ¡°What was that about?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. This might just have been their landing point.¡±


    Meanwhile, Kevin was angry.


    He was gasping for breath and throwing his hands into the air on the pure white land.


    ¡°Hurry on over here! Hurry uuuuuup!! What was that, you pieces of shit!? Why would you send me on a suicide charge!? I thought we were friends!¡±


    ¡°What do you think about that?¡±


    ¡°He decided for himself how close we were and then got mad when it didn¡¯t turn out that way. I can see why he isn¡¯t married.¡±


    At any rate, the direct danger had passed.


    If they did not get back on track, the Baby Magnum would be defeated by the Spectre Q&A. They needed to collect what was scattered across the paths ¨C or rather, the area ¨C the two Objects had passed through during their fight.


    Quenser crouched down and focused on something glittering on the vast icy surface.


    ¡°Found it.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Heivia was asking about a ten centimeter wide disk that looked like a crushed dome. It had deviated so far from its original form that he had trouble picturing it.


    ¡°This is one of the Baby Magnum¡¯s armor panels. It was completely melted and then re-hardened after pouring down on the ice. It¡¯s shaped like a drop of dew on a window, right?¡±


    ¡°Then did the Spectre Q&A take this in to analyze the Princess¡¯s structure?¡±


    Heivia glanced over at the Armadillo.


    ¡°That busty commander gave us some decoy armor and special gas, didn¡¯t she? We might be able to confuse it if we scatter them around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late for that now. It¡¯s already finished its official optical sample analysis, so it¡¯ll be able to tell those are decoys now. Fortunately, we don¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t have to be decoys.¡± Quenser waved the disk around a little. ¡°One or two isn¡¯t enough. Heivia, Kevin. Let¡¯s split up and search for the Princess¡¯s armor. The more we have, the better.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. I feel like a kid searching for unexploded ordnance for some money.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I risked my life for trash like this?¡±


    With that, their battlefield scavenger hunt began.


    Quenser, Heivia, and Kevin gathered the scattered armor fragments and placed them on top of the Armadillo.


    ¡°The Princess is going to be stripped bare before long. Can you tell us what we need to do now?¡±


    ¡°This should be enough. Princess!!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to give you the Armadillo¡¯s control frequency. Um, it¡¯s model number...S...12...A! Use its location for this! Listen, I¡¯m only going over the plan once!!¡±


    Part 17


    The Legitimacy Kingdom called it the Spectre Q&A.


    The Information Alliance called it the Laser Cracker 001.


    That Second Generation Object¡¯s Pilot Elite had already perfectly drawn out the pathway to victory. The Object had a press-style icemaker that used its massive weight to harden the seawater into artificial drift ice. It also had a laser that created giant explosions and shockwaves using the special gas floating in the air. Those factors gradually dulled the Legitimacy Kingdom First Generation¡¯s movements and reduced its freedom of movement. Once that passed a certain point, the enemy would be immobilized and he could fire the most effective explosive laser.


    Piercing straight through the center would break it apart like a giant firework.


    But then something odd happened.


    The outdated Legitimacy Kingdom First Generation put up an unnecessary struggle.


    Water vapor rose from below the Laser Cracker 001. It was a massive white curtain that made it look like a cumulonimbus cloud had formed on the ground. However, the Pilot Elite was unfazed. The Laser Cracker 001 used an amphibious air cushion, so the ice melting away was not a problem. Its many sensors could still detect the enemy¡¯s position through the white curtain. Most importantly of all, randomly destroying the game board was pointless. To anyone who knew the rules of chess, an amateur moving without giving it any thought only seemed to be placing the noose around their own neck.


    That was why the Elite¡¯s path to checkmate was shortened by twenty moves.


    Weak lasers read the movements of his eyes and the enemy was accurately targeted through the curtain. He chose the recorded wavelength for the enemy¡¯s armor rather than the special gas and switched the main cannon¡¯s color palette.


    One attack.


    It would only take one attack.


    The Pilot Elite did not hesitate.


    His thumb stroked across the button at the top of the lever and he pressed it.


    A moment later, the screen before his eyes filled with the color white.


    Part 18


    They had not had time to leisurely put some distance between them.


    Quenser, Heivia, and Kevin were caught in the middle of a giant water vapor explosion and collapsed onto the pure white ice shelf.


    ¡°Dammit! Son of a bitch!! What was that!?¡±


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t die here. I¡¯ll be just fine! After all, I have gifted blood!! My brother¡¯s an astronaut!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s as useless as a blood type horoscope, you dumbass!!¡± Heivia shouted in absolute desperation. ¡°There was a huge explosion right next to the Spectre Q&A! Did its main cannon screw up or something!?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± corrected Quenser. ¡°It was the Princess¡¯s armor fragments we gathered. We placed them on the ice and had the Armadillo¡¯s radio signal act as a guide. The Princess blasted them and caused a water vapor explosion, so the melted and vaporized armor turned to spray with the water. So what do you think happens if someone fires into that curtain with an explosive laser designed to efficiently transmit its energy to the Princess¡¯s armor and explode?¡±


    ¡°Oh...ohhh!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what happened, Princes!! The Spectre Q&A was hit by the shockwave from that point blank blast. Finish this before it can recover from the knockback!!¡±


    The Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation had a powerful main cannon and the unexpected damage created a short lag before it could recover.


    The Princess was not about to overlook that.


    The revolver-like turret at the base of her main cannon turned to select the low-stability plasma cannon out of the multiple options. As the Spectre Q&A wobbled and seemed to lack life, she did not hesitate to target the center of its spherical body.


    A bright light and an explosive sound surged out.


    The blast pierced the vital point, destroying the reactor, and the Second Generation seemed to swell out. So much energy burst into the outside world that it caused an unbelievably large explosion. It seemed to wear away the lifespan of their retinas and eardrums, but they felt a strange high in addition to the pain. The disconcerting pressure hanging over them was eliminated, their safety was assured, and they were overwhelmed by an instinctual elation, much like staring into a flickering flame.


    This feat was known as dragon slaying.


    The sight seemed to easily break the floodgates of human rationality.


    Kevin raised a frightened yet strangely excited voice.


    ¡°W-we did it!! I didn¡¯t die!! I¡¯m not gonna let myself die single!! Ohhhh!! Let¡¯s get back to the base zone where love and romance await me!! ...H-huh? Why don¡¯t you look happy?¡±


    The two idiots ignored the middle-aged bachelor as they stared blankly into the distance.


    ¡°Hey, what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t figure out who¡¯s behind the drug war using the ergots without either that Pilot Elite or the Object itself, right?¡±


    Part 19


    Frolaytia was holding her head back in the aircraft carrier¡¯s battle command station.


    Destroying the Information Alliance Second Generation, clearing the unnatural ice blocking the Cape of Good Hope, and securing the safety of the sea were all desirable results, but now they had lost their chance to determine who was behind the drug war.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than getting wiped out because we were too focused on that, but I still want to punch them later.¡±


    Meanwhile, Frolaytia received a report from a young operator with the courage to speak to her when she was clearly in a bad mood.


    ¡°We just received an external communications request. A civilian one. It seems to be from the young Vanderbilt lady.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. Put her through.¡±


    She had it routed to her laptop and a familiar face appeared in the video chat window.


    However, something was not right.


    ¡°Major Capistrano!? There¡¯s a Second Generation Object there!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t discuss details of military operations with you, lady. But I can tell you the Information Alliance threat is gone and your secret lover is just fine. But just this once, okay?¡±


    ¡°No!! Vanderbilt¡¯s countermeasures office has finally tracked them down. The threat is not an Information Alliance Objec-...¡±


    Severe static filled the transmission, but the answer arrived before she could question it.


    ¡°...a Legitimacy Kingdom Object! Azureyfear has you in her deadly sights!!¡±


    At that same time, Quenser, Heivia, and Kevin were picked up by the other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers taking part in the mission. They were stuffed inside a rubber boat made from an Armadillo as they and the Baby Magnum made their way back to the aircraft carrier fleet.


    ¡°Anyway, is your brother really an astronaut?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably lying again.¡±


    ¡°I-I am not. You might not believe me, but that one¡¯s true!¡±


    At that exact moment, a deafening noise filled the world.


    The next thing they knew, more than two thirds of the hundred-ship fleet, including destroyers and early-warning ships, was broken apart. Their relief at finally returning vanished in a heartbeat and their minds went blank. There was nothing they could do as a giant wave sped their way. Unable to maintain its balance, the rubber boat flipped right over.


    ¡°Bwah!¡±


    ¡°Just grab on! You¡¯ll get caught in the sinking ships! And what was that!?¡±


    ¡°Ah wah wah wah wah wah.¡±


    ¡°Kevin! Grab onto the boat if you don¡¯t want to die!!¡±


    They had no time to flip the boat right-side up, so the soldiers grabbed on and witnessed what happened next.


    There was a giant iceberg that looked like two mountains stuck together.


    ¡°What!? What is that!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me! It¡¯s that tits iceberg!!¡±


    It crumbled, melted, and shattered from within.


    Something far too large was slowly revealed.


    It had a spherical body fifty meters tall. In addition to the air cushion directly below, it had upside-down Y-shaped insectoid legs with boosters covering the sides. It had a single main cannon on the very front and it lacked the countless secondary cannons that usually made one look like a sea urchin or chestnut burr. Instead, some strange devices that resembled peacock feathers were disconcertingly moving on the back.


    Quenser spoke in utter shock.


    ¡°An...Object...?¡±


    ¡°But who does it belong to? Was the Information Alliance hiding another-...!?¡±


    Heivia trailed off, so Quenser looked over to his awful friend.


    ¡°Hey, what is it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    Heivia cried out like he was having a nightmare.


    ¡°Why the hell does that Object have the Winchell family crest on it!?¡±


    Part 20


    The three Martini sisters clapped their hands with joy inside the round lifeboat.


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°Success, success. Losing the Laser Cracker 001 was a shame, but this was our top priority. I¡¯m just glad the surprise wasn¡¯t accidentally revealed while they were melting all that ice.¡±


    ¡°In this day and age, completely hiding from radar and satellites is impossible. Even the best stealth can only reduce the radar cross-section so much, so completely disappearing isn¡¯t easy. ...The best way to hide is to provide a reason for the large dot on the screen that everyone will accept. For example, icebergs may look small on the surface, but they continue for hundreds of meters below the water.¡±


    Only the young man was staring out the window like he was seeing the end of the world.


    ¡°Y-y-you mean you intentionally sealed an entire Object inside the artificial ice? That way it could be carried in by the ocean current without anyone noticing!?¡±


    ¡°Good job! You figured it out on your own! Let me reward you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, stop that, Dry! But I take it that means the higher ups authorized this.¡±


    ¡°Because they knew they would get something even better in return,¡± said Alisa Martini Sweet as she laughed and joined the fight over the normal man. ¡°They knew they would get something worth handing the Legitimacy Kingdom a Second Generation built in one of our factories. We get to watch as a true celebrity in an enemy nation disgraces herself by starting a civil war as the greatest sacrifice of the drug war. It¡¯s the ultimate negative campaign.¡±


    Part 21


    The Cape of Good Hope region was instantly transformed into the Bermuda Triangle or Sargasso.


    A great number of ships sank into the ocean or tilted and just barely remained floating. There was no recovering though, so the crew used the time limit until the inevitable sinking to escape on the lifeboats.


    Meanwhile, a girl in a blue dress ignored the lifeboats and stood tall on a broken fighter wing with her arms crossed.


    As Heivia desperately clung to the upside-down boat so as not to be sucked in by the current of the sinking fleet, he stared blankly at his sister.


    ¡°I believe I forgot to ask before: how do you do, brother? What do you think of Second Generation Destruction Fes that I have received? Don¡¯t you think it has the coolest shape, truly befitting the Winchell family crest?¡±


    ¡°What are you...saying?¡±


    ¡°Do I have to spell it out?¡±


    Azureyfear pointed her thumb back over her shoulder to direct his attention toward the dreadful fifty meter form.


    ¡°That is my personal possession. It took some doing, though. Even for a noble, owning an Object is a bit of a hurdle for a private force that is not part of the military. I even had to cross borders to have it constructed in an Information Alliance factory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    ¡°I never said it was easy. We built the control system, but the Information Alliance found so many things to complain about and refused to hand over the Object itself. I was a little worried when they delayed it until today, but they have confirmed receipt of the money and it arrived in time for its launching ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Objects aren¡¯t that simple! You need more than the five billion dollars it costs to construct! There are usage and maintenance costs! And since the Information Alliance is involved, there would need to make sure you can¡¯t betray them with it and make sure their data isn¡¯t leaked to the Legitimacy Kingdom!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear. But you¡¯ve already seen the alchemy used to raise those funds. A rotten yet sweet sort of war that brings unlimited riches to whoever runs it.¡±


    This time, Heivia Winchell felt his mind go entirely blank from that casual comment.


    Instead, Quenser responded while clinging to the same boat.


    ¡°The drug war... So you were the one running it on the Legitimacy Kingdom side.¡±


    ¡°But...she¡¯s a noble!¡± shouted Kevin as he grew pale. ¡°Why!?¡±


    Nobles were a symbol of law and order. The commoners trusted them enough to leave politics to them and they seemed so far removed from common life, but Azureyfear nodded with a wicked smile on her lips.


    ¡°How many manors outside the watchful eyes of the noble and royal councils do you think the Winchell family owns? Transforming a few of them into ergot plants was hardly difficult. Plus, the Information Alliance was willing to handle the production of Colorful Vanilla and use it to attack the Capitalist Corporations. I could have done that on my own, but they were kind enough to help.¡±


    ¡°Then the one who finished off the Special 15th Black Uniforms in the Rio Grande District was...?¡±


    ¡°They were useful pawns, but I couldn¡¯t have them talking there. Although I only needed to keep it hidden until today, so I ended up using a fairly sloppy method of silencing them.¡±


    A powerful wind roared through.


    They were not the only ones who could not remain silent. The Princess in the Baby Magnum had begun rushing toward the unknown Object as if to say she refused to allow any more damage to be done.


    But Azureyfear calmly pulled folding neckband-style headphones from the chest of her dress, unfolded them, placed them on her ears, and spoke three simple words.


    ¡°That is useless.¡±


    Even at a distance, Quenser and the others could not tell what had happened.


    An unknown explosive sound filled their minds.


    Quenser¡¯s thoughts were flashing in and out as he realized the Destruction Fes bearing the crest of the Winchell family had used some kind of weapon. He could not gather his thoughts. He could not tell front from back, left from right, or even up from down. If he had not wrapped a rope on the side of the upside-down boat around his wrist, he might have drowned.


    His inner ear had been taken out.


    But even if he had been in a normal state of mind, would he have been able to follow that with his eyes?


    If the Baby Magnum¡¯s movements were like the footwork of a mixed martial artist, the unknown Object¡¯s were like lightning. It moved so sharply that the Princess could not keep up. She had been the one charging toward it, but it moved up to her and they glared at each other from less than ten meters away. For humans, it would have been close enough for their lips to touch. And even that close, the unknown Object moved around behind the Princess.


    It was like grabbing a delicate girl from behind and gently kissing the nape of her neck.


    The unknown Object tapped its main cannon against the back of the Baby Magnum¡¯s spherical body.


    It would be too late by the time she turned around.


    A point-blank blast would vaporize the princess before she had a chance to eject.


    ¡°The inertial Gs a Pilot Elite is exposed to are said to occasionally exceed twelve Gs. A normal fighter has an acceptable limit of 9.5 Gs, so that range cannot be exceeded without creatively taking a step beyond standard anatomy.¡±


    Azureyfear made it sound so simple as she brushed back her golden hair and let dark joy fill her voice.


    ¡°But my Destruction Fes is entirely remote-controlled by a great number of personnel, so that human limit of inertial Gs can be entirely ignored. No one can capture the Destruction Fes now that it has been freed from the yoke of gravity. It will simply evade, simply rush in, and simply strike a fatal blow. It is the ultimate ultra-mobile combat Object. A sluggish manned model cannot even hope to touch it. This is not something that can be overcome with effort. It is built into the design.¡±


    Part 22


    ¡°But it¡¯s actually working pretty well.¡±


    Orsia Martini Dry gave a whistle as she spoke.


    The round lifeboat rocked calmly in the waves.


    No, at this point, it may not have mattered who was speaking.


    The triplets functioned as a single unified problem-solving device. The process mattered less than the single answer they reached while chatting.


    ¡°Even as she used us, that girl is missing the main point. The Destruction Fes is indeed a major threat when viewed altogether, but the Object itself is little different from a First Generation built with existing technology. The only difference is all the extra boosters added on while ignoring the safety side of things. The main point is that it has no one on board and is remote-controlled, so it can break the limit on inertial Gs. In other words, recording and gathering the data alone will do little damage to the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°What matters is the Orchestra System that lets ten thousand normal people pilot the Object, right? That global remote control system is made up of fifty to one hundred stealth submarines and countless satellites. Without analyzing that, the Object itself is useless. And our full AI control still isn¡¯t enough to deal with the constantly changing battlefield.¡±


    ¡°And destroying that system wouldn¡¯t be easy. Not only would it take time to find the submarines, but the system can continue its remote control even with about half of them destroyed. Just how far will the damage spread while you¡¯re wasting time on that?¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? This is a civil war based on an old Legitimacy Kingdom grudge. That has nothing to do with us in the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°And we¡¯ve acquired an excellent bad example. The nobles are symbols of justice who are meant to protect the commoners, yet this one got into the narcotics business. What better ¡®infirmary poster¡¯ could we get?¡±


    ¡°But we aren¡¯t going to end this here, are we?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. Of course not. We even used our Laser Cracker 001 to help out this Legitimacy Kingdom civil war, so we need take much, muuuuch more in payment.¡±


    ¡°What mental structure does a Legitimacy Kingdom noble have and how exactly will it be distorted?¡±


    ¡°Gaining data samples from the enemy isn¡¯t easy, but it worked out well this time.¡±


    ¡°Perfect Browsing... We need all the sample entries we can get to build that giant system that will guide you to any answer with a simple search.¡±


    ¡°And...¡±


    ¡°We might just get a look at a mental structure much, muuuuch greater than a noble¡¯s.¡±


    Part 23


    Feeling dizzy after his inner ear was taken out, Quenser did his best to hold onto the upside-down boat.


    He looked up at Azureyfear as she crossed her arms atop the broken main wing of a fighter, he suppressed the urge to vomit, and he asked a question while trying to catch his breath.


    He did not know what was right and he did not know what good buying time would do.


    Nevertheless, he ignored Kevin next to him and simply moved his mouth in a daze.


    ¡°Even so, why would you go this far? Why would you try to...no, why would you actually betray the Legitimacy Kingdom to acquire a Second Generation?¡±


    ¡°Betray? Betray!? Me? Oh, dear. I am simply trying to remove the pus as a proper member of the Legitimacy Kingdom. My brother should know exactly what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    Heivia yelled and pulled his handgun from its holster, completely ignoring the situation.


    He did not hesitate to aim it at his own family member, but Azureyfar¡¯s expression did not change.


    She snapped her fingers and the earth seemed to transform below them.


    The sea split directly below her and a giant black form appeared. This time, it was not an Object. It was a stealth submarine that resembled a large ship made of origami.


    It was a one hundred meter strategic weapon.


    There was nothing Heivia could do as the waves tossed him around.


    The handgun slipped from his grasp and he could only manage to hold onto the boat for dear life.


    Meanwhile, the girl in a blue dress laughed as she stepped elegantly onto the submarine.


    She grabbed her long skirt in both hands, bent her knees a little, and lowered her head.


    ¡°Now, let us end this long, fruitless history of conflict, brother.¡±


    She held what looked like a perfume bottle in her hand.


    It contained Blazer Bouquet. Centuries before, a princess had been pursued by a nation after a revolution. At her small, small wedding, that same brand had been thrown into the chapel as a merciless Molotov cocktail. That hateful wine was made by mixing together several rose petals and allowing them to ferment and brew within flower nectar.


    Azureyfear¡¯s eyes glittered as she sprayed that scent of revenge on her neck and wrists.


    ¡°I believe I will start with the Whore of Vanderbilt who has manipulated you, brother. I will crush the false buds of reconciliation, dialogue, and peace and use that solemn result to whip the lax Winchell family into shape. And before the Vanderbilt family can recover from the shock, I will settle this once and for all. And with the Destruction Fes at the lead!!¡±


    She spoke of a nightmare.


    But would it really be a dream when she had that ultra-mobile Second Generation that was freed from the yoke of gravity and could escape the grasp of any other Object in the world?


    That girl had reached for the stage setting that could grant her nightmarish dream.


    The look on her face made her seem possessed by a vengeful spirit.


    Namely, the vengeful spirit of the history that tied together the Winchell and Vanderbilt families.


    ¡°This is a war for peace, brother.¡±


    ¡°Dammit...¡±


    ¡°I will bring glory to the Winchell family as the hero who removed a seed of global destruction from this planet!! What greater desire is there!! If this is not the duty of any with Winchell blood in their veins, then what is!? Heh heh heh. Hee hee. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    ¡°Goddammiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!¡±


    There was nothing they could do.


    Azureyfear, the Blue Rose of Winchell, was retrieved by the stealth submarine which dove back down before their eyes. This ¡°duel¡± ignored all international law and war treaties and no one could stop her from sending in the cruelly powerful strategic weapon that had brought an end to the nuclear age.


    Her target was in the Atlantic Ocean.


    Her target was the pacifist young lady who was enjoying the world¡¯s greatest fireworks festival from her luxury cruise ship.

 Volume 11, 3: A History of One or the Other >> South Atlantic Civil War of Emergency Succession

    Volume 11, Chapter 3: A History of One or the Other >> South Atlantic Civil War of Emergency Succession


    Part 1


    The next battlefield was in the South Atlantic Ocean.


    The battle was to defend the Vanderbilt lady and her civilian cruise ship from the Destruction Fes.


    Frolaytia¡¯s response was simple.


    First, she sent the Baby Magnum ahead at its naval speed of more than five hundred kilometers per hour.


    Quenser and the others in the maintenance battalion gathered their surviving ships, stopped by a Legitimacy Kingdom base on the southern tip of Africa, and used transport planes to fly to Saint Helena, an isolated island in the South Atlantic Ocean. After borrowing some naval forces there, they regrouped with the Baby Magnum at the island, finally began the Object maintenance, and prepared to arrive on the scene and fight.


    It had of course not been an easy journey.


    If the Destruction Fes had been waiting for them, its anti-air weapons could have destroyed every last aircraft in midair. When the weight of death was bearing down on you the entire time, the flight was far from enjoyable.


    ¡°Listen up!!¡±


    But Frolaytia Capistrano ignored that physical and mental weariness to raise her voice in the small aircraft carrier¡¯s briefing room.


    ¡°The greatest desire of the Legitimacy Kingdom military is to protect our people¡¯s lives, property, and honor and to destroy anything that threatens those things! That aspect of our fight remains unchanged whether our enemy is another world power or a rogue faction of our own. If Azureyfear Winchell¡¯s faction intends to slaughter civilians en masse in their desire to strike at the Vanderbilt family over an old feud, then we will do whatever it takes to stop them!!¡±


    Every one of them was worn down.


    They had lost many colleagues and their morale had plummeted.


    They were filled with the unpleasant mood of people being forced to work without pay.


    But.


    Oddly enough, none of them threw down their gun, tossed out their dog tags, and left the battalion.


    ¡°Currently, Celestial Flowers, the world¡¯s largest ocean fireworks festival, is being held in the South Atlantic Ocean. Around five hundred civilian ships have gathered around the two-hull luxury cruise ship Rose & Lily for that festival. The Destruction Fes, which we speculate to be Second Generation, is approaching their location. If it arrives, we will have a true bloodbath on our hands, so I want to finish this before that happens.¡±


    The enemy was a private unit led by Azureyfear Winchell.


    Operating a Second Generation without relying on a Pilot Elite was estimated to require a crew of more than ten thousand. They had enough soldiers to fill an army division and it was to pilot just the one Object. And all of that personnel, equipment, and materiel would have been bought with the money she earned in her drug war.


    Heivia and the others did not hesitate to oppose Azureyfear.


    The fact that it was entirely remote controlled may have helped there. Blowing it away would not kill anyone, so the extra familial connection did not have to make it awkward. And if they destroyed this strange Object, the ridiculous war...no, personal feud would be over.


    As usual, diagrams were projected on the white wall behind Frolaytia.


    ¡°Luckily, the Legitimacy Kingdom Second Generation Oceanic Driver was patrolling this area of sea and it put up a decent fight. It is the true ¡®owner¡¯ of the naval force at Saint Helena. Even as they worked to slow down the Destruction Fes, they gathered valuable data on the unknown Object. We can never thank them enough. Don¡¯t you waste their efforts!¡±


    The Oceanic Driver was a naval Second Generation that fought bravely with a laser beam main cannon. In addition to its reactor, it was equipped with several large-scale capacitors to leave no gaps in its rapid-fire when necessary. It also had several ballast tanks attached to its outer perimeter that could be filled with or emptied of seawater to intentionally shift its balance for incredibly nimble and rapid turns.


    But it was no match for the Destruction Fes.


    The Destruction Fes was fully remote-controlled and had no Pilot Elite. Freed from the restrictions of the inertial Gs, its movements were like lightning. More than just its top speed, it had ultra-sharp footwork and could cut back and forth unnaturally quickly. The difference was too great to be seen, like a cutting-edge stealth fighter taking on the Wright Brothers¡¯ plane in a serious dogfight. It fully surpassed the biological limits of a manned machine. Before the Oceanic Driver could even place it in its sights, the Destruction Fes would slip into its blind spot and unleash cruel attacks that gouged into its armor.


    The Destruction Fes was supported by the air cushion float directly below its main body, but it also had three insect-like legs attached in a reverse Y-shape. Those legs had booster-like devices covering the sides and they provided explosive mobility. The pure white torrent they produced looked more like a liquid than a jet or plasma.


    The difference in speed was overwhelming.


    The battle was so one-sided that the field itself seemed to shift out of place.


    Even so, the Pilot Elite had not ejected even in the very, very end.


    Over one hundred thousand innocent civilians sat behind the Oceanic Driver, so it had to hold its position until the Baby Magnum¡¯s battalion caught up. Every minute and every second mattered. And that determination to continue fighting had sealed the Pilot Elite¡¯s fate.


    No one instructed them to, but when the Object exploded, every soldier in the briefing room saluted.


    Even Quenser and Heivia.


    Frolaytia gave a short sigh and then abandoned her pride. She would use everything available to her. There was a lot she had to prioritize above her own self-respect.


    She did not hesitate to do something unthinkable of a soldier.


    She gave the floor to a mere student.


    ¡°Quenser, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°Its main cannon is a large caliber low-stability plasma cannon, but that isn¡¯t what I¡¯m interested in.¡±


    After moving to the head of the room in place of his commander, Quenser paused the tragic footage, rewound it, and then pointed at something with a laser pointer. He had no intention of mocking the Elite¡¯s death. That Elite had lost their life passing on this baton, so they had to look it straight in the eye and chew it down to the marrow.


    ¡°It has some parts on the back that look like peacock feathers, but they don¡¯t seem to be related to the boosters. If it¡¯s supposed to be a high-mobility Object that uses the incredible speed of its footwork as its greatest weapon, they would have eliminated anything that would create air resistance, so these are odd. And as you can see when zooming in, they are a collection of some sort of giant speakers.¡±


    ¡°Speakers?¡±


    Heivia looked puzzled, so Quenser nodded and continued.


    ¡°They¡¯re an acoustic weapon. That¡¯s what messed with our heads back with the boats.¡±


    ¡°Oh, goddammit. Just remembering it is making me feel nauseous. That thing was bad. It wasn¡¯t just the ears or the head. It felt like I¡¯d been punched in the head so hard I was going to vomit.¡±


    ¡°The Destruction Fes also destroyed our aircraft carrier fleet, but a low-stability plasma cannon can only fire in one direction and can¡¯t apply damage equally to one hundred ships. These things produce a great noise at a regulated frequency. That causes micro-vibrations in the target and destroys them a lot like a harmonic scalpel. The weaker welded points of the metal are burned through on the molecular level and then the entire ship breaks apart and sinks.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the Destruction Fes has two main cannons?¡± asked the Princess.


    She was going to directly confront this enemy, so it was a life-or-death issue for her.


    Quenser gave a troubled look.


    ¡°At that power, I don¡¯t think it could directly damage an Object.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re still alive,¡± added Heivia.


    ¡°Although we might have been turned to mincemeat if we were closer and didn¡¯t have any cover. We didn¡¯t survive due to luck. It was because those ships sank in our stead.¡± Quenser rejected the other boy¡¯s optimistic view. ¡°If anything, I¡¯m betting that one¡¯s used to hold its opponent in place. Just like how the Spectre Q&A detonated the air to stop the Princess from moving. That said, it¡¯s powerful enough to sink an entire fleet at close range. For flesh-and-blood humans, being exposed to that would be the same as being thrown into a human meat mixer.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous combination.¡±


    ¡°That it is, granny. Not only does it have footwork too fast to keep up with, but it has an additional weapon to slow us down. As the gap in speed grows infinitely wide, the Destruction Fes will move to our blind spot and safely fire its main cannon. It really comes down to relative speed, but it¡¯ll feel like fighting an enemy that can manipulate time. I doubt there would be any way to win in a straight fight.¡±


    He paused for a beat before adding a ¡°but¡±.


    The projector displayed the situation in the South Atlantic. The map displayed where the Oceanic Driver had sunk and where the five hundred civilian ships were gathered for the world¡¯s largest fireworks festival. It also showed the Destruction Fes on its way to kill the Vanderbilt lady along with countless other civilians and it showed the Baby Magnum and Legitimacy Kingdom forces moving to intervene.


    The student took all that information in.


    He looked across everyone¡¯s faces and cast the die of fate.


    ¡°If we give up, a hundred thousand civilians will sink into a sea of blood and the Oceanic Driver¡¯s resolve will be wasted. Also, Frolaytia has ordered us to keep that from happening. I will obey that order. I¡¯m not telling you to die here. I¡¯m telling you to draw out every ounce of strength needed to survive. So what will you do? It¡¯s a thin, thin thread, but we have the chance left to us by the Oceanic Driver. The rest is up to you. You need to decide here whether you¡¯re going to hear me out.¡±


    No one objected.


    Ten minutes later, the worn-down soldiers all took their battle positions.


    Part 2


    A two-hull ship was exactly what it sounded like: a ship with two hulls.


    The Rose & Lily was constructed from two cruise ships measuring four hundred meter long. They were lined up side-by-side with a few passageways connecting them. The ship had been made so large to secure more storage space and deck space, but this increased the resistance against the waves and water which reduced the fuel efficiency.


    One of the hulls bore the Winchell family crest and the other bore the Vanderbilt family crest. In reference to some legend or another, a single sword was stabbed into the middle of the central connecting passageway.


    A lot could be said of its origins, but none of that mattered at the moment.


    The main player of the Celestial Flowers fireworks festival was not that lodging ship. Instead, it was the many ships belonging to fireworks craftsmen that were spread out around the cruise ship.


    The event itself was mostly entertainment for the rich nobles.


    It was the same as the nations that spent massive sums of money exploring the moon or deep sea in an older age. ¡°We have the technology to do this.¡± ¡°We are this wealthy.¡± ¡°We have plenty to spare, unlike the rest of you.¡± By implicitly stating those things, they could build up a mistaken long-term strategy against their foreign enemies. By consuming an unnecessary countermeasure budget like water, they could indirectly torment their enemy without firing a single bullet or shell. In that way, this too was a type of war.


    Of course, that was nothing more than an excuse and a pretext.


    The nobles loved wine more than water and sought casino chips more than cheap meat, so they were not about to begin any stingy self-sacrifice even if the world was going to be destroyed tomorrow. They might flick some bread crust over to a charity, but they would never allow their great fortunes to be stripped from them in the name of ¡°justice¡± or ¡°self-restraint¡±. They would put any amount of work and argument into allowing themselves to live their hedonistic lives.


    Five hundred ships had gathered around the Rose & Lily for the Celestial Flowers fireworks festival, but popular opinion had been guided on multiple levels so this festival of gluttony would not provoke the ire of the commoners.


    On the Rose & Lily¡¯s portside deck ¨C the one engraved with a rose ¨C the Vanderbilt lady sighed and leaned back against the railing overlooking the dark sea.


    Normally, over ten thousand fireworks and the canopy of the artificial aurora would have decorated the sky while far too much food to eat was lined up and a world-class violinist provided the music for an elegant dance.


    But that plan had been called off, so the sky and sea were both dark.


    The nobles in dresses and suits were muttering amongst themselves and extra focused on their own safety. Not only could they no longer see the Oceanic Driver which had been sent out to protect them, but fragments of information were showing up concerning the unknown Object headed their way.


    ¡°It apparently has to do with the conflict between the Winchell and Vanderbilt families.¡±


    ¡°Then what does it have to do with us? I-I know. I don¡¯t mean anything too much by it, but is it too late to request a helicopter? Yes, wouldn¡¯t it be lovely to go for a flight between the fireworks and the aurora?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. If it really is an Object, its anti-air lasers will tear us to pieces. And it would be hard to reach land this far out at sea.¡±


    The young lady could tell many eyes were glancing her way in the darkness.


    (How careless. This is an age of war, so you never know who is after your life the second you take a step outside a safe country. In fact, being in a safe country doesn¡¯t guarantee anything. And yet they fully believe they alone are safe.)


    When they left their safe country despite the danger, were they contacting people from another world power to tear down both sides¡¯ prejudices and reach a true mutual understanding that could stop war without military might?


    Or was it merely a sham without any of that framework?


    It seemed the VIPs gathered on the Rose & Lily did not know how to tell the difference.


    ¡°We can never let this happen, but...hypothetically. Hypothetically speaking, just to put our minds at ease...how powerful is this Winchell Second Generation? If it is on a rampage, who can stop it?¡±


    ¡°Why is this happening? This wasn¡¯t part of the plan. I was promised absolute safety...¡±


    ¡°My family will never die! Ancient documents show it going back for five hundred years!!¡±


    ¡°But just because something was fine yesterday doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t fall apart tomorrow, right? Ah...ah ha...ah ha ha ha ha...¡±


    The pressure grew.


    They had lost their fangs and claws and they had grown round and fat, but when it came to their own safety, these nobles could be more tenacious than greedy wolves. They would never say it directly, but through various hints and metaphors and with the help of the secretaries by their sides, they were telling each other the following:


    ¡°This comes down to the historical conflict between those two families, so why do we have to be caught in the crossfire?¡±


    ¡°I only care about the survival of my family and I am indispensable as far as that is concerned.¡±


    ¡°The Winchell girl will be satisfied if we offer Vanderbilt to her as a blood sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°That means there¡¯s something we can do here.¡±


    ¡°If we tie up that young lady and hand her over to the crazed lioness, we can show her we have no intention of opposing her.¡±


    If those unpleasant nobles had been the only people at the fireworks festival, she would have abandoned them already, but unfortunately, there were also plenty of unrelated commoners. She would have trouble sleeping if she also abandoned parents who had saved up their limited pay and leave to bring their families or the couples who had secretly bought a ring for this occasion.


    ¡°Now, then.¡±


    The Vanderbilt lady removed her back from the deck¡¯s railing. She grabbed a glass of nonalcoholic champagne from a tray held by a passing maid in a long skirt and she calmly walked through the darkness while drinking it. The nobles were too busy practicing their wise-looking poses to think and parted in front of her without saying a word.


    For the time being anyway.


    Once the scales of the situation tipped too far, those ladies and gentlemen would restrain the girl¡¯s body with more vulgar looks than thugs in an abandoned part of town.


    Perhaps to show a sign of neutrality within the strained atmosphere, a courageous member of the commoner crew spoke to her while wiping down the glass door leading inside the ship.


    ¡°Lady, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it seems there is still something I must do.¡±


    Faithful young men like that were the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s treasure. As a noble, she could not allow those people to be killed needlessly.


    She left the empty glass with him and entered the ship.


    Azureyfear Winchell was behind this attack. Her goal was undoubtedly the annihilation of the Vanderbilt family and the death of this young lady as a symbol to hold up to the world. But could Azureyfear really have accomplished such a grand plan on her own? And could she really have kept it hidden for so long?


    There was a possibility that something was still hidden.


    Someone may have given Azureyfear a helping hand to benefit in some way.


    And the White Lily of Vanderbilt had already heard someone say something curious.


    The truth may have been surprisingly close by.


    Part 3


    The starry sky covered the dark ocean of the South Atlantic Ocean.


    Quenser, Heivia, and the others were rushing around within the gray aircraft carrier. The soldiers were all pulling out the motor-equipped rubber boats made from the Armadillos. They stopped up on the deck and Heivia looked out to the horizon.


    ¡°I can already see the lights of the boats. Those people on the cruise ship are paying a visit to the garden of death.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser.¡±


    When the other idiot did not answer, Heivia asked about it.


    Despite being an idiot, Quenser had a thoughtful look on his face.


    ¡°Did I do something wrong in a past life or something?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just...well...I¡¯m not sure how to put it! First that Black Uniform named Meena and now the sexy little sister Azureyfear. Why!? Does every girl I flirt with end up growing a demon¡¯s tail from her cute ass!? I¡¯m scared! Now I can¡¯t hope for any new love!! I¡¯m gonna end up afraid of love!!¡±


    ¡°Talk about awful taste. Don¡¯t tell me you actually had a thing for that monster Azureyfear. Ugh, just the thought is giving me the creeps.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did! She was walking around in a bikini and she even kissed me on the cheek! Yes, I¡¯ll admit she was suspicious! But I thought there was more to it than that!! Why wasn¡¯t there some kind of twist!? Stupid, stupid, stupid!!¡±


    During that hopeless conversation, Heivia hit Quenser on the head. The student started to complain, but then he noticed something.


    The Princess was walking over while surrounded by several maintenance soldiers. She was on her way to board the Baby Magnum after its hastened maintenance.


    They did not even need to speak.


    As Quenser and the Princess passed by, they reached out and slapped their hands together.


    They were shifting their focus to the coming battle even if they had to force it.


    ¡°Oh, hell. This has already started, so I guess we have to do it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And if I don¡¯t show off to my fianc¨¦e every once in a while, she¡¯ll lose interest in me. Let¡¯s blow up that remote-controlled Destruction Fes as the world¡¯s biggest firework.¡±


    ¡°And once that¡¯s over, it¡¯ll be time to give Azureyfear some sexy punishment!!¡±


    ¡°Are you still going on about that? It¡¯s scaring me!¡±


    ¡°You might have your girlfriend over there, but this is the only motivation I¡¯ve got here!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia joined the other soldiers by throwing their rubber boat into the dark sea and then jumping down from the flight deck. After starting up the large motors, the boats scattered in different directions instead of heading in a single group.


    There was a simple reason for this.


    Frolaytia spoke to them over the radio.


    ¡°We can¡¯t use the White Flag here and the Destruction Fes has an overwhelming advantage. Listen. We can only roll the die of death to find out who dies first. Even if that turns out to be those of us here in the flagship, you all need to keep going. Don¡¯t let them end this while just sitting there!!¡±


    In addition to the low-stability plasma main cannon, the Destruction Fes could emit an ultra-high frequency acoustic weapon from its peacock feather-like speaker units. At close range, that could destroy an entire fleet or stop an enemy Object.


    Anyone in an exposed rubber boat was out of the question.


    However, the risk of being torn apart remained even inside a steel warship.


    They did not know who would die first, so they could not allow the entire battalion to be wiped out at once.


    That said, this was a lot like digging a bunch of small trenches and hiding inside them so they would not all be wiped out by a single bomb. There could be no hard feelings no matter who the bomb made a hole-in-one on. That was the only option available to them.


    ¡°That¡¯s a hell of a way to motivate us. What ever happened to clean wars?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What is it, Heivia? Quieting down now isn¡¯t going to trick anyone into thinking you¡¯re an intellectual.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Destruction Fes...no, why didn¡¯t Azureyfear finish this off right away? Average speed for an Object is five hundred kph and hers is a Second Generation with its high-speed mobility as its main selling point. The attack should have begun before our patched-together cardboard fleet showed up.¡±


    ¡°Because she actually wanted Knight Quenser to stop her!! Heh. These delinquent girls are always turning their damaged eyes my way!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how hard you try, there¡¯s no making that failure into some cute little girl!!¡±


    ¡°Then how should I know? I don¡¯t know how nobles think. Maybe she wants to finish off her sworn enemy herself. Maybe she thinks it would damage the ¡®legend¡¯ if the Princess showed up and one of her stray shells happened to sink the Rose & Lily instead.¡±


    ¡°Or...she might just want to kill my fianc¨¦e in front of me,¡± suggested Heivia with a bitter look.


    Then static ran through the two idiots¡¯ radios.


    Someone they did not remember having permission was sending a transmission over an open line.


    ¡°Heh heh heh...¡±


    It was a noble laugh that sounded like rolling a piece of candy on the tongue, yet it also contained endless sadism.


    ¡°Azureyfear!!¡±


    ¡°How do you do, brother? Where do you think you¡¯re going? Might it be a desperate struggle to save the Bitch of Vanderbilt that I have let live for the time being.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser looked to his own radio and prepared to send a certain signal to the Princess in the Baby Magnum and Frolaytia in the small aircraft carrier.


    But...


    ¡°It is no use. No one can capture me. In fact, my own whereabouts mean nothing to the Destruction Fes. Even if Azureyfear Winchell is taken prisoner or killed, the ten thousand operators, the stealth submarines scattered around the world¡¯s oceans, and the satellites in orbit will continue the fight. Not that I expect you would be able to hunt me down anyway.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think you are? Do you think you have an infinite stock of privilege as a noble?¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha ha!! Brother, you are the one that needs to bear the responsibility and duty of Winchell. I am merely taking on the debt you failed to pay back. But don¡¯t feel bad. We are family, after all.¡±


    Winchell and Vanderbilt.


    War and peace.


    What was the reality on both sides and what were the delusions on both sides?


    At the very least, it seemed Azureyfear wished to open Heivia¡¯s eyes. And to do so, she wanted to kill in front of him.


    Heivia clenched his teeth and a report came in from the Princess.


    ¡°The Destruction Fes is approaching from thirteen kilometers southwest of my position. Once it is within ten kilometers, I will engage it.¡±


    ¡°What? Isn¡¯t that around where the Oceanic Driver was sunk?¡±


    Quenser grasped the meaning of the data quicker than anyone else.


    ¡°Hm. You were acting like a god, but it looks like you weren¡¯t all that almighty.¡±


    ¡°Commoner, I possess a tolerant and merciful soul, but you are not needed in a conversation between nobles. Know your place.¡±


    The student ignored her and continued.


    He was expressing his thoughts, something everyone had equally.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act so full of yourself when you¡¯re terrified of getting hit right in the ass. The Oceanic Driver was a Second Generation with several large capacitors in addition to its normal reactor. That allowed it to fire its laser beams with no gaps, but even after it was sunk, it might have had a program to launch an attack from beyond the grave using the massive power left in the capacitors. You were slowly making sure that wasn¡¯t the case. You were afraid of being hit with a surprise attack!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s guess was that the Oceanic Driver could not actually do that. No matter how powerful the capacitors and transformers were, they were no replacement for the extraordinary reactor. But Azureyfear¡¯s faction had feared that risk. They had feared that formidable foe.


    The Oceanic Driver had done more than fight to the death.


    Even after its death, it had given the rest of them the chance they needed.


    The Rose & Lily and the other five hundred ships were still intact with the hopelessly powerful Destruction Fes so close, but that was undoubtedly thanks to the time bought by the Oceanic Driver. The defender of Saint Helena had done its duty and fulfilled its mission.


    How could they let that go to waste?


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her get to you, Heivia. That thing isn¡¯t perfect. They¡¯re afraid like normal and they¡¯re putting together countermeasures like normal! It¡¯s nothing more than a normal Object! Our ally proved that. We just have to fill in the gap between the ideal and reality!!¡±


    After saying that to his awful friend, Quenser shouted into his radio.


    ¡°Frolaytia, please get started! This is the starting line! We can still end this with zero sacrifices!!¡±


    A massive machine passed by the rubber boats.


    It was the Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum.


    The mountainous silhouette of the Destruction Fes turned their way in the darkness. The peacock feather-like acoustic weapon units were spread out wide.


    A thunderclap-like noise continued without end.


    It stabbed at their ears, but Quenser and the others were not knocked out at this range. However, the acoustic weapon¡¯s power would grow the closer they got to the source. They could see the Baby Magnum¡¯s speed dropping as if it was being buffeted by a fierce wind or invisible pressure.


    ¡°Dammit! This thing¡¯s dangerous!!¡±


    ¡°Are all these waves due to the ocean surface vibrating? Shit! If we don¡¯t pay attention, we¡¯ll be thrown from the boat!!¡±


    ¡°Hee hee. Hee hee hee hee. The Orchestra System is working well. The ten thousand wolves will now devour the lone Elite.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re really pissing me off. I¡¯ll show you what true piloting looks like.¡±


    The Destruction Fes was not going to pay her any heed in a normal fight.


    It was unmanned, so it could ignore the limits of inertial Gs that bound a manned Object. The boosters attached to the side of the insect leg-like units provided overwhelming speed and reversals while the acoustic weapon¡¯s ¡°wall¡± kept the enemy Object from moving. Their relative speeds widened to fatal levels, so it almost felt like it could control time. The Destruction Fes would calmly circle around to the blind spot of the Baby Magnum¡¯s cannons and unilaterally pummel it to death.


    ¡°Eh heh heh. Heh heh heh. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    Azureyfear must have had the same destructive vision in mind because her laugh reached the entire army over the radio.


    But she was wrong. Quenser had a different vision in mind.


    ¡°It seemed strange once I thought about it.¡± He stared at that goddess of victory from the rubber boat. ¡°That acoustic weapon uses countless speakers to create a wall of noise that vibrates the target, shakes and tears apart the molecules, and causes it to rupture at the weakest points, like the welds. But Objects move around at an average speed of more than five hundred kph. Even more so with the Destruction Fes since its high-speed mobility is its selling point. In that case, you can¡¯t ignore how sound works. Even if you¡¯re emitting the optimum wavelength, that wavelength can be stretched or squished depending on the situation.¡±


    ¡°You mean the Doppler effect?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°That means the Destruction Fes¡¯s speakers have to emit a wavelength that takes into account the distortion due to the Doppler effect. It has to accurately read in the relative location and speed of its target. It has to do that initial checking and correction before emitting the sound, and that of course has to be done with something faster than sound.¡±


    Quenser waved the radio in his hand.


    ¡°Namely, electromagnetic waves. As I¡¯m sure you can guess from the existence of the term ¡®Doppler radar¡¯, electromagnetic wavelengths can¡¯t escape the Doppler effect either. And while the wavelengths are different, light and electromagnetic waves are pretty much the same thing. First it emits microwaves in every direction to see how they¡¯re distorted between itself and the target. Then it uses that data to calculate out the corrections needed for the acoustic weapon and sends out the corrected waveform at high volume. ...To put it another way, restricting those initial microwaves will nearly defang the acoustic weapon.¡±


    So...


    ¡°An acoustic weapon that creates a wall of pressure that can even stop an Object sounds like a big deal, but if you think about the nature of electromagnetic waves, it isn¡¯t much of a threat.¡±


    Of course, simply using jamming was not going to help just because it was using radar. It was an Object, so it was essentially a large-scale military fortress in and of itself. It could force its way through your standard interfering signal.


    But that just meant they had to think bigger.


    Quenser snapped his fingers and pointed up into the starry sky.


    ¡°The Celestial Flowers fireworks festival just so happened to have an interesting event planned! A collaboration of fireworks and an artificial aurora created with the help of a space station!!¡±


    Part 4


    The civilian Venus-class space station was named the Princess Nikolaschka.


    It belonged to the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Organization for the Peaceful Use of Space.


    It was currently 20:30 Greenwich Mean Time and the space station was in sector I-9 above the South Atlantic Ocean.


    A giant blue planet was visible below and an endless expanse of darkness was visible above. Directions, including above and below, meant nothing in outer space, but since he had been born on the earth, the astronaut named Marcus still found it to be a strange and dizzying sight.


    Those aboard the space station called it the ¡°Fish Tank¡± because it had lab modules and solar panels installed at right angles around a thick cylindrical main shaft. Several more facilities were similarly attached to the slave shafts that branched off, so overall, it resembled a fishing hole¡¯s fish tank made from several rectangular wooden frames connected together. Those extra frames extended from the main shaft at 120 degrees intervals.


    Wearing space suits and attached by a lifeline, the astronauts were clinging to the exterior of the station and working without the option of wiping the sweat from their brows.


    They were working on a strange railgun that they referred to as the Debris Homer. Rather than an uncivilized military weapon that fired shells, the barrel opened wide and released a field of power to shoot back debris without touching it. It was a safety device to be used against the debris that arrived like a sandstorm at several kilometers per second.


    ¡°Marcus to control. The socket replacement is complete. It¡¯s a perfect job. This peaceful station has been transformed into a military facility. To be honest, it kind of want to break my arms right now.¡±


    ¡°Those SOBs are all insane. Don¡¯t they know this is a civilian station? I hate the smell of gunpowder. I came all the way up here to answer kids¡¯ questions over the satellite line while I throw paper airplanes! As a kid, I loved watching those shows while looking after my little brother, but now I feel like I¡¯ve ruined it all!!¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Robin. Space development has always been a proxy war. We have to do this dirty work while the kids can¡¯t see us.¡±


    The countdown from control began, so they restrained their chatter. They relied on their lifelines to move along the station¡¯s exterior and reach the safe zone.


    In that soundless world, the invisible stream of solar wind was bent and fired toward earth.


    But the earth¡¯s atmosphere was effective. It protected the life living below from the threat of ultraviolet rays, radiation, heat, falling objects, and more. Most of the unnaturally bent solar wind was blocked by the ionosphere. Hazy red, green, and purple light danced over one portion of the blue planet.


    Robin spoke while watching the light spread with an amoeba-like motion.


    ¡°An artificial aurora, huh?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the main event here, Robin.¡±


    The aurora occurred when solar winds ¨C massive amounts of plasma launched from the sun ¨C collided with the magnetosphere surrounding the earth and gathered at either the North or South Pole. When they contacted the magnetosphere, the solar winds had their electrons and protons separated and those particles reacted with the ionosphere to produce light.


    And a few side effects of the aurora had been noticed.


    One of those was of interest here.


    ¡°Loss of electromagnetic signals in the polar regions.¡±


    Robin may have been starving for a chance to lead a children¡¯s educational program because he began explaining.


    ¡°Very high frequency communications and microwave communications will ¡®vanish¡¯ in the affected area. Although this might be the first time in history it hit an Object-level radar emitter.¡±


    Part 5


    Just as the Destruction Fes was ready to attack, it seemed to stumble a little.


    Its acoustic weapon had cut out.


    Instead, the night sea grew so still and silent it seemed to hurt the two idiots¡¯ ears.


    ¡°Ksshhh! Kssssshhhhhhhh!! Click!!¡±


    Their radios were dead.


    They could no longer hear the Princess or Azureyfear.


    ¡°What? So if the communications are down, does that mean its remote control is out too!?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that simple. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s got multiple systems like lasers to cover this kind of thing. But it still had some effect!¡±


    The Destruction Fes resumed moving a moment later, but they were not done doing things Azureyfear¡¯s faction did not expect.


    The Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum rushed straight forward. As soon as the Destruction Fes¡¯s acoustic weapon was cut off, it seemed to have been released from the invisible pressure or fierce wind facing it. It had incredible speed, like a rubber band that had been stretched back to the limit.


    No.


    Technically...


    ¡°Thanks to the activated ionosphere, very high frequency waves and microwaves ¡®vanish¡¯ here. That affects the Doppler radar it uses to determine the wavelength correction it needs. After stumbling like that, it can¡¯t use its wall of sound anymore! Even if it scatters sound at random, it can¡¯t maintain the most effective wavelength!!¡±


    The Destruction Fes was still incredibly fast, but the Baby Magnum was freed from its shackles.


    It was freed from that hopeless field of relative speeds so different the enemy seemed to be controlling time.


    The Princess could move.


    She seemed to leap forward.


    Blinding light crossed paths. The Baby Magnum and the Destruction Fes had both fired their low-stability plasmas cannons while taking evasive actions to the side. They had of course used their main cannons. It was like crossing lances in a jousting match.


    The Princess just barely managed to dodge.


    The Destruction Fes being remotely-controlled by Azureyfear¡¯s faction had one of the outer peacock feather-like parts torn away. It could be heard whipping through the air as it rotated through the dark sky like a metal tower.


    It fell toward the cruise ship several kilometers away.


    ¡°Hey!¡± shouted Heivia from the boat.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than an attack from that thing¡¯s main cannon. More importantly, she hit! The Princess¡¯s attack hit!! Without the acoustic weapon slowing her down, she can shrink the gap between them. At this rate...¡±


    The student trailed off when a bit of static ran through his radio.


    ¡°Quenser, something isn¡¯t right. The fact that you¡¯re getting this should tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second, Princess... Why is the radio working? The artificial aurora should be killing the signal!¡±


    ¡°My radar was down for a moment, but it¡¯s back up now. The same should be true for them.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia looked up.


    What was happening in that starry sky? Without the assistance of the space station, the Destruction Fes could resume its high-speed fight that made it feel like time had stopped.


    Part 6


    The astronauts had other things to worry about.


    Marcus and the others were busy clenching their teeth as hundreds or even thousands of shards as sharp as a razor or box cutter rained down from outside the space station.


    ¡°Robin!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no hole in the ass of my jacket. More importantly, what was that? A killer satellite!?¡±


    Satellite-destroying satellites were exactly what they sounded like.


    A satellite was launched for the sole purpose of destroying an enemy nation¡¯s satellites. Some would use powerful lasers or electromagnetic signals to damage their sensors, some would fire rockets or missiles, and some would be loaded with explosives for a suicide collision. It was known as the saddest and most fruitless field of space development.


    This time, it was a collision model. It took the same orbit as its target, used boosters or an ion engine to slowly approach, and then detonated itself.


    Explosions had no sound in outer space. Without any air resistance, the shrapnel did not slow down. Plus, the slightest cut or hole could cause fatal damage to equipment or human life. It was a deadly sandstorm that approached in absolute silence. Perhaps only those up in space could truly understand how frightening that was.


    ¡°They¡¯re scattering a ton of debris out here. That¡¯s against the treaties.¡±


    ¡°The solar panels on Module C and Module D were taken out. They even blew a hole in one lab module.¡±


    ¡°But given the situation, I doubt this was an indiscriminate attack. They had to have been after the anti-debris cannon. Dammit. It hurt aiming that safety device toward the earth.¡±


    Explosion after explosion tore apart the framework of the Fish Tank. The main shaft was still unharmed, so the entire station would not fall apart and their living space was safe. However, the damage to the parts exposed on the exterior was bad. The railgun and a few solar panels had been damaged and bent.


    They could no longer provide support to those on the surface.


    However, they doubted the enemy would withdraw. They had spare parts inside the station, so destroying the station and slaughtering its crew would be the quickest method of crushing any possibility of repairing and reusing the railgun.


    ¡°Here they come,¡± muttered Marcus.


    People in unfamiliar space suits were visible here and there. They had likely clung to the side of the satellite partway through its flight. They held rifles. The fingers of the space suit would not have fit, so the trigger guards had been cut away.


    The astronauts had no way of knowing, but they were from Azureyfear¡¯s faction that was controlling the Destruction Fes with a worldwide data network using a large number of stealth submarines and satellites. Their reach extended to the deep sea, the surface, and even space.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± shouted Robin. ¡°We¡¯re civilians! We don¡¯t have guns!!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this their way. Robin, Anderson, you have your work lights, right? Twist the focus to concentrate the light on a single point. On my signal, let¡¯s all target their faces one by one.¡±


    ¡°Our lights? Are we supposed to fight the bad guys with our light swords?¡±


    ¡°This is a lesson I¡¯ve learned in my long time as an astronaut.¡± Marcus quietly sighed. ¡°When taking a commemorative photo in zero gravity, you mustn¡¯t use the flash. If you blind yourself, you lose your sense of balance and your body seems to move on instinct when you stiffen up because you end up spinning around until you don¡¯t know which way is up. ...Let¡¯s take them out in the same way.¡±


    In outer space, there was no need to force the enemy to the ground or knock them out. Once the enemy lost their balance, they could be thrown out into the emptiness of space. Even if they had attitude control boosters, the fear and panic of an out-of-control spin was not something they could break free of on their own. Without anything around to support them, they would helplessly continue their flight until their oxygen tank was empty.


    ¡°Their rifles are the same. If they pull the trigger in zero gravity, the recoil will flip them around. That would change if they pressed their backs against the station¡¯s wall before firing, but we won¡¯t let them do that. This is a civilian station, so if they want to fight a war, we¡¯ll have them do so elsewhere.¡±


    Part 7


    Heivia loudly clicked his tongue as he stared up into the night sky from the boat floating in the dark sea.


    ¡°Is it siesta time on the station up there!? What do we do, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If the Destruction Fes regained its full abilities, the Baby Magnum could not win. In fact, no Object on the planet could stand up to a Second Generation with that speed and maneuverability.


    They needed to seal off its acoustic weapon without using the space station¡¯s artificial aurora.


    If they did not make this work, Heivia¡¯s girlfriend and one hundred thousand more lives would be lost.


    Quenser looked around and then brought his radio to his mouth.


    (That¡¯s it.)


    ¡°Princess! Hold on for now!!¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t something you can do just because someone tells you to. I¡¯ll do it, though!¡±


    The two Objects began to move.


    Once more, the din of the acoustic weapon ruled the battlefield.


    Fortunately, the Princess had torn away one of the Destruction Fes¡¯s peacock feathers. That created a dead spot in the acoustic weapon¡¯s reach. The Princess continuously moved toward that outer edge and did whatever she could to not be swallowed up by that slowing pressure.


    But not even that was perfect.


    The Destruction Fes truly was fast. It always occupied the most useful spot and fired its low-stability plasma main cannon toward the Baby Magnum. As payback for before, it tore away one of the seven main canons and melted the spherical main body¡¯s armor with a glancing blow.


    The intense noise must have been affecting the amplitude of the ocean¡¯s waves because unnaturally tall waves appeared all over, forcing Heivia to cling to the boat as he let out a yell.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing stopping it anymore! What do we do, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°If we can stop the electromagnetic waves that guide the acoustic weapon, we¡¯ll have the upper hand again.¡±


    ¡°Your everyday jamming won¡¯t cut it.¡±


    ¡°What about chaff? Fill the night sky with tons of thin metal and it will reflect the electromagnetic waves. Its radar will be useless.¡±


    ¡°But where are we gonna find that!? That aircraft carrier was prepared in a hurry, so there won¡¯t be much left inside its fighters. And we¡¯d need hundreds of tons of chaff to throw off an Object¡¯s control system!!¡±


    But Quenser calmly tossed his radio to Heivia.


    ¡°That¡¯s your job.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten where you secret lover is? This is the world¡¯s largest fireworks festival. And do you know why fireworks are colorful? Flames change color when they react to certain chemicals or metals. Ten thousand or a hundred thousand should be enough. If they fire all of their fireworks into the night sky, it¡¯ll block the Destruction Fes¡¯s electromagnetic waves and thus its acoustic weapon! So beg her to do that for us! Hurry!!¡±


    Part 8


    Explosion after explosion sounded as colorful light filled the night sky.


    ¡°Honestly, don¡¯t make it sound so easy.¡±


    The Vanderbilt lady sighed inside the Rose & Lily.


    The rose was the Winchell family¡¯s symbol and the lily was the Vanderbilt family¡¯s. That was enough to know what a close connection she had to the ship, but she was still only a guest at the fireworks festival. Winchell was the one running it and their maids were moving about through the ship. And since this was the ¡°normal¡± Winchell family (i.e. not Heivia), it was not exactly a pleasant atmosphere for a member of the opposing Vanderbilt family.


    (Well, Vanderbilt also has its issues with the main family and the branch family. And that¡¯s only getting worse recently. I¡¯m the only heir to the main family, so if I died, the riffraff from the branch family would gain more influence in the inheritance issue.)


    And even if she had been the one running the show, it would have been unreasonable to have the fireworks prepared by craftsmen around the world fired randomly into the night sky while completely ignoring the original program.


    She had only succeeded by working up the manager¡¯s fears by eloquently convincing him that holding onto all the unnecessary explosives might be considered intent to fight, thus leading the Object to attack them.


    For a noble woman, knowing how to protect her family without picking up a weapon could be seen as a necessity.


    And the more she pushed things, the more her position on the ship was worn away.


    The scales were tipping.


    Once it crossed a line, the savage-looking nobles would tie her up and give her to Azureyfear as a present to ensure their own safety.


    She did not have much time left.


    But she could not escape Azureyfear by boarding a helicopter or lifeboat to flee the ship.


    What could she do?


    After some thought, she slipped through a staff only door.


    Like all luxury cruise ships, the Rose & Lily had a large server and satellite communications facility for casino card readers and day trading. She stepped into the server room that had communications equipment lined up like shoe lockers or bookcases.


    She compared the numbers of the many guest rooms with the letters on the servers and traced her fingers along them while walking through the room. She finally stopped at a certain point.


    ¡°This is the one.¡±


    After the sudden attack from Azureyfear¡¯s Object, quite a few voices had filled the party deck. Most had been groundless bluffs and ways of protecting oneself, but one of them had caught her attention.


    ¡°Why is this happening? This wasn¡¯t part of the plan. I was promised absolute safety...¡±


    (What a fool. I¡¯m guessing he fanned the flames between Vanderbilt and Winchell, gave Azureyfear some help, concealed all sorts of information for his own sake...and then got caught in the crossfire at the very, very end.)


    Once she took aim, she could more or less guess who it was.


    Now she needed something to confirm her speculation.


    The Vanderbilt lady pulled a handheld device from the chest of her dress. She had borrowed it from those pretending to be spies in the Winchell Countermeasures Office. She connected it to the server¡¯s socket with a cable and monitored the communications of a certain room.


    However, she was not intercepting the data from a suspicious mastermind¡¯s room.


    As a noble, she had been taught not to do anything that risky. ¡°I have no memory of that. My secretary or butler did it all.¡± That was something all nobles had to learn.


    However...


    ¡°If I place a camera in my own room, it doesn¡¯t count as spying.¡±


    That was why she was viewing her own room.


    If the mastermind was fanning the flames between Winchell and Vanderbilt for his own benefit, then he would be constantly monitoring the actions of those in both families. If she could find some trace of that, she could find a clue leading back to him.


    All of this qualified as justified self-defense.


    Nobles and royals had to defend the people who served them, so what qualified as self-defense was quite broad. As per the concept of noblesse oblige, the greater one¡¯s authority, the greater their responsibility, so they carried the customary obligation to actively protect those under their care. Of course, just like the Island Nation¡¯s idea of Kiri-Sute Gomen, it was only ever interpreted in ways that benefited the privileged classes.


    ¡°Now, now, now. Who was it that assigned the rooms for this fireworks festival? Rather than breaking in after I checked in, it would be a lot easier to place me in a room that already had a data-stealing gimmick installed in the wireless router. Whoever was in charge of that must have been bought.¡±


    She had no specialized data processing skills, but she detected a suspicious looking entry on her device and sent it to the Countermeasures Office to hand it off to a great number of personnel. She had no idea what kind of magic they used, but a long list of results came back in no time. They may have actively search out the technicians who had completely failed as a member of an organization and thus could not be left in the military. In other words, they were the kind of hackers that could only live in the world of a movie.


    A somewhat vulgar smile came to the girl¡¯s lips when she finally spotted a certain name within the deep, deep electronic forest.


    ¡°I knew it.¡±


    It was the same as the person who had spoken on the party deck.


    As one could guess from his careless statement, he was a Legitimacy Kingdom VIP who the press often targeted as a mass-producer of gaffes. She felt like the spinning compass was finally pointing in a single direction. She shifted her focus from the Rose & Lily¡¯s internal network to the external internet connection. After sending another request to the Countermeasures Office, another answer came back almost immediately.


    She had asked for back issues of an electronic newspaper saved by one of the major communications companies.


    She found an article from around when the conflict between families had grown beyond a secret feud and into full-on military conflicts.


    (This is even more obvious. The Vanderbilt and Winchell families have conveniently clashed twenty-one times around the same time he made some kind of gaffe. That diverted people¡¯s interest from that less interesting news and allowed him to escape taking any kind of responsibility.)


    Nobles and royals seemed to believe in bloodline above all else, but there were always exceptions. If a family was deemed unable to protect its people, the entire family would ¡°fall¡± and lose its noble status. Or if an individual was considered an exceptionally harmful example to the public, they would be ¡°banished¡± from their family. And when banished, producing any children could spread their genetics and spark revolt during succession issues, so they would be charged with inciting rebellion. In other words, they were legally castrated. Heivia had gone against the wishes of the entire Winchell family and yet he had not been banished. That showed just how far one had to go to be banished, but it also meant that one could have the protection of their privileged class taken away if they did go that far.


    This man had wanted to escape banishment.


    But instead of closing his loose lips, he had covered it up with an even larger commotion.


    This was a safety device for him.


    No one from the heads of the families to the families¡¯ butlers knew what had started the centuries-long conflict between Vanderbilt and Winchell, but someone had definitely been using it in recent years.


    ¡°Now, then.¡±


    (Where should I strike to drive out some actual dirt?)


    She decided on the things connected to the Vanderbilt family. And even then, she limited herself to the sports clubs, beauty parlors, restaurants, and salons she normally visited, not the private property. If they all had a similar setup to her room on the ship, the data would all be gathered in one place after traveling through several different servers. If necessary, she could have Heivia check on the places the Winchell family tended to visit.


    Simply gathering the data was meaningless. It had to be analyzed to use it. If he was gathering the data on both families in one place and quickly determining how to drive the two families into an even larger conflict each time he made a gaffe, he would need greater analysis than even the weather forecast.


    And the more a unique weapon was used, the more one could see the unique outline of the person using it.


    The facilities that could pull that off were limited and the people with connections to those facilities were even more limited.


    Once she knew what she was after, she only needed to send a request to the Countermeasures Office. Then she would only have to wait. They would use their specialty to swiftly hunt down the flow of money behind this. They would find all the necessary evidence.


    She did not think this would fully resolve the problems between Vanderbilt and Winchell, but she could nip at least one disaster in the bud.


    But...


    ¡°...?¡±


    (The communications cut off now!?)


    She was not using the sketchy Wi-Fi at a caf¨¦. She was using the satellite communications antenna the cruise ship used for casino card reading and day trading. She doubted the signal would go down that easily.


    Just as she began to think the mastermind was blocking the signal, the answer reached her.


    She heard a loud explosion.


    ¡°Oh, all those fireworks Master Heivia asked me to have launched are acting as chaff.¡±


    The pieces of copper and other metals had reached a certain density in the air and started to disturb the signal. It ended up harming her position, but she could not resent it when it was a request from her fianc¨¦.


    She could no longer send a request to the external Countermeasures Office.


    She could not rely on those experts, so she would have to find another way on her own.


    Instead of finding the analysis facility from the multiple points of data leakage, she would have to find some more direct evidence.


    (The wireless router they tampered with in my room. Whether they modified the software communications log or the hardware, it would be fastest to get the device itself.)


    That meant her adventure was not yet over.


    She would have to return to her room when she had no idea when the nobles would give into their fear of Azureyfear, overpower her like a mob, and make a human sacrifice out of her.


    She gave a truly annoyed sigh, but immediately took action.


    It was the weakness introduced by her love for her fianc¨¦ that drove her to action.


    And as she left the server room, she muttered a certain name.


    ¡°Flag Eggnog...¡±


    That man was almost certainly guilty.


    She was aware he often made gaffes, but rather than shut his loose lips, he had thoughtlessly and arrogantly decided to hide his problem behind a war between nobles. He was truly a terrible example for his people.


    And with that in mind, the young lady moved her lips as a trail of tense sweat ran down her cheek.


    ¡°Or perhaps I should call you ¡®Your Excellency¡¯. Isn¡¯t that right, Mr. Royal?¡±


    Part 9


    The fireworks swept away the darkness of the sky and sea.


    A deluge of light covered it all.


    An incredible number of explosions overlapped with each other and filled the space, but that was not enough on its own. The copper and other metals used to color the flames acted as chaff and once more prevented the Destruction Fes from using the electromagnetic guide for its acoustic weapon. Depending on the range, that weapon could tear a fleet to pieces or stop an Object in its tracks, but it was dead once more.


    ¡°This is our chance, Quenser!¡± shouted Heivia on the boat.


    ¡°But it isn¡¯t a guarantee.¡±


    Despite the opportunity, Quenser did not lose sight of the situation. He continued coldly analyzing the information that worked against them.


    ¡°This only took out the acoustic weapon, so it still has its legendary speed. The Princess can¡¯t win unless we take out those special boosters on those three legs.¡±


    ¡°.........................................................................................................................................................How many more climaxes is this gonna have?¡±


    ¡°We need to observe, Heivia. This closed the gap a little, so the Princess can last a while longer.¡±


    The problem was not the air cushion propulsion device below the spherical main body. It was the insect leg units with the boosters attached to the side. By firing those all at once, it could pull off those lightning-like back and forth movements that a manned Object could never reproduce.


    And those boosters were not emitting flames like a rocket.


    ¡°We mentioned it before, but it¡¯s shooting a liquid out. Seawater would be the likely suspect, right? It would be pumping it up and firing it out. If that¡¯s how it gets its propulsion, can¡¯t we just dive down and block up the pump opening?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it¡¯s that simple,¡± muttered Quenser. ¡°Heivia, the Destruction Fes uses an air cushion propulsion device.¡±


    ¡°What does that matter!? Aren¡¯t the boosters the problem!?¡±


    ¡°The air cushion suggests it¡¯s meant for use on water and on land. Then what does it spray out for its speed on land?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Did you think they can¡¯t use it on land? Not a chance. Azureyfear said she would exterminate the Vanderbilt family and that she would start with your girlfriend. Even if she joins with the hawks of your family later, they¡¯ll want an amphibious Object that can operate in all environments to hunt down all those nobles scattered around the world. A purely naval Object doesn¡¯t mesh with their design philosophy.¡±


    ¡°Then what? When it¡¯s on land, does it stick a tube into the ground to dig up some underground water!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The student thought for a moment.


    ¡°Heivia, with the radios down, we can¡¯t rely on our handheld devices¡¯ maps. I need to investigate this based on memory, so help me out.¡±


    ¡°What could you possibly do now!?¡±


    ¡°I want to follow the route the Destruction Fes has taken in this battle.¡±


    The two idiots used the rubber boat¡¯s large motor to travel through the nighttime sea with no real landmarks. The dark sea would have thrown off their sense of direction, but the reflected colorful light of the fireworks messed with their senses in a different way.


    Still, they somehow managed to find a remaining band of bubbles.


    They stopped the boat and Quenser scooped up some seawater in his water bottle.


    ¡°What are you doing? It¡¯s not like we have an examination kit!¡±


    ¡°Eyesight will be enough.¡±


    Quenser showed Heivia the bottle as it reflected the fireworks.


    ¡°See those black specks?¡±


    ¡°What the hell are they?¡±


    ¡°Iron sand, most likely. The Destruction Fes¡¯s boosters were never meant to spray water. They gain thrust by firing dirt like a railgun or coilgun. And of course, they use the iron and iron sand in the dirt as a ¡®framework¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You mean...?¡±


    ¡°Seawater conducts electricity, but that wouldn¡¯t be strong enough.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t really hear about people making magnets out of seawater.¡±


    ¡°So just like mixing in diamond dust to increase the strength of an industrial water cutter, they¡¯ve mixed in some iron sand to give themselves that ¡®framework¡¯. That way they can fire the water out with even more power.¡±


    Heivia looked to the distant sea.


    Even now, the battle between the Baby Magnum and Destruction Fes continued. A stray shot could fly toward the cruise ship and other ships at any time.


    The sight was enough to squeeze at his heart, but he also noticed something else.


    ¡°Damn that fraud. I was taken in by the impressive appearance... I was taken in by Azureyfear¡¯s fighting style.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It may look like it¡¯s freely moving across the battlefield with unbeatable speed, but it¡¯s really only fighting while moving back and forth across an extremely limited area. It¡¯s retrieving and reusing the iron sand its boosters have scattered around. Of course it is. If it doesn¡¯t have a filter to absorb the rare metals dissolved in the seawater, it can only use its limited stock during a naval battle. It isn¡¯t replenishing its iron sand out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°B-but waiting for it to run out would be too reckless. The Princess is only barely getting by...no, she¡¯s being worn down bit by bit. If she lets her guard down for just a moment, she¡¯ll be hit straight through the center. We can¡¯t hope for a long-term battle against something so fast.¡±


    ¡°I know that and that¡¯s not what I¡¯m going for.¡± Quenser tapped his temple with his index finger. ¡°We don¡¯t have to wait around for it to run out. If we take that stock away from it, it¡¯ll stop in no time.¡±


    ¡°But how?¡±


    ¡°We already have the answer. We¡¯re going over there next, Heivia. Get the boat moving.¡±


    Before asking for details, the delinquent noble did as he was told.


    The rubber boat almost seemed to hop along the nighttime sea filled with dancing colorful lights.


    They were nowhere near an island or continent. They were surrounded by ocean in every direction, so the only things they could be approaching were the Objects, the aircraft carriers and cruisers where Frolaytia¡¯s group waited, and...


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally gotten them directly involved,¡± said Heivia as he operated the large motor that doubled as the rudder. ¡°Welcome to the Celestial Flowers fireworks festival, I guess! Since we¡¯re here, maybe I should go pay that lonely kitten a visit!!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to ask a girl on a date, pay attention to your hair and clothes. Show up in that sweaty uniform and she¡¯ll slap you.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. You don¡¯t know the first thing about nobles, Quenser. She¡¯ll play rock, not paper.¡±


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re going to get all lovey-dovey about your girlfriend, can you at least pay me? It sounds like more work than being a fortune teller under an overpass, but I¡¯m willing to listen if it pays!!¡±


    There were five hundred ships, but they came in all shapes and sizes. The biggest were the Rose & Lily and about ten other cruise ships that rivalled an aircraft carrier in size. The smallest were more like wooden river-crossing boats with plastic roofs. Some had such simple designs that taking them out to sea would clearly be suicide, but the cruise ships likely supplied water, food, fuel, and other materials like they were air refueling tankers.


    The hundreds of ships were packed in over only a few kilometers, so it looked like a boat bazaar filling a river. It grew difficult to continue on even with the rubber boat. Quenser and Heivia climbed from the boat to a ship and jumped from ship to ship from there.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. I don¡¯t see anyone. They¡¯re all launching their fireworks without anyone onboard.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s convenient. They¡¯re probably all gathered on the cruise ships. A panic here would cause the ships to start running into each other and they¡¯re all packed full of fireworks. Who knows how far the damage would spread.¡±


    The world-class fireworks craftsmen had likely known what would happen to radio signals when they launched their products, so they were mostly being launched by timers or wired connections.


    ¡°More importantly, where are we supposed to go!? Tell me already!!¡±


    ¡°To that!¡±


    Quenser pointed into the distance where a giant structure seemed to lean over several ships.


    ¡°The wreckage of the acoustic weapon¡¯s peacock feather the Princess tore off! It¡¯s a giant speaker, so it has to have giant magnets inside. And a ton of them!!¡±


    The Destruction Fes mixed large quantities of iron sand in with the seawater to fire it out like a railgun or coilgun.


    Quenser wanted a large number of magnets.


    Therefore...


    ¡°This is everything we need. Now we just need to set it up.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second!! Watch out!!¡±


    As soon as Heivia cried out, a blinding light swept across the ships.


    It was the Destruction Fes¡¯s low-stability plasma main cannon. A fair distance from the two idiots, it slipped between a few of the cruise ships, yet dozens of the smaller ships vanished in the light. Some had simply been vaporized and others had been set alight by the intense heat, igniting the fireworks.


    A chain reaction of large explosions followed.


    Flowers of unnaturally colored flames meant for entertainment blossomed here and there. For the ones the size of a small fishing boat, the explosive force of the fireworks must have overpowered the ship¡¯s weight because they were launched into the night sky like rockets. As their silhouettes fell apart in midair, a few of them approached Quenser and Heivia.


    ¡°Shit! Jump in!!¡±


    Quenser reflexively crouched down, but Heivia grabbed his collar and threw him into the dark sea. As soon as they both plunged into the thick water, a muffled explosion and a blinding light erupted overhead. The fireworks in the falling boat and in the one they had been standing on must have ignited.


    The explosions continued with no sign of ending, so the flames may have spread to the neighboring boats.


    Quenser tried to rise to the surface in search of air, but Heivia held him down and forced him along. They only surfaced after diving below another ship and reaching a spot that seemed to be shielded from that ground zero.


    ¡°Bwah!! Cough, cough!! Cough, Cough! Ohaheh!!!!¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to say, but I¡¯m not accepting any complaints. This spot won¡¯t be safe forever either and we have no idea which ship will blow up next. If you have something to do, then hurry up and do it!!¡±


    ¡°Cough! Cough, cough!! Ugh... But if the Destruction Fes¡¯s stray shots are finally ending up here...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the Princess isn¡¯t perfect. She¡¯s gradually being pushed back this way. If she wasn¡¯t protecting that final line, that probably would¡¯ve been a direct hit on the cruise ships!¡±


    Part 10


    The Vanderbilt lady left the Rose & Lily¡¯s server room, walked down the corridor, and quickly doubled back after turning the first corner.


    Men in black clothes and sunglasses were clearly headed her way. They were still walking rather than running, but they were clearly hurrying toward a certain destination. Plus, they either had special armor or mechanical strength enhancements because their suits swelled out from within and their feet sank deeply into the carpet.


    She pressed her back against the wall by the corner and took a breath.


    The wall and floor were trembling from the sounds of the fireworks and an unpleasant sweat appeared on her brow.


    Just as she prepared to turn around and take another path, an elderly male face appeared nearby.


    ¡°Hyah!!¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, lady. I did not mean to frighten you.¡±


    He was gentle-mannered, but he wore the same black clothing. White gloves covered his dried twig-like fingers and he held a small handgun with a silencer attacked.


    He held it close enough that the muzzle nearly touched her belly and he smiled.


    ¡°Please come with me, lady. You will understand why soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t planning to take me to His Excellency of the Eggnog family. These are not my formal clothes and my family insignia is in my room. I doubt I would be given permission to have an audience with him.¡±


    ¡°Do not be silly. Do you really think we would put His Excellency or his honor in danger, lady? This will all fall under the category of ¡®I have no memory of that. My secretary or butler did it all¡¯.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As expected of a royal servant, he was well trained.


    (Now, will they tie me up and sacrifice me to Azureyfear or will they directly silence me while disguising it as the former?)


    She placed a confident smile on her lips, but she was filled with anxiety on the inside.


    There truly was nothing more she could do.


    However, her pride as a member of the Vanderbilt family did not allow her to let it show.


    She took her first unwilling step at the insistence of the silencer-equipped gun.


    A moment later, she heard a few muffled gunshots and the old man collapsed to the floor after receiving some powerful blows to the back.


    The Vanderbilt lady had no idea what had happened, but the situation did not wait for her to catch up.


    ¡°Lady, please get down.¡±


    She heard a dignified female voice.


    Someone gently slipped past the young lady as if clearing the way for her, but then she fired another shot into the head and heart of the collapsed old man. The woman held a fully-auto machine pistol. It of course had a silencer equipped. She pulled the slide back, poured a bit of mineral water into the gun through the ejection port to increase its airtightness, and did not hesitate to poke her head out from behind the corridor¡¯s corner.


    Flag Eggnog¡¯s pawns had been rushing this way, but they were eliminated almost too easily. Those royal bodyguards had been a little lacking in skill due to their overconfidence in their equipment, but making it look that easy showed just how skilled this woman was.


    The muffled sound was much quieter than the fireworks outside, but it squeezed at the young lady¡¯s heart much more. Those blasts were meant to summon death, so they were fundamentally different.


    The woman had silver hair and wore a chic maid uniform with a long skirt.


    The eyepatch covering one eye and the machine pistol were dangerous looking, but something else caught her attention.


    ¡°Oh? That maid uniform... Isn¡¯t that the kind used by the maids that serve a Winchell family manor?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, lady. I still haven¡¯t introduced myself, have I? I am Karen I. Winchell. Not only have I seen you a few times at our residence, but I believe I handed you a glass of nonalcoholic champagne at the party earlier.¡±


    ¡°Oh...um...¡±


    ¡°Do not worry about it. I am merely a maid. While I have been graciously named a member of the Winchell family, it means nothing on the bloodline front. My middle initial stands for ¡®imitation¡¯ and the Winchell name is a title awarded me by my master.¡±


    A few more maids wielding guns joined her.


    As someone who was constantly being escorted, the Vanderbilt lady could tell this was a bodyguard arrangement.


    She thought for a moment.


    ¡°I have a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°First, I advocate disarmament and strive to resolve the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s internal and external problems with words rather than weapons.¡±


    ¡°We are aware this is not your preference, lady. But we will do what is in the interests of our revered and beloved Winchell family as a whole. Losing you here would be a major loss to Winchell.¡±


    ¡°Second, the people you defeated here are connected to the Eggnog family.¡±


    ¡°Lady, there are always loopholes. They carefully created an environment that left no connection back to their master in case they had to dirty their hands. But that also means that their master cannot accuse whoever might strike back at them. After all, they have made sure he and the criminals are entirely unrelated. There is no chance whatsoever of a battle breaking out over revenge. The system prevents it.¡±


    ¡°Three, are you prepared to oppose the overall will of Winchell and assist Vanderbilt, their official enemy?¡±


    ¡°I must admit, that one is harder to answer.¡±


    The eyepatch maid smiled a little, but her lips twisted fiercely as she continued.


    ¡°But if you kick the bucket here, that snot-nosed brat will cry. I¡¯m saying I can¡¯t stand to even imagine that look on his face, lady. If it means protecting that smile, I¡¯m more than willing to be branded a traitor.¡±


    That was all she needed to hear.


    The Vanderbilt lady and the Winchell maid shook hands.


    ¡°Lady, we are your pawns. Please tell us what our next move should be.¡±


    The young lady also dropped her almost coldly elegant speech.


    ¡°Take me to my room. If Flag Eggnog is intentionally pitting our families against each other as damage control for his gaffe, he will definitely be monitoring my actions. I need to retrieve the wireless router he¡¯s tampered with and find the evidence linking back to him in either the hardware or software.¡±


    Additional insufficiently trained footsteps approached.


    The maids from hell checked the remaining ammunition in their silencer-equipped machine pistols and poured mineral water in through the ejection port to increase the sound suppression.


    ¡°What shall we do about any obstacles on the way?¡±


    ¡°You should of course avoid combat as much as possible. I¡¯m a pacifist after all.¡±


    The young lady¡¯s position had not changed.


    But...


    ¡°And if that doesn¡¯t work, just slaughter them all! Slaughter every last person who stands in the way of my marriage with Master Heivia!!¡±


    Muffled gunshots rang out.


    A girl in love had endless possibilities.


    Part 11


    The main battle between the Baby Magnum and the Destruction Fes approached as Quenser and Heivia watched, but that did not change what they had to do.


    They wanted the gigantic speaker used as an acoustic weapon. More specifically, they wanted the electromagnets inside.


    The two idiots grabbed onto a nearby ship and climbed onboard again. They jumped from ship to ship among the eerily colorful explosions to reach the fallen peacock feather.


    ¡°If the lineup of fireworks is destroyed, won¡¯t the chaff vanish and won¡¯t the acoustic weapon come back to life?¡±


    ¡°Even if the fireworks completely stopped now, it wouldn¡¯t immediately eliminate all the metal in the air.¡±


    ¡°Shit! The Destruction Fes is really pushing forward now. It¡¯s coming this way!! Is it trying to crush us by running us over!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s actually exactly what we need! Help me out, Heivia. Let¡¯s keep our work to a minimum!!¡±


    They had finally reached the wreckage of the acoustic weapon leaning over several of the ships.


    Even if it was made to be put together or broken down by human hands, Objects were made to withstand a nuclear blast and it would be difficult for the two of them to manually tear it apart. They spotted a speaker that had separated from the entire peacock feather due to the impact of the fall and Heivia lifted it up using a crane-like device attached to one ship to transfer cargo. Quenser dragged some plastic gas cans and metal drums from the nearby ships and attached those ¡°floats¡± to it with wires.


    ¡°Throw it now! It won¡¯t sink like this!!¡±


    ¡°Damn this thing¡¯s scary. If I¡¯m not careful, I think our ship might flip right over.¡±


    With a loud splash, they tossed the giant speaker ¨C or rather, electromagnet ¨C into the dark sea.


    Quenser than borrowed one of the cables used to send signals to the fireworks.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a power source to match an Object reactor!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need one! The electromagnet will still work as long as it has power! ...Yes, yes. The ship¡¯s large diesel engine will work as a generator. If I connect it here...!!¡±


    The Destruction Fes arrived a moment later.


    Dozens and even hundreds of ships broke apart as easily as styrofoam as it fiercely tackled them. It was going to skim right past Quenser and Heivia to hit the Rose & Lily in the center. And it would set off the fireworks and shrapnel scattered around it, so their human bodies could easily be turned to mincemeat.


    The two idiots scrambled from ship to ship, trying to get as far away as they could.


    But they made sure not to jump into the ocean and for good reason.


    The Destruction Fes seemed to pitch forward as it rapidly lost speed.


    The electromagnet had stolen all the iron sand it relied on for its speed.


    The Destruction Fes mixed iron sand with the seawater to create the framework it needed to fire the water out like a railgun or coilgun for the massive thrust it needed. So what if a powerful electromagnet sucked up all the iron sand, leaving only the pure seawater behind?


    The answer was simple.


    The Destruction Fes could no longer use its boosters.


    It arrived right in front of the Rose & Lily but could not take the last step, just like a fierce dog held by an invisible chain.


    However, its target was a fattened luxury cruise ship.


    An Object¡¯s main cannon could easily send it to a watery grave.


    They had to settle this before the Object began thinking more clearly.


    ¡°Go, Princess...¡±


    Worried for his fianc¨¦e¡¯s safety, Heivia ignored the fireworks going off all around him and raised his voice. With the metal for the colored flames acting as chaff, their radios did not work. His voice would not reach her, but he yelled anyway.


    ¡°Blow it awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!¡±


    If the remote-controlled Destruction Fes was destroyed, Azureyfear¡¯s faction could no longer move. No matter how many stealth submarines, satellites, and soldiers they had, it all came down to this one Object. Without their ultimate bargaining chip, that pack of wolves would become a flock of sheep. He would no longer have to worry about his fianc¨¦e being exposed to that excessive firepower.


    The Princess did just as he had hoped.


    She took the optimum position while destroying the smaller unmanned ships and she prepared to fire her main cannons without damaging the cruise ships.


    The main cannons¡¯ targeting lenses and sensor heads whirred, and...


    ¡°...?¡±


    Something caught Quenser¡¯s attention and he focused again on the Destruction Fes as it was lit up by the countless detonating fireworks. He grabbed a pair of binoculars from the leisure equipment thrown on the deck.


    ¡°What is it now, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right. What is this? What does it mean?¡±


    He was looking at the main spherical body near the top. Specifically, at the entrance hatch. It should have only been for decoration on this remote-controlled model, but it was irregularly opening and closing like a goldfish¡¯s mouth or gills.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    What if?


    Unlike a manned Object, the fully remote-controlled Destruction Fes did not need an oxygen supply system. It did not need a circulation system like the Princess had that used caustic soda to remove the carbon dioxide from the exhaled air so it could be reused again and again.


    ¡°Ahh.¡±


    What if?


    If the Destruction Fes was taking in oxygen, it would introduce a fair bit of risk. For example, if the dozens of bulkheads along the boarding tunnel to the cockpit could be opened and then closed one at a time in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...n. That would carry fresh oxygen from one ¡°room¡± to the next. Of course, without a filter, that method would not protect against a nuclear attack.


    ¡°Ahhhh!!¡±


    What if?


    Then why would the Destruction Fes even want oxygen in the first place?


    Wasn¡¯t it unmanned?


    And if not, who was onboard?


    Part 12


    The scent of roses filled the small cockpit.


    That may have been because she had sprayed the wine of hatred on her skin and hair to cover up the rusted iron smell.


    Azureyfear Winchell wore the kind of full-body skintight suits that Pilot Elites wore. Its design was reminiscent of blue mourning clothes with a long skirt. A thin smile could be seen on the lips covered by a translucent veil and a trail of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.


    She was not a Pilot Elite, so she could not actually pilot the Object. The control system was still reliant on the Orchestra System that used tens of thousands of people in dozens of stealth submarines and satellites.


    Normally, her presence there would have been unnecessary.


    Pilot Elites had been thoroughly optimized in unspeakable ways, but not even they could endure the burden of the inertial Gs produced by the Destruction Fes. Boarding that Object was more than just reckless; it was suicidal.


    Then why had Azureyfear done so?


    She sat in that tiny and cramped cockpit with her limbs sprawled out limply and her breathing far too shallow.


    Red blood dripped not just from her mouth, but from her nose, ears, and eyes too. Nevertheless, the Blue Rose smiled.


    ¡°Honestly, what a hopeless brother.¡±


    The conflict between the Winchell and Vanderbilt families could not be stopped.


    It had continued for centuries and it would likely continue for centuries more.


    She had no way of fighting that, so she had reached a certain conclusion.


    ¡°If he intends to push aside all the many other candidates and inherit the Winchell family, then he cannot be so indecisive.¡±


    A hint of happiness filled the Blue Rose¡¯s face.


    ¡°Winchell or Vanderbilt? Your own sister or your lover? The time has come to choose.¡±


    If she had simply brought the issue to him directly, Heivia would likely have insisted that he would protect it all, that he would not lose his family or his lover, and that he did not care if that made him indecisive.


    But that gray decision would create many enemies. He could easily find himself ostracized by both Winchell and Vanderbilt.


    She could not let that happen.


    She had said from the beginning that she was taking on the decision her brother should have made.


    ¡°Now, brother. Please work towards your own happiness.¡±


    She did not have the courage to publically celebrate his marriage.


    Unlike her brother, she could not boldly claim she would bring an end to a centuries-old tradition.


    Nevertheless, she had made her decision.


    Since her indecisive brother would not, she would choose his lover over her in his stead. If the son of Winchell risked his life to protect the daughter of Vanderbilt, he would have the starting point he needed to make an attack on his seemingly impossible task.


    ¡°Kill me and continue forward!!¡±


    Part 13


    And...


    And...


    And...


    ¡°Finally...¡±


    Quenser removed the binoculars from his eyes.


    He was not even listening to the exploding fireworks or the screams of the small ships being blown away around him.


    ¡°Finally.¡±


    He looked to the Baby Magnum and Destruction Fes as they were lit by the multicolored flames.


    ¡°Finally!!¡±


    His thoughts seemed to explode.


    Quenser Barbotage ignored the awful friend by his side and yelled into the heavens.


    ¡°Yahooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!! It¡¯s here!! The Azureyfear purity and redemption fever is heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait,¡± calmly cut in Heivia. ¡°You have no proof. That was all in your head!! And even if it is true, it doesn¡¯t remotely make up for the fact that my sister led a drug war, infected safe countries, shot her bought Black Uniforms to silence them, and blew up a fleet with her secret Object!! She¡¯s one of the biggest criminals out there! She¡¯s the perfect example of an evil girl!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I don¡¯t care about any of that! I won¡¯t rest until I get some punishment time with your sexy sister Azureyfear!! I¡¯m not gonna let her quit while she¡¯s ahead by dying a noble death here. Let¡¯s do this!! Let¡¯s drag Azureyfear out of there!!¡±


    The next thing Heivia knew, Quenser had attached a parachute harness to himself. It was likely a leisure item meant for parasailing from the back of the ship. He also borrowed a large emergency hand light that came equipped with a radio, a hand-cranked generator, a large capacity battery, and a rescue strobe light.


    ¡°Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this¡¯ll affect you too, but no complaints, okay?¡±


    He kicked the lever to get the ship started. Quite a few ships had been crammed together, but the Baby Magnum and Destruction Fes had cleared things out quite a bit. The ship scraped against the panels and chemical materials floating in the water, but it quickly exceeded 100 kph.


    They could be crushed by an Object at any moment, but Quenser did not hesitate to pull the parachute¡¯s cord amid the intense wind produced by their speed.


    ¡°You might end up being my brother-in-law!¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just creeping me out!!¡±


    The wind struck the parachute and it opened wide. Quenser was thrown from the ship and floated twenty to thirty meters into the air.


    The Princess¡¯s mouth had to have been flapping wordlessly as the parachute came into contact with the Destruction Fes while it took a sharp turn.


    The cloth got tangled up on the base of the low-stability plasma main cannon and caught there.


    Even if it had been slowed, the Destruction Fes was still moving at about 400 kph. That was faster than the Island Nation¡¯s high-speed rail system. It should have torn the human body to shreds.


    But Quenser was wearing a parachute that intentionally distributed the weight and a harness that attached to various parts of his body. When skydiving ¨C specifically, in the HALO jumps from extreme high altitude ¨C the parachute was opened during a free dive of around 400 kph. In other words, when used correctly, he could survive that.


    ¡°Ha...hah...hah!! Gh...Ha ha!! Wait for me, you damn cutie! I¡¯m not letting you quit while you¡¯re ahead. You¡¯re going to pay for tricking us, sinking our fleet, and blowing away the Oceanic Driver. I¡¯ll make you cry until your face is covered in tears and snot and you rue the day you were born! Let¡¯s introduce ourselves to each other again, young lady!!¡±


    He clung to the base of the main cannon, climbed up, and cut away the tangled parachute that was acting as a lifeline. Once freed, the idiot relied on the emergency hand light to begin moving atop the spherical body.


    The Baby Magnum had lost its chance to fire, so it was simply moving back and forth with quick footwork. He had a feeling it was aiming a main cannon right at him, but he figured he was imagining things.


    He only needed to move about ten meters.


    However, he felt like his organs were being squeezed out of him and his vision quickly narrowed from every direction. He gave up on choking and found it was easier simply not breathing at all. This truly was not an environment conducive to human life. If he let his guard down even a little, he thought he would be thrown out into empty air.


    Entering the Destruction Fes was easy.


    To obtain oxygen, it was opening the bulkhead hatches in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...n. One would open and then close, then the next one would. That brought the fresh air in from small room to small room.


    But that method allowed foreign objects in as well.


    ¡°Cough...cough!!¡±


    He coughed up some blood and barely managed to arrive at the hatch.


    He wiped some blood up with his trembling fingertips and wrote something next to the hatch. Then he tied the hand light¡¯s strap to a protrusion near the hatch and activated the rescue strobe light on the side.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this, you piece of shit. I¡¯ll teach you just how cruel society can be.¡±


    Quenser threw himself into the tunnel when the hatch automatically opened and then leaned against each consecutive bulkhead. He continued moving deeper and deeper toward the cockpit.


    It may have lost the boosters that used iron sand and seawater, but it could still produce the speed and inertial Gs of a normal Object.


    It squeezed at his organs and he could see the edges of his vision growing red. He also felt an intense urge to vomit. He doubted he would last even a few minutes in this environment.


    But that few minutes was all he needed.


    Once he reached the cockpit, he only had to do one thing: embrace Azureyfear who had chosen isolation and pull the ejection lever.


    Part 14


    Azureyfear Winchell breathed shallow breaths in the small, cramped space.


    Her mind was like a narrow thread on the verge of snapping. She was using all her strength to remain conscious because dying in an accident would be meaningless. She needed for Heivia Winchell to kill her himself to show he was willing to cut down his own family to protect his family¡¯s old enemy if it was the right thing to do.


    That would be the first step toward stopping the conflict between the families.


    She was giving a push in the right direction to the boy who, unlike the Blue Rose, had taken Vanderbilt¡¯s hand and declared the conflict wrong.


    Everyone else claimed it was justified because it was a centuries-old tradition, but her brother had followed his heart and announced that those centuries had been wrong.


    That true hero had stood firm in the face of powerful opposition.


    She was proud of him for drawing out that courage when no one else had been able to.


    (And yet he¡¯s such a fool.)


    Azureyfear had detected the foreign object.


    Someone had grabbed onto the Destruction Fes and had successfully gotten inside.


    (If he saves me, everything I have done will be for naught. He will lose the first step toward stopping the conflict between Winchell and Vanderbilt. His marriage will have to be put off even longer.... He knows that, yet he still makes the indecisive decision. That must be where his heart leads him.)


    All of her efforts were being wasted, yet she felt her entire body relaxing.


    Oddly, she had been waiting for this moment.


    The final bulkhead opened and a boy in a Legitimacy Kingdom uniform rushed into the cockpit.


    ¡°Yahoo!! Quenser, your knight in shining armor, has arrived! Now, young lady, are you ready to fall in love?¡±


    The Blue Rose of Winchell completely forgot about the pain from the intense inertial Gs.


    All expression vanished from her face and she shouted at the boy who had realized the truth and come to protect her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you!!!!!¡±


    But Quenser was not about to let that get to him.


    He replied with a sharp look on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying I want to be your boyfriend or marry you or anything. I just can¡¯t let you off the hook after everything you¡¯ve done! Some sexy punishment time is still waiting for you!! Should I go with ropes, whips, or candles? Hell, why not go with a little of everything!?¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot!? No, really. Are you an idiot!? I prepared dozens of stealth submarines, satellites, and the fastest Object ever!! And you¡¯re here to trample on all that effort while thinking with your dick!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, get off your high horse!! After running a drug war, building an Object, sinking a fleet, and destroying the Oceanic Driver, do you really think everyone¡¯s going to go along with what you want!? You¡¯ll look much better with all your efforts ruined as you cry pathetically on the ground and beg everyone for your life!! More importantly, I¡¯m pulling the ejection lever. We¡¯re getting out of here! This is finally over. Plus, we have to share a parachute, so I have an excuse to hold you in my arms!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!! And what do you mean an ejection lever!?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Quenser looked shocked. ¡°Can I, um, ignore that as the airheaded comment of an ignorant noble girl?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a cockpit.¡± Azureyfear revealed a shocking truth. ¡°The control system is handled by the Orchestra System managed by ten thousand people scattered around the world¡¯s oceans. I had screens installed so I could monitor the situation, but this is only the box where the cockpit would normally have been installed. Why would they install a single button or lever?¡±


    ¡°...........................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    His thread of hope had vanished.


    The two hundred thousand ton Object continued moving at four or five hundred kph, applying intense inertial Gs that rivaled those of a fighter jet.


    It was like a fierce compressor using artificial gravity.


    And they could not get out¡î


    ¡°We¡¯re deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeead!!¡±


    As soon as Quenser gave his honest opinion, something happened.


    The Destruction Fes finally came to a complete stop.


    He did not know why.


    There was nothing they could do inside that box and he doubted the Destruction Fes would stop for no reason.


    ¡°Kssshhh!!¡±


    The reason arrived after a short delay.


    The fireworks chaff was still in effect, but a transmission forced its way through using lasers or other methods.


    That equipment did not belong to any unit Quenser knew of.


    Nor had it come from the Baby magnum.


    ¡°...is the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Organization for the Peaceful Use of Space.¡±


    He did not recognize the voice, but he knew it was someone who had been fighting alongside them.


    ¡°This is the civilian Venus-class space station named the Princess Nikolaschka. Can you hear this? We saw the signal from the rescue strobe light and read the writing in blood near the Object¡¯s hatch.¡±


    Part 15


    Astronaut Marcus placed his hand on the station¡¯s exterior while looking down at the giant blue planet.


    ¡°The bloody instructions next to the strobe light were right.¡±


    An unused module had been attached to the battered station.


    It was bigger than an industrial refrigerator and it had the Winchell family emblem on it.


    ¡°As I¡¯m sure you can tell from this transmission, we¡¯re hitching a ride on your system. We finally managed to capture your satellite and work out the communications format you were using. That allowed us to interfere in your control system. You can¡¯t use your weapon anymore. That Orchestra System came back to bite you.¡±


    To cover the entire world with a large number of satellites, they needed a large number of contact points. That allowed someone to open the satellite¡¯s cover, plug in a new cable, and begin a cyber attack from within the system. There was nothing anyone on the surface could do about that, but things changed for someone up in space. Plus, they had all too much experience matching their relative speed and retrieving a satellite thanks to all their rendezvouses with multi-stage cargo rockets.


    None of it had been difficult.


    Before Quenser Barbotage had rushed into the cockpit, he had left some bloody ¡°insurance¡± by the hatch. The space station¡¯s astronauts had read it from orbit and had perfectly carried out the task given to them.


    The Orchestra uses submarines and laser communication satellites.


    Take control from above.


    He had summed it up with those short sentences and the astronauts had quickly located and retrieved a satellite with a receiver antenna and laser rod aimed at both the scene of the battle and the ocean.


    ¡°Brave Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers, thanks for providing a distraction and buying some time.¡±


    Robin asked him for a high five, so Marcus pressed his back against the station and complied.


    Marcus watched his colleague spinning from the recoil and finished his statement.


    ¡°It¡¯s all over now. It¡¯s time you paid for bringing the earth¡¯s conflicts up into peaceful outer space. It¡¯s time you paid dearly.¡±


    Part 16


    The fireworks continued exploding both in the night sky and near the water¡¯s surface.


    On the Rose & Lily¡¯s outdoor party deck, the middle-aged royal named Flag Eggnog was sweating bullets.


    What was this?


    What had happened?


    What in the world was going on?


    Under Azureyfear Winchell¡¯s command, the Destruction Fes had been preparing to kill the members of the Vanderbilt family and everyone else here, but that monstrous weapon had come to a complete stop. That in itself was a good thing, but how many problems still remained? Wasn¡¯t there some other chain of bad news even after that thing stopped?


    He received a whispered reminder from a servant whose black clothes were unnaturally swelling out from within.


    ¡°The Vanderbilt lady.¡±


    ¡°Oh, goddammit!! That¡¯s right! She¡¯s trying to get that wireless router! If we don¡¯t get rid of that, it¡¯ll be analyzed and eventually lead back to me!!¡±


    The bodyguard sighed because he had made sure to whisper the reminder and yet the gaffe machine had shouted loud enough for everyone to notice.


    The royal seemed to be easily excitable and he had not noticed his mistake. In fact, he began muttering inside his fatty mouth.


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t it. Oh, no. Oh, no. If I don¡¯t trigger a major incident between Winchell and Vanderbilt, I can¡¯t distract everyone from what I said at that press conference! That goddamn press conference! Why do they upload the same news to video sites so many times!? I¡¯ll hunt down and kill every last one of them!!¡±


    ¡°Due to the electromagnetic interference, we cannot currently contact the outside world.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!!¡±


    Flag realized people were quickly distancing themselves from him. He was letting things slip left and right, but no one wanted to end up in a royal¡¯s sights because they had overheard his secrets, even if he was the one being careless.


    Or perhaps they simply wanted nothing to do with a VIP who was on the decline.


    ¡°Ksshh!!¡±


    That was when some unnatural static ran through the bodyguard¡¯s earpiece.


    He was a truly loyal man.


    ¡°A radio transmission has come in for you, Your Excellency.¡±


    ¡°How? I thought the signals were being blocked!?¡±


    The bodyguard did not know the answer, so he could only answer with silence. He removed the earpiece and held out the radio itself he kept on the back of his waist. Flag Eggnog snatched it from him.


    ¡°Hello, Your Highness. Do you know who this is? It¡¯s one of the Martini Series.¡±


    ¡°Oh! From the Information Alliance, you mean!?¡±


    The bodyguard was just about ready to abandon the gaffe machine and run off. If it was found out a member of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s royal council had a connection to their enemies in the Information Alliance, he would be charged with more than just treason. It was possible he would be executed right in the palace.


    ¡°H-how did you get this line through?¡±


    ¡°We are the Information Alliance. Do not underestimate our primary desire. But to reveal the trick, we used a directional antenna just above the ocean¡¯s surface to get a signal through despite the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s fireworks jamming. Ah ha ha ha. That should tell you we¡¯re hiding in the ocean quite close by, but is it in a fishing boat? Or maybe a cruiser?¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh. The Information Alliance is giving me some valuable information for free. Does that mean you still trust me enough to help me out?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He received a short silence in reply, but he seemed unable to judge what it meant.


    ¡°If I can use the radio, that speeds things up. Contact my rear guard waiting outside of this place. With the Destruction Fes in that state, I need to start a war in some other way if I¡¯m going to make up for my gaffe. Even if that means poking at these two hornet¡¯s nests.¡±


    ¡°About that, Your Excellency. This is very difficult to say, but...¡±


    ¡°What is it? Out with it. We¡¯re on the same side, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you insist. ...Isn¡¯t it about time we stopped creepily pretending to be friends?¡±


    He did not know what she meant.


    His mind went entirely blank.


    Finally, he let his emotions take over and shouted back with no real plan in mind.


    ¡°Y-you!! Wh-what!? What the hell is wrong with you!? Who do you think I am!?¡±


    ¡°Um, some bastard from an enemy nation we should probably defeat?¡±


    He received what should have been an obvious answer.


    ¡°Your Excellency, the Information Alliance may have assisted you with the drug war and in the construction of the Plasma 177, that you¡¯re calling the Destruction Fes, but it was not to help you achieve your goals. We of course had something to gain there and we of course have obtained that. You could say that we¡¯ve reached our quota, that continuing any further would only be a negative for us, or maybe that we chose the wrong person to work with. ...Well, you get the picture.¡±


    ¡°What...what are you saying!?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. This is one last favor, okay? You can think of it as payment for breach of contract if you like. The Information Alliance only ever wanted to gather, analyze, and store data on the micro-level mental structure of the noble Winchell family and on its macro-level opposition with the Vanderbilt family. You probably wouldn¡¯t understand, but for a project known as Perfect Browsing, we wanted to gather data on as many sample incidents and disasters as possible. However, we were talking about the nobles near the top of an enemy world power. They are too well defended to easily send spies or saboteurs across borders, so we instead contacted some fool who would open the gate for us from within. The puppet you gave us, Azureyfear, was a very, very, verrrrry excellent sample. You could say the twisted side of the Winchell family is concentrated inside her.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh? So even someone as talkative as you can quiet down. Or did you finally catch on? We are experts at handling all kinds of information. Our privileged classes can manipulate stock prices with insider trading or rumors while the information illiterate will dry up and die. Spreading someone¡¯s careless gaffe across the internet to ensure a specific target is too panicked to make a rational decision is hardly difficult for us.¡±


    Flag Eggnog felt sweat pouring from his entire body.


    This was not right. How could a royal be under someone else¡¯s rule?


    But this girl was from the Information Alliance, so she existed outside the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s pyramid hierarchy.


    ¡°We had thought it might be interesting to gain your trust by gathering and controlling data on Winchell and Vanderbilt to use you as a spy within the royal council, your highest decision-making institution, but it doesn¡¯t look like it will be that easy. Not bad, Legitimacy Kingdom. Your ability to cleanse yourself is praiseworthy.¡±


    He sensed that the conversation was coming to an end.


    He was not in charge here, even though he was a royal.


    ¡°But it does look like we¡¯ll get an interesting sample. Perhaps I should name the file, ¡®Full-Speed Collapse of a Royal¡¯s Life¡¯. Royals are supposed to be thoroughly protected by the preferential treatment of horribly biased laws, so how does one fall to the bottom? The chance to follow the process in real time is suuuuuuch a rare opportunity. We will be making good use of you, Your Excellency. Thank you very much¡î¡±


    ¡°Owaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    He shouted in anger, threw the radio to the floor, and crushed it underfoot.


    He was beyond worrying about gaffes. He ignored the negative attention he was receiving and pulled a handgun from his sleeve. It was a strangely-shaped self-defense gun that resembled a miniature stapler and held only a single bullet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!! I¡¯ll kill every last person who mocks me!! Grab your guns and follow me. First is that Vanderbilt girl with her evidence! Once that¡¯s over and my position is stable, I can start a war with the Information Alliance to-...¡±


    He trailed off and looked over with bloodshot eyes.


    The bodyguard who had been standing next to him a moment before had vanished.


    He then heard a loud splash as something heavy fell into the ocean.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!¡±


    Flagg Eggnog set off with the men who had failed to run off in time.


    Part 17


    The ferocious Destruction Fes was now as still as a cicada skin.


    Heivia blankly stared at it while unable to share any information via radio.


    ¡°What? Did Quenser actually save the day with love and courage? With that violent sister??? Please no. Is he really gonna be my brother-in-law!?¡±


    He was nearly crushed by unease, but then he noticed the Baby Magnum making some kind sign.


    The chaff from the fireworks continued to provide electromagnetic interference, so the Baby Magnum could not use its radio. Instead, it gently changed the angle of one main cannon. It reflected the light of the burning ships like a mirror in the sun, creating a regular pattern of flashing.


    (Is that a message in Morse code? We¡¯re getting pretty analog here.)


    Something isn¡¯t right.


    That was a worrying beginning.


    Was the Destruction Fes going to split open from within and evolve into some hellish second form? Was there going to be some strange claim about this only being 10% of its power? Was it going to turn out it had ten bodies and could only be slain with a holy sword purified by god? Heivia did his best to pretend he had not understood the message, but the Princess said even more.


    The cruise ship.


    ¡°What?¡±


    I have too much firepower to intervene.


    ¡°...¡±


    Heivia looked around and his eyes stopped on a certain point.


    The Rose & Lily was supposed to be a safe zone where his secret lover waited. The Princess could observe that supposed safety with countless cameras and sensors and she had determined ¡°something isn¡¯t right¡±.


    The look on Heivia Winchell¡¯s face changed.


    With a manly expression, the noble grabbed the bundle of rope at his feet.


    He pulled out a large knife and reflected the firelight to respond to the Princess.


    He did not hesitate.


    Help me out. I¡¯ll settle this.


    Part 18


    The Rose & Lily had a two-hull structure.


    That meant it kept its overall balance with two hulls arranged like a sleigh. Its name came from the rose as a symbol of Winchell and the lily as a symbol of Vanderbilt. It had been constructed based on the desire for the two families to get along.


    Although the peace it was meant to bring was being forever pushed off like the release date of an extremely largescale RPG.


    Inside, eyepatch-wearing Karen and the rest of the Winchell maids protected the Vanderbilt lady as they moved along.


    Karen I. Winchell had cleared the path to the girl¡¯s room.


    After retrieving the wireless router in question, they had broken the window and escaped that way.


    The Destruction Fes had stopped and they were on their way to the heliport to use the opened sky route to reach the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion where they would be safest.


    However...


    The last leg of that journey was to the heliport atop the corridor connecting the two hulls.


    That flat piece of artificial land had a sword stabbed into it in reference to the legend of the two families.


    That was where they were finally caught.


    A chubby man with many bodyguards behind him was illuminated by the colorful fireworks and a disgusting smile appeared on his face as he spread his arms.


    He was Flag Eggnog, first prince of the Eggnog family.


    He was part of the royal council and thus the poor man was targeted by the press as a gaffe machine.


    As a royal, he was positioned even higher than a noble.


    ¡°Hello, hello, lady. You certainly are making this exciting.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do you have any idea how it feels to have assault rifles and even a shoulder-fired rocket launcher aimed at me just because I wanted to visit my own room? And I was fairly certain I still had awhile before checkout time.¡±


    ¡°Even if you do, removing equipment from the room is bad manners.¡±


    ¡°True. But what if it contains evidence of someone breaking some more important rules?¡±


    The air strained under the pressure.


    Several metallic noises sounded as Flag¡¯s bodyguards and the Winchell maids protecting the Vanderbilt lady aimed their guns at each other.


    But the latter group had a disadvantage here.


    There was very little cover on the heliport and the bodyguards had special armor and mechanical enhancements under their clothes. It was possible a handgun bullet would be useless except for a headshot. In a shootout, the maids would clearly be worn down faster.


    But the Vanderbilt lady did not look concerned.


    That did not mean she was not concerned, though. She was intentionally making sure she did not look that way.


    ¡°You cannot avoid banishment, Your Excellency.¡±


    She rejected him from a position of superiority.


    ¡°If you were innocent, you would not need to put together this sort of plan. I do not even need to check inside the router. You have already made your mistake.¡±


    ¡°Know your place, little girl.¡±


    Whether out of confidence or panic, Flag Eggnog pried open his lips.


    Poking him a little was all it took for ¡°the usual¡± to spill from there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how the Legitimacy Kingdom works? Royals are everything in this world! Our prosperity has already been assured!! I am merely playing my part. I may cause some slight trouble, but that is for the best. It fills the stagnant council with activity, leads them to a swift decision, and provides good fortune to the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s people. What could be wrong with that!?¡±


    The eyepatch maid feigned ignorance and asked a question while aiming her silencer-equipped machine pistol.


    ¡°Pardon me, lady, but that was a little too difficult for a mere maid such as myself. What did he mean?¡±


    ¡°Hm? He was saying he¡¯s about to be charged with treason and inciting rebellion.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. The nobles are given their position so they might support the royals to protect the many commoners. So fulfill your duty! You are supposed to be knights that raise your swords to fight for your king!!!!¡±


    At this point, one could only be impressed with his stupidity.


    He was even simpler than a soda fountain that produced the desired drink at the press of a button.


    He claimed his gaffes filled the council with activity, but most likely that was the only compromise the others had found to handle the immense stress he brought them. Doctors focused on making money were likely constantly prescribing those around this man with stomach pills, relaxants, sleeping pills, and another stomach pill for all the other pills they were taking. If those people had heard this, they would likely have applauded and immediately decided to banish him.


    Of course, a storm of bullets would kill the girl no matter how emptyheaded the idiot was who had ordered it.


    ¡°This is over, little girl. You must pay for so arrogantly stepping onto this royal stage when you were born a mere noble.¡±


    ¡°Lady, as an uneducated maid, I am very confused. Could you tell me what he is saying?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s saying it¡¯s time for his silly skit.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it!! Kill her nowwwwwww!!!!!¡±


    The chubby middle-aged man shouted like he was throwing a tantrum, but the Vanderbilt lady still did not look concerned. She was not emotionless, however. She was intentionally sealing away her expressions and forcing a smile.


    ¡°You cannot do it.¡±


    ¡°Like hell I can¡¯t, little girl!! How dare you object to the decisions of one with royal blood!!¡±


    ¡°After all, this is his battlefield.¡±


    She had nothing to base this on, but she spoke as confidently as a dreaming maiden.


    ¡°You seem to be mistaken about something, so allow me to correct you. There is a reason I fell in love with the gentleman I did. He is strong enough to pick a fight with the centuries-old rift tearing apart Vanderbilt and Winchell. Meanwhile, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s framework is only about a single century old. My beloved darling has been fighting all alone against something several times that large, so did you really think he would falter before a newcomer like the commoner-noble-royal system!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh, you unwanted royal. You have so much social status and yet you¡¯re still a pathetic bachelor who never managed to win a single woman¡¯s heart, so don¡¯t underestimate the normal bonds between a man and a woman! He will be here. Even if the absurd surrounds him and the unreasonable stands in his way, he will come running if his fianc¨¦e calls for him! If I call for him as casually as asking for a drink, he would run through the apocalypse itself to come protect me!! There is no room for social status or bloodline there. If his woman is in danger, a man will silently make an enemy of the entire world. He will grab his sword, slay the dragon, and rescue the princess! It can be work, a war, a test at school, a contest, their first date, or anything else. Whether commoner, noble, or royal, they will envision that original image, grab whatever they see as their sword, find their princess, and face their dragon!! That is the driving force that ties together the Legitimacy Kingdom! And it is the framework you so definitively lack!! You utter fool!!!!¡±


    She received no response.


    No, she did hear an unintelligible cry.


    The gun barrels protecting the Eggnog family and the Vanderbilt family began to move.


    However, hadn¡¯t she said something important?


    He will be here.


    He will come running.


    At that exact moment, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s First Generation Baby Magnum moved unnaturally close to the Rose & Lily.


    It also made a turn that made no sense from a tactical standpoint.


    Finally, a long, long rope was wrapped around one of the countless secondary cannons covering its spherical body like a sea urchin or chestnut burr.


    Something was hanging from the other end of that rope.


    It was Heivia Winchell.


    As he was swung horizontally around, he flew through the air with the rope in hand. He was pulled up to the nine meter height of the Rose & Lily¡¯s deck and he collided with the many bodyguards waiting behind Flag Eggnog.


    The heavy kick was just like a bowling ball hitting the pins.


    Those bodyguards wielded carbines and had special armor or equipment below their clothing, but they were all swept away. A particularly unlucky one crashed right into the helicopter warming its engine to the side. He collided with the rapidly rotating tail rotor and a red smoothie splattered everywhere.


    Heivia ignored them, let go of the rope, rolled a few times on the hard heliport, and then got up.


    He could not have known the exact situation at that point. He did not know that the conflict between Winchell and Vanderbilt had been intentionally exacerbated or that it had been done to distract everyone from First Prince Flag Eggnog¡¯s gaffes. Nor did he know that the Vanderbilt lady had hunted down the evidence to prove it or that she was working with Karen and the other Winchell maids.


    But the noble boy did not hesitate.


    He looked across the scene.


    He saw his fianc¨¦e and he saw who was aiming a gun at her.


    That was all he needed.


    Heivia Winchell immediately made up his mind based on the rules of the world he believed in.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got a death wish, rich boy.¡±


    Part 19


    A strange voice filled the stopped Destruction Fes¡¯s cockpit(?).


    ¡°Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Azureyfear! It¡¯s too late to start with the brother complex!!¡±


    Part 20


    The middle-aged man was completely left behind.


    He simply stammered about some unrelated things on the heliport.


    ¡°I...I am a royal. I am First Prince Flag of the Eggnog family! Do you have any idea what will happen to a noble family that defies-...¡±


    He came to a sudden stop.


    Heivia had walked up, smashed the prince¡¯s nose with his assault rifle¡¯s stock, and grabbed the back of the middle-aged man¡¯s neck as he desperately held his explosive nosebleed.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    He did not even have time to reply.


    He was thrown forcefully through the air to move him as far from the young lady and the maids as possible. He rolled along, screeching shrilly, and finally found something to cling to with his bloody hands.


    It was the sword stabbed vertically into the heliport.


    It was mostly a decorative symbol of the two families¡¯ legend than anything, but it was still a hunk of steel. Even if it had no blade, stabbing someone with the tip would kill them.


    ¡°E-ee-eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!¡±


    Half in a frenzy, Flag pulled the one-handed rapier from its pedestal and pointed the tip toward Heivia.


    Heivia simply narrowed his eyes.


    He threw his assault rifle and military handgun aside and quietly drew a large military knife.


    ¡°Nice. I was getting sick of cleaning up all the filth, but this is finally looking a little more ¡®noble¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re doing this like a true king and knight.¡±


    ¡°I am a royal! A mere noble dares turn his blade on me!?¡±


    ¡°You drew your blade first. Sorry, but this counts as self-defense.¡±


    ¡°Wha-? But...I...!?¡±


    ¡°And aren¡¯t royals considered the top brass of the military from the moment they¡¯re born? Surely you didn¡¯t think you counted as a civilian. You¡¯re not a commoner, after all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I was officially ordered to stop this civil war. And now the man behind it all turns out to be a soldier, he¡¯s holding a weapon right in front of me, and he intends to harm Legitimacy Kingdom civilians. To be honest, I can¡¯t find a reason not to fight.¡±


    Flag belatedly looked down to the sword in his hand, but it was too late. Of course, when most of his senses were numbed from having his nose smashed and he was thrown over to that pedestal, it had been obvious what Flag would do.


    Heivia heard a sigh.


    It came from Karen I. Winchell as she rubbed her index finger against her temple.


    She was entirely onboard with this.


    ¡°I am aware it is rude for a mere maid to say this, but according to Legitimacy Kingdom law, commoners are guaranteed the right to punish nobles and nobles are guaranteed the same right to royals. ...If someone has gone mad with power, the people may stage a justified rebellion or challenge them to a duel.¡±


    ¡°Did you really think I¡¯d just go home after you threatened my woman?¡±


    ¡°Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu just had to ruin the excuse I¡¯d given you, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Even as she pouted her lips, the eyepatch maid narrowed her eyes with a hint of happiness as she viewed her master¡¯s determination. She and the Vanderbilt lady both took a step back.


    ¡°A member of the Vanderbilt family would officially be impartial to both parties, so I would like to ask you to be the witness to the duel.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you sure? I am Master Heivia¡¯s fianc¨¦e, you know?¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! Don¡¯t just ignore me!!¡±


    ¡°Not to worry. I know you will not judge him lightly, lady. After all, the Vanderbilt family and the Winchell family have long been enemies. Especially thanks to a certain someone. Isn¡¯t that right, Your Excellency?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t...don¡¯t ignore me and prepare to turn your swords on meeeeeeeeeeeeee!!¡±


    It was too late.


    A clear change came over the way Winchell¡¯s knight held his stainless steel knife. Instead of the style taught in military textbooks, he used one seen in sports. He stuck the blade forward, gently pulled back his empty left hand, and quietly pointed it at his target¡¯s face.


    One was a knife and the other a rapier, but the latter¡¯s two or three times advantage in reach did not seem to matter.


    The boy was prepared to kill in a single strike.


    ¡°En garde. I¡¯ll give your life the brand of loser it deserves.¡±


    (Why!? How!? I was perfect! There wasn¡¯t supposed to be anything to worry about!!)


    The knight¡¯s duel used in the Legitimacy Kingdom was generally based around a training method known as phrase d¡¯arme in which each side took turns attacking. One side would strike and the other would knock their blade aside and take their turn to attack. The process would then repeat with the attacker and defender reversed. The duel ended when one side surrendered or was knocked down.


    There was no restriction on the weapon used.


    The right hand generally held a rapier, but the length and weight could vary. The left hand could hold anything from a shield to a knife or gauntlet to block the attacks. As it was a fight rather than a sport, that was not surprising.


    If someone insisted they would fight barehanded rather than use a sword, the duel would still be valid, even if it was basically suicide.


    In other words, the duel would begin even if Flag refused to raise his rapier.


    Flag tightened his grip on the hilt more because he was overpowered than because he was ready to fight, so Heivia grinned and made a suggestion.


    ¡°You can take the first attack, so come on. I¡¯m a noble and the one who challenged you to the duel, so I¡¯ll show my respect for the royal who was willing to accept my challenge.¡±


    To translate that noble language into modern language:


    I¡¯ll kill you with my counterattack.


    I¡¯ll kill you with a triumphant smirk on my face.


    (What do you mean I accepted your challenge, you fool!?)


    Flag trembled without end.


    He could feel the approaching wall of death. His decisions meant nothing. He felt like he had been ordered to build a bulletproof truck with all the modifications he might want and then ordered to drive it full speed off the roof of a hundred-story building. He could instinctually tell that an unreasonable fate was sealing off any effort he might make.


    So...


    So...


    So...


    (Don¡¯t joke with me, you worthless noble. You¡¯re nothing more than an errand-runner who has been lent social status and land by us royals! I won¡¯t die. I refuse to die here!! I have royal blood in my veins, so the Legitimacy Kingdom needs me! Without me, this thousand-year kingdom will come crashing down! So I will do whatever it takes to win. I am allowed to!! The god-given rights of a royal are absolute! Did you really think the likes of you could trample over them!?)


    As soon as the middle-aged man¡¯s internal pressure passed its limit, something unbelievable happened.


    The dry sound of bursting gunpowder came from Flag Eggnog¡¯s hand.


    While he held the rapier in his right hand, he pulled a palm-sized stapler-like device from his left sleeve. It was a self-defense handgun that fired when squeezed.


    The scent of sparks wafted up from the small muzzle.


    The bullet had flown too quickly to be seen.


    And no matter why a bullet was fired, it would still kill whoever it hit. Heivia was not a superhero from TV or comic books, so he could not spot a flying bullet and dodge it.


    ¡°A duel? Who cares!? This is a real battlefield! Only the winner gets to survive!! Just because a bug manages to crawl up a little from the dirt doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s worth fighting properly. A vulgar and rude soul like yours deserves a pathetic death from a surprise attack!!¡±


    It may have been because he was freed from the extreme tension or it may have been one of his usual gaffes, but the chubby middle-aged man shouted at the top of his lungs.


    But...


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Heivia never collapsed to the ground.


    He did not take a single step, his expression remained unchanged, and he had not shed a single drop of blood.


    ¡°Why? Why, why, why, why!? This makes no sense! You¡¯re supposed to be dead! What is this, what is this!? Are you saying you cut the bullet!? You¡¯re not some Island Nation samurai, so you couldn¡¯t possibly do that! You can¡¯t do thaaaaat!!¡±


    ¡°Sigh... Of course he couldn¡¯t.¡± Karen I. Winchell interrupted him with an exasperated sigh. ¡°Not only was it a weak handgun bullet, but that self-defense gun is extremely short and has no sight to guide your aim. These guns you hide in your palm are at best supposed to drive off a thug at less than five meters. They¡¯re mostly just a decoration meant to scare them with the noise of the gunshot. Not to mention that you were shooting from the hip to make it a surprise. ...The real surprise would be if it had actually hit.¡±


    There was no restriction on the weapon used for the duel.


    Once he made some kind of attack, it counted as his turn. And Heivia had implicitly said the following earlier:


    You go first.


    I¡¯ll kill you with my counterattack.


    ¡°That¡¯s why...¡±


    Heivia took a step forward.


    He made sure to touch the tip of the rapier with his knife to signify it was his turn.


    Flag squeezed the stapler-like gun a few more times, but he completely forgot it had only been loaded with a single bullet and it simply clicked in vain.


    ¡°...you¡¯re...¡±


    Heivia focused on the tensed muscles of the arm he held forward as he approached stabbing range.


    Flag threw the gun away and quickly raised his rapier. He no longer cared about the duel. He was clearly preparing to stab his approaching opponent, rules be damned. Even as panic and intent to kill filled his sweaty face, he formed a lowly smile and mouthed some words.


    Wait.


    I¡¯ll pay you however much you want.


    ¡°...a failure!!!!!¡±


    With a dull sound, Heivia¡¯s military knife pierced the man¡¯s heart. It plunged in with enough force that the bloody blade stuck out from his back.


    There was no need to hold back.


    The corpse¡¯s expression was frozen in a smile and filthy blood flowed from the crescent moon shape like a drain regurgitating its contents. First, the rapier fell from Flag¡¯s hand and then Heivia swung his knife to the side to fling the filth from the blade. This threw the skewered man to the ground and Heivia returned the bloody knife to its sheath.


    The Vanderbilt lady put her hands on her hips and spoke up.


    ¡°You¡¯re late.¡±


    ¡°I made it in time for our date, didn¡¯t I, baby?¡±


    The dragon slaying was complete.


    In that case, the victorious knight could expect to at least wrap his arms around the princess¡¯s waist.

 Volume 11, Epilogue

    Volume 11, Epilogue


    ¡°This is a tragedy.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    After being pulled up onto a naval supply ship while soaked to the bone, Quenser spoke and Heivia replied.


    The student threw his exhausted body onto the railing, but he seemed to have a surprising amount of energy left.


    ¡°You have to ask? I have to have worn years off my life here and I kind of saved the world from disaster, yet I have nothing to show for it! Goddammit! The Destruction Fes¡¯s greatest strength was its ability to ignore a manned Object¡¯s inertial limits thanks to the Orchestra System, but the Object itself was really just a First Generation! The Black Uniform named Meena took a trip to heaven when her brains were blown out! And Azureyfear was taken away as the big boss of that drug war! What the hell!? I wasn¡¯t fighting for justice, you know!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you really are the worst.¡±


    ¡°Tch. You can only say that because you¡¯ve got your girlfriend!! This all goes back to a mess in your Winchell family!! It was all some horrible sibling rivalry, so why did it all work out great for you!? The world doesn¡¯t care that you managed to confirm your love for each other! Pay up!! Pay me a nuisance fee or consolation fee for putting up with your lovey-dovey crap!! The Legitimacy Kingdom needs to introduce a couples tax!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up. If you¡¯ll accept payment in punches, I¡¯m more than willing to pay. Besides, that¡¯s the position I¡¯m always stuck in! How do you like getting a taste of your own medicine, idiot!? How about apologizing once in a while!?¡±


    The two idiots grabbed at each other¡¯s hair and began their own Round 2 of the final battle.


    ¡°Not to mention that Frolaytia said we were supposed to visit the beach with all the girls in swimsuits after retrieving the container during that inspection at the very start!! What happened to that!?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Are you serious!? Okay, I¡¯ll make a fuss too!!¡±


    ¡°Swimsuits! Swimsuits!! Swimsuits!!!¡±


    ¡°Yahoo!!¡±


    They called a truce after finding some common ground.


    Most wars ended in compromise after both sides split the benefits or when they grew tired of fighting. Even the greatest chess or shogi champion who could beat the latest supercomputer could not hope to take every single enemy piece. Some might say not to wage war in the first place, but unfortunately, even those champions¡¯ brains were not evolved enough to determine the winner and loser while still lining the pieces up on the board.


    ¡°So what¡¯s going to happen to Azureyfear? While I kind of want to see her again, I¡¯d be terrified if she casually showed up for revenge thanks to skirting the laws as a noble or something.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Not even the noble or royal council will cover for the leader of a drug war. It would look way too bad. The countless stealth subs and satellites of the Orchestra System used ten thousand people, right? There has to be a ton they want to ask her: about any accountants managing secret bank accounts, her men inside the safe countries, how much the hawks of the main Winchell family were involved in this below the surface, who she used to contact the Information Alliance, how connected the entire Eggnog royal family was, and more. She¡¯ll be stuck behind bars until the entire backbone of the drug war has been dismantled.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of her making a plea bargain?¡±


    ¡°When it could take years just to go over all of the charges against her? She might go to her grave still waiting for her trial. She¡¯ll be a princess chained up in a tower.¡±


    ¡°Great, that just makes her a rarer catch.¡±


    ¡°It takes a special kind of genius to say that kind of thing in front of her brother, you know?¡±


    Quenser sighed and relaxed his shoulders.


    ¡°But that means I can rest easy.¡±


    ¡°Well, knowing her, she¡¯ll probably end up being some kind of legendary prisoner who controls everything in her maximum security prison. She might even make some strange mutation into an armchair fixer who controls the world from behind bars or into a master jailbreaker who incites the normal people into revolting and attacking the prison.¡±


    Heivia laughed and showed no concern for his blood-related sister.


    Or rather, he seemed to trust her in a negative way.


    He did not see that girl as someone who would spend her life in the miniature garden provided to her.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, it¡¯s still a shock. It comes back to me whenever I let my guard down.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Are you still dragging around that stuff about the Black Uniform or Azureyfear?¡±


    ¡°What is this? I hope I haven¡¯t picked up a habit of only falling for really dangerous women. But it¡¯s summer! So maybe I can¡¯t help but search out some kind of exciting adventure!!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you always had that habit?¡±


    As Heivia rested on the supply ship¡¯s railing, he pointed his thumb back toward the ocean.


    A Legitimacy Kingdom First Generation was slowly cutting across the water there.


    It was the Baby Magnum.


    ¡°How can you say that after all the time you¡¯ve spent pursuing the most dangerous girl in the world?¡±


    ¡°First Prince Flag of the Eggnog royal family of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Warta District sought to defend his honor in a duel aboard a ship in the South Atlantic and lost his life. According to the witness, he fought courageously and majestically without giving a single step to the very end.¡±


    After just barely protecting the Celestial Flowers fireworks festival, the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion visited the nearest naval port.


    As they resupplied, Frolaytia Capistrano crossed her legs in the room provided to her as an officer and threw a newspaper onto the table.


    The elderly brigadier general on her laptop spoke up with exasperation in his voice.


    ¡°Now, now, Frolaytia. You mustn¡¯t treat the news of His Excellency¡¯s death with such disregard. We must at least frame a painting of him on the wall.¡±


    ¡°If I may be frank, I question your credibility when you¡¯re red in the face and chugging down a bottle of cognac.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing compared to what¡¯s going on in public. And what do you think is happening there? Nothing. The commoners are the epitome of cruel and uncaring.¡±


    That may have been true.


    The people with their busy lives in the safe countries could not care less about a war in a distant country or the issues of the privileged classes.


    A drug war had come to an end.


    A lull had come over the conflict between the Winchell and Vanderbilt families.


    So what?


    ¡°To be honest, I was pretty nervous,¡± said Frolaytia.


    ¡°Well, one of your men did abandon his duties, begin a personal duel, and end up killing the first prince of a royal family. But duels are viewed as a means of resolving crises, so they¡¯re given higher priority than normal duties. War is a type of crisis and all that trouble was resolved with a duel. That means everything was handled appropriately. At least according to the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s traditions of kings and knights.¡±


    ¡°Everyone kept saying that and it seemed too convenient, so I was worried it was some kind of trap.¡±


    ¡°Ho ho! Being cautious is good, but you shouldn¡¯t suspect people¡¯s kindness, Frolaytia. You might be trying to keep yourself safe, but that will only bring unnecessary trouble.¡±


    ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Good. And there won¡¯t be a problem with the Eggnog family. The second and third princesses are truly excellent, you see? The first was just in the way, so all of their aides had apparently been worrying over how to omit him from the line of succession.¡±


    ¡°Brigadier general.¡±


    ¡°My apologies. I may have said too much.¡±


    He apologized, but he did not stop drinking his alcohol.


    Frolaytia was bothered by this unheard-of behavior for a superior officer, but the old man had more to say.


    ¡°Frolaytia.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Who is it that starts wars?¡±


    His voice had an oddly dry ring to it.


    These were the words of an old man who had been given his high rank after commanding so many victorious battles in the past that sending him to the battlefield was only seen as an extreme show of force.


    ¡°Countless gears interact and no single person can stop it. That is war. But if you can say those who do not work to stop it are actively supporting it, then you could say it is actually the residents of the peaceful countries that cause war. The taxes they so innocently pay fill the national treasury, allow for uncaring foreign policy, and provide a mistaken sense that the nation can continue its wars. We have battlefield countries and safe countries, but no matter how much water you scoop from the floor with your bucket, you won¡¯t accomplish a thing without first shutting off the faucet. War has become a seemingly painless sport that may never end as long as that distinction between countries remains.¡±


    Frolaytia could not immediately reply.


    This was not limited to the drug war. No conflict would end if its root cause was not eliminated. Just like the centuries of hatred behind the Winchell and Vanderbilt families¡¯ conflict. And just like drugs, could people even rid themselves of that? That driving force behind conflict had been with man for all of history. In fact, it may have been with them even when they were still animals.


    That was a difficult question.


    The young woman gave up on giving a deep answer and simply gave her honest impression.


    ¡°I am too inexperienced to answer that.¡±


    ¡°Ho ho. There¡¯s no need to think too deeply about it. And I¡¯m not being very nice to ask you a question without a set answer like that. You can ignore it as the ramblings of a lonely old man.¡±


    The two of them continued their insignificant chat for a little bit after that.


    Just like with the old maintenance lady, Frolaytia was no match for those with so much more experience than her. Her weaknesses always showed themselves in front of him.


    Finally, the brigadier general said one last thing.


    ¡°But a drug war, hm?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What about it?¡±


    ¡°That is an unpleasant term, Frolaytia.¡±


    She could not help but laugh at his far too direct statement.


    That may have been how it was with the truly wise statements.


    One did not need an intentionally complicated wording that made people tilt their head. Something off the top of one¡¯s head would hold the kind of meaning that could reach the entire world.


    And he could only do that because he was a famous commander who had left his mark on history. His soul had been honed to the point that his ample experience and deep thoughts naturally brought those statements to his lips.


    People like him were very different from the strategically-made heroes. No one worked to make them appear impressive. Word of them would naturally spread from person to person until they were spoken of forevermore. Unlike those who were forgotten by the history books, these people would continue to shine all on their own.


    Everyone understood they were someone who could not be ignored.


    (I really do have a long way to go.)


    Frolaytia Capistrano did not bother hiding her smile as she agreed in a more casual tone.


    ¡°Yes, it may be the worst term in all of history.¡±

 Volume 11, Afterword

    Volume 11, Afterword


    Here we are at Volume 11.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    As you know if you¡¯ve read the book already, this volume takes a deeper look at how the nobles like Heivia do things. Normally, Quenser and Heivia are looking at the external enemies like the Capitalist Corporations or Information Alliance and pointing out the twisted side of those world powers, but this time they¡¯re looking at the twisted side of their own Legitimacy Kingdom. I tried going for the reverse of the usual pattern where the suspense grows from Chapter 1 to Chapter 3 and I think it gave a bit of a different atmosphere from normal. I will leave it to you to judge that.


    The task I gave myself this time was to make an almost too obvious villain. Yes, it was just like something from a two-hour suspense drama! I made it so Azureyfear was suspicious from the start. Almost too suspicious! But she was getting along so well with them, she was cute, and she almost seemed suspicious to a suspicious extent, so surely she had to be innocent!! I was trying to build up that kind of confusion, but was I successful? To be honest, this was my first time trying it, so this will be a useful experience whether I succeeded or not.


    I got into some pretty harsh stuff with the mines and drugs, but while looking through information on them, I realized that humans have a way of finding infinite possibilities in a negative way too. The evolution of mines is completely insane. When a mechanical sensor sends an explosive raining down from overhead, does it even count as a mine anymore? And the world of what is commonly called ¡°white powder¡± apparently has designer drugs that are remade to slip past the latest tests like a computer virus with security software, so we really are hopeless.


    Well, let¡¯s set aside the awful accomplishments of mankind and talk about a different sort of possibility. I¡¯ve generally made Heavy Object so you can start with Volume 1 and enjoy the following novels no matter where you start, but this was a test of having certain people reappearing more frequently and in a position necessary for the story to progress. I tried to make sure you could understand their characters well enough even with only this volume and I intend to continue with the original concept of this series, but if you¡¯ll accept what I did here, maybe it¡¯s possible some other characters could show up in important scenes to go on a rampage?


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. With all the small things like the various mines, the bulls, and the Armadillos in addition to the Objects, I doubt this one was easy. Thank you for sticking with me this time too.


    I also give my thanks to the readers. I snuck in the series¡¯ first space battle and a knight¡¯s duel, so I think I ended up playing fast and loose with the structure on this one. But what did you think? I hope you sensed more and wider possibilities there.


    And I will end this here.


    I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    I really like the astronauts and the bodyguard who ran away.


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 12, Prologue

    Volume 12, Prologue


    Attention all of you who ended up in the army after failing to find a spouse or a job! I am Captain April of the Training Unit and you can think of me as the oh-so-kind goddess who will give you an identity that society will actually accept.


    Now, when you heard this was the army, you might have thought you¡¯d be out there firing rifles or missiles, but that isn¡¯t all the army does. In fact, everyone hates firefights between flesh and blood soldiers in this clean age of Objects. This boot camp will pound the proper skills and dignity into your heads, but you can assume you¡¯ll barely ever get to use them.


    The army does a lot of things. You might teach the local youths how to fire a gun to increase the number of fighters, you might take photos for pamphlets to rid countries of their impoverished image and bring in tourists, you might retrieve landmines or unexploded ordnance, you might help film movies, you might help excavate dinosaur fossils, you might build schools or hospitals, you might provide disaster assistance, you might prevent the spread of disease, and the list goes on. Unless things go awry, you might very well find yourself holding a shovel more often than a gun.


    This is a peaceful use of an army.


    Are you thinking this sounds easy? Or that it isn¡¯t as much work as you thought? Be honest and raise your hand...and then I¡¯ll let you off with only twenty laps.


    This is anything but easy and you will be sorely mistaken if you think it isn¡¯t much work. Didn¡¯t I tell you? This is the army. Even if it looks like we¡¯re doing the same things, we¡¯re fundamentally different from the Blue Cross that places their donation boxes next to convenience store cash registers.


    This is war.


    It may have taken a different form, but it¡¯s still war.


    Oh, was that too large a leap in logic? And it doesn¡¯t matter much as far as your training is concerned. We¡¯ll teach you how to hold a gun and hold a shovel. By the time you¡¯re heading off to your mission, you¡¯ll know all too well what war is.


    Hm? You don¡¯t think guns are necessary in wars these days?


    I wouldn¡¯t be so sure. In my experience, people aren¡¯t all that thankful even when you¡¯re building a school or a hospital.


    I wonder why that is.


    It doesn¡¯t happen all that often in the grand scheme of things, but maybe it¡¯s because we tend to bring out the guns when we need to settle something once and for all.

 Volume 12, Day 1

    Volume 12, Day 1


    Part 1


    Morning came early for the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion.


    Even so, Quenser was not pleased as he rubbed his sleepy eyes in the triple bunk bed he was crammed into and glanced over at the glow-in-the-dark hands of the clock.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? It¡¯s not even four yet.¡±


    It was an oppressively hot August night. He had been woken by the vibration of his wristwatch that was synced with his handheld device, so he sluggishly put his usual military uniform over his sweat-soaked shirt and boxers. To his displeasure, he realized he had been bitten all over by mosquitos and scratched at his arms and legs.


    He had been received an urgent summons, so he did not have time to brush his hair or wash his face. He descended the ladder and stepped out into the hall while making sure not to wake the other soldiers in the dark barracks. His face and body were uncomfortably sticky.


    His handheld device provided details on the summons.


    It was from Frolaytia Capistrano.


    He left the normal soldiers¡¯ barracks and hurried to the special barracks for officers. He was acting on orders, but he was still blinded by the bright light of a patrolling soldier¡¯s military flashlight.


    And that soldier turned out to be his awful friend Heivia.


    ¡°Huh? What are you doing out this late?¡±


    ¡°Heivia? You didn¡¯t have patrol duty tonight, did you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The two of them exchanged a glance that transformed into a wholehearted look of dread.


    Waiting for them in the special barracks was a busty, silver-haired, and highly-educated(?) girl. Despite the late hour, that commanding officer of theirs wore her uniform impeccably.


    ¡°When do you sleep?¡± complained Quenser when he peeked inside her private room which was decorated by her love of the Island Nation.


    ¡°I¡¯m more surprised that a battlefield student was sleeping the night away. The lights are still on in the Object maintenance bay, you know?¡±


    Frolaytia tossed him a cylindrical bottle of wet tissues and he wiped off his oily face.


    ¡°Could I go observe their work now?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Their busty commander bluntly rejected the idea. ¡°I called you two here for a reason. And sorry, but I want you to focus on this mission.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to have much luck focusing on anything that isn¡¯t peeping on the women¡¯s bath or sneaking a late-night date with a sexually frustrated commander.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember former Councilor Flide?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to ignore my great sexual harassment joke!? Please stop continuing the conversation like that. Especially when it means bringing up such a super pain-in-the-ass of a guy,¡± complained Quenser. ¡°Frolaytia, you forgot the part where you tell us there¡¯s no turning back after we hear this and then give us the choice to leave or stay. You¡¯re just dragging us into this without a choice!!¡±


    ¡°That sly old man has nothing to do with this, so calm down. Do you remember the Pilot Elite he raised like a prot¨¦g¨¦? The one for the Exact Javelin.¡±


    The two idiots exchanged a glance and gave their answers.


    ¡°Oh, you mean that one that rose up from its underground base to say hello?¡±


    ¡°No, you moron. It¡¯s the one we fought on some test grounds overflowing with nature.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re getting confused with something else.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m dependent on my phone¡¯s address book to make any calls. I doubt I could memorize an eleven digit number. Exact Javelin? It kind of rings a bell, but I can¡¯t quite place it...¡±


    ¡°But I do remember there being a 12-year-old little girl Elite with a blonde braid.¡±


    ¡°But I do remember there being a 12-year-old little girl Elite with a blonde braid.¡±


    ¡°Well, at least I know how awful you two are,¡± said Frolaytia as she wrote this off as a lost cause.


    The two idiots continued tilting their heads, but she got on with the conversation while spinning around her beloved kiseru.


    ¡°This is a request from the top brass sitting around in their safe countries. They have finished questioning that 12-year-old Pilot Elite named Catherine Blueangel. Based on the request from her case officer, she wants to retire and return to a normal life instead of living in a military facility while waiting for her ¡®next¡¯ Object to be completed...if one ever is. We have no objection there, but this girl was separated from the military as a whole as a part of that pig Flide¡¯s personal troops. There are some legitimate concerns whether or not she can really live a normal life.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a job for a school counselor?¡±


    ¡°She is going through the Civilian Acclimation Assistance System. Before she is left with the nonresistance group Archaic Smile, she must have her claws and fangs filed down. As someone who is halfway between military and civilian and as the battlefield student who took part in the operation to destroy the Exact Javelin and rescue Catherine, you would be best for the job, Quenser. And Heivia, you¡¯re only the second best option since you¡¯re an official soldier. Do you understand the situation now?¡±


    Seeing the blatant disgust on the two idiots¡¯ faces, Frolaytia gave a large nod.


    ¡°Catherine will accompany you to low-danger battlefields in order to gradually shift her thought processes from those of a battlefield country to those of a safe country. Once her small hands no longer need a gun in them, we can feel comfortable passing her off to a normal school or tutor. We¡¯ll chuck her into a safe country and call it a day. And it won¡¯t take that long. It should be a month or two at most.¡±


    ¡°That explains it,¡± muttered Heivia.


    They were not in a filthy battlefield country like normal. This was still a military mission, but they had received the kind of warm welcome the 37th was usually never lucky enough to receive.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t see why you had to wake us up at four in the morning to tell us that.¡±


    ¡°Catherine was the one who requested you two. And she seems to be accustomed to an entirely different time zone. Since the VIP arrived at the maintenance base zone before the newspapers were even delivered, we had to get started early.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Just as Quenser voiced his confusion, a modest knock came at the door.


    The two idiots had a bad feeling about this and hesitantly turned around. The door cracked opened, but instead of stepping inside, a 12-year-old poked half her head inside and peered up at the people in the room.


    Then the tiny demon nervously spoke.


    ¡°Big...brother...?¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°It¡¯s August! Summer is in full swing!! This is the season for Monica, the idol reporter who can both dance and sing in a dazzling bikini!! Umm, according to an announcement by the major sightseeing group Resort & Dolce, their affiliated private resorts are 47% busier than average for this time of year. The heat wave caused by this abnormal weather pattern is sitting over a wide section of the world, so the sightseeing business is booming across the board.¡±


    They sat below the scorching sun.


    This was the south side of Second Venice. Major Frolaytia Capistrano, the busty silver-haired officer, had changed into a swimsuit and was lying in a beach chair as a cheerful swimsuit idol¡¯s voice came from a nearby waterproof pool TV.


    ¡°Ahh,¡± sighed the busty commander. ¡°Bikinis really are in this year.¡±


    Splashing and the shrill cries of young female soldiers could be heard not far away. The refreshing low-humidity breeze carried a hint of chlorine because this was an outdoor pool, not the ocean.


    Villas for the rich were apparently well-equipped with palm trees and hibiscus flowers.


    Several beach chairs were lined up along the poolside and the one next to Frolaytia¡¯s was occupied by the delinquent noble named Heivia Winchell.


    ¡°Should we really be doing this?¡± he lazily asked.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can change back into your sweaty uniform and get back to work.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s the problem with this busty commander. She can be so inhumanly cruel.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell I¡¯m doing my best to relax here? I¡¯m not going to play along just because you ¡®felt like saying it¡¯. I know you have zero intention of getting back to your mission. Did you ditch Catherine Blueangel the first chance you got? She¡¯s a 12-year-old girl, you know?¡±


    ¡°Boo. I mean, yeah, I did, but a student like Quenser can handle something like this. And Catherine wants to attend a safe country school, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re worse than scum. You¡¯re smegma.¡±


    ¡°What did I say about the inhuman cruelty!?¡±


    Heivia really seemed about to cry, but Frolaytia had no interest in that and rolled away from the idiot. She grabbed a toxically blue drink from the side table, took a sip through the straw, and spotted a female soldier (in a frilly pink swimsuit) approaching her.


    ¡°M-Major Capistrano! May I have permission to speak!?¡±


    ¡°You already are speaking. What is it, Myonri?¡±


    ¡°The evacuation of Second Venice¡¯s villa district is complete. The people have been distributed between the concert halls, soccer fields, and indoor winter sports facilities and all 128,501 people on the island have been accounted for.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible the harbor companies hired some undocumented porters to cut down on labor costs. Don¡¯t forget to search the empty city. Nothing good will come of only using those drones that are all the rage these days.¡±


    ¡°Um, I know what you mean, but on what basis should we perform this second search?¡±


    ¡°Water consumption. You can fool the documentation, but you can¡¯t fool the meter. And if you check the water department, it doesn¡¯t violate the individual¡¯s privacy. Focus the search to the areas where the documented number of workers doesn¡¯t fit the water consumption. And don¡¯t forget to check for water dispensers that use bottles.¡±


    Myonri bowed, walked away, and began giving instructions over the radio.


    Frolaytia sat up in her beach chair, raised her arms, and bent her back. This pushed out and accentuated her large chest all the more.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s about time to get back to work.¡±


    The wind was a little too strong to be called a Mediterranean resort breeze.


    They were in a midair park located 150 meters from the ground.


    The roof a modern ultra-high-rise building had been turned into a large villa. And this one was not the only one. Either due to limited land or as a status symbol, all of the countless buildings had white marble mansions built on their roofs.


    They all had pools and tennis courts, but no one was there to use them.


    The city was entirely abandoned.


    As Myonri had mentioned, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion was leading a large scale evacuation.


    Frolaytia had been enjoying a brief break at one of the open locations, but now she spoke while staring up into the clear blue sky.


    ¡°An outdated satellite drop weapon, hm?¡±


    She looked like she could see a venomous snake¡¯s eyes glaring back at her from within a bush.


    ¡°Now, then. It¡¯s time for the world¡¯s largest fireworks show.¡±


    Part 3


    ¡°Should I go with this one or this one...?¡± asked a voice as clear as a bell.


    Quenser wore casual clothing and watched the girl¡¯s back as he tried to keep the boredom from his face.


    He was with Catherine Blueangel.


    She was a 12-year-old girl with her long blonde hair tied in a waist-length braid. And she wore a blue special suit that showed off her juvenile bodylines as clearly as the Princess¡¯s did hers. Second Venice was known as one of the world¡¯s largest resort cities and she had made a certain request as soon as she had arrived here with Quenser.


    ¡°I want to buy some clothes! Or a swimsuit!!¡±


    (Why couldn¡¯t she have been at least three years older? Whyyy!?)


    It was disappointing, but he could not fast-forward or rewind time. Idiot #1 did his best to motivate himself by deciding he would train her now to become a wonderful beauty in the future. As an advertisement for an official tie-in, the G-cup Oh Ho Ho idol was winking and pressing her breasts together on the store¡¯s flat-screen monitor. The contrast was incredible.


    Catherine turned around, causing her long braid to sway, and showed Quenser the two products she held in her hands.


    ¡°Big brother, should I go with the bikini or the one-piece?¡±


    ¡°Catherine, they have a swimsuit known as a monokini for greedy people like you. It looks like a one-piece from the front and a bikini from behind, so it provides the same enjoyment as a naked apron.¡±


    ¡°Ehhh? I see.¡±


    It was not that she was disturbed by how seriously he took his answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fun if you just give the answer. I read in a book that the fun is in trying on a bunch of clothes and trying to figure out what you like best!¡±


    ¡°Oh, so is it like taking your time eating instant noodles so they fill you up more?¡±


    ¡°...How insensitive do you have to be to use a comparison like that in front of a girl?¡±


    Catherine decided to try them both on and disappeared behind the fitting room¡¯s curtain with both swimsuits in hand.


    This mall on the south side had soft lighting, cool air conditioning, and music playing from the store speakers, but there were no other customers and no employees. For the operation to intercept the satellite drop weapon, the normal citizens had already been evacuated to sturdy facilities such as theatres and stadiums.


    Quenser sighed and a transmission reached his earpiece.


    ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself...¡±


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°You may not have had a choice since these were your orders, but keep in mind that you are being paid with everyone¡¯s taxes, Quenser. Hmph.¡±


    The Princess seemed to be in a bad mood.


    However, she needed to do a perfect job.


    There was of course a good reason for the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion to be enjoying themselves in this world-class luxury resort (and spy¡¯s paradise).


    ¡°...The satellite drop weapon?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    That was a bombing weapon that was placed on standby in satellite orbit and would damage an enemy nation by changing its orbit to drop down toward earth when needed.


    The one causing problems now was a Legitimacy Kingdom one known as the Supernova.


    The model was loaded with a thermobaric warhead that would turn a 1.2 kilometer radius into ashes and the satellite itself was designed for stealth. It normally remained on standby in orbit, so its boosters did not provide much of a heat source. That made it a powerful but difficult to track weapon.


    ¡°I wish this was some kind of joke,¡± complained Quenser Barbotage.


    Most of the large shopping mall was covered in glass, so he could see the outside bay area from the swimsuit section. Second Venice was a giant artificial island that moved as it pleased through the Mediterranean Sea and it was currently ¡°moored¡± at Malta to resupply. The protruding south side of the megafloat was attached to the natural island. The coasts almost looked like mirror images with their rows of high-rose buildings and a fifty meter mass was located near those coasts.


    It was the 1st Generation Object known as the Baby Magnum.


    It had a spherical main body, an upside-down Y-shaped static electricity propulsion device, and seven main cannons supported by the seven arms attached to its back. Those main cannons could switch between laser beams, low-stability plasma cannons, and other varieties like a microscope swapping out its lens.


    Seeing it through a layer of glass made it look like something happening on TV.


    But saying that would only piss off the Princess more, so he held his tongue.


    ¡°I really wish they¡¯d done their job managing that thing up there. That bomb was supposed to have been abandoned more than twenty years ago, so why is it about to fall down on us now? And it¡¯s going to fall on an Information Alliance villa region? If this causes any damage, it¡¯ll start a war...¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± said the Princess. ¡°Disarming bombs is part of the military¡¯s job.¡±


    Quenser heard humming from beyond the fitting room curtain. Catherine¡¯s little butt must have been bumping into the curtain because it would sometimes nearly flutter open.


    ¡°And despite the impressive-sounding specs, Frolaytia said this won¡¯t be a very difficult mission.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. A satellite drop weapon gives us a lot more opportunities to intercept than a ballistic missile. Plus you¡¯ve got a Generation One, Princess. You have the means to deal with normal weaponry instead of just other Objects. You¡¯ve got a ton of anti-air lasers, so this shouldn¡¯t be hard at all. I mean, your Object was developed to handle an MIRV that breaks apart in midair and scatters twenty or thirty nuclear warheads.¡±


    ¡°H-heh. It¡¯s not that impressive. Heh heh.¡±


    The Princess must have enjoyed having her Object¡¯s specs complimented because it sounded like she had grown imaginary dog ears and an imaginary dog tail.


    While looking at the buildings, sea, and sky out the window, Quenser continued with clear annoyance in his voice.


    ¡°And I¡¯m not too happy with Frolaytia either. More than half of this is cleaning up after her.¡±


    ¡°You mean that game of musical chairs?¡±


    ¡°This place is called Second Venice, right? And it was originally an Information Alliance luxury resort. But then 37th comes in, accidentally scares off the Object of the group protecting this area of sea, and then takes over Malta as a supply base.¡±


    ¡°But we couldn¡¯t take over Second Venice because it¡¯s a safe country.¡±


    ¡°I think that just put more of a burden on the people defending it. And on top of that, this is where the Supernova is going to fall. That thing was abandoned by the Legitimacy Kingdom and now we¡¯re the only ones that can defend against it since the Information Alliance military withdrew. The timing couldn¡¯t be worse! Why do we have to risk our lives to protect the bulldogs of an enemy nation!? Is this all I¡¯m going to get to do this summer!?¡±


    ¡°Are you that eager to get to the next battlefield, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Why are enemy nations and battlefields the only options for my summer!? And when I¡¯m standing in a world-class resort no less!!¡±


    Then another transmission reached the radio.


    It was from Frolaytia.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time for the shooting star to arrive. The fireworks show will begin shortly. Princess, remain on standby in your cockpit.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Done!¡± shouted a high-pitched voice before the fitting room curtain burst open.


    ¡°Heh heh. Bikinis are in this year, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°I know. Anything but a bikini isn¡¯t even an option. One-pieces are too kiddy.¡±


    For some reason, the Princess agreed with her.


    Catherine Blueangel had apparently chosen the black bikini. The student viewed her with the look of a classy gentleman walking through a quiet art museum.


    (Yes, her taste shows promise for the future. Now I just have to hope she develops all the right curves.)


    Frolaytia interrupted Art Appraiser Quenser.


    ¡°And Quenser, you need to regroup with Heivia and get to work.¡±


    ¡°Will we be taking Catherine¡¯s little hand and guiding her to a shelter?¡±


    It was unlikely, but there was a chance they would fail to shoot down the satellite drop weapon. And if it was shot down too low to the ground, the nearby windows could still shatter and create a downpour of glass shards.


    Quenser focused on the conversation in his earpiece and used his empty hand to gesture Catherine over.


    But...


    ¡°Unfortunately, we discovered someone on the list who was not evacuated. His name is Faires Appetizer. He seems to be an Information Alliance astronomer, but the point is we can¡¯t find the old man. Search the city before the fireworks show begins. Looking at the situation, you have less than twenty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, goddammit! We¡¯re stuck working to the very, very end!?¡±


    ¡°The site isn¡¯t far. It¡¯s in the south side where we are. We fortunately, picked up his smartphone¡¯s GPS signal, so you can use that. If you don¡¯t collect him soon, you¡¯ll be caught in the middle of the fireworks show. Even if the Princess intercepts the Supernova itself, the shockwave could shatter all the windows in the buildings. If you don¡¯t want shards of glass pouring down on you, then get this over with and find a building basement to shelter in. That is all.¡±


    ¡°That is all!? What about Catherine!?¡±


    ¡°Take her with you. Think of this as a form of recreation. You aren¡¯t her guardian and when it comes to pure combat technique, she¡¯s a hundred times more powerful than you thanks to the various measures taken to artificially strengthen her.¡±


    ¡°...A hundred times?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exaggerating. And I¡¯m hanging up.¡±


    The transmission ended.


    Quenser sighed and the 12-year-old girl placed her hands on her bikini-wearing hips after listening in to the conversation.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. A hundred times. Nee hee.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear. ...Princess, talk to you later.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Don¡¯t do anything reckless, Quenser.¡±


    As a Pilot Elite, Catherine seemed to have quite a lot of money. She operated the card reader to pay for the swimsuit with electronic money. Being able to pay without a cashier present was convenient.


    ¡°Here, big brother, give me a stamp!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    Catherine held out a waterproof case and Quenser pulled out something like a cardboard bingo card and made a round stamp on one corner. This was her quota for a normal life. Once she completed everything on the card, she levelled up to the next stage. This was effectively the first and last hurdle and she only had a simple interview afterwards. The process was known as the Civilian Acclimation Assistance System. It sounded strict, but it was actually made so hopeful participants could efficiently be given the go-ahead on moving to a safe country. It worked differently than the exams for an elite university or an international certification where failing was the standard outcome.


    ¡°Heh heh heh.¡±


    ¡°Hm? You¡¯re in a good mood, Catherine.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it? A girl¡¯s swimsuit has a special meaning!¡±


    Catherine stuffed her special suit inside the waterproof paper bag to a trendy store that would likely act as a status symbol itself. She then walked with Quenser through the large mall while still in her bikini. People must have dropped things during the confusion of the evacuation because bouquets of flowers and bead accessories were lying on the floor. Of course, they were all products with an egregious mark up to rip off ignorant tourists. Those tourist traps were apparently found in malls as well as along the roads near the airport.


    After leaving the air conditioned building, they found Heivia in his uniform that had to be torture in the sweltering sun.


    ¡°Took you long enough.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with the camo pants? Second Venice is all about operas and musicals, so there¡¯s no place for a street dancer here. Yo yo.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, just you watch. Ahh, I shouldn¡¯t have left her with you just because she¡¯s outside my strike zone. All I did was enjoy the view of that busty commander in her bikini, and this is what I get. I¡¯m right back into my uniform. Anyway, your bomb-filled backpack is in the sidecar.¡±


    However, that awful friend of a noble was not on a motorcycle.


    He was on a water scooter floating in a seawater canal. He must have been planning on picking up Quenser and Catherine to begin with because something like a motorcycle sidecar was attached.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go nab that old astronomer and get to shelter. I can¡¯t stand seeing all this luxury. It¡¯s pointless if I can¡¯t visit here on my time off!!¡±


    The water scooter had two open spots: behind Heivia and the sidecar.


    (Well, Heivia¡¯s a pervert, so I guess I¡¯ll sit behind him so Catherine can have the sidecar.)


    With that in mind, Quenser stepped from the edge of the canal and toward the back seat of the water scooter.


    Then he heard an odd voice behind him.


    ¡°On you go!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Catherine? Dwabh!?¡±


    Just as he started shifting his center of gravity, she kicked him in the back. He flipped over, missed his target, and rolled into the sidecar.


    And it did not end there.


    The small 12-year-old in a black bikini hopped on top of his lap. She ignored the confused student and opened up the sidecar¡¯s dashboard.


    ¡° ¡®Use a map to give someone directions.¡¯ ...There it is. That¡¯s another stamp!!¡±


    ¡°Check inside the dashboard if you like, but don¡¯t lift your hips like that, Catherine. Your butt is in a pretty dangerous spot there. And it¡¯s only covered by a black bikini.¡±


    ¡°Oh, whoops. How indecent of me. A lady needs to sit properly, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure nestling down on my lap like that is better. Your butt just likes to cause trouble, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You really are completely indiscriminate now, aren¡¯t you?¡± commented Heivia while holding the handlebars.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like being blamed when I¡¯m the one under attack here. And I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s so fond of me either. Hey, Catherine, why am I the only one you call ¡®big brother¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Because you¡¯re big brother!¡±


    She had plenty of energy, but her answer was not very helpful. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking and they could not wait around. Heivia twisted the handlebar grip, opened the throttle, and sent the water scooter racing along the canal that reflected the bright sun.


    The scenery around them was an endless spider web of various-sized canals and countless bridges passing by overhead. A boat loaded with containers or an empty aquatic bus would occasionally pass them by, but they must have been unmanned.


    To complete the task on her quota card, Catherine pointed out the way and Heivia steered them through the many canals. As usual, Quenser was nothing more than ballast as the young girl sat on his lap.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing how there really isn¡¯t a single road in this city.¡±


    ¡°Second Venice is all about reminding you of the good old days. If you were making a city of slopes and stairs, adding an elevator would ruin it, right? They dug a bunch of grooves along the surface of the pizza and let the seawater fill them. This kind of ¡®comfortable inconvenience¡¯ is something you see in the hospitality industry as well as tourist sites. If everything is too perfect, people get tired of it pretty quickly. It¡¯s the same as a popular restaurant intentionally reducing the number of seats so a line forms out front or like increasing the difficulty level in a video game.¡±


    Their maintenance base zone was made from more than one hundred giant wheeled vehicles, so it was poorly suited for Second Venice where canals were the only form of travel. The base was deployed on nearby Malta.


    They passed through the gap between high-rise buildings and squeezed past an aquatic bus as they continued on their way to the astronomer.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the land here is twenty times as expensive as in London? That¡¯s why these tall buildings are all crammed in so tight.¡±


    ¡°The construction companies are the ones making the real money. They use fancy words like artificial island and megafloat, but it¡¯s really a bunch of giant boxes made of aluminum. They¡¯ve just marked up the price like crazy. It¡¯s worse than the diamond or gold markets.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the winners tend to win big. ...Catherine, don¡¯t squirm like that. Try to keep in mind what your little butt is sitting on.¡±


    ¡°Nn,¡± was all the braid girl said, but she seemed to be in a bad mood.


    But not because she was focused on reading the map. She was having trouble breaking into the two idiots¡¯ conversation.


    ¡°But it¡¯s a hell of a coincidence that this is where the Supernova is falling, so I believe it¡¯s partially a form of divine punishment. God is watching and the commoner¡¯s prayers are reaching him.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a super-spoiled noble?¡±


    Quenser sat in the egg-shaped sidecar with Catherine on his lap. Like a human seatbelt, he naturally ended up wrapping his arms around her slender body to take a look at his handheld device.


    It showed a map of Second Venice¡¯s south side. But unlike Catherine¡¯s paper map, it was zoomed in and their target was displayed as a dot.


    ¡°An astronomer, huh? ...Why did that old man run off?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? Rumors spread pretty easily during disasters. Maybe he¡¯s afraid the Legitimacy Kingdom has an ulterior motive for rounding all the tourists up in one spot. Maybe he thinks we¡¯ll ransack the city while everyone¡¯s away or slaughter everyone on the indoor ski slope. Putting unseen worries into concrete words is a stereotypical way of dealing with that anxiety.¡±


    ¡°A disaster?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know, Quenser? Natural disasters aren¡¯t the only kind. Our military receives funding for retrieval of unexploded ordnance as disaster relief.¡±


    ¡°So we bury the ordnance and then get paid to dig it back up?¡±


    As they chatted, Heivia stopped the water scooter on the side of the canal.


    ¡°He¡¯d probably notice if we drove any closer.¡± Heivia reached toward the sidecar. ¡°Little bikini devil? There¡¯s a pair of binoculars in the dashboard.¡±


    ¡°I can see without them. The package is 120 meters ahead.¡±


    But since she could not share that information, Quenser reached below the girl¡¯s arms and pulled out the binoculars. This required leaning forward, so he could not help but stick his nose toward the nape of her neck.


    ¡°Big brother, that tickles.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so they have a feminine scent to their hair even at this age.¡±


    ¡°I get it, so just let me do my job!!¡± tearfully shouted Heivia.


    Quenser handed him the binoculars.


    ¡°Oh, there he is. That old man must be Faires Appetizer. But something isn¡¯t right.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s at the harbor, but there aren¡¯t any boats. He¡¯s holding his hands in the air. And there are several men and women around him. The one behind him is holding out something long and narrow. What is it? An assault rifle?¡±


    Swimsuit Catherine added her own information from Quenser¡¯s lap.


    ¡°There is a boat. Check the water¡¯s surface more carefully. You can see a glimpse of a sunken yacht¡¯s mast.¡±


    Quenser was a complete amateur and had no way of checking on the situation, but he could tell this sounded like a pain in the ass. The old man had ignored the need to evacuate despite the risk and now someone had the kind of high-firepower gun unlikely to be found in the hands of anyone respectable.


    ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as they aren¡¯t amateurs.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re about 120 meters away, but do you think you can take them out with your rifle, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°I could shoot them easily enough, but don¡¯t forget what I just said.¡± Heivia gave an annoyed shrug. ¡°We have to check to make sure they aren¡¯t amateurs. Simply put, we have to say ¡®stop¡¯ and ¡®put your hands up¡¯. We can¡¯t shoot unless they show intent to resist. This isn¡¯t a battlefield country after all.¡±


    ¡°Even though they have a hostage?¡±


    ¡°Waste time doing that and they¡¯ll shoot the old man,¡± said Catherine.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s awful friend grinned.


    And then he pointed up at the sweltering sun.


    ¡°I know a bit of a trick we can use. Care to try it, student?¡±


    Part 4


    The Princess sat in the cockpit of the Baby Magnum which had naval floats equipped. The transmissions from Frolaytia and the Legitimacy Kingdom were not the only ones she was picking up.


    There were some from their enemies in the Information Alliance.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. That Supernova thing will be falling soon. This should be a good chance to see what you can do.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see a Legitimacy Kingdom Object take responsibility for a Legitimacy Kingdom satellite drop weapon. Pu hu hu! You have become the guardian deities of Second Venice, an Information Alliance luxury resort, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Again, I know that!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d really like for you to get this over with. Oh ho ho. Unlike some filthy Elites I could mention, I am quite busy. Right at this moment, I am in the middle of the final planning meeting for an online concert. I will show you that a truly exciting Second Venice vacation involves a passionate musical performance in a swimsuit. Ho ho ho. Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!!¡±


    The angry Princess considered switching off her radio, but she just barely managed to resist.


    (I could easily handle this ballistic weapon on my own.)


    She pouted her lips, but more than one hundred thousand lives (even if they were from an enemy nation) rested on her shoulders. The more air defense weapons and anti-air lasers they had, the better.


    She sighed and spoke to the other Elite.


    ¡°A Generation One will have better missile defense capabilities. I will take the lead role, so try not to get in my way.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Not to worry. I will leave this odd job to you.¡±


    With a quiet beeping, new information was added to the monitor.


    ¡°Princess, the Supernova has begun reentry. As we suspected, it isn¡¯t looking like it will burn up on the way. We are beginning the countdown based on the expected descent route. 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25...¡±


    She did not wait.


    A moment later, both the Baby Magnum and the Rush filled the entire sky with a spider web of blinding light.


    Part 5


    The entire sky was wrapped in flashes as bright as welding light.


    Laser light itself could not be seen by the human eye. This light was the accumulated energy being released in every direction when the laser light struck the surface of the Supernova satellite drop weapon as it reentered the atmosphere.


    And on the south side, Heivia used that exact timing to drive the water scooter full speed ahead while yelling.


    ¡°Attention suspicious people!! Put your guns down and your hands in the air!! You appear to have a hostage, so if you resist, we will follow the Legitimacy Kingdom peace preservation manual by opening fire!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they can hear you during this explosion...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. If they did hear us, they¡¯d probably actually shoot back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re setting it up so we warned them, but they ¡®just so happened¡¯ not to hear it? You monster.¡±


    As Heivia drove the water scooter with sidecar, they managed to arrive near the harbor in question while staying hidden behind an unmanned transportation boat loaded with containers. Heivia operated the throttle with one hand, and...


    ¡°I can¡¯t fire my assault rifle with just one hand. Hey, student, I¡¯ll give you the assault rifle, so you shoot.¡±


    It was Catherine whose eyebrows twitched, not Quenser.


    ¡°Aim carefully and you can¡¯t miss. This will start the second we move out from behind this boat. It¡¯s shoot or be shot. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    ¡°Please no! I¡¯ll probably end up shooting you right in the ass!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re wearing casual clothes and you can¡¯t even shoot, why did you even come along!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a spectator!! Why couldn¡¯t you figure that out!? You¡¯re stupid and incompetent!!¡±


    Heivia did not seem to hear Quenser¡¯s complaints. His mind apparently filtered out all verbal abuse that did not come from a cute girl. He pulled out the large handgun that he kept as a sidearm and tossed the assault rifle to the sidecar.


    Then something unexpected happened.


    As the firearm flew through the air, two hands not belonging to Quenser grabbed it.


    They belonged to Catherine Blueangel, the little black bikini devil.


    ¡°Oh, damn!¡±


    ¡°Hee hee hee. Since you can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll help out¡î¡±


    Before they could say anything, Catherine hopped from the sidecar to the back seat of the water scooter. Then she built up her momentum and climbed up onto the unmanned transportation boat.


    ¡°Catherine!¡±


    ¡°If I let you two go in without a real plan, you¡¯ll just get killed. I¡¯ll attack from a different angle, so let¡¯s finish them off with some crossfire, okay? Big brother, make sure to give me my stamp for giving directions afterwards. Adieu.¡±


    They did not have time to go after her.


    Quenser ducked down as the gunfire started.


    ¡°Now she¡¯s done it!¡±


    ¡°That kid¡¯s got a light trigger finger!! I can see why they didn¡¯t think an elegant safe country tutor could handle her. They¡¯d get their hand bit!!¡±


    With multiple enemies, Catherine on her own would get caught in some crossfire, so Heivia sent the water scooter out from behind the boat they were using for cover. He prepared to fire toward the harbor with his large handgun.


    But then he came to a stop because he could not believe his eyes.


    ¡°Wh-what!?¡±


    Catherine Blueangel was there.


    She was not firing the assault rifle toward the harbor from the top of the boat. She ran along the deck, made a large leap, landed directly on the harbor, and continued firing at point-blank range.


    It looked like a dance.


    Her young body was too light to fully suppress the assault rifle¡¯s recoil. Instead, she actually let the explosive force of the gunpowder swing her around. She spun around and around to the left, to the right, vertically, and horizontally. She pulled off some acrobatic movements that would have normally been impossible. She was exposed to multiple guns, but she never once crossed even one line of fire. Each time she swung her arms, raised her legs, or bent her torso, the flying bullets whizzed right past her but never even grazed her.


    ¡°What happened to that crossfire idea, you damn hornet? You¡¯ve run out there on your own!!¡±


    Her movements were so unconventional that Heivia could not even provide covering fire.


    And before he could figure out what to do, it was all over.


    The armed men and women had been wiped out.


    Only the gray-haired old man remained and had collapsed into a sitting position.


    ¡°Ah, ahh, ahhhh...¡±


    The black bikini girl used one hand to casually aim the assault rifle at the back of the old man¡¯s head. And she asked an innocent question.


    ¡°Umm, am I supposed to shoot him or not?¡±


    ¡°Stop, Catherine!! He¡¯s the package we¡¯re supposed to protect!!¡±


    ¡°Nn,¡± was all Catherine said as she lifted the assault rifle up and away from the old man. As if he had suddenly realize something frightening, the old man tried to crawl away, but she did not hesitate to slam the rifle¡¯s stock against the back of his head.


    ¡°Oops.¡±


    Catherine seemed to hug the rifle to her body.


    No. She was quickly holding a certain piece of cloth in place.


    ¡°Biiiig broooother, my top came untied.¡±


    ¡°Oh, honestly. Why would you start a gunfight in a bikini!?¡±


    ¡°Uuh... Could you retie it for me?¡±


    She held the top with her hands and turned her small, bared back toward Quenser who sighed and grabbed the fluttering strings.


    ¡°Your fingers tickle.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, Catherine. I¡¯ll tie you a nice bow.¡±


    Heivia looked at the old man who had been knocked out by the blow to the head, at the corpses littering the area, and at Catherine who was defenselessly showing off her dazzling back as if she were asking someone to apply sun oil. Finally, he summed it all up.


    ¡°What a dangerous girl.¡±


    ¡°But we should have a chance to give some course corrections. We could make her into a class rep type that looks good in glasses or we could make her into a track girl with a dazzling brown tan. What matters is that we at least make her into something hot.¡±


    Before they could say anything more, the blue sky was covered by another flash of light that could not be good for their health.


    Quenser looked up in confusion.


    ¡°Wait a second... Wasn¡¯t there only one Supernova dropping down toward here?¡±


    ¡°Then what-...¡±


    Heivia trailed off when he seemed to realize something.


    Quenser had finished tying the bow, so Catherine could move again and she collected the mysterious old man who had been tossed aside like a garbage bag.


    ¡°Then what dropped down to create that second flash...?¡±


    Part 6


    After changing from her swimsuit into her uniform and boarding the antenna-covered mission command patrol boat stopped at the base of the high-rise building, Frolaytia listened to the report with a look of displeasure.


    ¡°What do you mean!? That isn¡¯t what we were told!!¡±


    ¡°N-no, but it seems there was more than just the one Supernova. Um, 15, 20, 40, 80...you¡¯re kidding. The number¡¯s still growing...!?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t possibly be in the triple digits. Don¡¯t fall for this deception! The Supernovas are scattering chaff or flares to prevent anyone from shooting them down. There weren¡¯t that many satellite drop weapons left!!¡±


    ¡°But that means...¡±


    Even the operators in the same patrol boat gave Frolaytia anxious looks.


    ¡°Right. These aren¡¯t old abandoned weapons that just so happened to fall. Their systems are up and running and some idiot intentionally dropped them down on this trajectory!¡±


    The screen displayed all sorts of information on the Supernovas. They would scatter chaff or flares to break any targeting locks. They would fire their boosters at random to move around like living creatures. They would hide behind another Supernova to use that one as a shield. They had several strategies for escaping an Object¡¯s anti-air lasers.


    They were old weapons that had been abandoned more than two decades ago.


    Just like performing a cyber attack on a computer with no updates at all, anyone could hijack them. But...


    ¡°What idiot is borrowing them for some cheap plot?¡±


    Frolaytia clenched her teeth.


    No matter who did this or why, the Supernovas were loaded with thermobaric warheads capable of turning everything within 1.2 kilometers into ash. What if the Princess missed just one? If it landed on a domed stadium or soccer field being used as a shelter, tens of thousands of lives would be burned away in an instant.


    And now dozens of those Supernovas were descending at once.


    Part 7


    The Princess also clenched her teeth.


    ¡°...Ksshh... Tch. There¡¯s a drop in my accuracy...ksshh!¡±


    ¡°I think the Supernova fragments are functioning like chaff.¡±


    ¡°How are you managing?¡±


    ¡°I am still fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Yes, I should probably leave this type of job to the First Generation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been telling you.¡±


    They had not been coordinating their actions. They had simply been aiming for the same target with multiple laser beams to increase the density of their barrage. So even if the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush began to malfunction, it would not create a hole right away. The Princess had not been relying on her to that extent.


    She could still do this.


    Everything was fine.


    The Baby Magnum was designed to intercept a MIRV that broke apart at high altitude and scattered dozens of small nuclear warheads, so its anti-air defenses were more than enough.


    However...


    That was when something else happened.


    ¡°...?¡±


    The Princess was overcome by a sense that something was wrong.


    Part 8


    ¡°It¡¯s all over...¡±


    The old man was muttering something as Quenser held onto him.


    He repeated the same thing over and over again.


    ¡°We¡¯re done for. It wouldn¡¯t take that trajectory. There¡¯s only one explanation...¡±


    ¡°What are you on about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little soon to get all apocalyptic, old man. Our Princess will blow away the Supernovas. You shouldn¡¯t make those meaningful sounding comments. All those books explaining Nostradamus became nothing but laughing stocks once the new millennium began. Of course, those people are just like the ones who write diet books; no matter how many times they fail, they¡¯ll always look for new material.¡±


    ¡°Should I make him talk?¡± asked Catherine with a tilt of the head.


    Quenser held out his empty hand to stop her. She may have just wanted to show off, but he had to stop her from hurting or harming the old man. And this would not get her any stamps for her quota sheet.


    ¡°No, not that.¡±


    Faires Appetizer¡¯s shoulders shook as he cut in.


    He looked to the two idiots and continued his confession.


    ¡°That puny manmade model doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    He actually looked shocked.


    One of the Information Alliance¡¯s leading astronomers revealed a piece of trivia.


    ¡°Today we will receive an astronomy show that occurs only once every 500 years. This is the day the Appetizer Asteroid passes closest to earth.¡±


    Part 9


    ¡°This is not good...¡±


    Frolaytia gulped inside the mission command patrol boat.


    She wanted to believe the report was in error, but praying would not change reality.


    ¡°Princess!! There¡¯s another problem making a descent along with the Supernova! It¡¯s a 500 meter mass. It¡¯s almost certainly the Appetizer Asteroid!!¡±


    ¡°...What? No one told me about that!¡±


    ¡°I only just learned about it. I want to punch that Appetizer old man who so casually announced the predicted trajectory of approach, but we have to respond to the situation as it is. We¡¯ve left the safe track we all thought we were on. At this rate, it¡¯ll fall right on Second Venice!!¡±


    ¡°But Frolaytia...¡±


    ¡°We have to do it. It¡¯s 500 meters, so if it hits, we can¡¯t avoid a new ice age. This problem is no longer isolated to the resort island.¡±


    ¡°My anti-air lasers can¡¯t completely destroy an asteroid. And when it breaks apart in midair, a shockwave will pummel the area!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    On occasion, a giant scorch mark with a radius of several dozen to a hundred kilometers would be found in the empty mountains or desert. However, that was not caused by a UFO crashing or an out-of-place artifact. It came from the explosion caused by a meteor or asteroid breaking apart in midair before striking the surface.


    If the same thing happened here, it would cause great damage to Second Venice and Malta.


    At 500 meters, even the smaller fragments were a serious threat. They could create craters across the artificial island and even knock over the high-rise buildings.


    But...


    ¡°If we let it hit, the entire earth will fall into an ice age.¡±


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    ¡°So do it, Princess!! The responsibility falls on me. Focus on that asteroid!!¡±


    Part 10


    In that instant, the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Rush calmly passed the baton even though it was meant to protect Second Venice. Was the Elite leaving this to the Legitimacy Kingdom First Generation because she was not used to this sort of ballistic interception, or was she refusing to take responsibility for any actions not in her manual?


    The Princess clenched her teeth.


    Her goggles read the movements of her eyes and targeted the giant mass.


    Her fingertip touched the protrusion on the surface of the lever she held.


    She breathed in and out.


    She made up her mind.


    Blinding light surrounded the Appetizer Asteroid and it was broken into six blocks in midair.


    Part 11


    They had no idea what had happened.


    ¡°Owwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia dove into a nearby building as a violent gust of wind blew gray dust toward them. The building seemed to be a bank that specialized in the foreign accounts the wealthy tended to use. Quenser realized he no longer held onto Faires Appetizer, but now was not the time to worry about that. All of the glass in the city shattered and a downpour of transparent blades poured down toward them.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    Catherine Blueangel alone did not seem particular bothered.


    That little bikini devil¡¯s specs were on an entirely different level, but they did not have time to comment on that.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit... What was that!?¡±


    They heard the deep, unpleasant sound of something bending. Quenser got up using the small hand Catherine held out to him and then he looked to the ceiling. Large cracks were running through it and they were spreading.


    ¡°Oh, no. Oh, no! Is the building going to collapse!?¡±


    ¡°Idiot! Don¡¯t just run outside! It¡¯s more dangerous out there!!¡±


    Quenser immediately tried to run, but Heivia grabbed his arm and pulled him back just as an adjacent building collapsed. Gray dust spread like cotton candy and entered their building thanks to the broken glass.


    ¡°What? Cough. I don¡¯t have any survival training. What¡¯s the right thing to do!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, dammit. Frolaytia! Hey, busty commander! Tell us what happened!!¡±


    Beyond the thick curtain of dust, Heivia shouted angrily into his radio, but no one replied. Was the dust reflecting the signal like chaff, or were the people on the other end in no state to reply?


    ¡°Oh, good. My stamp card is safe.¡±


    Catherine peeked inside the bag that held her special suit and gave a cheerfully out-of-place comment, so Quenser grabbed her small hand and started to move.


    ¡°Hm? Wait, big brother. I think my bikini is about to come undone again.¡±


    ¡°Which knot!?¡±


    ¡°The one on my left hip.¡±


    They broke through the dusty air as he took care of that.


    They wanted to see what had happened.


    They reached the elevator button, but it did not react. They climbed a few floors on the nearby stairs and entered an office full of computers that looked set up for investing. They approached the window whose reinforced glass had been broken by the shockwave and secured a view of the city.


    ¡°Wow,¡± said small Catherine.


    It looked like the end of the world.


    Several of the tidy-looking high-rise buildings had been knocked over and the giant villas on the rooftops had been slammed to the ground. One building falling must have affected those around it because the ordered cityscape had been crudely stained like an arrangement of dominos that had failed to topple properly. The residents and tourists had been evacuated, but they could still see fires here and there. There had likely been electrical or gas trouble. The resort island¡¯s blue skies and sea breeze were surrounded by the color gray and simply breathing in the air made them want to go get a health checkup.


    ¡°The whole place is messed up. But there¡¯s a pattern to the collapsed buildings. It¡¯s like there are a few different craters.¡±


    ¡°Did the Princess fail to intercept the Supernova?¡±


    ¡°That thing was thermobaric and would¡¯ve turned the entire city to ashes.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that old man was right.¡±


    ¡°Did an asteroid really hit!? You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me!!¡±


    Quenser cut across the floor so he could see the ocean. His radio was useless, but he still wanted to see the Baby Magnum with his own eyes.


    But...


    ¡°Hey, look...¡±


    ¡°What is it, Quen-...what the hell is that!!!??¡±


    Only Heivia¡¯s yell rang through the air.


    The broken window gave them a view of the coast through the buildings. The Baby Magnum should have reigned supreme beyond that.


    But its spherical main body had been badly torn apart.


    The Object looked like an empty box of chocolates after it was stepped on.


    This was medium to heavy damage. There was no chance it could move properly now.


    ¡°The Princess fought to the end.¡± Quenser blankly stated his guess as to what had happened. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t enough. She didn¡¯t make it in time. The asteroid broke into a few different pieces in midair and fell on the city. And one of those hit the Baby Magnum!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a big deal, but what do we do now? They aren¡¯t going to blame us for failing to stop the asteroid, are they!? I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my summer doing construction work to restore an enemy nation¡¯s resort island. And all of these villas have to have been expensive!!¡±


    The two idiots exchanged a glance, but blonde braided Catherine was innocently ¨C if not cruelly ¨C unfazed.


    ¡°What are you going to do, big brother?¡±


    ¡°If that was the last explosion, we don¡¯t have to worry about any more glass shards raining down on us, right?¡±


    ¡°But entire buildings could collapse after a delay. Wouldn¡¯t it be best to stay here until things settle down?¡±


    ¡°You have a point. ...But what if this bank itself falls over?¡±


    Silence fell.


    Heivia scratched at his dusty bangs before answering.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s not an option. Let¡¯s get back to the maintenance base zone.¡±


    ¡°Is that fine with you, Catherine? Do you want to get back to Malta?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia cautiously stepped out into the gray city. Catherine seemed to be enjoying herself as she followed them, or maybe she was giving the boys an appraising look.


    The oppressive sun was entirely gone now. A thick gray curtain covered everything instead. But this was not a normal raincloud. It was all the soot and dust produced when the asteroid had exploded in midair. Closer to the ground, dust rapidly expanded like dirty cotton candy near the collapsed buildings. All glass had been shattered, the buildings were tilted, and devices the size of vending machines ¨C transformers for the underground power lines ¨C were bent and emitting sparks. Thick cables dangled down onto the ground and even into the spider web of canals.


    ¡°Looks like we should give up on using a water scooter.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know where to find one. Did they sink or were they washed away by the waves caused by the shockwave? Dammit.¡±


    Luckily, most of the people had been evacuated to theatres and stadiums. The entire area was covered with glass, but they did not see any bloody people groaning in pain. If the place had been as busy as it normally was, they would have seen a true hell.


    That was when they heard a low rumbling.


    Quenser looked up and grimaced.


    ¡°Wait, really...?¡±


    He felt something cold on his nose.


    The next thing he knew, rain was pouring down on them.


    ¡°Damn. That was originally water vapor and dust, so can it really make rainclouds? And the broken transformers are sending sparks everywhere!!¡±


    This was not over yet.


    Traveling had been easy enough when using a water scooter in the canals, but it took much longer once they had to walk through the ruined city on foot. And that was true even from the south side, which was closest to Malta.


    Heivia wiped sweat from his brow and groaned.


    ¡°What the hell? The raindrops are dirty...¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve got the asteroid¡¯s dust in them. It would be best not to let any get in your mouth, Catherine.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do that.¡±


    Large raindrops poured down. It was a truly unnatural downpour produced by clouds of dust. It sounded like radio static and the three of them could only drag their heavy bodies along like zombies.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get through here with the building collapsed...¡±


    ¡°Big brother, the way is clear over there.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t use that because of the broken transformer. See how the area is soaked with rainwater? We don¡¯t know how far the electricity is getting, so it would be best not to approach.¡±


    ¡°Hey, the building collapsed, but there¡¯s still a way through in the center. We can¡¯t just sit around. It would be faster to cut through.¡±


    They walked down that path to return to the maintenance base.


    Each step felt like a gamble. It was like betting the chips of their lives on information of dubious accuracy. They took each step slowly and cautiously, so when a bridge was out, it could take an hour to find another way across.


    By the time they were close to the maintenance base zone, it was already growing dark. They had known this was a midsummer resort, but the constant barrage of raindrops had a way of sapping their strength. It felt like they had soaked inside a hot bath until the heat had permeated the core of their bodies.


    And as they made that nerve-racking journey, something changed.


    ¡°Wh-what...?¡±


    Quenser looked around while dragging along his uniform that was heavy with water.


    ¡°There¡¯s a ton of people here. I thought they were all evacuated.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, dammit. Don¡¯t tell me this wave of people is-...yeah, I was right. They¡¯re headed for our base, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    A lot of them had nothing but the shirt on their back. Some were young women in rain-soaked swimsuits or bunny suits and some were macho men in thin armor made from light aluminum or something. Normally, those people would probably ask a tourist to take a commemorative photo with them and then charge an outrageous fee. The people in berets and carrying art sets did the same thing after painting someone¡¯s portrait. Some people were holding their surfboards up to keep out the rain and others were using several caf¨¦ parasols to create a hemispherical tent.


    Perhaps because this was a world-class seaside luxury resort, a lot of people were carrying expensive cameras.


    ¡°This is Monica, the idol reporter who can both dance and sing! It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I can review the five-star hotel in my bikini later! And how many times are you going to wake me up to try to scare me!? I¡¯m getting awful tired of it!! An asteroid hit? Let¡¯s document that! We can figure out whether or not we can sell it to a communications company later!! Um, we are in front of the Legitimacy Kingdom maintenance base zone and...¡±


    ¡°!!!¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± said the student as he ducked his head down. He had apparently spotted someone in the crowd who he wanted to avoid.


    Also, some in the crowd were using their portrait art sets in an odd way.


    ¡°Hey, some of them are holding up signs.¡±


    Once the little black bikini devil pointed it out, Quenser and Heivia finally noticed. The crowd grew denser as they drew closer to the base and that was due to more than confusion over the sudden disaster. There was definite anger there and it was focused on a single issue.


    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to us now!?¡±


    ¡°S-Second Venice is a manmade island. Without food and water, we¡¯ll wither away!!¡±


    ¡°The military needs to take responsibility and protect us! I have a baby to look after!!¡±


    Heivia looked puzzled.


    ¡°Tch. What? They¡¯ve started protesting?¡±


    ¡°But Heivia, it¡¯s true that food and water are a serious issue. How many people are there here on Second Venice?¡±


    ¡°Myonri said nearly 130,000.¡±


    ¡°Our unit can¡¯t feed that many.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious about that? First off, our battalion has 1000 people. We keep enough supplies to feed us all for 30 days. And that¡¯s assuming three meals a day. Put up with some hunger and limit ourselves to one meal a day and that number triples. That alone gives us enough for 90,000. And don¡¯t forget that the Rush¡¯s Oh Ho Ho has her unit stationed here.¡± Heivia sounded exasperated. ¡°Besides, this isn¡¯t a desert on the moon. It¡¯s a Mediterranean resort. The Legitimacy Kingdom and Faith Organization¡¯s home countries are right there. Surviving on our own might be tough, but transport ships can reach us in a matter of hours. No matter how long it takes to recover, we¡¯ll have plenty of supplies if we can last a day or two. We might actually head back fatter than we arrived.¡±


    ¡°Is that...how it works?¡±


    ¡°It is. Not to mention that Second Venice is known as a spy¡¯s paradise because the wealthy of all four world powers can relax here and forget all about war. No one¡¯s going to abandon this place. In fact, it¡¯s a great opportunity to do some favors to make some debts. Hand over our tasteless soap-like rations now and we might get gold bars the same size in return.¡±


    Heivia was entirely carefree.


    And once they started listening, they could hear a voice answering the shouting crowd. A familiar voice was amplified by a handheld megaphone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push! Please don¡¯t push! We have food enough for everybody, so please wait your turn!¡±


    ¡°Myonri got the short end of the stick again, did she?¡±


    Quenser relaxed when he heard that awful friend¡¯s voice.


    But then he heard the unique dry sound of bursting gunpowder.


    A fireworks-like smell mixed with a rusty flavor.


    The crowd ground to a halt like a malfunctioning machine and then it tried to scatter in every direction. But that caused them to run into each other, knock each other over, and trip each other up.


    Meanwhile, a high-pitched voice came from beyond the human curtain. The scream passed over everyone¡¯s heads and could have been a male or female voice.


    Whoever it belonged to, it said the following:


    ¡°Like I said!! Hurry up and hand over the foooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood!!¡±


    Oh, no, thought Quenser.


    The discomfort of the pouring rain vanished from his mind. This was no time for that, so his brain automatically narrowed down his information to the absolute essentials.


    He could sense an invisible pressure approaching through the gaps in the crowd.


    He felt someone''s eyes on him.


    A large and enraged man in a tank top had tears and snot covering his face as he aimed their way with a gun that was clearly not a civilian model. It looked like the fusion of a semi-auto grenade launcher and a close-range handgun. And he did not seem to care how many other people were around.


    ¡°This is really bad...!!¡±


    Part 12


    The Baby Magnum had grown terribly misshapen thanks to the direct hit from a piece of the Appetizer Asteroid, but the Princess remained in the cockpit. The reactor and the system¡¯s core were still functioning. Even if she could not pull off any high-speed combat, she would still make for a decent threat as a stationary gun platform. It was not yet time for her to leave the Object.


    And as she took a short rest, some dangerous thoughts entered her mind.


    (Just when I began to intercept the Appetizer Asteroid...)


    She looked down from the sky and saw the Rush calmly leaving.


    The Princess glared at the Object.


    (She fired a jamming signal my way?)


    Various suspicions filled her heart as a new war began.


    Under the extreme environment of this disaster, international law and war treaties no longer applied.


    A truly hopeless war was beginning.


    External Document ¨C A Will Written in Advance


    They asked me if I wanted my name to go down in history.


    Currently, almost 36,000 asteroids have been observed and registered by astronomers. They are named after the Greek gods, after the discoverer, or after a product like a sports drink or a search engine.


    Naming it the Appetizer Asteroid was a form of legacy right there.


    But that achievement did not stand out and was unknown to the general public. Someone with unique interests would have to search again and again before seeing that legacy.


    But the number of asteroids which have entered the atmosphere and hit the earth is much lower. Ones that did not break up in the atmosphere and retained their shape can be counted on your fingers.


    It would be a top ten achievement.


    No one could help but see the bright light of that legacy.


    All they asked me to do was overlook it. Just like any astronomer would, I carefully observed the asteroid I had discovered and named after myself. No one observed it more obsessively than me. So I noticed something was wrong almost immediately. They just wanted me to overlook it.


    I still have my doubts.


    I don¡¯t think I will ever rid myself of those doubts.


    I don¡¯t know what exactly they are trying to do. How can an amateur guess at what the military is after? But if the Appetizer Asteroid hits the surface, it will cause incredible damage. Enough to change this age of clean wars ruled by Objects.


    I don¡¯t know what kind of legacy this will be.


    Perhaps this is how researchers feel when a strange parasite or killer virus is named after them.


    This legacy will undoubtedly leave my name in history.


    But I will always have my doubts. Even if mankind is covered in a layer of ice and snow, I will forever wander that white and hellish wasteland as a ghost.

 Volume 12, Day 2

    Volume 12, Day 2


    Part 1


    Midnight arrived and the date changed.


    Frolaytia Capistrano held her head in her hands as she received the report.


    She had used the antenna-covered command patrol boat to leave Second Venice via the canals and arrive at the maintenance base zone on the coast of Malta.


    ¡°...So you shot him? You shot a civilian in front of a crowd.¡±


    ¡°He shot Myonri!¡± said Heivia over the radio. ¡°And his weapon clearly wasn¡¯t civilian. If he had used a grenade, the place would have been a sea of blood!!¡±


    He had a point, but it meant nothing in this case.


    This had all begun when a clash between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Information Alliance had lowered the defenses of Second Venice as it was stopped alongside Malta.


    Then several Legitimacy Kingdom Supernovas had arrived.


    Finally, the Appetizer Asteroid had acted as a giant bonus prize. If the Baby Magnum had not destroyed the asteroid, it might have triggered a global ice age, but how had all of that looked to the people of Second Venice who were mostly from the Information Alliance? Even the midair explosion of the asteroid could have looked like a failure of an enemy nation.


    And then the firefight had happened.


    The Information Alliance crowd had felt the Legitimacy Kingdom had a duty to save them, but then the soldiers had fired on them.


    Not shooting the man would have caused even more damage thanks to the grenade launcher and Heivia had been overwhelmingly right to act.


    But not everyone would have an equal understanding of that fact.


    (Damn. Everything is working against us here. At this rate, the nearly 130,000 VIPs could start rioting!!)


    They were indeed a step away from that.


    No one had climbed over the fence yet, but a great crowd was surrounding the maintenance base.


    If someone did climb the fence, the Legitimacy Kingdom would show no mercy even if it was a civilian. If safely securing them was not possible, Frolaytia would have to approve the use of firearms.


    At the same time, that would lead to the worst case scenario.


    ¡°Slaughtering 130,000 of the world¡¯s upper class. This is going to cause a gigantic war.¡±


    She felt like everything had been set up to lead that way, but then she shook her head.


    She could only do what the situation allowed.


    ¡°Did you retrieve the semi-grenade launcher the man used?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It looks just like a Legitimacy Kingdom model, but it¡¯s a copy. Someone might be trying to make it look like we set all this up!¡±


    She could hear a metallic clattering over the radio.


    Heivia may have been taking apart the gun and checking on the details.


    ¡°A few of the internal parts are made of plastic instead of metal. That¡¯s something the Capitalist Corporations tend to do. It¡¯s actually easier to use than ours.¡±


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations? Not the Information Alliance?¡±


    If their opponent was the Information Alliance, it was easy to imagine they would trigger a riot to get back at the Legitimacy Kingdom for taking Second Venice in a proper Object battle.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It might be the Information Alliance pretending to be the Capitalist Corporations. Also, this is a spy¡¯s paradise. The place is filled with VIPs from all four world powers, so the Capitalist Corporations might be interfering to wear down the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Information Alliance so they can find an opening to take Second Venice for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll give it some thought.¡± Frolaytia slowly sighed. ¡°And? If it¡¯s a copy of our grenade launcher, the option would be.45 caliber. How is Myonri¡¯s injury?¡±


    ¡°She was hit in the side, but her bulletproof plating worked against her. Instead of cleanly piercing her, the bullet is still inside her! So send a medical team right away!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She wanted to do just that.


    But sending out a unit at the moment could easily unbalance the cup that was so full of water the surface tension was about to break. She could not doom the world to a fiery fate for a single soldier.


    ¡°Heivia, how many people are there with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really just me and the skinny boy. Please don¡¯t count Myonri! And what do we do about the little bikini devil? Although to be honest, she¡¯s probably the strongest one here!!¡±


    ¡°Understood. The three of you, not including Myonri, need to determine where the launcher came from. We¡¯re surrounded on all sides and can¡¯t send anyone out. Anything we do will be interpreted negatively and will stimulate the crowd, so find a justification. Once we know some other military was involved in the attack with the grenade launcher, this is a job for the military instead of the police. That means we have an excuse to head out.¡±


    ¡°Wait! What about Myonri!?¡±


    ¡°Get to the bottom of this before the 37th¡¯s cutest soldier kicks the bucket. Fail and it¡¯s hara-kiri for the both of us!! Got that, Heivia!?¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this...¡±


    Heivia cursed the world on the south side of Second Venice.


    Myonri was injured and unable to move, so they had carried her into a nearby building. They could not leave her exposed to the dirty rain with her deep wound and letting the civilians see a weakened soldier would cause problems. Most of the people were kind and harmless rich people who were creating makeshift grills and pizza ovens by cutting up the metal drums out front. (The drums were the kind used to hold industrial shipments of high-quality massage oil rather than petroleum.) However, it was worth being careful after what had happened.


    Quenser followed Catherine¡¯s instructions to nervously apply pressure to the wound with scraps of cloth and just barely managed to stop Myonri¡¯s bleeding.


    But the bullet was still inside her body.


    If the transformed bullet had created a sharp protrusion a single fidget could damage a thick blood vessel. Not to mention that lead was toxic. Nothing good could come of having that inside her body for an extended period of time.


    ¡°Second Venice alone is twenty kilometers across. If we have to search Malta too, how wide a search area is that? And how many people? We¡¯re not a detective from a mystery novel!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m...fine.¡±


    Myonri¡¯s breathing was rapid and worryingly shallow and her sweaty face was pale, but she still managed to say that.


    Except...


    ¡°I¡¯m...fine... I¡¯m a soldier too. I¡¯m prepared for the worst. If things are really looking bad, at least get...my dog tags back...to my mom...¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Myonri!¡± roared Heivia. ¡°If you¡¯re only going to look at things negatively, then keep your mouth shut!!¡±


    Quenser spoke calmly to his awful friend.


    ¡°Heivia, let¡¯s do what we can.¡±


    The noble boy seemed at a loss for words after that.


    He had wanted to hear that, but it had not erased the problems facing them.


    ¡°But what can we do!? It might be easier to ignore that busty commander¡¯s orders and find a boat. If we can break through and get to the maintenance base on Malta...¡±


    ¡°She said they¡¯re surrounded, remember? We can¡¯t get through the rioting crowds even if we do get to Malta and we¡¯ll be shot if we approach without the authorization code. They¡¯ll suspect we¡¯re rioters who stole some uniforms. Plus, Catherine and I aren¡¯t even in our uniforms.¡±


    Quenser took Myonri¡¯s weak hand and placed it on the scrap of cloth he had been pressing against her side.


    ¡°Whoever that grenade launcher bastard was, he normally would have hesitated if he was handed that powerful weapon. It wouldn¡¯t have helped him any. He only took it because his frustrations had built up in this emergency. That means it wasn¡¯t some pain-in-the-ass method like ordering the parts one-by-one off the internet. His ¡®business partner¡¯ handed him the completed product just a few hours ago.¡±


    ¡°But who was that? The Capitalist Corporations or the Information Alliance!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but there is something that caught my attention.¡± Quenser licked his lips. ¡°Second Venice was temporarily under our control. That means we were monitoring the cargo going in and out. ...In that case, where did that grenade launcher come from? What route was used to smuggle it in? We controlled the official entrances like the ports and airports, so whoever they were, their routes would have been limited. There can¡¯t have been that many. If we can narrow it down, we might be able to lie in wait for them.¡±


    The two idiots and Catherine Blueangel used their bloody hands to call up a map of Second Venice on a handheld device.


    Tall buildings were arranged along a spider web of countless canals. They added Xs to the entrances being monitored by the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    ¡°It¡¯s hopeless. We¡¯ve covered them all... Is there really a secret back entrance!?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± said the little black bikini devil.


    She pointed at a corner of the screen using a finger bloody from the first aid.


    ¡°There¡¯s a container yard here.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. But Catherine, this north side port is being managed by the Legitimacy Kingdom too. If the launcher was carried in there, it would have been caught by an inspection.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s another boat right next to the container yard. A floating restaurant. I believe it cooks up the fish the guests catch themselves. That means it heads out to sea.¡±


    Quenser immediately started moving.


    ¡°Let¡¯s contact our busty commander and have her look into who owns it.¡±


    ¡°And if it¡¯s the Capitalist Corporations...¡±


    ¡°They might be fishing up some divers late at night. And if they use the neighboring containers to hide what they bring aboard, they can slip things into Second Venice.¡±


    This luxury resort was known as a spy¡¯s paradise because VIPs from the four world powers gathered here and forgot all about war. It was not at all surprising that a few contact points like this existed.


    Finally, they received a reply over the radio.


    ¡°The owner¡¯s name is Welshy Harpoon. As you were hoping, it belongs to a Capitalist Corporations conglomerate. But it looks like the boat capsized when the asteroid exploded in midair. Hurry to the north side container yard. We just need one piece of evidence. Then we can send in a unit to carry Myonri out on a stretcher and have the medics look after her. So go all out here. It¡¯s the only way to live a life without regret.¡±


    They knew what they had to do.


    And it was no time to be worrying about forcing young Catherine to go along with it.


    But if they all set out for that container yard, it would mean something else.


    They would be leaving Myonri here.


    ¡°I swear.¡± Heivia spoke through his clenched teeth. ¡°I swear we¡¯ll be back. So don¡¯t you die before then, Myonri.¡±


    The girl did not respond.


    She only smiled weakly.


    And thus the bloody boys and girl returned to the hellish battlefield.


    But this time they were not simply caught in the middle. They were on a mission to save their comrade in arms.


    Part 3


    When they left the building, it was still raining.


    Black Bikini Catherine turned her palms up at waist height to wash away Myonri¡¯s blood from providing first aid. The midair explosion of the asteroid and the collapse of the buildings had sent a lot of dust into the air. It intertwined with the water vapor in the sky to become the raindrops that poured down.


    They walked behind the buildings to slip past the crowds out front. They did not want to be caught in a dispute with those frustrated taxpayers. A lot of them had created makeshift torches by sticking torn pieces of their shirts in bottles of strong alcohol, but that was obviously just one step away from a Molotov cocktail.


    ¡°What about the transformers? If they shock us, we¡¯ll more or less explode.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s pitch black around here, so the power must be out. I bet our busty commander shut it off to prevent any secondary damage.¡±


    They had no time.


    To travel from the south side to the north side, they stole two water scooters they found in a random canal. These had no sidecars, so Heivia boarded one and Catherine the other. Quenser was of course just ballast.


    ¡°Hop on, big brother.¡±


    ¡°I might as well.¡±


    ¡°If you say you want to get on mine, I¡¯ll drive off without you,¡± warned Heivia.


    ¡°I said I¡¯m getting on the other one!¡±


    There were no streetlights or illuminated signs, so the journey through the late night waterways was quite thrilling. They were arranged as complexly as a spider web and the curves could be sharp in places. And thanks to the asteroid¡¯s midair explosion, ships had sunk and concrete rubble had fallen in. If they did not keep their lights on and keep an eye out for anything sticking up from the surface, they would have run into something and sunk almost immediately.


    ¡° ¡®Enjoy some marine leisure activities with a friend.¡¯ ...Hee hee hee. That¡¯s another stamp.¡±


    ¡°Am I your big brother or a friend?¡±


    ¡°You can be whatever I need you to be!¡±


    Quenser decided being somewhat flexible was fine. He was supposed to be her instructor, but some of these tasks were a bit much for an Elite who had just been released from a sterile facility.


    Also, the water scooter meant for adults was a little large for the 12-year-old girl, but she was far better at driving it than Heivia. If she had not cheerfully moved out ahead while swerving left and right, Heivia probably would have taken the wrong course and hit a hidden obstacle.


    Quenser knew just enough about marine leisure activities to know he never wanted to drive down this obstacle course of a canal.


    ¡°Wow. I guess you really are a Pilot Elite...!¡±


    Simply wrapping his arms around her felt insufficient, so he grabbed onto her tiny hips and spoke from the back seat.


    ¡°Hm? Speaking of Elites, what happened to the Princess?¡±


    ¡°The round body is all bent up, but it didn¡¯t explode,¡± said Catherine. ¡°I think inside the Object is the safest place. And firing anti-air lasers into the empty sky is one thing, but we probably can¡¯t expect much support while in the city.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it works...?¡±


    ¡°And stop thinking of some other girl when you look at me. That¡¯s getting kind of rude. Hmph!¡±


    He tried contacting the Princess by radio just to be sure and he got through just fine.


    ¡°You look like an orange someone stepped on, but I¡¯m glad to see the communications infrastructure is still running.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± she replied. ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight or motivate me?¡±


    The Princess¡¯s voice was flat but prickly, like she was irritated after her favorite dress had caught on a nail in the wall.


    ¡°I heard Myonri was shot.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re busy searching for whoever was behind it.¡±


    ¡°Tell me if there¡¯s anything I can do. I can¡¯t move right now, but I can still act as a stationary gun platform. Mark your targets and I can blow them all away.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Do that while we¡¯re searching for evidence and we¡¯ll have nothing but ashes left. Besides, you wouldn¡¯t be firing your lasers in the clean air of the higher altitudes. This is a straight shot from south to north. Your accuracy has got to drop with a curved shot over twenty kilometers and that just scares me.¡±


    The nighttime canal was dangerous with all the wreckage and rubble sunk in it, so they did not pass any other boats on the way. It did not take them long to drive straight to the north side container yard.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to get any closer. I feel like they¡¯d hear us.¡±


    ¡°If we had a kayak we could probably approach silently.¡±


    ¡°In this dark canal full of rubble? We¡¯d be noisily bumping into things all over the place.¡±


    They stopped the water scooters a short distance away and climbed onto a nearby walkway.


    ¡°Okay. ¡®Take a trip with a friend.¡± ...That¡¯s yet another stamp.¡±


    ¡°More importantly...¡±


    The container yard was more than a hundred meters away, but it still looked like a dark mountain. That was just how many metal containers were piled up.


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be five or six hundred in all. It would take months to open them all up and do a thorough check inside.¡±


    ¡°We just need to find some evidence of wrongdoing, so we can check something other than the containers.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°The video archive for the security cameras. They need some kind of trick to sneak their secret cargo from the floating restaurant and mix it in with the containers. We don¡¯t need something physical. Steal the data from the control room and Frolaytia can act.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. Oh, but we can¡¯t steal the data with the power out.¡±


    ¡°What if we swipe the whole hard disk and have it investigated after the fact?¡±


    ¡°By the way, big brother.¡± Black Bikini Catherine tilted her head. ¡°Are there people I can and can¡¯t shoot this time?¡±


    Quenser gulped a little, but...


    ¡°No, you should be fine this time.¡±


    Surprisingly, it was Heivia who answered. He was peering at the pile of containers through his rifle¡¯s scope.


    ¡°The entire city was tossed around by that asteroid explosion, but there are still armed guards making normal patrols. That would make nice camouflage normally, but it really stands out now. That¡¯s the problem with having only one plan.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Legitimacy Kingdom managing that port?¡±


    ¡°Officially, yeah. But we don¡¯t have the personnel to staff all of the facilities. We send one of our people to take the top position and leave the patrols to the licensed locals. And from the looks of things, that top position is skipping out on his work somewhere.¡±


    ¡°In other words, those guards are only pretending to be Information Alliance port security...?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re Capitalist Corporations spies. Since they¡¯re professional enemies, we can shoot them all. It¡¯s time for the fireworks show.¡±


    Part 4


    A girl dangled from a cliff by a single rope in the late night rain.


    She was the Pilot Elite of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion, aka the Princess. And the cliff she dangled from was known as the Baby Magnum. The badly damaged Object was floating in the ocean, but no scaffolding had been built around it and no maintenance soldiers were working on it. She had been told over the radio that the technicians had been sent out to build quick residences to hold the many civilians, so no one could be spared for her yet.


    (I just hope that awful Rush doesn¡¯t try anything during this lag.)


    ¡°There we go.¡±


    The Princess had changed into a blue bikini. She had her feet on the armor panels to balance herself with the single rope, so she ended up sticking her small butt out behind her. She of course had a work belt around her waist and it held a radio, so she could return to the cockpit on a moment¡¯s notice.


    (We were supposed to get some free time after dealing with the Supernova. Frolaytia apparently wanted to keep that as a surprise for Quenser and the others, but now that¡¯s all ruined.)


    ¡°Yes. Anything but a bikini isn¡¯t even an option.¡±


    With that comment, she checked on the area illuminated by the penlight stuck above her ear.


    (The main cannon joint took a lot of damage too. I wonder how bad the marine floats were hit. At least the compound eyes of radars and sensors were all attached to their own cannons.)


    Even if the Princess grabbed some tools in slender arms and fought the damaged components, she could not fix the Baby Magnum. But if she finished surveying the damage before the maintenance soldiers arrived, she could save them a lot of work.


    And in addition to any logical reasons, she may have been doing this as a way to make up for the guilt she felt.


    (I¡¯m the only one with power, water, and food. Not that I can output the reactor¡¯s electricity in accordance with civilians standards.)


    She pulled a hammer and micro-mic from the emergency tool set wrapped around her waist as a belt and she tapped lightly for a test. She immediately grimaced. The reverberation she heard was powerful. Onion armor was made to absorb any impacts with a spring like motion using the multiple armor panels layered like mille-feuille, so it was not supposed to sound like that.


    (It must have been crushed while still bent.)


    Even the zones that looked fine had several spots that were not functioning. If she was hit with a main cannon there, it would all be over. The impact would barely be absorbed and the attack would pierce right on through.


    With her slender body exposed to the rain, the Princess calmly thought to herself while wiggling her small butt behind her.


    (The engine room¡¯s reactor is still responding properly, so I thought I might be able to get past the damage and start moving again, but I guess that would be too dangerous.)


    At any rate, modern wars were all about Objects.


    The future did not look bright for a battalion that had lost theirs.


    Part 5


    ¡°Well, that was a disaster...¡±


    A voice entered the darkness.


    It was inside a small single-story control room in the north side container yard. It was like an office carelessly built for a construction site. In there, someone was shivering and filling their cup noodles with water boiled on a portable stove. She was a soaking wet girl of about twelve. She had flowing blonde hair and cold eyes. She was surrounded by a sharp, completed aura never found in other girls her age. Shockingly, she was a mercenary.


    She muttered under her breath with her hair wet.


    ¡°Since I was taking some time off, I came here thinking I could eat a ton of tasty lobster, but I certainly didn¡¯t expect the entire boat to suddenly capsize!! An asteroid strike? Sure, the cook I used is a mole who sells us information, but have I really done anything worth being trapped in a ship that could begin sinking at any moment for two hours!?¡±


    A large dark-skinned man answered her with exasperation in his voice.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you count yourself lucky you survived at all?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the bodyguard I hired with my own money, so try to show a little more customer service. ...And what is this getup!? I can¡¯t move very well in dress and a wide-brimmed hat and could you at least choose something that¡¯s more my style!?¡±


    ¡°Second Venice is a luxury resort island. Please understand that it¡¯s hard to find anything your size that¡¯s not meant for rich little girls.¡±


    The girl complained, but the outfit suited her fine, white skin and long, flowing blonde hair quite well. The only flaw was a heart that enjoyed the smell of gunpowder and gun oil more than tea and roses.


    ¡°Complain all you want, but I can only assume you¡¯re completely fine when you get that excited over some cup noodles.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. This is a Pavlovian response I¡¯ve imprinted on myself. Whenever I want to force myself into a good mood, I go for some Island Nation cup noodles. By this point, just pouring in the boiling water is enough to fill my heart with happiness. It¡¯s a battlefield luxury that helps me reflect on how hard it was to make it this far. When it comes to portable foods, the Island Nation can¡¯t be beat. It makes me so glad I was born in the Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem with you. You need to learn how to spend money instead of just making it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you should be saying that? I¡¯ll confiscate your share of the pork and your egg. So you put them in after letting the noodles cook?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not go crazy here!¡±


    ¡°Hey! What kind of bodyguard grabs at his client!? Buy your own food!!¡±


    But as they argued, they were cut off by several gunshots in a row.


    Ducking down or getting on the floor may have been the normal reactions, but the girl and the man did not seem to care.


    The large dark-skinned man glanced at his military wristwatch.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe they can pull off this level of quality in only three minutes. Island Nation technology is frightening indeed. Oh, right. If you¡¯re just going to throw out the cover, give it to me. Each month, you can paste five of them to a postcard and send it in for a present.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re using the expensive airmail for that!? And you¡¯re sending them to the mysterious and mystical Island Nation!?¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? I also have a chance of winning the special prize: 100 meals¡¯ worth of cup noodles. That¡¯s 100 authentic ¡®Made in Island Nation¡¯ meals on the battlefield. Now that¡¯s a luxury worth killing for!¡±


    After peeling off the cover, she checked on the egg she had dropped inside, stuck in a few pieces of pre-packaged pork, stirred it all around with a fork, and spun all the noodles around on the fork.


    As a Westerner, she did not audibly slurp the noodles.


    Even as they rapidly worked at their meal, they could hear gunshots here and there.


    It did not sound like they had time to drink the soup, so the blonde girl sadly thought about the egg yolk that had broken earlier.


    After shaking off her regret, the girl in a wide-brimmed hat and fancy dress held a hand out toward the large dark-skinned man.


    ¡°Hand me that rifle.¡±


    ¡°Mariydi, I¡¯m supposed to be your bodyguard.¡±


    Part 6


    After arriving on the north side, Quenser, Heivia, and Catherine did not kick down the port¡¯s front gate and go in guns blazing.


    ¡°Hey, our guns don¡¯t have any expensive suppressors on them. Fire once and it¡¯ll be like poking at the hornet¡¯s nest. How do we get inside?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to look for something else we can use. ...Oh.¡±


    After climbing onto land from the water scooters stopped in the canal, Quenser looked around.


    ¡°There we go. There¡¯s a ton of stuff mixed in with the rubble. Hm, a dog whistle? Did some VIP abandon a war to take an overseas trip with his toy-like indoor dog? In that case...¡±


    ¡°Big brother, what are you doing? If you¡¯re cleaning up the trash, let me do it so I can get a stamp.¡±


    The boy continued rummaging and digging through the rubble until he found a cylindrical container about as thick as a human arm. It looked something like an Island Nation diploma case or a somewhat skinny thermos.


    But it was neither of those.


    ¡°You can really tell Second Venice is full of the world¡¯s wealthy. Their bond cases are made of tungsten steel. Look at this logo. It¡¯s the same series as those bomb-resistant safes. We can use this.¡±


    ¡°Hey, what are you trying to do with that junk? Even if the Capitalist Corporations are all about money, they¡¯re not going to be our friends just because we sell them some scrap metal.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what this is for.¡±


    Quenser pulled a thick wire out from below the concrete and wrapped it around the cylindrical container as he answered.


    ¡°Heivia, what is it I¡¯m carrying around despite all the rain?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Hand Axe plastic explosives, right? ...Hold on. You aren¡¯t planning to use a bomb when we¡¯re trying to be silent, are you!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m planning to do.¡±


    Idiot #1 gathered a few thin steel panels.


    ¡°I¡¯ll use explosives to silently take them out. And I¡¯ll tell you how.¡±


    With his handmade gathering of junk, he stuffed a fingertip-sized piece of Hand Axe in the cylindrical container with an electric fuse stabbed into it. Then he closed the lid. He ran through the pouring rain while ducking down and holding the container in his hands.


    ¡°When you get down to it, explosions are nothing more than a rapid expansion of volume. With this explosive, a fist-sized mass will produce lots of flammable gas which instantly expands a hundred or thousand-fold. The power of that pushing out is what destroys things.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Explosions have a direction to them. Seal one in a sturdy closed container like this and the rapidly expanding blast has nowhere to go. This thing is made to withstand explosions, so it can¡¯t break through the side. So what happens if I carefully open a single hole with this hand drill?¡±


    The dark container yard was large and had multiple entrances.


    They focused on a small employee gate that was relatively inconspicuous. They hid behind a crushed crepe stand located about fifty meters away.


    ¡°Big brother, there are guards there.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but fewer than anywhere else,¡± said Quenser with the cylindrical container resting on his shoulder like a bazooka. ¡°I¡¯ve sealed the blast inside and given it a single small hole to escape. For the finishing touch, let¡¯s attach this dog whistle. It works on a frequency too high for human ears, but even if we can¡¯t hear it, it still exists. If we fire out the flammable gases using the explosive, we can create a silent blast that human lungs could never hope to match. I¡¯m worried about the sturdiness of the dog whistle, but if I surround it in steel panels like a trumpet to direct the ultrasonic waves in a single direction, what do you think will happen?¡±


    There was no flashy effect.


    There was no light or sound.


    Or at least none that could be detected by Heivia and Catherine¡¯s human senses.


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    But after they heard a quiet metallic click, the soldier standing guard fifty meters away collapsed face-first into a puddle. The soldier next to him had to be baffled. Was the first soldier playing around, was he sleep deprived, or was he sick? With no light, sound, or noticeable injuries, the second soldier could not immediately determine this was an enemy attack. And before he could place a hand on his fallen comrade¡¯s shoulder, Quenser opened the metal container¡¯s lid, tore off another piece of Hand Axe, and tossed it inside.


    After another small click, the other guard was silenced too.


    ¡°Man, you can really feel it vibrating in your hands. Heivia, tell me what path to take. We need to settle this before those two miss a scheduled check in.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. That thing scares me. Are our ears going to be all right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the ears. It¡¯s shaking their skulls to give them a concussion. And as long as you stay behind me, it won¡¯t affect you. The trumpet of steel panels is directing the ultrasonic waves forward.¡±


    The dark container yard was large and quite a few soldiers were stationed there as guards. No amount of work would allow them to arrive at the control room without running across any of them.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t have a sight, so how do you aim?¡± asked Catherine.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be very accurate. It¡¯s like a shotgun or like hitting them with a flashlight¡¯s beam.¡±


    While quietly conversing, they stepped over the collapsed guards and entered the container yard.


    ¡°Does this count as ¡®go on a test of courage with everyone¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Catherine, nothing counts during a life-or-death battle.¡±


    They had a map on their handheld devices, so they knew the general layout of the container yard. That told them the distance from this gate to the control room.


    But...


    ¡°Damn. It doesn¡¯t tell us the details of how the containers are piled up. It¡¯s like a labyrinth in here... It reminds me of the killing house back during training.¡±


    Heivia dealt with the unexpected situation by pointing his rifle all around.


    The rain poured on the piles of metal containers that caused all sounds to echo complexly around. Even so, he accurately located the footsteps of someone else. He raised one hand and Quenser silently stepped forward with the metal tube on his shoulder. Before they were noticed, he leaned out from behind the containers and aimed the silent ultrasonic skull shaker.


    The usual small click followed.


    But then something odd happened.


    Quenser, Heivia, and Catherine felt something invisible scratching at their heads.


    ¡°(...!! Que-...you!?)¡±


    ¡°(The sonic spear hit a nearby container wall and reflected back at us. But the guards are down.)¡±


    Quenser leaned against a nearby container to at least avoid collapsing, but then his shoulder bumped into something.


    He looked over and spotted a metal ladder.


    ¡°...Uh, oh.¡±


    He looked up and saw the ladder continued up to the top of the square metal container. But there was more than just the one. They climbed vertically to the top of the pyramid-like stacks of containers and they stretched horizontally between stacks of containers. It was all too apparent that this was a path. The soldiers¡¯ patrol route was not just two-dimensional. It crisscrossed in three dimensions!


    And then a dark figure¡¯s face poked out from the top of the container overhead.


    Quenser quickly opened the cylindrical container and tossed some Hand Axe in, but the enemy noticed something was up and raised his carbine much faster.


    Two harsh gunshots burst through the curtain of pouring rain.


    Quenser had ducked down on reflex, but he felt no pain or shock.


    The enemy soldier up above had not been the one to fire. Heivia had fired his assault rifle and now he dragged down the guard.


    ¡°Dammit.¡±


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    Heivia cursed after his perfectly accurate shots and Catherine cheerfully complimented him.


    Then everything changed.


    The late night container yard was filled with explosive sounds more intense than thunder. Heivia wielded his assault rifle, Catherine had been given his large handgun, and Quenser still had his silent ultrasonic skull shaker. It was better than nothing and it added in an unknown weapon that operated under different rules, so it helped confuse the enemy. With such a bad numerical disadvantage, they would have been overwhelmed in no time without something like that.


    ¡°We¡¯re completely outnumbered!!¡±


    ¡°But after all the blood Myonri lost, we can¡¯t fall back and try again later. We have to push on through!!¡±


    They had to use the metal containers for cover. They at least managed to avoid being exposed to crossfire from multiple angles and changed position each time they heard footsteps or gunfire.


    They of course used the assault rifle and handgun, but when the containers were only stacked one or two high, Quenser would ball up some Hand Axe plastic explosive, stab in an electric fuse, toss it over the pile, and blow up the enemy soldiers hiding on the other side.


    ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m the one doing it, but I really don¡¯t want to peek on the other side.¡±


    ¡°That just means you¡¯re normal. No one wants to check the bottom of their slipper after swatting a roach.¡±


    They continued through the labyrinth of containers to reach the control room with the data they needed.


    Or they tried to.


    Something changed suddenly. And not in a good way.


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser looked up when he heard what sounded like a large construction arm moving.


    Then his eyes widened.


    ¡°Oh, shit.¡±


    A gantry crane as tall as a small clock tower had moved directly above them. Something like a crane game dangled down and its mechanical claws fit perfectly into the holes in a metal container.


    Yes.


    It was taking away the metal container that was shielding them from the bullets.


    ¡°Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit! We¡¯re screwed if it lifts that up!!¡±


    ¡°This way, big brother!!¡±


    Catherine¡¯s small hand grabbed Quenser¡¯s arm and they dove between some other containers. Left behind, Heivia glanced around and slipped into hiding in the opposite direction.


    A moment later, the container was entirely lifted up and light machinegun fire swept through the air.


    If they had remained there just five seconds longer, they would have been turned to mincemeat.


    ¡°Dammit. Why does the crane still have power?¡±


    ¡°They might have their own backup power to protect the transportation infrastructure during an emergency,¡± explained Catherine. ¡°Like a gas turbine.¡±


    But it was too soon to relax.


    They giant crane could easily do more than just lift up the heavy metal container. If it could do that, it could also do the opposite.


    In other words, drop it.


    ¡°Heivi-...!?¡±


    Quenser realized that, but he did not have time to give a warning.


    The impact was so heavy it brought a cold sensation to his stomach.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. Let¡¯s keep going, big brother.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Big brother!¡±


    ¡°O-okay...! He¡¯s okay, right? Heivia rolled to the other side of the container right before it fell, right? That¡¯s why we can¡¯t see him, right!?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell one way or the other now, so we have to wait until later to find an answer! C¡¯mon!!¡±


    The gunfire continued sporadically, so they could not stay put for long. And some of that gunfire was not directly targeting them. That suggested the enemy had yet to finish off their target. Quenser wanted to assume that meant Heivia was still fighting on the other side of that container.


    That was when he heard the disconcerting whine of the arm moving.


    The four thick wires and the mechanical claws lifted up another metal container. Quenser was watching it in a daze, so Catherine pulled on his hand and slipped through the slight gap between piles of containers.


    Even if the metal container was dropped from above, the gap was too narrow and it could not crush them.


    ...Except the gantry crane ignored that.


    It gathered momentum like a pendulum and slammed the metal container against the actual pyramid of similar containers. The large pile collapsed and erased their previous safe zone.


    ¡°What is this, a falling block puzzle game!?¡±


    They ran as fast as they could and somehow managed to outrun the collapse.


    ¡°Big brother, we need to do something about that haunted crane!¡±


    ¡°The gantry crane¡¯s controls are several dozen meters up. And firing a rifle at it isn¡¯t going to stop it!!¡±


    Quenser held an ultrasonic weapon, but it directly rattled the target¡¯s skull with invisible waves and would be useless here. It could not reach the person sitting at the controls inside the box of reinforced glass.


    But with her large handgun in hand, Black Bikini Catherine rejected that idea at a more fundamental level.


    ¡°No. There¡¯s no one at the controls. It¡¯s probably being remotely controlled.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s even less we can do...Nonlethal ultrasonic waves and a handgun can¡¯t destroy that thing!¡±


    He could always throw some Hand Axe directly at it, but he could not throw it as far vertically as he could horizontally. Even if he balled up the plastic explosive like a baseball, his arm was not powerful enough to reach the crane¡¯s controls. He could also end up having his own bomb fall right down on top of him.


    ¡°Is there any way to destroy the crane other than the controls?¡± asked Catherine.


    ¡°...¡±


    The gantry crane was entirely different from a mobile crane or the kind placed on the roof when constructing a building. Instead of a single arm swinging on a fixed point, a metal tower several dozen meters tall had metal wheels several times the size of a train¡¯s that it used to move along some rails on the ground.


    In other words...


    ¡°If we destroy the wheels or the rails, would the crane derail and fall over?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Catherine Blueangel leaned out from behind the container and fired her handgun several times at the giant metal wheels.


    It was said that gun could blow a fist-sized hole in an elephant, but all it did was scatter orange sparks.


    ¡°No good. This isn¡¯t enough firepower. Big brother, will your bombs work?¡±


    ¡°With something that heavy, I¡¯m not sure. Plus, they¡¯re moving back and forth. I don¡¯t want to get close to set up the bomb. I¡¯d get my hand caught and crushed!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The black bikini gun girl thought for a moment.


    ¡°Then the only way to protect you is to take out whoever¡¯s controlling it remotely.¡±


    ¡°Catherine?¡±


    He did not have time to stop her.


    He heard a few light footsteps and the 12-year-old braid girl vanished. She had not made a quick horizontal movement. She had moved vertically. She had climbed to the top of the metal container in no time and he had not been able to follow the unexpected action.


    But by the time he realized that, it was all over.


    He could not call out to the small girl, so he remained crouched in the rainy late night container yard and spoke in a pointlessly quiet voice.


    ¡°Dammit, Catherine.¡±


    Part 7


    1: The enemy knew almost exactly where they were. Otherwise they would not be able to remove the metal containers that acted as a shield, drop those containers from above, or knock over entire stacks of containers. They could not afford to hit their own allies with those broad attacks, so they had to be in a position giving a view of the entire battlefield.


    2: The enemy had not ben viewing the entire container yard with a satellite or UAV from the beginning. If they had, they would have immediately noticed something was amiss no matter how silently Quenser took out the guards. Most likely, they had quickly climbed to the top of the containers to gain a decent vantage point only after noticing the trouble.


    3: The enemy could not let go of their mobile device. They were constantly controlling the gantry crane remotely, so that went without saying.


    With the above three points in mind, Catherine Blueangel ran from container stack to container stack. She did not stop and then climb vertically like a mountain climber or cliff climber. It was like an extension of running. She would build up speed, jump, grab the edge of the container¡¯s roof, kick off of the slight protrusions on the wall, and roll onto the higher level with her speed intact. It was a lot like an urban extreme sport.


    Of course, she found several dark figures on top of the containers.


    Elevated places were perfect for sniping.


    With harsh gunshots, she knocked them down to the ground below and clicked her tongue.


    (Those were normal snipers. My target is elsewhere.)


    At that point, the gantry crane rumbled overhead.


    A heavy metal container dangled from it and it swung like an Island Nation temple bell to knock down the entire stack of containers on which Catherine stood.


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    The 12-year-old girl jumped down one level and ran toward the metal ladder horizontally connecting this stack to another. Meanwhile, a powerful impact caused the entire stack to crumble. Each block weighed more than ten tons, so if a corner slightly grazed her, it could tear off an arm or a leg.


    She more leaped than ran across the ladder and escaped to the other stack.


    A few seconds later, the first stack completely collapsed.


    (They resorted to the crane, so I must be headed in the right direction!)


    The gantry crane began to move again.


    The four wires and mechanical claws connected to a nearby container. It looked like the enemy intended to slam it directly into her, but unlike the earlier surprise attack, she had seen this attack before. Catherine did not panic or rush as she took a running start and jumped on top of the dangling container.


    Then she continued forward without slowing down.


    (If they¡¯re using a mobile device, the backlight has to always be shining on their face. Telling them apart from the other soldiers is easy!!)


    She fired her military handgun a few times to take out a few snipers on other stacks.


    She ran across the large container for a ten meter running start and then leaped across the dark container yard.


    She flew in a gentle arc.


    Time seemed to slow for everyone who saw it.


    Then the 12-year-old braid girl accurately landed on the top of another container stack with feline grace.


    The mobile user was right in front of her.


    Surprisingly, it was a girl with long blonde hair who looked the same age as Catherine. She wore an elegant dress and wide-brimmed hat, but it was obvious at a glance that she was the same. Thanks to the rain, her bodylines and even the bright color of her skin showed through the dress. She was too lithely muscular and her frame was too solid for a high-class girl visiting a luxury resort.


    ¡°!!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Catherine aimed her military handgun with one hand, but the mobile user flipped her soaked skirt around and kicked the gun to the side while showing off her legs up to the base of the thighs. The mobile user carried an assault rifle, but with the mobile device taking up one hand, she must not have been able to make proper use of the rifle and its heavy recoil. She tried to hold it like a light, but it was no use. During that brief moment of hesitation, Catherine grabbed the rifle, twisted it out of the other girl¡¯s grasp, and threw it down off of the container.


    They were both unarmed now.


    Their fists and legs crossed paths a few times and they took a simultaneous step back.


    Aware of a stinging pain in the back of her hand, Catherine took another look at the strange mobile user whose skirt fluttered like a matador¡¯s cape.


    ¡°You have the scent of an Elite. But there¡¯s something different about you. And your fighting style isn¡¯t that of the clean wars.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m a freak created by the Object-less Northern Restricted Zone. And I hate proper Elites. Honestly, we use the same techniques, so why do you get paid so much more!?¡±


    Part 8


    ¡°You damn monsters...¡± groaned Quenser down in the world below.


    He was holding his handmade ultrasonic skull shaker like a bazooka, but he could not aim with any precision. Just like shining a flashlight on someone, he aimed in his target¡¯s general direction to knock out everyone there, so even if he aimed at the girls moving around with such great speed, he might harm Catherine too.


    And the same was likely true of the Capitalist Corporations soldiers even though their sniper rifles were specifically designed to pierce a single point.


    No one could interfere. They could not protect their side of the two girls fighting hand-to-hand. Every one of their movements was too acrobatic to predict, so there was no way to safely eliminate just the enemy. Catherine knew she was outnumbered, so she was likely sticking close to the Capitalist Corporations mobile user to create just such a situation.


    And the idiot had to hold his head in his hands.


    ¡°Her skirt keeps fluttering up and her bikini is about to come undone!! If you¡¯re going to take this oddly seriously, can¡¯t you focus on that kind of threat too!?¡±


    It was like watching two cats in heat fighting as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop.


    But Quenser could not afford to just sit there and watch the catfight between 12-year-old girls.


    They were outnumbered.


    Quenser¡¯s side knew that, but the Capitalist Corporations might not. They had only taken a look at the whole container yard after the trouble had begun, so it was possible they did not know that Quenser, Catherine, and Heivia were the only ones attacking. There was a good chance they would suspect those three were scouts and a large unit was waiting outside the container yard.


    And Quenser¡¯s side needed them to think that.


    Now that a largescale firefight had broken out, Quenser¡¯s side could not win if the Capitalist Corporations regained their cool.


    (I guess bluffs work better during this kind of confusion.)


    Before the waves of confusion could settle down, he wanted to overwrite that with an even more impactful attack. He wanted an attack large enough to surpass the limits of their hearts and drive them into a panicked flight. The best way to do that would be to take out the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ landmark, the weapon key to their strategy, and the support for their psyches. What would that be? Setting aside how realistic it was, he knew the answer.


    (The gantry crane. I guess I have to break that thing after all, dammit!!)


    He had to destroy their largest weapon to drive them all back. He may have reached that specific answer due to his position as someone who went around destroying Objects to reject the clean wars.


    At any rate, he made his way toward the bottom of the gantry crane that ran along the thick rails installed on the asphalt road.


    As previously stated, the gantry crane was not like rooftop construction cranes or mobile cranes. Instead of fixing itself in place and rotating from there, a tower several dozen meters tall used metal wheels larger than a train¡¯s to travel along a set of rails. Even if the rails ran front to back, the crane itself could only move side to side. Those two directions of movement meant the containers could only be moved along a cross-like path, so it was a lot like a crane game.


    Meaning...


    ¡°It would be fastest to destroy the rail or wheels.¡±


    He spoke the idea aloud because he was not confident he could actually do it.


    If he could destroy one of the metal wheels or destroy a rail to derail the wheels, the giant gantry crane would be unable to support its own weight and collapse. But that first step was no easy task. Those thick metal wheels were designed to easily support a metal tower that weighed over a hundred tons, so attaching a bomb and detonating it would barely affect them.


    The rails were the same. The gantry crane¡¯s rails were embedded in the ground like at a railroad crossing, but stuffing a clay bomb in there and detonating it would not bend them. The explosive could break through a normal steel beam, but it took a lot of work to set up. The explosive had to be attached to the top of one end and the bottom of the other end to bend the beam in an S-shape and break it. That kind of work was hard to do when the rails were embedded in the asphalt.


    (I¡¯ve heard a train can be derailed if a crow places a small stone on the rail.)


    He thought for a bit but rejected that idea too. The gantry crane¡¯s weight was simply too great. Not only was the overall weight an issue, but the burden on each individual wheel was entirely different. Those heavy and slow-moving wheels would crush just about anything in their path. If he placed a bicycle or scooter along the rails, it would be smashed to pieces. Even if he used an explosive blast to knock a metal container on top of the rails, the crane would simply push it forward as it moved.


    ¡°What do I do?¡±


    He could not destroy the wheels or the rails with his explosives.


    He could not derail it with an obstacle.


    ¡°What do I do, dammit!?¡±


    Quenser ran toward the giant wheels that were rumbling back and forth along the rails. Unlike a car, they could only follow that set path, so he did not have to worry about being hit unless he stepped on the rails. Even so, he felt a squeezing in his stomach as that great mass approached.


    For the time being, he did not need the metal tube on his shoulder. He crouched down, placed it on the ground, and pulled some Hand Axe from his backpack. He kneaded the clay explosive again and again and desperately tried to figure out what to do with it.


    ¡°...¡±


    After slowly breathing in and out, he stabbed an electric fuse into the bomb.


    He had settled on a plan.


    And at that very moment, he heard deafening gunfire from directly behind him. At the same time, orange sparks flew from the thick metal at the base of the gantry crane tower. Quenser quickly ducked down, but it did not help much.


    Scorching pain surged through his shoulder and he fell to the ground.


    ¡°Ghhh...!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I meant that as a warning, but a ricochet hit you.¡±


    A disconcerting sweat much too thick to be mistaken for rainwater oozed out from below Quenser¡¯s skin as he looked around from the ground.


    He saw a large dark-skinned man holding what appeared to be a Capitalist Corporations assault rifle. However, he seemed somehow different from the container yard soldiers. He was not disguised as port security and he was already fully equipped for urban warfare.


    ¡°This was unfortunate for both of us. I¡¯m betting you were trying to sabotage the crane, but no handheld explosives would be enough for that.¡±


    ¡°Who...are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from the money-obsessed Capitalist Corporations, so I prefer to take the enemy hostage than kill them. Spies are especially nice. I¡¯ll send you back to your unit and they¡¯ll send me a little spending money.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Get up. You¡¯re on top of the rail. I doubt being slowly bisected would be much fun.¡±


    ¡°...No, I¡¯m fine right where I am.¡±


    Quenser held a radio in his hand.


    And a short distance away, some clay Hand Axe explosive was stuffed into the rail¡¯s indentation in the asphalt.


    The dark-skinned man was not too bothered by that. Even if it did detonate, it could not destroy the wheels or rail. The gantry crane would remain standing, so the boy¡¯s resistance was futile.


    But the student had not set his hopes that high.


    He could not destroy the rails or wheels with his explosives.


    Derailing the crane with an obstacle was not realistic.


    His situation looked hopeless, but he could not let the magic of his own words fool him. If he rationally compared the two options and chose only the workable aspects of both, another possibility showed itself.


    In other words, he could use the explosive to lift up the crane and derail it.


    The explosion sounded muffled, but that was to be expected when it had occurred just as the metal wheel interlocked with the rail while the clay explosive was between them, like a giant smashing herbs below its feet. The blast had nowhere to go, so it lifted up the giant wheel ever so slightly.


    And that led to something that should not have happened.


    The top of the solid and unshakable gantry crane tower shook somewhat.


    When the dark-skinned man gave it a second look, he saw some slight space between the wheel and the indented rail.


    No.


    No...!!


    ¡°Tch!!¡±


    ¡°Shoot me if you like, but don¡¯t let that detour delay you too much! When that crane falls, no one can predict how the containers will collapse!!¡±


    ¡°Goddammit!! Mariydi!!¡±


    When he saw the wheel rising up even further, the dark-skinned man seemed to make up his mind. He removed his rifle¡¯s sight from Quenser and ran off somewhere as fast as he could.


    The gantry crane could not regain its balance now.


    It was going to collapse.


    ¡°Farewell, Babel. Welcome to the age of war.¡±


    Quenser gently smiled on the ground and then the world was smashed to pieces around him.


    Part 9


    ¡°Oh.¡± In her blue bikini, the Princess continued inspecting her Object with tools in hand near the top of the Baby Magnum. She regained her balance after a slight tremor belatedly ran through the machine. The small butt contained in the synthetic fabric shook back and forth like she was surfing.


    She was fifty meters up, but during the late-night downpour, she could not see the distant tower of dust.


    However, her ample experience in war allowed her to intuitively analyze the tremor she felt. The waves running through the dark sea were not normal. They were clearly manmade and had the dangerous and weighty feel of destruction.


    She had heard that Quenser and the others were the attackers and the Capitalist Corporations were the defenders, so it was obvious what something this large meant.


    ¡°Way to go, Quenser.¡±


    Part 10


    The tower-like gantry crane collapsed to the side and the stacks of metal containers crumbled one after another like the remains of a sand castle. The snipers and spotters were swallowed up, the soldiers on the ground below fled in a panic, and pandemonium enveloped the entire area.


    Dry gunshots hurried them along. The Legitimacy Kingdom intruders were probably firing at their backs with a rifle.


    Their landmark and strategic foundation had been destroyed, that had filled them with fear, and now bullets were flying their way.


    ¡°Dammit,¡± cursed a blonde girl as she tore off her elegant dress¡¯s skirt because it was in the way after absorbing so much water.


    When she looked down from the top of a partially-fallen stack of containers, she saw only one enemy firing. He could be quickly suppressed if the soldiers calmly surrounded him, but Mariydi only knew that because she could see the giant labyrinth from above. The collapsing containers had created chaos and the enemy¡¯s gunshots echoed off the metal walls again and again.


    After three or four days of little sleep on a chaotic battlefield, it was fairly common for a soldier to confuse their allies for the enemy and fire on the people providing covering fire behind them. The collapse of the gantry crane had created similar chaos here.


    The Pilot Elite with a black bikini and a blonde braid waved her right hand and spoke with a daring smile on her lips.


    ¡°Looks like my big brother¡¯s friend is working hard. I win this time. And if you want to stubbornly blame your clothes, then strip naked and try again.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t act so confidently if I were you. Your swimsuit bottom¡¯s knots are looking pretty tight.¡±


    ¡°Ah!?¡±


    ¡°And both sides too. After soaking up all that water, you¡¯ll have to cut those with a knife to undo them. But who are you going to ask? This isn¡¯t like the string to a boy¡¯s swim trunks.¡±


    ¡°Gh...kh... B-but I still have the upper hand here. Looks like the Capitalist Corporations will have to abandon one of their bases. You should get out of here soon too.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°A Capitalist Corporations mercenary should know to do what¡¯s most sensible. A cruel fate awaits soldiers who are left behind on the battlefield. Especially for soldiers with an ¡®abnormal background¡¯ like us.¡±


    ¡°From the look of things, this wasn¡¯t an official mission. Why did you break away from the military hierarchy for this reckless attack?¡±


    ¡°To find the source of the grenade launcher used by a rioter, but that isn¡¯t the real reason. One of our comrades was shot and can¡¯t move. This was a necessary step to get her back to the base zone as soon as possible.¡±


    Mariydi sighed.


    She reached into her pocket and flicked a scrap of paper over. The paper rotated like a frisbee and seemed to be some kind of contest entry card.


    Catherine looked confused after catching it.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? The cover sticker on there is for the mysterious mixed seafood and chicken flavor from the culture of dashi. It¡¯s only sold within the Island Nation, so it wasn¡¯t easy getting my hands on it. And of course, only someone from the Capitalist Corporations could do so.¡±


    ¡°I see. So it proves that the Capitalist Corporations had taken over this container yard.¡±


    ¡°Even if one of our retreating soldiers fires a rocket at the control room and destroys the computers, you still have some kind of material evidence. Are you satisfied now?¡±


    They had a deal.


    Mariydi stepped back and Catherine did not try to pursue her any further.


    The Capitalist Corporations mercenary said one last thing in the rain.


    ¡°You were wondering why we passed a launcher on to a rioter, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Is the system in place across Second Venice really safe? Or would destroying it be the only way to achieve safety? And with that, goodbye.¡±


    As soon as the small figure jumped down from the container, the container shook below Catherine¡¯s feet. She too escaped that higher level to avoid being caught in the collapse.


    Part 11


    Quenser, Catherine, and Heivia managed to regroup. The evidence they had found allowed the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion to act swiftly.


    As soon as the report came in, armored vehicles and military helicopters left the maintenance base zone on Malta.


    ¡°I repeat! We have received word that locals supplied with weapons by the Capitalist Corporations have mixed in with the harmless evacuees. Therefore, we will be searching everyone¡¯s possessions to prove your innocence. Please obey the instructions of the powered suit unit. And a warning to the culprits! Your copied anti-personnel grenades will have no effect on our armored weapons!! If you do not fire, you will remain a normal citizen, but once you fire for any reason, you will be recorded as a local saboteur! This is your final chance, so please follow our instructions!!¡±


    When Quenser and Heivia returned to the south side where badly injured Myonri waited, they ran to the roof of the building, lit colorful smoke bombs, and waved them through the rainy sky. There was no heliport there, but a transport helicopter still descended.


    They did not need to return to base.


    A medic and an old military doctor disembarked onto the rooftop.


    ¡°Can the injured be carried up here? The back of the helicopter can be sterilized and isolated for field surgery. It will be enough to extract the bullet and provide a blood transfusion.¡±


    ¡°Thank god. And I mean it. I¡¯m going to let that busty commander step all over me later on. This way!!¡±


    ¡°I was hit in the shoulder by a ricocheting bullet, so could you remove that after you¡¯re finished with Myonri?¡±


    Their busy time was over.


    They could not let the 130,000 normal citizens inside the maintenance base zone. Even if it meant delaying the construction of temporary residences, they had to build some roofs around the base to keep out the rain. Everyone was put to work on that. All of the spare materials used (along with the more than one hundred giant vehicles) to construct the maintenance base were dragged out, the usable pieces were gathered from the rubble in the city, and it was all combined as best as they could manage.


    In what felt like no time at all, the sun rose high in the sky and then sank back down.


    As Heivia had predicted, the Legitimacy Kingdom had begun releasing its rations to the normal citizens. Either way, a large transport ship full of supplies would be arriving soon. Being freed from the unease about the immediate future meant a lot. If they had failed in that, those 130,000 people might have transformed into a rioting mob.


    It was late at night when the rain from the dust of the asteroid explosion finally cleared up.


    ¡°Big brotherrrr...¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it, Catherine?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest since it¡¯s you, but my bikini¡¯s knots have been a serious problem all day long. They¡¯ve absorbed so much water I can¡¯t get them undone...¡±


    ¡°Catherine, do you know what pi is used to mean in military slang? There are some problems that simply can¡¯t be solved. If they can¡¯t be untied, they can¡¯t be untied. Go see Frolaytia or the old lady and they¡¯ll cut the strings for you.¡±


    ¡°Big brotherrrrrr!! No, don¡¯t abandon me...sob...¡±


    ¡°Stop that. Don¡¯t cry, Catherine. Oh, honestly! Then head back to the barracks and grab a towel. Wrap it around your waist and I¡¯ll use a scissors or a knife to cut the side strings!!¡±


    ¡°Really? Heh heh.¡±


    ¡°Wait. What happened to that tearful look from just ten seconds ago? And come to think of it, you could do this on your own if you borrowed a knife in the barracks. Right, Catherine?¡±


    Quenser sighed, tested the motion of his shoulder now that the bullet had been removed, and called out to Heivia who was walking by.


    ¡°I heard Myonri¡¯s going to be fine. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And speaking of which, you took a bullet too, didn¡¯t you?¡± His awful friend sounded exasperated. ¡°More importantly, the transport ship is going to arrive at the port soon. Looks like we can avoid having everyone starve for the time being. We might actually get something tastier than those soap-like rations we normally get.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why everyone¡¯s been so excited...¡±


    They were on the coast of Malta where Second Venice had come to resupply. Even inside the maintenance base, they could see the transport ship¡¯s flashing signal light out on the dark sea.


    ¡°Once this is done, this whole mess will be over. I guess the next step is setting up curtain dividers in the shelters. If we don¡¯t separate out the male and female living spaces, the morals will collapse in no time. Then we¡¯ll have to deal with the kids, the elderly, the pregnant, and the injured. After giving everyone else such a warm welcome, we¡¯ll be the only ones left out, won¡¯t we? Don¡¯t tell me we won¡¯t get any of the fatty steaks.¡±


    Then a large shadow passed by.


    ¡°Is that the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush? I guess the Oh Ho Ho is on there.¡±


    ¡°I wonder how she¡¯s doing. I doubt she likes protecting the transport ship in the Princess¡¯s place.¡±


    And as they discussed the situation, ¡°it¡± happened.


    A cruelly blinding light filled the dark sea.


    In an instant, the large transport ship was blown away as easily as a sugar sculpture.


    The two idiots¡¯ minds went blank.


    They very nearly gave up trying to figure out what was happening before their eyes.


    But that would not stop it from happening.


    Yes.


    ¡°Wait, what just happened...?¡± Heivia forced the words out of his dry throat. ¡°Did the damn Rush really just do that? Did she sink a peaceful ship full of humanitarian aid!?¡±


    ¡°Oh Ho Ho, are you serious...?¡±


    They watched as the giant dark demon calmly crossed the deadly sea. No other Object in the area could move. No matter what ship or aircraft approached, that cutting-edge Second Generation could destroy them.


    And the Legitimacy Kingdom had already released their own food supplies to the normal citizens on the assumption that they could resupply.


    They had no food.


    If their supply line had truly been severed, Second Venice and Malta were entirely isolated in the middle of the sea.


    The only ones that were safe would be the Information Alliance military who had yet to take any action. They had formed a fleet out at sea and there had been no word of them releasing their food supplies. If they were fully supplied, they could stay there for a month or two.


    Was this to take back Second Venice now that the Baby Magnum was out of the picture?


    Or did they have some other reason?


    There was only one thing they could say.


    ¡°You¡¯re willing to go that far, Oh Ho Ho? Do you intend to starve 130,000 unrelated civilians to rob us of our power!? Goddammit!!¡±


    Part 12


    ¡°Oh ho ho.¡±


    A voice spoke in the cockpit of the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Rush.


    ¡°Just pipe down and watch, you enemies of mankind.¡±


    External Document ¨C Complaint from the Sky Blue Company''s HR Department


    Mariydi! Everyone knows you¡¯re the greatest earner in the Northern Restricted Zone for Sky Blue Inc.¡¯s aerial division. Your name is always used as a positive factor during the shareholder meetings. But please use up some of your paid leave. When someone works as hard as you, it increases the risk of people whispering that we exploit our employees. The external inspectors won¡¯t leave us alone about it, so can you please cooperate?


    Oh, I know. What about Second Venice? The Mediterranean is perfect for the summer. While it does belong to the Information Alliance, they¡¯ll accept the wealthy from any world power as long as they bring their money with them. You¡¯re wealthy enough yourself, Mariydi. After all, the money you earn fighting wars nonstop is just piling up in your bank account. You need to spend some of that every so often. That¡¯s how capitalism works.


    Look, here¡¯s a pamphlet. I¡¯ve prepared your passport and plane ticket. You have a suite on the top floor of a five star hotel. Sounds nice, doesn¡¯t it? And if you back out, you have to pay the cancelation fee. You think that¡¯s a threat? Don¡¯t be silly. This is a company order. It¡¯s time to learn you need to obey those. Oh, stop that. This does not mean we¡¯re exploiting you.


    Besides, it¡¯s not like this is on the other side of the world. It¡¯s only a few hours flight away from the Northern Restricted Zone you love down to the marrow of your bones. If anything happens, you can react in time, so don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not some safe country newlywed wife who¡¯s worried about going on a trip after leaving her pet with a friend.


    Good, that¡¯s what I wanted to hear. You can do this, right?


    Aerial Division Captain Mariydi Whitewitch, I hereby order you to take a vacation at a world-class resort!!


    ...I can¡¯t believe I had to say that.


    And at a wharf late at night, Mariydi focused on her earpiece while swapping out her rifle¡¯s magazine. She casually chatted over an unofficial line prepared for intelligence work.


    ¡°Hey! Oh, lord it¡¯s loud wherever you are. So how¡¯s your first vacation in a long, looooooong time, Mariydi? What is even going on? Are you watching a parade in front of your hotel?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m having the time of my life. ...They really know what I like in a fireworks show.¡±

 Volume 12, Day 3

    Volume 12, Day 3


    Part 1


    ¡°Soldiers! I know you must be tired, but this is an emergency.¡±


    Frolaytia spoke from the dais at the front of the briefing room.


    ¡°The Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Rush has set up a blockade. Now none of the transport ships with humanitarian aid from the Legitimacy Kingdom or anywhere else can reach us. This was just after the four world powers ¨C including the Information Alliance ¨C announced their intent to provide disaster relief. This violates international law. Their position should only grow worse, but that does not solve the more immediate problem. We must gather food as an emergency measure. Search through the half-destroyed Second Venice and check the warehouses, containers, supermarkets, convenience stores, shopping malls, bars, restaurants, and hotels. Go wherever you think you might find food and water and then retrieve it.¡±


    ¡°If the evacuated people learn about this, they¡¯ll fight us for it. They¡¯ll claim it belongs to them.¡±


    Heivia sounded annoyed, but Frolaytia did not seem to mind.


    ¡°With the power out, the food in the city will spoil before long. The food would be too much for the citizens to eat before it rotted, but we can preserve it in our large cold rooms. Listen, this is not our food. Do not forget that we are merely storing it for redistribution. If you eat any while gathering it, that will be considered looting and you will be punished when discovered. Now get moving!¡±


    Frolaytia clapped her hands twice to encourage them all.


    None of them were particularly excited about this, but they had already released their own rations and their storerooms were empty. When they could not expect breakfast in the morning, they could not slack off, so they silently obeyed their orders.


    With the Rush ruling over the surrounding sea, they could not use transport helicopters. If it targeted them with anti-air lasers, they could not avoid them.


    And unfortunately, their military vehicles could not drive through Second Venice thanks to the canals.


    ¡°We have to go on foot!? We¡¯re just like some volunteers cleaning up litter!!¡±


    ¡°I think someone forgot what soldiers are for at some point.¡±


    Heivia complained as they marched out into the late night ghost town now that the rain had stopped, but Quenser remained somewhat calm.


    ¡°I had kind of thought Oh Ho Ho was on our side. I mean, yeah, she¡¯s an Information Alliance soldier and she¡¯s the person piloting the Second Generation at the cornerstone of this war, so maybe I should have seen this as a possibility.¡±


    Catherine was clinging to Quenser¡¯s waist.


    She had cut her bikini strings with the knife in the boy¡¯s survival kit, so she had changed back into the blue special suit of a Pilot Elite. Catherine had done the work on her own inside a changing room, but Quenser¡¯s small cooking knife now had the rare quality of being ¡°the one used to cut a girl¡¯s bikini strings¡±. The student himself was back in the sweaty military uniform that had been hanging up in his room.


    Incidentally, Catherine¡¯s special suit had some additional elements that resembled a thin-collared blouse, a ribbon tie, and a short pleated skirt. It made her look like a student. Lineage and honor were everything in the Legitimacy Kingdom, so they liked to reveal one¡¯s status and occupation through their clothing. What school had she been in before that bastard Flide snatched her up?


    ¡°Are you shocked about the Information Alliance, big brother?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Well, maybe I am.¡±


    Second Venice had temporarily fallen under Legitimacy Kingdom control, but there were a lot of facilities and equipment they could not control without removing the locks placed on them by the Information Alliance. The broadcast towers were one example and they had been transmitting a swimsuit G-cup idol¡¯s cheerful online concert all day and all night long. It was being broadcast on all frequencies, so it amounted to jamming. Normal cellphones and smartphones without a military-grade control tower could not get word of the disaster out of Second Venice. And even if they did use some trick to punch through, it was obvious whose side the mass psychology would take when some random person¡¯s face appeared in place of the world-class idol¡¯s swimsuit.


    There was a clear difference between those inside and outside the blockade.


    Definite malice and hostility could be seen in the Oh Ho Ho¡¯s actions here.


    ¡°I thought we might run into her as an enemy, but it¡¯s true I never imagined it would happen like this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about that Oh Ho Ho. If the Princess is listening in over the radio, this will only put her in a bad mood.¡±


    The Baby Magnum still could not take part in a high-speed battle after the hit from a piece of the asteroid. The Princess could do nothing about the Rush. Even so, she was still plenty powerful as a stationary gun platform. She might be able to support them now that the civilians had been fully evacuated from half-destroyed Second Venice.


    ¡°Will the Princess have a chance to help out here? Do you think the Information Alliance has troops hidden in the rubble city?¡±


    ¡°I stopped trying to make sense of this after a transport ship protected by international law was blown away before my eyes. Anything goes in this war. If we¡¯re attacked by little greys in backpacks instead of soldiers, I¡¯m just going to roll with it.¡±


    As they spoke, a large supermarket in the south side came into view. It was dark inside since the power was out, the windows were broken, and the shelves had fallen over. When they shined their military flashlights inside, it looked like a strange cave.


    ¡°Heh heh heh. Now I¡¯ve finished ¡®draw a portrait of a friend¡¯ and ¡®play basketball¡¯. I¡¯ve got a bunch of stamps now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve passed your daily quota while I wasn¡¯t paying attention, Catherine. Did you make some friends at the base?¡±


    ¡°Look, big brother. The stamps cover more than half the card!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re on the final stretch of the Civilian Acclimation Assistance System, hm? You¡¯re real close to the safe country now.¡±


    Catherine smiled like she was showing off a perfect score on a test.


    Heivia peeked at the fresh foods section along the wall.


    ¡°The meat and vegetables look like a lost cause. I guess that¡¯s just how it is in August.¡±


    ¡°We should be able to grab all the pre-packaged stuff and the cereal. And we should check the storeroom in the back.¡±


    ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s nice and cool over here.¡±


    There was still a chill in the meat processing room and storeroom in the back. No one had needed to open and close the thick insulated door, so it had kept the cold air in like a thermos. It had already been 48 hours since the asteroid exploded in midair, but time was still on their side.


    ¡°How are we supposed to carry all these cardboard boxes?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to take a lesson from the ants.¡±


    They stepped outside, pulled out a smoke bomb that let out colorful light and smoke, scraped the tip against the cap, and threw it out onto the end of the road. After contacting their fellow soldiers by radio, they noticed similar requests from the shopping malls and department stores in the area.


    The Princess must have been monitoring them through a camera because she contacted them over the radio.


    ¡°You all seem to be having fun. It¡¯s like a school camping trip.¡±


    ¡°I was always the type that hated volunteer work in the mountains so much I would vomit. So are you irritated that you¡¯re stuck there? Try doing some stretches. But make sure to change into a white school swimsuit and give the stretches some real energy. Eh heh heh. That¡¯ll bring some light to the world.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, could you not make me a part of your fantasies that make me want to vomit? Didn¡¯t I tell you anything but a bikini isn¡¯t even an option this year?¡±


    Once they shared the location of the food, another unit could send someone to collect it, so Quenser¡¯s group moved on to another store.


    Heivia let out a cheer on the way.


    ¡°Oh, hell yes! There¡¯s a soldier flying through the air using a water jet.¡±


    ¡°Where did they drag that leisure product from? Are they entering a store through a skylight because the other entrances were crushed?¡±


    ¡°Huh? They have an engine on their back, but they still need that water hose dangling down into the ocean like a tail, right?¡± asked Catherine. ¡°It¡¯s something like a vacuum cleaner, so I feel like it¡¯s still missing something if it¡¯s going to be a fashionable leisure item...¡±


    Meanwhile, they ran into some other soldiers.


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t we supposed to be gathering food? What are you doing at a hardware store?¡±


    ¡°The place is full of weapons: crowbars, shovels, hammers, chainsaws...everything. A nail gun could be used as a projectile weapon. We still haven¡¯t set up any gun control, but I don¡¯t want to imagine what happens if they begin rioting and bring out things like this. We¡¯ll have to kill them.¡±


    The fact that their fear was not of being attacked by the rioters may have been a unique side of the military.


    Quenser sighed.


    ¡°But we can¡¯t just destroy it all. With the blockade in place, we¡¯ll have to do any construction with whatever we can find. We still haven¡¯t built any real temporary residences.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, neither option is great, so we¡¯ll have to retrieve them and store them at the maintenance base for now. See ya.¡±


    After leaving those soldiers, Heivia made an annoyed comment.


    ¡°Civilization keeps breaking down more and more.¡±


    ¡°The Information Alliance might actually want that. If they do have soldiers hidden in the city, they might be working in secret to turn the military and civilians against each other. I can see why Frolaytia wanted to retrieve the food right away.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°What if the Information Alliance hid small glass shards on or in the food out here? The food we retrieved would kill the civilians. Then they would just have to shout complaints while pretending to be civilians themselves. They¡¯d say the Legitimacy Kingdom sabotaged the limited food to reduce the number of mouths to feed. They¡¯d say we were tricking everyone for some population control.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious...?¡±


    ¡°Frolaytia told us not to swipe any of the food, remember? That may have been because she feared that possibility. She wants to retrieve it all and then do a thorough inspection because who knows what could happen.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s view had no actual evidence to back it up.


    And misinformation had a way of spreading during disasters.


    Which side was putting everyone in danger? The inability to answer that was what made a crumbling ghost town so frightening.


    They went around to a few more stores and placed smoke bombs near the entrances, but after that, they were stuck helping carry it all back.


    The rain had let up, so the midsummer sun beat down on Second Venice once dawn broke.


    ¡°Goddammit. It¡¯s already past six. With how diligently we¡¯re all working, I feel like something¡¯s bound to blow up soon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice having a thousand people working together. We¡¯ve finished carrying most of the food.¡±


    ¡°But a lot of the food had gone bad already,¡± said small Catherine as she strolled along beside them. ¡°What a waste.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask our busty commander if we can retrieve it later to make compost. We might be able to manage some fast-growing vegetables, like a resourceful office lady growing her own salad ingredients in her planter.¡±


    ¡°And couldn¡¯t we make batteries by sticking electrodes in the rotting oranges? Each one might not amount to much, but all of the fresh foods were wiped out. We could gather a whole bunch. Plus, the shelters will need power and I bet that would be more reliable than if one of them thinks he¡¯s an amateur inventor and tries to build a generator.¡±


    Naturally, they did not think they could grow enough to make up for the lost food, but it was better than nothing. Even if a bucket had a hole in the bottom, it could still hold a little water if it was tilted at an angle.


    ¡°Hmm. Wouldn¡¯t that battery idea be pretty unsanitary? Would you be boxing up a bunch of rotten fruit and sticking it in the shelters? Wouldn¡¯t that bring in a bunch of flies and roaches which would spread disease?¡±


    ¡°I guess it isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    ¡°If we need batteries, it would be safer to gather them from the motor boats floating upside down all around here. Their batteries have got to have at least some power left. And if we tear up a parasol just right, it can work as a propeller. Combine that with a bicycle light generator and we¡¯ve got a wind power generator. I have no idea if that busty commander would give the go-ahead on any of that, though.¡±


    At that point, Quenser felt a shiver down his spine.


    (Wait... How long do I think we¡¯ll be stuck here?)


    A week? A month? ....Or a year?


    They normally moved from battlefield to battlefield as a part of the Object¡¯s mobile maintenance base, so they never stayed anywhere for long. But the Princess had been taken out and the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Rush was blockading the ocean. The usual rules no longer applied. He could not deny the possibility of being stuck here for an extended period of time.


    And once they returned to the maintenance base, Frolaytia spoke to them.


    ¡°The MPs are measuring all of the food, but with this many people, it likely won¡¯t last two weeks. Ten days if we¡¯re lucky and seven if we assume there¡¯s trouble and we lose some. And that includes the rations we already released.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That provided a clear limit.


    Before that caught up with them, they had to figure out what was going on in Second Venice, drive out the Rush, and remove the blockade. Otherwise, they would starve to death along with 130,000 civilians.


    The delinquent noble grew pale.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Isn¡¯t there anything we can do!? Can¡¯t they hold an international summit to gang up on the Information Alliance for breaking their treaties!?¡±


    ¡°This is the Information Alliance we¡¯re talking about. They¡¯re the world¡¯s best at weaseling out of things. I guarantee we¡¯ll starve before the ambassador their home country sends to the online summit has run out of excuses. But don¡¯t ask me whether it would be them speaking or just an AI negotiator stringing words together.¡±


    Quenser brought a hand to his forehead.


    ¡°Give us our orders. What do we need to do?¡±


    ¡°I wish you were always that eager, but to be honest, there isn¡¯t much we can do. And we might not even need to bring this to a direct conclusion ourselves.¡±


    The busty silver-haired commander winked.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a desert on the moon. It¡¯s a Mediterranean resort. The Legitimacy Kingdom and Faith Organization home countries are right in front of us. The four world powers have already announced they intend to provide disaster relief. That means the Rush has made an enemy of the entire world with this blockade.¡±


    ¡°You mean...?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°An Object will be here soon. One on our side.¡±


    Part 2


    It was eight in the morning. The ocean glittered in the early morning sun as a Second Generation floated above it with an air cushion engine.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom called it the Rush.


    The Information Alliance¡¯s official name was the Gatling 033.


    It was an amphibious model, but it was more suited for land battles. However, that did not matter here. That queen of the sea would use every attack method it had to exterminate any ship or aircraft that attempted to approach Second Venice.


    (Honestly, even if it¡¯s borrowing Juliet¡¯s processing power, this fully virtual show just isn¡¯t very exciting. It lacks the edge only seen in the dances using my motion data.)


    In her spare time, the Pilot Elite displayed a few small windows to check on the previous night¡¯s data for the online concert that had been running for several days. She was digitally reviewing the excitement over the high-speed connection as well as the combination of the song and dance.


    (Oh, that¡¯s surprising. The private talk between songs has higher numbers than the intense dancing. Oh ho ho. I suppose cute and sexy are just two different things.)


    She of course could predict what was coming.


    The Gatling 033 was not fully controlled by the Pilot Elite. It was unique Object that was mostly left to a strategic AI named Juliet. By diverting those resources elsewhere, it could be used for some generic largescale simulations.


    All that remained was to see who sent out an Object first and what Object it would be.


    ¡°Oh ho ho.¡±


    A thin mocking smile came to her lips.


    ¡°The Faith Organization? Yes, the Faith Organization! Since you¡¯ve shown up now ¨C oh ho ho ¨C can I assume you have been tasked with opening the gate to hell?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? I am here for humanitarian purposes and to drive you away so you cannot interfere with the safe travel of the transport ships. All four world powers have agreed to this. So prepare yourself, you bitch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the official reason.¡± She did not seem at all bothered. ¡°I do not know whether or not you are aware of Second Venice¡¯s ¡®true form¡¯. Are you here to assist your superiors who informed you of everything, or are you just an ignorant pawn? ...Either way, I cannot allow you to approach. Oh ho ho. At least make sure you give this everything you¡¯ve got. A top idol is personally inviting you to dance after all!!¡±


    Her enemy was an air cushion style of amphibious model. It had a standard and quite boring design: four rectangular floats arranged two-by-two to form a large panel. It had just the one main cannon: an old-style cannon on the right side that fired metal shells. There was also a large missile container on the left and various other cannons sticking out from its spherical main body like a sea urchin or chestnut burr.


    To sum up, it was a First Generation.


    The Information Alliance called it the Powder Cannon 011.


    But things were different for the Legitimacy Kingdom. They had once referred to it as the Iron Lance, but they had begun to use a different name in recent years.


    That name was the Old Fashion.


    It was indeed old-fashioned, but it was undeniably an ace.


    The Gatling 033 had the firepower of two rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons, so it boasted devastating strength on an ocean with no obstacles. Its rapid-fire attacks became a single long blade. Just by swinging that around 180 degrees, it could slice through most any Object. That was why she was stationed on the ocean even though that reduced her mobility somewhat. If she took out her enemy before they could do anything, she did not have to fear any damage.


    But that assumption was overturned in a single shot.


    Just as she began swinging her main cannon around to sweep the bluish-white light across the ocean, the Old Fashion fired a railgun secondary cannon.


    Instead of at the Gatling 033 itself, it fired at the joint on the base of the Gatling-style main cannon just as it started to move.


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    This was not a fatal blow.


    But the impact still lifted up the Gatling 033¡¯s main cannon. The line of fire shifted and the horizontal sweep passed fruitlessly above the Old Fashion.


    Object battles were primarily fought by exchanging main cannon fire, yet this Object had suppressed a main cannon blast with one of its secondary cannons?


    ¡°You deflected it!?¡±


    ¡°Is that really so surprising? This is merely one of my tricks.¡±


    The Old Fashion put on a burst of speed to move fast and deep into the opening in the Gatling 033¡¯s barrage. The Gatling 033 was meant for close or midrange battles, but she fell back because she did not like letting her opponent choose his distance. While keeping her distance, she made alternating sweeps of rapid-fire beam Gatling cannon blasts from the left and right.


    But none of it hit.


    Sometimes the Old Fashion would fire its main cannon into the ocean to create a wall of water in front of itself and sometimes it would use the floats beneath itself. Instead of a single float, it had four of them arranged two-by-two. Originally, that would have been so it could press one of them against the water or ground to make a rapid turn, but by intentionally submerging one of those floats and rapidly lifting it, it could launch up the nearby driftwood or flotsam like someone kicking up a soccer ball with the top of their foot.


    Of course, the Gatling 033¡¯s main cannon was not so weak that a wall of water or large junk could stop it, but it was enough to slightly divert it. The Old Fashion used that tiny margin of error to just barely evade what was supposed to be impossible to dodge.


    Every one of those actions tore at her pride.


    ¡°You...!! But that¡¯s a First Generation!!¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have no intention of switching to a newer model. My lost friend designed this and I intend to take it with me to the grave. The only question is whether that will be today or in ten years¡¯ time.¡±


    That was another of the legends surrounding this Object.


    Objects were a crystallized form of military technology, so the ones that absorbed the most advanced technology were the strongest. ...But this old-fashioned pilot had singlehandedly overturned that theory. This veteran Elite had stubbornly rejected all orders to the contrary, continually refused any upgrades to a newer model, and ignored the modern trends and the military¡¯s desire for optimization. And it was all to keep a promise with a war buddy of his.


    Yes.


    He had the skill needed to drive an enemy world power to change their codename for him from Iron Lance to Old Fashion.


    But what had the Faith Organization called it?


    Cronus, the ruler who preceded Zeus.


    The original reason for the name would have been different, but it was an ironically perfect name for the ace that continued to resist any advance in technology while slaying all the latest Objects.


    ¡°You need not try to entertain me, Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    The owner of the ultimate piloting instincts bared his fangs against her.


    ¡°I will entertain myself with Cronus. It really doesn¡¯t matter who it is in front of me.¡±


    Part 3


    The actual battle did not even last an hour.


    Heivia pouted his lips as she stared at the flashing dots on the screen.


    ¡°Aww. The Old Fashion and Rush are moving away. Is that all you¡¯re gonna do!? Are you running away!?¡±


    ¡°The Old Fashion was probably only meant to fight a quick battle to gather information. It didn¡¯t have to settle this in the first battle. After all, the Rush can¡¯t send in another Object or Elite, so the Rush is the one that loses its advantage as time passes.¡±


    As Quenser listened to that conversation between Heivia and Frolaytia, he narrowed his eyes in thought.


    ¡°Is the Old Fashion¡¯s main cannon what I think it is?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an old Object, so we have all the data on it. It fires metal shells, but it isn¡¯t a railgun or a coilgun. It¡¯s a compressed metal cannon. That sounds fancy, but it really only fires them with gunpowder the old-fashioned way. You saw the gigantic cross-shaped muzzle flash, right?¡±


    ¡°Gunpowder? How can that break through an Object¡¯s nuke-resistant onion armor?¡±


    ¡°It uses special shells. The energy from the Object¡¯s reactor is given to a press that applies extreme pressure to a large mass to sharpen it down to a pin-like point. The destructive power of two one-ton shells varies a lot depending on whether it¡¯s as thick as a bowling ball or as narrow as a pin. Think of it like the difference between being stepped on by athletic shoes versus high heels. Some of the outdated tank guns would increase their destructive power by focusing the heavy shell¡¯s kinetic energy on a dart-like pointed core, but you can think of this as an extreme mutation of that. And that allows it to pierce the armor that a nuke can¡¯t get through.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± groaned Heivia, but Quenser looked puzzled.


    ¡°But just like with diesel, wouldn¡¯t forcibly compressing the shell create a ton of heat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the earth¡¯s core. The melting point of steel is over 1500 degrees, but the core reaches 6000 degrees. The pressure from all directions is so great that the liquid can¡¯t act like a liquid and then it¡¯s bound by its solid state. And when a magnetic substance is exposed to high temperatures, it¡¯s spin is disturbed, which can apparently cause irregular changes in its magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistance. The method was left behind by the flow of time. The shells¡¯ paths were too unstable for railguns and coilguns, so the method tends to fall back on old-fashioned gunpowder. It might look strange now, but at the time, there was a lot of resistance to the switch from giant cannons full of gunpowder to laser beams and railguns. It¡¯s all about who benefits.¡±


    Perhaps this Object was a freak specifically because it was old-fashioned. If just a little more time had passed, the firing method would have taken priority over the processing of the shell.


    ¡°That would explain why it has both a normal magazine and a drum magazine. One is for the explosive and the other is for the metal shells. I also don¡¯t see any cartridges being ejected, so maybe the powder is being wrapped up and held in place like a giant roll of old paper.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter as long as that antique from the pirate age can slap up the Rush for us.¡±


    ¡°Also,¡± cut in Frolaytia. ¡°The Information Alliance has taken another action. Some soldiers hidden in Second Venice seem to have broken away from them. And they are showing no interest in surrendering to us. They are currently holding the observation deck of the Pillar of Truth, a giant broadcast tower on the east side.¡±


    ¡°A broadcast tower?¡±


    Quenser sounded skeptical and the busty silver-haired commander sighed.


    ¡°Assuming they aren¡¯t just seeing the sights, they might have wanted to hijack the airwaves and broadcast something to the world. Now, the tower itself seems to have had backup power to preserve the broadcast infrastructure in an emergency, but the crucial broadcast equipment was apparently remotely locked by the Information Alliance and they haven¡¯t sent out even a single 140 character comment. And that idol Elite¡¯s online concert is still playing on all frequencies. That swimsuit girl jamming is truly frightening. Anyway, the rogue Information Alliance troops haven¡¯t left the tower yet, so they¡¯re probably still fighting to unlock the equipment.¡±


    ¡°So if we capture them...¡±


    ¡°We might be able to figure out what¡¯s going on, even if we can¡¯t get rid of the Rush. This group has broken free of the Rush to transmit something and the Rush is trying to stop them. It smells fishy to me.¡±


    With that settled, they had a mission.


    But attacking a broadcast tower was different from attacking a normal building. It was going to be a real pain in the ass.


    ¡°The Pillar of Truth is 400 meters tall and the rogue Information Alliance soldiers are holed up on the observation deck at 300 meters. The elevators are of course stopped and they¡¯ve completely cut away the emergency stairs. That means we¡¯ve lost the normal methods of climbing to the top.¡±


    ¡°What are they planning to do? Hole up there until they starve?¡±


    ¡°The observation deck has a restaurant and a souvenir shop, so they¡¯ll have plenty of food and water for the time being. I don¡¯t know how they plan to escape, but towers like that tend to have maintenance gondolas like window washers use. If they need to, they might be able to descend with those.¡±


    Of course, those would be stored up top, so Quenser and the other attackers could not use them.


    Heivia rubbed his chin in thought.


    ¡°It would be easy enough to send out some snipers or an attack helicopter to fill the observation deck with holes, but then we might not be able to get our hands on whatever information these rogue soldiers have.¡±


    ¡°How are they equipped, Frolaytia?¡±


    ¡°As infantry, probably assault rifles and military handguns. Maybe grenades too.¡±


    They could not get in from below.


    Nor could they directly attack the observation deck to exterminate the enemy.


    ¡°Then what do we do? If we can¡¯t attack from below, are we supposed to attack from above? But I doubt that pointy tower has a heliport.¡±


    ¡°Close but no cigar.¡±


    Frolaytia responded to Heivia¡¯s complaint with a serious nod.


    The two idiots were confused, but then she said something even more inscrutable.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be taking the average of those two by attacking from the middle.¡±


    Part 4


    The Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes entered the east side before the sun reached its peak.


    Second Venice contained a spider web of canals, so they could not travel by truck. And taking a transport helicopter would be suicide thanks to the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush¡¯s anti-air lasers. The crucial waterways were filled with sunken rubble which could pierce the hull of a boat if one was not careful. But after spending so much time in the inconvenient city, even those potatoes could come up with an answer.


    ¡°We could have used a hovercraft this entire time?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s voice sounded muffled as he viewed the scenery flying by.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t we realize this sooner? What was the point of all that effort?¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, big brother. That effort is what brought us to where we are now.¡±


    Short Catherine comforted him from the seat next to him.


    The hovercraft used the power of air to float above the water¡¯s surface, so it was incredibly effective. It was not entirely safe since they still had to avoid the pieces of metal sticking up from the water, but it reduced the amount of rubble and wreckage they had to avoid by more than 99%. They also came close to hitting their heads on the lower arched bridges, but it was still far better than gasping for breath as they traveled through the ruined city on foot.


    But...


    ¡°Frolaytia,¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    His reply came via radio.


    The student looked down at his own body which was surrounded by something like a giant steel egg as he sat in the hovercraft.


    ¡°What is with this situation? Why is even Catherine wearing a powered suit?¡±


    ¡°First of all, Catherine Blueangel is a Pilot Elite, so she can pilot vehicles better than anyone. Second, her risk is the same on the front line or waiting back here. We don¡¯t know how much of a backlash there will be among the evacuees, so she is safest inside a powered suit. Third, Myonri specialized at this sort of thing, but she was injured and has to sit this one out. I want to use every resource available. Fourth, until the officers in their safe countries rescind their orders, I cannot remove Catherine from her rehabilitation program. Fifth, I received a report on what happened in the container yard. And Quenser, you¡¯re probably the only one that can control Catherine. How many points am I up to?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, dammit.¡±


    ¡°Just enjoy this like it¡¯s a date with your cute little sister. But don¡¯t let her remove the powered suit unless it¡¯s an emergency. Even if she says she¡¯s thirsty, don¡¯t just give her some drink you find. She has been isolated to a lab and has had little contact with germs, so her immune system is weaker than a normal person¡¯s. Her risk of infection is fairly high, so keep her from consuming anything we didn¡¯t supply for her.¡±


    They were in Second Venice¡¯s east side. It was filled with countless high-rise buildings with shattered windows, but a complex arrangement of steel beams formed a giant metal tower that rose twice as high toward heaven.


    That was the Pillar of Truth.


    The giant broadcast tower boasted a height of 400 meters.


    ¡°A cable broadcast would have been enough to cover an artificial island, but they must have wanted their shows to reach the living rooms of the enemy nations on the closest coast. That¡¯s about what I would expect of the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re completely insane.¡±


    ¡°They probably think the same of us.¡±


    The journey was so much different with a hovercraft. They arrived at the broadcast tower in no time at all.


    Sporadic dry gunshots reached their ears from overhead.


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. What is this?¡± complained Heivia. ¡°Those are our people collapsed on the ground, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just watch, Catherine.¡±


    ¡°Right. We need to drag the injured into a nearby building. Leave it to me!¡±


    Quenser tried to sound cool, but he moved stiffly and awkwardly when he actually stood up in his powered suit. The different motors and actuators assisted his own movements, so there were no levers or pedals for the pilot to control. However, the apparent weight and the actual weight were entirely different and the center of gravity was very different from a human¡¯s, so someone who had never used one before could trip over nothing. And if he did trip and fall into the water, he would not float back up.


    Meanwhile, Catherine nimbly hopped out of the hovercraft and onto the walking path. She then ran through the rubble to make contact with the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers lying in pools of blood.


    And then Quenser¡¯s powered suit stopped moving.


    ¡°Oh, no... I think it¡¯s malfunctioning!¡±


    ¡°Big brother, if it won¡¯t move, then hurry up and get out!! You¡¯re a sitting duck!!¡±


    ¡°In this downpour of bullets!? I¡¯d rather not!!¡±


    ¡°What if they fire a rocket while you can¡¯t move? Powered suits aren¡¯t invincible!¡±


    After she more or less threatened him, her pathetic big brother tearfully stripped off the thick armor. But more surprises awaited him. For some reason, Catherine had opened her powered suit¡¯s hatch.


    ¡°What are you doing, Catherine! You¡¯re on the front line!!¡±


    ¡°So hurry on in! An amateur like you will be turned into a sponge in less than a minute!!¡±


    His balls shriveled up at that comment. Without thinking of the consequences, Quenser did as he was told and got inside Catherine¡¯s powered suit with her. He was now holding the small girl from behind.


    Yes, it was a lot like wearing a single mascot costume together.


    ¡°How should I put this...? What an amazingly girly aroma! And please, Catherine, stop fidgeting your butt.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for that. I¡¯ll move, so you just relax, big brother.¡±


    That began the world¡¯s strangest form of teamwork.


    They finally resumed their rescue work. Could they not move after being shot in the leg or were they being used as bait to draw other soldiers out from behind cover? Either way, they grabbed the male soldiers who had been left behind and brought them to a nearby bank.


    They heard gunfire from above and something scraped across the powered suits, but it did little damage. They ignored it and ran.


    ¡°Sorry. We have a kit, so we can treat our own wounds. You need to prioritize the timetable.¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±


    ¡°The rogue Information Alliance soldiers are sporadically firing down from the observation deck. They¡¯re using a shotgun. It¡¯s probably a fully-auto model with a drum magazine.¡±


    ¡°A shotgun!? But there¡¯s three hundred meters from the observation deck to the surface!¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t actually aiming. Remember, they¡¯re three hundred meters up. Dropping a pachinko ball, a screw, or a nail can be deadly at that height. They¡¯re only vaguely aiming and then firing down a steel shower on full-auto. It¡¯s like being hit by a spotlight.¡±


    That sounded even more annoying than they had been expecting. It also somewhat conflicted with Frolaytia¡¯s information. One of the powered suits had malfunctioned too, so nothing ever good came from a conversation with that busty commander. Idiot #1 swore in his heart that he would grope the hell out of those giant breasts later.


    ¡°Catherine.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Quenser spoke to the blonde braid girl in front of him and the powered suit resumed moving to match Catherine¡¯s movements. Shotgun blasts poured down from the observation deck, but they could ignore that.


    Quenser sounded carefree as the gunfire hit them.


    ¡°This will get a lot worse if they pull out a grenade or grenade launcher. Even if they can¡¯t break through the armor, the impact will still mess us up like being stuffed in a metal drum and having a bat pounding on the outside. So let¡¯s get started already.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one taking the most time, big brother.¡±


    As they spoke inside it, the shared powered suit ran to the base of the broadcast tower.


    ¡°I thought it was just a bunch of steel beams, but there¡¯s a lot more to it, huh? There are maintenance stairways and catwalks...¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯ve all been removed.¡±


    That was exactly right.


    Normally, the narrow stairways and catwalks would have run along the outside of the steel beams, but there was no sign of that now. Up to about ten stories up, all of that had been cut away so it fell to the ground. There was no reaching the surviving portion without a firefighter¡¯s hook-and-ladder truck.


    But that was not what Quenser and Catherine were after.


    They were not going to grab onto the complex arrangement of steel beams and climb up.


    They made their way to the main entrance. And instead of the industrial entrance for delivering supplies, they used the sightseeing entrance that led to the elevator and stairs up to the observation deck.


    They stepped through the broken glass door.


    There were plenty of LCD monitors above the ticket counter and they seemed to be playing footage from each of the stations, but they all had the same image now.


    ¡°This midsummer swimsuit concert is far from over! Oh ho ho. It is time for the next song. You recognize this intro, don¡¯t you? Now, everyone, say the title on my cue. Three, two, one...¡±


    Quenser sounded irritated as he watched it.


    ¡°They risked their lives to leave their unit, but they were drowned out by that jiggling G-cup bikini. I¡¯d be desperate to accomplish something ¨C anything ¨C after that too.¡±


    ¡°Big brother, you should probably look away from the bikini before saying something like that.¡±


    ¡°There weren¡¯t any landmines rigged with wires, were there?¡±


    ¡°They probably had their hands full sealing off the route up and couldn¡¯t spare the time for that.¡±


    The elevator was of course not running. When they used the powered suit¡¯s leg strength to kick through the metal door, they found that even the emergency ladder had been cut away with a burner or something.


    ¡°We can¡¯t use the ladder or the stairs. The metal emergency stairs were all brought down with what looks like explosives.¡±


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t let our guard down. That means they can blow up the powered suits.¡±


    On the inside and the outside, the way up had been cut away up to the tenth floor. And the bottom of that upper area would of course be guarded by enemy soldiers. If they tried to climb the wall or throw a rope up to climb, they would be exposed to the enemy¡¯s concentrated firepower while defenselessly climbing.


    The stairs, ladders, and elevator were all out.


    So were Quenser and the others going to give up and leave?


    Of course not.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go with the original plan. We need to support Heivia and the others from below, Catherine.¡±


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s cover the floor with pamphlets or whatever we can find and set some fires to smoke them out.¡±


    Part 5


    They were on the roof of a bank near the Pillar of Truth, a giant broadcast tower and a landmark of the east side. Due to the limited land, the roof had been made into a nouveau riche villa and Heivia hid inside the manmade woods there.


    ¡°Oh, man. That student is as cruel as ever. The tower¡¯s turned into smokestack full of black smoke.¡±


    The enemy could keep people out by knocking out the elevator and stairs, but they could not do the same for rising smoke. And since they had cut off their own route too, they could not head down to put out the fire.


    They could of course shut the fire doors to protect themselves for the time being, but that was not enough to relax. The intense flames could spread to the observation deck or the heat and fire could destroy the base of the tower and cause the entire thing to collapse. ...Even if none of that actually happened, it was a success for Heivia and the others if the enemy was worried and panicked.


    Heivia wore a mask connected to a small oxygen tank.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started while the skinny Information Alliance troops are focused down below. Myon-...¡±


    Heivia caught himself and awkwardly clicked his tongue below the mask, so a large soldier spoke to him from nearby.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Marks, Evans, Conrad. Let¡¯s charge in before they can recover from their panic. We¡¯ll be defenseless while we make our tightrope walk, so we¡¯ll all be wiped out if they can react rationally. So let¡¯s get moving!!¡±


    Heivia and the others rested something like a bazooka on their shoulders, aimed toward the neighboring tower, and pulled the trigger. The devices fired with what sounded like compressed gas rather than gunpowder. And instead of explosives, they fired a piece of metal with four sharp hooks jutting out in a cross shape. A long, thick wire was attached to the bottom.


    After the hundred meter flight, the hooks powerfully connected the bank building roof to the steel beams of the tower.


    ¡°Agh, it didn¡¯t work! My Elephant Shooter bounced off!!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Evans. You support us from this side with the heavy machinegun. ...And you¡¯re working with outdated information. These things had their name changed after a flood of complaints from conservation groups.¡±


    They pulled out metal devices that looked like a bicycle¡¯s T-shaped handlebars with handcuffs in the center and attached them to the taut wires.


    As Heivia had said, they had no time.


    While the Information Alliance was distracted by the smoke, his group grabbed the T-shaped handlebars and ran across the roof. After their starting run, they jumped onto the metal railing and leaped out into the air.


    They were more than 200 meters above the ground.


    Their flailing legs had nothing to rest on as the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes coasted along the wires.


    ¡°Now this is dangerous!!¡±


    ¡°Looking at things from up here, I can really tell how badly this place was hit. Is this really a world-class resort island?¡±


    Heivia and the others approached the ¡°other side¡± as they listened to Conrad complain over the radio.


    Instead of the steel beams of the tower itself, they were aiming for the narrow metal stairs and catwalks on the outside.


    Once they arrived, the lovely sensation of support returned to their feet, but they did not have time to relax. The catwalks and stairs zigzagged up from there, but as Heivia grabbed the silencer-equipped carbine hanging from his shoulder, he saw something up above.


    Some cables were carelessly winding along on the underside of the catwalk above them.


    And something like clay was attached at even intervals.


    ¡°Goddammit...! Marks, Conrad!! Grab-...¡±


    God did not give him enough time to tell them to grab onto something.


    With a deafening explosion, the catwalks and stairs on the outside were purged and fell down all at once.


    Part 6


    When the entire tower shook, Quenser looked up as he and Catherine used their powered suit to deal with a burning metal drum.


    ¡°What? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move the powered suit on your own, big brother. It reacts to your motion too. We need to focus on fanning these flames.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get your ¡®have a campfire¡¯ stamp either way, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®have a campfire with everyone¡¯!!¡± said Catherine Blueangel as she carried the metal drum through the tower¡¯s entrance and used a handmade tool like a giant fan.


    But with an intense metallic sound of destruction, something heavy fell near the exit.


    ¡°Wah!!¡±


    ¡°Junk is falling down...¡±


    But Quenser and Catherine had their own task and could not focus on that too much. They just figured something was going on up above.


    If they left their post and the smoke thinned out, that would only cause Heivia¡¯s group more trouble, so they focused on their job and sent plenty of smoke on up.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much going on here,¡± commented Quenser.


    ¡°Yeah, all four world powers are here.¡±


    It had all started with the rehabilitation program for Catherine Blueangel, the former Pilot Elite used as former Councilor Flide¡¯s pawn. They wanted to grant her wish of retiring, but since sending her to a safe country right away would be too dangerous, they were sending her to relatively safe and mild battlefields to gradually defang her. And the ideal candidates for that were Quenser and Heivia because they had met her when rescuing her.


    The mission chosen for them was to protect Second Venice, a giant artificial island and world-class resort that had been temporarily taken from the Information Alliance. A satellite drop weapon from the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s past was going to fall on the island ¡°by accident¡±, so the Baby Magnum and the Rush had been tasked with shooting it down with their anti-air lasers.


    It would have been a simple mission if the Appetizer Asteroid had not caused such a disaster.


    ¡°There was that old astronomer man, wasn¡¯t there?¡± said Catherine.


    ¡°Come to think of it, the asteroid was named after him and he was attacked by someone in the south side. Who were they?¡±


    That had been a small incident and they had not had time to focus on it.


    The asteroid itself had been destroyed in midair, but the shockwave and the pieces of the asteroid had crashed into Second Venice and caused severe damage.


    ¡°And then the Capitalist Corporations showed up,¡± continued Quenser.


    ¡°They gave people copies of Legitimacy Kingdom launchers and had them shoot at us, right?¡±


    ¡°It looked like they came from a floating restaurant near a north side container yard and we went there to check it out, but we never figured out what exactly the Capitalist Corporations were after.¡±


    ¡°They said something about Second Venice¡¯s system not being safe and destroying it being the only way to bring safety.¡±


    After that, a Legitimacy Kingdom transport ship had arrived.


    ¡°The ship full of food and water was blown away by the Rush. And that means we¡¯re still short on food.¡±


    ¡°But why did they do that? That¡¯s a surefire way of turning the world against you.¡±


    And an enemy for the Rush had indeed arrived from outside.


    A Faith Organization Object had shown up.


    It had been an outdated First Generation known as the Old Fashion. Its technology had been inferior, but the Pilot Elite¡¯s skill had put it on equal footing with the cutting-edge Rush. However, it had not tried to push things too far. After a short skirmish, it showed no sign of returning to defeat the Oh Ho Ho and open the way.


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization. All four world powers are indeed here.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s obvious who our enemy is.¡±


    Yes. It was the Information Alliance.


    They were the absolute worst. Why were they blockading Second Venice after the asteroid explosion had torn it apart? Why were they allowing all the civilians to starve?


    To find out, they wanted information from the soldiers who had left the Information Alliance and holed up in the Pillar of Truth.


    ¡° ¡®Reminisce with someone.¡¯ Heh heh heh. Another stamp.¡±


    That summed up the environment Quenser and the others found themselves in.


    Powered suit Catherine fanned the metal drum fire with her giant fan.


    ¡°But this has gotten really complicated, big brother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call real life.¡±


    Part 7


    Meanwhile, Heivia threw himself from the metal catwalk¡¯s railing. He jumped inward rather than outward. He sought footing on the steel beams arranged like the ceiling of a gym.


    But his comrades did not make it in time.


    Conrad had not had time to let go of his T-shaped handlebars and he vanished from sight. The midair wire was meaningless if it was not taut. The soldier was still holding onto that entirely useless lifeline as he vanished into the east side cityscape that looked so tiny below them.


    ¡°Conrad!!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for sentimentality, Heivia! Here they come! Get re-...gabh!?¡±


    As Marks shouted over at Heivia, his mask grew red from the inside. Heivia heard the light gunshots of a handgun. His eyes widened at how close by they were. And they came from ¡°outside¡±, where the metal catwalks and stairs had just been purged.


    He glanced over and saw the enemy.


    It was a toy drone flying with four rotors. It had a camera lens on the bottom and a military handgun was attached with plastic tape. Finally, a thin shaft had been forcibly attached to pull the trigger.


    This was likely what had noticed their approach and signaled for the detonation.


    It was a very Information Alliance style of ambush.


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    Heivia fired his silencer-equipped carbine again and again. He easily hit the thing, but unlike with a human target, he could not guess how many times he had to shoot it. He felt like he had wasted a lot of ammo, but he did manage to shoot down the attack drone.


    While swapping out the carbine¡¯s magazine, he glanced over to his remaining comrades.


    Marks was not moving.


    He sat on one of the tower¡¯s steel beams and simply clung to it.


    It was unlikely they could retrieve the body if Heivia left it there, but he could not just push it off either. Heivia settled on taking the dog tags and spare magazines. He dropped Marks¡¯s handgun and carbine down to destroy them (even though he had no idea whether or not the enemy soldiers would bother venturing down there).


    Then he looked straight up.


    He was the only one left, but he was not entirely isolated.


    Being driven insane by silent isolation could wait until later.


    He spoke over his radio.


    ¡°Evans, attach a camera and monitor to the heavy machinegun and watch me from that side. If you see any drones flying around the tower, shoot them all down. And make sure you don¡¯t hit me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to continue!?¡±


    ¡°If I said I was too scared to keep going, do you really think someone would come collect me!? A helicopter can¡¯t get this close to the wall!! I have no choice, you idiot!!¡±


    He was 200 meters from the ground and he had about 100 more meters before the observation deck. He could use the complex arrangement of steel beams for footing, but it was still like scaling a cliff.


    ¡°This just keeps getting more dangerous... Thank god I practiced my wall-climbing skills so I could peep on our busty commander in the bath.¡±


    This took both hands, so he could not hold his carbine properly. If another handgun-wielding drone showed up, he would have a million bullets up the ass before he could do anything. He had to rely on Evans for support.


    It was a hellish climb.


    The crosswind and gusts of wind were terrible. And the wind sometimes blew the black smokescreen toward him. The drones were occasionally shot down by Evans¡¯s heavy machinegun, but it was not perfect. He was sometimes spotted and a detonation was triggered directly above him, so pieces of the stairs and catwalks would fall like stones. He had to stop his climb and slip between the steel beams to escape.


    ¡°That settles it!! If those Information Alliance bastards aren¡¯t cute girls, I¡¯m killing them on the spot! They¡¯ll look like Swiss cheese when I¡¯m done with them!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, someone¡¯s leaning out from the observation deck. An old man with a beard is aiming a fully-auto shotgun down your way!!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for spoilerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs!!¡±


    Heivia tearfully ducked back from rapid-fire with a somewhat slower cycle than an assault rifle or submachinegun.


    A courageous voice reached him over the radio.


    ¡°Should I take him out!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! We don¡¯t know how many are inside, so we lose our source of information if he¡¯s alone! I¡¯m almost to the observation deck, so spray some bullets around to keep him from moving but don¡¯t hit him!!¡±


    As requested, the heavy machinegun fired toward the observation deck. Each bullet was as large as from an anti-materiel rifle, so the fright of being anywhere near where they hit would take years off of someone¡¯s life.


    Some of the remaining reinforced glass must have shattered because clear shards rained down toward Heivia. He had to bite his lip because he could not get angry when he had been the one to request it.


    Even so, he somehow managed to reach the observation deck at 300 meters.


    He stepped inside through a broken window.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    There were only about three people there.


    The only other thing to see was the cheerful idol showing off her swimsuit on the various monitors.


    ¡°Time for a topic drawn from a hat! The topic this time is...tah dah! O-oh? The moment when you see a member of the opposite sex and your heart skips a beat? Oh ho ho. I seem to have drawn quite an exciting topic.¡±


    One of them aimed the fully-auto shotgun at him, so Heivia silenced him with a carbine shot between the eyes. Another one seemed bored and was toying with something like a game controller with a small monitor attached. He had a stiff smile on his face, but Heivia could not figure out what was so amusing, grabbed the guy by the collar, and threw him out the observation deck window.


    ¡°I cannot help but be charmed by a gentleman who runs full-sped toward his goal without worrying about appearances. Instead of trying to act cool, I like it when he is covered in sweat and mud while making a straight shot toward...kyah¡î I think I said too much. Oh ho ho.¡±


    The final soldier ducked down as an insane gap appeared between the worlds inside and outside the screens, so Heivia clapped his hands.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Now the number of corpses on both sides is even. As a super noble with a generous heart, I would love to strike a deal here, but what about you? If you¡¯re intent on continuing the fight, that heavy machinegun will be your one-way ticket to the afterlife. 12.7mm hurts like hell. Just a graze to the shoulder is enough to tear off an arm. It¡¯s like breaking open a tender lobster. So are you sure you want to fight?¡±


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom...?¡± The soldier sounded bewildered. ¡°Why are you here? Oh, oh! I get it. You¡¯re actually Information Alliance in disguise, aren¡¯t you? Nothing else makes any sense!!¡±


    ¡°Tell me everything you know, one at a time.¡±


    Heivia aimed his silencer-equipped carbine and that direct threat drove the Information Alliance soldier to silence. He glanced toward the fully-auto shotgun on the floor, but even if he could take out Heivia, he knew he could not prevent the heavy machinegun from getting back at him. He gave up on the idea and sighed.


    The young soldier sat down, put his hands up, and spoke.


    ¡°I am Jax Spencer of the Information Alliance¡¯s Sd Independent Assault Logistical Support Unit. My rank is sergeant.¡±


    ¡°What? Assault...logistical?¡±


    ¡°You can tell from our weapons that we¡¯re not the intelligence team hidden in Second Venice, right? We were on standby so we could lend them some more firepower if they screwed up and had to make a run for it.¡±


    In other words, they got to take every day off unless there was an emergency. And those emergencies would only occur once a year at best. They were a prime example of soldiers living off of people¡¯s taxes. Heivia was jealous.


    ¡°That¡¯s why it took us so long to figure out what they were doing. We thought this was a simple job like normal, but...dammit! I can¡¯t believe they called Second Venice a world-class resort. If we¡¯d known this was an infection base we would have refused the mission from the beginning!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Let¡¯s go over this in order. I just heard a really ominous term in there, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Listen, Second Venice is a world-class tourist spot. It officially belongs to the Information Alliance, but it¡¯s actually full of wealthy residents of safe countries from all four world powers. ...They gather here from all over the world and then return to every part of the world. You understand that much, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°But Second Venice is an artificial island. It has a bunch of tropical-looking palm trees and such growing on it, but it¡¯s really just barren land made from empty boxes of aluminum and reinforced stainless steel. That means the soil is fragile and almost entirely void of nutrients. To make up for that, they spread some kind of agar across the soil. It¡¯s an Island Nation...what did they call it? Natto bacteria? Anyway, by covering the soil with that, it improves the water retention, replenishes the nutrients, and prevents the growth of mold. All of that is well and good, but there¡¯s a problem. What do you think would happen if that harmless natto bacteria were replaced with some other kind of microbe?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second... Are you saying this is connected to the ¡®infection base¡¯ you mentioned earlier!?¡±


    ¡°The official name is Sprinkler 001. But at that point, it was still a beneficial project. More and more of our safe countries are plagued with resistant bacteria. The housewives with nothing better to do have been keeping everything so sparkling clean with anti-bacterial sprays and wipes that everyone¡¯s losing their immunity and ability to recover. So when they get even slightly sick, they go to the hospital and take tons of antibiotics, which in turn increases the toxicity and resistance of the bacteria. The medical fees are no laughing matter. The VIPs needed to do something before the national treasuries were strained too far to continue waging war.¡±


    Jax smiled a little.


    ¡°It was a package of convenient and harmless bacteria. By setting them in the infection base of Second Venice and disseminating them, the infected carriers would spread them to the safe countries. The clean freak housewives would be letting the bacteria into their bodies without realizing it, but that would increase their immunity and reduce the frequency with which they visit the doctor. That would reduce the medical fees and allow the Information Alliance to focus on war. It wasn¡¯t a bad plan. At that point at least, it didn¡¯t harm anyone. ...Yes, ¡®at that point¡¯.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more? Wait...you¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    ¡°Something unexpected happened.¡±


    The Information Alliance soldier must have wanted to do anything but admit this out loud. His face was even more unpleasantly sweaty than when he had the gun aimed at him.


    ¡°They used a package that shouldn¡¯t have existed. So our Second Generation was used to quarantine the island. Of course it was. We don¡¯t know what Pathogen X is, but if it¡¯s brought back to the safe countries around the world, it¡¯s all over.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying something¡¯s happening to our bodies!? Are you saying we¡¯re filled with something people in strange protective suits would need to pack up in a plastic bag and keep in isolated storage!?¡±


    ¡°But this is a manmade disaster. We were never told the risks! We only learned about the infection base by desperately gathering information on the scene!! The Information Alliance needed to protect us. How could they let us rot with all the other corpses in this good-for-nothing graveyard!? We thought we could use the threat of transmitting this information to convince the main unit to come rescue us, but...but they...!!¡±


    ¡°Answer me, you piece of shit!!!!¡±


    Heivia aimed his carbine at the soldier again, but Jax Spencer only gave him a thin smile.


    ¡°...It¡¯s too late.¡±


    His quiet voice sounded like someone remembering something on their deathbed.


    Heivia felt a chill down his spine despite being the one aiming the gun.


    ¡°The grim reaper has already sown his seeds. Spend just thirty minutes in Second Venice and you¡¯re guaranteed to be infected. No one can escape this infection base. Yes, that¡¯s right. Yes, no one really understands. Not even I-...¡±


    Part 8


    Someone somewhere spoke.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve made up your minds? Oh ho ho. You top brass in the safe countries never do want to draw the short stick, so I thought you would keep stalling until we ran out of time. ...There go my plans to analyze the swimsuit concert in my spare time.¡±


    ¡°The situation this time leaves us with no other choice.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will cancel the work task and get back to my main job. I¡¯m a little reluctant, but orders are orders.¡±


    ¡°Will the distance be a problem?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps in a high-speed battle between Objects, but this is a stationary tower. Oh ho ho. I am just barely outside my ten kilometer range, but I should be able to manage.


    ¡°Then get to work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, right away. As much as I hate doing this.¡±


    Part 9


    Heivia received a transmission on his radio.


    ¡°Heivia, get down!¡±


    ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°I saw it on the radar. The Rush is aiming a cannon your way. Her target is probably the tower. Stay there and you¡¯ll be silenced along with them. Hurry!!¡±


    ¡°...!!!???¡±


    His throat immediately went dry.


    But he could not imagine what exactly he was supposed to do.


    A blinding light and intense blast shook the Pillar of Truth¡¯s observation deck. Most of the windows had already been broken, but the little that remained shattered. Heivia could do nothing as his feet floated up from the floor before he was slammed against the inner wall a few meters ahead.


    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    The Rush specialized in close- to mid-range combat, so its rapid-fire beam Gatling cannon could not reach ten kilometers. It had likely used a small (for an Object) railgun or coilgun.


    And it had not been a direct hit.


    Heivia had seen another line of fire tear through the air at the last second. It had come from the Baby Magnum. The Princess could not take part in any high-speed battles and she was stuck as a stationary gun platform, but she had still interfered with a cannon blast. The two shells had struck like billiards balls, so the Rush¡¯s had veered off course and spared Heivia a direct hit.


    But even the side effects were this powerful.


    Static played from the broken speakers as a violent wind struck the elevated location. All of the flat screen monitors broke, cutting short the swimsuit concert.


    ¡°Gh...kh... Jax! Jax Spencer!? Where are you, dammit!? If you can come here, then get over here!!¡±


    Heivia had been blinded by the light and he choked as he yelled.


    He received no response.


    But he doubted the other soldier had escaped.


    His eyes finally adjusted after a few dozen seconds and he found a giant mess where the observation deck¡¯s interior had been.


    And he saw the remains of the windows on the opposite end.


    A single foot in a boot had been torn off at the ankle and was caught on the twisted window frame.


    ¡°This is Heivia.¡± Heivia groaned and reached for his radio while lying on the floor. ¡°I acquired some information at the observation deck. Second Venice itself is a global infection base created by the Information Alliance and some kind of unexpected situation has apparently led to it disseminating an extremely dangerous Pathogen X. Yeah, and there¡¯s a chance we were infected too! I repeat!! We all might have been infected and that makes the Rush the righteous guardian of mankind for setting up that blockade! Goddammit!!¡±


    External Document ¨C Journal Saved to a Hair Accessory''s Micro Memory


    My big brother is an amazing person.


    I mean, he saved me from war. He destroyed the cutting-edge Second Generation Exact Javelin, defeated Councilor Flide, and rescued me from that lab full of pain and suffering.


    It sounds like something from a movie.


    But there was one thing different from any action movie.


    My big brother never touched a gun.


    I think that¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s way, way more praiseworthy than everyone thinks.


    Anything goes in war. People say it¡¯s protected by international rules and the concept of clean wars, but that¡¯s all a lie. That should be obvious from the moment a flesh-and-blood soldier is forced to take on an Object.


    But even so, my big brother never relies on a gun.


    I know how reassuring a single bullet can be. I know that really, really well. To an embarrassing extent. But my big brother sets aside the reassuring weight of a gun like it¡¯s normal.


    Things like an age of peace or mutual trust don¡¯t really mean much to me.


    Even in a safe country, I don¡¯t think I could walk around without a gun at my hip.


    But my big brother showed me it can be done.


    He showed me a gun isn¡¯t necessary. He made it through the worst possible battlefield without a gun, so a safe country should be a piece of cake.


    He¡¯s a role model. He¡¯s someone whose example I should follow.


    Or to put it another way, he¡¯s my big brother.


    Maybe I can get past needing a gun too.


    My big brother is everything I aspire to be.

 Volume 12, Day 4

    Volume 12, Day 4


    Part 1


    A gag order was quickly placed on the information.


    For that reason, the only people aware of the term ¡°infection base¡± were the top level members of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion and the soldiers directly involved in the attack on the Pillar of Truth. If that dangerous information had reached the entire battalion or even spread to the makeshift housing outside the maintenance base zone, there would have been no stopping it.


    That said, Quenser and Heivia had only obtained the phrase ¡°infection base¡±. They did not know where it was controlled or what deadly package had been set up in place of the natto bacteria for soil improvement or the harmless bacteria meant to increase people¡¯s immunities.


    Time passed meaninglessly and the date changed.


    Frolaytia had apparently been investigating the matter somewhere and she now called a limited group into the briefing room. It was of course only those who knew about the infection base after taking part in the broadcast tower mission.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally found a way we can take action.¡± Frolaytia looked exhausted as she began. ¡°We found a few possessions among the mangled bodies of the Information Alliance soldiers thrown to the ground from the observation deck. The electronic simulation division and the intelligence division investigated the manufacturer and production number of the key we found. Performing a cyber-attack on the Information Alliance is something I would much rather not do, but we found a few interesting tidbits of information. Well, even if it was used to store military equipment, the manufacturer itself was a civilian workshop. Old-fashioned craftsmen are great at work that can¡¯t be emulated by machines, but they¡¯re weak on the data management front.¡±


    The busty silver-haired commander turned on the projector to display a map of Second Venice on the wall.


    ¡°The lock maker made an installation here in the underground block of the west side. That is likely the entrance to the infection base in question. I want you to investigate it.¡±


    ¡°Um, isn¡¯t the deadly package disseminated through the agar mixed in with the soil? Have you found anything in any soil samples?¡±


    ¡°We have found nothing at all.¡±


    Frolaytia answered Quenser¡¯s question while placing a hand on her forehead.


    ¡°I had our doctors and medics look into it, but for the time being, there is nothing of note they can see under the microscope. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t any germs, but it¡¯s only what you would expect to find in the soil. They have no idea what this deadly Pathogen X could be.¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°While treating Myonri, we checked her blood and found nothing out of the ordinary. Quenser, you also had a bullet extracted and your blood test also came back clean. There wasn¡¯t a problem.¡±


    ¡°Th-then what is this? Did that Jax guy just jump the gun?¡±


    Heivia asked his question with a thin smile carrying some wishful thinking.


    But his busty silver-haired commander did not confirm or deny the possibility.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. But the Rush¡¯s actions are certainly worrying. I can¡¯t imagine she would do anything so suicidal unless she had a reason like this.¡±


    And based on a report from the Princess, there was suspicion that the Rush had jammed the Baby Magnum when they were intercepting the Supernovas and the asteroid.


    Had it begun all the way back then?


    If they wanted to blow away Second Venice and its possible largescale infection, an attack from satellite orbit may have seemed like an effective means of ¡°sterilization¡±.


    ¡°So should we at least assume the talk of an infection base is true?¡±


    ¡°That would be better, but I wouldn¡¯t call it best.¡± Frolaytia sighed. ¡°Did the virus fail to spread because it could not travel through the soil properly, or is the deadly package still in place and just hasn¡¯t been activated yet? Either way, I want data on this infection base. If we¡¯re going to prove we haven¡¯t been infected, I want data on this Pathogen X... And if in the worst case the device simply hasn¡¯t activated ¡®yet¡¯ and starts disseminating it through the soil, I want to remove the deadly package from the device before that can happen. Whatever the case, we have no time. Even without the virus, don¡¯t forget that we have limited food and water.¡±


    However, Quenser and the others did not know what was inside the deadly package or who had set it up. Even if the infection base itself belonged to the Information Alliance, it may have been someone else who swapped out what was to be disseminated.


    Who had attacked the astronomer who had predicted the impact from the Appetizer Asteroid?


    How much had the Capitalist Corporations in the container yard known and what were they trying to gain by stirring things up with the copied grenade launcher?


    The mysteries never seemed to end.


    They had far more questions than answers.


    Quenser placed a hand on his bangs and muttered a fundamental fact.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to investigate them one at a time.¡±


    Part 2


    With that, they had to set out for the underground entrance thought to lead to the infection base based on the production number of the key held by a corpse.


    ¡°Hm, hm, hm, hmmm.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in a good mood, Catherine. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve almost got all my stamps. I¡¯m one away from the full set!! I¡¯m almost too good at this. Heh heh heh.¡±


    They took a hovercraft along the canals to the west side, but they could not bring it the entire way.


    ¡°Looks like this is as far as it can go,¡± said Evans in a short and squat powered suit. ¡°Even if the hovercraft gets us up a little higher, we can¡¯t go any further.¡±


    Quenser did not try to argue. The scene before their eyes said it all.


    ¡°This is awful...¡± said the student as he viewed the city of rubble in front of them.


    The canal should have been quite deep, but something like black stone jutted sharply up from the surface. And it was not just the canal. Stones larger than refrigerators had stabbed into the sides of high-rise buildings and gotten stuck. More than that, several buildings had entirely collapsed, creating something like runways.


    Heivia stepped out from the stopped hovercraft and voiced his annoyance.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? And this is after the Princess broke it apart in midair? How huge was that nuisance of an asteroid to begin with?¡±


    ¡°The vector was also broken up when it burst in midair, so this was much less devastating than it might have been,¡± said Catherine.


    However, Quenser could not imagine something being much more devastating than this.


    When that gang of powered suits looked into the distance, they could see a new landmark in the city of rubble. If they had not known better, they might have thought it was the silhouette of a domed stadium.


    It was a piece of the Appetizer Asteroid.


    It was dozens if not more than one hundred meters tall. If the asteroid had fallen straight down without breaking up, it could have invited in a new ice age.


    Quenser and the others used the power of their powered suits¡¯ legs to march across the float as it creaked disconcertingly.


    ¡°I have no idea which road is which.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, what is this noise? Please tell me the entire float isn¡¯t bending under the asteroid¡¯s weight.¡±


    The seawater occasionally welled up from below. It seemed to be spraying from large holes much like the narrow crevices on a snowy mountain, but that was inaccurate.


    Evans stopped in front of one crack and made an unnaturally awkward movement of his powered suit¡¯s arm. He may have been trying to wipe the sweat from his brow before realizing he could not.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s nothing but the ocean below here, right?¡±


    ¡°The bottom is uneven. When they developed the underground, they built it up like an upside-down pyramid, but when they didn¡¯t, there¡¯s only a thin layer between the surface and the ocean. So don¡¯t fall. I don¡¯t know how deep the ocean is here, but you¡¯ll end up on the bottom if you¡¯re wearing your powered suit.¡±


    The buildings had crumbled and filled the pathways like there had been a landslide. In fact, the supposedly flat ground was slanted in some places.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to break right off at some point, is it?¡±


    ¡°Big brother, wouldn¡¯t it be faster to follow the ¡®path¡¯ cleared by the asteroid instead of following the roads?¡±


    The four of them walked in silence for a while.


    Quenser asked a question on the way.


    ¡°Is the ocean nearby?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask that, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Well, I can see a huge silhouette out at sea. The Rush is slowly patrolling the area.¡±


    That was the greatest threat at the moment, but there was nothing they could do about it.


    They continued marching through the rubble-filled city with their powered suits.


    ¡°By the way, Catherine, what do you want to do after getting into a safe country?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go to school or play at a park or something?¡±


    ¡°Where did you live, big brother?¡±


    ¡°Paris. The Legitimacy Kingdom home country. Well, I was actually born way out in the countryside, but that¡¯s what feels like home now. My childhood friend named Monica could be dangerous. I¡¯d finally managed to move thanks to my dad changing jobs, but then I ran into her at school! I shouldn¡¯t have chosen the best science institute in the country!!¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    He could not see her expression through the powered suit, but he had a feeling Catherine¡¯s shoulders had relaxed.


    ¡°Paris, hm? That sounds like fun.¡±


    Meanwhile, they somehow managed to arrive at their destination.


    They found a stairway leading down. Originally, it had likely been disguised as some kind of building, but after all the boulders raining down, the boxy building had entirely vanished and only the stairs remained.


    ¡°Wow, there really is a secret underground facility here. And this is supposed to be a classy resort for the rich.¡±


    ¡°But this place is all a giant manmade megafloat, so it would have been way easier than if they had to dig out the place with a pickaxe. They may have just rearranged the aluminum and reinforced stainless steel blocks back at the planning stage.¡±


    It looked a lot like the entrance to a subway station.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯ll be pretty beaten up down there. Let¡¯s just pray the door hasn¡¯t bent so badly we can¡¯t get it open.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in powered suits, so can¡¯t we just break it down?¡±


    ¡°This is an infection base we¡¯re talking about, remember? It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they used a giant sealed door of thick duralumin. Y¡¯know, like something used for a bank vault.¡±


    They adjusted their grips on their weapons and descended the stairs one at a time.


    The solid space of concrete and tiles did indeed feel a lot like a subway station. But large cracks ran through the walls, entire ceiling panels had fallen down, and the wiring within hung down like noodles in a Chinese restaurant.


    Quenser noticed something and came to a stop.


    ¡°Frolaytia? Can you hear me? ...Damn, is it because we¡¯re underground? The signal¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe they shielded the infection base.¡±


    But something else was more worrying.


    ¡°What?¡± said Evans as he looked around. ¡°This area¡¯s power is still running?¡±


    The fluorescent lights that had not broken were lit. They were blinking in and out and most of them were out more than they were in, but it was still surprising for the west side to have some hint of civilization remaining since it had received the most damage.


    Quenser groaned.


    ¡°Maybe wind power or solar power? No. If it was on the surface, it would¡¯ve been taken out by the asteroid strike¡¯s shockwave. Maybe they have a backup power source on the bottom...like ocean current power.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good thing. These wires are torn to shreds. If there¡¯s a short somewhere, who knows how far the fire would spread.¡±


    Either way, they could not rely on the fluorescent lights that could go out at any time. They messed with their powered suits¡¯ cameras to enhance the lighting and then continued on.


    Further in, they found a large and imposing door, just like Heivia had feared.


    However...


    ¡°Hey, look. It¡¯s been cut through.¡±


    ¡°Did the Information Alliance cut their way out after being trapped inside?¡±


    ¡°It was cut from the outside, so I doubt it,¡± pointed out Catherine.


    They exchanged a look with their powered suit lenses.


    ¡°Then did someone force their way in?¡± asked Evans.


    None of them had an answer.


    Still confused, they stepped through the large door someone had cut through.


    And as soon as they did, they were struck by the sound of a weapon firing. It was loud enough to feel like a shockwave.


    Being in an enclosed cave-like facility likely helped, but it may have harmed their eardrums had they not been protected.


    But they were currently wearing powered suits.


    Quenser only saw orange sparks scattering from his chest.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    ¡°Stop, Heivia! Don¡¯t kill him!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s words fell on deaf ears.


    Heivia was carrying a weapon that looked like a two meter version of the jitte seen in Island Nation period dramas. Attached to both of the branching ends was a ¡°plate¡± much like the parabolic antenna for a satellite broadcast. The short end had a concave one and the long end had a convex one.


    The convex one exploded.


    The plastic explosive attached evenly to the surface and the 800 small metal balls meant to further increase the explosive power filled everything in the 120 degrees in front of Heivia.


    It sounded like raindrops striking a thin metal roof during a squall, sparks flew from the walls, floor, and ceiling, and every surface appeared to glow orange.


    ¡°Hell yeah!! That¡¯s what I wanted from a fancy powered suit. Holding a directional landmine in your hand is completely insane! ...Anyway, Quenser, what were you saying?¡±


    ¡°Never mind, you moron! I thought that guy might know what was going on, but you had to blow him to bits with the Halberd!!¡±


    Quenser shouted at Heivia who casually swapped out the ¡°plate¡± on the end. All that remained was a dark red jelly that would teach them very little. It did not even look like a solid object anymore.


    And Catherine did not seem to mind at all.


    ¡°But big brother, we were only issued the Halberd, so there¡¯s nothing else we could have done. Well, I suppose we could have punched him with our giant fists.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯d be torn to pieces either way,¡± said Heivia.


    ¡°The convex one is for broad-range anti-personnel attacks and the concave one is for single-point anti-tank attacks, right? Why would Frolaytia only give us such a tricky suppression weapon!? She isn¡¯t writing up reports on experimental weapons to make some money on the side, is she!?¡±


    ¡°The powered suits have big fingers, so they can only use firearms specifically designed for them. The fingers also aren¡¯t suited for taking apart and maintaining a weapon, so it¡¯s best to use a simple but powerful weapon.¡±


    They walked further in while listening to the obedient girl¡¯s explanation.


    They occasionally ran into a soldier of unknown affiliation, but they never received much information. After all, their only options involved blasting them to pieces in a single blow. These were soldiers instead of criminals, so they were not going to stop just because they were told to. And the Halberd scattered metal balls in a fan shape, so there was no such thing as a warning shot. It was hard to not hit someone directly and the 800 metal balls would still ricochet off the walls, pillars, and powered suits, so they would blow away the enemy soldiers regardless.


    ¡°They really need to ban this thing with a war treaty,¡± grumbled Quenser.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t exactly like being soaked in people¡¯s dark red remains, but you should be thankful these things are letting us win and survive. It¡¯s working amazingly well for something our busty commander issued us. Maybe she¡¯s finally done pretending she hasn¡¯t fallen for my dashing good looks.¡±


    Meanwhile, they had no results to speak of.


    But when they descended some stairs, they found something different.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s collapsed over there.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Quenser. Don¡¯t just walk over like an idiot. What if they¡¯re lying on top of an anti-tank mine?¡±


    Idiot #1 ignored Heivia¡¯s warning and recklessly walked down the straight corridor to check on the corpse lying face down. He crouched down and brought his face in close even though he could zoom in with the powered suit¡¯s lenses.


    ¡°Odd...¡±


    ¡°What is? If his map case or rations are connected to a thin wire to pull the pin from a landmine, I don¡¯t want any part of this. Powered suits aren¡¯t invincible.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. Look at this, Heivia. Oh, and stand back a little, Catherine.¡±


    ¡°Why should I hold back after all the gore I already saw, big brother?¡±


    Catherine walked right on out. It was somewhat unfortunate when she was supposed to be learning how to function in normal society.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any visible injuries. He wasn¡¯t shot.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s this? He¡¯s soaking wet.¡±


    Heivia and Evans also nervously approached. A powered suit could deflect an assault rifle, but anything more than that would be dangerous. Their general position was obvious enough from the fact that they had been unable to replace tanks and armored trucks. Simply put, no one believed they were perfectly safe.


    Evans seemed to be the biggest chicken because he viewed the corpse while a little further out from the rest.


    ¡°W-was he tortured like that?¡±


    ¡°No, Evans, it wasn¡¯t that. He has no marks on his wrists. If he had been bound with rope or kept in handcuffs, he would have scrapes from when he struggled.¡±


    ¡°And look...¡±


    Because Quenser had mentioned the wrists, Heivia looked at the corpse¡¯s arm and groaned.


    From the wrist to elbow was a tattoo of two snakes coiled around a single staff.


    ¡°I was wondering who these idiots were, but they¡¯re Kerukeion. I don¡¯t even want to touch this.¡±


    ¡°Who are they?¡±


    ¡°A Faith Organization group in charge of bioethics. They belong to the Greek Mythology faction and they¡¯re as insane as you might expect. Well, that last part probably describes just about anyone in the Faith Organization that¡¯s holding a gun.¡±


    ¡°What exactly do they do? Are they ¡®anti-sperm bank¡¯ robots, ¡®radiation therapy is the work of the devil¡¯ rangers, or something like that?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re ¡®we can use it but no one else can¡¯ warriors.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s just the worst.¡±


    But a bioethics group that would know a lot about medicine and biotechnology sounded quite ominous at the moment. This was an infection base secretly built by the Information Alliance to take advantage of the global tourist location and Quenser¡¯s group was here because some third party had apparently used that to create an incredibly dangerous situation. None of it sounded hopeful.


    ¡°I wish we¡¯d done a proper investigation of the group that had captured that old astronomer. They might have used some thick foundation to hide their tattoos.¡±


    ¡°But if the Faith Organization is behind this, isn¡¯t it weird for one of them to be dead here?¡± pointed out Catherine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any Information Alliance soldiers, so did they run away? Or were they already killed?¡± asked Evans from a short distance away. ¡°Either way, we should assume those Kerukeion people have taken over.¡±


    Heivia tried to scratch his head through the thick armor of the powered suit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of this. We aren¡¯t going to find out they were the first ones wiped out by their own mysterious virus, are we!? This isn¡¯t a zombie movie, so I¡¯m not sticking around for that!!¡±


    ¡°No, wait. This is water and not sweat, right? He only drowned. I don¡¯t think he was killed by a virus or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Then did someone throw the Faith Organization soldiers into some water to kill them? Did the Information Alliance survive, take back their facility, and torture the Faith Organization? Are we not seeing any Information Alliance soldiers because they¡¯ve moved to some kind of shelter somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Wait, Evans. We¡¯ve already gone over this. There are no marks on his wrists, so he probably wasn¡¯t tor-...¡±


    Quenser trailed off.


    Heivia¡¯s powered suit swayed to the side, so he may have tilted his head inside.


    ¡°What is it? What annoying thing did you notice now?¡±


    Quenser did not respond.


    It may have been because he was an amateur student that he noticed it first. He had lowered his eye level when he unnecessarily crouched down to inspect the corpse, so when he looked toward Evans, he naturally ended up looking up.


    And then he saw it.


    A line ran along the wall near the ceiling which was tall enough that they were not about to hit their heads even in the powered suits.


    ¡°What? The color of the wall...changes?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t it. It¡¯s water. That¡¯s how high the seawater flooded this room!! It¡¯s taller than the powered suits... I don¡¯t know how it happened, but I think this guy drowned when the corridor was flooded without warning!¡±


    That was when an ominous creaking sound surrounded them and weighed on his stomach.


    Heivia looked around.


    ¡°Hey, what is that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Just run! We won¡¯t float back up if we¡¯re submerged in these thick powered suits!!¡±


    They were unsure whether they should return the way they had come or continue on, but the sound seemed to be coming from the way they had come. They naturally chose to move away from the oddity, so they ran further in.


    Was the entire float creaking as a ¡°wound¡± in the ground grew wider?


    Geysers of seawater burst up from all around.


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit, shit!!¡±


    ¡°Big brother, there¡¯s a waterproof door in our way!!¡±


    ¡°We have a Halberd that can break through a tank¡¯s armor, so we just have to blow through that metal door!!¡±


    Heivia shouted from the lead and held out his weapon. Instead of using the convex end that sent the blast over a wide area and scattered metal balls, he used the concave end that focused the blast on a single point to pierce even a powered suit. To avoid being hit by accident, Quenser and the others slowed down to ensure they did not pass Heivia. But...


    ¡°No, wait...¡±


    ¡°What is it, big brother?¡±


    ¡°Stop, Heivia!! The door¡¯s seal is damaged and water is leaking from below! The other side must already be-...!!¡±


    It was too late to stop.


    An explosive roar filled the sealed space and a thin spear-like blast tore through the steel door like a flimsy empty can.


    Immediately, the fearsome explosion was answered by something other than flames. It was a water gun like water shooting from a dam. With the equilibrium broken, the hinges burst off and the remains of the thick steel door were torn from the wall. It left incredible scratches on the concrete wall, but they did not have time to watch.


    They were knocked from their feet even in the powered suits.


    In just a few seconds, the corridor was inundated with dirty seawater at waist height. The bloated corpse was swept away and the water was clearly going to reach the ceiling before long. No matter how strong they were, the powered suits would become humanoid coffins if they were submerged.


    Catherine was the youngest and the first to make up her mind.


    With the sound of compressed air being released, the armor opened. The girl with a blonde braid left the back of the powered suit.


    ¡°Catherine!¡±


    ¡°Big brother, you and everyone else need to take yours off too!! Once you¡¯re submerged, the water pressure will keep you from opening the hatch!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit, we have to swim through a pool filled with corpses? What the hell!?¡±


    Heivia cursed but removed the powered suit as he was told. Quenser took too long, so Catherine and Heivia worked together to activate the external emergency release. The student was dragged out into the dirty seawater, swallowed a mouthful, and got his head above the water as it burned his throat.


    ¡°Evans!!¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a soldier, aren¡¯t you!? It¡¯s a little late to say you have a phobia of corpses!!¡±


    ¡°This is a mysterious infection base, isn¡¯t it!? We don¡¯t know how far it¡¯s spread throughout Second Venice, but a half-destroyed lab has got to be the worst place to be!! I¡¯m not taking this off!! I refuse to die here!!¡±


    Catherine and Heivia clicked their tongues and reached for the external emergency release like they had with Quenser, but Evans was so panicked he swung the powered suit¡¯s arms around to keep them away.


    Meanwhile, the situation reached the point of no return.


    The entire float tilted.


    However, it was hard to tell for Quenser and the others who were floating in the water. No matter how much one tilted a cup of water, the surface of the water would always remain level.


    The truth of the matter was only apparent to Evans whose powered suit was standing on the ground. He seemed to trip over nothing and vanished into the filthy water.


    ¡°Evans! Where are you!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use, big brother! The water is flowing weirdly. It¡¯s probably all pouring into a big crack in the floor!!¡±


    Evans never returned to the surface.


    He had likely fallen. Still in his humanoid coffin, he had fallen through the ¡°bottom¡± of Second Venice where he would simply sink deeper and deeper.


    ¡°How long...will his oxygen last?¡±


    ¡°His mind will probably break first while trapped in there and unable to move! We need to report this to our busty commander and have her send out a deep sea probe for him!!¡±


    Quenser and the others did not have time to worry about Evans. A crack ran through the bottom of the float and the ¡°wound¡± widened as the entire float groaned under the asteroid¡¯s weight, so the amount of water was increasing endlessly. If the water reached the ceiling, only death awaited them.


    Catherine grabbed at a handhold on the wall and looked behind her.


    She looked to the staircase leading up at the end of the long corridor.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    ¡°Why!? What do we do about Evans!?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t reach the stairs in time even if we let the current carry us! I don¡¯t know what we¡¯ll find further in, but we have to gamble on that!! Our radios can¡¯t reach anyone outside, so if we die, they¡¯ll never know that Evans fell!!¡±


    ¡°Goddammit!!¡±


    They were fighting the current and it was too powerful to make any ground while swimming. They had to grab at the handholds on the wall and pipes on the ceiling to slowly drag themselves in through the broken waterproof door.


    Everything about the situation was terrible.


    But fortunately, the next room had a higher ceiling and the water level stopped after the waterproof door had been entirely submerged. Only the unnerving creaking continued.


    Was it due to the waves, the asteroid¡¯s weight, or the west side float slanting with the buildings collapsed on top? Whatever the case, the ¡°wound¡± seemed to widen from time to time.


    ¡°This can¡¯t keep happening forever... The water is only rising or stopping. Since it can¡¯t drain, we¡¯ll be stuck eventually.¡±


    ¡°We can only pray there¡¯s another way out. We can¡¯t turn back now since that long corridor is filled to the ceiling with water. We wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe without oxygen tanks.¡±


    The scariest part was how their survival hinged on some unknown factors. Even now, seawater was trickling in from various points on the walls. The wall could burst and fill the room with water at any time, so their safety could vanish in the blink of an eye.


    Plus...


    ¡°We were relying on the powered suits before, but now we¡¯ve only got handguns. If we run into a group of the Faith Organization¡¯s Kerukeion, we can¡¯t win.¡±


    ¡°I just hope they¡¯re too busy dealing with everything else...¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re stuck in the same boat, so we¡¯re dead either way.¡±


    Quenser grabbed a floating plastic tank and handed it to Catherine. The three of them swam onwards with their heads above water. They wanted to climb up onto solid ground again, but they could not be picky. Although they did feel a squeezing at their hearts when they saw some torn cables hanging from the ceiling and scattering sparks just above the water¡¯s surface.


    ¡°I hope they have an emergency drainage pump like submarines do,¡± said Catherine.


    ¡°Was this place even designed for a situation like this? I mean, an asteroid fell on it.¡±


    Their conversation was cut short by an unpleasant creaking.


    The idiots looked to the tall ceiling.


    ¡°Please tell me the wound isn¡¯t widening again...¡±


    ¡°The ceiling¡¯s a lot taller this time, so we should have some room to spare.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget about those wires hanging down earlier, Heivia!? If the water level rises any further, we¡¯ll be roasted!!¡±


    ¡°!! Hurry, hurry!!¡±


    But then something unexpected happened.


    The water level actually dropped. Their eye level noticeably lowered and their feet reached the floor. The filthy seawater remained at ankle level, but that was far better than feeling the salty flavor fill their mouth every time they breathed.


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°There may have been an unflooded area below,¡± suggested Catherine. ¡°When the wound widened, the water may have fallen there.¡±


    In addition to what areas were flooded and unflooded, the waterproofing could change things. If they shut all the waterproof doors now, they might be able to secure plenty of oxygen even below the flood line. It was like creating an empty space when screwing up in a falling block puzzle.


    But if another wall or ceiling broke, the water would flow in and they would drown.


    ¡°Does that mean someone might have just lost their lives? In exchange for saving ours...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a miniature version of war. Including how your actions can influence the lives of people you¡¯ve never even seen.¡±


    Quenser and the others¡¯ safety was not guaranteed. They may have just been lucky as the seesaw tilted back and forth. They wanted to keep moving as soon as they could.


    Heivia waved around his soaked military handgun.


    ¡°Fresh water is one thing, but seawater can be a problem. Catherine, how¡¯s your gun?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably fine. Big brother, you have no gun like always, right?¡±


    The powered suits were a tight fit, so the spare weapons they could bring with them were limited. They only had those two handguns to fight with. A backpack would have been too bulky, so Quenser had no Hand Axe on him.


    They cautiously progressed and closed every waterproof door they came across, but they could only say that was ¡°better than nothing¡±. If the wall burst open and seawater poured in, it would all be for naught.


    ¡°That thing sure is dangerous,¡± said Heivia as he looked up. ¡°It¡¯s even showing up here.¡±


    The ceiling should have been tall, but it suddenly lowered at a certain point. But this was not due to the building¡¯s structure. The ceiling had been crushed down and they could see black lustrous rock breaking through. And Second Venice was an artificial island of aluminum and reinforced stainless steel, so it had no natural rock.


    ¡°Is that a piece of the Appetizer Asteroid?¡±


    ¡°We might have made our way underneath that ¡®domed stadium¡¯ we saw in the distance.¡±


    That sent a chill down their spines. That weight was enough for Second Venice to creak as a whole and to allow seawater inside, and it was hanging up above them with no pillars or wires to support it. Who could say when it would crush these puny humans.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually glad I don¡¯t have any Hand Axe this time. I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb that thing.¡±


    This area had apparently been flooded at times depending on the exact conditions because a few soaked corpses were lying around.


    But these were a little different from the Faith Organization ones.


    ¡°Their equipment is different. Are they Information Alliance?¡±


    ¡°They have the same uniforms and rifles, so they¡¯re probably still the Faith Organization¡¯s Kerukeion. They might have had different duties or ranks. Like some guarded the outside while the others did the actual work inside.¡±


    Heivia rolled up one corpse¡¯s sleeve and found the staff and twin snakes tattoo.


    The main reason they bothered to check was the corpses¡¯ faces.


    ¡°Those are gas masks, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°They look like octopus aliens,¡± said Catherine as she reached for one of the masks.


    Instead of trying to look at the corpse¡¯s face, she twisted the cylindrical filter and removed it.


    She traced her finger across the alphabetic writing on the metal surface before taking it apart and checking inside.


    Quenser frowned while leaning over like they were peered inside the same lunchbox.


    ¡°Hey, this isn¡¯t activated carbon. What is it? Does it have a drying agent inside?¡±


    ¡°Those masks come in a lot of different types, but this isn¡¯t to protect against poison gas. If it¡¯s removing the moisture, it must be to protect against something biological.¡±


    ¡°Biological...? So like a bacteriological weapon!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a drying agent being used against bacteria...¡±


    ¡°That might not be it,¡± cut in Catherine with her blonde braid. ¡°When I piloted my Object, I remember being told to watch out for this kind of microscopic sabotage in addition to simple firepower. And there was one thing I was warned about in addition to poison gas and viruses. And I think the countermeasure was a drying agent.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    Catherine readily answered Quenser¡¯s question.


    ¡°Mold. Deadly mold.¡±


    Part 3


    This was the situation according to Catherine:


    ¡°Acquiring a strange virus or bacteria isn¡¯t easy and it¡¯s hard to maintain their destructive ability. It¡¯s an emergency if they escape and, since they¡¯re alive, you have to look after them or they¡¯ll die. You can¡¯t just leave them in an airtight container. They¡¯re known as cheap weapons, but it isn¡¯t actually that easy.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. It would be like living in the same room as some influenza with a 0% survival rate.¡±


    Heivia agreed but did not seem to get her point.


    Quenser was also out of his element when it came to biology.


    ¡°So how is that deadly mold different? Don¡¯t you still have to look after a creature that kills you if you breathe it in?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Catherine giggled. ¡°It¡¯s called deadly mold, but the mold itself can¡¯t kill you. The mold can be found anywhere. You just have to alter the genetics of the black stuff that grows between your kitchen or bathroom tiles.¡±


    ¡°But that can¡¯t kill anyone, right?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± The small girl readily nodded. ¡°So the mold itself is just the carrier. The toxin that kills people is something else.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It can be blowfish or aconite. You just have to make a microscopic powder out of it and mix it with the ever-growing mold. There¡¯s a ton of specialized equipment here, but you really only need to make some slight adjustments to the safe country kitchen equipment to let bread dough ferment. Then when the supposedly harmless mold spreads, the people who breathe it in start dropping like flies.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± groaned Heivia. ¡°That comes up in a legend about Napoleon, doesn¡¯t it? His health continued to decline while he was kept imprisoned and he finally died a mysterious death, but scholars still argue over whether it was something occult or an assassination. But one theory was that a toxin and the mold in the wallpaper mixed together and slowly ate into his body.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if this is the same, but I have heard about pollen, dead mites, or other allergens getting in mold.¡±


    ¡°The deadly mold is nothing more than a carrier, so you can control the extent of the damage,¡± said Catherine. ¡°Even if the mold grows more than expected, the deadly part only comes from the separate toxin. That deadly part can¡¯t be copied, so there¡¯s no fear of it mutating into something incredibly toxic.¡±


    Catherine¡¯s answer was so perfect that Quenser felt a chill down his spine.


    ¡°And both the type and density of the material carried by the mold can be controlled. You can make everyone cough up blood and die or you can put them all safely to sleep. To put it another way, it might be easier to think of the mold as a tiny pill or injection.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything it can¡¯t do...?¡±


    It was obvious just how stubborn a life form mold was by the fact that everyone was constantly fighting it in their bathrooms with a sponge and cleaner in hand. The reproducing mold and the deadly toxin were separate, so it could not mutate into something uncontrollable, but it was still not a pleasant idea.


    ¡°That would explain why the Rush¡¯s Oh Ho Ho was so desperate to keep everyone here. Mold spores can travel overseas on travelers¡¯ shoes, can¡¯t they?¡±


    Even if they scattered absolute alcohol or lime across the entire city, they could not fully eliminate the mold growing in it. From the grout between tiles to dirt, some would definitely be missed. Even burning the entire city to the ground might not be enough.


    And even if not all of it was deadly, the possibility remained, so the entire city would have to be sterilized before they could relax. It may have been the same fear as a minefield.


    ¡°But what toxin was Kerukeion planning to have the mold spread to the entire world from this infection base? No one can make a serum or antidote without knowing that.¡±


    ¡°We might be able to figure that out with this.¡± Catherine looked to the gas mask filter she had opened. ¡°The drying agent would kill the mold, but the toxin itself would remain since it¡¯s a chemical. Just like with a water purifier¡¯s filter, it would all build up here.¡±


    If that was true, they did not need to stay in the infection base any longer. They would need to find an exit and return to Frolaytia at the maintenance base.


    However, Catherine¡¯s theory assumed something.


    ¡°But wait. That assumes the deadly mold has already been disseminated. If that hasn¡¯t happened yet, there wouldn¡¯t be any in the air and this filter would be clean. The people handling the deadly mold may have worn the gas masks as standard etiquette.¡±


    It was unclear whether the Rush¡¯s Oh Ho Ho had actually sealed off the island after the deadly mold had been released. It was possible she had done so preemptively.


    ¡°Come to think of it, our busty commander said they didn¡¯t find anything in the nearby soil or Myonri¡¯s blood. Same for you, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°The mold is found everywhere, so they might have just overlooked it,¡± said Catherine with uncertainty in her voice.


    If the deadly mold had yet to be released, leaving would be the worst choice. They would have been in arm¡¯s reach of the greatest threat but turned back and thus allowed the deadly mold to spread through Second Venice.


    Quenser sighed.


    ¡°Catherine, let¡¯s take that mask with us. And just to be sure, we should investigate the infection base¡¯s dissemination equipment. If it hasn¡¯t activated yet, we might be able to stop it. And if the mold is never released, the Rush will have no more reason to keep everyone here.¡±


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    The blonde braid girl sounded reluctant, but she still nodded.


    She reattached the can-like filter to the mask and placed it on the side of her head like at an Island Nation festival. She likely wanted both hands free for her handgun. It had been on the pale face of a drowned corpse, but she did not seem to mind.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the heart of the infection base? Is there a map anywhere? This underground facility is huge, so wouldn¡¯t the people using it get lost?¡±


    ¡°Heivia, are you the kind of person that gets lost at home if you don¡¯t have doorplates?¡±


    ¡°You clearly don¡¯t know how many rooms my home has. I¡¯m a noble, remember?¡±


    They did not find anything for a while.


    They occasionally ran across a drowned corpse, but that did not provide any new information.


    With the giant asteroid blocking the way above them, they continued deeper and deeper until they finally found it.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. This looks dangerous.¡±


    That was Heivia¡¯s opinion of what he saw.


    Unlike everything they had seen before, one room had been kept separate with clear glass. The entrance used an airlock, so it definitely seemed designed to prevent microbes from getting in or out.


    They saw no one inside.


    The glass walls had shattered from the asteroid impact and only the frames remained on the floor.


    In the center was what looked like a broken water tank with a water-filled container inside that looked something like a pot or a spring. A thick metal pipe ran straight down, so it was likely connected to some kind of liquid inside. When the plug was released, the microbes would be sent throughout Second Venice, mixed with the soil-improving agar powder, and scattered across the city.


    And something was soaking in the center of the witch¡¯s pot.


    It was a synthetic bag the size of a college notebook.


    Assuming it was not a bag of pre-made curry...


    ¡°Oh, no... The deadly mold has already been set up!!¡±


    Heivia held a hand to his mouth as he shouted his warning, but Quenser frowned and stepped over a corpse to reach the center and all its shattered glass.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. That¡¯s dangerous!!¡±


    ¡°No, wait. Look at this.¡±


    Quenser focused on the industrial computers surrounding the broken water tank and large pot. Most of the monitors had broken, but one of them displayed a warning window.


    Catherine approached and read it.


    ¡°An unexpected error has occurred. Would you like to restart the work task? Or would you like to continue?¡±


    ¡°Good. I don¡¯t know if it was the impact or the switch to backup power, but it stopped running and hasn¡¯t started back up! If we remove the curry from the pot, we can stop it from disseminating!!¡±


    Quenser quickly turned around and reached toward the bag at the bottom of the pot.


    And a moment later, he heard a dry gunshot.


    Before trying to find where it had come from or ducking down on reflex, Quenser stared at the deadly mold package.


    It had a hole in it.


    The hole was only as large as a fingertip, but it had torn apart around that as well.


    ¡°Big brother!!¡±


    Catherine grabbed his hips and then swept his feet out from under him. They both fell onto the glass-covered floor, but he could not say for sure that not a single drop of the bag¡¯s liquid had reached him. He had been soaking wet to begin with, so he could not say what was seawater and what was the grim reaper¡¯s seeds.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!!¡±


    A few more gunshots sounded. Heivia had shot the drowned corpse that Quenser had stepped over earlier. Except the man must have actually been alive, even if just barely.


    Catherine lay on top of Quenser and shouted to Heivia.


    ¡°Just grab that guy¡¯s mask!! Hurry!!¡±


    The blonde braid girl reached for the gas mask on the side of her own head. The deadly mold had already been released. The infection base¡¯s work task was still stopped and there may not have been any immediate risk of it escaping the facility, but this room was a different matter.


    And between the half-drowned soldier Heivia had killed and Catherine, they only had two gas masks.


    One of them would be left out.


    ¡°Dammit...¡±


    Quenser relaxed his entire body as the small girl lay on top of him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just give up here. But promise me you¡¯ll bring me an antidote or vaccine or whatever before I run out of time...¡±


    This was not his specialty, but even he knew it was not that simple. There were plenty of so-called ¡°killer viruses¡±, but it took years to develop a vaccine after a sample was acquired. And a lot of them were still far from a successful vaccine. Antidotes were developed for chemical toxins, but the initial amount consumed or a delay in treatment often left the victim suffering from severe after-effects.


    But as all that passed through his head, something unexpected happened.


    While lying on top of Quenser, Catherine pressed her gas mask onto his face.


    At first, he did not understand.


    And once he realized what Catherine Blueangel¡¯s choice meant, he yelled at her.


    ¡°Wait, Catherine! Wait!! Do you understand what you¡¯re doing!?¡±


    He tried to grab the mask pressed against his face, but Catherine kept him from moving by using her legs to hold his torso and arms in place. He tried to move his hips to knock her off of him, but she was holding him solidly to the ground.


    Meanwhile, Catherine¡¯s hands moved along the mask. She grabbed the elastic bands and attached it to Quenser¡¯s head.


    Quenser shouted over at his unrestrained friend.


    ¡°Heivia, do something!! At this rate...!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late. I¡¯ve been exposed for too long. Placing the mask on me now wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Removing the mask now would only get us both infected, big brother.¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    That clearly stopped Heivia from moving after he put on the mask he had stolen from the soldier he had killed.


    ¡°...That¡¯s fine.¡±


    Unable to move anything else, Quenser desperately moved his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine!! I won¡¯t leave you all alone!! I was asked to help bring you back to a safe country and I swear I will! Why do you have to give up your own mask!?¡±


    Quenser was shouting so loud he thought his throat would tear, but the girl¡¯s lips relaxed slightly as she sat on top of him.


    ¡°That¡¯s the last stamp...¡±


    Her body shook.


    She collapsed forward.


    ¡° ¡®Think about what you can do for a friend in need¡¯...¡±


    It may have helped that she had been lying on top of him already. As her face approached his, her soft lips bumped into his gas mask¡¯s filter can.


    It was a flavorless kiss.


    After that, she did not wake back up.


    ¡°Goddammit...¡±


    Quenser was finally able to pull his arms out from between the girl¡¯s legs. He wrapped his arms around the Pilot Elite¡¯s abnormally hot back and embraced her with his trembling hands.


    With the mask in place, he could not even wipe away his tears.


    ¡°Goddammit!! I won¡¯t let it end like this!! Help me, Heivia!! Catherine completed everything for the Civilian Acclimation Assistance System, so I swear I¡¯ll send her to a safe country. We should be able to keep the spread of the deadly mold to a minimum right now!!¡±


    ¡°R-right. Right!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia both wore the masks they had gained in exchange for someone else¡¯s life and they ran around the heart of the destroyed infection base.


    ¡°There has to be some kind of emergency method. It can be lime or absolute alcohol, but there has to be a kit for sterilizing the facility in case a microbe gets out!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something inside this locked cabinet. It¡¯s the powder used to draw lines on the schoolyard during an athletic festival!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s lime! Heivia, break the glass if you have to, but scatter that around!!¡±


    ¡°What about you!?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t disinfect inside Catherine¡¯s mouth, so we have to throw her in a body bag and duct tape up the zipper to keep any more from getting out. She¡¯ll still have two or three hours of air and the mold spores should be larger than pollen. It¡¯s less precise than a virus weapon, so it should be fine!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I hope you¡¯re right, dammit!!¡±


    Whatever the case, it was a race against time. The fact that everything was soaked from the flooding was a real problem. If the deadly mold began to spread at an accelerated rate, they would have to seal everything off. And that included Quenser and Heivia. If that happened, there would be nothing they could do.


    That was the major deciding factor in whether or not they could bring Catherine back to the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s maintenance base zone.


    Even if there was no vaccine or antidote and even if they could only fight the symptoms, there was specialized equipment and military doctors there. That would be far better than anything Quenser and Heivia could do.


    After sealing up the body bag with duct tape, they poured a bunch of lime powder on it. This girl had saved his life, so it drove Quenser insane that he had to treat her like she was unclean.


    ¡°Will that do it!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but at least we haven¡¯t passed out yet.¡±


    But things were not over yet.


    The heavens shook.


    ¡°..........................................................................................................................................................................................Oh, please no.¡±


    Heivia groaned as he looked up.


    Something gigantic was moving above their heads.


    What looked like black rock was actually a 100 meter piece of the Appetizer Asteroid after it had been broken by the Princess¡¯s anti-air lasers. Or so they had thought.


    Had they been wrong?


    If it was moving, they had to be wrong.


    That black rock had looked so sturdy, but now cracks ran through it from within. And several metal towers came into view. No, that was wrong too. The scale was simply so large that they could not see the whole picture from here. That had only made it look like a wall and towers.


    If they had been able to step back and view it more calmly, it may have looked different.


    They would have seen a 50 meter spherical main body with cannons covering its surface. That colossal weapon could move at more than 500 kph, it had ended the nuclear age, and it contained a JPlevelMHD reactor that provided the firepower for the giant main cannons which were the one thing that could exterminate others like it.


    ¡°What dumbass did this!? Were the parts carried ¡®up there¡¯ and then constructed like a ship in a bottle!? Was that Object actually embedded inside the Appetizer Asteroid!? Was it hiding there like that was a ghillie suit made of heat insulation and cushioning!?¡±


    The Princess¡¯s anti-air attack had destroyed the giant asteroid and caused it to detonate in midair, but now that they thought about it, it had split apart a little too cleanly. It may have been customized to do that from the beginning. By cutting into and cracking the asteroid with an Object¡¯s firepower, it had been remade into a vehicle for reentry.


    But which world power had done it?


    Was it the Faith Organization¡¯s Kerukeion who had planned to disseminate the deadly mold? Or was it someone who wanted to stop that by destroying the infection base even if it meant crushing Second Venice?


    It had been constructed in space, embedded inside the asteroid, and accurately dropped toward the surface. Its internal systems and the Pilot Elite would also have to have been perfectly preserved, so an unimaginable amount of technology had been poured into this. It would undoubtedly be a cutting edge Generation 2.


    ¡°Goddammit... Is this why that old astronomer was attacked? The asteroid was named after him, so he must have checked it on a daily basis. Did he notice something was up, so they came to silence him?¡±


    Quenser Barbotage had come to the battlefield to learn about Object design, but his eyes were not sparkling now.


    ¡°Shut up, you...¡±


    He picked up the body bag holding the girl who had saved his life and viscerally felt the approaching time limit. That unarmed boy did not even have Hand Axe this time and his expression was hidden by a mask.


    The puny human only had one thing to say.


    ¡°This is not the time, you idiot!! Do you want me to tear you apart right this instant!?¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°Oh, dear.¡±


    Out at sea, the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Gatling 033 detected the change in Second Venice.


    She also glanced over at the swimsuit 3D model in another small window.


    ¡°So the Faith Organization¡¯s Coilgun 052 has started moving. Oh ho ho. And I thought it had been smashed to pieces by the impact of the fall.¡±


    Kerukeion had been targeting the infection base since before the asteroid incident, but the Information Alliance¡¯s defenses had been too strong and they had had trouble in their attack.


    The Appetizer Asteroid had likely been their Plan B.


    The asteroid had made a mess of everything, so the Information Alliance military guards had fallen apart and Kerukeion had taken the facility. However, Kerukeion seemed to have had their own difficulties inside the flooded facility, but there was no need to sympathize with them.


    Oh Ho Ho did not know whether Pathogen X had already been disseminated or if that was yet to come. She did not know whether it was fast acting or slow acting. She was not even sure if her higher ups had any accurate information. Her unit¡¯s soldiers had only been issued masks that resembled full-face helmets, collapsible raincoat-like suits, and antibiotics that were general-purpose but had powerful side effects. Since they had not received a specific vaccine or antidote, she guessed that Pathogen X¡¯s identity had yet to be determined.


    But that was why the island needed to be quarantined in advance. If a deadly virus with an extremely long incubation period was spreading and seemingly healthy tourists unwittingly carried it back to their various countries, multiple pandemics could begin around the world. And Second Venice had originally belonged to the Information Alliance, so more of the wealthy visitors were from their countries than any other world power.


    If Pathogen X¡¯s identity was unknown, allowing it spread in the safe countries would cause a great number of sacrifices. If it took five to ten years to fully develop a solution from scratch, several nations could truly sink into a sea of blood.


    ¡°Hmm. This isn¡¯t a great position for an idol dependent on popularity. Oh ho ho.¡±


    So she would stop this here, no matter what kind of misunderstandings the world made.


    Between her hidden side and public side, she was needed as the Pilot Elite who controlled bloody wars more than as the swimsuit idol that was dancing on the screen.


    ¡°But playing the villain from time to time can be exciting.¡±


    The Idol Elite licked her lips with her small tongue and guessed that the situation must have changed for the Coilgun 052 to stop playing dead now.


    Had Pathogen X begun to spread or had some kind of failure led them to shift to Plan C?


    As the one enforcing the quarantine, she had to assume the worst. What if the Coilgun 052 had confirmed that Pathogen X had covered Second Venice, so it was going to destroy Oh Ho Ho¡¯s Gatling 033 before making an indiscriminate attack on Second Venice?


    Dead men tell no tales.


    If they only had to be carriers for Pathogen X, then the people did not need to be alive. They could still infect people even if their bodies were sent back to their families. It was unknown how many of the people in Second Venice knew about the infection base, but if they were all killed, it would naturally delay the discovery.


    Oh Ho Ho did not know if that was an accurate analysis of the situation.


    But to maintain the quarantine, she had to act as long as it was possible. If she chose to be optimistic, she could not eliminate all risk of something escaping. When someone heard a cold was going around, they might decide they should wash out their mouth and wash their hands, but if no one at their school thought it was a big deal and they decided they were overthinking things, the entire school could be wiped out.


    She could not let her conviction be shaken by the situation around her. Her decision to quarantine them had to be absolute.


    ¡°Release Strategic AI Juliet. The Gatling 033 will now engage with the red target designated Coilgun 052 which has appeared within Second Venice. Requesting authorization.¡±


    She sent a radio transmission to the maintenance base zone as a sort of ritual, but it was essentially meaningless. If she was restricted from doing something, they would contact her regardless. And if nothing was restricted, then she was free to do as she wished. There had been a few restrictions so far, but there had not been a word about not fighting an enemy object or not getting Second Venice involved.


    As expected, the response arrived before she could count to three.


    ¡°Understood, Gatling 033. But you cannot eject inside the estimated infected area. Lose here and you die. So do not play around with the calculations and use the optimal answer calculated out by Juliet. ...Do you understand?¡±


    As her commander with long silver hair and brown skin responded, her tone dropped for the last sentence.


    Oh Ho Ho did not say anything, but she did laugh quietly.


    (Honestly, she¡¯s letting her personal feelings influence her.)


    She switched modes and the processing power focused on a single task. The 3D model dance footage closed and it all shifted toward the coming battle.


    ¡°Authorization confirmed. Engage. Oh ho ho. Let¡¯s get this started!!¡±


    Part 5


    The blue sky was visible.


    The heavy black rock covering everything overhead had been removed.


    Pieces of insulating material and cushioning larger than cars were raining down, but Quenser did not bother getting down on the ground.


    Heivia groaned and was helpless to do anything but watch through his gas mask.


    ¡°H-hey. Is this okay? If we didn¡¯t decontaminate all of the deadly mold, it might get out!!¡±


    ¡°Quiet, Heivia. Dump the lime powder in that bag over my head. And take care of Catherine. With the top open, our radio signals should get through now, so tell Frolaytia to send in some fully-protected doctors and medics.¡±


    ¡°What about you!?¡±


    ¡°You have to ask?¡±


    Quenser left his awful friend with the body bag containing the survivor. After the sterilizing lime was poured over his head, he looked up at the most dangerous weapon in the world.


    And he spoke in a horrifyingly emotionless voice.


    ¡°We need to have Catherine retrieved as soon as possible. I¡¯ll destroy everything that gets in our way.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious... Quenser!?¡±


    He did not listen or wait around any longer.


    The surface was about three stories up, but the large pieces of rock(?) dropped by the mystery Object proved useful. By climbing up a pile of rubble, he managed to crawl to the surface even without the knowledge and physical fitness of a mountain or cliff climber.


    He appeared in the west side which was especially damaged and was mostly a giant pile of rubble now.


    The partially-destroyed skyscrapers had all fallen now and a new giant structure had taken root on the ground. This had to be the first time to actually move the weapon after landing. Its multiple cannons moved around and the lenses and sensors whirred, so it seemed to be checking on its functionality like some warmup exercises or stretches.


    Quenser ignored that.


    He paid the Object no heed and ran into a half-collapsed discount store nearby.


    There was one thing he wanted.


    (It can be cold medicine, sugar, vaporized gasoline, hydrogen peroxide water, or whatever else. Even if it isn¡¯t as powerful or stable, I need something I can use in place of Hand Axe!!)


    Quenser stuck a basket inside the shopping cart and ran around the store dumping in product after product from the half-collapsed shelves. After making a full circuit and reaching the register counter, he tore off the packaging without paying. He put the necessary substances in the necessary containers to create explosives and detonation fuses.


    He could perform a number of chemical experiments, but what he needed was separation and synthesis.


    He could distill things with a vacuum coffee maker and he could manage centrifugal separation with a lawnmower that¡¯s blades rotated with a gasoline engine. Soaking things in high-purity alcohol or using a water purifier filter would also be effective. The hand-cranked generator for an emergency radio allowed electrolysis and the drying agent in snack packages meant he could dehydrate things. By drawing out only the ¡°pure components¡± from the various commercial products, he could concentrate them and easily recombine them into a devilish invention.


    A heavy tremor ran through the area.


    The Object had likely done something outside. Even the slightest mistake on his part could blow off his fingers or his face and it was possible he could be buried alive, but Quenser¡¯s expression did not change. The modern alchemist¡¯s eyes were focused on the movements of the chemicals as he closed them inside 500mm beer bottles. He could have used soda cans or water bottles as containers, but glass had always been the strongest to chemicals. Its fragility to impacts was a downside, but it was better than having the bottom burn away as soon as he poured the contents inside.


    He ended up with ten bottles.


    He wrapped different colors of plastic tape around the top to indicate what was inside each one.


    He placed them inside a cushioned camera bag he found in the store and stuffed balled up newspaper between the bottles to fill the gaps as much as possible.


    ¡°This really isn¡¯t going to help much.¡±


    With a self-deprecating smile, Quenser zipped up the camera bag.


    Even after all this, a heavy impact from outside would easily break the bottles and Quenser would be blown away if conditions were just right, but he could not be picky now.


    He needed to focus on time more than anything.


    Time was what Catherine did not have.


    After a nod, he carried the camera bag in one hand and ran out of the half-destroyed discount store despite the danger.


    He once more looked up at the mystery Second Generation.


    Whatever its reason, this Object had made sure to appear on Second Venice itself, so that allowed him to make some guesses.


    ¡°I was right. It is an air cushion type. And it uses multiple legs instead of a flat skirt.¡±


    Four long ski-like floats extended back from directly below the spherical main body. They were not all the same length. The outer two were longer in the back and the inner two were shorter. The inner two were likely there to supports its weight while the outer two were there to help with quick turns and high-speed mobility. On the front, it had insect-like legs that spread out to the left and right.


    After all, Second Venice was a city of countless intersecting canals, so not even a car could drive through it. Unlike the Baby Magnum on the coast or the Rush watching over the island from the ocean, a static electricity method that required separate floats would not work in the city.


    Also, the mystery Object had lifted itself up to the surface with no assistance. A skirt-style would not be able to overcome that large height difference.


    That eliminated some unnecessary work for Quenser.


    Every minute and second counted for his small savior.


    ¡°Its main cannon looks like it uses metal shells. ...Is it a railgun? No, it might be a simpler coilgun. They¡¯d want the simplest method to prevent anything from breaking during the impact of landing.¡±


    It had a single main cannon sticking out from the front, but it was short for how thick it was. A coilgun used the power of electromagnets to accelerate a steel shell, so the more electromagnets, the greater the power. That was why the barrel was usually as long as possible.


    But this mystery Object had not done that.


    Quenser¡¯s attention turned to the secondary cannons attached all around it. They and the main cannon seemed to be built from similar units. It was like they were cobbled together from the same toy blocks. If the secondary cannons were a single block, then the main cannon was three of those blocks attached end to end. Either they were hoping a single blast would be powerful enough or it was specialized for battling other Objects, because it had fewer secondary cannons than a normal Object.


    (Were they trying to reduce production and maintenance costs by reusing the same parts? Or are they spares in case the main cannon is taken out?)


    It did not matter either way.


    All that mattered to Quenser was the main cannon¡¯s relative lack of range.


    An Object shell would blow him to pieces either way.


    The student unzipped the camera bag while bringing his radio to his mouth.


    ¡°Can you hear me, Princess? Can you target the mystery Object?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Quenser? Your voice sounds weird.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s only as a stationary gun platform. Can you target the mystery Object?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t avoid a counter punch, so I have to take it out in one shot.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you that chance. You pull the trigger and kill it.¡±


    The handmade supplies gathered from a discount store by a combat engineer in training had more or less zero chance of destroying a cutting-edge strategic weapon that cost 5 billion dollars.


    But things changed when he could borrow another Object¡¯s firepower. He did not need to worry about the nuke-resistant armor and he only had to give his ally a chance to fire.


    He had to do everything as quickly as possible.


    The mystery Object¡¯s legs shook. Its greatest threat would be the Rush out at sea, so it may have been planning to use its air cushion engine to head out onto the ocean. Once truly started using that air cushion engine, Quenser would be blown into the wall by the violent winds just from being nearby.


    So he took action before that could happen.


    He pulled a bottle with red plastic tape from the camera bag and made an underhand throw toward the ground below the floating mystery Object.


    It happened as soon as the bottle broke.


    A mass of bubbles grew larger than a tour bus.


    Certain chemicals would release a large quantity of gas when they reacted to something.


    The most common examples were found in fire extinguishers and airbags. Some people had their nose broken by the safety device meant to protect them, so it could become a weapon if used right. However, it would be difficult to damage an Object with that.


    So that was just one step.


    Mixing that chemical with detergent would great a massive amount of bubbles as soon as the air burst out. (Assuming you chose one that did not interfere with the chemical reaction) mixing it with acid would add a powerful corrosive effect to the bubbles.


    No matter how hard they were and even with the muscle-like shock absorption ability of the multi-layered onion armor, it still used special steel at the base.


    And there was no need to dissolve all of the armor. The air cushion engine used the power of air to keep the entire Object afloat. If the separated pieces of armor and bubbles rushed in and filled those holes, it would stop for maybe a second or two.


    And that second was enough.


    That was all the time Catherine had after it had been carved away by some inconsiderate bastard.


    As soon as he saw the mystery Object come to a jerking halt, Quenser whispered into his radio.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    Bluish-white light filled the world. From ten kilometers away, the Princess¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon wove through the gaps between Second Venice¡¯s buildings and mercilessly pierced the center of the mystery Object.


    That meant the utter destruction of the reactor and the cockpit.


    The out-of-control energy would quickly cause the Object to explode and the nuke-resistant armor would open like a flower.


    No.


    That was what should have happened.


    ¡°Wha-...?¡±


    The lenses attached to the sides of the main cannon continued to whirr.


    The mystery Object had a donut-like hole through the center, but it ignored that and quickly turned toward the attacker. It aimed its large caliber coilgun toward the Baby Magnum.


    Quenser¡¯s eyes could not keep up with the rest.


    The air cushion gale lifted him from the ground and slammed his back into a nearby pile of rubble.


    ¡°Gah...ahhh!?¡±


    His scream was drowned out by another roar.


    The mystery Object¡¯s coilgun had fired. He was only watching from the side, but his entire body was pierced by a shock that seemed to damage both his eardrums and his lungs.


    The Princess was stuck as a stationary gun platform and could not move. Now that the first shot had failed, she would be unilaterally destroyed.


    But she still sounded calm over the radio.


    ¡°Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Cough! Cough!! Sorry. I have no idea what happened!! Why is it still alive!? And why are you!?¡±


    ¡°That short barrel coilgun isn¡¯t suited for long-range battles, so my onion armor somehow managed to stop it. But if it gets close, I¡¯m in trouble. It¡¯ll blow me away.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. But only if it has the chance.¡±


    The mystery Object began moving for real.


    However, it did not approach the Baby Magnum. It raced through the city of rubble to reach the nearest coast and quickly head out onto the ocean.


    ¡°So it¡¯s top priority is the undamaged Rush.¡±


    ¡°That pisses me off.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that when that means you¡¯re safe for now? More importantly, continue acting as a stationary gun platform and fire your main cannon if you see an opportunity! Even if that doesn¡¯t work, continue targeting it to restrict its movements!!¡±


    ¡°Where exactly am I supposed to shoot it? I already shot through that Zombie Object¡¯s heart...¡±


    Quenser ignored the creaking pain in his spine and got up. The camera bag...was fine. His body had cushioned the blow.


    He was unsteady, but he ran through the city of rubble. He would never even dream of catching up to an Object on foot. Some fancy pro-sports motorboats that had to cost $200,000 each were stopped alongside a wide canal and he jumped from one to another.


    ¡°Frolaytia! How much have you heard about Catherine? The Zombie Object is on its way to the ocean. Can you retrieve Catherine and Heivia from the infection base!?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t send any helicopters with the Rush and the unknown Object out there. I sent out a doctor and some medics on a spare hovercraft, but if that Object fires even the smallest cannon at them on a whim, it¡¯s all over. That Second Generations might be made for fighting other Objects and not people, but it should be able to easily locate a target as big as a boat.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll open the way.¡±


    As he jumped across the boats and peered in near the helm, he spotted something.


    One of them had been abandoned during the asteroid detonation with the key still in the ignition.


    The boy could not drive a car or motorcycle, but for some reason, he had a fair bit of experience with marine sports.


    Part 6


    Oh Ho Ho laughed mockingly as she maintained her blockade.


    First her Gatling 033 then an indiscriminate attack on Second Venice. It was all so boringly predictable.


    She had been a little surprised when the Coilgun 052 survived being shot through the center, but that was unimportant. Its important ¡°innards¡± were likely made so they could be lifted up to change their position. That kind of cheap trick only worked the first time and would be useless once word got out. All that remained was for the battle to reveal the fragility introduced by the unnecessary design element.


    As proof, it had fired on the stationary Legitimacy Kingdom First Generation and yet had not destroyed it. There appeared to have been some kind of accident, but getting pierced through the center by a stationary gun platform on the very first shot was unthinkable for a footwork-focused Object.


    And if it had intentionally allowed the hit, it made no sense for that First Generation to have survived the main cannon blast afterwards. The risks outweighed the returns.


    ¡°You¡¯ve evolved in an odd direction like an ancient extinct creature that walked on its nose, haven¡¯t you? Oh ho ho.¡±


    It was said that very little personal playfulness could remain in an Object because so many people¡¯s desires were involved in a construction plan costing 5 billion dollars.


    But at the same time, projects worth so very much were hard to stop once the ball got rolling. Everyone might have a bad feeling and know they had been wrong, but canceling the project would mean shouldering a massive loss, so they would end up continuing on.


    Objects as a whole had evolved in an unnecessary direction in order to defeat the nuclear age.


    And at the Second Generation, they had grown even more sharply specialized and tricky. That was how Objects with somewhat mistaken designs ended up strutting across the world.


    Stories in which weapons always hit on the optimum answer as time passed and as technology evolved were only found in the fictional wars of paperbacks and electronic books written to take advantage of the war boom. No matter how old they got and no matter what position they held, the actual adults were nothing but imbeciles. No one ever truly matured.


    Oh Ho Ho felt pity.


    Even if the adults could let the stone roll away for their own benefit, the Pilot Elite could not leave the Object. If they had been ¡°adjusted¡± for an Object with a flawed design philosophy, they would be forced to accept contradictory strategic theories and use every trick they could to face the cutting-edge wars. It was like being given a loincloth to wear and told guts and willpower were the key to victory while all your marathon opponents had been trained based on sports science in a clean laboratory.


    She faced the Zombie Object as it hovered out onto the ocean.


    She showed no respect.


    The Information Alliance Idol Elite gave a proclamation of death while continuing to look down on it from a position of pity.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for a test to see if you can still move around after being sliced into tiny pieces. Oh ho ho.¡±


    The two great masses moved.


    The Coilgun 052¡¯s main cannon had failed to defeat a motionless First Generation at long distance. That naturally meant it was meant for close-range.


    But that was the Gatling 033¡¯s specialty.


    The large caliber, short barrel coilgun¡¯s only advantage was a simple design that made it hard to break. Just as Oh Ho Ho had announced, the power of twin rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons could slice even a nuke-resistant Object in two if it scored a clean hit.


    And Oh Ho Ho also had the greater skill in close-range footwork.


    The Gatling 033 worked best on the ground where its chainsaw-like treads could work along with its air cushion for high-speed dashes, but the Coilgun 052 had already been shot through the center and its center of gravity and air resistance would be a mess. Her enemy had the greater handicap, so Oh Ho Ho had no reason not to outdo them.


    She swung her right main cannon around.


    It fired thousands of shots a minute. They blurred together into a single bluish-white beam of light that instantly burned horizontally through the world.


    Oh Ho Ho knew the damaged Coilgun 052 could never dodge that. In fact, it would have been impossible even without the damage.


    With a direct hit to the spherical main body, the onion armor peeled away and orange sparks flew as if she were welding a wall.


    But...


    ¡°...!? It isn¡¯t...burning through!?¡±


    The Idol Elite gasped when she saw the result of the ¡°sword¡± strike.


    And then she realized something.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the damage that¡¯s making the onion armor peel away. Is it a type of reactive armor!?¡±


    Reactive armor had been developed to protect tanks from chemical energy weapons such as rockets. The thin armor panels kept in a case as thick as a phonebook would be lifted up by an explosion to randomly scatter the rocket¡¯s blast and stop the flames and impact from piercing the armor like a spear.


    This Object carved away its own armor in the same way.


    When designing a car, it was important to intentionally make the frame soft. That was to absorb the impact of an accident that would otherwise reach the driver. The idea of building in areas intended to be destroyed was also seen in earthquake-proof buildings and water barriers that prevented the propagation of coal mine explosions. ...And if it was used in cars, buildings, and mines, it would of course be used for military purposes as well.


    This was the truth of the Zombie Object that could continue moving even after falling to earth with no parachute and only an asteroid for cushioning. It did not deflect things with its solid armor or receive them with its soft shell. It was broken, crushed, and diverted. This self-harming weapon was the polar opposite of the standard image of an Object as the most powerful presence on the battlefield.


    ¡°How unique an evolution have you gone through!?¡±


    Rather than its main cannon¡¯s power or its propulsion method, this Second Generation had specialized in its defense. But since it intentionally let the enemy shells hit to use them up while damaging itself, that could hardly be called a specialty in defense.


    Or so she thought.


    This went beyond even that.


    ¡°!?¡±


    A deafening blast came from the Coilgun 052.


    But it did not come from the main cannon. It came from the surrounding secondary cannons. They were relatively meaningless in a battle between Objects, but the Zombie Object¡¯s secondary cannons were the same as the main coilgun, just shorter. That shorter length caused the power to drop, but they still caused plenty of damage compared to an anti-personnel or anti-vehicle cannon.


    A few of the Gatling 033¡¯s secondary cannons were torn from its spherical main body.


    But that did not qualify as any real damage. As already stated, only the main cannon was important in a battle between Objects. It was not easy breaking through the onion armor that not even a nuke could destroy. Even if a few of the secondary cannons were torn away, it could still fight just fine with the armor, main cannons, reactor, cockpit, and propulsion device intact.


    But that was not the Zombie Object¡¯s intent.


    Its main cannon finally gave a roar.


    For some reason, an unpleasant sensation raced down Oh Ho Ho¡¯s back.


    A moment later, a great number of needles were released from the main cannon.


    It was a needle gun. The main cannon had clearly changed mode since it used a normal shell to attack the Legitimacy Kingdom. Each of these shells was only about the size of a ballpoint pen. A total of 45,000 scattered in a fan-like shape to cover the entire area.


    They were small antennae and the electrode on the end had a tank of instant glue attached. And they were targeting the spots where the Gatling 033¡¯s secondary cannons had been torn off. Specifically, they targeted the printed circuit board data network that sent electronic signals from the cockpit. In other words, electrodes.


    More and more needles rained down.


    Most of them attached to the armor panels and accomplished nothing, but only one of them had to attach to the exposed pure gold of the data network.


    That created an opening for a cyber-attack, just like sticking a USB drive into a computer to infect it with a virus even though it was disconnected from the network.


    Wireless signals began an attack through the small antennae.


    ¡°You...!!!???¡±


    Oh Ho Ho frantically grabbed the Gatling 033¡¯s reins and quickly had Strategic AI Juliet focus on the cyber battle. The special Information Alliance Object had an entire supercomputer onboard, but a cyber-attack was not determined just by the pure machine specs.


    And zombies did more than not die.


    They were frightening because they bit people, ate them, infected them, and increased in number.


    It was the despair of finding your neighbor was now baring their fangs and attacking you.


    The Gatling 033 came to a quick stop. The Idol Elite choked as the belt squeezed her body.


    ¡°You mean it broke through the Information Alliance system!?¡±


    The Gatling 033 was no longer accepting its master¡¯s instructions.


    The two Objects lined up alongside each other as they raced across the ocean like an acrobatic military exercise...


    Part 7


    Quenser used the pro-sports motorboat to practically skip along the canal¡¯s water and out into the nearby ocean. He immediately noticed the change. The mystery Zombie Object and the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush would never begin to race alongside each other like that. Something had clearly happened between the two Objects approaching him...no, approaching Second Venice behind him.


    Whatever the case, they were approaching at 500 kph. He would only have one chance as they passed by. If he could not settle this then, he could never catch up. No matter how hard he worked the engine, a normal boat could not reach even half that speed.


    Quenser himself did not have a clear answer.


    ¡°U-uoooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    They did not care about a tiny fly in their way and they would crush him if he was in their path. Sensing that arrogance, Quenser worked the helm to escape the Zombie Object and the Rush. That may have been his real reason for doing it.


    Regardless, he drove into the gap between the two.


    Both the Rush and the Zombie Object used air cushion engines. And they were constantly creating enough wind to keep their 200,000 ton bodies afloat. Quenser should have realized what passing between them would mean.


    Gravity seemed to vanish.


    The student pictured the ping pong ball floating above a toy pipe.


    Yes. The powerful winds created by the two Objects collided between them and created an intense updraft in search of a way out.


    The motorboat instantly flipped over and then flew straight up like a leaf. The idiot was no different.


    As Quenser was instantly rocketed up the length of a 25 meter pool, his hips bent at an unfortunate angle and he happened to spot something.


    A few secondary cannons had been torn from the Rush¡¯s side and several pen-sized antennae were stabbed there. They had forcibly connected to the cannon control electrodes that were exposed by the damage, so an opening had been created for a cyber-attack by an extreme short-range wireless signal.


    It all happened in an instant, which was not enough time to do much.


    And the Objects were moving at 500 kph. Even if they were pen-sized, reaching out and trying to break them away would only tear his hand off.


    So Quenser threw the entire camera bag at the Rush¡¯s side without bothering to choose a specific variety of handmade explosive.


    Time seemed to start moving again.


    The various bottles broke in the bag, the chemicals mixed together, and a number of chemical reactions created a large explosion. By that time, Quenser had left the ¡°valley¡± between Objects. Not because he was moving quickly but because the Objects were.


    His handmade explosives could not destroy an Object¡¯s armor, but the Rush¡¯s problem was the pen-sized antennae. They were like tiny mites or lice in a dog¡¯s fur. A normal bomb was more than enough for them.


    And once the curse of the antennae was gone, life was breathed back into the Rush.


    The Rush turned around at close range and aimed its main cannon at the Zombie Object that had approached so close. With a deafening explosion, the rapid-fire beam Gatling cannon blew everything away.


    That threw Quenser through the air once more.


    He had been flying in a parabolic arc, but without anything to support him, he made an unnatural midair hop. Needless to say, the Rush¡¯s main cannon¡¯s shockwave had hit him.


    But Quenser did not have time to cry out from the pain in his back.


    (Even that point-blank beam cannon blast ¨C and a Gatling one at that ¨C didn¡¯t break through its armor!?)


    Layer after layer peeled away, but the damage never got through. Meanwhile, the Zombie Object¡¯s main cannon began to move. The large caliber, short barrel cannon had failed to finish off the Princess at ten kilometers, but it would be destructive enough at point-blank range. The Rush¡¯s movements showed more panic than the Zombie Object¡¯s.


    (Oh, no! She¡¯ll be destroyed!)


    But just as he thought that, an orange beam of frightening destructive power passed right by the airborne student.


    At first, he did not know what had happened.


    It was only a long while later that he realized it was compressed metal cannon that compressed the shell down to a needle-like point.


    At any rate, he made another unnatural bounce, was tossed around, and nearly passed out.


    As if peeling away the upper surface of the Zombie Object¡¯s spherical main body, a giant hole appeared by also taking out the armor around the single sharp point. A spine chilling sound like a can of food caught in a bear trap reached Quenser¡¯s ears after a short delay.


    The Zombie Object stopped moving.


    It tilted. The air cushion engine must have been malfunctioning because it slowly sank into the sea.


    Finally, Quenser was able to stop being a bird.


    He was in a tailspin and unable to prepare as he was slammed into the ocean surface.


    ¡°Bfwah!?¡±


    The impact felt like a slap to the entire face and it actually snapped his scattering mind into focus. As masochistic talent bloomed inside the idiot, he got his head above the water and searched for something like driftwood or a plastic tank to grab onto. He was far out enough for ships to sail, so there was no way his feet could reach the bottom and he could not swim back to shore under his own power.


    Then something else was fired from the distance.


    It was a giant antenna buoy that was likely meant for jamming. As he grabbed onto it, Quenser received a radio transmission.


    ¡°Legitimacy Kingdom, I quite enjoyed the show. Think of this as my thanks.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough... What? The Old Fashion..?¡±


    That Object was focused on the battlefield student rather than the Rush or the Zombie Object. Quenser could not figure out what he wanted.


    Or perhaps that old warrior did not really want anything out of this.


    ¡°So you provide a helping hand even if it is your enemy¡¯s leader in trouble? Not bad. So this is what you lot call ¡®chivalry¡¯. I felt just as excited when I first showed this Object off to my old friend. I will fall back as a sign of respect. Legitimacy Kingdom, how much longer will your food and water last?¡±


    ¡°...We won¡¯t last beyond another four days.¡±


    ¡°Then I will ensure the Information Alliance falls back and opens the way before then. Did you hear that, Information Alliance? Prepare yourself.¡±


    At this rate, the Old Fashion and Rush would clash on their own. If things went well, Oh Ho Ho would fall back, the blockade would be broken, and everyone would be freed from the hell in Second Venice.


    Quenser thought about the benefits of that, but he could not hold his tongue.


    ¡°Old Fashion, wait!¡±


    ¡°What is it, MVP? Would you like me to fire a case of champagne out there for you?¡±


    ¡°Infection base. Investigate that term. If you still feel like helping us and you¡¯re willing to help people who might be mankind¡¯s enemies, then we¡¯ll be waiting.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Understood.¡±


    This time, the transmission ended.


    As Quenser gasped for breath while clinging to the large antenna buoy, another transmission reached him. This one was from the Information Alliance¡¯s Oh Ho Ho.


    ¡°How foolish are you? Oh ho ho. If you had kept silent, you could have played the victim and gotten their help, but you went out of your way to turn that ace against you.¡±


    ¡°...I know that.¡±


    Quenser spat his words out toward the enemy leader and then made a declaration.


    ¡°But it was necessary.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. ...You fool.¡±


    Part 8


    It was a long while before a patrol boat arrived to rescue Quenser from the drifting antenna buoy.


    It was already evening.


    When he arrived back at the maintenance base zone, he was soaking wet and asked his awful friend a question.


    ¡°What happened to Catherine?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself. You¡¯ve earned the right.¡±


    Heivia did not take him to a general medical room. It was a sterile room kept at a low temperature for military computers. One corner was separated out by thick translucent tape for a makeshift treatment room.


    But how much good did that really do?


    Catherine Blueangel was sleeping inside a spindle-shaped capsule. It looked like a fancy coffin to Quenser, so it put him in a really bad mood.


    The blonde braid girl seemed to notice her guest.


    Unable to remove the oxygen mask covering her mouth, she only opened one eye a little. An amateur like Quenser did not know why she did not open the other eye.


    ¡°Big brother...¡±


    ¡°Catherine.¡±


    He had no idea how dangerous it was to do so, but Quenser pressed both hands against the clear shade of the capsule.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Catherine. I was ordered to return you to a safe country. I was supposed to help you say goodbye to these dangerous wars. I was supposed to help you gather all the stamps and clear your quota so you could go home!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What am I supposed to do? How can I reward all the effort you put into this? Just tell me. This happened because you fought to protect not just the 37th but Second Venice as a whole. So tell me! Is there anything I can do for you!?¡±


    He had a feeling Catherine smiled ever so slightly.


    ¡°Then...please.¡±


    Her young lips whispered to him.


    ¡°Protect everyone, big brother.¡±


    Finally, Quenser left the treatment room sealed off by thick plastic.


    Heivia had waited outside the giant vehicle the entire time.


    ¡°Our busty commander says she has something to discuss with us.¡±


    ¡°So I guess everyone¡¯s thinking the same thing. If Frolaytia hadn¡¯t suggested it, I would have deserted.¡±


    Not everyone knew the truth. To prevent a panic, very few people knew about the infection base or the deadly mold even within the 37th. For that reason, they were called to Frolaytia¡¯s room full of Island Nation products instead of a large conference room.


    Quenser asked a question as soon as he stepped inside.


    ¡°Do we know what it is infecting Catherine?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Our doctors, the intelligence division, and the electronic simulation division worked hard even if this wasn¡¯t their specialty. It seems Catherine is quite well liked.¡±


    ¡°How many stamps do you think she had earned in such a short time? And most of them couldn¡¯t be done alone. She isn¡¯t a monster. She¡¯s a human being who can create her own circle of friends to smile with. ...So much so that she threw away her own life to rescue this idiot here.¡±


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Frolaytia lit her long, narrow kiseru. ¡°I¡¯ll get right to the point: Argeiphontes. Catherine is suffering from the primary component of an infamous riot suppression gas used by the Faith Organization special police. It was developed to be nonlethal, but it was more powerful than intended and the rioters began dropping like flies. And since it took time to prove a link between the accidental deaths and the gas rounds, the number of deaths only grew. Apparently 15,000 people died just in the Faith Organization safe countries around Rome and Athens. It probably took so long to respond because of collusion between the pharmaceutical company and the central ethics board. It apparently began by accepting the reports from computer simulation tests while foregoing actual clinical trials to cut costs.¡±


    ¡°A military chemical...¡±


    ¡°Breathe in even a small amount and it takes out your autonomic nervous system. Do you know what Catherine¡¯s body temperature is right now? If she wasn¡¯t being cooled there, she would have broken 42 degrees within an hour. Stomach pumping and dialysis don¡¯t work. The death rate is 99.8%. That beats out mustard gas for mankind¡¯s worst invention.¡±


    Quenser inhaled and exhaled.


    And he touched on the crux of the issue.


    ¡°But 0.2% survive, right? I¡¯m not talking about relying on a miracle or some emotional story. Isn¡¯t it possible those people bought god¡¯s love with money?¡±


    ¡°As always, you notice the most interesting things.¡± Frolaytia grinned. ¡°I just said most of the victims were in the major cities of Rome and Athens, didn¡¯t I? Naturally, plenty of VIPs and wealthy people were involved. And some of those miraculously survived even after being exposed to the Argeiphontes. The mass media called them ¡®a beautiful woman loved by god¡¯ or whatever else, but every last one of them used a complex route to donate a large sum to a certain bank account.¡±


    ¡°Who owns the account?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an obvious one.¡±


    Frolaytia shrugged and spoke their target¡¯s name.


    ¡°Hermes Pharmaceuticals. The developer of the Argeiphontes poison gas and a major investor secretly supporting the Kerukeion special forces.¡±


    External Document ¨C Newspaper Editorial Reporting a Miraculous Survival


    While on a vacation to Athens, Miss Elizabeth Schnozzle was caught in the suspected nonlethal gas weapon Argeiphontes used to suppress the riot that developed from the janitors strike, but she has now shown a miraculous recovery. Is this a matter of her own vitality, of compatibility, or simply god¡¯s love for her? Everyone involved is focusing on her.


    Miss Schnozzle is currently undergoing mental rehabilitation while also actively participating in various forms of charity. Her miraculous survival means a lot. Las Vegas, Rio de Janeiro, and Second Venice. Gamblers gather at every casino she visits in order to receive some of god¡¯s love for her. This increases the chances of many famous players gathering in one place, so it also allows some big names in charity to set up events.


    The Faith Organization has yet to make a clear statement on the toxicity of Argeiphontes, but Miss Schnozzle¡¯s presence has given hope to a lot of people.


    Her fortune will brighten not just her life but the entire world.


    Perhaps it is no surprise that god would provide her with so much love.

 Volume 12, Day 5

    Volume 12, Day 5


    Part 1


    One requirement for a military weapon was even more important than destructive power: controllability.


    Argeiphontes, the poison gas developed by Hermes Pharmaceuticals was no exception. With a death rate of 99.8%, it was history¡¯s worst invention, but it had still begun development as a military product. It was possible they had a stock of an antidote or reductant.


    But if so, why had they not saved the tens of thousands of people during the riot suppression accidents? Frolaytia had a possible answer.


    ¡°If that research was not their main focus, they would have had enough in stock for a few dozen people at most, so they could not save the vast majority of them. And once the world discovered an antidote existed, the people might decide the company was actively trying to kill people. That¡¯s why they refused to use it. The best scenario for them was to hire a parade of lawyers and throw doubt onto the cause of the accidental deaths. ...They seem to have failed there, though.¡±


    Their busty silver-haired commander was speaking from the top of a tank. The exhaust pipe was attached high in order to cross rivers and a water-resistant firefighting hose had been attached to it. The joint was held on with duct tape and rubber instant glue, so it looked pretty handmade.


    Quenser covered the tank¡¯s gun with a giant rubber plug and filled the gaps with putty.


    ¡°Will this really work?¡±


    ¡°The submarine tank? They used this technique in old wars and the custom designs I had the old lady draw up are perfect. She even tested it on the smaller Full Helm UGV, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ...There, that should do it.¡±


    The busty commander toyed with the duct-taped end of the exhaust pipe and then turned toward Quenser.


    ¡°The doctor says Catherine won¡¯t survive two days even if we treat all of her symptoms. I assume you know what you need to do, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Sneak through the ocean in this to contact a VIP. That piece of shit bought god¡¯s love with a generous donation to Hermes Pharmaceuticals, so they might know how to save Catherine.¡±


    ¡°Well done. With the blockade in place, the Information Alliance of course won¡¯t let us through, so don¡¯t let the Rush notice you.¡± Frolaytia wiped the sweat from her brow. ¡°Your destination is the Olive Garden 50 km north of here. It¡¯s a modern alternative fuel plant that¡¯s trying to resolve the energy crisis with olive fields instead of petroleum.¡±


    ¡°So they feed you smooth extra virgin olive oil that¡¯s been made more stable and efficient for use in machines? They sound even pickier about their food than us.¡±


    ¡°Well, that might mean we¡¯re a little slimmer than they are. And the Olive Garden is also known as a world-class floating casino. It¡¯s known for buying back the chips for barrels of oil instead of cash.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a method of laundering dirty money.¡±


    ¡°The VIP in question is Elizabeth Schnozzle. Her father is the president of an Information Alliance sightseeing company and she was caught in the riots and poison gas after sneaking off to Athens for some fun two years ago. After her miraculous survival, she sent a large sum of money to Hermes Pharmaceuticals. Shockingly, it was enough to buy half an Object.¡±


    Why were they not going after Hermes Pharmaceuticals itself?


    They had a simple reason. Hermes Pharmaceuticals had produced the poison gas and was likely to have some of the antidote in stock, but they were an international corporation with more than a million employees and it was impossible to know who had supported the evil deeds. In fact, the majority would be normal, decent people. And Catherine did not have time for them to go searching through them all. To swiftly locate the culprit within Hermes Pharmaceuticals, it was best to track down someone who knew a lot about the situation.


    Frolaytia whistled.


    ¡°Plus, Elizabeth¡¯s company helped to develop Second Venice, but they also hate it. The island¡¯s popularity exploded, which threw off the corporate group¡¯s power balance, so they¡¯re losing their place in the group. They tried developing different areas along the Mediterranean like crazy to take some of it back, but they keep falling into the red. The Olive Garden is one of those that¡¯s still in the black. Of course, that¡¯s partially because our Resort & Dolce group has been applying pressure from the outside.¡±


    ¡°Do we have any reason to think Elizabeth is there?¡±


    ¡°A red tiltrotor. Elizabeth¡¯s faction originally bought it as a luxury helicopter to take her to and from a nearby desert island she was planning to turn into a private beach, but with Second Venice freely moving around, the couple¡¯s private sex beach was a little too much in the public eye. She was displeased, the plan stalled, and the tiltrotor became her own personal pumpkin carriage. It hasn¡¯t moved since landing at the Olive Garden. We¡¯ve confirmed it by satellite, so there¡¯s no mistaking it.¡±


    ¡°50 km. That¡¯s awfully close to the infection base.¡±


    ¡°She might want to experience it close up. Experience the final moments of the popular destination that¡¯s been weighing on them for so long, that is. And luck would have it Elizabeth and Hermes Pharmaceuticals are enjoying the same casino. They seem to be attending some kind of party together, but more than 500 people from Hermes are scheduled to be in attendance. That¡¯s too many suspects, so getting Elizabeth to talk would be best.¡±


    That said, they did not know when Elizabeth would end her fun and leave on the red tiltrotor. If they did not contact her before she left, they would be unable to save Catherine¡¯s life.


    It was a bit forceful, but they would have to cross that sea of death.


    And to do so, they had created a makeshift customized submarine tank.


    ¡°All I can do is send you off. Once you¡¯re over there, you¡¯re on your own, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Catherine saved my life. She didn¡¯t hesitate to give me the mask she should have worn. I¡¯m not confident what I would have done if our situations had been reversed. Compared to that loneliness, infiltrating a den of money-wasters is nothing.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything we can do while we wait?¡±


    ¡°Repair the Baby Magnum as quickly as possible. It can only be for show, but make sure she can respond to a high-speed battle. Second Venice is surrounded by the Rush and the Old Fashion and we haven¡¯t entirely wiped out the shadow of that Zombie Object. Whatever the case, we can¡¯t even sit at the table without an Object.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but I can¡¯t make any promises. The spare armor panels are being used as roofs on the makeshift lodgings.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be perfect. We just have to be able to put on a performance to show that the Legitimacy Kingdom Object is operational.¡±


    ¡°If that bluff works, what do we do after hiding in the smokescreen?¡±


    Quenser answered that question with a short sigh.


    And then he made an announcement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how many Objects stand between me and rescuing Catherine. I¡¯ll destroy them all myself.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± muttered Frolaytia.


    She placed the kiseru in her mouth, scratched her head, and continued.


    ¡°Then get to it.¡±


    Part 2


    It was midnight as they ventured into the dark sea.


    ¡°Oh, god. Are we really using a handmade submarine tank? If water gets in through the gaps in the duct tape, it¡¯s all over. You¡¯re not supposed to go 120 meters deep in a school summer project!!¡±


    ¡°My school built a lunar probe. It was crushed underfoot after we sent it on a mission to the girls shower room, though. Besides, a solid tank can bear a fair bit of water pressure to begin with. We closed up all the holes in the gun and radiator, so with the long snorkels attached to let oxygen in and exhaust out, we can travel along the bottom of the ocean just fine.¡±


    The snorkels he mentioned were the firefighting hoses from before. The ends floated on the water¡¯s surface and the floats were camouflaged as planks of driftwood so they would not be noticed.


    They had no sense of direction, so they were reliant on a compass as they travelled through the darkness.


    But even if the submarine tank could travel freely along the ocean bottom, they could not travel in a straight line. When avoiding those, they had to keep their detour to a minimum. Otherwise, they could lose their sense of direction in the dark sea and end up driving in circles.


    ¡°So I guess that bastard Evans survived. Didn¡¯t he fall to the ocean bottom in a powered suit?¡±


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t survive, than who¡¯s that in front of me right now? I don¡¯t believe in ghosts.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you two. You forgot about me, didn¡¯t you!? You were so moved by what happened with Catherine that you forgot all about me, didn¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. What good is wasting valuable memory space on guys? I¡¯m more surprised about Myonri. Didn¡¯t you get shot just three days ago!?¡±


    ¡°Uuh... I really would prefer to be sleeping in a bed in the medical room, but then I heard what happened with Catherine. I¡¯d feel bad sitting around when someone is so much worse off than me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand that people normally die on the battlefield, Myonri. But anyway, congrats on your return to hell. I¡¯m just glad we have a nice feminine scent to counteract the rest of us guys.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, I guess I¡¯m glad you¡¯re as perverted as ever. If Catherine had awoken a spirit of justice inside you, I figured you were going to die here.¡±


    The submarine tank was an extremely effective way of crossing national borders while slipping past radar and satellites, but it was also slow going. They had to make sure the environment did not crush their hearts, so the topic of conversation kept jumping around. The trick was to avoid any silence.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. We got some information on that Zombie Object.¡±


    ¡°The Old Fashion already sank it, right? Do we really need that?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a Zombie Object.¡±


    ¡°It never hurts to be careful. It¡¯s a Faith Organization Second Generation and our codename for it is Lizard Tail. That means this wasn¡¯t its first battle.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t we find anything in our database? Is the electronic simulation division getting lazy?¡±


    ¡°We thought it had been destroyed, so it was removed from the list of search candidates. Tee hee.¡±


    ¡°The first part makes sense, but that last part is unforgivable. If some bearded old man tried to play it off with a ¡®tee hee¡¯, I am so punching him.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be more serious, there¡¯s some suspicion that Lizard Tail isn¡¯t the name of a specific Object. It might be a disturbance tactic where different Objects are given similar exteriors to look like they¡¯re the same. The Faith Organization apparently calls it Dionysus. I¡¯m not entirely sure where the name comes from. I just remember it¡¯s the god of a sect with a perverted ritual.¡±


    It was a self-harming Object with a death wish.


    That Second Generation increased its own value by destroying itself over and over.


    ¡°How bizarre can you be?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Objects are all really weird, but I¡¯d never want to pilot something like that. Even if it¡¯s an efficient way of staying alive, it¡¯s like how bugs and crabs will let their leg tear off if something grabs it. I can¡¯t bear to watch trivia show footage like that.¡±


    But this was being done by the Faith Organisation that loved gods more than food. The design may have been to fulfill an ideal of reincarnation or human sacrifice rather than efficiency.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°How many more kilometers is it? We¡¯ve run out of things to talk about, but this silence is going to drive us insane.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do the usual. Y¡¯know, how we kill time during the night shift on guard duty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you mean Boobs Concentration?¡±


    They heard someone do a spit take.


    It was probably Myonri.


    ¡°Wh-wh-wh-what are you talking about!?¡±


    ¡°Do we really have to explain it? If you can name two female soldiers with the same chest size, you get a point. Get one wrong and the other guy gets a turn, so it¡¯s pretty simple. The only problem is it leads to some fights if you don¡¯t have someone else to act as a judge, so can you take that job, Myonri?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this! Why do so many people know our sizes!?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re bored.¡±


    ¡°And you can make a pretty good guess by looking.¡±


    Part 3


    Oh Ho Ho gave an exasperated sigh in the Information Alliance Second Generation Rush¡¯s cockpit.


    She was rearranging the songs she would use for her next public performance, and...


    ¡°Really, do you have to be so obvious about it?¡±


    An Object was generally meant to be the ruler on land or sea, so anything else was branching off of that. They dealt with the air by shooting down the enemy aircraft with their anti-air lasers, so the Object itself did not actually fly. Similarly, underground and underwater were not the 200,000 ton mass¡¯s main field.


    However, that did not mean there was nothing they could do.


    Objects were the weapons that had ended the nuclear age. And those old weapons had included many bizarre varieties: nuclear mines set on the sea bottom, nuclear torpedoes that traveled through the ocean, and ship-to-surface nuclear missiles that slowly approached the coast in the ocean but traveled just off the surface at more than Mach 5 after rising from the sea.


    Objects of course had weapons to deal with those, just like they had anti-air lasers.


    An inability to dive underwater was not the same as an inability to rule the sea.


    (Well, I do owe him one after saving me before.)


    Oh Ho Ho rhythmically tapped her slender finger on the control panel in time with her own music as she paused in hesitation.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. And what better way to thank him than to go all out no matter the situation?¡±


    She ultimately decided to attack.


    That may have been due to her Idol Elite side also being military-minded.


    Several metal dice were thrown into the dark ocean from the bottom of the Rush.


    They looked tiny compared to the Object, but each one was the size of an air cargo container. And they were loaded with explosives. The dice could detect the artificial sounds in the ocean that did not exist in the natural world and they could compare them to the sound patterns of the propellers registered to their own army. Any that did not match would be deemed an enemy and the deadly fish eggs would be fired at the target.


    The barrage density and individual accuracy was great enough to perfectly intercept up to twenty simultaneous nuclear torpedoes that travelled through the ocean at Mach speeds using supercavitation.


    Thus, a submarine tank digging through the sand on the ocean bottom was hardly a challenge.


    (Unlike land battles, the slightest damage is enough to take you out in the sea or in the air, so I don¡¯t even need my plasma or railguns.)


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Target X confirmed destroyed. I detected the bubble after the water pressure crushed it and the air escaped.¡±


    Part 4


    After their last ray of hope in submarine tank form was destroyed, Quenser and the others groaned inside sweaty diving suits.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t Oh Ho Ho show at least a little bit of dere!?¡±


    ¡°An idol¡¯s got to seem out of reach. Once they start to seem like an individual, they can¡¯t sell anymore.¡±


    They had never been aboard the submarine tank. No matter how silently it moved, they had decided it was impossible to slip past the Second Generation.


    So where were they?


    On something camouflaged as driftwood.


    ¡°Th-this snorkel will ride the waves to the Olive Garden even though the submarine tank was destroyed, right?¡±


    ¡°If the map had the currents right. If not, we¡¯ll just have to pray. We¡¯re in the middle of the Mediterranean, so we¡¯ll have to pray we get washed up on a shore controlled by the Legitimacy Kingdom. It¡¯d be a real tragedy if we ended up in the Faith Organization.¡±


    A long snorkel much like an antenna buoy had extended to the ocean surface to circulate oxygen and exhaust to and from the submarine tank. That was why their busty silver-haired commander had attached a fire hose with duct tape.


    Quenser and the other three had assumed the submarine tank itself would be destroyed, so they were clinging to the air intake floating on the surface. They had let the engine pull them along as far as possible and, now that the submarine tank was gone, they would ride the current.


    This was still a deadly sea. If the Rush noticed the trick, they would be killed instantly. The four idiots were still restricted to a slow pace.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t the smallest nuclear weapon the size of a rugby ball? It fits in a suitcase, right? Couldn¡¯t someone use this method to slip a nuke past an Object¡¯s defenses?¡±


    ¡°Use a heavy element like californium and you can make a nuclear weapon the size of your thumb. The nuclear age is supposed to be over, so let¡¯s just hope mankind doesn¡¯t get any cleverer.¡±


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    ¡°What is it, Evans? I know you¡¯re nervous, but try not to vomit. There¡¯s nowhere for it to go in these diving suits. You don¡¯t want to drown in your own vomit, do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that... Sorry, I¡¯m not sure why, but that Object is scaring me so bad it¡¯s giving me a bit of a boner.¡±


    ¡°Welcome to the club, Evans. Now you¡¯re a true member of the 37th!¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you including me in that!?¡± protested Myonri, but the idiots did not care.


    After more than three hours, they finally left the Rush¡¯s territory.


    ¡°Is that the party that doesn¡¯t seem to care there¡¯s a war going on?¡± asked Heivia as he clung to the driftwood.


    It was past four in the morning. The late night was shifting to early morning, so the black was changing to navy blue. But one section of the sea contained a flood of light that was never extinguished. It was not a natural land. A giant square area of reclaimed land was located alongside the coast. The only connection to the mainland they could see was a single large illuminated bridge.


    ¡°They built a floating city for no reason and without thinking about the economic efficiency or environmental effects? Sounds like the location of a school in an Island Nation light novel.¡±


    ¡°There are better analogies, you know? Like a bay airport.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ll be there in less than twenty minutes. Men, prepare yourselves.¡±


    The end of the reclaimed land had been made into an artificial beach, but it did not seem to be very popular at night. The casino was the real draw at this time.


    After safely reaching land, Quenser and the others stripped off their diving suits and removed the items packed in plastic and attached to the bottom of the driftwood. They had everything they needed: assault rifles, submachineguns, handguns, knives, hand grenades, grenade launchers, fully-auto shotguns, light machineguns, anti-materiel rifles, and even plastic explosives and shoulder-fired missiles.


    ¡°Everyone gave us way too much stuff! We can¡¯t carry all this!!¡±


    ¡°Heh. This just shows how much everyone loves Catherine.¡±


    Quenser took some explosives and Heivia took an assault rifle with a grenade launcher attached. Myonri took a fully-auto shotgun with a box magazine and Evans took a semi-auto anti-material rifle. The four idiots complained, but they all grabbed the weapon they wanted.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯d be a pain if someone picked up the extra weapons, so should we bury them in the sand?¡±


    ¡°This place is amazing. They¡¯ve got a luxury hotel and an industrial complex¡¯s huge-ass cylindrical tank right next to each other.¡±


    ¡°Please help me out here. U-um, where is the actual olive field? Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a facility for making alternative fuel?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably one of those plant factories that are all the rage these days. The olives will be growing with the protection of air conditioning and water purifiers inside a building or dome. They might have more comfortable beds than we do.¡±


    Their first step was finding Elizabeth Schnozzle who had miraculously survived and getting her to tell them who in Hermes Pharmaceuticals gave her the antidote. The next step was grabbing that person and getting the product or a chemical formula out of them. Fortunately, Hermes Pharmaceuticals was also planning to throw a large party at the Olive Garden.


    If they failed at any point, Catherine would not survive.


    Quenser took a deep breath while carrying a backpack full of bombs.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started. Where¡¯s Elizabeth¡¯s castle?¡±


    ¡°Um, I think it¡¯s one of the monster-sized casinos. This one is called Olympus. The Olive Garden has a ton of casinos, but based on the flow of money, that¡¯s the only one with a lack of an upper limit on bets. She¡¯ll be making a ton of money at once there instead of betting little bits at a time elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°So she¡¯s one of the honored guests that the normal people don¡¯t even get to know about, huh? That¡¯s perfect. It gives one less reason to hold back. I was asked to protect everyone and that includes Catherine.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s apparently drawn in a lot of customers by acting like a goddess of fortune ever since her miraculous survival. Let¡¯s get her to share some of that love of god she bought. Catherine could really use it.¡±


    The Olive Garden itself was a five kilometer square of reclaimed land. Somewhere in the flood of lights was the Olympus casino.


    Quenser and the others made their way straight there.


    They got some weird looks from bored limousine drivers waiting for the few customers who remained in the casinos at this hour and from the call girls who had been kicked out of the fancy hotel lobbies.


    It was a small area full of lots of money.


    That meant security would be strict and there would be more cameras and sensors covering the entire area. They were not tuxedo-wearing spies, so they could not remain hidden forever. But that had never been part of their plan.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser. Do you know what the Olive Garden is classified as?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s officially a Faith Organization military base. I¡¯m sure the fuel reserves they use to buy back the chips are a way to avoid taxes, though.¡±


    ¡°But that makes it a battlefield country, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and so there¡¯s no problem if some soldiers get into a firefight. It won¡¯t even make the news.¡±


    They heard the disconcerting sound of military tires tearing at the ground. A boxy truck-sized mass ignored the traffic light to secure a line of fire. It looked like the fusion of a firefighter¡¯s hook-and-ladder truck and an armored truck, but it was not painted red and it had no front windshield. It had arrived within five minutes of Quenser¡¯s group reaching land, so their reaction speed was quite good.


    Heivia asked a question while hiding behind some nearby cover.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Either a military firetruck for base security or a modified killer water truck.¡±


    ¡°Um, doesn¡¯t water have the opposite effect with an oil fire?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry before it¡¯s even started, Myonri. It probably uses a chemical based on incombustible oil. This is an alternative fuel base, remember? And a sticky liquid will be released with more force than normal water. The high-pressure chemical used for oil fires can push a parked car to the side or break your back even through a bulletproof vest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably a necessity for security when they can¡¯t afford to trigger any explosions. Ugh...¡±


    But the resort security may have been a little too well-mannered.


    The four Legitimacy Kingdom idiots no longer cared much who their opponent was. They just wanted to know who they needed to shoot at.


    Quenser took a baseball-sized plastic explosive, stuck a pen-shaped electric fuse into it, and did not hesitate to chuck it toward the killer water truck.


    ¡°Your friend Quenser is a little different. Today, you can call me your angry big brother, baby.¡±


    He hit a button on his radio and a flower of explosive flames blossomed.


    Part 5


    With that first explosion, the battle began.


    Below the navy blue sky, the killer water truck hopped straight up and burst into flames. The blast-resistant doors opened and soldiers ran out while partially on fire only for rifle bullets to hit them. Heivia whistled as he fired.


    ¡°This is only the opening skirmish and it isn¡¯t over until we reach the casino. Don¡¯t use up all your ammo before we go for the jackpot!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shooting more than anyone, Heivia!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all meaningless if we kick the bucket before getting there!!¡±


    ¡°Which of those instructions are we supposed to follow!?¡±


    As he complained, Quenser kneaded some Hand Axe into a baseball-sized sphere and attached a pen-shaped electric fuse to the top. He threw it toward the Faith Organization soldiers who were persistently targeting them from behind cover.


    ¡°Oh, did that stick to him?¡±


    The enemy panicked when he saw the bomb stuck to his helmet, but Quenser did not let up. He used his radio to blow up the fleeing soldier and everything else behind cover.


    Heivia mercilessly pulled the trigger on the enemy soldiers that just barely managed to roll away from the blast.


    ¡°Wow, these guards sure are straitlaced. They actually fight properly and even die when they¡¯re supposed to.¡±


    ¡°Their pay must be better than ours.¡±


    While Heivia swapped out his magazine, Evans used his anti-materiel rifle to destroy the very wall the enemy was hiding behind.


    Quenser and the others advanced further while harmless bikini girls and bunny girls ran around in a panic.


    They had reached the neon-flooded main strip of casinos. It was almost dawn, but the brightly lit signs were an eyesore.


    ¡°The Faith Organization isn¡¯t taking this as seriously as I would have thought. I mean, I¡¯m carrying a heavy missile on my back.¡±


    ¡°They probably don¡¯t want to damage the roads and bridges with tank treads. And longer range heavy machineguns or autocannons raise the odds of accidentally hitting some VIP or another.¡±


    ¡°D-does that mean they can¡¯t bring out some dirty depleted uranium rounds in this luxury resort for the wealthy? The rounds that pierce their target could also break through a giant water tank or something.¡±


    At precisely that moment, the restaurant to the side had a wall blown apart and a giant mass moved out onto the main strip. This was not the same as the killer water truck from before. It felt like looking up at a giant excavation dump truck that rivaled a three-story building.


    And this was no construction vehicle. It was a 12-wheel armored truck with a swiftly rotating roller tilted on its side on the front. It swung around lots of chains and weights like a car wash¡¯s brush, so simply coming into contact with it would level a reinforced concrete building. They did not even want to imagine what would happen to human flesh.


    ¡°That¡¯s a flail roller!! They really developed that landmine digger in a stupid direction!!¡±


    ¡°I guess they aren¡¯t going to make this easy after all. They probably use it to destroy the buildings without any chance of starting an oil fire. Evans, your anti-materiel rifle won¡¯t work on that! It¡¯s a waste of ammo!!¡±


    Quenser shouted at his comrade who was continuing to fire nonstandard bullets straight at the vehicle.


    That equipment was originally meant to allow a mine clearance vehicle to dig up the ground as it moved. Simply put, it cleared the mines by stepping on them. Unlike a tractor¡¯s metal blades, the chains and weights would not bend or break from the impact of the exploding mines. Now that its size had been increased and it had been further modified, no normal firepower stood a chance against it.


    And that giant armored truck with flails attached was clearly headed their way. Any car they hid behind would only be turned to scrap along with them.


    Quenser and the others quickly ran inside a nearby shop. There was a reception counter up front, a row of long narrow glass doors was located behind that, and the rest was divided into booths about the same as phone booths.


    When Heivia and the others aimed their guns forward, the young man behind the counter tearfully raised his hands instead of reaching for the button below the counter.


    ¡°I-I have no money! There¡¯s no safe! I¡¯m not pilfering any of the sales and there¡¯s no secret account book!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, you liar. Where¡¯s the emergency exit! Point the way and we¡¯ll leave. Hurry it up! Hurry!!¡±


    The noble roared with a rifle in hand, but the problem was the rest of the building, not the counter.


    ¡°Dammit, this is a shooting range! They let the drunks have rifles!? Are they crazy!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about taking control here. They all have their backs turned and they have ear protection on. They¡¯re so focused on their own gunfire that they won¡¯t notice us.¡±


    Evans urged them to be careful as he held up his heavy-looking anti-materiel rifle. Instead of paper targets moving along metal rails, the shooting range had a giant screen covering the wall like in a movie theater.


    ¡°The Olympus Casino¡¯s Goddess Cup Poker Tournament is approaching its climax. The star tonight is Wydine Uptown of a Capitalist Corporations battlefield cleanup service. The way that money-mad maid lines her cards up so neatly has been the highlight of the show. But let¡¯s not forget the surprise mystery contestant who has only identified himself as The Evil God of a Thousand Faces. That name is a mystery, but his skill is real. Europe¡¯s best eight have already had their chips taken and dropped out. The predicted odds have been in total flux for a while now.¡±


    It seemed to be a game where they used toy guns that synchronized blanks with an infrared laser rifle so they could try to shoot the celebrities on the live footage between the eyes. It was a way for the losers to blow off some steam. The four idiots rushed down the corridor running behind the 100 meter bowling alley-like booths.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fault these people for their taste in hobbies, but why isn¡¯t Elizabeth on the screen? Isn¡¯t Olympus the casino she¡¯s at?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the goddess of fortune, remember? She can¡¯t take part in a game that might let people see her lose big.¡±


    They discussed the situation while following the guiding lights to the back exit.


    ¡°Anyway, we need to deal with that flail roller out front. Its invincible armor is only on the front. If we circle behind it and shoot it in the side or right up the asshole, we should be able break through just fine.¡±


    That was when several gunshots sounded in the back corridor. And these did not sound like the toy blanks. Myonri and Evans hid behind a drink vending machine and Heivia tackled carefree Quenser over. The bodyguards hired by individuals seemed to have better weapons than the actual soldiers.


    Confused by the gunfire from an unexpected direction, Evans shouted to the others.


    ¡°What are those giant parasols!? Screen camouflage!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s still too expensive to wear like a raincoat, but I guess the market is picking up for the ones you hold up like a flat shield.¡±


    ¡°Damn those hobbyists. Were they killing time on a bench out here while their carefree master is firing in there!?¡±


    Heivia fired a warning shot just outside of the group of parasols that hid the bodyguards by overwriting the background in real time like a TV.


    ¡°We¡¯re only here for Elizabeth Schnozzle! If you don¡¯t want to get your client involved in this, then get lost!! We¡¯re really pissed since a 12-year-old Elite collapsed after deciding she wanted something new in life. A future beauty¡¯s life is wearing away with every second that passes. Slow us down and you¡¯ll get a bullet right up your dirty asshole. But if you¡¯re the kind of pervert that thinks a pointless firefight is worth a 5.56mm suppository, then come and get it!!¡± After the suggestion from the potatoes behind the vending machines, the men in black clothes and sunglasses closed the parasols. They were apparently normal. They slowly moved toward the booths occupied by men with ample builds (i.e. they were fat) and hit the button to sound the alarm. Heivia raised his middle finger and gave a suggestion to those young men with a future.


    ¡°We¡¯ll say we had to retreat due to your courageous mercenary work. You can report whatever you want, but make sure the official write up mentions how stunningly handsome I am.¡±


    The lead bodyguard gave him a look that demanded they leave and pointed toward the emergency exit light with his chin.


    ¡°It¡¯s cruel how understanding adults can be.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than running across someone with a weird sense of justice.¡±


    ¡°I know what you mean. Shooting an ally of justice is the hardest thing to bear.¡±


    ¡°You too, Evans!?¡± complained Myonri. ¡°Do we not have a single justice-minded hero among us!?¡±


    They left the stress-relief shooting range through the back entrance, snuck back toward the main strip, and observed the giant flail vehicle as it crawled around. The flails were only on the front and the side armor looked perfectly normal.


    ¡°Evans.¡±


    That word was all it took. The semiauto anti-materiel rifle punched fist-sized holes in the side at even intervals from front to back, destroying the crew compartment, the engine room, and the fuel tank. The large explosion also blew away the infantry accompanying it.


    They continued walking along out front and finally got near the Olympus casino.


    But then they heard a great din like the flapping of drying sheets in the wind but amplified by several dozen times. The Four Heavenly Idiots looked around.


    ¡°Wh-where is that coming from? It sounds like an engine warming up!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where. It¡¯s like a helicopter but different. That red tiltrotor is preparing to take off! That¡¯s Elizabeth¡¯s!!¡±


    ¡°Then we can¡¯t let it take off. It doesn¡¯t matter who, let¡¯s take a soldier hostage.¡±


    Gunfire rang out and an enemy soldier fell out from behind an electronic sign after being shot in the leg. The Faith Organization soldiers tried to gather their ally, but Myonri chased them off with some rapid-fire shots of her shotgun.


    Quenser dashed over and kicked the soldier in the face as he tried to draw a handgun with his bloody hand. Anyone could be a hero when they had the upper hand. He stepped on the enemy¡¯s right hand and asked a question.


    ¡°I hear this place buys back the casino chips with the alternative fuel from the olive oil. Which tanks are Elizabeth¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer me if you don¡¯t want. Then we just have to blow them all up. This angry big brother can be frightening when he gets serious.¡±


    ¡°N-numbers 8 through 19... She is loved by god. She relied on her good fortune to gather all that oil from the other investors...¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t need to know that much. Here¡¯s your reward.¡±


    He pulled some disinfectant and bandages from his survival kit, threw them at the soldier¡¯s feet, and then pulled a plastic explosive from his backpack.


    ¡°What are you going to do with the bomb? I doubt you can throw it high enough to reach the pumpkin carriage after it takes off.¡±


    ¡°The real problem is we can¡¯t kill her. There¡¯s a ton we have to ask Elizabeth, remember?¡±


    As Quenser moved on ahead, the other idiots discussed their plans.


    And the first idiot gave his answer.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia. As a noble, you know a thing or two about charter planes, right? What are the main reasons for canceling the takeoff of a plane?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Wind and fog.¡±


    Part 6


    The beautiful woman with plentiful bodylines wore a blood-red dress. Her taste in clothing and makeup had yet to leave the category of ¡°girly¡±. That created an imbalance with her body, but no one was willing to tell her that. And unlike the emperor and his new clothes, she was at least pleasant to look at. Some people might even welcome it.


    That very beautiful queen was incredibly angry. Her face was as red as her dress and she yelled at the tiltrotor pilot with the short temper of a young girl still intact.


    ¡°What do you mean we can¡¯t take off!?¡±


    ¡°W-we can¡¯t fly with the poor visibility! I¡¯m sorry!! The oil fire has filled the sky with black smoke!!¡±


    ¡°...!!¡±


    The navy blue sky was burned orange as it reflected the fires on the surface. And unhealthy-looking black smoke boldly ruined that billion dollar view.


    ¡°Faith Organization aviation law bans taking off in fog with opacity of greater than 40% or in equivalently poor visibility. The control tower won¡¯t give me permission for takeoff and the oil fire won¡¯t be extinguished for a day or two. There¡¯s no point in waiting here any longer!¡±


    ¡°Wh-why are you acting like this is so dangerous? There¡¯s nothing up there to run into.¡±


    ¡°First of all, the Olive Garden has a great number of high-rise buildings to effectively use the limited space. Second, the sky above the Olive Garden is a high traffic airspace, so some kind of aircraft passes by at a rate of once every two minutes. Not to mention the possibility of seagulls or an unregistered photography drone that some tourists brought without permission. And a lot of them would probably want to get a video of this oil fire. So...¡±


    ¡°Oh, honestly!!¡±


    Elizabeth slammed her palm against the partition and climbed out of the tiltrotor. She was accompanied by bodyguards that looked equipped for urban warfare (perhaps because their client wanted what she had seen in movies) as she descended from the heliport and held her long brown hair in place.


    ¡°That carefree pilot is so fired!! We¡¯ll just have to use a land route. Form an escort group with those bulletproof cars in the underground parking garage and we¡¯ll take the bridge to the-...¡±


    She trailed off when she heard another explosion in the distance. It was hard to see through the curtain of black smoke, but some flashing lights were plainly visible in one direction.


    They were coming from the one bridge to the mainland.


    It had likely been a missile attack. And anyone with any sense would assume a connection.


    ¡°Kh. Get me a cruiser! Or a submarine if you have to!! The marina has plenty that you can purchase with a single tap on the electronic catalog!!¡±


    ¡°Miss Elizabeth.¡±


    One of her special unit whispered to her.


    She glared at him, thinking of firing him as well, but he resolutely gave his report.


    ¡°That will not work either. ...They are already here.¡±


    A moment later, an explosion shook the entire casino.


    Part 7


    A killer water truck had been waiting at the roundabout in front of the Olympus hotel, but they threw some balled-up Hand Axe to blow it up. When they threw a few of the scorched helmets in through the building¡¯s broken glass door, the employees and guests in the lobby grew quite obedient. The doormen¡¯s upper bodies were swollen with the commercial bulletproof vests worn below their uniforms, but even they let go of their shotguns with attached metal detectors and put their hands up. They seemed to understand that the anger of these cowboys went beyond the frustration of losing big at the casino.


    Once inside, Quenser was stunned.


    The front gate was the only proper building. Beyond that, the different forms of adult recreation were separated out like at a zoo or amusement park. There was an outdoor leisure pool lit up from below the water. Slot machines and bar counters were lined up on the pool side and the roulette and card tables floated in the pool like small islands.


    ¡°Why do rich people want to get in a pool after going to a seaside resort?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here for the girls in swimsuits, not the sea. ...Hey, you!! Don¡¯t be using this confusion to put some old lady¡¯s sweaty panty hose over your head, you loser! We¡¯re not letting anyone blame some regular old casino robbery on us. If you don¡¯t want to get shot for your greed, then get lost!!¡±


    ¡°Humans really are bold creatures.¡±


    The live footage they had seen in the shooting range seemed to have been taking place on a special gazebo stage floating in the center of the pool, but it had already been abandoned. The card game experts seemed to have sniffed out the trouble before it arrived.


    Quenser politely stuck some Legitimacy Kingdom money in the cleavage of a bunny girl cowering nearby and asked a gentlemanly question.


    ¡°Excuse me, miss. Where is the heliport!?¡±


    They all ran in the direction indicated by her pointer finger. It was a short distance from the pool casino and the view was blocked by a row of palm trees and hibiscus trees.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t hear the rotors anymore.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    As they burst through the wall of giant vegetation, they found the way blocked by a tall chain-link fence. A metal sign warned them of a high-voltage current.


    ¡°So they grew the trees to hide this from the guests. How dangerous.¡±


    They followed the fence and found a chain-link door. It would normally be shut with an electronic lock, but someone had apparently been in a hurry. It sat slightly open.


    They continued on in and the heliport came into view beyond the tropical trees. The red tiltrotor sat there with its engine stopped. It was less than thirty meters away.


    There was someone there.


    The beautiful young woman wore a red dress with a design too youthful and girly for her. Her face matched the newspaper clipping in Frolaytia¡¯s report.


    ¡°Elizabeth...!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Quenser! Dammit!!¡±


    Quenser started forward, but Heivia grabbed his arm and quickly dove behind a nearby palm tree. Gunfire immediately followed. The surrounding bodyguards had reacted.


    ¡°She¡¯s got fifteen bodyguards equipped with bulletproof plates. A grenade would work if we could kill Elizabeth, but we can¡¯t. Evans, take them out one at a time with your anti-materiel rifle!¡±


    ¡°Take our time with that and more reinforcements will arrive. Heivia, let¡¯s take them all out at once. Start shooting on my signal.¡±


    ¡°What, are you going to use that to mold a tits-shaped bomb, stick a fuse in the cleavage, and throw it? You¡¯ll blow Elizabeth to pieces along with them!!¡±


    ¡°Normally, yes. But what do you think happens if we start shooting but readily fall back when they shoot back!?¡±


    They all looked confused, so Professor Quenser continued his special lecture.


    ¡°This is an away game for us. And we¡¯re outnumbered. So if we start falling back, they¡¯ll get carried away pretty easily! They¡¯ll eagerly begin the hunt. And since they can¡¯t use the tiltrotor, they have to pass through this door to escape some other way. They¡¯ll come right for us, so hiding a bomb wouldn¡¯t be hard. If we detonate it up below their feet once they approach, we can blow them all away!!¡±


    That was exactly what happened.


    Thirty seconds later, the careless group was blown away along with the high-voltage wires and chain link fence. They must have been issued some decent jackets because the bodyguards were still alive as they groaned among the scraps of metal and broken trees.


    And after waiting a short distance away, Quenser¡¯s group returned to the heliport.


    Heivia aimed at the collapsed worms and gave a shout.


    ¡°If you think you can turn this around now, then just try it! But only if you think you can win when you don¡¯t even know how far away your gun ended up!!¡±


    ¡°H-hey. Remember that screen camouflage? There aren¡¯t more hiding behind those weird parasols, are there? I¡¯m kind of scared.¡±


    ¡°Look at the color of the sky, Evans. The navy blue sky is a mess of reflected orange and black smoke. The real-time footage can¡¯t keep up with that in the background. If the specs are the same as the one a perverted professor at my safe country school was messing around with, it would definitely stand out right now.¡±


    But the beautiful brown-haired woman, whose bright red dress she was a little too old for, had grown bright red in the face too. She pointed one at a time at the bodyguards who were lying around like they were hungover after letting loose at a training camp.


    ¡°You! And you and you and you!! You¡¯re all fired!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your assets are burning away right now, so you wouldn¡¯t be able to pay them either way. Putting it in words is a waste of time.¡±


    When they heard that, the men all sighed. They held their heads and slowly stood up, but it was obvious they had no intention of fighting. This may have been the atmosphere seen in the instant that someone gave up on ¨C or was given up on by ¨C someone else. In that super awkward atmosphere, the muscular men left the scene as if their job was over.


    ¡°Now then, miss.¡±


    ¡°Eek!¡±


    ¡°Tell us what we want to know and we won¡¯t hurt you. We¡¯re all a bunch of perverts with a severe lack of morals, so I¡¯d recommend not angering us. Don¡¯t underestimate people stupid enough to sneak past an Object to go fight a war for their cute little sister. Do you understand the rules now? Then how about you tell us.¡±


    ¡°T-t-tell you what...?¡±


    ¡°How to buy god¡¯s love.¡±


    Part 8


    ¡°Y¡¯know what?¡±


    Heivia sounded entirely carefree.


    His pointless chatter rang loudly through a large empty space.


    ¡°The world is a weird place. It¡¯s been ten hours since then. Lunchtime is about over and the sun is high in the sky. There was a commotion right after the attack, but why is Hermes Pharmaceuticals still holding a party according to their peaceful schedule only about half a day afterwards?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a late-night party in some fancy bar. It¡¯s a daytime ceremony. They must have reserved a resort hotel for the participants and they rented out an event hall too. These formal things aren¡¯t allowed to fail. Even if an asteroid hit, they need to be able to show the signature that says it was all completed without delay. I thought a noble like you would know more about this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°B-but I¡¯m amazed they didn¡¯t find us. If they had used all their personnel to search the limited reclaimed land or gone over everything with their rollers, we wouldn¡¯t have had anywhere to run.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a good and bad side to everything. The oil fire won¡¯t go out for two or three days and all of its flames and smoke prevent them from using satellite photography or thermo. As long as we aren¡¯t taken out by the heat and smoke ourselves, doesn¡¯t this seem like the best urban hideout?¡±


    Quenser continued his ¡°work¡± as they chatted.


    Heivia helped from the side and seemed to still have plenty of questions.


    ¡°Hey. We¡¯re after the people who developed that poison gas in Hermes Pharmaceuticals, right? We can¡¯t get the antidote otherwise. They created a debt in the billions of euros, so why do they still hold an important position? Even ten thousand euros would be a hopeless debt for us. The units of money are confusing me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just how crucial a pillar they are for the country. You could say they¡¯re partially nationally owned.¡±


    They were pasting clay-style plastic explosives to a luxurious wall. The long, skinny bombs were attached in a two meter box as if to create a door. They then attached pen-shaped electric fuses and synchronized the detonation timing.


    Even without a directional microphone, they could hear the voice on the other side of the door.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it scare you how well this is going?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve caught the Frolaytia disease. You should be celebrating.¡±


    All four of them moved away from the wall.


    They heard the following announcement from beyond the wall:


    ¡°Now we will hear from a key figure who will bring an even greater future to Hermes! Please welcome Veneto Dandelion, a pioneer in the field of chemical security, including tear spray and oil slicks!!¡±


    They blew it to pieces.


    At that moment, a perfect door shape was blown into the back wall of the grand party stage being viewed by 500 people. A well-built elderly man was spectacularly thrown through the air and into the speech lectern. His head was shaken so hard his toupee flew off and four idiots in the uniforms of an enemy nation poured out of the makeshift entrance.


    ¡°Hey, is he okay? The old man¡¯s legs are broken.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s made enough dirty money for a lifetime of fun, so even if he spends the rest of his life in a hospital bed, it averages out to a pretty good life. And this is perfect. Hey, say it in front of everyone from Hermes. Say you covered up the poison gas accidents, torpedoed the brand name everyone else worked so hard for, and are actively killing a cute 12-year-old all for your insane greed.¡±


    There was some obvious violence going on, but not one of the 500 people moved. And not just out of fear of the guns and soldiers from an enemy nation.


    They would never say so, but they mostly knew the truth.


    So if some enemy soldiers would take care of it, they were not about to complain.


    That was the gist of the atmosphere.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the antidote?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When Quenser slowly asked, Veneto Dandelion slowly reached into his fancy suit¡¯s pocket. He pulled out a few syringes in a special case.


    Quenser pulled one out, stabbed it into the man¡¯s neck, and mercilessly pressed his thumb down on the cylinder. The mystery drug quickly slipped into the man¡¯s veins.


    When the man suddenly began struggling violently, the angry big brother grabbed his arms and shouted into his ear.


    ¡°I asked for the antidote! I don¡¯t know what you tried to give me as a bluff, but it isn¡¯t the real thing if you have to struggle that much. So you should probably get yourself treated too!! This is for both of us now!!¡±


    Part 9


    And so...


    ¡°Who would think this thin card could turn into the antidote?¡±


    After retrieving their spare weapons buried in the beach, Heivia held the laminated card up to the moon in the night sky.


    Quenser shook a glass device.


    ¡°Mixing a drug is a lot like making a cocktail. If you know the ingredients and the ratios, you just need to know how and in what order to mix them together. And it¡¯s safer to keep that on a card in your wallet than to leave it out on the cloud. And it won¡¯t raise any questions when a police officer searches your possessions because it doesn¡¯t have any special equipment. They won¡¯t know if it has a military encrypted IC chip inside.¡±


    Just like before, he had combined things like a vacuum coffee maker and a bowl full of ice to build his own chemistry set that looked like a glass roller coaster. He used that to separate and recombine ingredients from the cold medicine and pain medicine he had acquired at a drug store.


    Instead of rushing back to Second Venice with the card, they were hiding out in the dangerous reclaimed land to do the work in advance. They had a simple reason for that.


    ¡°It¡¯s crazy that we can¡¯t just send an email now that we have it right here. Well, I do get that we can¡¯t let the Rush and its largescale communications equipment notice us.¡±


    ¡°And if that Veneto bastard was lying a second or third time, we need to turn right back around, shove some Hand Axe in his mouth and up his ass, and turn him into a human firework.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one scary big brother.¡±


    ¡°It is a citizen¡¯s duty to risk his life for his cute little sister.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re definitely an only child. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m throwing my life away for a ¡®little sister¡¯!!¡±


    The finished mixing up the antidote as they argued.


    It was a translucent and somewhat yellowish liquid.


    ¡°But how do we test it?¡±


    ¡°I brought this with me. It¡¯s the impurities built up in the filter to the gas mask Catherine gave me. In other words, it¡¯s the primary component of Argeiphontes.¡±


    ¡°Are you insane!?¡±


    ¡°Inject me with the antidote. If it doesn¡¯t work, go kill that Veneto bastard for me. Adios.¡±


    Quenser dropped the white powder on the back of his hand and snorted it. It may have looked like a different sort of scene, but then he started wobbling and fell to the side.


    ¡°Are you kidding me, you pervert!? Did having little Catherine by your side bring out a new fetish inside you!?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be nice and at least call it an interest! Here¡¯s the syringe!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, wrap a belt or something around Quenser¡¯s upper arm. I think we need to make sure the blood vessel is bulging out!¡±


    ¡°Dammit, do we really have to make this look even more like that kind of scene!?¡±


    Quenser had collapsed with fever, so they borrowed his right arm, rolled up his uniform¡¯s sleeve, sterilized the area with some alcohol, and passed the needle through his skin. Surprisingly, Heivia looked away when the needle pricked him. He did not hesitate to slit an enemy soldier¡¯s throat from behind, but he apparently had trouble with this.


    ¡°Well? What happened? Did it work?¡±


    ¡°Please wait a moment. This isn¡¯t instant glue, so it isn¡¯t going to take effect so soon.¡±


    ¡°...Is it just me or is his breathing growing shallow?¡±


    ¡°Not good!! Prepare for a heart massage!!¡±


    Meanwhile, Quenser¡¯s eyes opened a little as he lay on the ground. Light entered them. The antidote seemed to have worked.


    And as he prepared to tell the others that as they peered down at him.


    ¡°Okay, start! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!!¡±


    ¡°Bweh!? Gbah!! Aghah!!¡±


    (I¡¯m gonna die! I¡¯m gonna die!? Wait, why are they doing chest compre-...gweh!?)


    ¡°Ah, Quenser¡¯s reacting!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep him here on this filthy planet. It¡¯s too soon for this idiot to visit the luxury resort in the sky!!¡±


    ¡°Bh...ah...¡±


    As Heivia relentlessly continued the chest compressions, Quenser grabbed the boy¡¯s neck and sprang up like some kind of trap.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill me!?¡±


    ¡°Is that anything to say to the guy who saved your life!? H-hey, stop! Don¡¯t crush those soap-like rations below your dirty boots and throw them at me!¡±


    Myonri and Evans could only sigh as the two idiots got into a fight. There had been some trouble along the way, but the antidote had proved effective.


    Thus...


    ¡°I¡¯m the proof. We don¡¯t need to fear Argeiphontes anymore. Let¡¯s get back to Second Venice and wake up Sleeping Beauty.¡±


    ¡°Cough, ugh. That¡¯s fine. Catherine¡¯s the only one infected, so the Rush will lose its justification for the blockade if we save her.¡±


    ¡°But how do we get back? Borrowing a cruiser is easy enough, but the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush is still watching over everything.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. And Quenser, we can¡¯t float past as driftwood this time. The direction of the current is fixed. Since we used it to get here, we¡¯ll be fighting the current this time.¡±


    Quenser shrugged at Myonri and Evans¡¯s comments.


    ¡°We can just take a cruiser back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to hide. The Rush¡¯s job is to keep us in. She can¡¯t restrict us if we¡¯re going back in. Since we already left, she¡¯ll be curious where we were out having some fun, but forcing us back out wouldn¡¯t make sense since we might be infected.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The more normal two among the idiots exchanged a bitter glance.


    And the extraordinary idiot had more to say.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s make a triumphant return right past the Information Alliance who won¡¯t have a clue what¡¯s going on.¡±


    External Document ¨C Report on Faith Organization Object Development


    As wartime PR, all four world powers have a tendency to deify their Objects and Pilot Elites. The Legitimacy Kingdom views them as knights and the Information Alliance as idols. But that trend is most evident in the Faith Organization which focuses heavily on religious belief.


    They tend to focus more on the Pilot Elite than the mechanical Object and they view the Object as a tool the Elite uses to increase their charisma. You could say the Faith Organization views the Object as a temple and the Elite as the priest or shrine maiden that controls the temple. Through that, the people under their protection see a god.


    For that reason, the Faith Organization will occasionally adopt designs far removed from the ideals of efficiency and logic. For them, the concept of the Object as an unsinkable ship with all-powerful guns is nothing more than one aspect of the device to increase their charisma. To embody the god whose name it borrows and the ideal desired by the people, they will even throw out any benefits that would harm that balance of theirs.


    These bizarre designs are often far removed from general effectiveness and will introduce flaws and fragility.


    But it does not end there, as should be obvious from the Faith Organization¡¯s continued presence as one of the four world powers. Standard assumptions do not apply to these bizarre designs. It may be similar to how the unexpected actions of a complete amateur are more likely to kill an expert than the ineffectual efforts of poorly-trained soldiers, but if they can control and reproduce those lucky hits and beginner¡¯s luck, then that is a real threat indeed.


    Or perhaps the fact that the fate of their entire army relies on those lucky hits is a sign that the Faith Organization truly is loved by god.

 Volume 12, Day 6

    Volume 12, Day 6


    Part 1


    ¡°Hey, if we¡¯re gonna do this, let¡¯s borrow a really nice one. Look, there¡¯s a cruiser designed by an F1 maker.¡±


    They felt like pirates.


    Quenser and the others set out into the dark sea in one of the private possessions of Veneto Dandelion, the man who had sold god¡¯s love.


    It was just past two in the morning.


    ¡°There¡¯s a party set in the fridge. There¡¯s tons of ham, olives, and cheese, so it¡¯s all perfect to go with some drinks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t grab the alcohol itself. We¡¯ll be rocked by the waves all the way back and you¡¯ll get a nice greeting from Frolaytia¡¯s iron fist if you return to base smelling of alcohol.¡±


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to save that to use as an offering to that busty commander. What a waste. There¡¯s some that aged for 20 years in a sherry cask! It¡¯s clearly a Legitimacy Kingdom product. We¡¯re taking back artwork stolen by an enemy nation, so why don¡¯t we get a chance to enjoy it!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a big fishing set too. Looks like it¡¯s for trolling.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s more constructive. Can you catch tuna around here?¡±


    ¡°Think I can catch something?¡± asked Evans as he quickly began attaching some of the food as bait and casting the thick wires out into the dark ocean. As long as the boat was moving, the electric reels would lure the fish in and reel them in on their own, so it was quite convenient.


    Static ran through the ship¡¯s radio.


    ¡°There it is,¡± said Heivia as he bit into some of the chilled chicken.


    A moment later, a familiar voice arrived over the device.


    ¡°You, civilian ship, stop right there! Oh ho ho. The route to Second Venice is currently off limits in accordance with an Information Alliance military-...bffh!? Wh-what!? But you...? How did you get out there!?¡±


    Blinding light danced through the air.


    A mountain-like silhouette appeared in the darkness. Large floodlights shined down from it. These were far more than theatre spotlights. They could not even open their eyes or tell which direction led to Second Venice.


    ¡°Damn, my head hurts. My temples are burning. This is a real pain, so you deal with that lonely girl, Quenser.¡±


    Heivia grimaced, removed the radio¡¯s wired microphone from the hook, and tossed it to Quenser.


    The student scratched at his head as he spoke into it.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I know it¡¯s wrong to cheat, but this bastard in my pants just won¡¯t take no for an answer. All I did was take a quick trip over to my mistress¡¯s place and it¡¯s getting late, so could you maybe open up the front door for me?¡±


    One of the rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons opened fire and water vapor exploded near the cruiser.


    ¡°Do you want to diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!?¡±


    Without thinking, Quenser removed the microphone from his mouth and voiced his surprise.


    ¡°She forgot to say ¡®oh ho ho¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Do you not understand at all how a girl¡¯s heart works!?¡±


    For some reason, Myonri snapped back at him even though she was supposed to be on his side.


    ¡°So in this scenario, who¡¯s the wife?¡± Heivia sounded fed up with it all. ¡°The Princess? Or maybe cute Catherine?¡±


    ¡°Catherine¡¯s my little sister, you creep!!¡±


    ¡°Why are you questioning my sense, you pervert!?¡±


    ¡°Bh, kh, kh... How much...how much do you have to humiliate me before you¡¯re satisfied, Legitimacy Kingdom? This is information warfare on the level of sneaking into a strictly guarded summit meeting room, leaving behind a plastic bottle instead of a bomb, taking a picture, and revealing it to the world to mock our inadequate security. And you chose the Information Alliance as your opponent!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you idiot. She¡¯s getting worked up in a weird direction now.¡±


    ¡°M-Miss Oh Ho Ho? Isn¡¯t it about time you played your latest bewitching Idol Elite music video to give us guys some hopes and dreams?¡±


    Quenser tried to make a course correction in a coaxing voice, but it was too late.


    A dull sound rumbled through the late night sea and the giant silhouette began to move. Even with the powerful light shining on them, they could not overlook such extreme motion. The two rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons were correcting their aim. They were clearly targeting the cruiser as it moved quickly along the ocean. They could tell all too well that the cannons were slowly turning to match their movement.


    The cruiser¡¯s speed had exceeded 100 kph as it seemed to skip along the waves, but that meant nothing if the amphibious Second Generation locked onto them. They could not escape an Object if it was serious about destroying them.


    But Quenser and the others were not actually given a watery grave.


    The battlefield underwent a change.


    It started with an unpleasant sound reminiscent of gas bubbles in a rotting marsh.


    The Rush¡¯s various floodlights scattered and then focused on something other than the cruiser. They focused on the very center of the change. Countless air bubbles rose to the surface, creating an area of white in the dark sea. To Quenser, it looked like a jellyfish rivalling a small island in size.


    But that was not what this was.


    Something appeared as it broke through the dark sea of death.


    It was the undead skull that had overcome death several times before supposedly being sunk by the Old Fashion.


    It had a single coilgun on the front, four long floats that stretched back behind it, and bug-like legs that spread out to the sides.


    Quenser groaned its name.


    ¡°The Zombie Object... The Faith Organization¡¯s Lizard Tail!?¡±


    As soon as it appeared, the Rush mercilessly opened fire with her two rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons.


    Part 2


    As a strategy, it was overwhelmingly correct.


    Before the enemy Object could get up to combat speed, the Rush fired its main cannons over and over. A normal Object would have been helplessly destroyed.


    But the Lizard Tail was not a normal Object.


    This was the Zombie Object. It did not fear destruction and it even built up its legend of immortality each time it was destroyed.


    So it did not even try to dodge.


    With a roar a lot like rain pouring down on a thin metal roof, the armor surface danced madly about like the katsuobushi on top of the Island Nation style of pizza known as an okonomiyaki. The energy that should have gathered as a beam weapon was randomly dispersed and the damage could not reach the inside.


    ¡°Dammit, it¡¯s just a bad match!! Lasers and beam weapons can¡¯t defeat that zombie!!¡±


    ¡°Whose side are you on, Quenser? Who cares if the Information Alliance and Faith Organization kill each other?¡±


    ¡°That thing hijacks the defeated Object and uses the firepower for itself! If Oh Ho Ho is defeated, that main cannon will target us next!!¡±


    ¡°What!? That¡¯s just scary! Hurry up and do something about it!!¡±


    Frightened Heivia continued to guide the cruiser toward Second Venice as quickly as possible, but no matter how far they fled, they were still right in front the Objects which could move at 500 kph.


    ¡°Do something? But what can I do against something that doesn¡¯t stop even after you kill it?¡±


    As a habit, Quenser ended up kneading some Hand Axe in his hand, but he could not even picture what kind of shape would be useful here. Even if he sliced the thing in half or blew it to smithereens, he could only imagine it crawling back up from the abyss. He was not even sure it had a cockpit and reactor. Those weak points logically had to be there, but after seeing it killed before his eyes so many times, he started imagining it had some kind of occult power. And that may have been a very Faith Organization way of thinking.


    As Quenser hesitated, he realized the plastic explosive was turning into a 1/8 scale version of the G-cup idol. He was even using the fountain pen and paper knife he found in the cruiser to recreate the face and ringlet curls.


    Meanwhile, Myonri commented on the battle between the Rush and the Lizard Tail.


    ¡°Hmm. If there¡¯s no way to defeat the zombie, maybe we should defeat the Rush first. If we¡¯re afraid of its main cannon being hijacked, it might be best to destroy that main cannon ourselves...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ah!? ...N-no, I didn¡¯t mean it, everyone. That was just a clever joke to get a discussion started. It¡¯s a thought experiment where you eliminate the impossible ideas first until you can start to see the outline of a successful idea! I can¡¯t have you taking me seriously!! Tee hee! Smile¡î¡±


    Myonri frantically waved her hands back and forth in front of the guys who began arguing with each other: ¡°This might not be the same as listing ¡®education history, bloodline, and salary¡¯ as her first three factors for deciding who to marry, but the reality in a girl¡¯s mind can be enough to send a shiver down my spine.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a lot like saying we should behead the survivors now to prevent more zombies later?¡± ¡°Stop it. React to that kind of phrase and you¡¯ll get some female company president in London yelling at you.¡±


    Myonri may have only made the comment because she was so exhausted.


    (But if we were really going to do it, how would we?)


    Quenser gulped as he looked to the Lizard Tail illuminated by the floodlights. It used a design philosophy of deflecting damage instead of dodging attacks, so that Zombie Object was not unharmed. It could not fully deflect the rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons, so its spherical main body had lines torn across it like the stitches on Frankenstein¡¯s monster.


    It also had the giant holes from the Baby Magnum¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon and the Old Fashion¡¯s compressed metal cannon. It had damage in more places than not, so it was creepy seeing it moving around like that. If the reactor and cockpit were located somewhere other than the center, where were they? Quenser was reminded of the magic trick where someone got inside a large box while swords were stabbed in from the outside.


    ¡°Wait. Could it be...?¡±


    In most of those box magic tricks, the assistant would actually escape outside the box before the swords were stabbed inside. There might be stairs to climb out the top or a space hidden below it with mirrors.


    In that Zombie Object¡¯s case...could it be in the ocean?


    Could a thick power cable and a communications cable for piloting extend down into the ocean where the cockpit and reactor had escaped to safety? If a wire was dangling down like that, it would get dragged along during the high-speed movement and might rise up above the surface. But he just had to look at the fishing lines extending behind the cruiser. If the wire was attached to the end of the shark anchor reaching far down below, it would still be around a dozen meters below the surface even when stretched out horizontally.


    Quenser grabbed the microphone to the ship radio.


    ¡°Listen, Oh Ho Ho. Fire a few of your secondary cannons into the ocean! If that zombie bastard overreacts, then there¡¯s some secret in the dark ocean!!¡±


    ¡°You dare speak to me after treating this world-class idol like a runner up!?¡±


    She complained, but she swiftly complied.


    The secondary cannons on the Rush¡¯s side poured a barrage down toward the ocean around the Lizard Tail instead of at the Zombie Object itself. Even though the thick seawater slowed the shells down, they would be plenty destructive at around a dozen meters down. They could easily tear apart any cables unprotected by armor.


    But...


    ¡°Ho...ho ho. It didn¡¯t respond at all, you moron!!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Then I guess that isn¡¯t it...¡±


    ¡°That is no way to treat me!!¡±


    Quenser was too lost in thought to listen to Oh Ho Ho¡¯s protests.


    Lowering the cockpit and reactor and then reeling them back in if the enemy caught on had seemed like a good idea, but it must not have been the answer. It looked like the Lizard Tail¡¯s weakness really was inside the spherical main body.


    ¡°Come to think of it...¡±


    ¡°I refuse to help you any further! Oh ho ho. No matter what!!¡±


    ¡°The Lizard Tail floated up out of the ocean, didn¡¯t it? ...But how did it do that? An Object weighs 200,000 tons and it¡¯s filled with onion armor, so it shouldn¡¯t be able to float.¡±


    ¡°I-ignoring me only makes it worse!!¡±


    ¡°That lady-killer is manipulating her pretty well,¡± commented Heivia. ¡°Anyway, doesn¡¯t it just have some kind of spare part? Like a float. Just before fully surfacing, it probably cut it away.¡±


    ¡°But then the buoyancy would come from the spare part. It would be floating around here somewhere.¡±


    Myonri leaned out and shined the large signal light around, but there was nothing evident in the dark ocean. Lifting the 50 meter Object would take something quite large, so they would not simply overlook it.


    ¡°Does the Zombie Object itself act as a float?¡± asked Evans with a frown. ¡°Maybe it puffs out like a blowfish.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re getting closer and closer to a zombie now. Blowfish poison was used to make zombie powder, right?¡±


    ¡°This thing is connected to the Greek sect, so I doubt that¡¯s related. But it¡¯s not a bad idea. If it isn¡¯t using some kind of spare part, it means the zombie itself floated up. And the fastest way to gain buoyancy is to fill it with a ton of air. That¡¯s true of swim rings and nuclear subs alike.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you mean...?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why no one can hit the cockpit or reactor no matter how much they shoot it. And even if those are main cannons blasts, it was weird that they blew open those giant holes so easily.¡±


    In other words...


    ¡°That spherical main body is hollow. I bet the reactor and cockpit are made so they can move freely around inside.¡±


    It was a bold theory.


    It was so bold that it took some time for Heivia, Myonri, and Evans to catch up.


    ¡°Hold it. Then what are you saying? That the Zombie Object is like a hamster running around in a ball!?¡±


    ¡°If anything, the spherical main body probably has a ton of protrusions on the inside that the small gear-shaped reactor and cockpit use to move around with the interlocking teeth. We¡¯ll know soon enough. We need to focus on the Lizard Tail¡¯s movements.¡±


    Myonri was the first to notice.


    She spotted a moment when the Zombie Object made an especially sharp turn.


    ¡°H-huh? Can it really turn that quickly? That looked like it had more to do with a misplaced center of gravity than the air cushion engine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right. By shifting the positions of the ¡®weights¡¯ inside during a turn, it can intentionally alter its center of gravity. That allows movements that a normal Object couldn¡¯t pull off. And with most of the inside being hollow, its overall weight is a lot lower too. With that much power, it¡¯s probably harder to keep the entire Object from hopping up when it moves at full speed.¡±


    Even if the weak point could freely move within the spherical main body, the Zombie Object¡¯s main purpose was to shift its weak point to avoid any real damage. Without the ability to make quick movements, one lucky hit could sink it.


    It was an expert at taking advantage of its own damage. By intentionally allowing a hit while shifting its weak point out of the way, it could finish off its opponent before they could move again. This risky Second Generation was always a step away from death.


    ¡°So it makes a show of being immortal?¡± Heivia gulped. ¡°Is that really so attractive, Faith Organization? The Pilot Elite is clearly wearing away their own life.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you would expect from them. A release from the fear of death is a standard religious idea. That¡¯s the whole point of heaven and reincarnation.¡±


    An immortal soldier that could return to the front line no matter how many times they were defeated had always been an excellent way of increasing the fighting spirit of one¡¯s troops. That seemed to damage their score, but it was still effective at providing courage for the people. It may have had an overwhelming charisma different than an Object that reigned supreme and unscathed.


    If it could continue coming home alive, then people would believe in miracles on the battlefield. And they would believe that the son they sent off to war would also return.


    The zombie quickly rotated around in search of living flesh.


    And its target was of course Quenser and the others on the cruiser heading toward Second Venice.


    ¡°Shit! It¡¯s targeting us first!?¡±


    ¡°But why!? Does the Lizard Tail have any reason to go after us first!?¡±


    ¡°Because we have the Argeiphontes antidote?¡±


    ¡°But why start now, Evans? And either way, the deadly mold can¡¯t spread to the whole world with the blockade around the infection base. Surely it isn¡¯t still thinking of burning Second Venice to the ground so the scorched corpses carry the mold back to their families...¡±


    Even as Quenser suggested it, he was rejecting the idea.


    After all...


    ¡°But then why did it surface here? If it could make a surprise attack from the bottom of the ocean, why didn¡¯t it get as close to Second Venice as possible to attack the city where the Rush couldn¡¯t interfere?¡±


    ¡°It almost seemed to be waiting for us, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°War isn¡¯t always about efficiency. It might have been nothing more than a personal grudge. Remember that...what was his name? Anyway, that Hermes Pharmaceuticals trash whose legs we broke in the attack on the Olive Garden. If he has a connection to the zombie, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he ordered it to take revenge.¡±


    Their speculation was fine, but the most pressing problem was the fact that they were being targeted with pinpoint accuracy by a Second Generation Object. The Lizard Tail was designed for close-range battles, but it was not made to attack tiny cruisers. The Rush stood in its way, but that Object would be destroyed if it took all of the shells, including main cannon shells, meant for the cruiser. Plus, the Information Alliance Second Generation was not obligated to protect the Legitimacy Kingdom idiots.


    Thus, the Rush escaped horizontally away from a main cannon blast.


    Immediately afterwards, a barrage of smaller shells poured down toward the cruiser like rain.


    ¡°Dwah!?¡±


    The Zombie Object may not have accurately locked onto them, but just one coilgun shell falling nearby would be enough. It would form a frightening wave which would capsize the racing cruiser. They did not even have time to think about turning the helm to recover.


    ¡°Dammit, jump out!!¡±


    ¡°No, not the booze aged for 20 years in a sherry caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaask!!¡±


    There was nothing they could do.


    As soon as the four idiots jumped into the dark ocean, one of the randomly falling metal shells supplied a finishing blow to the cruiser. The wreckage erupted like a volcano, one of the wooden planks hit Quenser, and he experienced one of the double jumps he had thought only existed in games.


    ¡°Agfrbaehah!!¡±


    Except it slammed into his back and he started seeing an angel.


    By the time he realized the angel veiled in light was unexpectedly macho, quite hairy, and had a butt chin, he came to in the dark ocean.


    ¡°Uooaaaaaahh!? Y-you¡¯re kidding!! If you¡¯re going to come for me, at least make the angel a beautiful woman!!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know, Quenser? Most angels are androgynous. Gabriel is apparently the only one clearly described as a woman.[1]¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Now I can see why people fall into depravity. All the demons are really sexy.¡± Quenser sounded annoyed. ¡°Anyway, what do we do? I doubt that was it for the zombie bastard. It¡¯ll attack us as soon as the Rush gives it an opening. And we¡¯ll be turned into fish food next time.¡±


    ¡°Why is it even attacking us over the Rush? That threat assessment order is way off.¡±


    ¡°Um, do you think it has to do with this?¡±


    Everyone reacted to Myonri¡¯s words.


    She held some kind of paper soaked with seawater. In fact, papers were floating all around the wreckage of the cruiser. It was more than just five or ten pages.


    ¡°What? Where did all this come from?¡±


    ¡°The cruiser may have had a hidden safe. And given who owned it...¡±


    ¡°Veneto Dandelion. So are these secret Hermes Pharmaceuticals documents?¡±


    How much Hermes had to do with this was still a mystery.


    They had developed the Argeiphontes that provided the toxicity for the deadly mold and they provided a lot of financial support for the Faith Organization¡¯s Kerukeion special forces that had been working in secret in Second Venice¡¯s infection base. Since the Lizard Tail had entered Second Venice via the asteroid to support Kerukeion, it was likely connected to Hermes as well.


    But why would Hermes Pharmaceuticals want to spread the deadly mold carrying Argeiphontes?


    They were the only ones with an antidote, so a worldwide pandemic might prove profitable, but it was already known that Hermes had developed the Argeiphontes. Everyone would know who was behind it, so they would be unable to profit from it. In fact, repeating the same disaster was more likely to destroy them beyond recovery this time.


    Not to mention that Quenser¡¯s group had been handed a card with something like 3D printer designs rather than the antidote itself. That suggested that Hermes was not prepared to mass produce it.


    In that case, their goal was a mystery.


    Did Veneto Dandelion actually hold a grudge against Hermes Pharmaceuticals, so he wanted to see the corporation crash and burn? If they were setting aside that sort of self-destructive desire, there was no apparent reason for this master plan.


    But the documents about to tear apart from the seawater were on an entirely different level.


    They said the following:


    ¡°Level 6. A pessimistic report from Hermes¡¯s Secret Division concerning the development of Pilot Elites and how to handle the fast approaching upper limits of human evolution.¡±


    Part 3


    It was ridiculous and grandiose.


    It sounded a lot like a video game¡¯s flavor text.


    Since the documents had been scattered randomly, they were not even in order. But by gathering all of the data they could, they were able to read the following:


    This project began as a means to oppose the utterly insolent Information Alliance who are attempting to electronically preserve all forms of culture and civilization ¨C including the holy scriptures ¨C as mere data.


    They commonly use supercomputers and AI for government, civilian, industrial, and academic uses, so we had to surpass them in those fields if we were to bring the hammer of judgment down upon them. That said, walking the same path as those fools would have been meaningless.


    If the Information Alliance was emphasizing the creation of a mechanical brain, then the holy Faith Organization only needed to take the opposite path.


    We would develop the human brain to its limits and mass-produce professional chess players who can overwhelmingly defeat any supercomputer or AI. The shortest path was to develop the Pilot Elites who already had ample government funding and belonged to the closest relevant field. We would place our project on top of that.


    ¡°Where are we? Which page is this?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow the page numbers. They¡¯re numbered on the edge.¡±


    The results were excellent. At least at the current stage, man solidly wins in any battle between the flexibility of the human brain and the high-speed calculations of a supercomputer.


    But we have also learned something.


    We have learned the limits of humans as humans. That is a wall we will run into no matter how thoroughly we develop the subjects. One-sided tests such as IQ tests or memory challenges do not matter. We at Hermes stand on the front line of producing the cleverest and most useful humans. And that is why we have reached a certain understanding:


    Human evolution has an upper limit.


    And it is far, far closer than anyone thinks.


    A thick concrete ceiling is within arm¡¯s reach. That final upper limit cannot be removed no matter what. And we are not simply talking about supercomputers and AIs leaving us behind as they develop further or an inability to keep up with the Information Alliance.


    They are the same.


    No matter how far we attempt to develop supercomputers and AIs, no progress will be made as long as the humans using them are stuck here. Humans will stop here, stall, and ultimately fall.


    Humans will fall into ruin.


    And not because of environmental pollution, limited resources, or war.


    Humans themselves will harden over from within, lose their possibilities, and destroy themselves.


    That is the truth of the coming age.


    ¡°Is this serious? Is this actual scientific data!? Hey, Quenser, tell me this is some Faith Organization bullshit like blood type fortune telling!¡±


    ¡°How should I know? I mean, what the hell is this? It¡¯s tearing apart!!¡±


    We must make a decision.


    The only way to conquer this disease of stagnation and to smash the thick ceiling overhead is...


    That was all.


    The soaked paper tore and they could not read the rest.


    But the bad feeling did not leave their chests. They had taken over an infection base that could create a worldwide pandemic starting from Second Venice and they had brought in a deadly mold that killed all those infected. They had a grand objective that surpassed the benefit to Hermes Pharmaceuticals itself. None of it sounded promising.


    There was no stopping the sense of dread.


    Quenser grabbed the radio he also used to detonate bombs.


    ¡°Can you hear me, Lizard Tail!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you stupid!?¡±


    ¡°Or whatever it is the Faith Organization calls you! Dionysus was it!? Anyway, answer me! What are you trying to do with that killer mold!? No, how are you planning to assist mankind with it!?¡±


    An Object¡¯s largescale communications equipment would pick up any bandwidth. And Quenser had not encrypted his transmission. Everyone it reached would be able to hear it.


    Contacting them was the easy part.


    The question was whether or not they would answer.


    ¡°Ksshh. Does this mean you opened the boat¡¯s safe, Legitimacy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°...Would you look at that. The zombie removed her hat and bowed.¡±


    ¡°This is exactly what it looks like. Argeiphontes was originally developed for riot suppression gas, but there were various issues after that. And an interesting effect was found in addition to the poison gas aspect. Well, it may be a lot like how a toxic herbicide also contains a concentrated amount of a rare hair growth agent. Of course, if the average person dumps the herbicide over their head, it will instead destroy their entire scalp.¡±


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    The death rate was 99.8%.


    Had this Elite survived that without the antidote bought with money?


    ¡°Are you serious? Are you saying you were given god¡¯s love for real?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I was working with Hermes from the beginning, so they had me take the antidote. Or perhaps I should say they stole my right to take the challenge.¡±


    They heard light laughter over the radio.


    ¡°And that is why it would be a problem for you to bring back that antidote. We must witness the moment when a human overcomes ¡®that¡¯ without using any bought love.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about...?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to get the entire world involved. As long as there is a single success, we win. In Second Venice, there is a miracle human who is still alive through her own strength despite exposure to Argeiphontes, isn¡¯t there? That person is attempting to receive the true love without relying on the kind bought with money.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s thoughts ground to a halt.


    And he was finally able to draw a name out of his memories.


    ¡°Are you talking about Catherine!?¡±


    ¡°Ironic, isn¡¯t it? The last word is going to come from another Elite. But as long as the concrete ceiling eventually crumbles away, nothing else matters. Mankind has stalled, but we have fought to bring us all another step forward. If Catherine Blueangel can accomplish that, she will become our guiding shepherd. I am fine being the Apollonius who vanishes inside her shadow.¡±


    ¡°...Is this really that great for her? Catherine is dying.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure. You can¡¯t know what will happen until the very last moment. The researchers decided to inject me with the antidote before I reached that point.¡±


    ¡°And what do you plan to do if Catherine does die!?¡±


    ¡°Search for the next candidate. By finding a way to start a pandemic without using Second Venice.¡±


    That was likely her true intent. The Lizard Tail¡¯s Elite or Hermes Pharmaceuticals supporting her had no clue whether or not the ¡°next stage of mankind¡± would be completed. So they would keep trying until it happened. Even if the planet¡¯s population of seven billion was worn down to a single person, they would count it a success if that person coincidentally happened to do it. This was nothing more than a blind search.


    There was no academic theory behind it. They had not taken any statistics.


    It was a cult disguised as an academic study. Their farfetched logic was decorated with plausible-sounding reasoning and numbers, but at its foundation, the idea was no different from the millennia-old idea of human sacrifices: if we sacrifice enough people, it¡¯s sure to give us something in return.


    Dionysus.


    What kind of god had they taken that name from? Their idea of righteousness might be found there, but Quenser did not feel like looking into it. He was certain he would find some depressing and bloody legend.


    He summed up his thoughts in a short groan.


    ¡°You¡¯re completely insane.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that is why I was given an Object with this name. And if you ask me, the people relying on something like this to support their world are far more insane.¡±


    A quiet beep followed that mocking voice.


    It came from Quenser¡¯s handheld device.


    ¡°Hey, this is a military network. How far have they infiltrated it!?¡±


    Heivia voiced his concern, but Quenser had other things to worry about.


    He hesitantly pulled out the handheld device and glanced through the received email.


    A photograph was attached.


    It resembled a wriggling anatomical model.


    It looked like each of the organs and bones had been removed, placed in smooth transparent containers, and then neatly rearranged in a model of the human body.


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Quenser felt sick to the stomach.


    This was not a corpse. Tubes and cables connected it all together in place of blood vessels and nerves, so this was a living person. As soon as he realized that, he felt a second wave of nausea.


    Their opponent was a Zombie Object.


    So was its Pilot Elite also a living corpse?


    ¡°Urp!?¡±


    ¡°One year to live. After the doctor saw the shadow on the X-ray and told me that, I was made into this. The higher ups may have found this easier to control. I am only arranged as a single entity during missions...in other words, in the cockpit. Normally, each individual part is stored in a separate facility where they only wriggle in response to electric signals and receive nutrients from tubes. Strangely, no single piece is ¡®me¡¯ while broken apart. The center of my consciousness dose not reside in my brain. Cut away the brain as well and I just seem to float around while my thoughts and memories grow hazy. I assume that is because I am formed from the whole of the data stored in the nerves and organs.¡±


    This person could only maintain her identity while inside the cockpit.


    She could not even tell where her core was if someone else did not connect her together.


    This was a witch¡¯s pot that even toyed with the human heart.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be...¡±


    ¡°But when they were gathering parts for the second Object being built in secret, I surreptitiously rewrote a few electronic documents to slip some ¡®biological samples¡¯ into a container. That is my current victory. With no face or body, I am now a mere component that can be easily replaced just by replacing a label on the outside. Dionysus is the god who transcends life and death and a god whose worshipers sink into madness through their rituals. That is the true identity of this clean age protected by Objects. Now, is this the right thing to do? Or is it insane? What would you say as you look in from the outside?¡±


    It was definitive.


    Quenser had a full body and had never been packed up in boxes, so he was left speechless.


    ¡°Now, boy. Do you think this age has a future? Now that the myth of safety brought by Objects has grown brittle, do the poor and foolish humans have a future?¡±


    Or perhaps the Lizard Tail¡¯s goal was not evolving mankind at all. Perhaps it was simply one person¡¯s revenge against the oppressive age that had gone this far. That was how it felt to Quenser. In that case, there was no need for a miraculous survivor to appear. Even if all seven billion people were exterminated by the deadly mold carrying the Argeiphontes, this Elite would still achieve her objective.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need to feel sorry. I become a ghost once the promised year passed. My dead body is only an empty shell. How to use it is up to you, the ones who have lived on.¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    He breathed in and out.


    He faced the horrific truth and spoke.


    ¡°Even after hearing that, I still want to save Catherine. I want to save that girl who longs to leave the battlefield countries and live in a safe country. Even if it has to happen in this shitty age!!¡±


    A short silence followed.


    Finally, he heard a quiet breath over the radio.


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    It may have been a laugh.


    Although he had his doubts that the Pilot Elite could still produce such a human expression after being so thoroughly remade into a system.


    Or perhaps that affirmation was a form of admiration.


    The Pilot Elite lying alone in her hospital bed had someone who would attack the executives of Hermes Pharmaceuticals and even face the colossal weapons that had ended the nuclear age. That was something this Elite had never had. She had never had a foolish but warm person who would reject the age that had imprisoned her. Perhaps the undead Elite approved of that.


    But not as a friend.


    Only as an enemy on the battlefield.


    ¡°In that case...¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    They spoke at the same time.


    It did not matter that one was a puny battlefield student and the other was an Elite one step away from heaven.


    ¡°I¡¯ll defeat you and continue on ahead!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll defeat you and continue on ahead!!¡±


    Part 4


    In the dark ocean, Heivia¡¯s mouth flapped in consternation next to the idiot who had just picked a fight.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we can win!! We don¡¯t even have the cruiser anymore! So how are you gonna face this Object? The breaststroke? The butterfly? Freestyle?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Heivia. We¡¯re the ones risking our lives for a cute little sister. That means we can¡¯t lose to a villain.¡±


    ¡°This is the problem with only children. You have nothing to base that on, so it¡¯s basically a superstition!! How about you go join the Faith Organization and start up a Church of the Little Sister, you idiot!? You can pray to your twintailed idol every day and wear striped panties in place of a mitre! And instead of bread and wine, you can smile peacefully while eating burned fried eggs and drinking coffee with salt mistaken for sugar!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an oddly detailed scenario you¡¯ve got there, Heivia.¡±


    But complaining was not going to change anything. The Zombie Object would be viewing all four of the idiots as the Church of the Little Sister¡¯s crazed worshipers. So if they did nothing, they would be blown away in the name of purification or something.


    The Lizard Tail was still showing off its status as the undead. The Rush was showing off its own impressive ability, but it could not fully kill the other Object. A normal Object would have been destroyed ten times over by now, but the Zombie Object continued moving after every single clean hit.


    ¡°Damn. That thing¡¯s armor has got to be way thinner than a normal Object¡¯s. It would probably be better to use an outdated nuclear weapon for this. It can¡¯t dodge a wide-area attack, so it¡¯d definitely melt and sink.¡±


    ¡°And where do we find one of those? And it¡¯d be the end of us if one detonated near here.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    (Thin armor... It isn¡¯t made to survive a nuclear weapon?)


    Quenser thought for a bit and then looked up in realization.


    The Zombie Object already had several holes in it and the surface of the spherical main body was torn to shreds.


    (Wait. Would...that work?)


    ¡°Frolaytia!!¡±


    He grabbed his radio again and their busty silver-haired commander answered.


    ¡°Our conversation is being monitored. If this is about an emotional suicide attack or empathizing with the enemy, I¡¯m not listening.¡±


    ¡°We can defeat that thing. I just need approval and support.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Gather all of the Baby Magnum¡¯s armor panels you can.¡±


    ¡°The repair work is still underway, but it is not yet ready to send to the front line. A high-speed battle is still just a dream. It¡¯s going to take another twelve hours no matter how hard we work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was hoping for.¡± Quenser adjusted his grip on the wet radio. ¡°You only have to gather the countlessly layered onion armor sections that shield against nuclear blasts and electromagnetic waves!!¡±


    Part 5


    One form of nuclear attack was to emit an electromagnetic pulse over a wide area.


    By detonating the nuke outside the atmosphere, the massive radiation emitted would collide with the atmosphere and produce a special type of electromagnetic pulse that swept across the surface. This is skipping some details, but a hit from it would destroy all semiconductors and thus fry all electronics and means of communications over an entire city or country. Early warning radars, tanks, and fighter craft would all stop functioning. And intelligence was everything in modern wars, so that was often viewed as the first wave in a largescale war.


    But an electromagnetic pulse attack of course required a nuclear missile, so the preparation was not easy. The strategy was impossible to pull off in this Object-focused clean age that had graduated from the nuclear age.


    At the same time, there were also microwave bombs that made a similar intelligence attack but on a smaller scale. By sticking a battery-powered high-power transmitter in the warhead and firing it at enemy territory, their communication network and electronics could be destroyed.


    That might make microwaves sound special and amazing, but it was their low cost, high reliability, and lower scale that allowed them to pull off almost the same effect as a nuclear weapon when it came to an intelligence attack.


    But that was not exclusive to microwaves.


    Have you ever experienced this in a hospital?


    When having an X-ray or CT scan done, patients are told to remove their wristwatch or cellphone. That is because the electronics could be destroyed by the powerful X-rays, which are electromagnetic waves with a different wavelength than microwaves.


    In other words...


    ¡°The power is what matters and the wavelength is fairly unimportant,¡± whispered Quenser as he floated in the dark sea. ¡°And the Zombie Object made its armor as thin as it could to pull off its concept. And that means it threw out what was needed to end the nuclear age. That means its shielding has got to be weaker too. And I¡¯m not just talking about impacts and heat; I¡¯m talking about invisible electromagnetic waves and radiation!!¡±


    He grabbed his radio.


    He did not care if they found out what he was after. The pieces were in place on the board, so it was too late to do anything about it. So without any real encryption, Quenser gave his final instruction to the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush.


    ¡°Oh Ho Ho!! If you don¡¯t want to die, say ¡®woof¡¯ and swing your right main cannon around!!¡±


    ¡°Wahyah!? Y-you want me say wooooooooooooooooooooof!!???¡±


    The great Idol Elite was so thoroughly confused that she barked for the lowly student and swung her main cannon for him.


    It left an orange trail along the Lizard Tail¡¯s spherical main body, but it did not supply a fatal blow.


    But that was not what Quenser was after.


    ¡°This just has to shift the Zombie Object¡¯s position. Or to be more accurate, it just has to turn one of the large holes this way.¡±


    The surefire attack would come from someone more than ten kilometers away.


    In other words...


    ¡°If we focus powerful radar waves on that point, they¡¯ll break through your thin shielding and fry your electronics, Lizard Tail!!¡±


    Part 6


    In that instant...


    ¡°Take cover! All hands, take cover!! Whether you¡¯re in the path or not, all maintenance soldiers are to take cover indoors!!¡±


    Chaos filled the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion on the coast of Malta across from Second Venice.


    The Baby Magnum still could not fight at high speeds and was stuck as a stationary gun platform, but its main cannons and secondary cannons were not the star of the show.


    That position was taken by the largescale radar that worked in conjunction with one of the main cannons.


    EMP and radiation shielding had been placed around it like flower petals, creating something like a parabolic antenna or a trumpet shape. Light and electromagnetic waves had similar properties. Or perhaps it was better to say that visible light was a form of electromagnetic waves. Regardless, a parabolic antenna focused electromagnetic waves on a single point just like a concave lens focused light.


    A weapon as colossal as an Object could be equipped with a great variety of weapons. The same was true of radars. They never knew what kind of interference they would receive, so they were made to use all sorts of wavelengths.


    The Princess had chosen an extremely shortwave radar.


    The electromagnetic waves were close to the range commonly known as X-rays, so they would pass through the average unshielded matter. The entire point of radar was to determine the number and position of opponents by catching the waves that hit something and bounced back, so electromagnetic waves that passed through things would normally be useless. That radar was only helpful when some extremely special chaff had been used.


    ¡°Radar lock.¡±


    But this was an exception.


    The Princess reached a finger toward a square radar button instead of the trigger.


    She was more than 20 km away. The horizon became an issue at that distance, but that also gave her some leeway in the height restriction. She would have no problem targeting the 50m Lizard Tail from the similarly tall Baby Magnum.


    ¡°Begin emission.¡±


    She pressed the button.


    The destruction was invisible and silent.


    Part 7


    It ended just like a toy being switched off.


    The Lizard Tail had been zigzagging back and forth, so it was unable to apply the brakes and slipped right into the dark ocean. The air cushion engine that kept it afloat had died, so the great speed caused the Object itself to skip across the ocean a few times like a stone.


    But that did not last forever.


    The sequence of jumps came to an end and it collapsed on its side. The dark seawater bubbled in through the many holes on its spherical main body and it sank helplessly.


    There was no death cry or curse of resentment.


    The Pilot Elite had been so thoroughly built into the system that she may have died when the electronics were destroyed.


    Whether that should be called murder or salvation was a matter of faith.


    And Quenser did not glorify his sin.


    ¡°The dead has been buried at sea.¡±


    The Zombie Object that had been sunk once before by the Old Fashion. That had been an act and the Object had waited for the perfect time to resurface.


    But Quenser had a feeling this was different.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. So what are you going to do now? I am the Elite of an Information Alliance Object. I have no reason to overlook the Legitimacy Kingdom who would disturb law and order.¡± The Idol Elite spoke over the radio. ¡°Are you going to ask for help from your filthy First Generation who is stuck as a stationary gun platform? Oh ho ho. But keep in mind that my Gatling 033¡¯s electromagnetic shielding is perfect. You cannot destroy my electronics so easily.¡±


    Quenser of course knew that.


    That had only worked on the Lizard Tail due to its bizarre design created to pull off the paradox of never dying no matter how many times it was destroyed. The Rush had evolved in the proper direction, so it would have little effect against her.


    Oh Ho Ho was definitely the queen of this battlefield.


    So Quenser obediently raised his hands as he drifted through the dark ocean.


    ¡°Please help me, Oh Ho Ho.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why would I do anything for the Legitimacy Kingdom that made such a fool of me!?¡±


    ¡°Take a look at the ocean currents, you idiot.¡±


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    ¡°We drifted to the Olive Garden by grabbing onto some unpowered driftwood. That means we¡¯ll end up right back there if you don¡¯t do anything. However, we want to fight that current and get to Second Venice. So how about it, Oh Ho Ho? Do you really want us to run out of steam and drift back outside? Keep in mind that we might just be infected.¡±


    ¡°Wha-, wha-, wha-...¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, blowing us to smithereens still leaves a chance of a limb or organ washing up somewhere. And depending on the traits of the Pathogen X set up in the infection base, it¡¯s perfectly possible someone can be infected from a corpse. Your defenses here are just full of holes. If you want to keep your quarantine going, then just do what I say. So shut up and save us. Bow your head like a servant, shake your cute butt like a maid, and obey like a coachman whipping the carriage horses. Got that, you Worthless Little Idol?¡±


    ¡°Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!???¡±


    Part 8


    It was noon.


    Catherine Blueangel opened her eyes on a bed.


    Then she realized she had been removed from that strange capsule-like container. She had been moved to a perfectly normal medical bed and she was separated from the many injured by nothing more than a curtain.


    She had fallen victim to mysterious deadly mold, but she was no longer receiving special treatment.


    The blonde braided girl thought about what that meant.


    Then she heard some voices from nearby. They came from within the same booth separated out by curtains.


    Some sweaty guys were sitting on the round stools for visitors.


    ¡°Man, this is great. That¡¯s what you call a perfect victory. Nothing feels better than making a G-cup Idol Elite cry. It¡¯s like the cool summer wind is flowing straight through my entire body.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more afraid that a bastard as sadistic as you is starting up the Church of the Little Sister. That¡¯s an awful combination and I think the last judgment is approaching fast.¡±


    Catherine blinked her eyes, but Quenser and Heivia only shrugged.


    ¡°We gave you the antidote, but you probably haven¡¯t fully recovered yet. You should get some more sleep.¡±


    ¡°You can rely on everyone else, just like when you have a cold. We¡¯ll go along with it as long as you don¡¯t get a taste for it and pretend to be sick.¡±


    They readily spoke of an antidote.


    But she could not even imagine what it had taken to acquire it.


    ¡°Big brother, you all did this...?¡±


    ¡°Of course he did. Who else is gonna set a world-class casino island ablaze, break the legs of an international corporation¡¯s executive, and finish it all off by sinking an undead Zombie Object? And he didn¡¯t do any of it for the betterment of mankind. It was all for his cute little sister. There¡¯s something severely wrong with him!!¡±


    ¡°Acting cool isn¡¯t the only sign of a great guy. Seeing a hot-blooded Quenser was nice for once, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    As they spoke, Quenser pressed the nurse call button lying on the side of the bed. When the medic girl arrived, he informed her that Catherine had woken up.


    They apparently did not plan to stick around for long.


    But Catherine doubted that was just to keep out of the doctor¡¯s way. She sensed something in the boys¡¯ backs that was hurrying them along.


    She sat up in the bed and asked about it.


    ¡°Is there...something more?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll end it all soon enough.¡±


    ¡°The Baby Magnum¡¯s repairs will be done before long. That will at least bring everything back to the starting point. If we can work together to open up a way out, we can keep all the civilians from starving to death.¡±


    Their opponent required having their Object fully functional.


    And even that only brought it back to the starting point. It was a battle they did not know if they could win.


    Catherine spoke the natural answer.


    ¡°Are you finally going to settle things with the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush?¡±


    But the boys shook their heads.


    And they answered by speaking the name of the grim reaper.


    ¡°No, our final obstacle is the Faith Organization¡¯s First Generation Old Fashion.¡±


    External Document ¨C Motive for the Crime


    I have no interest in ruling the world or expanding Faith Organization territory.


    All I seek is my promise with an old friend.


    I will use this power to show the world its possibility.


    In this age, the people are unable to oppose the decisions of the four world powers and they must live on the food they are given like farm animals. I will show them that people are more than that. No matter how many brilliant scientists and extraordinary supercomputers they bring together to calculate out their numbers and data, I will face them head-on and crush them underfoot. I will show everyone that such exceptions exist. And that exception will give courage to the people. That was what I promised my friend.


    And my friend held up his end of the promise by building the most powerful Object.


    So I only need to pilot that Object as the most powerful Elite.


    Dionysus¡¯s plan to break through the upper limits of humanity was a fascinating idea. It may have been somewhat interesting to see whether or not that had created an Elite capable of reaching my level. But it is not worth going out of my way to pursue. I believe that mankind is a superb life form even without an extreme change to our environment.


    I wish to see a true genius.


    No, I wish to see a superb human who can surpass me.


    I want to ensure that no one can ever say that mankind has hit the upper limit of our possibilities and that we can evolve no further. If my presence lights a fire in the hearts of my rivals and eventually allows someone to surpass me, then I will have fulfilled my promise to my old friend.


    My name is Robert Mistynail.


    My Object has been given the name Cronus. I walk the path of the ace while bearing the name of an old god whose value is found in his defeat by Zeus.


    Notes


    1. ¡ü [Trivia] In fact, that''s wrong. Gabriel has always been depicted as male (sometimes fair-faced or based on human women but still intended as male), while the only angel depicted clearly as female is Laylah, Angel of Conception.

 Volume 12, Day 7

    Volume 12, Day 7


    Part 1


    It was the seventh and final day.


    If they did not settle things and secure an escape route from Second Venice today, they would run out of food and water and everyone would die, military and civilian alike.


    They got as much rest as they could beforehand.


    Win or lose, this battle would decide everything, so they could not afford to be worn out.


    Do-or-die was not a phrase to be used lightly, but it was an accurate description of the situation for the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s review the situation.¡±


    Early in the morning, Frolaytia Capistrano had summoned everyone in the battalion to the briefing room.


    She removed the restrictions on knowledge about the infection base and killer mold and shared the details with everyone.


    ¡°The Argeiphontes is the primary component of a poison gas, but Quenser and Catherine¡¯s cases have proven that the antidote is effective. The electronic simulation division is busy putting together a report. You could say they¡¯re putting some pretty wrapping paper around the unadorned present, but once they¡¯re done, the Information Alliance will lose their justification for their blockade. Once they understand that people can be tested for an infection and that the infected can avoid certain death with the antidote, their indiscriminate quarantine becomes nothing more than a human rights violation.¡±


    A mixture of surprise and relief filled the briefing room.


    They had simultaneously been informed of the deadly mold and the fact that they need not fear it. They must not have had time to decide whether or not to feel frightened.


    ¡°Thus, there is no need to force a confrontation with the Information Alliance¡¯s Rush. With their justification gone, they should blush and withdraw in embarrassment. ...The problem is this: The Faith Organization¡¯s First Generation Old Fashion.¡±


    Its technology was inferior even to the Baby Magnum¡¯s.


    That solitary ace could have switched to a cutting-edge derivate model at any time, but he had stubbornly stuck with the old model to keep a promise with an old friend. That should have fully cut him off from the flow of time, but he had continued to battle cutting-edge Objects in his First Generation. He was enough of a genius to make up for the inadequate technology with his piloting skill. He was brilliant enough to pull off that one-man showmanship inside the military, an organization that wished for group action from top to bottom.


    ¡°Robert Mistynail.¡± Frolaytia spoke the monster¡¯s name. ¡°He is the greatest success and his name always shows up in reference material concerning Pilot Elite development. Supercomputers have supposedly ¡®solved¡¯ chess to a level that no human can defeat them, but he has the insane brain needed to ignore that conclusion and win three world championships. He is reliable yet unpredictable. A group of Information Alliance scientists attempted to fine-tune a competitive AI learning program for use against him specifically, but they ended up throwing in the towel. Legend has it those scientists got drunk at a bar near their lab and were overheard complaining that his synapses had to form a wormhole.¡±


    The Old Fashion and the Lizard Tail were both from the Faith Organization.


    And the Old Fashion had made an attempt to defeat the Rush and rescue the civilians trapped in Second Venice. If he had known about the infection base from the beginning, that would mean he had tried to spread the deadly mold carriers throughout the world.


    Frolaytia than named someone else with her kiseru in her mouth.


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°You were the one who interacted with the Old Fashion afterwards, so you explain it.¡±


    It was now the student¡¯s turn to get up on the podium.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it started. Maybe he was working with Hermes and maybe he wasn¡¯t. But at the very least, Robert has now left the plan to break through mankind¡¯s upper limits using the Argeiphontes. His actions appear gentlemanly at first glance, but that was only the setup. He was setting the stage to give him a justification for an enjoyable battle. Both breaking through mankind¡¯s upper limits and rescuing the starving people from Second Venice would have worked just fine for him.¡±


    On Quenser¡¯s instruction, a soldier from the electronic simulation division in charge of voice analysis replayed the master data.


    ¡°This is the radio transmission I received on the way back with antidote yesterday. The analysis says it was definitely Robert.¡±


    The recording said as follows:


    ¡°I see. So the tide is turning. Having the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance join forces to protect Second Venice while I aim to destroy it might just be the most exciting possibility.¡±


    ¡°He went out of his way to announce his intentions.¡± Quenser explained how dangerous Robert Mistynail was. ¡°It would have been easy to act like he was on our side only to stab the Princess and Oh Ho Ho in the back. If they were escorting a fleet carrying civilians to safety, the Baby Magnum and Rush would have been unable to make use of their great speed for fear of sinking those ships. By announcing his hostility, he put us on guard before we began a largescale escape operation. And he even gave us the best possible advice: our best bet is to have the Princess and Oh Ho Ho work together. This is the true nature of an ace. He wants to experience genius and see truly superb people. That sounds fine on its own, but he¡¯s really only in it for the fun. He wants to experience as great a thrill as possible. I don¡¯t know what age he comes from, but he wants to be reminded of old times. By stubbornly sticking with that outdated Object, he wants to once more enjoy an age frozen in the past. That is his only reason for piloting his Object.¡±


    Robert Mistynail was indeed a genius Object pilot.


    But it was impossible for him to function within an organization like the military.


    The military likely had no intention of getting him to listen. They simply let him loose where it was convenient and reaped the benefits. It was a lot like turning a naturally-occurring typhoon or hurricane toward an enemy nation. The fact that he had something that made the military want to protect him made him seem all the more monstrous.


    ¡°We cannot avoid a battle with him,¡± summed up Frolaytia. ¡°He knows Second Venice¡¯s food and water limit and he will use that to force us into a naval battle. He has heard the legends of the abnormal strength of injured animals and starving soldiers, so he is licking his lips in anticipation of discovering if they are true or not.¡±


    ¡°Frolaytia, have you contacted the Rush...or rather, the Information Alliance?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m about to. We have no room for negotiation until we can logically explain the traits of the deadly mold and that there is no need for an indiscriminate quarantine. But once the electronic simulation division completes their report, that should go well. This whole incident had to have hurt the Information Alliance¡¯s diplomatic image. I can¡¯t say all¡¯s well that ends well, but if they can work toward as peaceful a resolution as possible, they might be able to avoid a concentrated attack by global public opinion.¡±


    ¡°In other words, the Information Alliance will have to act tough while making sure they do what we want, huh? Yeah, if we don¡¯t ask them for help, they¡¯re stuck being the villains here. ...Damn that Oh Ho Ho. I¡¯ll make her bark for me but only after getting down on all fours and spinning around thrice.¡±


    ¡°Try not to mix business with pleasure, Quenser. ...But it¡¯s true this could be fun. Threatening their commander over the camera might not be a bad idea.¡±


    They were mixing in some fun even with their lives and the futures of hundreds of thousands of civilians on the line, but that was the 37th¡¯s style.


    To get back on track...


    ¡°The Old Fashion itself is an old model, so we have quite a bit of data on it. It uses a simple two-by-two layout of amphibious air cushions and its main cannon is a tricky compressed metal cannon, but it¡¯s pretty standard if you view it as a metal shell fired by gunpowder. ...In fact, it looks like we won¡¯t have any problems with both the Baby Magnum and Rush to work with, so I¡¯m not really sure what else to do. This should be an easy victory, and yet we¡¯re cornered. It¡¯s like running across a situation where one plus one isn¡¯t two.¡±


    If they chalked it up to a difference in Elite skill, the discussion ended there.


    To win, they needed to keep thinking in some way or another.


    ¡°He uses countless tactics, so the electronic simulation division can¡¯t keep up. The one thing we can say is that he is not making up for his old tech by eliminating all waste and reaching the optimal answer. In fact, he would be a lot easier to predict if that were the case. The Old Fashion is...how should I put it? He seems to add some meaningless playfulness and leeway into his strategies. It was likely the way he strays from the optimal answer that kept the Information Alliance¡¯s competitive AI from catching up with him.¡±


    He probably enjoys fighting, thought Quenser.


    Or perhaps he was addicted to the thrill of putting his life in danger. No AI focused on logic and efficiency could outdo him. And that included this ultimate Elite¡¯s insane desire to use his outdated Object against someone technologically superior to him.


    He was strong.


    He was simply strong.


    He was an old-fashioned style of strong that tried to enjoy the difference in specs and even the difference in number of Objects. He was a living embodiment of a legendary warrior. Instead of fearing a formidable foe or growing irritated at a difficult situation, this insane genius would laugh, thank them for giving him a chance to get serious, and pleasantly break through it all.


    He wished to converse with a true genius through the medium of combat.


    If that really was his only goal, then the Old Fashion would have no interest in Second Venice. He saw the island as bait for the Baby Magnum and Rush, but it was no more than that. After destroying the two Objects, he might even open the way for the starving people because they were of no more use to him.


    The people comfortable in their safe countries on the other side of the world might see that has a gentleman¡¯s or warrior¡¯s heart. When some heard the story with handkerchief in hand, they might even think about basing a new song or movie on it.


    But the people here would lose everything.


    They could not allow the Princess or Oh Ho Ho to be chewed up and spat out by him.


    They would defeat him here.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± groaned Heivia. ¡°Is there any way to beat this guy?¡±


    ¡°There is,¡± answered Quenser. ¡°We just have to take that playfulness and leeway from him. If we do, won¡¯t he have to recompile his actions into something we can predict?¡±


    Part 2


    It was strange for the final battle to be the most relaxed, but they truly had nothing left after this one.


    Heivia spoke to Quenser as they left the large vehicle that functioned as a briefing room.


    ¡°Hey! I hear we¡¯re gonna get you-know-what up and running. And I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve got another new weapon after all this.¡±


    ¡°Well, Second Venice does belong to the Information Alliance. Frolaytia apparently made a deal with their military, so they shared data on a district not found on the public maps.¡±


    ¡°So is this gonna work?¡±


    ¡°The problem is how hard it is to calculate any of that out. We¡¯re up against Mr. Strongest here.¡±


    They ran across a bodyguard team who surrounded the Princess in her blue special suit.


    She seemed to notice them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck in the Object this entire time.¡±


    ¡°This is no time to be sulking. We¡¯ve been crawling through a bunch of gray rubble, so I wish I¡¯d been able to stay nice and comfortable with an air conditioner and fridge.¡±


    ¡°Mh. It wasn¡¯t easy for me either.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. It couldn¡¯t have been fun sitting there in a motionless gun platform. It¡¯s the toughest thing we have, but it was also the easiest target.¡±


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s repairs were complete, so it was finally back up and running. And since Frolaytia had gained the cooperation of the Information Alliance, the Princess no longer had to be prepared for battle around the clock. They probably wanted a chance to perform a condition check on the Pilot Elite herself.


    And speaking of Pilot Elites, there was another one here.


    After Quenser and Heivia left the Princess, they walked to the general medical building where a small girl with a blond braid waited for them.


    ¡°Big brother...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t need to get up.¡±


    Catherine had started to sit up, but Quenser held out a hand to stop her.


    The back of her head sank into the pillow once more.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard most of it. And it sounds like you really weren¡¯t kidding about taking on the Old Fashion.¡±


    ¡°Why would I kid about that?¡±


    ¡°You can simulate a way to defeat the Baby Magnum. ...But you can¡¯t with Robert Mistynail. Even if you have every last bit of information, the calculations never work. Do you really think you can defeat someone like that?¡±


    Quenser could not deny that he was afraid.


    Even without Robert¡¯s legendary status, simply facing an Object was frightening.


    But he could not stand still.


    ¡°We will end this today,¡± he said. ¡°And we¡¯ll send you to a safe country. We¡¯ll send you somewhere where the rules of the Object-filled battlefield countries can¡¯t reach you. That¡¯s why we can fight.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    When they saw Catherine pull the blanket up to cover her face, the two idiots left the room.


    ¡°You sure like to act cool.¡±


    ¡°You know as well as I do that I have to say that or I¡¯ll piss myself.¡±


    Meanwhile, Major Frolaytia Capistrano held her kiseru in her mouth and faced her notebook computer in her private room. The video chat mode was active and it displayed a brown-skinned woman with long silver hair who was apparently the Information Alliance base commander.


    ¡°That was a very interesting document. But depending on how you look at it, you might be missing the main point. We will be going back over everything from the ground up.¡±


    ¡°Enough posturing. No matter how much you review that report, you will not find any errors. I feel bad for making you read a 200+ page epic, but I can sum up what that report means in a single sentence: You¡¯re in trouble, Information Alliance. Now, what will you do? You forced some very public casualties on the world to draw out the culprit, but without a chance to recover, you really will sink this time, Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What we need to do is break free of this situation. I think we can both agree with that. But if you have time to search for nonexistent mistakes, then the wise thing to do would be to cut your losses and help us. Second Venice will dry up soon. If we do not defeat the Old Fashion and open the way out, hundreds of thousands of civilians will die. And a lot of them are wealthy or VIPs, so that will create a lot of resentment. And since Second Venice originally belonged to the Information Alliance and the trouble began as soon as it was taken from you, responsibility lies with you. Aren¡¯t you the ones who will suffer the most if this bomb goes off?¡±


    ¡°But you have no time.¡±


    ¡°So you think you can find excuses to delay negotiations until we¡¯re desperate enough to give you a better deal? Don¡¯t be ridiculous, you crafty woman. You¡¯re the ones without any time. The last train is about to leave the station. We will send it out whether it has any passengers or not, so you will be the ones left in tears if you do not board it in time.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think we can agree to a plan where our Gatling 033 acts as your shield!?¡±


    ¡°It was on your orders that the Rush blew away a transport ship with thirty days¡¯ worth of food and living supplies and ¨C more importantly ¨C a crew of forty. Second Venice was a threat as an infection base, so you had no real reason to kill anyone coming in. You only had to add them to the quarantine list after they arrived. But you still fired. You wanted to avoid dragging out the issue and you wanted us to starve as soon as possible. Did you think you could strut around the world without paying for that?¡±


    ¡°...Tch. Understood, Major Frolaytia Capistrano.¡±


    ¡°Say woof.¡±


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, lieutenant colonel. But in my unit, this is how we reeducate useless trash. You can refuse if you want, but my demands will only grow harsher as time passes. I would suggest learning who is in charge before I make you pose and beg like a dog. Got that, war buddy?¡±


    After returning to the Baby Magnum¡¯s cockpit, the Princess put on her goggles, operated the console with her fingertips, and confirmed that the naval floats had properly linked to the system.


    (That just leaves the hardware.)


    ¡°Hello? Old lady?¡±


    ¡°What is it? We¡¯re busy sewing up your dress, so keep it short. We¡¯ve got to get you to the ball in time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re shorthanded, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll head down and help.¡±


    With that said, she unzipped her special suit, stripped it off, and tied the side knots to transform her naked body into a blue bikini. She used the cockpit seat elevator to exit the Object and found herself in a world where thick wires functioned as scaffolding. It looked like Gulliver had been tied up.


    A few of the male maintenance soldiers whistled, but the old lady personally shoved them all into the ocean. The wiser guys kept their heads down and focused on their work. Seeing that bikini meant death.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡±


    ¡°You can start by taking a refresher course on ethics. Anyway, we¡¯re replacing the onion armor, so if you¡¯re willing to face the welding sparks in a bikini, then grab a mask and burner and come with me.¡±


    When the Princess picked up the tools, a transmission reached the radio in the tool belt around her waist.


    It was from the G-cup Oh Ho Ho, Pilot Elite of the Information Alliance¡¯s Second Generation Rush.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Honestly, to think I would have to fight alongside you of all people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to work right now, so don¡¯t talk to me.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know how much the Faith Organization¡¯s Powder Cannon 011 can do, but it¡¯s just a moldy old First Generation, isn¡¯t it? I can handle this on my own, so you should really thank me for letting you share the credit. Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°A filthy First Generation should be able to take on another First Generation, but apparently you have so little confidence in yourself that you had to come crying to a cutting-edge Second Generation like me. How sad. Oh ho ho. We may be working together, but make no mistake here. You are nothing more than the backup dancer. You should thank me for even letting you stand on the same stage as me. Make sure ¨C make very sure! ¨C that none of your shots accidently hit me! Now, the Gatling 033 can shrug off a puny old First Generation attack, but you must know your place on the stage. Honestly, you are bad enough on your own, but that gentleman has some nerve too! I only decided to mess with him a little because I was curious, but he seems to have misinterpreted it and gotten carried away. I should probably teach him who exactly is in charge here. Oh ho ho! Yes, after blowing the Powder Cannon 011 to smithereens right in front of him, I can aim my Gatling cannon at him and have him beg for his life. Oh ho ho ho ho!! Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!!¡±


    The Princess looked up in her blue bikini.


    That Elite had inherited the genes of the 37th, so she was as blunt as any of them.


    ¡°Sit. Shut up and wait for me, you mutt.¡±


    Part 3


    The final battle began at noon.


    The Faith Organization¡¯s First Generation Old Fashion appeared 30 km out from Second Venice. That forced the united Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance group to drop what they were doing and respond.


    That solitary ace determined everything about this battlefield.


    Quenser, Heivia, and the rest of the soldiers quickly prepared to head out to sea.


    ¡°This is a goddamn emergency!! Did we manage to get everything ready in time!?¡±


    ¡°We just have to start with what we do have ready! Let¡¯s go!!¡±


    At this point, there was no reason to leave anyone on standby to establish a rotation. Almost all of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s soldiers were sent out to sea. They used a great variety of vehicles: patrol boats, hovercraft, water scooters, and rubber motor boats.


    The Baby Magnum took the lead.


    Not only was it the key to everything, but the Object could freely move around at more than 500 kph. No normal boat could keep up.


    Quenser watched the giant Object leave while crammed into a small patrol boat with other soldiers.


    ¡°If this ends nice and quickly, I¡¯m not going to complain.¡±


    ¡°Like that¡¯ll happen. Hey, looks like the Information Alliance is here. It¡¯s the Rush.¡±


    A Second Generation surrounded by missile destroyers arrived from a different direction. It kept pace with the fleet for a while, but then the fleet changed formation. The ships opened up in front, releasing the Rush to join the Baby Magnum.


    ¡°D-does the Legitimacy Kingdom not even know how to show a bare minimum of appreciation!? You all do nothing but mock me!!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s time for your walk. Come with me, little doggy.¡±


    ¡°Kiiiii!!¡±


    The soldiers frowned when they heard the radio exchange and the two idiots exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Are they arguing about something?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting through this by mentally transforming it into a world of beautiful lily flowers. I don¡¯t want even a hint of further trouble right now.¡±


    Then there was the final Object.


    The Faith Organization¡¯s First Generation Old Fashion.


    It had not moved since arriving. It had invaded this naval territory and yet it was maintaining the position it had chosen for itself. Why? For the tingling thrill and blood-boiling battle.


    ¡°This won¡¯t be one-against-one, but you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. This is war. There is not a single reason why our conditions must be identical. So come at me with everything you can muster. In fact, one-against-two feels somewhat lacking, defenders of Second Venice.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± cut in the Princess.


    She did not hesitate to make her announcement with her fleet behind her.


    ¡°Including all of the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance troops, we are taking you on two-thousand-against-one, Mr. Solitary Ace.¡±


    Part 4


    The battle had finally begun.


    When using multiple Objects, there was no real reason to fire from the same direction. In fact, spreading the Objects out and firing from multiple directions increased the odds of a hit.


    Plus, the Rush¡¯s main cannons were rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons. Simply by swinging them around while firing allowed her to fully cover 180 degrees to her left and right. A battle on land might have mountains or valleys to hide behind, but this was a naval battle. Most Objects could not escape the deadly sabre as it swept horizontally across.


    But that sort of assumption did not work with the Old Fashion.


    As soon as the rapid-fire beam Gatling cannons began pursuing him, Robert Mistynail did not hesitate to charge forward. He accurately decided which of his two-by-two floats to lift and which to lower to make sharp turns and position himself behind the Baby Magnum.


    To avoid friendly fire, the Rush was forced to stop her Gatling cannons.


    ¡°Oh, honestly!!¡±


    Meanwhile, the Baby Magnum was not just sitting still. She moved quickly left and right just like mixed martial arts footwork while constantly targeting the Old Fashion with her seven main cannons. This was like avoiding a tank¡¯s gun by hiding behind another tank. He would normally get hit by a point-blank blast.


    But even then...


    ¡°What...? I can¡¯t hit him from this range!?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that surprising. The instant laser beams were brought to the battlefield, Object battles were destined to become competitions in predicting each other¡¯s actions. Distance and speed don¡¯t matter. As long as you can predict it, it doesn¡¯t matter what they try to do to you.¡±


    The Old Fashion¡¯s main cannon squirmed.


    The targeting lenses whirred as they focused.


    ¡°Show me, cutting-edge Elites. It can be acrobatics or technology, but do something to surprise this aging man.¡±


    Quenser and the others watched from the side, but they were not here as spectators.


    ¡°We need to get started too, Heivia!¡±


    ¡°That thing scares the shit out of me!! It¡¯s a First Generation, so it has plenty of anti-personnel, anti-vehicle, and anti-fortress weapons, right!? It¡¯s made to target us, so do we really have to get close!?¡±


    The Baby magnum and Old Fashion exchanged cannons blasts while making detailed movements from less than 100 meters apart. But the countless secondary cannons growing from the Faith Organization First Generation¡¯s spherical main body began to move as if blowing in the wind.


    ¡°Here it comes!!¡±


    Quenser gave a yell and the entire army began taking countermeasures.


    With a roar much like the fireworks signifying the beginning of an athletic festival, something was fired from the patrol boats and rubber boats. They burst in midair and produced a great quantity of bubbles. That region of ocean was covered by a ceiling of white bubbles. The entire fleet had likely been hidden from any satellites.


    And a storm of laser beams did not hesitate to tear through it all like a downpour of light.


    ¡°Gyaaaaaaahhh!!¡±


    Heivia covered his head with his hands and cowered down on the deck of the patrol boat.


    The laser beams arrived dozens at a time and with only a few seconds in between waves. But none of them hit the patrol boat Quenser¡¯s group used to navigate the bubbly sea. When the light hit the violently expelled bubbles, it was reflected randomly.


    They had only managed this countermeasure because the Old Fashion was an old First Generation and because they had so much data on it.


    And the older the Object, the more likely it was to prefer laser beams as an anti-air defense for nuclear missiles and the like. It was almost more a matter of faith than anything. It could have used railguns or some other method, but it chose lasers. Finding a solution had not been all that difficult.


    But that did not mean they could rest easy. They could not see the lasers. The orange lines were only the afterimages of dust and moisture being burned. They only saw the result after the fact. They were repeatedly experiencing the same fear as cutting down some normal-looking grass only to find a landmine and realizing how close they had come to stepping on it. Of course their balls were going to shrivel up.


    They heard an explosion from beyond the bubbles.


    One of the boats had apparently been unlucky enough to be blown away by one of the reflected laser beams.


    And the rest had no guarantee the same would not happen to them.


    ¡°Oh, god! Oh, god!! Urp, oh god is this scary!!¡±


    ¡°If you have time to scream and sob, then get working, Heivia! We need to drop our cargo!!¡±


    Quenser kicked Heivia¡¯s back as the boy curled up and wept and then he worked with the other soldiers to push something attached to a thick metal wire over the patrol boat¡¯s railing. It was quite heavy and it sank instead of floating.


    Meanwhile, the laser beams continued pouring down.


    Someone must not have been able to stand it anymore because they shouted over the radio.


    ¡°This is Mermaid 9! We¡¯re at our limit! The soap chaff isn¡¯t enough to stop the laser beams. Preparing Plan 2! Emitting polarized smokescreen!!¡±


    ¡°You goddamn idiot!!¡± shouted back Quenser.


    But before he even finished, some unnaturally colorful smoke rose from one corner of the bubbly sea. It was a blinding smokescreen. By scattering the light, it would deflect the laser beams, but...


    ¡°Wah...¡±


    All the bubbles in that area vanished as soon as the smokescreen appeared. The fine powder and the bubble film collided, popping all of the bubbles in turn.


    At the same time, the fine powder forming the smokescreen was caught in the liquid forming the popped bubbles.


    So what happened?


    They created a nice blank space with no defenses whatsoever.


    ¡°Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    A blinding light revealed the result.


    Heivia clung to the patrol boat¡¯s railing with both hands.


    ¡°This is bad. We have no idea where the lightning is going to strike and the soap chaff and smokescreen don¡¯t mix. As more ships are hit and scatter black smoke, our dubious shield is going to be filled with holes!!¡±


    ¡°If there was a perfect defense, Objects never would have ended the nuclear age. No matter what we might do, the Objects still have an unfair advantage. That¡¯s just the age we live in! You knew that, didn¡¯t you!?¡±


    As they shouted back and forth, most of the ships dropped their cargo. There were quite a few sacrifices, but they used the time that bought them to make progress.


    Beyond the bubbles, the Baby Magnum and Old Fashion were firing back and forth at close range. That strongest Elite was truly frightening. He moved around like a mixed martial artist, but also maintained his position behind the Princess to use her as a shield against the Rush who was constantly trying to target him with her Gatling cannons.


    He made it look easy.


    The Baby Magnum and the Rush would both have been outmatched while fighting alone and his pace did not falter even when facing them both at once.


    Also, the Old Fashion used more than just its main cannon, which was a compressed metal cannon with an ultra small caliber barrel that used both a normal magazine and a drum magazine.


    Again and again, sharp sounds of cannon fire burst from something like a boxy metal container on the opposite side.


    The Princess continually shot down what it was firing.


    ¡°What are those? Missiles!?¡±


    These were nothing like the shoulder-fired ones meant to shoot down fighters. They were a much more overwhelming sight and they looked like a nationally-funded rocket tilted on its side.


    ¡°It might be more accurate to call them reverse-thrust rockets,¡± clarified the Princess. ¡°They attach themselves with instant glue and then fire against my wishes to rob me of my mobility.¡±


    The Baby Magnum was covered in weapons meant for use against nuclear missiles. She did not even need to use her naval floats to dodge. Even with those rockets constantly fired from less than 100 meters away, not even one could slip through her interception barrage. But using her mental resources on that could easily lead to falling behind in the direct battle between Objects.


    The Old Fashion was not especially fast, its main cannon was not especially powerful, and its armor was not especially thick.


    And yet no one could defeat him.


    No one could keep up with his thoughts and no one could damage his Object.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a miracle, Faith Organization!!¡±


    ¡°Then we just have to rob him of that mystical movement of his!!¡±


    After that shout, Quenser sent a signal via radio.


    Everyone had been waiting for it, so they all responded immediately.


    And then ¡°that¡± happened.


    Part 5


    The Old Fashion kept afloat with air cushions.


    It emitted massive amounts of air toward the surface below it and gained lift by allowing that air to accumulate between the two-by-two arrangement of floats and the ocean surface.


    The system was well known for being broadly adaptable to changes in the terrain. A flat surface was of course best, but a bumpy wasteland was not much of a problem.


    However, that only went so far.


    If the ground was made of a lattice like chain-link or a birdcage, the air cushion would not work. The air would escape downwards and fail to provide enough lift.


    Quenser and the others had done the same thing.


    They used steel beams.


    For as far as the eye could see, steel beams jutted vertically up from the ocean surface like this was an asparagus farm.


    They were basically a type of buoy. They were a lot like a larger version of a fishing float. A ball-shaped float made of a foam material was attached around the steel beam, a thick wire was attached, and they sank to the bottom of the ocean. The wire could be cut with a remote signal, freeing the giant buoy so its buoyancy could carry it to the surface.


    A large quantity of needle-like protrusions was another terrain air cushions had trouble with.


    No matter how much air they released, it would not remain atop the needles. The Object was kept afloat in relation to the ocean surface, so its floats would contact the steel ¡°needles¡±.


    A normal hovercraft would have its skirt torn and it would sink, but a nuke-resistant Object would not be so easily defeated. It would force its way through by pushing the steel beams back down below the surface.


    But the top of the beams tearing at it from below was sure to lower its speed.


    That First Generation was not especially fast, not especially destructive, and not especially well-protected. Pulling at its feet would help tear down its undefeated legend.


    ¡°I see...!!¡±


    A voice reached them from the Old Fashion. He sounded more excited than afraid or angry.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Ho...oh ho ho. I use an air cushion too, so won¡¯t this affect me as well!?¡±


    ¡°Yeahhh, but you¡¯re an enemy Elite, so we didn¡¯t really worry about you too much.¡±


    ¡°You monster! Do I have to start reminding you I have basic rights as a human being!?¡±


    They heard the blast of metal being melted and blown away.


    From her safe zone a short distance away, the Baby Magnum¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon had finally torn away one edge of the Old Fashion¡¯s spherical main body. It was far from a clean hit, but it was still a valuable first step. This was no longer a one-sided battle and they were no longer helpless.


    With its mobility taken, a grinding sound came from below the Old Fashion, but the Elite still forcibly moved the Object around. As he did, large waves formed which nearly capsized Quenser¡¯s patrol boat once they arrived.


    ¡°What a stubborn son of a bitch!! How perfect a pilot is he, dammit!?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second...¡±


    Quenser said something strange.


    Something else changed as they watched. The Old Fashion was not just fleeing randomly. There was a pattern to the waves he was creating. And they interfered with the buoys floating in the ocean like giant steel needles. In fact, it looked like he was neatly guiding them so they gathered in a single place!


    And why he was doing so became abundantly clear a moment later.


    He climbed up on top of the mountain of needles he had created.


    ¡°Wha-?¡±


    Quenser and the others had interfered with his air cushions because the sharp and evenly-spaced steel beams prevented the compressed air from building up. That should have caused the bottom of the Old Fashion to hit the steel beams which would lower his speed.


    But Robert Mistynail had taken the opposite tack.


    By gathering the scattered beams in a single place and pressing them together, he had filled in the gaps. It was like a brand-new straw container that was packed full. That prevented the air cushion¡¯s air from escaping. Just like a tanker in a shipyard with its great weight distributed over many pillars, the Old Fashion could climb up onto the needles like it was traveling across land!


    The Baby Magnum was slow to react to this unexpected freedom of movement.


    That lag was less than a second, but it was enough for her armor to be torn apart.


    A burning spear burst out from the cross that decorated the tip of the Old Fashion¡¯s main cannon. That was the muzzle flash. That compressed metal cannon with an ultra small caliber barrel truly was like a needle and it targeted the Baby Magnum¡¯s spherical main body. The left side of her armor opened up like a flower around that central point and three of the seven main cannons were torn away at once.


    ¡°The Baby Magnum was damaged!! I can continue fighting, but the partially-remaining armor will increase my air resis-...!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s group did not have time to listen through to the end of their ally¡¯s report.


    One of the Old Fashion¡¯s intermittently-fired laser beam attacks had hit the ocean nearby. It must have reacted to the bubbles or the smokescreen because it triggered an explosion of steam.


    The impact from the side capsized the patrol boat.


    ¡°Goddammit!!¡±


    Quenser frantically tried to grab onto something, but Heivia kicked his hand away. Clinging to the sinking ship would only get him dragged down to the bottom of the ocean.


    They were all thrown out into the midsummer Mediterranean.


    ¡°This is the worst vacation ever...¡±


    ¡°Pwah. But it¡¯s not over yet.¡± Quenser grinned while soaking wet. ¡°Did you think you¡¯d won once you crossed the asparagus farm, Old Fashion? Here it comes!!¡±


    A moment later, something hit the Old Fashion from directly below and the Object floated up from the ocean a little.


    Part 6


    Second Venice was a giant artificial island.


    It looked like a floating city 20 km across, but it was actually made by combining giant dice made of aluminum alloy or reinforced stainless steel. The air inside those was used to keep the entire city afloat. They were basically giant metal beach balls.


    They naturally could not allow water in, but destroying the connection between dice was also a bad idea. To ensure the safety of Second Venice, a set number of spares had to be preserved at all times.


    They had borrowed those.


    They had borrowed them and used submarines to drag them down to the bottom of the ocean. The rest was no different from the previous asparagus farm. They had cut the wires and allowed the air inside to pull them up.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    The Old Fashion floated up into the air.


    It weighed 200,000 tons, which was twice that of an outdated nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. That frightening weight was pushed up just a bit by the float used to support an entire city.


    And even an Object could not accelerate or turn while on unsteady footing. When performing a long jump, it was impossible to change direction after leaving the ground.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    The Princess breathed a slow sigh of relief.


    Her low-stability plasma cannon burst out. This time she made full use of the few seconds of opportunity by targeting the very center of the Old Fashion¡¯s main body.


    But even after that...


    ¡°You¡¯re...kidding!¡± shouted Heivia.


    The Old Fashion had not been destroyed. It had aimed its main cannon and all of its secondary cannons downwards to blow away the giant piece of artificial land that had knocked it into the air. And the intense shockwave slightly changed the Old Fashion¡¯s own path through the air. That allowed it to just barely avoid the Princess¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon. Most of its armor turned orange and tore away, but the reactor and cockpit escaped unharmed.


    ¡°You damn genius!!¡± groaned Oh Ho Ho.


    The badly-damaged Old Fashion landed in the ocean rather than the land made of aluminum and stainless steel. Great waves spread in every direction. The float arrived right in front of Quenser and Heivia. In only a dozen or so seconds, they would be tossed around.


    But Quenser did not care.


    The ocean was filthy. There were boats, wreckage, buoys made from steel beams, and the dice-shaped pieces of the float drifting around. The student grabbed a piece of equipment from their patrol boat that he spotted among it all.


    It was a wire shooter that used pressurized gas to fire a metal hook.


    It was part of a winch used to drag around a captured enemy ship.


    ¡°The float wasn¡¯t just to throw you into the air.¡±


    He ignored the approaching wave and grabbed onto the float. He attached the edge of the wire shooter device onto the latch of the joint holding the dice together.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even have to break through your armor to defeat you.¡±


    Then he looked up at his giant foe.


    He rested the wire shooter on his shoulder and took aim.


    ¡°Even an Object will sink if it capsizes!!¡±


    With the sound of compressed air escaping, the metal hook shot out.


    He was lucky the Object¡¯s own massive shockwave had forcibly altered its trajectory. That had prevented it from using its secondary cannons to shoot down the metal hook with an anti-air laser.


    Then the wire attached itself by wrapping around the main cannon.


    The giant spare float was attached to the Object by a wire.


    It happened just as the Object regained its balance and swung itself around to aim at the Baby Magnum from the side.


    The Old Fashion was already unstable, but then the wire and spare float tugged at it. It was like a horse being dragged around by a rope caught on its neck. The Object rocked and tilted. The air cushion engine blew a massive amount of air downwards to create a layer of air between the float and the ocean. If the float itself flipped upside down, the Object could no longer remain afloat. The 200,000 ton mass would simply sink.


    ¡°Sink.¡±


    As the Old Fashion wobbled, Quenser raised what sounded like a prayer.


    ¡°Sink already, ace!!¡±


    But then he heard the sharp sound of the thick wire snapping. Even if it was made to drag around captured ships, it had been unable to bear the Object¡¯s weight.


    Quenser glared at his powerful enemy even as the wire flipped back like a serpent and nearly took off his head.


    A moment later, a further impact arrived from the side.


    It was the Baby Magnum.


    And the Rush.


    This went beyond a volley of main cannons or secondary cannons. They used their full speed to charge in and ram their Objects against the Old Fashion as it tried to regain its balance.


    ¡°It¡¯s time you gave up that position for someone else, ace.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. How about you rest in peace, you ghost!?¡±


    That clinched it.


    The Faith Organization legend flipped over and sunk. The two-by-two arrangement of floats writhed about and blew air out, but they accomplished nothing while not in contact with the ground or ocean.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t eject,¡± noted Quenser as he drifted in the ocean.


    ¡°Well, he flipped upside down. The water may have gotten in the way and kept the emergency exit from opening.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser could not agree with Heivia¡¯s suggestion.


    That ace had stuck with that old Object for a promise with an old friend. Quenser suspected the man had never had an ejection device installed in the first place.


    External Document ¨C Concerning Catherine Blueangel


    This is a report concerning the requested matter.


    Catherine Blueangel was exposed to a deadly mold carrying Argeiphontes, but the antidote has proven effective and she is recovering. No after effects have been noted, so there should be nothing to worry about there.


    The results of the counseling session with a military doctor are less promising.


    Catherine is still highly dependent on firearms and it would be difficult to send her to a safe country at the moment. And even if she is a special case due to being former Councilor Flide¡¯s pawn, she is still a Pilot Elite who was developed using plenty of Legitimacy Kingdom technology. Even if she is given a new identity through a witness protection program, there is still a threat of foreign agents abducting her or retrieving information from her. It would be best to view her life in a safe country as a pipedream.


    As for the incident in Second Venice, that only proved Catherine¡¯s skill in combat. Placing an Elite before enemy soldiers would be truly foolish, but she could be sent to a military research institute or a training facility to analyze her combat methods for use by normal soldiers.


    This will mean sending Catherine back to an institution after briefly releasing her from that life, but if we think of it as a service to her country, then there is no reason to stop it. She will only gain more medals to wear on her chest, so she might even welcome the chance.


    An Elite can only live as an Elite.


    Besides, the Civilian Acclimation Assistance System has always been set up so we can determine who passes. It is specifically designed to prevent skilled Elites from retiring at their own discretion. Catherine¡¯s may have been a somewhat unique case, but since she is an Elite, we will have her live as an Elite until she enters her grave.

 Volume 12, Epilogue

    Volume 12, Epilogue


    The fleet that acted as an Information Alliance base was buzzing with activity.


    They had taken the dirty job of establishing an indiscriminate quarantine to save the world, but that had been entirely overturned and they were on the verge of being viewed as mere villains. They were carrying out a great variety of information manipulation both in public and in secret. A mistake here could erase the future of their Pilot Elite.


    While all that was going on, some engineers had arrived in secret using a small submersible so they could not be detected via satellite.


    ¡°Dullahan, huh?¡±


    Lendy Farolito, the commander with long silver hair and brown skin, spoke the group¡¯s name.


    This was a front line battlefield, but every last one of them wore a suit and tie and their hair was perfectly parted. Simply breathing brought the scent of cheap hair gel to her nose. That was suicidal because they would be detected from 500 meters away if trying to hide in a dark forest.


    The military office workers grinned cheerfully and made a suggestion.


    ¡°Please leave the rest to us, lieutenant colonel. We have heard the Gatling 033 was recently hit by a cyber-attack by the enemy Coilgun 052, but we will inspect and defrag the system. There is nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to touch Juliet? On whose authority?¡±


    ¡°We cannot leave any possibility of the Strategic AI having been infected, can we? We must clean it up. Would you like to check the electronic document temporarily granting us S-level access? ...Or should I say the electronic document we forged in real time?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to worry about, lieutenant colonel. When you have no way of determining the veracity of information, it can be as easily true as it can be false. It is much like arguing which is the outer side on a Mobius strip.¡±


    ¡°Do you intend to use this as a pretext to alter the black box within the Object?¡±


    That was the greatest taboo. The black box recorded all actions and transmissions during battle, so it was something like the document that proved they had not lost control of a soldier on the battlefield. Altering that was the same as being able to do whatever one wanted without consequences.


    But the office workers viewed war from a different angle and did not see it as quite so important.


    The leader immediately answered with his usual flat smile.


    ¡°If you would like. That is a common request on the battlefields we visit, so feel free. Even this is a popularity contest.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    It was true that they would prefer there were no records of this battle. Assuming things did not get too bad, they could always weasel out of any demands to release the information, but it was always possible things would get ¡°too bad¡±.


    She thought about her cute Elite and what would be best for that girl.


    ¡°Either way, we will cooperate with you, Dullahan. The Information Alliance as a whole needs that girl to remain in the cockpit.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°But let¡¯s not alter that black box. This crime will never be made public, but it seems that girl does not intend to forget it happened.¡±


    ¡°For better or for worse, we simply comply with the requests we are given, but I will ask for your sake. Lieutenant colonel, are you insane?¡±


    ¡°Please. This is a request from that girl.¡±


    The man with perfectly parted hair sighed just once.


    He erased his smile before answering.


    ¡°You leave us with no choice. Resolving this under those conditions will require great risk for both of us...but it has been a while since I ran across such an exciting challenge.¡±


    Catherine Blueangel got up from her small medical bed.


    ¡°Oh? Are you feeling better?¡± asked the old maintenance lady.


    Catherine had not been with the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion for long, but she knew the woman. Her name was Ayami Cherryblossom and she had helped Catherine with the stamps ¡®Cook a meal¡¯ and ¡®Give one of your elders a shoulder massage¡¯.


    ¡°Granny...? But why?¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re feeling better, nothing else matters. Frolaytia asked me to look after you while Quenser is away, so you can really tell how much of a kid she still is. ...Yet if I stay with you for too long, the Princess will get upset.¡±


    The old maintenance lady sighed and shook her head.


    Catherine tilted her head.


    ¡°Can I go outside now?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling up to it. Don¡¯t worry about the Argeiphontes. If there was a problem there, you wouldn¡¯t have been taken out of isolation.¡±


    Catherine¡¯s face lit up and she placed her feet on the floor.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯d gotten all my stamps.¡±


    ¡°Oh, well done.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh! Now I can go to a safe country!! I need to ask Frolaytia about it. I want to go to Paris and see the scenery my big brother saw!!¡±


    The old maintenance lady sighed as she watched Catherine run out of the medical room.


    It was too heavy a sigh to be of relief.


    ¡°Well, I do understand how Frolaytia feels. This is just too much to bear.¡±


    With the low humidity, the summer sun was hot and dry.


    The cool sea breeze washed over Frolaytia Capistrano as she lay in a beach chair while wearing a bikini.


    She was on the roof of a building on the south side. The small drink table next to the villa pool had a laptop on it. The video chat window showed a man on the border between young and middle aged and he cleared his throat


    ¡°Major Capistrano, that is a tad risqu¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Captain, I am trying to work off all the stress the military has given me. ...This was supposed to be a simple job even an older Object could handle, but just look what we found. And the worst part is that my men believe this was my decision.¡±


    ¡°Major, this conversation is being monitored.¡±


    She ignored him.


    As the busty silver-haired base commander lay on the beach chair, the laptop desperately continued speaking as if to put her back in a good mood.


    ¡°I-I hear Second Venice will be returned to the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°What else could we do after all this damage? Trying to repair it could easily put us in debt and who knows if we could make that money back by reopening it as a tourist destination. Especially with the stories about it being an infection base. We need to shove it back into the Information Alliance¡¯s hands. Repair it or abandon it, it¡¯s clearly going to cause massive financial damage.¡±


    Race, ideology, resources, and territory. A lot was weighed on the scales when it came to wars, but in this age, the most popular factor was money. From that perspective, handing back a useless tourist resource to drag your enemy into debt was not a bad decision.


    But the man on the laptop had more to say.


    ¡°Some suspect that they were waiting for this.¡±


    ¡°You mean they secretly drove the Faith Organization to attack so they could take Second Venice back from us? Not a chance. A plan on that scale takes a lot of time, so the timing doesn¡¯t work. Not to mention that their tourist resource is in shambles, their secret infection base was revealed to the world, and they torpedoed the Rush¡¯s diplomatic image by using her for the quarantine. The city isn¡¯t worth taking back.¡±


    ¡°Then?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? The Information Alliance was badly burned by all this, so they¡¯re working hard to spread nonsense in an attempt to dilute the truth. Don¡¯t get all worked up over every conspiracy theory you see on a message board, captain. This was an absolute victory for us, so I recommend sitting back with a nice drink and watching them flounder. Oh, how I loathe them.¡±


    That said, the Information Alliance was not about to collapse.


    Second Venice was indeed partially destroyed. And the negative image of the infection base meant a great amount of effort and funding would be needed to bring it back as a tourist resource.


    But at the same time, economies were interconnected. The infection base image had apparently led to antibacterial sprays and sheets selling even better than before back in the safe countries. That just left the usual pooling and laundering of money. The money made by the antibacterial industry would be secretly sent to the infection base to heal the burn as quickly as possible. The Information Alliance was the world power that publicly announced it was ruled by the winners of digital expansion whether they were good or evil, kind or unkind, innocent or guilty. Something like this was nothing to them.


    Whether it continued at Second Venice or not, they would repeat something similar at some other international tourist destination. They already had the data showing them the extreme medical expenses their countries had to pay because the people were visiting their doctors so often thanks to the antibacterial craze weakening their immunity. With that data in hand, they could not just ignore the problem.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s more or less what tourist destinations are. They invite people in from outside and influence them with their culture. It can be people, money, information, ideologies, or aesthetics, but that¡¯s where it is all exchanged. It only got so complicated this time because immunology got thrown into the mix.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about the infection base, major?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s neither good nor bad. Besides, the Legitimacy Kingdom nobles love their wine and cheese to death, so they tend to get along well with microbes. We need some contact with germs and bacteria, but it all comes down to how you do it. Instead of being sneaky about it, maybe they should have manufactured some major fad. Call it edible health or a drinkable diet and they could sell the germs that have been floating around for millennia as a new kind of yogurt. ...And since this is the Information Alliance we¡¯re talking about, they could get the entire world behind it by slapping on a sticker saying its popular in New York.¡±


    Why had they not done that?


    They had talked about protecting their people¡¯s health and reducing international medical costs, but it likely came down to authority and territory. Had someone not wanted to use the food industry? Or had someone wanted an excuse to maintain a method of disseminating a deadly virus, just like remaking a rocket launch base into a missile launch base?


    ¡°We¡¯re the same, captain.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Is there really any reason for modern wars to take this form? Just like that infection base, it might be the result of someone twisting things to increase their authority. ...Not that pieces on the game board like us would be able to tell.¡±


    Frolaytia rolled over as if sulking, but the topic of conversation may not have mattered much. Anyone could have noticed her mind was elsewhere.


    She placed her kiseru back in her mouth as she continued.


    ¡°Those safe country money-lovers who have never set foot on the battlefield can all go straight to hell for placing Catherine¡¯s future on the scales for their own amusement.¡±


    More and more large transport ships arrived at the port.


    There were too many for them all to fit at the docks, so some of them lowered their anchors nearby and used small boats to ferry the supplies over.


    Quenser and Heivia discussed the situation while assembling a battery-powered lighthouse on a piece of Second Venice¡¯s north side that jutted out.


    ¡°Wow, there¡¯s more Information Alliance ships than anything.¡±


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re desperate to improve their image. Switch on your radio and you¡¯ll hear more of Oh Ho Ho¡¯s sweet voice than you ever wanted. She¡¯s apparently going to hold a charity concert in a safe country with all proceeds going to restoring Second Venice.¡±


    ¡°Will that actually work? Second Venice was full of VIPs and wealthy people from around the world, right? I don¡¯t know what industries are needed to raise up an idol, but won¡¯t the people at the top be less than pleased with her?¡±


    ¡°There are some frightening rumors about that. Those wealthy people never actually went out into the ocean, right? Well, even if it¡¯s revealed that the Information Alliance was behind the blockade, they can apparently obscure which Object it was. They¡¯re apparently creating the data for an entirely fictional Object and Elite so they can place all the blame on that. They¡¯re using some kind of information safety device that¡¯s called the Dullahan Protection because they digitally swap out the head. Of course, we are talking about the Information Alliance. That rumor might just be a bluff to hide some even deeper secret.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious...? Even if it had military encryption, we were talking over the radio like crazy. And the silhouette had to have been visible from the coast. An amateur radio enthusiast or a birdwatcher could sink that plan.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re blaming it all on some younger Elite that looked up to Oh Ho Ho. And of course, that Elite only exists as a 15-digit social security number. If the rumors are correct, that is.¡±


    ¡°Damn that¡¯s scary.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve gotta hand it to the Information Alliance. Not many people can tell a search engine¡¯s trending words what to do. I really don¡¯t want to see the moment when history is made. My balls will shrivel up.¡±


    Even as they spoke, they had no intention of ending their solemn mood.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just look at this as having an idol¡¯s secret all to ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I like the sound of that. That¡¯s another trophy for my life.¡±


    That was when a simultaneous beep came from their pockets. It was their handheld devices. They pulled them out and saw a business-like email from Frolaytia. The information would normally not have been released to them, but she likely felt obligated to the soldiers who had participated in this mission.


    Yes, they were faced with another problem besides the disaster recovery(?) for Second Venice.


    ¡°So they really did fail Catherine,¡± muttered Heivia, sounding disgusted.


    The Civilian Acclimation Assistance System allowed a Pilot Elite to leave that path and live in a safe country rather than a battlefield country. Their mission had been to see Catherine Blueangel through to the end of that. Simply put, they were to see whether or not Catherine¡¯s small hand could forget the feeling of a gun.


    But she had been too useful.


    Without her, it was doubtful they could have overcome the challenges at Second Venice. Quenser would have lost his life, the deadly mold would have spread across the globe, and the experiment to create a ¡°miracle human¡± would have begun in earnest, even if success was highly doubtful.


    She definitely deserved praise for what she had done.


    She deserved to wear an official medal on her chest for her actions.


    But that was a battlefield honor. The more she had done, the further she had strayed from being a normal civilian.


    Winning a gold medal at an international piano or ballet competition was not always a good thing for the winner. That would sometimes restrict their life. That might sound like a first world problem, but when it came to deadly wars, it was a much more serious issue.


    Quenser sighed.


    ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s a lot harder for her since she doesn¡¯t have any parents. Since she¡¯s all alone, the hurdle is apparently twice as high. It sounds like things would have been different if she had someone to take her in who could stop her if it came to it, but the only people stepping forward are agents for the government. They just want to send her to the military or a lab and rob her of her freedom while using their authority as her parent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of ¡®sounds like¡¯ and ¡®apparently¡¯ and I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t have anything to back it up! What¡¯s really going to happen to Catherine? It¡¯ll take years before they can finish a successor to the Exact Javelin. And since that was that Flide bastard¡¯s personal Object, who knows if there¡¯s even a division left to continue the research.¡±


    ¡°In that case, they might see her results here and use her as a saboteur. Or maybe they¡¯ll attach a ton of electrodes to her head in a lab to get as much information out of her as they can.¡±


    ¡°Those are all terrible options. Catherine risked her life to save 100,000 people and anyone could tell she¡¯s not a serial killer, so why does that mean she can¡¯t leave the path of killing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening? The hurdle is a lot lower if she has someone to take her in. And do you remember the role I was given for this mission? ...I¡¯m Catherine Blueangel¡¯s big brother.¡±


    External Document ¨C A Father and Son¡¯s Phone Record


    ¡°Hi, daddy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Quenser? What¡¯s with the international call from the battlefield? Should you really be spending so much just because the government is paying you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is a collect call on a satellite phone, so it¡¯s all on you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a triple punch! Can I hang up right this instant? How much does ten seconds cost!?¡±


    ¡°Now, now, now. I don¡¯t call home often, so you should know your cute son is in a bit of a bind. I¡¯d like some of my daddy¡¯s wisdom.¡±


    ¡°Nothing good has ever happened when my wife starts speaking sweetly or when you start calling me daddy. And you even threatened me with the phone bill to keep me from thinking about it for too long. But this is at least something a safe country office worker can do, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be the judge of that. So what exactly do you need?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Daddy, I want a little sister.¡±


    ¡°Bfhhhh!!!?? C-cough, cough! U-um, Quenser? You¡¯re not a child anymore, so surely you know babies aren¡¯t gift-wrapped and delivered by Santa Claus. I don¡¯t know what movie has influenced you, but you have to think about the burden on your parents¡¯ bodies.¡±


    ¡°No, no. Not that. I¡¯m talking about a step-sister.¡±


    ¡°Really, what movies have you been watching, you brat!? And that isn¡¯t easy either!!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t be like that. The girl¡¯s the one in trouble, not me. Remember when you sheltered that disagreeable noble named Monica in our food storehouse when her family fell into ruin? Can¡¯t you help out this girl like that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Daddy? D-dad?¡±


    ¡°Let me ask one thing. I¡¯m sure this has to do with the military, so you can leave out the details. Just give me the final answer. ...Is that girl really in trouble? Like with Monica, is she in immediate danger if we don¡¯t reach out a helping hand?¡±


    .......................................................................................................................................................................................


    ¡°W-well, let¡¯s just say this is even worse than with Moni-...¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t care if it means picking a fight with the entire world. Bring that girl here at Mach speed. And I mean right now.¡±

 Volume 12, Afterword

    Volume 12, Afterword


    And with that, Heavy Object reaches its 12th volume.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    Damn, this afterword made me realize the arrival of the 10th volume passed me right by. But since the 1st volume is a starter pack and the rest are booster packs you can start reading from anywhere, maybe that¡¯s how it should be.


    This time, I focused on military jobs besides gunfights. That was mainly disaster relief and disease prevention. Then again, maybe Quenser and the others were working against that when they left and reentered the quarantine zone.


    And as I suggested in the afterword to Vanilla-Flavored Chemical Formula, I used some of the old characters and concepts to build up a stronger foundation. I would like for all of you readers to decide what you thought of that different way of doing things.


    People¡¯s immunity weakening due to the proliferation of antibacterial goods, skyrocketing medical costs, an infection base made into a global tourist destination, and a plan to strengthen people¡¯s immunity by spreading germs... I always focus on going all out with the craziness in Heavy Object more than my other series, but what did you think of the flavoring of this one? Let us hope that there was not a shred of realism to it. I am praying that we live in an age that can laugh this off as ridiculous.


    The Objects this time were the Rush and two one-off ones.


    The Lizard Tail had the same self-destructive protection technology as a car given an intentionally weak structure so it can destroy itself and protect the driver. It was also a Zombie Object that could take control of the enemy Object with a cyber-attack. I was trying to combine it with the image of the infection base hidden in Second Venice (even if one belonged to the Faith Organization and the other to the Information Alliance). When you have a secret military facility and microbe research, it¡¯s gotta be zombies, right? I think I really made a strange Object here. It was an undead soldier that would return no matter how many times it was shot down. I also think I made a different sort of Elite for it. By the way, the runner up idea was an Object that devoured other Objects with metal-eating bacteria.


    The even more bizarre Object was the Old Fashion. To keep a promise with an old friend, that one fought the flow of time to continue his love of the old Object while also continuing to reign as the strongest. Now that is an Object just brimming with romance. You can probably tell if you compare them, but this was the polar opposite of the undead soldier. I made it an ace that had never lost. Personal circumstances trumping the organization should never happen in the military, but that may be what makes it so romantic.


    Catherine was similar to Putana and Mariydi in her ability to fight directly, but I tried to differentiate her with her inability to find her own reason to fight. She was even more mechanical than a mercenary. Due to being Flide¡¯s pawn, she fights by being ¡°booted up¡± in combat mode and does not question the justification given to her. That is why I think you can feel her own will breaking free of the chains of justification when she hands over her gas mask to protect Quenser. (From a purely combat perspective, Catherine¡¯s survival would be more important than Quenser¡¯s.) She is the girl who wants to leave hell but cannot cut herself free of war so easily. I hope you were able to accept her.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. With the container yard mission where the containers were moved around like a crane game, the vertical tower defense mission on the broadcast tower, the underground facility mission with changing water level, etc., I was focusing more on video games than B-movies for these battlefields, but I doubt representing those locations was easy. Writing it out in text is simple enough, but drawing them in illustrations has to be entirely different. Thank you for sticking with me this time too.


    I also give my thanks to the readers. With Second Venice and Councilor Flide¡¯s pawn Elite, I tried focusing from the very beginning on what I had built up in the previous volumes (and in the other media like the manga and anime). I thought that might open up some new possibilities, but I will leave it to you to judge. Thank you very much once again.


    And I will end this here.


    I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    I have a habit of making the protagonist¡¯s dads really cool...


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 13, Prelude

    Volume 13, Prelude


    Hey, Sewax, let¡¯s talk about muscles today.


    Now, now. Don¡¯t look so shocked. You¡¯re the one who brought it up.


    Now, muscles come in all sorts of varieties. Think of it like the difference between an American football player and a figure skater. They both have body fat percentages in the incredible single digits, but their body types are completely different, right?


    It¡¯s obvious when you think about it, but what you demand of your body puts different burdens on it and changes which areas are built up. Baseball, soccer, volleyball, and basketball are all different.


    I used to be a paparazzo too, so I chased down all sorts of people on my custom motorcycle back in my day. Everyone from corrupt cops to Hollywood celebs trying to sneak a date. I¡¯ve seen professionals from every industry imaginable: athletes, soldiers, stage actors, and more.


    And that¡¯s why she scares me.


    That young lady only accepted an interview once when she was in a good mood, but I still don¡¯t understand it. Um, is it a part of the...survivability research for pilots? Whatever it¡¯s called, she¡¯s just as abnormal as those Pilot Elites. No, there¡¯s something about her that¡¯s different from even the ¡°normal¡± Elites. Those military secrets scare me. I mean, what kind of environment would stress the human body in a way that makes something like that? It¡¯s enough to make me wonder if she¡¯s actually a little grey wearing a little girl¡¯s skin.


    And I suppose the answer to my question is the Northern Restricted Zone.


    That¡¯s a true battlefield beyond anything you could imagine from the peace-dulled safe countries or battlefield countries.


    ...So before you remove the lens cap from that shiny work equipment of yours, you really need to ask yourself if you really want to do this, partner. She is truly dangerous. Just try ruining her precious day by catching some surprise photos of her when she spends her rare time off licking some gelato with her tiny tongue. Who knows how she¡¯ll repay you for that one.


    There are plenty of other living witnesses to war.


    There¡¯s no reason to go for Mariydi Whitewitch, right? Right!?


    Ah, wait, you idiot! ...The damn fool.

 Volume 13, Track 01: Welcome Fallen Baby

    Volume 13, Track 01: Welcome Fallen Baby


    ¡°...ce Girl 1... Repeat, Ice Horse 3 to Ice Girl 1! Commander!! Get your hand back on the stick right this instant, you rock addict!!¡±


    Her vision was pure white. Eyes open or closed, that remained the same and a piercing pain ran through her temples. Mariydi Whitewitch felt like she was staring directly into a car¡¯s headlights. She felt dizzy and badly nauseous, but her pride as a fighter pilot held the acidic mass down in her throat. Her fingertips would not stop trembling and she could not wipe away the beads of sweat that dripped from her forehead to her eyelids.


    The deep tones of hard rock blasted around her.


    It was all due to that laser light. Her fighter was meaninglessly rolling like a screw.


    She was a young girl of only 12. She had long, flowing blonde hair and a body too small to be called adolescent. Just like a racehorse jockey, a fighter pilot was one of the few jobs in the military where a small height and weight were preferred, but anyone who saw this ace would wonder if they really had to shrink their pilots down this far.


    She wore a skintight yellow special suit that showed off her undeveloped bodylines and she did not wear an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth like a normal pilot. Her strange outfit likely fulfilled the requirements for assisting with the research and development of the Pilot Elites of the nuke-resistant colossal weapons known as Objects.


    The inertial Gs of a fighter were more powerful the more weight one had, so the military actually welcomed smaller pilots because they could endure higher Gs. That said, she was far too small. She could never have endured it without the experimental bodily development techniques from the survivability research meant for use in developing the Object Pilot Elites.


    (Damn...it. My eyes...)


    She pushed back the dizzying headache and focused on the storm of buzzers filling the cockpit.


    (It¡¯s more than just laser light. Just as I thought a strange centrifugal force was gathering the blood in my head, a spasm must have hit my arms and knocked them into a bunch of levers and switches. I don¡¯t remember activating any of these buzzers!)


    She finally shook free of the light¡¯s afterimage. Forcibly grabbing the control column with all these messed-up values in place would only increase the risk of a stall, so Mariydi started by flicking the input devices back to their normal settings. There were nearly 100 of them lined up like an editing studio¡¯s mixing board, but she made sure to complete all that before grabbing the control column.


    Even with all that, it only took her a few dozen seconds, but a single second meant hundreds of meters in a fighter. She had only looked away for a bit, but a glance at the radar showed the 3 other members of her squadron were quite far away. Even a low estimate said she was more than 50 kilometers away. She had clearly flown out of the mission airspace (MA) and one of the ¡°correct¡± buzzers led her to look out through the clear canopy. She found half her right wing missing and a trail of black smoke behind her.


    ¡°Damn! Did those stupid settings activate the afterburner!?¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to Ice Girl 1. We¡¯d love to assist, but you¡¯re in range of that Thor¡¯s Hammer. We can¡¯t get in through that ocean of light!!¡±


    She could not recover.


    The area below was effectively controlled by the enemy Information Alliance.


    She somehow managed to escape her tailspin, but she doubted she could make it back to the airbase (AB).


    Abandoning the fighter and bailing out was her only option, but that descent would take her to a hell with enemy soldiers in every direction.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to Ice Sword 2. You take over command. And can I trust the dots on my radar? Ice Burn 4, are your eyes okay? I¡¯m not letting you use this to retire!¡±


    ¡°...Dammit, we knew this was here. If we¡¯d focused on the display and alarm, no one would¡¯ve been caught by it!!¡±


    When she heard that tearful complaint of a young man more than 10 years her senior, Mariydi clicked her tongue because her colleague could not even make the bare minimum of a report. But there was a slight smile in her eyes.


    The high-precision surface-to-air missile (SAM) network known as the Thor¡¯s Hammer had stolen the skies of the final special zone. That grim reaper was also known by the contradictory name of the ¡°sky landmine¡±. It launched more than 30 missiles at once, blinded all residents of the sky from outside their effective field of vision, and then took a variety or routes to cut off its targets¡¯ escape and slaughter them like a predator¡¯s maw. It induced blindness, headaches, and various sensor malfunctions using the planetarium-like disturbance armament attached to the missile head. Basically, it was a high power version of the prank where people used laser pointers to blind pilots. Their sharp guidance was enough of a problem, but these missiles specialized in slowing the enemy¡¯s reactions before hitting them.


    They had been informed of its presence in advance, but there had been an error in the deployment location displayed on the radar. Ice Burn 4 had been blinded by the disturbance lasers because he had looked back in fear first. They had been surrounded and a few of the missiles had been impossible to dodge. Mariydi had been in position to cover for the others, so she had scattered all of her regular gun¡¯s bullets toward the missiles targeting her colleagues and shot them down with what seemed like divine skill. However, focusing her eyes on them and getting so close had come back to bite her.


    The current state was the result.


    She had moved within the effective destructive range and one of the missiles she had blown up had damaged her main wing. She may have been lucky the entire fighter did not break apart in midair, but it was not over yet.


    It had only taken a few dozen seconds for Mariydi to fight the nearly 100 switches and levers her spasm had knocked out of place, return the settings to normal after the laser attack, and slowly grab the control column again, but her fighter had continued forward all the while. Thanks to that, she had moved deep into the minefield.


    And once it was ready to fire, the Thor¡¯s Hammer would attack once more. They were fine with firing 30 missiles costing 20,000 dollars each to shoot down a single fighter. And with the way the missiles pursued the fighter, they might damage the pilot¡¯s cornea. That experimental weapon had terrible cost performance, but it would once more launch its violent lights into the heavens like a floor of evil light rising from all across the green-covered earth, precipitous mountains, half-crumbled elevated highway weaving among those mountains, and jagged fjords that surrounded it all.


    She barely had control and she could not have dodged them all even if she did.


    Mariydi bit her lip in humiliation, taped a thin flash memory music player to her belly, slowly sighed, and then made a report.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to all. I¡¯m bailing out.¡±


    ¡°Ice Horse 3. Understood. We¡¯ll be right back with the cavalry to search for you, so don¡¯t you die down there, commander.¡±


    She used both hands to grab the large lever between her legs.


    The last words she heard resonated in her heart more than the hard rock she so loved.


    ¡°Welcome to the Northern Restricted Zone, Ice Girl 1.¡±


    When she yanked on the lever, explosives blew away the canopy¡¯s joints, allowing it to be blown backwards. Right after Mariydi¡¯s small body was ejected upwards along with her seat, the SAMs approaching from seemingly every angle tore into the fighter.


    Even so, letting the standard sensor open the parachute was a mistake.


    The double structure of silk opened too close to the blast and countless shards sharper than razor blades shredded the parachute.

 Volume 13, Track 02: Blind Gunner

    Volume 13, Track 02: Blind Gunner


    What an awful morning.


    Even in an Elite-class special suit designed for all weather conditions and environments, Mariydi felt a powerful chill gradually permeating her body. Her skin a mixture of ash and milky white, she had been saved, but she could not be optimistic. These days, any old infantry would have portable microwave radars attached to their guns.


    She was in a forest of evergreen conifer trees.


    The beautiful blonde girl struggled near the top of a Christmas tree. Needless to say, this was because the holes in her parachute gave her a greater than expected falling speed and the parachute had further tripped her up by catching quite spectacularly on the tree branches. The synthetic fiber cables had also gotten tangled around her entire body, leaving her one step away from having hanged herself.


    Times like this inspired the same feeling in any Capitalist Corporations soldier.


    (Dammit... I refuse to die before I can get my worker¡¯s comp and injury insurance payments!!)


    She bent her knee, drew a military knife from a sheath wrapped around her ankle, and cut through the harness and cables. After a full 3 minutes, Mariydi was finally free of her foolish lonely SM session, but then she entered freefall from a height of 5 meters. And while she held a sharp knife in one hand.


    (You can¡¯t be serious!)


    She quickly tossed the knife aside and landed on all fours like a cat. She had apparently avoided a worst case scenario where she shattered an ankle or gutted herself with the knife.


    After wiping away what might have been sweat and might have been fog from her brow, she found her knife within the underbrush and sighed. She had really drawn the short end of the stick on this one. The Zig-27 was a powerful fighter with twin engines and she loved the way its vibrations passed through her entire body, but hers had been blown to smithereens and scattered across the area effectively controlled by the Information Alliance military. The other members of her squadron had been reassuring, but they would have a hard time putting together a recovery operation using a helicopter or tiltrotor with that Thor¡¯s Hammer keeping an eye on the area. Of course, hiking back to the AB through the thick forest and across multiple mountains was out of the question. She was surrounded by enemies here. And she was wearing a special suit colored an insane lemon yellow. She would undoubtedly be spotted before crossing the mountains and then worn down by pure numbers.


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to CT! We don¡¯t need to refuel! We can keep flying!! More importantly, send out the pumpkin carriage!!¡±


    ¡°You just want us to head back? To hell with that! We sent you the coordinates!! And this all happened because the deployment intel those of you on ground duty were so confident in turned out to be wrong!!¡±


    ¡°Uuh, uuuuuuuuuuuhhhh! Leader!!¡±


    When she set her small radio to receive-only mode, she found those idiots were going on strike in the middle of a war. They had disobeyed the back to base (BtB) order, refused to refuel, and were apparently circling just out of range of the Thor¡¯s Hammer.


    ¡°CT to Ice Girl 1! It¡¯s hopeless. We don¡¯t know how to scold these problem children!!¡±


    Mariydi held a small hand to her forehead, but she could not just respond. If she sent a signal out from the silent forest, a specialized communications soldier with a large radio on their back might determine her location. She did not know how things worked in the clean wars that had been thoroughly poisoned by peace, but that would be throwing her life away here in the Northern Restricted Zone.


    What she had to do was simple.


    (That Thor¡¯s Hammer has its loathsome missiles deployed all over the Northern Restricted Zone, but the real problem is the high-precision radar, not the missile containers. It¡¯s disguised as a large truck or school bus to make it mobile. It¡¯s too expensive to buy enough to cover the entire area, so it heads to the different deployment areas when it receives a request.)


    Even if a million SAMs covered every meter of the Northern Restricted Zone, only the ones connected to the high-precision radar could lock onto and target a fighter. No matter how many missiles they had, the Thor¡¯s Hammer¡¯s anti-air network would fail without the radar.


    So if Mariydi could travel through the foggy forest, find the disguised mobile high-precision radar, and destroy it, the sky would be safe even if it could still blind them to an extent. Then the pickup helicopter could fly freely overhead and those idiots with nothing better to do could respond to her requests and slaughter the approaching ground units with their explosives and machineguns.


    She did not know how many disguised radars there were across the entire Northern Restricted Zone, but it would take quite a bit of time for any radars in other areas to arrive here. She could enjoy a nice leisurely flight back to the base before the weapon system recovered.


    Also, the Information Alliance and their Thor¡¯s Hammer were not necessarily the only enemy.


    The Northern Restricted Zone was the only place on earth where Objects were forbidden, so it was a special land with its own unique form of battlefield. It had become a quagmire between the four world powers ¨C the Capitalist Corporations, Information Alliance, Legitimacy Kingdom, and Faith Organization ¨C so there could always be hunters who had crossed the border into another world power¡¯s effective territory.


    The one ironclad rule for any fallen pilot was to assume that the entire world was their enemy.


    (Even if I¡¯m being optimistic, I probably don¡¯t have even 6 hours. Even the biggest morons should be able to fully surround a fallen POW by then.)


    Of course, the mobile high-precision radar disguised as a large truck or school bus was crucial for the Information Alliance and their Thor¡¯s Hammer. It would be strictly guarded. Mariydi checked on her equipment while imagining the scale of the enemy here. She had her bright lemon yellow special suit, a single military knife, a single self-defense handgun, and a longish magazine holding 24 9mm rounds. She also had 2 meals¡¯ worth of biscuits she had cooked herself, a small radio, and a handheld music player.


    ¡°What a pain...¡±


    She placed her hands on her slender hips, swung her head to the side, and sighed. It may have been her insufficient donations and charitable giving that had led god to abandon her, but that was its own issue. Alone and with no hope of backup, the girl had already decided what she needed to do.


    (I¡¯m probably about 50 kilometers away, but I¡¯m still fairly close to the border between the Capitalist Corporations and the Information Alliance. In that case, I should be able to find one of those.)


    ¡°...That didn¡¯t take long.¡±


    Mariydi crouched low and viewed something through the fog and trees.


    She saw a small log cabin that perfectly matched the conifer forest. It looked like a friend to anyone who wanted a quiet and peaceful life, but...well, it probably was not a villa. A lot of things happened on the national borders of a battlefield: smuggling, black markets, human trafficking, etc. There were always some stupid soldiers who abandoned their mission for some extra income on the side, so money and weapons had a way of gathering in places like that.


    Of course, there were normal cities and residents even in the Northern Restricted Zone. But to an expert¡¯s trained eye, it was obvious. An amateur¡¯s log cabin would not be surrounded by footprints from military boots, it would not have video cameras attached to the surrounding tree branches, and it would not have grenades attached to wire traps coated in a greasy smell to make sure wild animals did not carelessly trigger them.


    (This setup looks like the Information Alliance. In that case, there¡¯s no need to hold back.)


    These soldiers had abandoned their duties to commit war crimes, so there was not actually any need for mercy even if they were fellow Capitalist Corporations soldiers, but she would feel slightly worse about it.


    (They should have a ton of weapons with the serial numbers filed off for self defense, so I can borrow a few of those.)


    Mariydi approached while still crouched low, but her sharp nose picked up on something odd. She silently investigated and dug up some humus covered in fallen leaves and dried grass.


    Someone needed to teach these people the fundamentals.


    It was standard practice in the military to never bury something if it had a scent even somewhat reminiscent of a flavor such as sweet or spicy. Wild animals would dig up even a single square of toilet paper with a floral scent.


    But it was not a pile of shit buried here.


    It was a parent and child wearing bright orange jackets so they would not be mistaken for an animal and shot by a hunter. The child was younger than Mariydi. Based on their equipment, she doubted they were military. They were probably civilians who had gone out to gather mountain vegetables and happened across this place.


    There was no point in reburying them. The animals would just dig them back up.


    But Mariydi Whitewitch clenched her teeth and forced an icily deep voice from the depths of her gut.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know what idiot did this, but they aren¡¯t getting any mercy.¡±


    She had an objective in mind, so the blonde girl quickly got to work.


    The excessive number of cameras and traps suggested they were too weak to send anyone out on patrol. In that case, no one would spot her lemon yellow special suit as long as she chose her ¡°route¡± carefully. She had thought falling to the bottom of a valley was unlucky, but that assessment was quickly changing.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mariydi pressed against the log cabin¡¯s wall and crouched down. She slipped below the windows as she made her way around. The windows seemed to be double-pane for heat insulation, but warmth was still out of place in this Scandinavian forest. The creaking of the glass and fogging of the windows gave a general idea of which rooms had a fire in the fireplace and where the people were gathered.


    (It looks like the heater¡¯s flame is being kept low, but that last room must have contained an oil heater. However, it had been left on too long, so it would be too hot in there. The people will be with the fireplace.)


    It was not as simple as saying any room with heat would have people. A comfortable level of heat mattered most. Even on this never-ending battlefield, people sought comfort and naturally moved to the ideal spot. Human beings could not fight their pleasure signals no matter what they did.


    ¡°War is tragedy. Valhalla here is known as the Divided City due to this giant fence cutting across the center from north to south...¡±


    She heard a steady and regulated woman¡¯s voice from beyond the double-pane window, but it was likely coming from a television. She classified it separately as she continued thinking.


    As the girl snuck along like that, she checked to see which rooms were heated and gathered information on the enemy. And that information went beyond location and number. How often a soldier approached the window could tell her their general skill level.


    (This will be child¡¯s play.)


    With that estimation, Mariydi returned to the front entrance. The door was made of thick steel and the wall was made of thick logs. She drew her military knife from her ankle and knocked lightly on the door with her back pressed against the wall.


    She heard footsteps.


    ¡°Who is it?¡±


    And a voice.


    The voice was so slack she wanted to hold her head in her hands, but for those working at an illegal business, an unexpected visitor who had not showed up on any of the sensors probably sounded more like a familiar business partner than an enemy attack. She heard something scraping on the other side of the door and a slit window opened, much like on a solitary confinement cell door. But that was not enough to see Mariydi pressing against the wall next to the door.


    And she did not hesitate to stab the thick knife through the slit.


    There was not even a scream.


    She pulled the knife out and stuck the blade between the door and wall to destroy the lock. Thanks to the excess weight pressing out on it, the door silently opened and someone rolled out. It was a man in a camouflage uniform who had been skewered through the eyeball. Mariydi entered the hallway while making sure not to step in the pool of blood.


    (One in the first room on the right and three in the last room on the left.)


    She still sensed no hostility from the enemy.


    She only had to continue on in order.


    ¡°...Valhalla expanded rapidly due to the influx of people after the destruction of Asgard, which was known as the City of 5 Million, but even then, they did not chop down the Sacred Forest which has remained a gorgeous piece of Scandinavian culture since before the 10th Century CE. However, their metal...¡±


    As if drawn by the voice on the television, she first fired 2 shots into the room through the first door on the right. That took care of the man in a camouflaged uniform looking through a pinup magazine with his feet on the table. The loud gunshots triggered hostility from the last room on the left, but Mariydi kept her focus on the entirety of her surroundings. She did not detect the presence or noise of anyone being woken by the commotion. A stockpile relay base for a shady business could not call for reinforcements.


    (Nothing out of the ordinary. That leaves three.)


    A woman stepped out into the hallway carrying a rifle with a wood stock and got a bullet between the eyes for her trouble. A middle-aged man staggered as he frantically stopped and ducked back into the room, but Mariydi rapped lightly on the nearby wall with her empty hand.


    (The inner walls are plywood and only about 2cm thick except for the hollow center for insulation purposes. A 9mm can penetrate that just fine.)


    She fired 5 shots into the wall. She intentionally scattered the shots across the wall to supply death to the full surface and not just a single point.


    She had received high-intensity training, she had assisted in the survivability research that would be used for the Object Pilot Elites, and she had ample experience on this quagmire of a battlefield, so even if she looked like she would break if you held her too tight, she was a tough killing machine.


    She had to confirm the corpse in the other room and kill the remaining soldier.


    But if her bullets could penetrate the wall, so could theirs. One of the corpses held an assault rifle. If she simply walked down the hallway to the room, she could easily be filled with lead, so she instead climbed out a random window and walked around the outer wall to the room in question. As a log cabin, the outer walls were of course made from logs. Those could actually stop a rifle bullet.


    She used that sturdy cover to approach the window to the proper room.


    After their allies had been killed one after another, the last one had not left the room. Whether out of fear or caution, they would be focused on the hallway. Mariydi broke the double-pane window from outside and pressed her handgun against the target¡¯s back.


    ¡°Eeek!? Wait, wait, please waaaaiiiit!!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    She just barely stopped her finger on the trigger.


    This was supposedly a stockpile relay base where the Information Alliance¡¯s delinquent soldiers had gathered supplies and money for black market deals and the like, but this final person had spoken with the same Capitalist Corporations accent as Mariydi.


    She was a girl of about 18.


    She had completely fallen onto her butt, she was trembling so much it was a miracle she had not wet herself, and she was tearfully covering her head with her hands. She wore a tight skirt suit best suited for indoor work and intellectual frameless glasses. She had sexy bodylines that suggested an ample diet and long chestnut hair tied back in a large flat braid that looked like a shrimp tail.


    (Hmm, which is it? Well, the Information Alliance and Capitalist Corporations probably do deals here, so it isn¡¯t that odd to find they¡¯ve picked up our way of talking.)


    The girl had not stopped trembling.


    ¡°I-I! Um, I came here to track down and investigate the dangerous elements inside the Capitalist Corporations dealing in weapons and money across the border! I found out the weapons being made ¡®untraceable¡¯ here are being sold to terrorist organizations, so, um, I¡¯m not an Information Alliance soldierrr!! Heh. Eh heh heh. As you can see, I was captur-...¡±


    Mariydi did not hesitate to pull the trigger.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The mysterious girl was left speechless as the bullet pierced her left upper arm.


    ¡°Eh, eh? Byah!? Hot, hot, hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    The fried shrimp writhed on the floor in intense pain, but she did not reveal an evil identity by drawing a gun and she did not even rush to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound. In fact, it looked like she was not even aware of that first aid method.


    Finally, Mariydi pointed her handgun barrel straight up.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re actually innocent.¡±


    ¡°Ah, hah, pwah! That¡¯s what I told you! Your trigger finger is too quick to-...urp. Ugweeeeeeeehhh!?¡±


    Moaning in pain shook her throat which seemed to stimulate her stomach. Still lying on her back, she turned her head to the side and let it out quite spectacularly. After climbing in through the window, Mariydi grimaced, cut across the room, and lightly kicked the head of the middle-aged man she had shot through the wall earlier to confirm he was dead.


    Seeing Mariydi about to head out into the hallway, the glasses fried shrimp frantically spoke up. She seemed to be done fighting the urge to spew, but only because it was all out already.


    ¡°W-wait, wait, wait!!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why are you just leaving me here!? You shot me!!¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in your life.¡± Mariydi nonchalantly continued right on by. ¡°I want the many weapons these idiots have here. What happens to you is none of my concern.¡±


    That must have made it clear enough that the small girl really did intend to leave the bloody fried shrimp behind because the mysterious glasses girl truly began to shake. She was also from the Capitalist Corporations, and she seemed to recall how they were supposed to act at times like this.


    ¡°I-I can reward you!! ...Uuh...¡±


    ¡°How exactly?¡±


    Mariydi called out to her through the wall while looking around the neighboring room. She found a carbine, a spare magazine, and a grenade set. She grinned when she spotted a shoulder-fired rocket launcher and a rocket for it. None of the spare uniforms would fit a 12-year-old girl, but she could not continue wandering around the forest with her lemon yellow special suit exposed. She had no choice but to shred the spare clothes with her knife and put together a makeshift ghillie suit to wear over her head.


    And there was still no response from the fried shrimp.


    ¡°?¡±


    Puzzled, Mariydi returned to that room carrying the firearms like someone with an armful of laundry. She found the sexy suit girl beginning to convulse on the floor. Working up the energy to shout had apparently increased the blood flow and hastened her blood loss. Mariydi rubbed her index finger against her temple, sighed, and then pulled some disinfectant and bandages from a first-aid kit she found in the delinquent soldiers¡¯ stockpile.


    Not bothering to remove the suit, she sliced the sleeve with her knife. When she crudely dumped disinfectant on the gunshot wound, the fried shrimp began arching her back like a shrimp.


    ¡°Obh!? Abhah!! Ahah!?¡±


    She had been convulsing from shock due to the pain, but the shock of this new pain had apparently helped her recover. Mariydi took the injured girl¡¯s arm, wrapped a bandage somewhat tightly around it, and asked a cold question.


    ¡°What is the reward you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°H-huh? What am I-...? I feel like the hands of the clock are moving weirdly...¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, don¡¯t leave! Descend upon us, spirit of Nightingaaaaaale!!¡±


    ¡°Reward.¡±


    Mariydi seemed cruel when she had been the one to shoot her, but this was just how the Capitalist Corporations was. They taught the following worldview: Q. God, how can I bring about world peace? ¡ú A. Make lots of money.


    ¡°You can give up on getting money by requesting a worker¡¯s comp and injury insurance claim. It¡¯ll never go through when your wound is from a Capitalist Corporations gun. They¡¯ll suspect you shot yourself for the money.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t that.¡±


    ¡°Then what? Should I grab one of the Information Alliance guns and blow another hole in you?¡±


    ¡°Nooo, you savage!!¡±


    After shouting, the fried shrimp¡¯s head wobbled.


    She frantically worked to hold onto her consciousness.


    ¡°Th-the four world powers are locked in constant battle here in the Northern Restricted Zone, so invisible national borders are constantly being drawn and erased like they¡¯re living things. That means log cabins like this one can be found all over. They¡¯ve set up their own network where they use the money earned from smuggling and black market weapons sales to purchase and hide platinum.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The fried shrimp¡¯s glasses fogged up as she leaned forward and breathed from her nose.


    ¡°And the total amount is estimated to be 50 billion dollars. Pant, pant. That¡¯s enough to purchase a double digit number of those Objects. I don¡¯t know where they have all their wealth hidden, but I suspect they have it all in platinum. It has similar traits to glass, so it can be worked into silicon artificial bones and thus I bet it can be hidden inside their bodies. Platinum has a high specific gravity and ¨C more importantly ¨C it¡¯s very valuable, so if each one of them has 1kg of it inside, they only need about 200 people! Well, well!? Interested now? Ah ha ha, eh heh heh!! It¡¯s the Capitalist Corporations dream, so let¡¯s share it togetherrr!!¡±


    Mariydi thought for a moment.


    And...


    ¡°Tch. She¡¯s hopeless. I should just abandon her.¡±


    ¡°What? Wait, wait, wait, please waaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiit!¡±

 Volume 13, Track 03: Thor’s Hammer

    Volume 13, Track 03: Thor¡¯s Hammer


    Mariydi was pursued by a voice yelling ¡°wait¡± over and over again.


    She clicked her tongue and looked back while wearing a handmade ghillie suit to cover her lemon yellow special suit.


    The glasses fried shrimp wore a tight skirt suit that looked terribly out of place deep in a conifer forest and her giant breasts bounced as she tried to catch up. And she was of course breaking branches and stepping in mud all over the place. She was little different from a guide waving a tiny flag at the front of a tour bus.


    ¡°A-aren¡¯t we both from the Capitalist Corporations where money is everything? Heh, eh heh heh. What don¡¯t you like about this? Please protect meee.¡±


    ¡°You have zero credibility. If these lowly delinquent soldiers really did have 50 billion dollars, they¡¯d use it to buy their own Object and maintenance base to invest in war. They would have no reason to continue this high-risk illegal business. I¡¯m not digging through corpses for a story like that.¡±


    ¡°Uuh...ow, ow, ow, ow, ow...¡±


    ¡°Ahn?¡±


    ¡°Th-the arm, uuh, the arm you shot, uuuh, what am I supposed to dooo...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The fried shrimp turned into one of those frightening young men who act like you broke his arm if you bump into him on the streets, so Mariydi put her hands on her hips and cooled the look in her eyes down to absolute zero.


    ¡°I see, I see. So that¡¯s it, is it? I suppose you¡¯re right. Even if the bone and major blood vessels are fine, you were shot through with a 9mm. I should probably do something about that.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really...?¡±


    ¡°Medical morphine should get rid of the pain. Hey, stick out your arm, fried shrimp, I¡¯ll show you a miracle of human pharmaceutics.¡±


    ¡°Ah, wait, I don¡¯t like the sound of that!! Morphine!? Isn¡¯t the stuff that you can never stop using once you start taking it for some relief!? Wait, wait!!¡±


    ¡°This is a portable anesthetic supplied by the military, but there are rumors among the soldiers that if you¡¯re injured badly enough to need it, you should probably just ask for a bullet to the head instead. Now, I was at fault here, so I¡¯ll be nice and use 3 of them on you.¡±


    ¡°Stop, stop, stoooop!! I don¡¯t want any help from someone who doesn¡¯t read the warning labellll!!¡±


    ¡°Then pack ice or cold water in a bag and hold it to the wounded area. Icing is a standard pain relief method. But if you want the pain to really go away, just ask.¡±


    ¡°Aw, aww...¡±


    Mariydi said it in a cruel way, but her instructions were not inaccurate. Filling a plastic bag with water from a nearby river (which would have been pure enough to bottle if not for the corpse floating in it) and holding it above the bandage did a lot to dull the pain.


    But even if she had gotten sidetracked by the talk of a reward, that was not Mariydi¡¯s main objective. She had to destroy the mobile high-precision radar supporting the Thor¡¯s Hammer laser-blinding SAM network, call a recovery transport helicopter before the Information Alliance search team closed in on her, and escape to safety through the sky. That was her top priority. Gathering a mountain of platinum from some delinquent soldiers¡¯ artificial bones was meaningless if she was surrounded and killed by enemy soldiers.


    ¡°Come to think of it, where did you come from and how did you get here? Do you have a vehicle?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s flipped over and burning at the bottom of the valley over there.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ah, that look! You think I¡¯m completely useless, don¡¯t you!? I won¡¯t forget that, you know!?¡±


    ¡°Well, what can you do, fried shrimp?¡±


    ¡°My name isn¡¯t fried shrimp! It¡¯s Nancy Jolly-Roger!!¡±


    She bent over and stretched her arms downward, which accentuated her already large breasts by squeezing them together from either side. She was apparently angry. Those seemed to express her emotions much like a dog¡¯s tail. Since her face was giving a tearful upturned look, it was hard to tell just from that if she was furious or asking for seconds, so Mariydi made a mental note to focus on the movements of her breasts from now on.


    The Thor¡¯s Hammer could fire more missiles than there was gum on the pavement. Its high-precision radar was mobile, so it was not deployed to a fixed position. Searching for it could have been difficult, but Mariydi actually had a guess as to where it was.


    A mobile high-precision radar might sound like an incredible piece of specialized equipment, but it still used normal electromagnetic waves. Just as a television or radio would have poor reception with mountains in the way, radar waves could be reflected and distorted.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have enough mobile radars for everything, so they would naturally want to place it in the optimal position to cover as wide an area as possible and allow as many missiles to fire as possible.¡±


    ¡°? What are you talking to yourself abooouuut???¡±


    ¡°Did you decide I was talking to myself because you¡¯re a moron?¡±


    Without even spreading out the map she had found in the log cabin, Mariydi looked around at the mountains and valleys in the area to figure out where they would have placed the radar. From there, she just had to head straight to those coordinates and blow away the radar to neutralize the Thor¡¯s Hammer. That would settle everything.


    ¡°Is that it?¡±


    Even in this fog, she could see it clearly from 300 meters away.


    It had likely been a mountain farm originally. The forest¡¯s trees had been cleared away and short underbrush covered the gentle slope. It looked large enough for a game of soccer if you did not mind the slope, but it currently looked like a trade fair for military trucks loaded with missile containers. All of the trucks were part of Thor¡¯s Hammer, so they were loaded with doubly cruel missiles that had high-level guidance and lots of disturbance lasers to blind the pilot. At the center of the missile-equipped vehicles spaced evenly across the area was what looked like a yellow school bus with the top opened like a cake box. A round Doppler radar was located inside.


    ¡°A radar disguised so it won¡¯t show up on satellites, hm? I¡¯ve heard they change what it looks like each time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm???¡±


    ¡°I beg you. Please put some effort into speaking human language.¡±


    ¡°So how are you supposed to attack that?¡±


    The girl finally asked a decent question.


    Unlike the previous log cabin, this area had plenty of Information Alliance personnel and there would be a fair number of soldiers patrolling between the missile vehicles which were stopped in something like a chess board pattern.


    Normally thinking, she could never hope to hit the radar from a distance with a shoulder-fired rocket launcher when it was surrounded by the military trucks positioned around it. It had too many shields. It looked like her only option was to sneak onto the chess board and directly place explosives on the radar in the center.


    However...


    ¡°Including the personnel in charge of operating the trucks¡¯ missile containers, there have to be more than 100 people in all,¡± pointed out the fried shrimp named Nancy. ¡°I-I really don¡¯t think it will be possible to sneak all the way to the center without anyone spotting you.¡±


    Mariydi ignored the question as she put together a rocket for the shoulder-fired launcher. The warhead looked like a thin ruby ball and the two fuel agent cylinders were each about as long as two fists. She attached them all together.


    Seeing Mariydi pass the rocket through the launcher tube and lock it in place, glasses Nancy asked a nervous question.


    ¡°I-if you fire that, won¡¯t it hit one of the ¡®walls¡¯ around it instead of the radar itself...?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± said Mariydi as she rested the launcher on her shoulder and peered through the scope sight. ¡°This is what happens when you try to link wirelessly in the mountains. The electric instructions get all distorted like they¡¯re echoing, so they end up packing in all the vehicles close together. They might as well connect them with cables.¡±


    She continued in a singsong voice.


    ¡°Besides, look at all those missile containers with those laser-blinding SAMs arranged like a lotus root or a bouquet of flowers. How much explosives and fuel do you think there are in all those?¡±


    With a loud fwoosh of white smoke, nervous and sexy Nancy was knocked back and to the ground behind Mariydi.


    Normally, this would only have been powerful enough to transform a black bulletproof car into a pile of scorched scrap.


    But the old farm here had plenty of missile container trucks packed together as tight as a full parking lot. It was a lot like an armory contained inside a somewhat sturdy case.


    When the armor of the first truck on the outer edge was breached, the chemically-produced 2500-degree explosion burned through the entire interior structure. That meant setting fire to the explosives and fuel inside the 3 rows of 4 missiles inside each container.


    When the one truck exploded from within, the patrolling soldiers and the nearby missile trucks were swallowed by the flames. Destruction wrought more destruction. The scarlet flower grew and grew and surpassed any kind of human control in the blink of an eye.


    All sound vanished.


    The old farm was engulfed in countless fiery explosions that fused into one giant explosion. It was like a volcano had erupted.


    Mariydi had tossed the launcher aside and gotten down on the ground after firing and a shockwave passed by overhead one beat later. The underbrush was knocked back, the conifer trees shook, and a stinging pain reached her skin and eardrums. If she had stayed standing, she would have been knocked over, her head would have slammed into the ground, and she might have gotten a concussion.


    ¡°K-kyuuuuuhhh...¡±


    Incidentally, the fried shrimp had already tripped on her own, so she was dizzy but not particularly injured.


    The mobile high-precision radar supporting the Thor¡¯s Hammer had been blown away along with the missile trucks surrounding it.


    The Information Alliance was sure to notice an explosion of that size, but it did not matter how large a ground force they sent out. The sky was safe once more, so the Capitalist Corporations could send out fighters and attack helicopters. Of course, the Information Alliance had their own AB, but they would have built their air-defense system under the assumption that they had the Thor¡¯s Hammer. If a Capitalist Corporations aerial force rushed in immediately after they lost the foundation of their defense, the Information Alliance would suffer a significant time loss before sending out the order to prepare the runways and scramble their fighters. Their ground forces would be exposed to a nightmarish downpour of lead and explosives.


    ¡°Now I can finally get back.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    She heard the somehow brazen sound of thick rotors approaching from the distance. A transport helicopter boldly flying so high looked like a declaration of victory.


    ¡°Wah, wah.¡±


    ¡°Why are you tearfully putting your hands on your head? They¡¯re on our side.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°...It scares me that I¡¯m starting to understand you. Look at the body of the helicopter. See the emblem that looks like a crane game arm? That means it¡¯s from a Capitalist Corporations recovery unit.¡±


    But the transport helicopter did not descend to the surface.


    The fried shrimp finally removed her hands from her head.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t notice us... Oh, no. They¡¯re going to leave us. Sh-should we head to a more open area? I¡¯m a bit scared of unexploded ordnance and gasoline, but if we go to that old farm...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mariydi had no real reason to save Nancy, but for some reason, she grabbed the suit girl¡¯s sleeve and tugged hard.


    The cargo door on the side of the transport helicopter sat open. The gunner peering out from there produced a creaking sound as he turned the heavy machinegun bolted in place there.


    A moment later, bullets larger than one¡¯s thumb were fired down toward the surface.


    Mariydi practically threw herself to the ground while holding Nancy. If they had not rolled down what was more of a small hill than a slope, they would have burst like a red water balloon. And they could not stop moving. They continued rolling down the mountain while practically holding each other in their arms.


    They hid in a thicker area of the conifer forest.


    The green ceiling would hide them from the sky, but they could not let their guard down. The gunner¡¯s heavy machinegun was only bolted to the floor sticking out from the cargo door. If he only had an iron sight, he would not have the benefit of infrared or microwave anti-personnel radar, but a single hit would still mean instant death.


    ¡°Wh-why...why is the Capitalist Corporations shooting at uuussss!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mariydi had no answer to that one. It might be Information Alliance equipment painted to look like the Capitalist Corporations and it might be delinquent soldiers from the Capitalist Corporations who were connected to the log cabin with their own side business. But whatever the case, their lives were being targeted. If they did not want to die, they had to do something about it.


    And then...


    ¡°Hm, nn?¡±


    Nancy let out an oddly sensual voice. Mariydi heard something vibrating from the inner pocket of Nancy¡¯s suit and that was apparently attacking her giant breasts. Nancy pulled out a military handheld device. Despite the circumstances, she stared at the small screen and accepted the transmission, but then she let out a hysteric cry.


    ¡°Wah!? Look at this!!¡±


    She held the screen out toward Mariydi.


    It was hardly the time since they were being targeted from the sky, but she read what it said:


    Message Priority: Emergency (Rk. 5)


    Flight Lieutenant Mariydi Whitewitch of PMC Air Force Sky Blue Inc.¡¯s aerial division has been registered as an enemy on suspicion of Class 1 war crimes (intentionally leaking military technology, among others).


    In Northern Restricted Zone Airspace D9, the suspect took unnecessary actions which exposed herself to danger and ultimately led to the destruction of her fighter. There is reason to suspect she intentionally had her cutting-edge Zig-27 multirole fighter crash in an enemy nation¡¯s effective territory along with the many military secrets it contains.


    To discover the details of this issue, we would prefer she is captured alive, but if you determine she has contacted Information Alliance personnel or is attempting to escape, attack at your own discretion.


    ¡°What...is this?¡±


    Even calm and collected Mariydi groaned at this one.


    She knew nothing of this. She had exposed herself to the Thor¡¯s Hammer because it had been necessary to protect her blinded wingmen from the sea of lasers. She would never work with the Information Alliance to send her fighter¡¯s wreckage into enemy territory. Besides, calling a fighter ¡°cutting-edge¡± was nonsense in the age of Objects. Fighters had essentially had the sky stolen from them by the surface-to-air laser (SAL) systems used by those colossal weapons. They were an endangered species that were only any use in the Northern Restricted Zone where Objects were banned. They were a protected weapon. Their only value was their possible ability to assist the development of Objects or Pilot Elites, so there was no real reason to talk them up like this.


    But what came next was even stranger.


    The previous contradictory statement was only the beginning.


    The Northern Restricted Zone Conquering Cartel made up of several Capitalist Corporations companies has decided to post a reward for this suspect.


    The total amount offered is 50 billion dollars.


    Any who capture the suspect or provide information or actions that lead to her capture will be paid an amount from that total sum relative to the value of their contribution.


    Mariydi and Nancy exchanged a glance.


    That was a strange sign. They recognized that amount combined with that unit. It was the same as the platinum supposedly hidden in the artificial bones of the delinquent soldiers wandering across the Northern Restricted Zone.


    ¡°50...?¡±


    ¡°...billioooonnnn???¡±


    The way she said ¡°billioooonnnn¡± was really annoying, so Mariydi clenched her fists and rubbed them against the fried shrimp¡¯s temples.

 Volume 13, Track 04: Money≠Treasure

    Volume 13, Track 04: Money¡ÙTreasure


    Thanks to the giant explosion of the laser-blinding SAM setup in the old farm, the mountain slope covered in conifer trees was torn up and covered in metal scrap even more than 500 meters away. Had it been blasted this far by the eruption, or had it slid down the slope? That was unclear, but not all of it had been destroyed equally. Mariydi grabbed a relatively unharmed scrap and pulled it upright.


    It was a large military motorcycle colored moss green. It was equipped with a ridiculous engine large enough for city racing, but the suspension was more like one used for off-road motocross. Mariydi could see why these were not sold on the civilian market, and the monster machine was far too large for a 12-year-old girl.


    It was more than 3 times her weight, but she easily righted it like she was lifting a barbell and climbed onto the seat. That was when a gentle sensation clung to her from behind.


    It had glasses, giant breasts, a tight skirt suit, and a fried shrimp hairdo.


    In other words, it was Nancy Jolly-Roger.


    ¡°Heh, eh heh heh.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°P-please don¡¯t leave me behiiiind!! No matter what you say, I¡¯m never letting go, just like the Island Nation¡¯s Konaki-Jijii!!!!!!¡±


    Mariydi grimaced at the two soft masses squishing up against the back of her head more than her back.


    ¡°What do you hope to accomplish by doing this to a girl, fried shrimp?¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, your head is in just the right spot to rest my chin onnn.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s distracting! Don¡¯t place a three-point lock on my head!!¡±


    Complaining was not going to accomplish anything. Even if the thick fog and the curtain of conifer trees would block their vision, the transport helicopter was still flying around with a heavy machinegun sticking out of its cargo door.


    ¡°...Fine, then.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! When trouble arrives, we¡¯re all in this together, aren¡¯t we!? Hm, hm, hm, hm!!!!!!¡±


    The fried shrimp got so worked up she began breathing from her nose onto the nape of Mariydi¡¯s neck, but Mariydi started the engine regardless. The transmission could apparently be switched between manual and automatic, so she hit the button near the handlebar grip to select manual, skipped straight from first gear to third gear, and began a start dash that made the motorcycle hop up.


    There was no road here.


    She drove directly down the steep and bumpy slope. There were thick tree trunks all around and everything was wrapped in thick fog. The conditions could hardly be worse.


    ¡°You really have strange tastes, you know that?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I was the only one falsely accused, so if you had abandoned me and run off, the chopper¡¯s HMG probably wouldn¡¯t have targeted you.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°But when trouble arrives, we¡¯re all in this together, hm? That¡¯s the kind of volunteerism you don¡¯t often see in the Capitalist Corporations, but well, it¡¯s your life. If you want to throw it away, that¡¯s your business.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, please waaaaaaiiiiiiiit!? Let me off! Help me! I¡¯m a victim! Pleeeeeeeease!!¡±


    Nancy tearfully waved her arms toward the sky, but she had already made the decision for herself without realizing it. She was now a companion of Wanted Criminal Mariydi, so it was too late.


    After they heard some explosions in the sky, tree trunks thicker around than Mariydi or even the fried shrimp¡¯s torso shattered like styrofoam. The logs from the cabin had functioned as a shield against a handgun or assault rifle, but they were far less effective against a heavy machinegun. Sharp splinters flew right past their faces and several trees collapsed as if to block their way.


    ¡°Kyaaahh!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re going to panic, at least get your mouth away from my ear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m scared. Gnaw, gnaw, gnaw.¡±


    ¡°Nnh, don¡¯t calm yourself by gently biting me!!¡±


    Mariydi¡¯s control of the motorcycle could only be called superb for managing so well while accompanied by a complete amateur who did not even know how to lean her body. Even so, it could have been worse. The transport helicopter¡¯s heavy machinegun extended straight out from the side cargo door. That meant it could not target the fleeing motorcycle while also following after it. It was forced to fly such that their paths drew a cross shape, so Mariydi and the helicopter were constantly on the move. And the thick fog and curtain of trees prevented the helicopter from pinpointing their location so easily.


    The heavy machinegun attached to the cargo door was meant to spray bullets to hold back the enemy while the helicopter hovered defenselessly and lowered infantry by rope. Unlike the chain guns on the jaw of slender attack helicopters, no one expected it to actually hit and destroy a target.


    A ground attack helicopter or a fighter would be able to electronically adjust the direction of the gun while synced to the pilot¡¯s gaze, so Mariydi and Nancy would have been blown to pieces almost immediately.


    That said, a single hit was all it would take.


    While pursued by the lead rain pouring from the heavens, Mariydi¡¯s small nose twitched.


    She smelled old asphalt, which was out of place this deep in the Scandinavian forest.


    ¡°Old Route 20. I see. If I take that down about 40 kilometers, that will be waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    As soon as she sensed it, Mariydi further opened the throttle and reached triple digit speeds not normally seen while off road.


    They drove over a small bump.


    And then the extraordinary monster of an off-road motorcycle flew through the air.


    They soared over the gap and landed on the forgotten elevated highway.


    The jump was more than 20 meters long and 5 meters tall, so it was more of a circus act than proper driving.


    The elevated highway ran perpendicular to the mountain slope and it was built to pass between the gaps in the mountains. The road was wide with 4 lanes in either direction, but even that was barely enough room. As soon as they landed, Mariydi shifted down to decelerate and twisted the handlebars to make a wide arc while the tires screeched and slid. She completed the 90 degree curve with only 2 cm until they hit the central divider and then she set off down the highway.


    Something heavy passed by overhead.


    It was not the previous transport helicopter. It was much faster. It was a group of Capitalist Corporations fighters that had likely been sent out to preserve their newfound air superiority ¨C that is, to drive off the Information Alliance fighters that were sure to be scrambled. The small fighters had a single engine and main wings with an odd, diamond-like shape. They were high-mobility fighters that used their light weight for sharp turns instead of a high top speed. Mariydi looked up and sighed.


    ¡°The Rev-19s that are built for pure dogfighting, hm? That¡¯s not my squadron.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    With their bodies and minds worn out from the intense battle with the SAMs, those problem children had disobeyed the BtB order from CT and continued flying as a plea for their fallen commander¡¯s plight. They must have similarly refused the order to hunt down Mariydi, so the high-mobility fighters of their MPs had likely stuck close to them to demand they make a forced landing (FL).


    Mariydi still did not know what was happening to her, but they were on her side.


    She could not betray their expectations, so she had to survive this no matter what.


    The engine gave a roar.


    Mariydi and Nancy were riding a monster machine that managed to seamlessly combine off-road suspension with a large city-racing engine. Perhaps as a sign of military pride, it could easily reach 200kph when accelerated on an open road. A helicopter¡¯s top speed tended to be between 300 and 400kph, so they could not shake it. However, this did allow them to lure it elsewhere.


    As they drove across the dangerously cracked highway, they heard the transport helicopter¡¯s unrestrained rotor noise approaching once more. To aim for the fleeing target from the side cargo door, it had to shift its route to the side to fly parallel to the motorcycle. Of course, that removed it from the shortest route, causing a loss in speed.


    With heavy sounds of gunfire, giant holes appeared in the asphalt. A span of only a few minutes seemed to stretch out endlessly. After a few scattered bursts of destruction, the helicopter passed Mariydi and Nancy. Mariydi clicked her tongue.


    ¡°They plan to take down the highway instead of me directly.¡±


    ¡°Ugeh!? They¡¯d go that far!?¡±


    ¡°The elevated highway has already deteriorated pretty badly and that HMG can fire bullets the size of anti-materiel rifle ammo at a rate of 2000 per minute. Concentrated fire can break through a concrete bridge.¡±


    But unlike the forest¡¯s trees, it could not do so instantly. If they were to make it in time for Mariydi as she raced along at 200kph, they would have to start well ahead of her.


    Just like train tracks, an elevated highway became impassible if even a single point was destroyed, so the helicopter knew they did not need to stop Mariydi right away. They assumed they would win if they flew 10 or 20km ahead and destroyed the road there.


    ¡°H-h-how can you be so calm? I¡¯m pressed up against your back, but I can¡¯t sense your heart racing at all.¡±


    ¡°Get off of me. It¡¯s hot enough already.¡± Mariydi grimaced in annoyance. ¡°And isn¡¯t it obvious? I already know we can win this.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    The fried shrimp tilted her head while still holding onto Mariydi.


    Immediately, one of the small fighters attempting to secure air superiority was blown to smithereens.


    Nancy choked and her breath seemed to strike Mariydi in the back.


    The glasses fried shrimp¡¯s entire body gave off an aura of confusion, so Mariydi explained in a singsong voice.


    ¡°This is the Northern Restricted Zone. Look left or right and you¡¯re bound to see some muddy soldiers fighting over something. The grim reaper lurks everywhere here.¡±


    ¡°E-eek?¡±


    ¡°Whether Capitalist Corporations, Information Alliance, Legitimacy Kingdom, or Faith Organization, the potatoes of the four world powers ignore the current trends to fight it out in trenches with a shovel in hand. You never know when you¡¯ll get a knife in the side, so you should really keep an eye out, especially when you¡¯re feeling victorious.¡±


    ¡°Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!¡±


    If someone was aiming a gun at them, the color of their uniform did not matter.


    Even if they were fellow Capitalist Corporations soldiers, she would mercilessly send them to hell.


    Another explosion occurred shortly thereafter. With the fighter protecting the sky taken out, it went without saying what happened to the helicopter attempting to destroy the highway. The other fighters finally realized what was happening and fled like small birds, but it was too late. Unlike with the Thor¡¯s Hammer, it was not the accurate pursuit that made this explosion frightening. It was the large scale. It almost looked like a giant firework had been launched into the sky. Something was fired to a general point in the air and then a horrifically large explosion caught all of the aircraft in the area, turning them into scraps.


    It was not a missile.


    Mariydi knew what it was.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shell from the L?vateinn, a Legitimacy Kingdom combat train. It didn¡¯t produce a mushroom cloud today, so I guess they¡¯re still being stingy with the explosives.¡±


    ¡°Mushroom...cloud...?¡±


    ¡°You can make one of those with a normal bomb if you use a ridiculous amount of explosives. It definitely looks impressive, but they mainly detonate it high in the sky to hit relatively high-flying fighters and unstable attack helicopters with the explosive blast and turbulence. There¡¯s almost no chance of the fireball and shockwave reaching us on the surface. Attacking the ground directly with something that big might break their internal rules or something.¡±


    This was why she had used the highway.


    She had wanted to get within firing range of that thing to pit her enemies against each other. The military motorcycle could reach speeds exceeding 200kph in no time, so she could travel 50km in only 15 minutes. Pursuing her without thinking was a good way to cross an invisible border without noticing.


    This was the obvious result, but it was easier to target airborne targets than surface ones.


    Traditional shells were not guided, but that did not matter.


    They only had to chuck the shell close to the center of an enemy group and use the fearsome blast and turbulence to surround the targets in a wide-range vortex of destruction that could not be dodged. The skill of the pilot never came into play. A kilometers-wide surface dropped down on the aircraft like a flyswatter.


    ¡°I think we called it the Drop Ceiling.¡± Mariydi narrowed her eyes and looked up at the explosive roar she had once experienced herself. ¡°That mass of armor and ridiculous firepower can only run along the preset rails. Our combat engineers finally managed to destroy the rails in a suicide sabotage mission, but even after being rendered stationary by derailing, it¡¯s been pushing back the Capitalist Corporations war front for 2 weeks. And it¡¯s just one armored weapon.¡±


    The thick fog should have been obstructing their view, but the image burned vividly into her retinas. That meant the tremendous explosive blast in the sky had blown away the natural band of fog.


    And beyond the forcibly cleared fog, a giant monolith rose up between the mountains a few kilometers away like Ayers Rock. No, it only looked that way. It was actually a mass of steel armor with a giant engine for mobility. It was still fighting even after being derailed, so it had to be difficult to destroy just by blowing it up.


    The deadly birds who had ruled overhead had either been shot down or forced to withdraw. The sky was open once more. The giant derailed combat train had also fallen silent. But not because it was letting Mariydi go. Its giant targeting system probably could not capture something so small on the ground.


    Mariydi had successfully escaped the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ hounds, but her expression was far from cheerful.


    She had also had a bitter experience with that thing. Her allies in the sky had been shot down and she had heard the voices of their ground support begging for help over the radio before falling silent.


    ¡°The L?vateinn...¡±


    ¡°Th-they say to let sleeping dogs lie, don¡¯t theyyyy?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an option.¡± Mariydi sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the higher ups have invented these false accusations about me, but they¡¯re an organization. They didn¡¯t do this on a whim. Conspiracies aren¡¯t cheap. If they don¡¯t have a reason and some profit to earn, they wouldn¡¯t go to the effort of framing me like this. But I have no idea what that could be. No idea whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°H-how can you say that when you¡¯ll shoot someone in the arm just to test themmm? You have to have made all sorts of grudges.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw you off, fried shrimp. ...Ahem. That means I must have seen something I shouldn¡¯t have. And the specific false accusation they¡¯re going with is interesting. They claim I intentionally got shot down to send the military secrets of my fighter into enemy territory.¡±


    ¡°A-and?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t need to focus so much on an outdated fighter. If they just want to frame and capture me, they only have to stick some white powder in my locker while I¡¯m away from the base. If they went out of their way to mention the destroyed fighter, they must need it. That way they can focus on the fighter and quickly recover it in the name of preventing a leak of technological information.¡± Mariydi paused for a beat. ¡°In other words, there¡¯s something in that crashed Zig-27. It must hold some record of me unwittingly coming into contact with something. ...I want to recover my fighter¡¯s flight recorder. It must have recorded something no one was supposed to know.¡±


    Whatever it was, it was likely closely related to the ridiculous sum of 50 billion dollars. That was supposedly the amount of platinum the delinquent soldiers had in their artificial bones and the total sum of the rewards offered by the Capitalist Corporations companies with interests in the Northern Restricted Zone. It was unclear how much of this was true or not, but this was no longer a forgotten battlefield. It was a hotspot fighting over enough money to buy 10 Objects.


    ¡°What¡¯s your point!? Then go hiking through the mountains and gather the trash you need. What does this have to do with that monster weapon called the L?vateinn!?¡±


    ¡°Fighters don¡¯t just vanish after the pilot bails out. They¡¯ll fly for a bit even with no one at the controls. And I¡¯m not going to drop a plane onto one of the cities civilians build in this land of blood and gun smoke for some odd reason. I made sure to aim it toward the empty mountains before bailing out. However...¡±


    ¡°Huh? Um? S-surely you don¡¯t mean what I think you do. That¡¯s just my pessimism talking, right!?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± simply replied Mariydi. ¡°It seems the detonation of the Thor¡¯s Hammer SAMs altered its course. Thinking back, I¡¯m pretty sure most of the wreckage fell near the L?vateinn. I need to silence that thing if I¡¯m going to grab the scorched fried egg of a flight recorder.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no! Please leave me behind! I don¡¯t want to do thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!¡±

 Volume 13, Track 05: Sword of Catastrophe

    Volume 13, Track 05: Sword of Catastrophe


    Mariydi did not want to let go of the military motorcycle since it had excellent specs, but some things could not be helped. She had concluded the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s L?vateinn combat train could not target it, but she had to be extra cautious here. In other words, continuing along the elevated highway would be too dangerous and descending to the forest was safer. And since there were no interchanges along the way, she had to abandon the motorcycle to climb down.


    Luckily, they were deep in the forest and mountains.


    There was a tall tree right next to the highway and she could easily descend using its branches and trunk for footholds.


    After descending the height of a 3-story building and setting foot on the humus that was a friend to the great kingdom of insects, Mariydi heard a trembling and unreliable voice from overhead.


    Nancy Jolly-Roger had made it partway down and then gotten too scared to continue in either direction, so she was clinging to the tree trunk and shaking.


    ¡°E-ee-eeeeeek... It¡¯s too high. I¡¯m no good with heeeeiiiiights.¡±


    ¡°Hurry on down, panty-shot supplier.¡±


    ¡°Dbche- wait...kyaaaahhhh!?¡±


    As soon as she jumped in shock, the fried shrimp lost her balance and fell, breaking smaller branches along the way. She had gotten stuck partway down from a 3-story height, so it was about the same as jumping down from a tallish slide. Plus, she landed on soft humus.


    After landing right on her butt with her legs spread as if to show off the underwear below her torn stockings, Nancy tearfully rubbed the back of her hips.


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.¡±


    ¡°Get up already, chick panties. If that¡¯s all it did to you, it can¡¯t hurt too badly.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make that nickname so specifiiiic!!¡±


    ¡°I may not be one to talk, but kiddy-style cotton material? Really?¡±


    ¡°I like how it feels!! And the only underwear with the soft material I like happens to have this kind of picture on iiiit!!¡±


    ¡°If you say so. ...If you ask me, it looks more like you have the kind of humiliation fetish that leads people to wear a chastity belt below their normal cloth-...¡±


    ¡°Be quiet, you monster! Be quieeeeet!!¡±


    The busty glasses fried shrimp blushed a bright red, panicked, and covered Mariydi¡¯s mouth with a hand. She had not wiped off her soft hand after falling into the humus, so the ace pilot punished her rudeness by grabbing her wrist and lightly throwing her aside.


    This time, the chick panties girl was flipped upside down and sticking her butt into the air as she tearfully complained about her terrible treatment.


    ¡°I-I have rights as a human being, you knowww?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, single flower vase, but this is the Northern Restricted Zone.¡±


    The L?vateinn had continued to fight for more than 2 weeks after being derailed by a suicide sabotage mission and it was stopped only a few kilometers from here. No amount of air-to-surface missiles (ASM) had managed to stop it. The monster was so solid that no one could think of a way to destroy it. And this dark forest was already within range of its deadly attack.


    ¡°That thing is covered in battleship-style heavy cannons that use old-fashioned gunpowder charges. That means it can make surface-to-surface attacks just fine. If it notices us, moving behind cover won¡¯t save us. It¡¯ll crush the entire terrain flat with a giant hand and that¡¯s that.¡±


    (But that also means it can¡¯t fire on us if we¡¯re too close for the battleship-level of parabolic arc it needs.)


    It was the same as a mortar. If the target was too close, the curved ballistic path made it harder to aim. And even if you did successfully aim, you could easily be caught in the blast yourself.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ah. Wait, please waaaiiit...¡±


    Unless they destroyed the L?vateinn that had effective control of this area, they could not focus on a search for the flight recorder. Mariydi was currently armed with a carbine, grenades, a handgun, and a military knife. She had already used the rocket launcher and it would not have done anything against a steel mass the size of Ayer¡¯s Rock anyway.


    (Honestly, this is the problem with an intentionally isolated Galapagos like this. And why is a weapon larger than an Object fidgeting nervously around over there?)


    At any rate, observation came first.


    That meant approaching the L?vateinn that could no longer move.


    ¡°Pant, pant.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t breathe so heavily and writhe around like that just from a short hike through the mountains. Are you supposed to be a walking sex symbol?¡±


    ¡°C-can you at least call me a sexy young ladyyy?¡±


    ¡°You have some nerve suggesting that in those chick panties.¡±


    ¡°Please stop repeating personal information like you¡¯ve stumbled on a great secreeeeet!¡±


    As she panted, gasped, and moaned, Nancy gave off a slight sweet scent which left Mariydi very worried about the possibility of any trained dogs in the area. She wanted to believe that an indoor worker would not wear perfume if she was heading to the battlefield, but if it was not perfume, what was that incredibly sweet aroma mixed into her sweat? Was it a human-attracting pheromone that had yet to be properly discovered?


    As they continued along, the forest started to thin out, so Mariydi came to a stop. With the handmade ghillie suit over her head, she kept low and leaned against the final tree.


    She saw a gray mass there.


    ¡°A-a city...?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the destroyed capital of Asgard. That¡¯s all that remains of the largest city here back before Scandinavia was known as a restricted zone. It was known as the City of 5 Million back then.¡±


    It was a strange sight. It looked like it had been destroyed by an aerial bombardment, but the damage was worse in the center than the outer edges. Some diagonally-tilted high-rise buildings remained on the outer edges, but the damage grew worse further in and it eventually became nothing more than unrecognizable rubble.


    ¡°Asgard used an Object reactor to power the energy infrastructure needed for its giant financial district, but it was also surrounded by a powerful anti-air and anti-surface cannon formation made up of 12 main cannons and more than 100 others. It used thick underground power cables to supply immense amounts of power to the swiveling laser beam cannons and railguns attached to the ground by powerful concrete foundations. You can think of it as an Object that took the nuke-resistant spherical main body and spread it out into the form of a city.¡±


    ¡°So how did this happen to it...?¡±


    ¡°Look at Asgard as a weapon. How could you kill it and secure your safety while it was pouring extra-large shells down on you?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Enough aerial bombs and SSMs to blow away the reactor rained down on the City of 5 Million without even an evacuation warning. In the end, the reactor buried deep below went berserk, triggered a major explosion, and obliterated Scandinavia¡¯s largest financial city. What you see here is the result. I¡¯ve only seen it in the video archives, but there supposedly wasn¡¯t even a sea of blood left. That¡¯s the horrifying war record that led to Objects being restricted from Northern Europe.¡±


    That overwhelming social trauma was too strong for the lie of the clean wars to overpower it.


    This was the only place in the world where anti-Object statements were not shut out of mass media.


    It was more than just the number of deaths. There was still plenty of speculation as to why there had been no evacuation warning: for the strategic advantage, a simple miscommunication, someone had acted rashly to protect their allies from the massive artillery fire, etc. But there would also have been misguided hatred for the 5 million people who had secured a nice peaceful life in the middle of a quagmire of a war.


    It was a local issue, but that negative turning point of history had twisted the flow of time for the entire world.


    And now the Legitimacy Kingdom military had enshrined a different sort of colossal weapon atop the giant grave marker for those 5 million. They could only thank god that the L?vateinn combat train did not have a JPlevelMHD reactor installed.


    ¡°By the way, the band called Boy Racer used Asgard for the jacket photo of their major debut album. Those bastards are defiling a holy site.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was time to get a look at that scum.


    The L?vateinn had used the existing tracks and re-laid some of the tracks that had been lost in the explosion of the destroyed capital of Asgard. That was why tracks ran through what should have been a ghost town with a giant crater in the center.


    It was 520 meters long, 65 meters wide, and 40 meters tall.


    Long ago during the early days of SALs, trust in aerial transportation had been shaken, so there had been a rush to develop land and sea routes. It had apparently been a magma-like mixture of national research and amateur inventions. 8-lane large-scale transportation routes, which were even wider than the elevated highway Mariydi and Nancy had used earlier, were seen here and there throughout the Northern Restricted Zone. Those were one sign of the struggles during that chaotic time.


    It really was like a mass of black steel.


    If you knocked a high-rise building on its side and filled its entire volume with special steel, would it look as impressive? A battleship could be sunk by opening a hole and letting the water in, but how much firepower would be needed to purely destroy one if it was on land? And the L?vateinn problem was even greater than that hypothetical battleship.


    Among the giant train¡¯s total of 6 cars, the large circular mass crossing between 3 of the cars stood out the most.


    ¡°Wh-what is that...?¡±


    ¡°The demonic sword that saved us. The high-speed gun car moves along a closed loop of linear rails and the appropriate amount of both centrifugal force and liquid gunpowder are used to fire the shell the appropriate distance. This kind of artillery normally uses solid gunpowder, so some high military official must really want to intervene in the deployment of new methods. Of course, even this crazy thing can reach the stratosphere.¡± Mariydi sounded exasperated by that ridiculous obsession. ¡°The front and back cars have connectors to the circular rail that act as a damper so that it can slide properly around the curves without doing any damage. But it¡¯s just too heavy for bridges and too wide for normal tunnels, so it has to travel along the coast. And that means you should assume it has the destructive power to make up for those negatives.¡±


    Needless to say, that was not its only weapon. The top had so many guns embedded in it that it looked like honeycombs. Those adjustable antiaircraft guns functioned like a pitching machine, so the internal rifling could be adjusted to the values needed to apply the appropriate spin for curving the shell however one wanted. The individual shots were not all that accurate, but the many guns provided a storm-like barrage across a full surface. Mariydi had felt a chill in her gut when faced by that during an earlier bombing mission. Even if you escaped the one-shot mushroom cloud, you would have to face another hell while fighting the turbulence.


    The L?vateinn was not unharmed.


    It had small damage here and there and the armor looked like it had been torn apart by claws in places. But not even all that damage was enough to stop it. The real problem was its incredible mass. It was like challenging a beached great white shark with only a plastic fork.


    (Attacking with the weapons I have on hand won¡¯t get me anywhere. Can I trigger an explosion like with the Thor¡¯s Hammer?)


    That giant structure was being run without an Object reactor. There were plenty of fuel trucks and thick hoses around it. There would also be combat engineers re-laying the rails destroyed by the sabotage operation to get the L?vateinn back on track.


    The area had been turned into a small city.


    Just like the giant aircraft carriers of an older age, a crew of 3000 to 5000 was used to run a single weapon system. All of those people needed food, clothing, and a bed to sleep in and entertainment facilities were also a must to maintain their mental health, so a military weapon really would begin behaving much like an independent city.


    It was easy to forget given the L?vateinn¡¯s size, but the area was full of collapsed buildings and rubble blocked the roads like the aftermath of a landslide. They may have intentionally caused some collapses so they could use them like trenches. It would probably look like a giant three-dimensional labyrinth when viewed from a satellite.


    ¡°Uheh. How can they stand all this dust? The air must be so stuffy...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the ruler of this mansion of trash. The mansion they¡¯ve created might seem like heaven to them, but I really don¡¯t want to mess with someone else¡¯s pile of trash. Of course, they would probably feel the same if our positions were reversed.¡±


    Mariydi then breathed an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°An Object needs a battalion of about 1000, but are these people going for a world record or something? Why would they go this far? I feel like I¡¯m looking at a ridiculously large paella pot.¡±


    ¡°C-can you please stop talking about food...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the whole area will smell like roast meat before long.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t what I meeeaaaant!¡±


    Whether it was a tank or a fighter, armored weapons were basically collections of fuel and explosives. The bigger they were, the greater the risk of an induced explosion. That was the reason the damage from a strategic stealth bomber was so much greater than from a small reciprocating engine plane used for disseminating agrochemicals.


    Giant weapons were all twisted in their own way.


    Mariydi sometimes suspected that those Objects had nuke-resistant armor not out of fear of damage from without but to manage the risks they contained inside.


    ¡°So it¡¯s using diesel fuel. Did they just use a ship or submarine engine?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Only about 800 people are directly involved in running the weapon. But conveniently roasting everything within that thick armor would not be easy. Using an explosion here would be difficult.¡±


    Besides, she doubted they could reach the L?vateinn just by approaching on the surface.


    The abandoned city¡¯s buildings had been demolished in a calculating way to cover everything in rubble and create a giant three-dimensional labyrinth. The only ways through would definitely have soldiers posted and the entire labyrinth could be seen from the L?vateinn which stuck up above everything else. And if they were noticed, a battle with thousands of soldiers would be unavoidable. Getting close enough to be in the giant cannon¡¯s blind spot was not enough.


    ¡°Wh-what exactly are you going to dooo?¡±


    ¡°If we can¡¯t directly destroy the weapon, we just have to get rid of the people controlling it.¡±


    Mariydi put her hands on her slender hips, took a breath, and thanked the wonderful air that covered this blue planet.


    ¡°There¡¯s tons of fuel here, so let¡¯s slaughter them with common carbon dioxide.¡±


    Even if it only looked like rubble now, this place had once been the largest financial city in Scandinavia. It had plumbing, power cables, gas pipes, fiber optic cables, subway tracks, flood-prevention waterways, and plenty more spread out underground like a giant spider web. That meant it was relatively easy to sneak into that ¡°small city¡± with a few thousand people working in it.


    Mariydi and Nancy used the underground maintenance entrance for a power cable thicker around than their arms. It did not look like a normal high-voltage line, so it was probably a military standard used to carry power from the central reactor to the anti-air and anti-surface laser beams (LB) and railguns (RG). However, rainwater had gotten in through the small holes used to help open the manhole, so the ground below their feet was mostly coated in dried sludge.


    Mariydi used a torch made from a stick and some rags to advance through the tunnel until she spotted a ladder up to a manhole. She observed the surface through the small holes on the manhole cover.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Checking something.¡±


    After determining they were below a truck, she stealthily opened the manhole and stabbed her thick knife into the belly of the military truck. It did not have to gush out. She only needed a unique-smelling liquid to pour down underground.


    She repeated the process a few times, opened a hole in the tank of a fuel truck along the way, and then nodded in satisfaction back underground.


    Unable to bare the unfamiliar stench, Nancy¡¯s head wobbled unsteadily on her shoulders.


    ¡°Urp. I think this is going to kill us fiiiirst.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already done.¡±


    They now had puddles here and there in the spider web of crisscrossing underground pathways. After confirming they connected like an amoeba, Mariydi took the torch back from Nancy and tossed it into the puddle.


    The darkness was instantly driven back by the color orange.


    It was not just gasoline that was burning. The dried sludge on the ground seemed to be working like dried grass.


    Mariydi shut an eye as the heat pressed in on her head.


    ¡°An underground fire is hard to notice from aboveground, but the updraft produced by the heat will carry the contaminated air up through the manholes.¡±


    Carbon dioxide was everywhere, but it was colorless and odorless. By the time the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers working ¡°above the smokestacks¡± realized where the smoke and odd smell were coming from, it would be too late. Humans lived in earth¡¯s atmosphere, but if the ratio of nitrogen or carbon dioxide changed even slightly and reduced the amount of oxygen by even a few percentage points, they would fall unconscious and collapse.


    That was simple enough to do in a sealed space, but was it really possible in the open air?


    There was only one answer.


    ¡°They knocked down the buildings to make a trench-like three-dimensional labyrinth. After working there day in and day out, surely they know all too well how stagnant the air gets within all those thick walls.¡±


    ¡°B-but will this really fill the L?vateinn with carbon dioxiiide? Something that big is sure to have purification filters on its ducts.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we have a little more work to do.¡±


    Mariydi walked to the safe exit she had made sure would be protected from the flames and smoke.


    ¡°Whatever this means for the L?vateinn, the few thousand working outside of it will be dead now. So as long as we protect ourselves from the carbon dioxide, we can walk around outside without anyone stopping us.¡±


    ¡°A-and what does that get us?¡±


    ¡°The L?vateinn itself runs on a giant diesel engine. We just have to set this up like a suicide inside a car. If we approach the exhaust pipe and shove something inside to clog it up, the even-more-dangerous carbon monoxide it¡¯s creating will fill the interior.¡±


    Incidentally, what was commonly referred to as a ¡°gasmask¡± was meaningless without a filter attached for the kind of toxin or bacteria one wanted protection from.


    What would you use if excess carbon dioxide was reducing the amount of oxygen in the air?


    The answer was simple: lime.


    To omit the details, lime absorbed carbon dioxide, so it would allow you to breathe even inside the contaminated air. Theoretically, it could absorb the carbon dioxide from your own exhalations and let you breathe it again just like caustic soda.


    This was not a chemical weapon that could be absorbed through the skin, so anyone could put one together for a summer break project using a plastic bottle and an anti-dust mask used for tunnel construction. The lime used for the filter could be found anywhere in the city full of rubble.


    ¡°That should do it.¡±


    Mariydi opened a random manhole and climbed up to the surface.


    This was the same place as the jacket photo for Boy Racer¡¯s debut album. It was like a holy site for the girl and it spread out around her like a dull world of death.


    ¡°International treaties aren¡¯t perfect. Chemical reactions produced by normal fires can¡¯t be classified as chemical attacks. You couldn¡¯t exactly wage war otherwise, but it¡¯s still pretty frightening...¡±


    ¡°Hbh, eek.¡±


    There had not been a single gunshot or a drop of spilled blood, so thousands of soldiers lay collapsed on the ground without ever knowing what was happening to them. And their expressions showed it had not been a peaceful death. More than pain, their faces were plastered with looks of fear and confusion concerning the sudden death approaching them. It looked like they had been hit by a strange curse.


    ¡°Uehhh, urp.¡±


    ¡°You can vomit in your mask if you want, but don¡¯t remove it.¡±


    The L?vateinn combat train had fallen silent. Those inside had to have learned of the abnormal situation outside thanks to the transmissions from their allies. They had not even cracked the solidly-sealed explosion-resistant door, but that was of course to prioritize their own lives. The dead were piled up on top of each other near the entrance that had never opened.


    Mariydi had no right to criticize anyone here.


    She was the one who had created this hell.


    And without the thousands of workers, Mariydi and Nancy could reach the wall of the giant weapon. Just like a human could not directly view a fly on their face, point-blank range was a blind spot.


    ¡°Now, then.¡±


    Mariydi pulled out a perfectly normal blue plastic sheet and balled it up. The exhaust duct was on the roof of the first car. Normally, it would have been impossible to climb a 40 meter cliff, but there were plenty of crane and elevator trucks around it for maintenance. She left the fried shrimp below as she walked along a diagonally-extended metal arm to reach the L?vateinn¡¯s roof where she stuffed the balled-up plastic sheet in the exhaust duct.


    That alone would be effective enough and it would only work better if the heat melted the plastic.


    (Preparing multiple filtered ventilation openings seems kind of meaningless when you line all the intake points up in one place. Well, they may have wanted to keep them all together to more easily control hem in case of an internal rebellion. Whatever the case, I might as well plug them all up along with the exhaust port.)


    Repeating the same task over and over could break one¡¯s spirit, but it was not bad when she knew it was having real results.


    Good things come to those who wait.


    And even if the L?vateinn crew noticed what was happening and rushed outside, their fate would be little different in the oxygen-deprived air. Their only options were death in a cramped space or death in a wide open space.


    A short distance away, Mariydi and Nancy waited a good while to make sure the giant weapon was dead.


    There had been a chance those inside would panic and desperately scatter that incredible firepower randomly about, but that never happened. Since the crew would not have known what exactly happened to them, they would not have even known if there was an enemy at which to direct their hatred.


    The L?vateinn had been silenced.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going. The other world powers will move in once they learn the demonic sword is broken and we¡¯ll be in trouble if the Capitalist Corporations resumes their game of tag. Let¡¯s keep the wind direction in mind and remove our masks once we¡¯re far enough away.¡±


    ¡°I think there¡¯s something wrong with a world where this cruel method doesn¡¯t violate any international treaties.¡±


    Finding the crashed Zig-27 fighter was entirely reliant on Mariydi¡¯s memories from her pleasure flight down in the torn parachute. She estimated the direction and distance based on what she had seen then.


    And after experiencing a second tragedy, the destroyed capital of Asgard had plenty of motorcycles and trucks with the keys in the ignition, so they borrowed a Legitimacy Kingdom four-wheel drive truck.


    ¡°Puhahh. I¡¯m finally free of that thing.¡±


    Mariydi of course climbed into the driver¡¯s seat and removed her handmade gasmask, but...


    ¡°Hm? Oh, hell.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°...Nothing.¡±


    The fried shrimp in the passenger seat looked puzzled, but Mariydi only blushed and refused to explain. Sounds of metal joints adjusting continued for a bit, but they had nothing to do with starting up the vehicle.


    Finally, the glasses girl looked down from Mariydi¡¯s face to her feet.


    ¡°...Hey, what do you think you¡¯re looking at? It¡¯s really nothing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, are your legs too short to reach the-...¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t short! Don¡¯t screw with me, you lumps of fat!! Look at the overall proportional balance of my body and my hips are positioned higher than yours!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. There are lots of sexy curves on that widdle body of yours.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Wait! No! I¡¯m sorry! How is it even possible to use a seatbelt like tha- gwehh?¡±


    Simply put, she was struggling to adjust the driver¡¯s seat. Unlike the off-road motorcycle, it was difficult for her to use this macho military truck.


    After moving her seat quite a bit lower than the passenger seat, Mariydi could finally stroke the foot pedals with her feet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    ¡°Can you even see out with your seat that low?¡±


    ¡°Why are you surrounded by a victorious aura when you haven¡¯t done a damn thing!? And since when were you in any position to tease me, you burden!?¡±


    Messing with the car stereo only found dumb, mass-produced pop songs with clich¨¦d lyrics about love and dreams, so Mariydi clicked her tongue and connected her own handheld music player.


    Intense deep notes immediately filled the solid truck.


    ¡°U-uwehhh!? What is this!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Boy Racer¡¯s Crack Life. You¡¯ve gotta play their major debut song if you¡¯re visiting this holy site!¡±


    ¡°Is this the band you were talking about...?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of biases you¡¯ve let people give you, but I recommend watching what you say, you pleb.¡±


    They left the city and returned to the conifer forest. In one area, the trees had been knocked over and were smoking. The Zig-27 crash seemed to have ignited them, but it had ended as a localized fire instead of growing into a large wildfire.


    (It¡¯s all still mostly in one piece. No one really cares about fighters these days, but maybe I should mix in some aluminum or iron oxide powder to incinerate it later.)


    It was ironic that the more cutting edge the tank or fighter, the less allowable it was to have it destroyed on the front line. There had even been a time when stealth fighters were so expensive that they were only used to decorate showcases at air shows to intimidate enemy nations.


    Regardless, the fighter¡¯s flight recorder was her top priority.


    After stopping the truck near the crash site, Mariydi watched out for the fuel tank and for unexploded ordnance like missiles as she crouched low and approached the center. Nancy the fried shrimp girl was in charge of perfectly following the path Mariydi took.


    ¡°There it is.¡±


    Mariydi crouched down and pulled something from the mess of mangled metal scraps and wiring. It was a heat-resistant reinforced plastic package a little thicker than a slice of toast. It had been scorched black, but undoing the screws and removing the cover revealed the device inside was safe.


    She connected her portable music player to the flight recorder with a cable and operated a dial to check through the data inside.


    Flight recorder data was made to be incredibly difficult to modify or erase, but it could be easily viewed or played. It made sense considering its main purpose.


    ¡°So what happened just before the crash...?¡±


    When shaken by intense inertial Gs while undergoing extreme tension, a pilot risked blacking out due to lack of blood to the brain. Memories while piloting a fighter could sometimes be vague or hazy.


    She remembered blowing up the SAMs with her regular gun to save her wingmen in the Ice Squadron, but that was while experiencing blindness and a piercing headache courtesy of the laser light. That left so much of an impact that she could not at all remember what dumb things she had said with her wingmen when it was not a life or death issue.


    She used the objective recording device to recover that lost time.


    ...However, she did not know what exactly had triggered this trouble, so she could not just input a keyword to find the results like it was a search engine. She could speed up the playback to an extent, but she still had to listen through the recording.


    And...


    ¡°Fwehh. Are you still not dooone?¡±


    ¡°Quit distracting me, fried shrimp.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t checking the wrong part of the recording?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mariydi glared at her, wondering if she was a demon who transformed people¡¯s worries and doubts.


    And she saw the idiot doing something.


    ¡°Hm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm¡î¡±


    ¡°...Hey, fried shrimp. What in the world are you doing???¡±


    ¡°Tah dahhh! A crown of flowerrrrs¡î¡±


    ¡°This is a battlefield where stepping on a branch can be the difference between life and death! So why are you picking all the flowers around here!?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have such a harsh mindset if you didn¡¯t put so much pressure on yourself. You need to forget all about that war mode and...look, when you wear this, you look so girly.¡±


    The fried shrimp even removed Mariydi¡¯s ghillie suit and placed the crown of flowers on her head.


    ¡°Why are you putting such an obvious target on my head, fried shrimp? Are you trying to get me shot by a sniper who could be hiding somewhere around here?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we take out all the L?vateinn people?¡±


    There could always be elites who had crossed the border...but arguing any further would accomplish nothing. She was defenseless enough just crouching down and struggling with the crashed fighter¡¯s recorder.


    (I hope I can finish this soon...)


    ¡°~ ~ ~¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you not used to dressing up cute? But you look so pretty, even if you aren¡¯t so pretty on the inside.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m trying to concentrate!¡±


    While blushing and fidgeting restlessly, she finally found something different.


    She heard some mechanical static.


    ¡°Ksshh...!! Kssshhh! ...CT here...oblem with the datalink. Ksshh! Watch out for delays in the update speed!! Ksssshhhh!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of statiiic. Is it broken?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    The flight recorder was designed to survive the impact of a crash. If that was enough to break it, it would need to be recalled.


    In that case, what was causing this static drowning out the conversation?


    ¡°...Was the MA being jammed?¡±


    Only after saying it herself did it start to seem real.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We were hit by the Thor¡¯s Hammer¡¯s light because the map was slow to update, but that wasn¡¯t CT¡¯s fault. The jamming had nearly cut off the datalink, so the detailed updates to the map couldn¡¯t keep up.¡±


    But who had been behind the jamming?


    It of course would not have been Mariydi¡¯s Capitalist Corporations. Then had it been the Information Alliance who controlled the Thor¡¯s Hammer? That seemed the most likely, but all four world powers were in constant conflict in the Northern Restricted Zone. It was possible the Legitimacy Kingdom or Faith Organization had done it to take advantage of the situation.


    The girl heard her own recorded voice speaking.


    ¡°There seems to be an ordered signal inside the random noise.¡±


    Her voice was not staticky because it had been recorded without passing through the communicator.


    ¡°Ha hahn. I bet they sent out this largescale jamming to hide the secret transmission they didn¡¯t want anyone hearing. In that case...¡±


    ¡°Ksshh!! Ice H...3 to I...Girl 1. Kssshhh! Commander, what...ing? Kssshhh!!¡±


    ¡°The Zig-27 is loaded with too many processors. Why would I need to lock on with that many missiles at once? I¡¯ll actually make that useful for once. I wonder if the spare processing space can decrypt this weak signal.¡±


    Mariydi slapped her forehead.


    Everyone cursed their past actions at some point, even if it was entirely useless.


    ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot. I should have sent that to the unused AWACS server...¡±


    ¡°What does this meeeaaan?¡±


    She had no way of answering that.


    Someone in the Northern Restricted Zone had used largescale jamming to hide a secret chat and now they had put out a reward for capturing Mariydi who had secretly recorded it. That was all she knew. The identity and scope of her enemy was entirely unclear.


    She doubted the actual decryption had finished.


    She only had the raw data on the recorder, so she would need to hook it up to a supercomputer to find the answer. 50 billion dollars. Someone wanted this data enough to offer up a sum rivalling the cost of 10 Objects. They would never want her to have this. Whether she had decrypted it or not, possessing the original data could be used as deterrence and a threat.


    And just as she considered that, she heard something.


    It was a deep, bestial growling.


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    The growling was coming from more than one place. They seemed to be surrounded. Mariydi clicked her tongue, picked up the scorched flight recorder, and looked around. These would not be trained military dogs. The shepherds and dobermans that had been made into soldiers would not bark or growl unless it was necessary as a threat. That suggested these were probably wild wolves or something.


    But that was enough of a threat.


    And carelessly firing a gun could alert any number of people to their position. This area was effectively controlled by the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s L?vateinn, but who could say how many soldiers from the other world powers had snuck in. Avoiding gunfire as much as possible was standard practice.


    Thus, Mariydi quickly arrived at a plan.


    ¡°Strip, fried shrimp.¡±


    ¡°My name is Nancyyy! And don¡¯t just ask me to strip! I¡¯m a girl, this is a Scandinavian forest, it¡¯s freezing out, and I can¡¯t even explain all the ways that¡¯s messed uuuup!!¡±


    ¡°Just do it. I need that jacket of yours.¡±


    Mariydi swiped the fried shrimp¡¯s jacket without taking no for an answer and then wrapped it around her left arm. She then drew the military knife from her ankle using her right hand. She would let the wolf bite the thick cloth and then slash its throat. That would be the best way to slay the beast without injury or noise.


    ¡°If a wolf goes for you, you¡¯re on your own. It¡¯ll probably bite you on the ass and tear off one of the cheeks, but just think of it as a diet.¡±


    ¡°No, thank yooouuu! Please give me a shield too! It¡¯s my jacket, isn¡¯t iiit!?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re that scared, then wrap your skirt around your arm. (Of course, you¡¯ll just be tossed around if you don¡¯t have the skill to guide it to your arm, fix its jaw in place, and slash its throat within 3 seconds.)¡±


    ¡°I think you have an obligation to explain that part you whispered!!¡±


    She must really have been scared because she quickly unzipped the tight skirt, removed it, and held it in her hand, transforming herself into a chick panties glasses fried shrimp with an extra-large side of boobs, but then something odd happened.


    There was definitely a low growling.


    Something rustled through the underbrush and appeared between the trees.


    But it was not a wolf or a wild dog.


    It was....


    ¡°...A...human...???¡±


    A young man in a military uniform was walking forward with his head lolling unsteadily back and forth. He was likely one of the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers who had been maintaining the L?vateinn. His eyes were unfocused, drool dripped from the corners of his mouth, and he was unarmed and emptyhanded, so he must not have been fully conscious. It was possible the oxygen deprivation attack using the carbon dioxide had partially destroyed his brain function.


    Mariydi narrowed her eyes.


    An enemy was an enemy. She considered taking him out with her knife, but then there was more movement.


    The rustling came from more than one point. More and more men and women in military uniforms approached through the trees and underbrush. There were more than 20 in all. And that number continued to grow. Covert activity was meaningless at this point. Mariydi swapped out her knife for her carbine and did not hesitate to shoot one of the nonresistant soldiers.


    Shot through the head, the young man collapsed backwards.


    Unable to fully control the recoil, her aim was shifted a bit as she moved to the female soldier next to the man. This shot tore away the flesh of her shoulder, but then something odd happened.


    The woman¡¯s expression remained unchanged.


    Whether it hit her vitals or not, a direct hit from a rifle bullet should have been enough to kill her from shock, but she continued walking forward while dripping blood.


    (What is this...?)


    Shooting the woman through the heart did the trick, but that was as far as Mariydi got.


    The gunshots seemed to have triggered something, so the 20+ unsteady soldiers began rushing in toward her.


    Mariydi fell back while reducing their numbers as much as possible with the carbine. The fried shrimp (in a white blouse and chick panties) stared blankly for a moment before frantically running after the smaller girl. The group of soldiers continued charging forward even with dark red holes in their chest or gut, so they inspired a different sort of fear from a trained fighter.


    But partial consciousness was not enough to explain this.


    Their sense of pain and fear had clearly been erased and they were ruled by a desire for primitive violence. Yes, not one of them had drawn a handgun or knife. They only extended their arms, opened their mouths, and tried to bite the girls.


    Mariydi and Nancy ran back to the military four-wheel drive truck.


    Mariydi started the engine after tossing the unneeded jacket to Nancy who had circled to the passenger side. The fried shrimp began complaining with a pale face and tears behind her glasses.


    ¡°What was that!? Those are like the monsters in a zombie moviiieee!¡±


    ¡°Zombies...?¡±


    That term caught in a corner of Mariydi¡¯s mind.


    Regardless, she set off in the truck. There were some battered soldiers in the way, but she floored the gas pedal regardless and ran them over with the high-riding truck. With each dull sound, Nancy held her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut.


    ¡°Oh, right. Zombies. I¡¯ve heard about that before.


    ¡°What is it now? Is this a joooke!?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m talking about synthetic molecular motors.¡±


    ¡°...Aren¡¯t zombies caused by a mysterious virus?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a similar idea.¡±


    She regretted being unable to incinerate the mass of metal at the crash site, but she had no more use for this forest now that she had the flight recorder. The best course of action was to let the truck¡¯s horsepower carry them out of there.


    ¡°Synthetic molecular motors are a technology that can draw out or suppress ¡®tension¡¯ at the molecular level in reaction to certain kinds of light or electromagnetic waves. It¡¯s said they could be used to further shrink down computers and memory storage devices.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with zombiiieees?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all in how you use it. Use your imagination: what if you disseminated a combination of synthetic molecular motors that took on a shape almost identical to the rabies virus? Wouldn¡¯t you have an artificial object that acted exactly the same as rabies? And since it¡¯s completely artificial, you could freely switch it on and off from the outside. You could infect 10,000 people and only trigger symptoms in a specific person or you could link it to GPS and program it to make people go berserk only in a certain city while automatically switching off once they left that area. That would recreate the fictional zombies supposedly only seen in movies.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Of course, actual rabies doesn¡¯t make people indiscriminately bite everyone around them like it does with dogs, but that¡¯s the scary thing about something completely artificial that can be fine-tuned to the liking of the developer. The smallpox-based experimental model I¡¯m familiar with could alter the incubation period between infection and the appearance of mock symptoms. Think about it: what if you made the synthetic molecular motors so they would break down like a puzzle and leave the body after the target¡¯s death? Makes a scientific examination sound a lot more frightening, doesn¡¯t it? In the case of a rabies molecular motor, I bet they¡¯ve made it spread far faster than the real thing. If I had to guess, I would say they don¡¯t invent a new disease from scratch so they can predict the level of damage in case of trouble.¡±


    The fried shrimp was rendered entirely speechless.


    ...But in that case, there had to be a third party who had disseminated the invisible rabies molecular motors to create the zombies to attack Mariydi and Nancy. They had to be the true villain here. They would be the vanguard of whoever wanted to retrieve the recording of that secret conversation masked by the jamming and whoever was willing to pay 50 billion dollars for the death of Mariydi who had recorded it.


    Mariydi would have loved to catch them, but that would be difficult while being pursued from all sides. Escaping the infected area came first.


    However, that was easier said than done.


    The soldiers infected by the rabies molecular motors were not using handguns or knives, but...


    ¡°Wah!?¡±


    The truck plowed through the white-eyed soldiers who dropped down from the trees alongside their path and the tire drove right over the head of another soldier who crawled out from a bush. In a normal vehicle, the zombies could have gotten caught in the gap between the ground and the chassis and stopped the vehicle. And if enough of them were piled on top of each other, there was still a risk of that happening with the military truck.


    This was based on rabies which was orally transmitted through bite wounds. If it had indeed been given an accelerated infection rate, driving even a military truck through the mountains and valleys back to the base might be dangerous. If a large group of zombies blocked the path in a narrow mountain pass, they would be stopped long enough for the zombies to surround the truck.


    ¡°Wh-wh-what do we dooo!?¡±


    ¡°Well.¡±


    That left only one idea.


    Mariydi Whitewitch was a fighter pilot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s swipe a fighter from an AB around here. Not even those zombies can touch us if we¡¯re cruising through the sky.¡±

 Volume 13, Track 06: Dead to the Next

    Volume 13, Track 06: Dead to the Next


    Did they chase after anything that moved, or could they be programmed to attack Mariydi specifically?


    The military truck was fast enough to lose those chasing them from behind, but the ones who rolled out in front managed to reach the truck. Each time, the chassis shook violently, something wet tore apart, bodily fluids splattered out, and the tires and suspension were coated in the result. It was possible the radiator would eventually burn out and the engine would stall.


    ¡°I would be so sick of this if not for Boy Racer¡¯s masterpiece.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been looping the same song so much I¡¯m starting to feel dizzyyy!!¡±


    Before even worrying about traveling by land or air, bringing these things back to her AB would be a problem. That meant she had to lose them first.


    ¡°...Either way, the answer is an aircraft.¡±


    While Mariydi held the large steering wheel, Nancy the glasses fried shrimp discovered a folded paper map in the dashboard.


    ¡°This is a Legitimacy Kingdom truck, isn¡¯t it? I think these marks all over the map are their military installations.¡±


    ¡°All over the map isn¡¯t good enough. Give me some proper navigation.¡±


    ¡°Where even are we right nowww?¡±


    Nancy looked unsure as she compared the view out the windshield with the map and Mariydi sighed when she glanced over to see her starting to spin the map around in her hands. That girl seemed to violate the law of conservation of energy because the amount she consumed and produced was entirely mismatched.


    Gunfire that sounded like a broken buzzer burst from the sky.


    One of the other world powers had apparently noticed the military zombies created using rabies molecular motors, so an attack craft with a large isosceles triangle silhouette was sewing a line across the ground using a Gatling gun. The zombies along the gun¡¯s line burst like water balloons.


    ¡°E-eek!? We¡¯re dead too if that hits usss!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re exactly right...but they don¡¯t seem to be shooting at us. And I doubt this is some kind of gentleman¡¯s agreement.¡±


    Mariydi kept her foot on the gas as she considered this development.


    ¡°Yes, since it¡¯s a delta-wing-worshipping G-22 doing the shooting...they probably think we¡¯re on their side since we¡¯re driving around in a Legitimacy Kingdom truck. That¡¯s convenient.¡±


    That meant a Legitimacy Kingdom attack craft was attacking Legitimacy Kingdom infected to protect a Legitimacy Kingdom base. It had probably taken them a while to make that decision, so Mariydi could already see several runways surrounded by fences. It was an airbase. This was far too close in for a defensive line.


    And when faced with their misguided savior, Mariydi Whitewitch¡¯s decision was a simple one.


    ¡°This is perfect.¡±


    ¡°You monster! You demooon!!¡±


    ¡°That assessment is right on target, but don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s an uncertain element in play here: we don¡¯t know which world power disseminated the rabies molecular motors. It might have been the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    The fried shrimp shrieked, trembled so much her glasses made a chattering noise, and fell silent. If that was true, the people here were truly out of luck, but that was often how war was. It was always a possibility.


    After the attack craft passed by overhead a few more times, it finally began slaughtering the zombies with rockets instead of its guns. At the same time, Mariydi stopped the military truck now that they were close enough to the AB.


    ¡°Dh, wha-!? If we don¡¯t hurry, the zombies will catch uuup!!¡±


    ¡°This is fine.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    10 minutes later, Mariydi and Nancy began driving toward the Legitimacy Kingdom AB once more. They drove straight toward the guarded front gate without trying any kind of trickery.


    ¡°A-are we really doing thisss?¡±


    ¡°Put your skirt back on already. Besides, this isn¡¯t a spy action game with full anti-personnel radar. We can¡¯t sneak into a strictly-guarded base.¡±


    Even in a Legitimacy Kingdom truck, they would still be asked for identification at the gate. If it was found out they were from the Capitalist Corporations, they would be arrested and detained, if not outright shot on the spot. There was a possibility they would be accepted in as a humanitarian act due to the zombie outbreak emergency, but counting on that would be as much of a gamble as betting all your money on 0 during a casino roulette game.


    So after stopping in front of the main gate that had a pole lowered like at a railroad crossing, Mariydi had the following conversation with the guard soldier:


    ¡°Hey! We don¡¯t have time to sit around and do this by the book!¡± shouted the guard. ¡°Who are you? Show me your ID and get through the gate or the zombies will catch up!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? By the way, I¡¯m sure you can hear the back seat shaking.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°You sure are insensitive. He had to have been one of your comrades originally. And what do you think the zombie trapped in the foot space will do first if I raise the seat back?¡±


    Someone bloody burst out of the opened back door and a quick but gory scene followed.


    New screams and gunfire followed.


    ¡°Hm, hm, hmm. In we go.¡±


    Mariydi used the chaos to break through the front gate¡¯s pole and drive right on into the base while humming. The dangerous metal claws of a spike lock rose up across the bottom of the entrance, but blowing the tires was actually for the best. Anyone who saw the situation would assume one of their own trucks had panicked and gotten in an accident.


    And with the chaos spread this far, there was no need to sneak around.


    The biggest advantage of zombies was how a large enemy force could actually help them. The molecular motors had been given a greater infection speed than the original pathogen, so the infected group rapidly grew as the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers bit the other soldiers.


    ¡°This is just scary.¡±


    The infected were filling the base even now. The only uniforms in evidence were Legitimacy Kingdom ones, but bullets and shells were flying within the base, the tanks and hoses of fuel trucks were torn, and aircraft fuel exploded, scattering flames and black smoke.


    Mariydi retrieved her handheld music player, left the truck with Nancy, crouched low, and ran across the vast AB while hidden by the rising smoke.


    ¡°There really is no such thing as an ally of justice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling pretty blessed following you around, though.¡±


    Several fighters and attack craft were stopped next to the runways. Mariydi and Nancy approached one when no official orders had been sent out, but no one tried to stop them. That was because fires had started here and there in the hangars and runways, so the aircraft were being quickly moved to safety. Some were being towed and the pilots were directly hopping into the cockpits of others when the trucks were not arriving in time. Going through the entire tiresome process would have let the fuel tanks and missiles catch fire, so no one was worrying about the formalities.


    ¡°The S/G-31... A delta wing that was copied from the Faith Organization. Oh? Looks like they¡¯ve updated it on their own by forcing in a second seat. It only just barely avoids a failing grade, but I guess I can¡¯t be picky.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    No one paid Nancy any heed even though she was not wearing a proper g-suit, so they were apparently willing to take any help they could get. However, they must have been unaware of the ironclad rule that thieves were more than willing to help gather up emergency supplies and trash during a disaster.


    Mariydi climbed into the front seat and Nancy into the back. Then they closed the clear canopy.


    (The S/G-31 can do VTOL, but...well, it¡¯s safer to use the runway if one¡¯s available. Without weather data from CT, a surprise crosswind could flip us right over.)


    Mariydi was finally able to remove the handmade ghillie suit from her head. And she indulged in the same sense of liberation felt when removing a mascot costume.


    (Damn. I thought the copied version used an HMD instead of a HUD. And it uses a smelly oxygen mask used by who knows who. Curse this outdated thing.)


    It felt a lot like borrowing a damp judo or kendo gi from a stranger, but once again, she could not be picky. She put it on and continued her preparations.


    ¡°Oh, so you don¡¯t have to lower the seat this time? Poo hoo hoo.¡±


    ¡°...If it wouldn¡¯t take me with you, I¡¯d pull the eject lever for that one. Why the hell is it always the most annoying people who survive the longest in a zombie outbreak?¡±


    ¡°Wait, it bothers you that much!?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me! I¡¯m just irritated with your unfair assessment of the situation!!¡±


    They bickered while Mariydi flicked various buttons and switches to continue their preparations. Sitting in a fighter really was the best. It calmed her down.


    ¡°Find some string or something to tie around your thighs.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Without a g-suit, the inertial Gs will send the blood down to your feet and it won¡¯t come back up. You won¡¯t have enough oxygen in your head and your brain cells will die.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Eh? Is this your revenge on me or something?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the truth.¡±


    Nancy shrieked and frantically got to work.


    ¡°If I ignore their CT¡¯s instructions and start to take off, they¡¯re sure to notice something¡¯s up. They¡¯ll catch us in a crossfire then, but...well, we just have to pray.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a better plan than thaaaat!?¡±


    In the middle of the chaos, Mariydi made minute adjustments to the delta wing¡¯s flaps and ignited the jet engine. The poor, diligent damage control team that noticed something was wrong and approached from behind the fighter were blasted more than 5 meters back by the explosive flames. The control tower finally began to question them, but 30 seconds had passed since ignition and they were already moving at 250kph.


    They were lucky there were no fire hoses lying across the runway.


    The S/G-31 piloted by Mariydi broke through the black smoke and took off from the airbase.


    ¡°U-ugweeeeeehhh...¡±


    ¡°Feeling that invisible hand on your stomach already, huh? Vomit if you want, but take the mask off first. It¡¯s you who¡¯ll experience hell if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What are we going to do now? Urp, surely they¡¯ll send someone after us...¡±


    ¡°I doubt anyone else will be taking off from that AB. Military weapons are all about procedure, procedure, procedure. With those zombies wandering around, they won¡¯t know who should submit the paperwork or who should sign it.¡±


    ¡°F-fwee...¡±


    Nancy sounded more like she was being slowly crushed by a clear panel of glass than experiencing motion sickness, but she would still be feeling somewhat relieved to have escaped that zombie outbreak. The breath contained a hint of the sigh after a job well done.


    ¡°H-ha-have you never wanted to live a normal liiife?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but this is normal for me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    However, nothing said they had escaped danger.


    A glance at the radar screen showed a few dots rapidly approaching them.


    ¡°To get back on topic, the real danger is anyone who was already in the air to protect their air superiority. If we can shake them, we¡¯ll have a nice safe trip through the sky.¡±


    ¡°H-h-ho-h-ho-how are you supposed to do thaaat?¡±


    Instead of answering, Mariydi operated her handheld music player.


    Deep notes permeated her entire body and filled her heart with energy.


    ¡°Nothing beats rock at times like this.¡±


    ¡°...Uhehh.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why do you look so disgusted just seeing the player? Okay, I¡¯ll teach you the true essence of Boy Racer. This is the masterpiece from their 4th album...¡±


    ¡°Noo, please don¡¯t use this inescapable flying room as a chance to proselytiiiiize!¡±


    ¡°Punish Cross 1 to unknown. Punish Cross 1 to unknown. State your affiliation and assigned mission. We¡¯ve received word about what¡¯s going on down below. Even if you panicked and left your post, we will be as accommodating as possible. Follow our guidance and land at another AB.¡±


    It was a 4-craft squadron of S-36 canards with forward-swept wings. They were specialized for high-mobility combat. Normal aircraft had large main wings in the front that swept backwards and then smaller tail wings on the back, but this oddly-shaped fighter had main wings on the back that swept forwards. Its unique aerodynamic control allowed sharp turns that produced such high inertial Gs that it was known as ¡°The Juicer¡±, but that meant it was an extremely tricky aircraft with a high risk of stalling or losing control if the pilot overdid it.


    And Mariydi pouted her lips.


    ¡°Cheh. I should¡¯ve grabbed one of those. This thing¡¯s too average to be any fun.¡±


    ¡°U-umm... They seem to be right on our tail to meee.¡±


    ¡°Of course they are. Standard practice is to be all nice at first and then start yelling.¡±


    ¡°Punish Bullet 2 to unknown!! Don¡¯t act spoiled! Don¡¯t you know abandoning your mission and deserting under enemy fire is enough to get you shot!? Unless you want to expose the Northern Restricted Zone to the abnormal weather conditions of scrap metal and mincemeat rain, then obey our orders right this instant!!¡±


    ¡°After scolding their subordinate, they¡¯ll count down to 0. Will they start from 3?¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Bullet 2. They¡¯re one of the allies who have eaten bread and wine at the same table as us. But if they aren¡¯t going to obey, we¡¯ll have to lock onto them. We¡¯ll give you a five count. Please do as we say.¡±


    ¡°Oh, 5 whole seconds? The Punish Squadron must care for their comrades.¡±


    ¡°5, 4...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard talk of them. But they stick to defense missions deep in their own territory and barely join the real fun, so I haven¡¯t had a chance to take them on directly.¡±


    ¡°...3, 2...¡±


    With a ferocious smile, Mariydi flicked on the radio.


    She could have stayed silent and attacked them, but she showed her respect for the enemy¡¯s ace squadron.


    She waited until the pause between one song and the next. And...


    ¡°This is Ice Girl 1. Show me a good time, Legitimacy Kingdom exorcists!!¡±


    Mariydi suddenly pulled back on the control column to pitch the nose straight up, catching air resistance with the entire aircraft. It rapidly decelerated and the Punish Squadrons¡¯ canards with forward-swept wings passed right by them and overshot them.


    This was a special maneuver known as the Pugachev¡¯s Cobra.


    Dogfights between fighters basically came down to a fight over taking a position behind the enemy. This was a world where going for anyone who carelessly showed their tail was standard practice. Mariydi enjoyed the pleasant stimulation of the deep notes passing through her body and focused her mind.


    (2 of them overshot and the other 2 are still behind me. But we¡¯re nice and close!)


    ¡°Attack Alpha.¡±


    The HUD¡¯s tactical information placed boxes over the 2 S-36s.


    It was not difficult for modern fighters to lock onto multiple targets at once. A different guide pursued each enemy craft. The enemies were lined up in a straight line so soon over overshooting her, so the two displays soon settled in place.


    ¡°U-umm, concentrating on things up front is all well and good, but what about behind usss!? They¡¯re right on our tailll!!¡±


    (That¡¯s why you need to let me focus, you idiot!!)


    ¡°Attack Beta.¡±


    When the 2 displays surrounded the targets, the frames changed from green to red. That meant the lock was complete. Pressing the red button on top of the control column would fire air-to-air missiles (AAM).


    ¡°Eek! Eeeeek!?¡±


    Several orange lines shot right past them, overshooting them. The 2 fighters behind them were firing their machine guns. They must not have been trying to hit her right away. They intended to restrict her movements so they could get a proper lock.


    ¡°An alarm is blaring! What does that mean!? Did we get hit somewherrrre!?¡±


    (So they have Defense Beta. I don¡¯t have much time!!)


    ¡°Attack Charlie.¡±


    Mariydi grimaced at the rude warning buzzer intruding on the hard rock and she accurately moved her fingertips. The AAMs loaded on the S/G-31 were Ballista IIs. They were known as ¡°fire and forget¡± which meant she did not have to keep track of them after launching them. After firing the necessary missiles, Mariydi scattered flares from the tail wings like horse dung and began a sharp turn.


    ¡°Attack Delta: Strike 2.¡±


    The 2 S-36s of the Punish Squadron in front of her (she did not know which ones those were) blossomed like fiery flowers in the sky. She had been too focused on shooting them down to take evasive actions, so the remaining 2 had a complete lock on her and had already fired their missiles.


    But the blown up and scattered Legitimacy Kingdom fighters were swept backwards by intense air resistance. The wreckage struck the missiles fired by the surviving S-36s and continued back toward their comrades who had sworn revenge on Mariydi. Their special alloy fuselages were torn apart like someone taking a machete to a thin aluminum can.


    Page 242 of the Capitalist Corporations Pilot Training Manual said the following: The closer you are in a dogfight, the easier it is for your attacks to hit. But if you are within 3000m of the enemy, be wary of the fragments and wreckage of the destroyed aircraft.


    ¡°Accident: Strike 1.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. That¡¯s quite the smug look on your face there, but the other one surviiived!!¡±


    ¡°So you noticed? This is going to get a little rough.¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh, I shouldn¡¯t have said thaaaaaat!!!!!¡±


    She spun the fighter like a screw and then made a deep and sharp turn. Perhaps as a sign of chivalry, whoever it was contacted her over the radio.


    ¡°Punish Cross 1 to unknown...¡±


    ¡°Call me Ice Girl 1.¡±


    ¡°I understand your intentions. And I¡¯ll increase your weight by about 20 kilos to allow my lost men to rest in peace. And by that I mean I¡¯ll be killing you by firing 20 kilos worth of bullets into you. I¡¯ll leave it up to you to calculate out how many that is...!!¡±


    ¡°How about you try using that overheated head of yours? Fire at someone that much with a 30mm gun and they¡¯ll lose weight. Even their bones will be blown to pieces. Here, I¡¯ll show you what it¡¯s like.¡±


    That casual exchange acted as a signal.


    They began flying in S-shapes to get behind each other. They did not make full comma-shaped circuits because Mariydi had a destination.


    ¡°We¡¯re just not a good match, you murderer!!¡± shouted Punish Cross 1.


    ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t like it from behind or 69.¡±


    But Mariydi was at a disadvantage given the situation. As said before, dogfights were all about taking a position behind the enemy. When the enemy was already behind you, they naturally had an advantage. Also, Punish Cross 1¡¯s S-36 was specialized for high-mobility to the point that it ignored safety. The S/G-31 was almighty in both anti-surface and anti-air, but it was very generic. The difference in specs made it hard to lose him even with her skill. If they flew in the same curving motion, there would be a difference in their turn radius. It was a lot like trying to escape a racecar in a heavy dump truck.


    ¡°Geh! Gweh!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t burp. This is a sealed cockpit.¡±


    ¡°But...gweh, gheh...more importantly! Aren¡¯t we in trouble? It¡¯s beeping again!!¡±


    The beeping of course meant they were exposed to the enemy¡¯s radar. That alone did not mean he had a lock, but it was only a matter of time before the lock was complete. Mariydi wiggled her tail back and forth while fleeing to delay it, but that would only last so long.


    ¡°I know that. Just another 45 seconds.¡±


    ¡°Is that how long until we diiie!?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Whenever a pilot says something in the air, it¡¯s always about life or death. This is my job.¡±


    ¡°Gyaaahh!!¡±


    The glasses fried shrimp was screaming something, but Mariydi had never really been paying any attention to her.


    (I¡¯m impressed she¡¯s lasted this long without a g-suit. Tying strings around her thighs isn¡¯t really all that effective. And it would honestly be quieter and easier to work if she¡¯d just blackout already.)


    ¡°Ah, this silence... You¡¯re thinking something I wouldn¡¯t like, aren¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m honestly impressed. It turns out masochism is a kind of talent.¡±


    Then the promised time arrived.


    With the control column in hand, Mariydi clicked her tongue over multiple alarms.


    ¡°Defense Beta.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean!? Can¡¯t you speak English like a normal persooon!?¡±


    ¡°What language do you think ¡®defense¡¯ and ¡®beta¡¯ are!?¡±


    Simply put, that meant the enemy had a proper lock, but she decided not to explain that since it would only cause the fried shrimp to go nuts in the cockpit.


    But Mariydi had not been fleeing randomly.


    From the beginning, they had been flying in S-shapes to get on each other¡¯s tail. They had not been flying around and around in comma-shaped half-circles. ...That had prevented her from making any especially bold actions, but she had of course had a reason worth accepting that handicap.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to all.¡±


    She flicked on the radio switch and spoke in a singsong voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Ice Squadron.¡±


    They were right in front of her.


    The instant she entered Capitalist Corporations airspace, 3 very familiar Zig-27s charged right toward her. The AAMs flying out ahead of them cut right past Mariydi¡¯s fighter with trails of smoke behind them.


    This never could have happened under normal circumstances, but pilots could easily lose sight of direction and distance when making constant sharp turns to the left and right in pursuit of the enemy in front of their eyes. This was especially true for a small one-man fighter like the S-36 when it had no supporters and the surface CT was too busy with a zombie outbreak to provide any advice. The blood must have rushed to his head too much for him to carefully observe his map or radar. Just like a racehorse with a carrot dangling in front of its eyes. When semi-active, missiles could make a lock even if the radar waves did not hit the enemy until after the missiles were fired, so it was hard to detect them in advance.


    ¡°...!!!???¡±


    Punish Cross 1 did not provide a death cry.


    There was only a gasp that could oddly be interpreted as both regretful and envious.


    Immediately afterwards, the leader of Punish Squadron, who had lost his companions to Mariydi¡¯s deception, was blown up in midair by Ice Squadron who were supported by many comrades. There was no sign of him bailing out. Had he been unable, or had he chosen not to? Members of another squadron working with them were one thing, but Mariydi had never once had one of her own squadron shot down in front of her eyes, so she could not know the answer to that question.


    ¡°...Red target strike confirmed.¡±


    The girl rested back in her seat and crossed herself just once. She had no interest in the Faith Organization¡¯s ways, but she showed her respect with a purifying cross.


    But...


    ¡°U-u-umm...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°About those Capitalist Corporation Zig-27s. Aren¡¯t they taking up position right behind us? Just like those previous fighters?¡±


    The fried shrimp fidgeted in her seat.


    ¡°Uh, that isn¡¯t because we¡¯re in a Legitimacy Kingdom fighter and they think we¡¯re an enemy, is it?¡±


    ¡°If so, they would¡¯ve blown us out of the sky on the initial pass. We might not be sending out an IFF, but the radio was playing my voice with a Boy Racer masterpiece in the background. My squadron would know it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Heh, eh heh heh. That¡¯s right. You had it all figured out from the beginning, right!?¡±


    ¡°I did. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh, well that¡¯s a relief. Ah hah hah!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, once we get back, I need to take a bath while sipping on an ice-cold soda. The ones in a small bottle are nice. Makes me feel like a celebrity.¡±


    The two of them laughed together for a while longer.


    Until, that is, a regular gun mercilessly fired at them from behind.

 Volume 13, Track 07: Last, Lust, Lost

    Volume 13, Track 07: Last, Lust, Lost


    Mariydi had been fully convinced the battle was over, so she had to frantically grab the control column once more. Several alarms activated as she did so. She was being hit by radar waves from her own Ice Squadron.


    Even with a Boy Racer masterpiece permeating her body, she could not stop sweating from tension.


    They were not locking onto her in order to demand she make a forced landing (FL). In that case, they would have sent a warning before beginning the lock. Besides, her own squadron would have no reason to order an FL.


    ¡°See, I told yooouuu!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!! ...This can¡¯t be happening!! Why would my own squadron be after my tail!?¡±


    ¡°Urp. Maybe they have a lot of frustration to take out on you from the way you treat them on a daily basis...¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to fire right back at you!?¡±


    Mariydi was confused, but she twisted her fighter around for a sharp turn.


    Could they not trust her because she was flying an enemy fighter? Or were they now working for whoever was offering the 50 billion dollars? Speculation raced through her mind, but none of it was very convincing. The current situation simply did not add up with her view of her squadron.


    (What the hell is going on!?)


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to all, Ice Girl 1 to all!! It¡¯s me!! Do I need to read off the number engraved in my dog tags!?¡±


    She opened the radio and shouted at them, but there was no response.


    More lines of tracer rounds pursued her and gradually took away her freedom of movement. If she was captured by the inertial G limit, her movements would simplify and they would complete a lock. She could not escape.


    (What would get them to turn against me?)


    Even so, this was the focus of Mariydi¡¯s mind.


    (Were their friends or lovers taken hostage? Are they getting an extra bonus for shooting me down? Is there some kind of just cause they can¡¯t complete without shooting me down? No, none of that would explain this. These are the idiots who ignored the BtB order and kept flying around so they could demand a search for me. If they¡¯re willing to go that far, some threats or temptation now aren¡¯t going to change their resolve.)


    In that case, what was it?


    What possible reason could the rest of Ice Squadron have to try so persistently to shoot her down?


    ¡°...I see. So that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    ¡°So those idiots still want to fly with me.¡±


    ¡°How did you reach that conclusion? They¡¯re ganging up on us right nowww!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the point!!¡± Mariydi was a little annoyed that Nancy did not understand. ¡°They¡¯re trying to gain the trust of the higher ups by turning on me and shooting me down. That way they can continue their own investigation from within the organization. And if they let another squadron handle this mission, they¡¯d probably pretend they never heard my transmissions and claim they only took out a Legitimacy Kingdom crew!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Since those idiots were the first ones here, they must have the most accurate information. Enough to keep up the fight against the higher ups behind this conspiracy!¡±


    Whether or not they could actually get the price removed from her head, it meant a lot to know she had people on her side. She could not put her squadron in danger.


    So...


    ¡°...Fine, then. I¡¯ll let you shoot me down.¡±


    ¡°Whaaat!? Wh-what did you say just n-n-nowww!?¡±


    No matter what anyone might say, Mariydi was the one holding the control column, so she began a quick descent. In a by-the-book response, 2 of the ¡°enemies¡± pursued her and 1 remained above to cut off her ascent. Now Mariydi¡¯s only option was to weave her way through the precipitous mountains. If she sped up, she would slam into a mountain. If she slowed down in fear, the pursuing Zig-27s would shoot her down with a missile. But if she moved up, she would expose her tail to the other fighter.


    It was an ideal pursuit for them.


    Of course, they would never do it in a real battle because it was too easy to predict.


    As the radar exposure buzzer rang, Mariydi made a decision with such a carefree attitude she could have been humming.


    ¡°This area looks good.¡±


    ¡°Wait! No! You¡¯re kidding, riiight!?¡±


    It was obvious what was making the fried shrimp protest.


    There was a gaping hole in the green mountain surface.


    ¡°That¡¯s an abandoned tunnel.¡±


    This was actually less difficult than landing on an aircraft carrier. Just after Mariydi¡¯s S/G-31 flew cleanly inside with the same motion used to descend toward a runway, 2 AAMs fired from directly behind her produced brilliant blossoms of flame at the entrance.


    Her dot had vanished from the radar, but CT would pick her up again if she simply flew out the other end of the tunnel. So Mariydi brought the 3 wheels out from the bottom of the fuselage and forcibly began the usual landing motion inside the tunnel.


    With a dull bursting noise, the nose tilted downwards.


    ¡°Wah, wah, wahhh!!¡±


    ¡°Tch. I was afraid I¡¯d blow a tire. Hey, fried shrimp, we¡¯ll make it somehow, so don¡¯t piss yourself.¡±


    A great din followed as if a thick piece of metal were being worn down by an electric grinder. The trail of sparks would have looked beautiful from the outside.


    Fighters were generally towed around, so they were not built to make turns on the ground under their own power like a car. But the S/G-31 was equipped with VTOL functionality. Making minute adjustments to the direction of the boosters allowed for minor changes of direction similar to operating a steering wheel.


    To be blunt, not even a professional pilot had any use for this skill.


    Lastly, there was only a scant 40cm between the tilted delta wings and the tunnel walls.


    But Mariydi successfully pulled off the landing without batting an eye and then she popped the canopy.


    There was no access ladder for climbing down, but she was pretty close to the ground thanks to blowing the front tire. She tossed aside the helmet, pulled out the handmade ghillie suit she had placed below her butt so it would be out of the way, retrieved her handheld music player, and hopped down to the cracked ground of the abandoned tunnel.


    ¡°What should we do with this thing? Take it to the exit and blow it up? No, any weird camouflage would only look unnatural when they inspect the scene. Even if they do send in a ground unit to check things out, it would be best to leave it like this. That way it looks like Ice Squadron turned on me, but I was just better than them.¡±


    ¡°E-eek. So what was all that about?¡±


    ¡°Whatever the case, we¡¯re back to moving on foot.¡±


    With that, Mariydi put the ghillie suit on over her head to cover her lemon yellow special suit.


    She tried thinking calmly about what she needed to do.


    ...First of all, she still had the flight recorder the villains wanted. The encrypted data there was the villains¡¯ Achilles¡¯ heel, so she wanted that data if at all possible.


    But she would need a supercomputer-level machine to decrypt it. Needless to say, Mariydi did not have access to one of those while wandering around after being shot down.


    That said, she could not just return to her AB either. Ice Squadron had put on an act to buy time for investigation, so she could not reveal her presence so easily.


    So...


    ¡°We need to head to somewhere with a large enough machine to decrypt it on our own. That¡¯s probably the best option.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but how exactly do we do thaaat...?¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    She could think of plenty of options when it came to supercomputer-level machines. That list would include things like the data link exchanges that processed tens of thousands of soldiers¡¯ communications or the machines that processed anti-air radar networks. Looking back at the origins of the internet revealed it had begun as an experiment in military communications infrastructure, so this was hardly surprising. Modern battlefields were as overrun by electromagnetic signals as California and all of its risky free wi-fi.


    But those large communication processing facilities would be full of guards.


    Not even Mariydi wanted to bring too large a fight to the other good (or goodish) soldiers of the Capitalist Corporations. That could easily become a betrayal of the trust Ice Squadron had put in her.


    She thought for a bit.


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine as long as we have access to a machine. A facility without any guards would be best.¡±


    ¡°Where are we supposed to find something like that?¡±


    ¡°We just have to borrow some equipment abandoned by the military.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t they normally take any important equipment when they withdraw?¡±


    That was true. It would be odd for them to leave behind a machine full of classified information, plus this was the Capitalist Corporations. They would not waste a single cent if they could avoid it, so they would never abandon a major computer system.


    However.


    ¡°Things change when it¡¯s something they can¡¯t take back with them even if they wanted to.¡± Mariydi winked. ¡°For example, what about a destroyed cruiser that ran aground on a reef? I doubt they could drag something that heavy away.¡±


    It was the 5th Argo-class battlecruiser.


    The Faith Organization¡¯s prized Naglfar had originally used its great speed and thick armor to form the foundation of transport ship defense. As that would suggest, it had been built with a focus on anti-submarine abilities to destroy the hounds used for commerce raiding. It had generally left air support to a separate squadron of escort aircraft. Its Gatling-style CIWS control was truly exceptional. It had been half-deified after it avoided any friendly damage by simultaneously shooting down 6 large anti-ship missiles (AShM) as they skimmed along the ocean surface after being fired from a submarine.


    ¡°On the other hand, when the escort squadron screwed up, they were wiped out like fish in a barrel. It¡¯s not their fault our Ice Squadron finished them off with aerial bombs. The Naglfar¡¯s crew, from the captain on down, fought bravely to the end. Enough so that we had to put in some overtime for free.¡±


    That was a Capitalist Corporations form of praise.


    After walking to the coast, they saw something rising up from the chilly fjord like a small island. It was the aforementioned grounded battlecruiser. 3 months had passed since its defeat and it had become quite a home for seabirds, but it had not lost its former majesty.


    ¡°But how are we supposed to get there?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only 3 kilometers, so we can swim it.¡±


    ¡°No, we cannot!! Besides, have you forgotten we¡¯re in Scandinavia!?¡±


    The grown-up fried shrimp clung to the hips of a 12-year-old girl and threw a fit as Mariydi strolled along the beach. The Northern Restricted Zone was a constant battlefield, so soldiers were instructed to carry back any equipment containing classified information, but it was not uncommon to find unimportant equipment like ammunition or small guns lying around. They would of course be destroyed before they were abandoned, but gathering the undamaged pieces from multiple copies of the same equipment allowed one to create a single functioning version.


    Yes.


    And that included the military rubber motor boats abandoned after making a landing.


    ¡°They really shouldn¡¯t be leaving them with gas still inside. One of them could blow up and take out a kid or old person gathering shell cartridges to make some money.¡±


    With that comment, Mariydi and Nancy boarded a boat and set off. They arrived at the battlecruiser with little difficulty, but the deck was about 9 meters up from the very bottom of the hull. And the sides curved outwards, so it was worse than purely vertical.


    ¡°Wh-what do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Use our arms and legs to climb up.¡±


    ¡°By now I¡¯ve figured out you¡¯re a crazy super soldier hopped up on protein and steroids, but can you please lower this to a difficulty level a normal human can manage!?¡±


    Mariydi had no choice but to find a rope floating nearby, toss it up so it caught on the railing, and then climb up that. The fried shrimp could not manage even with the rope, so she had to tie it around herself and let Mariydi pull her up.


    ¡°Bghh...!! I-I¡¯m...I¡¯m going to break wind...!?¡±


    ¡°You...really are...a natural at being...a burden!¡±


    Once they had both arrived on the deck, they got to work.


    Once they were inside, Nancy was much more carefree.


    ¡°Hm, hm, hm, hm, hm, hmmm¡î¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that for? It¡¯s creeping me out.¡±


    ¡°Well, an abandoned warship at least won¡¯t have any enemy soldiers in it, right? Ahh, safety is the ultimate luxuryyy. I can finally relaaax...¡±


    ¡°...Um, an abandoned warship will have lots of explosives and fuel left inside and it could be set off at any moment with everything rusting over due to lack of maintenance. Why don¡¯t you understand that we¡¯re essentially exploring a 250-meter piece of unexploded ordnance?¡±


    A scream echoed through the empty ship, but there was nothing they could do now.


    Plus, the 5th Argo-class was known for its high-precision anti-submarine sonar and CIWS. That meant it had to be equipped with a largescale computer system. On the way to the engine room (ER), Mariydi could only pray it had not been disposed of with incendiary grenades or something when evacuating.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the computer be on the bridge or CIC?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been 3 months since the ship was abandoned, so the batteries will be dead. We need to start up the engine to secure power.¡±


    But of course...


    ¡°This ship was grounded after taking 16 aerial bombs. Who can say where the wiring was severed in the walls, so there¡¯s a risk of electrical fires. As I said, warships are crammed full of explosives and fuel and we¡¯re in real trouble if a fire reaches them. Prepare yourself.¡±


    ¡°Does this country not have any save points in it?¡±


    They were in the Northern Restricted Zone, so adrenaline was a constant companion. If you wanted to rest easy, you were SOL.


    After opening the thick metal door to the ER in the very bottom of the ship¡¯s stern, Mariydi opened a few valves and breathed new life into the ship¡¯s long-stopped heart. For the time being, the ship was not torn in two by an explosion. She breathed a sigh of relief and started toward the bridge.


    ¡°Hell yes. Did they not realize their incineration had failed to activate?¡±


    She removed the ghillie suit from her head and grabbed the superficially scorched flight recorder.


    ¡°If the computer is functioning, we can use it for the decryption. It shouldn¡¯t take long if we have it ignore its usual duties and dedicate all of its machine power toward the one task.¡±


    Machines larger than refrigerators lined the wall and she only had to use a specialized cable to attach the recorder to one of them and then give the command. However...


    ¡°Nn...¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°...Nnnhh???¡±


    Mariydi let out a hysteric voice for once, so the glasses fired shrimp gave her a confused look.


    She was stretching upwards.


    She was really forcing herself.


    With her back to the fried shrimp, Mariydi stood on her toes, stretched her back, and reached her slender hand as high up as it would go...but she could not reach. That 12-year-old cool beauty simply could not reach the necessary slot.


    And the fried shrimp felt like this was the first time in a long while she had laughed from the gut.


    ¡°Pff. Heh heh. You¡¯re so tiny. So very tiny.¡±


    ¡°N-no, I can reach it!! I can reach it just fine!!¡±


    She ended up hopping up and down as well, but she could not make up for her insufficient height.


    Nancy¡¯s index finger stroked up along the back of her skintight suit.


    ¡°Young laaady?¡±


    ¡°Hyahh!?¡±


    ¡°Rome wasn¡¯t built in a day. You should probably drink more milk.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough! Hearing that from those breasts really pisses me off!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. This is where you need to stick that, right?¡±


    Nancy pressed up against Mariydi¡¯s back, took the recorder, and rested her large breasts atop the small girl¡¯s head while trying to help, but...


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t take this chance from me! I haven¡¯t lost yet!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, honestly. Then let¡¯s do this.¡±


    The fried shrimp lowered her hands, grabbed Mariydi by her tiny hips, and then lifted her up like a small child.


    The slot was right in front of Mariydi¡¯s face, but she fell oddly quiet.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, widdle girrrl? Hurry up and finish helping out the grownups, okayyy?¡±


    Mariydi connected the flight recorder and computer with a cable while feeling a sense of defeat greater than any she had previously experienced.


    At the cost of considerable pride, the analysis work finally began.


    The blonde girl tearfully puffed out her cheeks and refused to look her companion in the eye.


    ¡°Such humiliation... If I was from the Island Nation, I¡¯d commit harakiri...¡±


    ¡°Everything¡¯s going well, so you should be happy.¡±


    ¡°And how long are you going to keep this up!? Put me down already!! Hey, are you even listening!? Don¡¯t gently shake me up and down!!¡±


    That was how they spent the wait time.


    Nancy seemed to see this as her chance to take revenge.


    ¡°Good girl, good girl. Look how high you are!¡±


    ¡°...I find it hard to believe you were shot through the arm. What kind of endorphins are your brain putting out, you pessimistic woman!?¡±


    However.


    As far as Mariydi could tell, most of the Naglfar¡¯s equipment was still in working order. If they had not had the misfortune of running aground on the reef, it might have been able to continue the battle. As a participant in that naval battle, Mariydi felt a chill.


    ¡°Looks like it found something.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Mariydi had assumed she would find a conversation between the villains.


    But this was something else.


    The result being displayed on one of the bridge¡¯s many monitors was not even human language.


    ¡°...16 alphanumeric characters?¡±


    She doubted the actual content of the string was meaningful and Nancy the glasses fried shrimp tilted her head as she muttered another possibility.


    ¡°Hmm, is it some kind of password?¡±


    ¡°...Wait a minute.¡±


    That rang a bell.


    ¡°This uses the numbers from 0 to 9 and only the letters from A to S. And it¡¯s 16 characters long... Oh, damn. I¡¯ve heard of this. It¡¯s a detonation code sent out by high-ranking military officers.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what for...?¡±


    ¡°For the JPlevelMHD reactors they install in Objects. It¡¯s a failsafe used to finish off a Pilot Elite that disobeys orders and goes on a rampage.¡±


    Mariydi frowned despite being the one to mention it.


    Transmitting it by radio was fine, but where was there an Object reactor in the Northern Restricted Zone? Objects could not be directly used in Mariydi¡¯s workplace. That was why it was known as a restricted zone. That would make a reactor completely useless.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Something sounded familiar about this. It was on the tip of her tongue. Where had it been? She had seen something related to Objects in the Northern Restricted Zone. Something more accurately referred to as the scars of one.


    Where had it been?


    What form had it taken?


    ¡°That¡¯s it...¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The L?vateinn. The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s L?vateinn combat train.¡± Mariydi brought a hand to her small chin. ¡°It was stuck in that dead city. The poor city of Asgard buried an Object reactor in the middle of their city, claiming it was for peaceful purposes, but they also built a powerful anti-air network of powerful cannons around the city and got blown away along with the reactor thanks to concentrated fire. That Object in the form of a city is what made the Northern Restricted Zone a restricted zone!! We saw that ourselves, didn¡¯t we!?¡±


    ¡°B-but what does that matter? Asgard was turned into a giant crater long ago, so there is no reactor there. I doubt anyone would care about a detonation code for it now.¡±


    That was true, but it still bothered her.


    Since she had recovered the flight recorder and exposed its contents, she could review the entirety of her past conversations. She did not remember the details of the unimportant banter with her squadron, so she made a search of the necessary keyword on the voice data of her old conversations.


    And she knew exactly what term to use.


    ¡°Search for Asgard.¡±


    The flight recorder had to record everything said during a mission, so the recordings could not be divided into small files. A few pins appeared at the corresponding times within the single long recording.


    (...?)


    One of them was in the interval just before being shot down and before protecting her wingmen from the light and explosions of the Thor¡¯s Hammer.


    She selected that one and played it. She heard her own voice which sounded almost unrecognizable when played back through the machine.


    ¡°But they have to be insane to create a second Asgard now. History must be weeping.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Divided City, so what¡¯re you gonna do? It¡¯s controlled by the Capitalist Corporations and the Information Alliance, right? This is probably another form of deterrence.¡±


    ¡°I get that, but they¡¯re burying the reactor right in the middle of the city. Aren¡¯t the people afraid to live in a place like that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t blow up.¡±


    It had been nothing more than a casual chat over the flight radio.


    They had probably been flying above that city on the way to their next MA.


    Her own nearly unrecognizable voice continued.


    ¡°Basically, they¡¯ve intentionally created a situation where the ocean side and the mountain side are holding each other in check by holding the detonation switch, right? That political nonsense about mutual respect is ridiculous. Just thinking about it makes my stomach clench.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mariydi and Nancy exchanged a glance.


    The glasses fried shrimp put on an obviously stiff smile.


    ¡°Th-th-that detonation code has leaked out, hasn¡¯t iiit!? Now a third party can blow up the city whenever they waaaant!!!¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why the villains want to kill me even if it means spending 50 billion.¡± Mariydi slapped her forehead and sighed. ¡°The Divided City is Valhalla on the southern end of the Northern Restricted Zone, right? That city of a million has made a lot of money in trade and finances by piling up a bunch of dirt to create a mountain range that makes them the sole entrance connecting the Northern Restricted Zone to Eastern Europe. They used all the dirt leftover after building the nearby mines and harbor. Due to a territorial dispute, the single city is currently managed by both the Capitalist Corporations and the Information Alliance. It might be called a benevolent barrier, but they¡¯ve stacked up a veritable cliff of metal containers and tanks to divide the city down the center. And they¡¯re all only known as presents on the official paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Wh-wh-when did they bring a reactor in?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. The Information Alliance on the mountain side does things the Northern Restricted Zone way, but the Capitalist Corporations by the ocean leans more toward the European safe country format. They might have needed to switch power generation methods to meet the requirements for some recent carbon dioxide output restrictions.¡±


    ¡°Why would someone try to blow up Valhalla...?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a mystery. It could be ideological terrorism for bringing an Object into the restricted zone, or it might somehow earn enough money to make it worth paying 50 billion dollars for me. It¡¯s too soon to say anything much.¡± Mariydi spun around her raised index finger. ¡°But the villains secretly transmitting the detonation code to a city of a million aren¡¯t just a terrorist organization. They¡¯re an ultranationalist organization with deep roots in the four world powers. This isn¡¯t something you could pull off by thinking it up on the spot.¡±


    The detonation code itself was periodically changed and it could be immediately swapped out with another code in case of an emergency. Thus, a single code was only good for a limited time. That ruled out the possibility of using the code to gradually threaten a politician for money over time.


    If this exchange had happened, someone was definitely planning to blow the Divided City of Valhalla to smithereens. And they would have to do so while the code was active, which meant quite soon.


    ¡°U-u-umm! Oh, right. What if we report this and have them change the detonation code!?¡±


    ¡°We could always send them a message along with the 16 alphanumeric characters, but would the message actually reach the politician in charge? Whoever is behind this is deep inside the 4 world powers. If one of them is located anywhere between the contact point and the politician, they can make the message disappear.¡±


    And that deception only had to last the few days until the actual detonation. They knew they did not have to keep the secret forever, so they could use some very forceful methods.


    ¡°Th-then what about the worldwide web!? We can scatter it all across the globe so they can¡¯t hide it!!¡±


    ¡°You want everyone in the world to know the 16-character detonation code? From that moment on, you would never know when someone would set it off as a prank. Well, assuming it¡¯s connected to the normal internet anyway.¡±


    The busty glasses girl tearfully shook her hands in distress.


    They could not rely on anyone else. To be certain, they had to do it themselves.


    And so...


    ¡°The problem now is that we still don¡¯t know what the villains are after. What do they hope to gain by blowing up a city of a million? If we could figure that out, I bet we¡¯d have a better idea of who we¡¯re dealing with here.¡±


    ¡°How are we supposed to figure that out? They¡¯re like hidden phantoms, so we can¡¯t just grab them and ask them.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. And if the culprits are off limits, then we¡¯ll have to go with the victims.¡±


    ¡°Eh? You mean...?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the Divided City of Valhalla and see what the locals have to say.¡±


    ¡°No, let¡¯s not!! I absolutely refuse to sneak into a city that could be blown up by an out-of-control reactor at any moment!! Please leave me herrrre!!¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, checking over the logs for this computer will tell anyone interested that you learned this secret with me here. That means you¡¯re the same as me: killing you is worth 50 billion dollars. What do you hope to accomplish by heading back to a Capitalist Corporations base with no means of fighting back? You¡¯ll just end up the victim of a hit-and-run or an unnatural hanging.¡±


    ¡°Uuh.¡±


    ¡°And since we started the engine, a satellite investigation of carbon dioxide distribution will quickly reveal something¡¯s up with the Naglfar. Not to mention the unnatural flight of the seabirds. You can stay if you want, but the villains will be the first ones here. Well, it is a large ship. If you¡¯re confident in your hide-and-seek skills, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    ¡°Waaahh!!¡±


    The fried shrimp held her head in her hands, but it was too late.


    There were no safe-and-sound fluffy beds in the Northern Restricted Zone.

 Volume 13, Track 08: Night City

    Volume 13, Track 08: Night City


    The Northern Restricted Zone was an intense battlefield, so there were damaged guns and burned-out tanks everywhere. It made sense that the local children would come to gather scrap metal. After returning to land with the boat, Mariydi used her knife to slit the throats of some soldiers who had left their unit to cook up some insane rock candy. She borrowed the key to their four-wheel drive truck. They were from the Capitalist Corporations, but she felt no need to show any mercy.


    ¡°It sounds fine and all when you explain it all in order, but I would need both hands to count all the corpses lying around herrre...eeeek!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the world when they can freely experiment with that stuff just by using ingredients for explosives and a container lab. There are three things I have no patience for whatsoever: red meat that wasn¡¯t prepared right, kids who kick the elderly in the back, and that stuff. Besides, that stuff was more than half the reason Boy Racer fell apart. It pisses me off so much.¡±


    They boarded the truck they had acquired. Wearing the ghillie suit inside a vehicle was meaningless, so she removed it from her head and placed it below her butt.


    And then it was that time again.


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t say anything this time, okay? You need to adjust the seat, right? Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, I¡¯ll just look the other way.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so understanding. It just makes me sadder.¡±


    ¡°Wow, young lady, your legs are so looong! Your back is so preeeetty! I¡¯m so jealousss!¡±


    ¡°Now it just sounds like you¡¯re mocking me!!¡±


    ¡°Ow, ow, ow!! You¡¯re the one that said not to be so understanding!!¡±


    They pulled off the headrests to the driver and passenger seat and began pummeling each other in something like a somewhat harder pillow fight. Mariydi seemed to have the advantage by about 8-to-2.


    ¡°B-buhii. There¡¯s no way I can beat you. Buhihi.¡±


    ¡°Hey, pig. You should probably aim for being a cow with that excess fat. And I¡¯ve been wondering: why do you pick fights when you know you¡¯re going to lose? Are you one of those women who think the commander of a losing army is romantic?¡±


    Having mechanically worked off some stress by moving her body a bit, Mariydi finally adjusted the seat to match her height.


    When Mariydi connected her music player to the stereo with practiced hand, Nancy gave a disgusted look from the passenger seat.


    ¡°We have to listen to the same song agaaaiiin?¡±


    ¡°This is the heavy remix re-edited by the vocalist¡¯s wife!! There¡¯s something wrong with you if you can¡¯t tell the difference!¡±


    They had a vehicle, but it would still take time to reach the Divided City of Valhalla since it was on the southern end of the Northern Restricted Zone. Mariydi sighed while passing a group of Capitalist Corporations armored trucks going the other way.


    ¡°That was probably the villains. Looks like they¡¯re on their way to investigate the battlecruiser.¡±


    ¡°Eek!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering: can¡¯t you cry in a cuter way? But anyway, I doubt we would learn anything by attacking the actual soldiers on the ground.¡±


    Regardless, driving through Capitalist Corporations territory felt nice. As the hard rock ruled the truck, the fried shrimp looked down to the radio that could pick up normal broadcasts.


    ¡°U-u-umm. Aren¡¯t you curious what they¡¯re saying on the news?¡±


    ¡°The Northern Restricted Zone is in the middle of a war, so they aren¡¯t going to mention a few bodies lying around. And I¡¯m not interested in the false accusations the villains have cooked up to escape responsibility. All I need to know is they¡¯re after me for some reason or another.¡±


    With that, Mariydi began a true bandit-style feast of stuffing her mouth with the vacuum-packed rations found in the dashboard. The food belonged to people who were now corpses, so the fried shrimp did not feel hungry.


    The standard Capitalist Corporations rations were something like a cold hamburger steak squished beneath someone¡¯s boot heel. But it still tasted fine and was a world better than the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s mystery food that was something like flavorless soap. Mariydi personally liked the Information Alliance¡¯s rations best. Why did she know so much about this? Because she had swiped food from the enemy soldiers she had killed, of course.


    ¡°At least drink a sports drinks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I caaan.¡±


    But despite her human complaints, Nancy too was devouring the rations after about an hour into the drive. It would seem animals could not fight their biological urges.


    By the time they arrived near the Divided City, the sun had set and stars twinkled in the night sky.


    The city in question was surrounded by the ocean and the precipitous mountains it had built itself, so there was only one path in for a vehicle. It was something like an artificial fortress. If they were to fortify it with stationary firepower as Asgard had, they would probably install cannons on the mountain peaks and run high-voltage lines below the slopes.


    ¡°The entire city is apparently arranged in a donut shape. The middle is supposedly taken up by a 2km-wide Sacred Forest.¡±


    ¡°...Hmm?¡±


    ¡°It scares me that I¡¯m getting used to that. Anyway, they say that forest has been there since before Norse mythology was exterminated by a massive religion. It¡¯s what you call a pillar of culture, but I hear the benevolent barrier of containers and tanks runs right through it.¡±


    ¡°The center...of the city.¡±


    ¡°If there is a reactor, my money¡¯s on there. But I still want some objective evidence.¡±


    Why had Mariydi brought this up while holding the steering wheel?


    If she had started with the real topic at hand, the fried shrimp might have panicked, so she had thinned out the information as if hiding a tree in the forest.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to enter the city from the Northern Restricted Zone end, we¡¯ll be on the Information Alliance side. We¡¯re enemy soldiers, so the residents will gang up on us if we¡¯re discovered. They don¡¯t obey the treaties concerning POWs, so they¡¯ll make us regret being born women. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°W-w-w-wait! But we¡¯re wearing Capitalist Corporations uniforrrms!¡±


    Nancy spoke up in a panic, but even as they drove up to the gate in a military truck, the Information Alliance soldiers did not question them all that much. After a few questions about the purpose of their visit, the metal claws of the spike lock retracted into the road and they were waved on into the city.


    ¡°Eh? Eh? Fwehhh?¡±


    ¡°As I suspected, there¡¯s a complete mix of equipment from both militaries. Is there a black market for things stolen on the battlefield? ...More importantly, be careful about how you speak. They¡¯ll start getting suspicious if we use the standard Capitalist Corporations language.¡±


    It was divided now, but it had been a single city originally. Unlike the soldiers posted there, the actual residents may not have seen a real difference between Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance.


    Mariydi found a convenient pay parking lot and drove the truck over to it. She stopped in front of the lowered bar at the entrance and reached out the window for the automatic ticket machine, but...


    ¡°And...hm? Dammit...!¡±


    ¡°Can you not reach?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can. I just have to...ah, hell. Who designed this thing!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so tiny. Poo hoo hoo. You¡¯re just so all-around tiny.¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up! A perfect lady like me won¡¯t be foiled by something like this!!¡±


    Whoever had designed it, they had clearly not expected a 12-year-old girl to be driving a giant military truck, but a grin filled the fried shrimp¡¯s eyes as she watched Mariydi stretching her arm out as far as it would go to reach the ticket machine from the adult-sized window.


    Hers were the eyes of someone who was enjoying this far too much to lend a helping hand.


    And once Mariydi finally got pissed, she stomped violently on the gas pedal with the clutch still disengaged.


    ¡°Do you want me to drive right through the damn bar!? That¡¯d probably be easier, so it¡¯s sounding like a good idea!!¡±


    ¡°Wah, wah! Okay, okay! I¡¯ll grab the ticket!!¡±


    The fried shrimp hopped out from the passenger side and pulled out the scrap of paper sticking out of the boxy machine like a tongue. Thus, a chaotic action movie scene was avoided.


    ¡°Here you go, widdle girl. Have some candyyy.¡±


    ¡°Dammit... The world keeps throwing so much crap at me that I feel like I¡¯ve dropped down to the level of a cat or dog people consider to be family.¡±


    After stopping in a random parking spot and retrieving her music player, Mariydi set foot in Valhalla. She carried the ghillie suit with her, but there was no need to wear it. Even if the sign said it was a cultural metropolis, this was still the Northern Restricted Zone, so no one panicked when seeing a young girl carrying around a carbine. The insanity of the place actually helped them here.


    But no matter how comfortable it might be, they could not stay long since a third party could blow up the reactor at any time. They had to gather information as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Hey, fried shrimp, not that way. Listen to that shouting. You¡¯ll get caught in a protest.¡±


    ¡°Fwehhh?¡±


    The glasses girl raised a hysterical cry as a stream of people filled an intersection up ahead. Men and women carrying a motley collection of placards and banners marched through while yelling angrily.


    ¡°We don¡¯t want goods! Remove that benevolent barrier!!¡±


    ¡°Valhalla is our city! Soldiers, get out!!¡±


    ¡°Feel the anger of a family torn apart!!¡±


    Mariydi put her hands on her hips and sighed before looking to the clock in the parking lot.


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. So the shopping district is full of young men and women at 8 at night. Sure is peaceful here.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t think this is anything to laugh about.¡± Nancy pouted her lips for once. ¡°The benevolent barrier and the Divided City name have only been around for about a year, you know? How do you expect people to accept being suddenly separated like that?¡±


    She seemed to be looking at a small girl in the crowd. The side ponytail on the left of her head swayed about as she moved every which way while holding a handwritten placard saying ¡°give back my sister¡±. She had bandages around her thumb and forefinger, so she may have hurt herself using a hammer to make the placard.


    ¡°Those scraps of metal even divide up the Sacred Forest, so there are examples of family members and relatives being torn apart. It probably feels like having the world taken away from them.¡±


    She¡¯s the kind of person who runs out and donates to charity after seeing a movie where a sick kid dies, isn¡¯t she? thought an exasperated Mariydi.


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but what do you want me to do? Starting a war on my own isn¡¯t going to change anything.¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    ¡°Pleas made without a clear vision behind them are powerless. You can¡¯t even negotiate that way. Besides, do you know what the point of protests is?¡±


    ¡°Well...to gather a bunch of people together so their voices can be heard.¡±


    ¡°Wrong.¡± Mariydi sighed. ¡°If you just wanted to list out what you thought, a lot more people would see it if you posted a short message on an SNS. And if you¡¯re more dedicated, you could use a video site instead. But those voices fall on deaf ears. An individual¡¯s opinions are easily lost in the ocean of data produced on a daily basis. And even if they spread, they¡¯ll be distorted as they pass from person to person. Changing the world isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°A protest is a means for the 99% to wield threats of economic damage to bring the 1% to the negotiating table,¡± answered the blonde girl.


    That idea may have been preset in anyone from the Capitalist Corporations where the size of your bank account determined your human rights.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there are 50,000 or 100,000 people participating in this protest, but if all of them are skilled technicians and none of them are working while protesting, then this will deliver a major blow to the city¡¯s economy. And that means the 1% can¡¯t ignore it. Well, that¡¯s really more the mentality behind a strike than a protest, but it¡¯s the quickest shortcut to being heard in this surprisingly large and unbelievably cold world.¡±


    Her lovely lips then formed the word ¡°however¡±.


    ¡°The people in that group making a fuss over there don¡¯t look like they¡¯re all that crucial to the city. It might sound cruel, but it looks more like they¡¯re only doing this because they have nothing better to do.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°In that case, their next best option is to clog up the roads and do economic damage by blocking traffic, but they would have to do that on a highway that functions as a major artery for the city. Doing it in the labyrinthine shopping district won¡¯t be very effective. The traffic can just have their GPS show them another way around.¡± The blonde girl continued while pointing over with her chin. ¡°People commonly think protests are a way for the weak to have their voices heard, but it¡¯s actually not very effective for those who are truly weak. If you¡¯re someone society can afford to just get rid of at any time, they¡¯ll do just that when you cause a problem. And if you don¡¯t make any specific demands and it becomes clear you¡¯ll just keep doing this forever with no chance of compromise...well, let¡¯s just say the gas canisters could start flying even if the TV cameras are rolling.¡±


    With a protest being held in a shopping district overrun with guns, Mariydi could not help but wonder when someone would cause a panic by firing into the crowd half for fun, but none of the protesters seemed to consider that possibility. The city truly was peaceful.


    And the girls had something to do. If they let things continue, both the ocean side and the mountain side would be blown to smithereens by the reactor explosion.


    ¡°I guess the standard would be a foreign restaurant. A cheap hotel with a bar would be my guess.¡±


    ¡°U-u-umm. Wouldn¡¯t you stand out ordering alcohol at your age?¡±


    ¡°I got into the city carrying a gun and driving a truck. It¡¯s a bit late for my age to start mattering.¡± Mariydi walked toward a neon sign. ¡°And it¡¯s not the drunks I want to have a chat with.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    The glasses fried shrimp tilted her head and followed Mariydi who avoided the front door and instead circled around to the back and pushed open the door without permission. That should have led to the kitchen, but in addition to food, there were a whole roast pig with its belly stuffed with rolls of cash packed in plastic bags and a bunch of frightening-looking men who did not seem like cooks despite wearing the appropriate white uniforms.


    At the center of attention to this audience, Mariydi raised a hand and spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Hi, intelligence division. Do you have a moment to speak with a fellow Capitalist Corporations friend?¡±


    Several silencer-equipped handguns were immediately drawn, so Mariydi twisted the arm of the man closest to her, used him as a shield, and caught all the bullets on his bulletproof vest. She then borrowed a handgun from the hip of her limp shield and aimed it toward the door of an industrial-size oven instead of the spies who had infiltrated the mountain side.


    They all knew what meant and froze in place, so Mariydi alone smiled and continued speaking.


    ¡°Is this loaded with.45 Hammerheads? A few shots from this will damage the gas pipe and blow us all to pieces. But if you¡¯d like to be as roasted as one of your prized turkeys, go right ahead. So tell me what I want to know. ...We¡¯re both Capitalist Corporations soldiers, right? Having to deliver whatever someone might ask for to anywhere in the world can¡¯t be fun, but I need this to continue my mission.¡±


    The one who finally lowered his hand and ordered his men to lower their guns as well was the middle-aged man taking the cash from the pig¡¯s belly and stuffing it in a money counter.


    ¡°A failed Pilot Elite and a slow-looking indoor soldier in glasses. Mariydi Whitewitch, I presume?¡±


    ¡°Word gets around quick, but I¡¯d prefer you left out that first part.¡±


    Nancy¡¯s spine froze as she sensed a scorched atmosphere she had never before experienced. She was of course picking up on the change in the intelligence division men.


    (If not for the Boy Racer poster on the wall, I might have shot him here.)


    But the leader man continued regardless.


    ¡°What do you want to know? We know you¡¯re caught up in some kind of mess, but we don¡¯t have the details.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to. I just want to know what information you have on this Divided City of Valhalla.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Any reasons someone might want to pay 50 billion dollars to blow up its reactor.¡±


    A stir ran through the air.


    The ominous atmosphere that spread through the men was like wind through the conifer trees.


    The leader exhaled through his nose.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s gotta be this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This.¡±


    He pulled a stack of 100 100-dollar bills out from the money counter and casually tossed it onto the kitchen counter in front of Mariydi.


    ¡°Valhalla is a city built on a foundation of trade and finance. It does nothing productive such as agriculture or industry and instead charges massive fees as money, goods, and information pass through. By creating their own mountain range to intentionally restrict transportation access, they¡¯ve managed to support a city of a million with that.¡±


    ¡°That makes it a lucrative possession for the Capitalist Corporations, right? I don¡¯t see why the four world powers would want to blow it up.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the actual total amount of damages.¡± The leader shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s known as the Divided City now because the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance are managing it via the piles of containers and tanks, but it was a single city originally. The locals proudly view themselves as the people of Valhalla and they don¡¯t particularly care which world power they belong to. Is the picture starting to form in your head now?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean...¡±


    ¡°I said they have piles of containers and tanks, right? Those obstacles are being used to strictly manage the flow of people and goods.¡±


    And with that established...


    ¡°But as you can see, no one cares if someone like you walks around the Information Alliance¡¯s mountain side while wearing a Capitalist Corporations uniform. There are ways through. ...In fact, the higher ups seem satisfied with their benevolent barrier on the surface, but the underground labyrinth of subterranean paths, subway tunnels, and underground malls was untouched. Same goes for the copper wire and fiber optic cable.¡±


    ¡°You mean money, goods, and information can all be exchanged between the ocean side and mountain side without the government¡¯s permission!?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Hmm? Is that a problemmm???¡±


    The fired shrimp did not understand at all and the middle-aged leader apparently liked to explain things, so he smiled bitterly.


    ¡°A big one. It¡¯s basically an underground bank. Make 3 trips from ocean to mountain and mountain to ocean and anyone can launder all of their dirty money. It can be anything from the crumpled-up 100-dollar bills robbed from a convenient store to the billions a major corporation needs to hide to dodge taxes.¡±


    Money laundering was the act of taking money of suspicious origins and replacing it in a way a third party could not trace. That could mean faking a large win at a private gambling parlor or casino with lax management, exchanging all of your traditional money for electronic money, or using a fake name and a bank account in a dictatorship that was not party to international financial crime pacts.


    For that reason, a large fence that crossed between world powers was an attractive target.


    ¡°First an online bank or something deposits money in a city bank in either the ocean or mountain side. Then the account name is changed while things are shuffled through the underground labyrinth or fiber optic cables. Finally, the money is deposited in another online bank account owned by the client. Lock the bankbook with the fake name in a safe deposit box somewhere afterwards and you have some nice clean money no one can trace. And if no one can trace it, you can escape both criminal investigations and your tax duty.¡±


    That was a life and death problem for the higher ups of the Capitalist Corporations where money was everything. No, money was what kept war running for all 4 world powers, so they all had to be feeling the threat there.


    ¡°Whenever the ocean-side Capitalist Corporations or the mountain-side Information Alliance find a labyrinth path passing below the benevolent barrier, they seem to be blowing it up or filling it in with concrete, but there¡¯s nothing they can do when they don¡¯t have a full grasp of what¡¯s down there. Even if they fill in one spot, people can open a side path by tearing down a wall with drills or pickaxes. But I think the biggest problem is that the people of Valhalla don¡¯t see it as an illegal act. As I said, they see both sides of the city as a single whole. They think it¡¯s no one else¡¯s business where they want to send money in their own city.¡±


    ¡°I see. In other words, major corporations and investors are going to be dodging taxes so much it¡¯s going to get hard to keep waging war, so the military leaders sitting back in New York or London are pissed and trying to tear out the lesion. And to do that, they¡¯re willing to spend 10 Objects¡¯ worth of money and turn both halves of a city of a million into a smoking crater.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s bigger than that. The Northern Restricted Zone is mostly allowed to remain as an experimental battlefield, but there is talk of dismantling it if it¡¯s going to get in the way of the rest of the world¡¯s wars. What you¡¯ve uncovered means there are people out there who don¡¯t want that. The local higher ups of the world powers are sipping at the sweet nectar of profit, profit, and more profit that this place gives them, so they¡¯re not about to let someone take that fertile soil away from them.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re willing to burn some of it to the ground if they have to?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, human rights can be bought and sold these days.¡±


    Mariydi quietly thought on this while still using the one man as a shield and aiming her gun at the oven.


    (If the detonation plan is limited to the local higher ups who can only wield their power here in the Northern Restricted Zone, their roots may not reach all that deep. I might¡¯ve just had to give up if this was a decision by the home countries of the world powers, but I still have a chance of a comeback like this.)


    ¡°If representatives of the world powers were going to meet in secret, where would they do it?¡±


    ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you? The military networks are always monitored, so they can¡¯t use that. Cellphones are even more out of the question. Meeting face-to-face is best for a secret conversation, but if the paparazzi caught a photo of their date, it would cause a scene in more than just the tabloids. The only damage control for that kind of treason would be for the VIPs¡¯ corpses to end up floating in the frigid ocean along with the drift ice.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°And even if a third party does have the reactor¡¯s detonation code, they can¡¯t detonate it from just anywhere. Wouldn¡¯t they need to hijack the direct fiber optic line connecting the offices of the ocean and mountain leaders to the reactor? Now, where could they actually do that? You know the answer, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The middle-aged man pointed to his feet and winked.


    ¡°In that loathsome underground labyrinth. What better place is there to keep a secret? They¡¯ve already proven that the government can¡¯t keep track of what¡¯s going on there.¡±

 Volume 13, Track 09: Life is Dungeon

    Volume 13, Track 09: Life is Dungeon


    ¡°Oh, damn. I knew we were headed to the city, so I shouldn¡¯t have eaten those rations. I can¡¯t believe how poorly I planned this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. But wouldn¡¯t it be a shock to your stomach to eat something this heavy right away? Warming up our stomachs in advance was for the best.¡±


    The city was a mixture of Eastern Europe and southern Scandinavia, and it was apparently well known for its elk steaks and fried anchovies (and wine that went well with it). The nonalcoholic fruit juice and cheap meat sold at a roadside stand was quite good. The seasoning was strong, so it seemed like it would go better with rice than bread. They chose not to eat at the restaurant run by the intelligence division because those men could slip any number of dangerous substances into the food.


    ¡°Here, you have some ketchup from the fried fish on your mouth.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of sweet tomato puree. ...Nn.¡±


    Mariydi somewhat forcibly converted it into a more grownup term, but Nancy still wiped off her mouth. And once it started, Mariydi was at the older girl¡¯s mercy.


    However...


    ¡°Ohh? Young lady, do you not put mustard on your steeeaaak???¡±


    ¡°...Why do you sound so triumphant? Spices just add to the smell. For anyone on the battlefield-...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess there¡¯s no helping it then. Perhaps that¡¯s just what it¡¯s like to have such young taste buds. I¡¯m kind of jealous.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying you have childish tast-..¡±


    Mariydi grabbed the yellow bottle in a flash.


    She covered the thick cut of meat with some stuff that looked hard to grind.


    ¡°This much is just what you would call the default, right!? I mean, I am a fully-grown lady after all!!¡±


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. But now you won¡¯t be able to taste the meat.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if I was an old hag with dead taste bu-...¡±


    The glasses fried shrimp stole back the mustard bottle.


    ¡°Man, I was really craving some stimulation today. Oh ho ho. And as an adult woman, my buds aren¡¯t as solid as yoursss!!¡±


    ¡°What good are buds that shriveled up without ever blooming? Now, this here is what they call a gorgeous blossom. And the night is young here in Valhalla!!¡±


    ¡°A real woman needs to go at least this far!!¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s just getting started!!¡±


    ¡°...!?¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    The man running the stand looked sad to have his prized food toyed with in such a fruitless battle, but the girls¡¯ lips raised the white flag before their minds.


    Even so, they were good girls, so they made sure to eat it all.


    ¡°Abh, abbhh...¡±


    ¡°Here, have some ice water. You can hold the glass to your lips. ...Honestly, what are we even doing?¡±


    The current atmosphere made it easy to let loose like that.


    This was a city that had bought up literal mountains of dirt to turn itself into a crucial transportation point. There was a lot of the yelling and shouting always heard in shopping districts, but there was more than that here on this night. They heard yelling in the distance.


    ¡°Valhalla is Valhalla! There is no ocean or mountain side!!¡±


    ¡°End your unjust occupation and leave!¡±


    ¡°Give back Necleka! Give back my sister!!¡±


    ¡°Sounds like that protest is still going on,¡± commented Nancy.


    That glasses fried shrimp normally had her hands full with her own life, but she still spoke worriedly about that distant shouting. She was almost certainly the kind of person that would eat all the food on her dining room table while tearfully watching a documentary about impoverished children.


    ¡°If they really want to change the world, they should start an SNS company. Well, not that it matters to me as long as they don¡¯t flood onto this road.¡±


    Now that their stomachs were full of a crude luxury, Mariydi got to the real issue at hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go down into the sewers.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to get me to puke back up everything I just ate, you demooooon!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but the villains have their base in the labyrinth down there, so we don¡¯t have much of a choice. If we¡¯re going to defeat them and take back our original lives, we need the actual names of the scum who have infiltrated the military.¡±


    ¡°...That sounds nice and all, but when you talk about getting back to your original life...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about my war life where I can relax and fire a gun.¡±


    ¡°Ehhh, ehhh? I-I really think there¡¯s another path for you in life. Look, look. How about this, Mariydiiii?¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait. Don¡¯t start ¡®correcting¡¯ my life for me. Hey!¡±


    The fried shrimp must have been really reluctant to head into the sewers right after eating because she put on a stiff smile, circled behind Mariydi, and started guiding her elsewhere.


    They ended up right in front of the window to a perfectly normal clothing store.


    One of the mannequins wore a children¡¯s party dress that was the perfect size for Mariydi. The gorgeous wine-red shoulder-exposing dress aligned perfectly with the girl¡¯s own reflection in the glass.


    ¡°Look, look. Couldn¡¯t you live this kind of elegant life instead of one of blood and gun smoooke?¡±


    ¡°...Specifically how are you trying to change me?¡±


    ¡°Wellll... You could learn an artistic skill like the piano or violin as pillar of support for your self-esteem, you could use that to establish a network of connections with people in all sorts of industries at a young age, you could establish a position for yourself in a safe country with no connection to war, you could build yourself a house in the kind of fancy upper-class district everyone wants to live in, and you could start a happy family there...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too scarily specific!!¡±


    She seemed lost in her own fantasy world, but what they had to do remained the same. They headed straight for the sewers below the city.


    The military supposedly had it locked down, so there were no blatant entrances to the underground. And those using them must have decided posting guards would only make the entrances stand out more. The suspicious manholes and drain openings were generally just ignored.


    If a single mafia or gang had controlled all of the underground routes, busting that organization would provide information on all of the entrances and it all would have been cut off. But here, no one knew who was using them. There was no single objective or ideology. And thus there was no way of grasping the whole picture.


    On the other hand, that was exactly why the villains are feeling desperate enough to blow up an entire city of a million.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll go in through here.¡±


    ¡°U-uuhh... We have to enter a tunnel from a muddy riverrr?¡±


    Turning on a light in the darkness was dangerous, but they could not just fumble around in the darkness either. Thus, Mariydi bought an LED flashlight at a random hardware store. And she was allowed to go shopping with the carbine hanging from her shoulder, proving once again that this was the Northern Restricted Zone. They were numb to things such as common sense.


    The drain they entered was basically a river given a concrete and asphalt lid in order to develop the city. Muddy water flowed down the center, but there were narrow concrete paths on either side for workers. They did not actually need to get in the water, so they obediently walked along the pathway positioned slightly higher.


    Instead of keeping the light on the entire time, Mariydi would flash it on and off quickly to burn the image into her retinas before continuing on. By updating the image in her retinas about every 10 seconds, she connected the dots. This was of course to avoid being located even if they were detected by the enemy. If the light was on constantly, the enemy could simply fire toward the source of the beam and they would be mercilessly filled with lead.


    Mariydi had put back on her handmade ghillie suit. It was out of place in a city, but it was still better than her lemon yellow special suit.


    ¡°Uwehp. It¡¯s more like an invisible wall than a smellll.¡±


    ¡°Can you not produce anything other than shrieks and burps?¡±


    That said, the smell was quite bad. Simply put, the sludge smelled like rotting mud. Even water could have its impurities broken down by microbes, so it would change like this when it was kept in a dark place.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    After a while, the path branched and one of the branches was blocked. The water could flow through just fine, but countless metal bars had been roughly welded in so people could not pass through.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Mariydi then shined her light straight up. There had to be a manhole there, but the metal ladder had been cut away and metal bars were welded in near the cover. There was also something like a club with a swollen tip dangling down.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°A cheerful maraca. Simply put, it¡¯s a stick grenade. Any powerful vibration will cause the pin to come out and it¡¯ll fall down.¡±


    The fried shrimp just about screamed, so Mariydi quickly covered her mouth. Why could she not understand that Mariydi had been politely warning her not to do exactly that?


    ¡°I-i-is that there because the ocean side or mountain side army was sealing up the labyrinth?¡±


    ¡°No, they can bring in tons of materials without worrying who sees, so they could fully seal it off by causing a collapse with an explosion or building a thick concrete wall. My guess would be this was the Valhalla residents¡¯ doing. They¡¯ve remade the place into a dungeon full of traps to keep the soldiers from patrolling.¡±


    But the labyrinth apparently had no specific group in control and any of the local people could freely enter it. That would mean individuals were bringing in and installing the metal bars and stick grenade traps. ...And wouldn¡¯t that mean quite a few of the residents would get blown up after failing to notice one of the constantly updating traps?


    (It appears to all be analog, but we¡¯ll have to pray there are no traps that react to light. The worst case would be combining that with a cheap detergent bomb that scatters chlorine gas.)


    She adjusted her light flash updates from every 10 seconds to every 5 seconds and worked to notice any details she might have overlooked.


    ¡°Do you have any guesses where exactly they would have held their meetings? This place is spread out below a city of a million, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Well, there are a few conditions.¡± Mariydi took the lead and eliminated the possibility of traps. ¡°If any of the locals can get in here as they please, no one can apply pressure and have the place cleared. The villains can¡¯t have anyone seeing their high officials gathered together, so they wouldn¡¯t use an open passageway like this. Whatever form it takes, they would use some kind of closed room.¡±


    ¡°Well, I suppose so.¡±


    After walking a while longer, they found an unnatural hole in the wall. The wall had been forcibly torn down with handheld tools instead of explosives. Stepping through it led to an underground mall with its metal shutters down. The odor from the drainage river flowed in and killed the fashionable image of the brand-name shops there.


    ¡°If high officials from the 4 world powers are gathering to talk, it would of course be a mixture of affiliations. They would want somewhere accessible from both the ocean side and mountain side.¡±


    ¡°That does make sense. If the only entrance was on the Information Alliance side of the city, it could throw off the balance between the world powers. They¡¯d probably charge a passage toll or meeting fee.¡±


    ¡°On top of that, they have to detonate the reactor buried below Valhalla. They would want to hold a position from which they could tap into the direct fiber optic cable to input the detonation code.¡±


    ¡°Can you just get to the point and give me the answerrr?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± said Mariydi before giving her conclusion. ¡°They¡¯ll be right below the large fence running down the middle of Valhalla. They¡¯ll use the underground storage room for the JPlevelMHD reactor buried by the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance.¡±


    They walked through the complex arrangement of passageways in the underground mall, climbed through another large hole in a wall, and found themselves in something like a formal office. It seemed to be the basement of a government building.


    No...


    ¡°This is the historic relic in the center of Valhalla...the Sacred Forest.¡± Mariydi looked around. ¡°But I¡¯m sure a lot of powerful people wanted to build themselves a palace in the center of the city. They wouldn¡¯t see the problem as long as they didn¡¯t damage the trees, so it seems they looked belowground and built a largescale subterranean government office. It¡¯s a giant geofront.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I bet the militaries in charge of the ocean and mountain sides didn¡¯t really care about the Sacred Forest at all. They were really trying to split this apart to crush the old ruling system.¡±


    Then they had placed an Object reactor underground here and remade it into a dangerous self-destruct facility that would instantly take a million lives. The world was just as insane as always. It seemed to have caught a fatal disease at some point.


    ¡°B-but that means this is the evil boss¡¯s headquarters, right? Won¡¯t they have a big army waitinnnggg?¡±


    ¡°Why would they want to bring a large force with them for secret talks? You can¡¯t put a lock on people¡¯s mouths.¡±


    In other words, there would only be a small number of tightlipped elites here.


    That group would not have believed in the clean war concept in the first place, so their pride would not be harmed even if they saw their bosses exchanging secret handshakes even as they fought over their claimed ideas of justice back aboveground. They were the ultimate realists. They would be the soldiers who would precisely and mechanically carry out their orders without batting an eye even if they were told to shoot a baby or pregnant woman. ...Mariydi did not particularly care about that, but she was not going to praise them or look up to them either.


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally reached those despicable bastards. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Um? What exactly am I supposed to be ready for???¡±


    With an exasperated sigh, Mariydi just about tossed her a handgun, but she stopped herself at the last second. Even if that fried shrimp was military, she had only worked on filing paperwork in an office. Carelessly handing her a gun could easily get Mariydi shot in the back.


    The younger girl struggled for an answer with an incredibly grim look on her face.


    ¡°................................................................................................................................................................................................Moral support?¡±


    ¡°I may have been known around my neighborhood as slow, but even I can tell you¡¯re mocking me here.¡±


    The entranceway of the underground government office looked about the same as the reception desk of a major corporation. The only real difference from a normal building was that the more important floors were located further down instead of up. This here did not seem to be an actual work division. It had probably been a space rented out for regional promotion. When the facility had been run properly, it had likely been used for events and trade shows.


    The large atrium floor leading down had a stopped escalator on one end. There was also an elevator and emergency stairway by the wall.


    And in there...


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    A distinct human silhouette was visible in the light flash.


    He must have been surprised too. His face was hidden by a mask and his eye line was covered by night vision goggles. The lenses could be heard whirring.


    Before he could recover, Mariydi fired 2 rifle bullets into his face.


    The corpse rolled backwards with half its head missing, but the loud gunshots had alerted all the others to their location.


    Mariydi shoved the fried shrimp behind a nearby column and clicked her tongue.


    (Tch. I should¡¯ve shot him in the heart. Snagging his goggles would¡¯ve been convenient, but I broke them.)


    The ghillie suit and lemon yellow special suit were essentially the same in this darkness, but the ghillie suit noisily shook like a cheerleader¡¯s pompoms whenever she moved. It was not suitable for close-quarters combat, so she threw it aside.


    She had two options from here on.


    Would she turn the light on so she could see and focus on the firefight?


    Or would she give up on the firefight, sneak through the darkness, and focus on covert action?


    She made up her mind almost immediately.


    (I¡¯ve gotta take the best part for myself.)


    ¡°I will only say this once. Curl up behind that shriveled potted plant over there. If you keep your head down until you don¡¯t her anymore gunshots, you¡¯ll survive this.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Wai-...¡±


    Mariydi did not have time to argue. If the older girl did not obey her instructions, then that was that.


    She pulled her military knife from her ankle and moved from column to column. Grasping the overall situation was difficult without any light, but the floor was tiled with evenly-spaced faux marble panels. By crouching low and following the lines between panels with her finger, she could maintain her sense of direction even in the dark.


    The enemy was a group of skilled soldiers of unknown affiliation who were equipped with high-precision night vision goggles.


    She had an overwhelming disadvantage on the information front.


    But at the same time, they were not clairvoyant, so they could not see her with their night vision devices if she hid behind a column or wall. And she had a valuable information source allowing her to perceive the enemy¡¯s location.


    (The finders for their goggles. Are they autofocus? The whirring sounds are hard to miss.)


    Night vision goggles that revealed your position to the enemy in the darkness were defective enough to require a recall, but they probably had not been designed with such close ranges in mind.


    She pressed against a round column and accurately perceived the location of someone right on the other side. She only had to circle around and stab her knife through the gap in his bulletproof vest to target from his shoulder to his neck. She took his life before he could scream, supported him so he would not fall noisily to the floor, and then slowly lowered him down.


    It seemed the night vision goggles presented a number of problems. Continuing like this would be most efficient. She felt along the dead man, found a few pineapple-shaped grenades on his chest, and borrowed them. She pulled the pin from one and placed it between the floor and the face-down corpse¡¯s stomach such that the lever was held down. That only left feeling along the floor panel lines to silently leave.


    She monitored the situation from 3 columns away.


    ¡°(Oh, no. They got another one! I need a tourniquet!!)¡±


    To help them breathe among other reasons, it was human nature to want to turn an injured person on their back if they were lying face down. And as that caring comrade spoke over his short-range radio, he rolled the corpse over, removing the pressure on the lever. Had he noticed the grenade? Whether he had or not, he failed to escape within 3 seconds, and he vanished inside a blast chock full of shrapnel.


    Mariydi used the instant in which the great noise and light wiped away the darkness to lean out from her column and fire her carbine. She managed to shoot 3 men while disguised by the blinding effect. That left 4.


    (If I can get rid of 2 more, I can probably turn on my light and shoot them both head on.)


    She heard the quiet sound of something whistling through the air.


    She had left her previous position while following the lines of the floor with her fingers.


    (Have they changed to hand signals for making orders? They must be panicking because those are pretty exaggerated...but I can¡¯t sneak a peek at them without any night vision goggles of my own.)


    That said, if she held her breath in the darkness, she could generally track their movements thanks to the unavoidable sound of hard military boots on the floor, the metallic scraping of grenades against their vests, and the overly-loud whirring of their goggles. They seemed to have given up on moving separately, so the 4 survivors had gathered into a single group to continue their search while remaining wary of their surroundings.


    (All 4 together, huh?)


    That meant a change of plans: no more need to hold back.


    She pulled the pin from one of the grenades she had borrowed earlier and tossed it toward the honest noises in the darkness. The fuse was set to 3 seconds. In the instant of detonation, she leaned out from the behind the column and aimed her carbine.


    There was no one there.


    Thinking back on the image that had burned into her retinas along with the bright flash, she guessed the grenade had only blown away the loud goggles which had been placed on the floor there.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    After a moment of honest praise, she sensed movement from multiple directions. As soon as she ducked back behind the column, repeated bright flashes and loud noises filled the darkness.


    Eventually, the gunshots stopped too.


    Now both sides were in the dark.


    Mariydi grabbed her knife again and resumed her slow movement guided by her fingers on the gaps between floor panels.


    The obvious whirring noises were gone.


    Thus began a life-or-death submarine game in which both sides hid in darkness and searched for the other¡¯s position.


    The conditions were 50/50, but something unexpected pushed one side over the top.


    (Wet wipes, hm? Well, if you¡¯re ordered to remain on constant alert without any baths in this reeking abandoned building, I can understand the feeling, but those are a luxury. The alcohol smell catches in the nose.)


    That was just how dangerous the elk steaks and fried anchovies Mariydi had eaten beforehand were, but the stench from the drain had saved her this time. Between greasy oil and disinfectant alcohol, it was obvious which one would stand out over the odorous sludge.


    (If they had thrown wet wipes around as bait, they might have had more of a fighting chance.)


    Then again, they probably had no idea the alcohol smell was so fatal, so they would not have done that even if they could have.


    After sneaking behind and slitting the throats of 2 of them, Mariydi removed her self-imposed light restriction. She switched on the LED flashlight and quickly dispatched the remaining 2 with her carbine.


    Then she shined the flashlight toward where the fried shrimp was curled up.


    ¡°You can come out now.¡±


    ¡°Uuuhh... There¡¯s a really dangerous smell hanging in this darkness...ugeh!! I-I-I wasn¡¯t asking to see it! Please don¡¯t shine the light on thaaaaat!!¡±


    The fried shrimp had apparently seen the one torn to pieces by the trap made from a corpse and a grenade. She fell on her butt and screamed. Her glasses even slipped down.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, vomiting heroine, let¡¯s head further down and keep investigating.¡±


    ¡°Huh, huhhh? My reaction here is the normal one, right? Right???¡±


    Nancy tilted her head and followed Mariydi down the stopped escalator and to the bottom of the atrium. Several cables thicker than Mariydi¡¯s arms lay across the floor.


    ¡°What are those?¡±


    ¡°They have thick coverings, so it should be fine, but they¡¯re probably even more dangerous than train power lines. Try not to touch them so you aren¡¯t blown apart by the power cables that support a city of a million.¡±


    The older girl shrieked like always and Mariydi simply followed the power cables. Since they extended horizontally instead of vertically, this seemed to be the right floor.


    (This underground government office seems to have more than 20 floors, but we didn¡¯t have to go down far to reach the big boss. Well, if they put it too deep underground, the blast of the detonation might be contained down here just like in the underground nuclear tests from an older era.)


    Their path left the main event hall and continued through some double doors. The doorplate said it was a conference room, but there was no way anyone would actually hold secret conversations somewhere so visible from the standard spaces. Mariydi guessed it had been used for press conferences.


    The door had not been fully closed.


    The cables had been in the way.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait... You¡¯re kidding, right? They don¡¯t have it closed in some kind of vault?¡±


    Even calm and collected Mariydi gave a stiff smile at what she found inside. She used the muzzle of her carbine to slowly push one of the doors inwards.


    It was a large space that could have fit an entire 50m pool.


    And all of the various cables and cords were gathered in the center.


    In other words, there was a metal sphere measuring 10 meters in diameter.


    That was the extra-large bomb that would burn away a city of a million.


    It was just sitting there.


    They found it too easily.


    This was the heart of the colossal weapon that had ended the nuclear age. It was the source of all the energy. And that also meant that a single Object would go on rampages while carrying enough energy to power an entire city of a million. It made sense that the existing tanks and fighters lacked the firepower, armor, and so much more to take one on even when working together.


    And they had discovered that incredible thing with so little difficulty.


    Mariydi had no idea what idiot had given the go sign for this, but this made it all too clear how little concern the local authorities had for crisis management. This may have been another tragedy of the myth that Objects were clean.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any kind of console for operating the reactor.¡±


    ¡°Well, they don¡¯t want an on-site worker to blow it up.¡± Mariydi pointed at the precision equipment positioned around the metal sphere. ¡°They probably use these sensors to keep track of the reactor¡¯s condition and monitor the readings from a remote location. Only the offices of the ocean and mountain leaders will be able to interfere with the reactor itself. When the workers inform them of a change in the parameters, the leaders can fix it by inputting the proper values themselves. It was because this place is generally unmanned that the villains could station those masked troops here.¡±


    ¡°But if they already control this place, couldn¡¯t they have directly destroyed the reactor without the detonation code...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sensible thought, but it lacks reliability. In the off chance they failed to trigger a detonation, they would have to rebuild their plan to wipe out the money laundering paradise from scratch. How long does it take from proposing a plan to executing it? 3 years? 5? Who knows how far their losses will grow in that time. It¡¯s human nature to want a 100% reliable method, even if it takes a little more doing.¡±


    But to put it another way, this left Mariydi and Nancy with nothing they could do with the reactor. If they simply destroyed it, it might trigger a critical explosion and it might not. Mariydi had considered the possibility that the explosion would be contained if the reactor was deeper underground, but that was no more than a theory. If they forcibly moved it, it might lose stability and enter a critical state, and the ground could break apart and cause the entire surface city to collapse. There were a million lives on the line here, so they could not treat this decision lightly.


    Plus, their goal here was not the reactor.


    They wanted the names and faces of the bastards from the 4 world powers who had been secretly meeting here.


    ¡°But will there just be a register of names around herrre?¡±


    ¡°What kind of person would leave behind their real name when meeting in secret?¡± Mariydi breathed an exasperated sigh. ¡°At times like this, it¡¯s best to go back to the basics. No matter how hard they try, people will always leave behind traces of their presence.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just tilt your head to try and get me to continue! Can¡¯t you think for yourself sometimes!? ...I¡¯m talking about fingerprints, saliva, hairs, and such. We need to collect everything we can, head back up top, and contact that intelligence division team again. Our only option is to use their database to see if we can find any matches.¡±

 Volume 13, Track 10: Database

    Volume 13, Track 10: Database


    Mariydi and Nancy crawled back through the drain that reeked of mud and returned to Valhalla¡¯s shopping district where the protest was still underway.


    They did not have time to get trapped in the crowds that rivalled those of a train at rush hour, so they stayed off the road and continued walking along the lower maintenance pathway alongside the drainage river.


    ¡°G-give back my sister. Give back Necleka!!¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Mariydi frowned and looked up. ¡°Is that kid still wandering about here? She¡¯s in a dangerous position since a single thrown stone could turn that crowd into a rampaging mob at any time.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably just how pressing an issue it is. That little girl had to gather all of her courage to do this...¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so adults are affected by that kind of thing? I see.¡±


    ¡°That sounds ominous coming from you.¡±


    Meanwhile, the frightening-looking men had never expected those girls to show back up so soon. They looked completely taken aback when Mariydi once more aimed a handgun and smiled.


    ¡°Help me out, big brother¡î¡±


    ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon. We were just about to use a random excuse to leave this city.¡±


    They had apparently been preparing to skip town in the middle of the night, but Mariydi pushed through with a mentality of ¡°I don¡¯t care¡±.


    They were of course in the kitchen of that cheap hotel with a bar in the Information Alliance¡¯s mountain side of the Divided City of Valhalla. This time, the spies dressed as cooks were pulling large diamonds out of blocks of beef.


    ¡°You all seem to be doing good business.¡±


    ¡°If we weren¡¯t, we wouldn¡¯t live a double life surrounded by people from an enemy nation. And we¡¯re talking about the Information Alliance that uses big data and AI algorithm analysis to digitally manage everything down to the people¡¯s habits on the fancy computerized toilets. The tension here is far greater than for you soldiers who are always looking out for each other.¡±


    Mariydi sighed and happened to look over at the Boy Racer poster on the kitchen wall.


    ¡°Come to think of it, does that mean one of you is a fan of theirs?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it, but it¡¯s also a necessity if we¡¯re going to blend into a Northern Restricted Zone city. You didn¡¯t know? The vocalist, Henry Bloodybull, is famous for living in Los Angeles, but he was actually born here in the Northern Restricted Zone and this is where his soul still resides.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s only a rumor on the level of an urban legend, but, well, Bloodybull is a pretty weird name, right? But his real name is Blaze Mojito, which is a pretty common name in these parts.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The glasses fried shrimp must not have been able to keep up with the conversation because she fell silent with a troubled look on her face.


    ¡°You¡¯d need more than your fingers to count how many ways they were messed up, but the biggest one by far was that white powder. The fact that their popularity didn¡¯t drop even then just goes to show that they were real stars.¡±


    Mariydi¡¯s vicarious bragging was followed up by a surprising comment from the middle-aged man.


    ¡°Yeah, if they hadn¡¯t been hiding satirical criticism of this age of war in their lyrics, the government probably wouldn¡¯t have sent those beautiful women to ensnare them. A honey trap with white powder thrown into the mix? The higher ups can be pretty cruel.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what?¡±


    ¡°Speechless, are we? Don¡¯t let the intensity of the songs distract you and give the lyrics card a good look. Swap the order of the rhyming words and you¡¯ll find a completely different meaning. Surely you know they used the devastated capital of Asgard for the jacket of their major debut album.¡±


    The middle-aged man might only have known that behind-the-scenes information because he carried out a variety of sabotage missions as part of the intelligence division. It was possible some of his superiors had been directly involved in the honey trap.


    As a fan, Mariydi was incredibly curious about this information, but she had to get back to the topic at hand.


    It was time to talk about war.


    Mariydi walked over to the kitchen counter and lined up the various pieces of evidence she had gathered at the old underground government office and sealed in plastic bags.


    ¡°Get it done ASAP.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. We won¡¯t make it in time for the explosion otherwise!¡± The middle-aged man snapped his fingers to gather his men¡¯s attention and order them to get to work. ¡°But it will still take some time. Since you¡¯re here, want some coffee?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to ingest anything you give me. Far too risky.¡±


    That actually caused the middle-aged man to gulp with a smug look on his face. Being a target of caution and suspicion apparently helped soothe his pride. Although it was unclear if that was his pride as a man, as an adult, or as a soldier.


    Meanwhile, the fried shrimp was sitting in a chair while occasionally sniffing at her own hair or arms.


    ¡°Uuh... I¡¯m really worried because that awful smell hasn¡¯t gone away yeeet. I think you should offer to let us use a shower or baaath.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ah, the middle-aged man is scowling again!? thought Mariydi in disappointment, but there was no fixing that now. It was looking difficult to get along with him.


    The room filled with the awkward silence of an elevator, but the energetic fried shrimp did not care.


    ¡°Let¡¯s borrow their bath! Uuhhh!!¡±


    ¡°You can get weirdly worked up about this if you want, but why are you tugging on my arm!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll chicken out if it¡¯s just me. C¡¯mooon! A frail maiden is saying she wants to look after her appearance!! Refuse and this ferocious beast will bite you! Roar!!¡±


    The displeased-looking middle-aged man went pale, raised both hands, and pointed toward a door in the back with his chin. Rather than afraid of Mariydi, he seemed frightened of Nancy¡¯s foolhardiness for treating that blonde girl like a toy. He probably did not want to be caught in the blast.


    (I guess she can hold her own too when she has to.)


    But it was no time to be sighing and thinking that.


    Yes, the fried shrimp was pulling on Mariydi¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Hey, wait. You can just take a bath on your own, can¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°Noooo, IIIII caaaan¡¯t. We¡¯re in the same situation here, so you take one too. You mustn¡¯t give up on your femininity at your age.¡±


    ¡°We could be heading back out into the mountains at any time. All the artificial scents in shampoos and body soaps will become a deadly-...ah, ahh, ahhhhhhhh!!!???¡±


    Mariydi was a veteran soldier, but she had just one weakness: her body was so tiny that anyone could easily princess carry her. And with her arms and legs both in the air, she was helpless.


    Once the 2 girls disappeared into the door for the napping space which had a bathroom attached, a young member of the intelligence division casually walked in carrying a bundle of printouts.


    ¡°Huh? Where did the 2 dangerous helpers go???¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder which one of them is really in charge.¡±


    The space beyond door supposedly included nothing more unusual than a locker room and a simple shower room, but they heard some highly bizarre screams from there.


    ¡°Stop it, you moron!! Ah, ahhhh!! Shampoo in my hair! The deadly artificial scents!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°Ohhh? Does the widdle girl need a shampoo haaat?¡±


    ¡°These giant bouncing things are in the way!! And really, what are you going to do about the smell!? Leaving the city like this would be suicide!¡±


    ¡°Mariydi, you¡¯ve been living your life wrooong. This is what people mean when they talk about a girl¡¯s scent.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!¡±


    A great cacophony sounded from beyond the door.


    The men waiting in the kitchen (who were from the intelligence division but were too overwhelmed to even consider peeping) felt their shoulders jump as the door was thrown violently open.


    Mariydi Whitewitch was wearing cow-print pajamas that covered her head.


    ¡°Pant, pant!! You SOBs sure were prepared for everything, weren¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, c¡¯mon. You need to dry off properlyyy.¡±


    Nancy Jolly-Roger followed her out with only a bath towel to cover her flushed bare skin. But the towel must have been a little too small because it was a mystery whether or not it was really blocking the sensuality of that hot body.


    The intelligence division¡¯s middle-aged man once more raised both hands before pointing something out to Mariydi.


    The cow-print pajamas must have been too large for her because she wore only the baggy top without the pants. The neckline showed off the bright top of her chest and the hem left a risqu¨¦ amount of her thighs exposed.


    ¡°...Mariydi, I think you got this backwards. When you wear the cow-print one, it only looks like a self-deprecating joke.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to show you hell with a cup of water and a rag?¡±


    ¡°Ignoring the one-size-fits-all pajamas, I really can¡¯t think of any clothes that would fit you. ...Well, other than the Colonel¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°What, do you have a don in the back of your hideout!? Oh, honestly! Get some spinach or lettuce or some other kind of leafy vegetables and boil them in a pot.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Do you want to eat some vegetable sooouuup???¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rewash this chemical-soaked hair!! This is worse than the stuff they put on you so military dogs can track you!!¡±


    Military facilities of course had shower rooms and the soldiers washed their hair and bodies on a daily basis, but unlike the commercial products, the shampoos and soaps they used only had floral scents.


    As her stress was about to explode, Cow Pajamas Mariydi glared over at the men.


    ¡°So are those printouts the results of your investigation? What¡¯s the information going to cost me?¡±


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s not an issue,¡± said the middle-aged man while still pale.


    That was an extremely unusual thing to say for the Capitalist Corporations where everything had to do with money, but he apparently had no intention of attempting a negotiation with Killer Weapon Mariydi when she was in such a bad mood.


    He tossed the clipped-together papers onto the stainless steel countertop.


    ¡°We have plenty of money. As you can see.¡± He pointed toward the large diamonds pulled out of the blocks of beef. ¡°But there¡¯s more to money than just earning it. The true value is in spending it. So delay the detonation until we can escape. That¡¯s how you can repay us.¡±


    ¡°...You don¡¯t have more of an attachment to this place? It¡¯s your workplace, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d understand how we feel if you had felt the constant pressure in your stomach as you memorized each individual idiosyncrasy needed to infiltrate an enemy nation. What I¡¯m saying is, this place can go to hell. As much as we¡¯ve learned about it on the surface level, our spirits could never fit in. The thick barrier between it and us thins out little by little, but it never goes away. In fact, the better we get at this and the more we blend in, the more our feelings cool. No matter how well you season elk meat or a fried egg, my favorite will always be a cheese and tomato salad.¡±


    Mariydi would have been suspicious if it had been free, but now that he had named his price, she obediently accepted it.


    The information was as follows:


    Legitimacy Kingdom


    Mike Nightcap


    Age: 52. Male. Brigadier General in the army and manager of the army forces deployed to Scandinavia. A grim reaper in the military who can freely choose who to abandon thanks to his control of the land route supply lines.


    Information Alliance


    Recess Bloodhound


    Age: 27. Female. Commander of the Scandinavian aircraft carrier fleet who rose so high at such a young age by using her hacker unit to dig up dirt on her political rivals.


    Capitalist Corporations


    Hayato Blackrose


    Age: 36. Male. Extremely influential investor and special advisor to the Technical Testing and Ratings Board made up of representatives from multiple large companies. A money monster with Island Nation blood who holds enough assets to personally rival a corporation.


    Faith Organization


    Uver Derbyfizz


    Age: 48. Male. Representative of the Scandinavian Cultural Heritage Preservation Committee. An intentional agitator who has successfully used his influence to apply religious meaning to things.


    The middle-aged intelligence officer whistled at the distinguished-looking lineup.


    ¡°They¡¯re all big shots with a connection to the military deployed here in the Northern Restricted Zone. Thanks to that we have plenty of personal information on them and have had plenty of opportunity to gather their biometrics. Normally thinking, picking a fight with them wouldn¡¯t be a good idea.¡±


    ¡°But since they¡¯ve picked the fight with me, I¡¯ve got to turn this around. And if I don¡¯t settle this soon, my strength won¡¯t last.¡±


    The middle-aged man tapped on another part of the documents.


    ¡°The world powers are always glaring at each other, but they also make a show of announcing that they¡¯re supporting the cooperation of the individual nations and donating toward the peace and development of Scandinavia. They do have a joint council, even if it¡¯s only for show.¡±


    ¡°...A joint council, huh?¡±


    ¡°Even if they don¡¯t really do anything, the bureaucrats can send in public money as long as the framework exists in the official paperwork. ...They probably get a fair amount of money that way. And it comes from the taxes paid the world over. If they¡¯re spending it all on a secret unit, they should be well equipped.¡±


    Mariydi and Nancy had gone through a lot this far, but some of it had been the actions of a mystery group.


    For example,


    1. The military zombie outbreak spread using rabies molecular motors.


    2. The masked soldiers protecting the reactor below Valhalla.


    3. The original exchange of the detonation code disguised by the jamming.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing they generally pit the existing world powers against each other to wear down our power and then send their own forces into the gap that creates. Either way, it doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯re going to have any time to rest. It¡¯s looking more and more like I need to end this quickly.¡± Mariydi held a hand to her slender chin while rubbing her bright inner thighs together below the hem of the cow pajamas. ¡°Now, I¡¯m getting a better picture of who the villains are, but the real question is what to do as we pursue this joint council. We can¡¯t prepare without having a specific goal in mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s riiight! We can¡¯t just continue fighting endless battles, so let¡¯s get some pictures of their secret unit¡¯s tyranny and use that as a threat to ensure our own safetyyy!!¡±


    ¡°Did you suddenly become so optimistic because you want to end the conversation and get to sleep? Besides, I¡¯m not sure that would work. Are these villains really the kind of people who would leave that kind of uncertainty intact and live in fear of that unexploded ordnance? They would probably just have us assassinated and disguise it as an accident. With as much wealth as they have, they could probably create plenty of suicide assassins by promising to heal their sick little sister or something.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll turn their thinking right back at them. We¡¯ll tear out the entire lesion.¡± Cow Pajamas Mariydi spoke coldly. ¡°This would never end if we spent the time to sneak into the depths of each army to take each of their kings. But we already know they¡¯re connected in the name of having a joint council. They already have a system in place for butting heads and holding secret conversations during an emergency. ...So let¡¯s do something noticeable enough to bring them all together in the same place. Then we¡¯ll have a chance to slaughter all of the VIPs at once.¡±


    ................................................................................................................................................................................................


    No one moved for a while.


    The world was ruled by a silence so great it was painful.


    The one who finally broke it was the middle-aged intelligence officer.


    ¡°...Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Assassinating just one of them would be a historic event. Your name would go down in history as a legendary figure on the same level as the sniper who blew the brains out of a president in an older age. And you want to kill all 4? You want to take out an important member of each world power in one fell swoop??? That¡¯s more than just a news story. It¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime event!!¡±


    ¡°Yes!! And it¡¯ll be a historically boring bit of cleanup. I¡¯ll be showing off killing technique that¡¯s like threading a needle, but I won¡¯t make a single cent. I¡¯ll be working for free. So I¡¯ll be placing my anger as a laborer in this one. All so I can return to my normal life!¡±


    ¡°My overheated mind has cooled down.¡± The fried shrimp in a towel uttered some nonsense while suddenly straightening her back. ¡°The real problem is that even the villains are human, so I do think you can kill them if you work at it. Sadly enough.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°But how long will it take to defeat even one of them? And we¡¯re talking about important people scattered across all 4 world powers. Working out their jigsaw puzzle of different schedules and finding a way to finish them all off will take a century¡¯s worth of historical work, won¡¯t it?¡± Nancy pointed her slender index finger toward the ground. ¡°I think they¡¯ll be able to input that detonation code and wipe Valhalla off the map before you can eliminate all 4 and end this.¡±


    She had a point.


    It would take decades to even hope to accomplish this, but the villains had already had a timer counting down toward the detonation of their bomb. It was obvious which would happen first.


    But Cow Pajamas Mariydi had an immediate answer with a cruel smile on her lips.


    ¡°I have an idea about that.¡±


    ¡°And what might that be?¡± asked the middle-aged man who looked more concerned than curious.


    ¡°First of all, the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance militaries that truly control the ocean and mountain sides do not want to blow up the reactor. It¡¯s a third party that holds the detonation code.¡± The girl raised 1 and then 2 fingers. ¡°Next, the detonation code the villains will use is only an electronic signal that is inputted by hand. ...To make this incredibly simple, even if they have a secret method of detonating it from outside the city, they can¡¯t detonate it if we cut all the lines connecting to the Divided City of Valhalla. Because then they can¡¯t use the direct hotlines prepared for the ocean and mountain leaders.¡±


    ¡°...You mean we can prevent the explosion by shutting down all communications?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t enough.¡± Cow Pajamas Mariydi winked. ¡°The people of Valhalla aren¡¯t stupid, so they¡¯ll have things back up and running in 2 or 3 days. This method can¡¯t ensure peace long term. And shutting down communications won¡¯t cause the 4 villains to panic either. They can support the seemingly benevolent recovery work and input the detonation code once a line is back up.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°Something much flashier,¡± whispered the little demon. Her response was sweet and dangerous. ¡°We blow up Valhalla and wipe that city of a million off the map before they can. If they see an entirely unexpected mushroom cloud after doing so much plotting in the dark, even those gown-wearing villains sipping brandy and petting a Siamese cat are sure to freak out.¡±


    It sounded like a joke.


    When those words were first released into the world, no one could believe what they were hearing.


    But a mere hour later, more electromagnetic signals rushed back and forth across the Northern Restricted Zone than ever before.


    And among those were these voices:


    ¡°Who was it? Who inserted the key!? There is an etiquette to making information attacks. If you don¡¯t contact me in advance, I can¡¯t make my preparations for manipulating public opinion!¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t say anymore on the signal. This might be an unofficial line, but we never know who could be recording this!¡±


    ¡°Besides, we had it set up so you need to physically enter 4 passwords and we each set one of them. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible input the detonation code without agreement from all 4 of us.¡±


    ¡°...Doesn¡¯t this mean someone got ahead of us?¡±


    ¡°But who!?¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t say anymore here. Let¡¯s meet in person.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Safety measures are great, but this is spreading beyond our plans with every passing second. We can¡¯t spend time on preparations.¡±


    ¡°And we can¡¯t use our ¡®usual spot¡¯ since Valhalla was blown away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. ...Then we¡¯ll just have to use the next point.¡±


    ¡°Where is the next point?¡±


    ¡°There.¡±


    Simply put, the Divided City of Valhalla and the million people living in its two sides were erased from the ¡°world¡± at that time.

 Volume 13, Track 11: White Sun

    Volume 13, Track 11: White Sun


    Now, let¡¯s return to before the explosion.


    Some meaningless screaming and shouting continued for a while.


    Nancy the Fried Shrimp and even the middle-aged man who had lived in an enemy nation for years as an intelligence officer seemed to bristle at the thought, but Mariydi did not particularly care.


    She ignored their fruitless attempts at conversation and spoke entirely calmly.


    ¡°As the fried shrimp said before, guiding all 4 villains into place to defeat them would be a century-long feat if done the proper way. And I¡¯m not about to go along with that. ...We need to completely smash their plan to take the initiative away from them and send them into a panic. That¡¯s the best way to get them to meet face-to-face for a planning session they don¡¯t want intercepted. Attack them there and a single missile can take out all 4 of them. And since it¡¯s a secret meeting they can¡¯t afford to have leaked, they¡¯ll only bring their most trusted subordinates along.¡±


    ¡°B-but that¡¯s...buuut!? M-mushroom! Y-you said mushroom cloud!¡±


    The glasses fried shrimp was panicking, but Mariydi still paid her no heed.


    ¡°They have an incredible impact on whoever sees them, but mushroom clouds aren¡¯t exclusive to the hydrogen bombs of an older age. Historically, similarly-shaped clouds have also been seen with largescale FAEs.¡±


    ¡°An FAE or Fuel-Air Explosive is an artificial weather phenomenon that produces a largescale air pressure difference accompanied by an explosion, right?¡±


    The middle-aged man seemed to be drawing on a foggy memory and Mariydi nodded.


    ¡°In the FAE¡¯s case, it¡¯s because they consume so much oxygen. But if all you have to do is instantaneously spread a difference in air pressure, it doesn¡¯t have to be oxygen you take away.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°For example, the Capitalist Corporations has something known as a Nitrogen Compound Explosive or NCE. It generally uses a nitro explosive ¨C meaning, a nitrogen compound ¨C but by securing the necessary nitrogen from the air, the bomb can be kept small. In the instant it expands from the package, the explosive is formed in the air to trigger a large explosion. And of course, it does this by stealing all the nitrogen, which makes up 70% of earth¡¯s atmosphere.¡±


    ¡°I see. So you¡¯d be inducing the rapid air pressure difference by consuming the nitrogen instead of the oxygen. 70% of the atmosphere. The more there is to take, the easier the pressure difference would spread, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°B-b-but...but! If we blow up something like that in the middle of the city, wouldn¡¯t the Divided City of Valhalla disappear into the light regardless!? That¡¯s pointleeeess!!¡±


    ¡°It might seem that way if you¡¯re looking at a 2D map.¡± Mariydi gave a devilish smile. ¡°But what if you look at the vertical direction? If we increase the altitude and detonate it unreasonably high in the sky, the point on the map is the same, but the damage will be reduced almost to zero. Of course, the mushroom cloud itself is a giant artificial weather phenomenon, so it might cause some gusts of wind that break some windows or something. Still, it¡¯s like the difference between blowing up an Island Nation¡¯s Sanjakudama firework on the ground or in the sky.¡±


    ¡°Then, um, when you were talking about cutting off communications...¡±


    ¡°However it¡¯s caused, a mushroom cloud will suck in a whole bunch of dust and blast it into the sky, so it¡¯ll interfere with any wireless communications. You can think of it like covering an entire city with chaff. As long as we also cut all of the phone and internet cables leading out of the city, it¡¯ll be perfect. Whether wired or wireless, Valhalla will have been ¡®erased¡¯ as far as the data is concerned. The satellites will only show a giant mushroom cloud covering the city and any attempt to contact the city will only get static.¡±


    Valhalla had limited its own communication access, so the internet lines leading out were all inside a single thick bundle of fiber optic cables similar to a submarine communications cable. Cutting them all would not be difficult.


    ¡°You want to detonate it at high altitude, but what platform are you going to use? Surely you aren¡¯t suggesting we build our own ballistic missile.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to make it that difficult. A normal helicopter can reach 6000 meters these days. A drone that operates the same way can also fly pretty high as long as the signal can reach. With an NCE, the fireball itself has a diameter of 500 meters and the shockwave¡¯s lethal range has a diameter of 1500 meters. Fly it up the height of a mountain and the lethal range won¡¯t reach the surface. Of course, the noise and shockwave will still reach the city to a certain extent.¡±


    ¡°Ahn? Will an explosion like that really create a mushroom cloud? I know you said it was a special kind of explosion, but still.¡±


    ¡°Who ever said we¡¯re only using 1? We just have to fly around 10 of them up in drones so the fireballs can fuse in midair. They¡¯ll combine just like the Island Nation¡¯s Senko Hanabi fireworks.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s the MIRV method.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Now that they had a plan, it was time to get to work.


    Drones like a hexacopter could be bought at any toy store lately, but they were not equipped to receive long-range signals from thousands of meters away, so they would have to be dismantled and rebuilt with the intelligence division¡¯s equipment. Mariydi wanted a specialized algorithm to send the drones up as a single group like migratory birds. ...But unlike the overly diligent Island Nation, Europe closed all the shops that did not serve alcohol by 7 PM. So how were they supposed to get the appropriate number of drones now that night had fallen?


    Mariydi Whitewitch knew her answer.


    ¡°Big brother¡î¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to steal everything from us!?¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer this, or a gun pressed to your forehead?¡±


    For intelligence agents in an enemy nation, the scene¡¯s atmosphere took top priority. The man¡¯s fate was sealed as soon as he was overpowered by the smile in front of his eyes and looked away.


    ¡°H-how are you going to make those NCE booombs? Wh-why are you rolling up your sleeves? Don¡¯ tell me you¡¯re going to make them herrre!¡±


    ¡°Once you know how, it¡¯s surprisingly easy. This might just cause another commotion at the shareholder¡¯s meeting.¡±


    True enough, simply making an NCE was fairly simple. ...But because it reacted to the nitrogen in the air, you could easily blow yourself up if you were careless in your work.


    Mariydi safely worked on the strategic weapon by sticking her slender arms in the kind of special airtight container used for experiments with bacteriological weapons. Of course, the exact ingredients were a secret.


    ¡°I guess you could say I¡¯m pouring in my love for my big brother using my lovey-dovey beam. ...Sigh.¡±


    ¡°But you are saying that with a lifeless look in your eyes...!?¡±


    Before long, Mariydi had a line of aluminum containers about the size of a 2-liter plastic bottle. The item had been originally developed as a light and cheap strategic weapon, so a delivery drone could easily carry one. And the high-powered recon models modified by the intelligence division were even more reliable.


    ¡°The changing times are a frightening thing.¡± The middle-aged intelligence officer grimaced at the completed products. ¡°When I think about it, we¡¯re creating history¡¯s worst weapon right now, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Technology bears no sins. It¡¯s all in how you use it.¡±


    ¡°And it really looks to me like we¡¯re reaching in the worst possible direction with thissss!¡±


    They were controlled with a touch-screen tablet instead of a controller like those used for RC cars. The main purpose of that was to control all 10 as a single unit instead of each one individually.


    ¡°It¡¯s nighttime, so send them up now and we don¡¯t have to worry about anyone seeing. We need to set an altitude limit for the detonation. This will all be for naught if there¡¯s a malfunction and one falls down to detonate on the surface.¡±


    ¡°They have sensors for automatically opening the parachute, so that won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Mariydi nodded. ¡°Once everything¡¯s ready, all of you from the intelligence division need to evacuate to somewhere outside the mushroom cloud¡¯s effects. Signals from the villains should be flying around the area, so intercept as many of them as you can.¡±


    ¡°Since when can you order us around?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making it so you don¡¯t have to skip town. You should be thanking me, not scowling at me.¡±


    The drones themselves would mostly fly on their own, but in the kitchen, their programs would send them right into the ceiling. Thus, Mariydi and Nancy had to physically carry them outside.


    The drones would become almost invisible once they were in the night sky, but letting normal citizens see them all lined up on the ground was not the best idea. Public or private, people too strongly associated drones with spying, so it would only bring unnecessary trouble.


    ¡°Hey, fried shrimp, let¡¯s head back to the parking lot we left the truck in. We need an open space.¡±


    ¡°Ehhh? But wasn¡¯t there a perfect open lot right behind the restauraaant?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare launch a bunch of drones right behind a den of intelligence agents! That¡¯s like sending up an ad balloon telling everyone there are spies here!!¡±


    The middle-aged man was more bothered by that idea than Mariydi.


    He drove the 2 girls out and back the way they had come.


    ¡°Where should we put theeem?¡±


    ¡°Well, anywhere passersby won¡¯t notice them. We can use the truck as a shield.¡±


    With that, Mariydi entered the parking lot, pulled the drones out of the travel bag they had stuffed them in, and lined them up on the asphalt. With all 10 together, it looked like a small trade show.


    ¡°Phew. That¡¯s everything set up then.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± agreed Mariydi. ¡°But before we actually do anything, I want to get an answer to something that¡¯s still unclear.¡±


    ¡°Yesss?¡±


    Without even waiting for Nancy Jolly-Roger to make her drawn-out response, the blonde girl grabbed the fried shrimp¡¯s collar and slammed her back into the side of the truck. The sudden shock caused the glasses girl to choke, so she could not even scream properly as Mariydi whispered a question.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Ah...khah...¡±


    ¡°When we first met, I shot your arm to judge the truth of what you said, right? That was of course because I couldn¡¯t trust what you were saying.¡± The look in Mariydi¡¯s eyes showed she was not joking. ¡°You had no tolerance to pain and no idea how to treat a wound. If I hadn¡¯t helped, you really would have died. I took that to mean you were innocent, but looking back, you passed out before I could really make a judgement.¡±


    Back in that log cabin, Nancy had said she was investigating dangerous Capitalist Corporations elements making weapons deals across the border. She had discovered that ¡°untraceable¡± weapons were being sold to terrorist organizations from near that log cabin, but she had been captured while visiting the area to investigate.


    But someone who did not know how to fire a gun or even walk through the forest would never be deployed there, especially while still wearing an office uniform. A lot was unknown about her independent actions there and Mariydi had guessed the rest of her team had been wiped out. But when she had seen a corpse, it had really seemed like her ¡°first time¡±, so Mariydi doubted she had any experience in seeing dead bodies.


    ¡°Whatever your objective is, I won¡¯t get in your way as long as it doesn¡¯t violate the Capitalist Corporations ways. That¡¯s why I took you with me this far.¡± Mariydi spoke in a low voice while still holding the older girl¡¯s collar. ¡°But your behavior clearly changed here. In the Divided City of Valhalla. ...And it was in the mountain side, which is Information Alliance territory.¡±


    ¡°Ghh... What do you meeeaaan...?¡±


    ¡°You tended to view the residents here in a sympathetic light. For example, those protesters. And your drawn-out way of speaking tended to vanish when discussing the protests or the safety of the residents. Again, this was when talking about people from Information Alliance territory.¡±


    She breathed in and out.


    And she asked a question.


    ¡°Where does your soul reside?¡±


    That sounded like a Faith Organization kind of thing to say, but it was not.


    Mariydi was viewing things digitally.


    ¡°That log cabin was a gathering point for delinquent soldiers from both the Capitalist Corporations and the Information Alliance. And you were always sympathetic of the Information Alliance. If you happen to belong to that side, I¡¯ll have to change my policy on you. It was my mistake, but you¡¯ve seen the identities and hideout of intelligence agents infiltrating this city. That would put their lives at risk.¡±


    Another important factor was that Nancy Jolly-Roger had mentioned the sum of 50 billion dollars from the very beginning. It had begun as the hidden fortune gathered by the black market, it had then become the price on Mariydi¡¯s head, and it had finally transformed into the ¡°weapon¡± thought appropriate for wiping clean the underground bank run in Valhalla.


    If Nancy had intentionally guided Mariydi here, she needed to find out why. If it involved an ideology or belief outside the Capitalist Corporations¡¯, she could not relax here.


    ¡°...¡±


    A short silence followed.


    Nancy kept her mouth shut even after Mariydi loosened her grip on the older girl¡¯s collar. It was an intentional silence brought on by hesitation. She had the look of someone who had something to hide and was unsure if they should reveal it here.


    Finally, the mystery person spoke.


    ¡°I am...from the Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    ¡°So what? Turncoats are a dime a dozen in the Northern Restricted Zone. Like the ones in that log cabin where we first met.¡±


    ¡°I am from a special unit named Cinderella Wizard. ...Although that proves nothing since a search for that name won¡¯t turn up anything.¡± She gave an exhausted smile very unlike anything before. ¡°Mariydi, why do you think the Northern Restricted Zone is even allowed to exist in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Historically speaking, because of the destruction of Asgard. Economically speaking, because it¡¯s a giant experimental battlefield which was intentionally made into a Galapagos that would spontaneously create new technology that could not be gained through normal Object development.¡±


    ¡°...The world wouldn¡¯t allow this miniature garden if that was all it provided.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This Northern Restricted Zone provides another benefit. It provides a clear benefit to the clean wars supported by Objects. And, Mariydi, you are no exception.¡±


    At first, the girl could not imagine what she meant.


    Perhaps that was because it was incredibly obvious and she had already accepted it on a fundamental level.


    ¡°This place has a high rate of naturally producing ¡®candidates¡¯ for Pilot Elites,¡± said Nancy. She said it clearly. ¡°War changes children like a disease. Even if a child is an excellent candidate for a Pilot Elite, they tend to ¡®close up¡¯ psychologically when they are exposed to the fear of bombings and pillaging for long periods of time. ...When that nightmarish result was discovered in a research report, units like mine were established.¡±


    A science award had been established using the fortune earned by inventing the world¡¯s most famous explosive.


    But as its popularity grew, it became a target of all sorts of conspiracy theories which in turn spread completely baseless rumors and speculation. When two opposing standards were in competition ¨C such as video formats ¨C the one chosen for this award gained overwhelming popularity. Even stem cells and neutrinos only really become household names after winning this award. And of course, a technology better understood by the public at large had an easier time gaining funding, performing largescale experiments, and producing greater results. And the opposite was just as true. There were rumors that someone was using this to select the technologies that would change the world (and could be used for weapons) and thus adjust history in their desired direction.


    It was not actually clear if anyone was doing so intentionally.


    But had the rumors been enough to get people around the world to pay attention?


    ¡°It sounds like a used clothing shop.¡±


    ¡°...Yes. If they won¡¯t sell while new, the jeans are intentionally damaged and faded and then have a new price tag attached. But in this case, we¡¯re talking about unseen psychological damage to innocent children.¡± Nancy took a slow breath. ¡°I belong to a special unit that has been ordered to collect children who have been orphaned on this quagmire of a battlefield, test their aptitude, and ship them back to the safe countries if they pass. In other words, we recruit for the world superpowers. And since it only looks like we¡¯re protecting orphaned children from the fear of bombings and pillaging and then sending them to a safe life free from gunfire...no one stops us. It¡¯s seen as the power of the state saving the children suffering from war and allowing them to spread their wings as Pilot Elites where they earn more money than a normal household.¡±


    This sort of problem could run rampant at scenes of wartime or natural disasters. For example, when foreign volunteers adopted orphans, it was not uncommon to find out it was viewed as a kidnapping across national borders.


    But Mariydi doubted that kind of mistake would happen when they had guidelines established in advance. Even if the safe country Pilot Elite development experiments came to light, they probably had enough legal protections in place to have it viewed as a medical treatment to heal their psychological damage from war. Even if those sealed white rooms were actually sites of what amounted to torture or abuse, the person who had rightfully accused the government would only be made into a villain by the mass media.


    ¡°...See? It¡¯s almost too obviously written to be a Cinderella story of a girl rescued by a prince, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Whether any of that¡¯s true or not,¡± spat out Mariydi, ¡°what does it matter? Whatever unit you belonged to, it doesn¡¯t explain why you were captured in that log cabin with only an office uniform.¡±


    ¡°I have no ability to fight. Without ever visiting the scene, I kept an eye on the situation and maintained coordination between everyone, so I was something like the midpoint between an operator and a hacker.¡± Nancy breathed shallowly while still pressed against the side of the truck. ¡°So I was able to use that ability to open enough of a hole for the children to escape. ...Of course, they really should have noticed something was wrong when it kept happening, but it¡¯s possible the soldiers on the scene were questioning their mission somewhere deep in their hearts.¡±


    ¡°And why were you actually on the scene?¡±


    ¡°Because of that benevolent barrier made from containers and tanks.¡±


    Mariydi had already mostly relaxed her arms.


    Of course, she was still in a position to instantly kill Nancy with her gun or knife if the older girl made any suspicious movements.


    ¡°Messing with the data to let the children escape is all well and good, but their lives continue afterwards. If they simply wandered around randomly, they could easily blow themselves up on a landmine or unexploded ordnance without even running across the soldiers. But teaching them how to survive in that harsh environment would be meaningless if it meant they would not hesitate to pick up a gun.¡±


    ¡°...Well, excuse me.¡±


    ¡°The only option left was to get them a place to live in a safe city free of gunfire. And it had to be somewhere where the adults could not interfere. ...The Sacred Forest in the center of Valhalla was the perfect place. They were protected and distanced from war thanks to the adults of the city around them, but they could still have a small home there without any direct influence from those adults.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you built an orphanage there!? That¡¯s a thousand-year-old primeval forest!!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult to manipulate some data to get them the food and other supplies they needed. Our unit didn¡¯t officially exist, so we received no official supplies. We would receive a fraction of an official unit¡¯s supplies, so I just had to divert a fraction of that for the children. That created a sanctuary unknown to anyone, even the other members of my unit. I taught them using something like remote teaching. And if my own personal opinion is good enough, they looked happy to me.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s quite the illegal charity work.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know. I would undoubtedly be court martialed and I¡¯m honestly amazed I managed to keep it up for 2 or 3 years. But it was finally starting to show results.¡±


    She had used the Sacred Forest in which even academic research was forbidden because it was seen as a pillar of Valhalla¡¯s culture. It was the perfect place to hide.


    If not for a certain action.


    ¡°About a year ago, the benevolent barrier was put up to divide Valhalla between the ocean side and mountain side. They claimed it was needed to evenly divide the city¡¯s area, but that was a lie. Their true goal was to break apart a treasure of this world which is worth more than 50 billion dollars.¡±


    ¡°A treasure of this world? Are you saying there was something like that at the ¡®home¡¯ you created?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Nancy Jolly-Roger smiled thinly at Mariydi¡¯s question. ¡°The Capitalist Corporations, the Information Alliance, the Legitimacy Kingdom, and the Faith Organization...¡±


    And she said it.


    ¡°Children from every world power were smiling together and living under a single roof. That is the world¡¯s ultimate treasure and something that no amount of dirty money could ever buy.¡±


    Her logic was different.


    Mariydi was good friends with blood and gun smoke, so the plug and socket were simply incompatible. But that was why the words held such powerful meaning.


    ¡°There are people who want to profit by keeping the wars going. And they have dug their roots into the world far wider and deeper than you think. And I¡¯m not just talking about some mysterious mastermind on the other side of the world. Even in the happy homes of the safe countries, people watch the distant wars on their living room TV screens and enjoy the superiority of having secured safety with money. Day by day, people consume more profits of war than they do artificial food coloring. Enough so that this truth would make anyone shiver.¡±


    Nancy used specific language to describe a vague feeling.


    Even Mariydi felt a sort of fear from those words.


    ¡°The people who seem to represent that point of view will never allow something that proves that war need not continue. Especially when it occurred in the quagmire of the Northern Restricted Zone which is far more tragic than the clean wars. Those children¡¯s meager lives are being viewed as a social experiment. If the world at large learns of it, it could easily grow into a major movement. This goes beyond Valhalla¡¯s underground bank or the money laundering. They need the people of the enemy nations to be cannibals, rapists, monsters, and demons who you can¡¯t even hold a conversation with. They fear that the gears of war could grind to a halt. They wanted to destroy that ¡®single roof¡¯ even if it meant splitting apart a city of a million and destroying those children¡¯s lives. They wanted to cover up that truth and pretend it never happened.¡± Nancy slowly exhaled before continuing. ¡°They can¡¯t ignore the children who scattered and fled. If possible, they must have wanted to capture them all and give them as cruel a fate as possible as a lesson to the world. Just killing them would not be enough. They would have wanted to create a legend to convince the world that ¡®this is what happens if people from the 4 world powers try to get along¡¯.¡±


    So Nancy had been unable to just sit around.


    She had likely sensed that her data management skills were not enough to rescue all of the children scattered across the ocean and mountain side of the city, so she had faked her work records to give herself time to head out onto the quagmire of a battlefield in her office uniform.


    ¡°Although I ended up accomplishing nothing and getting caught by some delinquent soldiers. I made up a terrible lie and relied on you because I couldn¡¯t afford to give up. I had to know whether or not those scattered children were okay. Although reality proved to be even worse than I¡¯d imagined.¡± Nancy smiled thinly. ¡°No matter how much I had worked on the front line, I had never actually experienced the atmosphere on the scene. I didn¡¯t know true suffering, yet I still felt like I had saved those children.¡±


    Mariydi had completely let go of Nancy¡¯s collar by now.


    And she clicked her tongue.


    ¡°...So that¡¯s why you seemed to sympathize with the people of Valhalla so much.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I was doing it myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the kind of person who doesn¡¯t care how many soldiers die, but can never allow a noncombatant to be tragically caught in the middle. And it doesn¡¯t matter which world power they belong to. You only draw the line between combatant and noncombatant.¡±


    And before arriving in Valhalla, everyone they had seen was some form of soldier. It made sense that her behavior had changed after entering the city.


    (And it¡¯s all so no more children like me will be created, huh?)


    Mariydi twisted the corners of her lips into a thin smile at that ironic pacifism.


    But if that was her deal, Mariydi could trust her.


    She did not know how to fire a gun or walk through the forest, but she had still persistently stuck with Mariydi even after the younger girl immediately shot her, causing her to pass out. The inconsistencies finally clicked into place.


    There had been some aspects that could not be explained by assuming it was all an act, but those awkward puzzle pieces could be explained with a benevolence that did not exist within Mariydi.


    ¡°Every time we came across something bad, I was terrified that those children would be used as a scapegoat. With the smuggling base, the zombies created by synthetic molecular motors, and the reactor explosion...I thought I might find one of their names listed as a stand-in villain.¡±


    But that meant they had yet to see the actual plan that the pro-war group wanted to use to dispose of the children. Was the destruction of Valhalla all they were doing to create a tragedy?


    Nancy was relieved that she had not seen any of the children¡¯s names, but she also had to be worried that only meant they were being preserved for something far worse.


    ¡°By the way, how many of the scattered children have you located?¡±


    ¡°I took me nearly a year to decide to take this final step, so 99% of them are safe. But there were still 2 I hadn¡¯t located.¡±


    It may have been Nancy Jolly-Roger¡¯s humanity that prevented her from writing that off as an acceptable margin of error and instead deeming it a critical failure and putting herself in danger.


    ¡°They are twin sisters named Necleka Mojito and Eleanor Mojito, but it would seem they failed to escape and got split up between the ocean side and mountain side.¡±


    ¡°Mojito?¡± Mariydi repeated the name in surprise. ¡°You mean like Blaze Mojito!? The vocalist of Boy Racer!?¡±


    The Mojito surname was apparently fairly common in the cities of the Northern Restricted Zone, but the fried shrimp weakly nodded.


    ¡°There were also children of the guitarist, bassist, and drummer. Do you know why they took stage names to hide their real names? Because they were all from different world powers and they only managed to meet thanks to the bizarre intermingling found here in the Northern Restricted Zone. But that was inconvenient when it came to rising to the world stage. They hid satirical criticism of war in their lyrics because it was their dream to one day play a world tour without hiding their names.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The fried shrimp did not seem familiar with Boy Racer¡¯s songs themselves.


    So why did she know this behind-the-scenes information that not even Mariydi knew? Because she had directly spoken with people close to the band members who had since disappeared.


    ¡°Remember the girl with the side ponytail who was protesting with a placard saying ¡®give back my sister¡¯? That was Eleanor Mojito and one of the daughters of that vocalist you like so much. I don¡¯t know what she thought about rock, but I do remember that she liked to sing. I believe she and her twin sister were always humming improvised songs.¡±


    ¡°A treasure worth 50 billion dollars, hm? If they inherited his musical talent, that might be truer than you think.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like converting people¡¯s lives into dollar amounts like that,¡± cut in Nancy. ¡°I was worried about her, but since I faked military records to go save them, I can¡¯t go talk to her in front of a crowd. She seemed to be carrying a prepaid cellphone, so I¡¯m tracking its signal. I have it set to send me an alert if she comes within a certain range of a military radio signal.¡±


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t think you had a computer on you.¡±


    ¡°I said you can get a prepaid cellphone here, right? Besides, even a payphone can be used to run an embedded program that queries an account at a local bank. Of course, that¡¯s an emergency method that only allows strict preset commands found in the data list.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure she should be participating in the protest? Whether you intervene or not, that protest is going to be monitored.¡±


    ¡°Of course she shouldn¡¯t be. But as I said, contacting her in a major way is too dangerous when the protest is being monitored. But the protest seems to be a continuous thing, so I hope she¡¯s managed to blend in well enough.¡±


    If government agents stormed into a peaceful protest and took away a child participant without giving a proper reason, it could easily develop into a major riot when word got around. The people who secretly wanted to create a ¡®tragic legend¡¯ did not want the spotlight shined on them. The villains wanted to create a Marie Antoinette, not a Joan of Arc. In that sense, taking refuge within the public eye of a protest was not a bad choice.


    ¡°...But even that will fail if the reactor sleeping in the center of the city blows up.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    There was a quiet sound.


    Mariydi operated the tablet and the drones on the ground began spinning their small propellers.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to brag, but as na?ve as I might be, I am a pacifist. I don¡¯t think I will ever fit in here in the Northern Restricted Zone.¡±


    Once the rotation speed reached a certain point, the toy-like machines broke free of gravity¡¯s invisible bonds. Once they began floating, it did not take long.


    As if watching a certain kind of paper lantern, Nancy the Glasses Fried Shrimp looked up as the military weapons flew up into the night sky.


    And she made a clear statement.


    ¡°But I have a reason to want to kill the bastards hiding in the shadows here. So let me help you until we¡¯ve done that.¡±


    There was a dull sound.


    Mariydi and Nancy lightly bumped their fists together.


    They looked away from the flying drones and opened the doors to the military truck.


    The hard rock of Boy Racer burst from the handheld music player. But the meaning contained in those deep notes had entirely changed.


    Round 1 of the counterattack had begun.

 Volume 13, Track 12: Signal Break

    Volume 13, Track 12: Signal Break


    The great explosion overhead was surrounded by a vortex of wind that seemed dragged in from every direction. After the direct wind damage, the television, radio, cellphone, internet, and other wired and wireless communication media were cut.


    ¡°Wah, wah, wahhh!!¡±


    ¡°Stop, don¡¯t go outside, boy! Tons of deadly weapons on legs are making a mess of things out there, so stay inside!!¡±


    ¡°But, papa, a masked guy just went flying. Like a horse had kicked him.¡±


    ¡°That was a robber trying to use the confusion to get in our shop!!¡±


    The chaos had brought the Divided City of Valhalla to a state of panic and Mariydi skillfully drove through it all. She was moving at speeds where a vehicle with the usual weak tire grip would have been sliding all over the place. Visibility was poor thanks to all the gray dust, so most of the wiser drivers had stopped on the curb to wait it out. That meant Mariydi and the fried shrimp could smoothly drive around without worrying about accidents or congestion.


    The younger girl spoke as she listened to a Boy Racer masterpiece.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it mainly the police cars and rescue vehicles getting into accidents? Come on, people. You¡¯re not getting paid overtime no matter how hard you work here, so just pull over. Well, those vehicles are built tough, so running into a road sign probably won¡¯t injure them too badly.¡±


    ¡°H-how long will this fool the villaaaiiins?¡±


    ¡°We just have to pray an overly curious radio lover doesn¡¯t try to leave the city with their prized collection.¡±


    Mariydi was flooring the accelerator, but she did not actually have a set destination in mind. For the time being, she drove toward the Information Alliance exit surrounded by the artificial mountains.


    ¡°Can...hear...ydi! ...tons of...gnals...ying around. ...an emergen...easily...the encrypt... We¡¯re...begin...decryption!¡±


    Mariydi clicked her tongue as she turned a dial on the military radio that had been installed separately to the stereo.


    ¡°Damn, we¡¯re being hit by the electronic interference we put in place. We need to contact the intelligence division group that left the city!¡±


    ¡°Seeing all this chaos here, I can only assume they managed to cut the connections out of the cityyy.¡±


    The wired connections within the city were still up, so the traffic control center was safe. It was fortunate the traffic light controls were working. Mariydi did not want secondary damages.


    The Information Alliance soldiers supposedly had a gate set up at the Divided City of Valhalla¡¯s entrance, but they must have left to rescue people because the station was empty. There was no need to even get out of the truck. When Nancy glanced over and snapped her fingers, the metal claws of the spike lock retracted into the road. Even with the powerful electronic interference, a signal could apparently reach from a meter away.


    After finally exiting the city, Mariydi asked the fried shrimp in the passenger seat a question.


    ¡°Be honest: how much can hackers really do?¡±


    ¡°Once you know how it works, it¡¯s actually extremely restrictive and not very convenient. Just like stage magic, the trick is to make it look like you can do anything.¡±


    Even in the dark mountains, the communications situation did not recover.


    Only once the lights of the city had completely vanished did a clear voice break through the static that seemed to stab into their brains. It was the middle-aged intelligence agent.


    ¡°Can you hear me, Mariydi? I¡¯ve been calling into this thing all night long and I really don¡¯t want that to continue through to dawn!¡±


    ¡°We somehow managed to leave the city. How goes the main task?¡±


    When she stopped the truck, Nancy looked back and cried out.


    ¡°Wowww...¡±


    Mariydi checked in the side mirror and saw something like an impressive pure white world tree towering above the city. Needless to say, that was the perfectly safe mushroom cloud that they had created. The actual damages were nearly zero, but anyone who saw it from a distance would have their heart crushed by worry. The Valhalla residents may have only been so calm because they were too close to see it all.


    ¡°So I finally got through,¡± said the middle-aged man. ¡°We successfully severed the primarily fiber optic cables out of the city to match the timing of the explosion. The Divided City of Valhalla is entirely isolated. Since then, we have intercepted a total of 5,023,619 wireless transmissions in the vicinity. The world was shocked awake, Mariydi.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but you¡¯ve managed to single out some of those transmissions, right? We don¡¯t have time to deal with an amateur paparazzo armed with only a cellphone or a video-maker who wants to be famous.¡±


    ¡°A lot of them were military transmissions, but we found some that used ridiculously powerful encryption and yet didn¡¯t match the standards of any of the 4 world powers. We decrypted it by borrowing a supercomputer used to develop new drugs at a California biochemistry university, so we can give you the original messages. The transmissions themselves were short. They probably only decided to meet up somewhere and left the details for that meeting.¡±


    ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rely on us for everything. Listen to it for yourself.¡±


    Mariydi grimaced when he practically spat those words out at her. At middle age, he simply did not understand modern kids who liked to check a video site to see how something ended before watching it.


    Then the voice data played from the radio.


    ¡°Who was it? Who inserted the key!? There is an etiquette to making information attacks. If you don¡¯t contact me in advance, I can¡¯t make my preparations for manipulating public opinion!¡±


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t say anymore on the signal. This might be an unofficial line, but we never know who could be recording this!¡±


    ¡°Besides, we had it set up so you need to physically enter 4 passwords and we each set one of them. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible input the detonation code without agreement from all 4 of us.¡±


    ¡°...Doesn¡¯t this mean someone got ahead of us?¡±


    ¡°But who!?¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t say anymore here. Let¡¯s meet in person.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Safety measures are great, but this is spreading beyond our plans with every passing second. We can¡¯t spend time on preparations.¡±


    ¡°And we can¡¯t use our ¡®usual spot¡¯ since Valhalla was blown away.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. ...Then we¡¯ll just have to use the next point.¡±


    ¡°Where is the next point?¡±


    ¡°There.¡±


    Once done listening, Mariydi lightly tapped her own temple with her index finger.


    And she asked a question.


    ¡°Can we use the voiceprints as evidence?¡±


    ¡°We decrypted it using an illegal method, so there¡¯s no way we can submit that at a court martial. And this was using a codebook for data compression. Just like cellphone tech, it was only using mechanical presets arranged to reproduce the sounds and inflection of the original voice. You understand now, don¡¯t you? This isn¡¯t actually the physical voices, so you can¡¯t extract a voiceprint from it. You¡¯ll only find some electronic tones that sound as much like the real person as possible. This data could theoretically be produced with a computer music program or synthesizer so it can¡¯t prove anything. This can¡¯t push back their full chorus of lawyers.¡±


    ¡°...Then let¡¯s quit getting sidetracked and focus on the real issue: is this conversation enough to determine their meeting spot?¡±


    ¡°If I knew the answer, do you really think I would have presented this like a quiz show? We have better things to be doing.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!! All this and it didn¡¯t get us anything!? Once they recover from their confusion, we¡¯ll lose our one and only shot at this!!¡±


    Mariydi gave herself over to the hard rock, pressed the back of her head against the driver¡¯s seat headrest, and took a deep breath.


    (Think. Complaining isn¡¯t going to make the answer appear.)


    Whatever they were going to do, they had no time. She had to find the villains¡¯ meeting place and fire a missile into their table to blow all 4 of them away. And that meant taking action before the meeting was over.


    (This situation had to be highly unexpected for them. They won¡¯t be able to use their usual place below Valhalla, but they also can¡¯t all gather somewhere without guaranteed safety. Just snapping a photo of a meeting between 4 VIPs carrying classified information from each world power could easily get them charged with treason.)


    The world seemed to expand infinitely before her eyes, but if she ruled out all of the impossibilities and connected the remaining dots, the path would narrow down considerably.


    (They will almost certainly choose somewhere they can all meet right away out of the options they have on hand. ...But where exactly is that? Even these villains will only have a limited number of usable locations in the Northern Restricted Zone. I¡¯ve been pursued by the troops at their command far too many times already. That should give me an idea of what kind of resources they have.)


    The Information Alliance¡¯s Thor¡¯s Hammer SAM network which used a great number of missile containers along with a limited number of mobile radar devices.


    The abandoned highway battle in which their supposed allies from the Capitalist Corporations had pursued them with a heavy machinegun.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s stranded L?vateinn combat train and the zombies created by infecting the soldiers¡¯ corpses with rabies molecular motors.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Punish Squadron and the Capitalist Corporations Ice Squadron that had supposedly arrived to rescue her but had forced her back to the surface.


    The grounded Faith Organization¡¯s Naglfar Argo-class battlecruiser used to decrypt the flight recorder.


    The Divided City of Valhalla where a reactor slept below the city of a million.


    ¡°...¡±


    ...None of those seemed to suggest a comfortable place for the villains from the 4 world powers to settle down. But that may have only been because Mariydi still did not have a view of the whole situation. In that case, where was the blank black box that still contained a mystery she had yet to see?


    She only had to think about it for a moment.


    There was only one answer.


    ¡°...The rabies molecular motors.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t draw out that sound, can I assume you¡¯re taking this seriously? Unlike everything else we¡¯ve come across, we still don¡¯t know which faction released those rabies molecular motors. Those shut-in villains have been attacking us with the official troops of the world powers by falsifying documents, but that was the one point where they thought that wasn¡¯t enough, panicked, and sent in one of their secret weapons. That¡¯s why it felt so odd. That¡¯s why it stands out.¡±


    ¡°But how does that help us? Are you suggesting we search for someone infected with the rabies molecular motors and check the microscopic components for information on the manufacturer?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to look into it that deeply.¡± Mariydi took a slow breath. ¡°You couldn¡¯t normally get permission to produce an inhumane weapon like rabies molecular motors. The smallpox-based one I¡¯m familiar with apparently had to do a lot of fighting with the paperwork and that was when it was officially only a tiny amount for a proof of concept. To set up a mass-production system and distribute it as a chemical weapon would require a secret factory, but that introduces some limitations. It¡¯s the same as a semiconductor plant. You would need a cleanroom without even a speck of dust and ultra pure water composed of only pure H20. That kind of environment isn¡¯t easy to come by in the Northern Restricted Zone where everywhere is shaken by constant bombing and shelling. And this violates international treaties, so they can¡¯t let anyone see what they¡¯re doing. That means they can¡¯t borrow a factory in one of the cities protected by a fragile myth of peace.¡±


    Anyone could freely view the earth¡¯s surface with civilian satellites. Secret labs had been built in the middle of the mountains or desert in the past, but that would only stand out now. Even if battlefields were whited out, no one would be stupid enough to rely on that fact.


    That meant they would likely reuse an existing facility. The Northern Restricted Zone was a quagmire of a battlefield where the borders were constantly redrawn like a moving amoeba, so quite a few cities or roads between villages had been abandoned in the process. There were somethings one can reuse without catching much attention on the satellite. Just like how the Thor¡¯s Hammer¡¯s mobile radar had driven around on the roads while disguised as a school bus or large truck.


    ¡°It would have to be a large enough space to carry in a lot of equipment and materials where the satellites can¡¯t see and it would have to be sturdy enough to not crack when exposed to bombs and shells. They would want to reuse something built for civilian use instead of something originally developed for military use.¡±


    She lined up the requirements, eliminated the impossibilities, and worked out the outlines of the answer like carving a human sculpture out of a rectangular block of stone. There was more to this than simple logic. Mariydi¡¯s choices were guided by her ample experience fighting in the Northern Restricted Zone.


    And she ultimately found the answer.


    ¡°...A tunnel, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said the middle-aged man. ¡°I sort of remember hearing about abandoned tunnels being reused as wine cellars. That and for growing white asparagus, I think.¡±


    ¡°It would have to be quite long, but the ones that run all the way through a mountain can be longer than ten kilometers. Looking at the overall volume, they would have more space than a school to work with. And if it¡¯s a tunnel in a forest away from any major cities, they could easily collect the clean water needed to make ultra pure water. Places like that were considered for emergency runways for fighters to take off and land away from the bombings. A small aircraft meant for taking off from and landing on highways was even developed here in Scandinavia. That means it would be plenty strong as a bomb shelter. Plus, a sealed tunnel will already have giant ventilation ducts and a spare power source to release the exhaust. If they used that to generate their own power, no one would notice the power they used. ...I could list more, but no other location would be better for a secret factory.¡±


    If vehicles kept driving into a supposedly abandoned tunnel, someone might get suspicious, but nothing said the tunnel had just the 2 entrances. In case of accidents, emergency exits were generally prepared at even intervals, but those would be deep in the forest. With the branches spread out overhead like an umbrella, the satellites could not tell if anyone was going in or out.


    ¡°But, Mariydi, there have to be hundreds of those abandoned tunnels. This is the Northern Restricted Zone, known for the beautiful fjords created by the ocean and mountains.¡±


    ¡°I know that. And that¡¯s why they¡¯re hiding their tree in the forest. If they wanted an even sturdier facility, there are plenty of candidates, like an old power plant. But something you can find anywhere is perfect for them. That part is important.¡±


    ¡°...Act smug all you want, but how are you going to find the right one? You can¡¯t exactly start from the north and work south.¡±


    ¡°Well, I doubt it will be as easy as checking for exhaust heat with a satellite.¡± Mariydi slowly licked her lovely lips. ¡°The majority of the Northern Restricted Zone will be whited out and unviewable on civilian map apps, but we just have to pray that you in the intelligence division have been doing your job. It needs to be away from any cities and near a source of natural water clean enough to make ultra pure water, it needs to have more than 5 kilometers of space for both the factory and the soldiers¡¯ living space, and it needs to be near the base of a solid mountain so it¡¯s deep enough to endure anything short of a bunker buster. Can you search for those conditions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got 83 search results.¡±


    ¡°Add in that the tunnel interior can¡¯t be directly entered from the 2 main entrances because they¡¯ve caved in or the bridge leading to them has collapsed.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. Um...still 19 results.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll add one more thing. Check the records of the local police or the MPs in Valhalla. Check for tunnels with a lot of suicides, accidents, missing people, and other unnatural incidents after it was abandoned. In other words, check for traces of witnesses being erased when they approached on a hike or drive.¡±


    ¡°That brought it down to exactly 1. Hvergelmir Loop. It¡¯s a circular loop tunnel that cuts through the mountain at a height of 500 meters. Instead of passing through the mountain, it¡¯s a junction allowing you to exit at various points around the mountain. Of course, all of the exits have been sealed off by collapses. ...Are you a legendary profiler or something???¡±


    ¡°This was only from a few hundred options, so it¡¯s nothing compared to web searches that check through the 10 or 20 billion sites that outnumber the population of the earth. Now hurry up and hand over the map data.¡±


    With that answer, Mariydi restarted the military truck¡¯s engine.


    The fried shrimp in the passenger seat began to panic.


    ¡°Are we on our way to go attack that secret factoryyy!?¡±


    ¡°That depends. Where exactly is it located?¡±


    ¡°Pretty far away,¡± answered the man. ¡°It¡¯s 200km away as the bird flies. And since the roads weave back and forth along the fjords, that¡¯s a tragic distance.¡±


    ¡°You heard him.¡±


    Besides, that was somewhere sturdy enough for the world¡¯s 4 villains to gather without worry. Mariydi doubted 1 expert and 1 amateur could do any damage charging in with a knife and a gun.


    ¡°So did you procure what I asked for?¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear, this is a piece of junk from the Northern Restricted Zone, so caveat emptor,¡± said the man. ¡°It¡¯s too late if you later realize it¡¯s missing a crucial part inside.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Hmmmm???¡±


    The fried shrimp was getting annoying, but Mariydi continued driving the truck regardless.


    They arrived in the middle of the highway instead of a set location.


    The blond girl retrieved her handheld music player, left the truck, and saw some men lined up across the road, shining flashlights on the ground, and slowly walking along.


    ¡°Hi. You¡¯re even cleaning up the trash for me?¡±


    ¡°We chose low-pressure tires meant for field battles, but don¡¯t trust them too much. Generally speaking, stepping on a single screw could mean a failed takeoff and a giant fireball around you.¡±


    ¡°Takeoffff?¡±


    The glasses fried shrimp was full of questions.


    In the darkness, Mariydi took a military flashlight that doubled as a club from the middle-aged intelligence agent and shined the light in a different direction.


    Nancy let out a short shriek when she saw what was there:


    A large dump truck with a thick sheet over the back.


    And a gray-winged fighter that had likely been assembled from the dump truck¡¯s contents.


    Mariydi had the look of someone who had heard their favorite song playing on a restaurant¡¯s sound system.


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations Zig-27, hm? Good job.¡±


    ¡°Wh-wh-wh-why is there a fighter herrrre!?¡±


    ¡°Because we bought one off the black market, of course.¡±


    ¡°Hey, miss, you make it sound simple, but procuring that thing was anything but easy! Especially when you insisted on that large Capitalist Corporations twin-engine model!!¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I honestly praised you for doing a good job. Good boy, good boy.¡±


    Mariydi let out an exasperated sigh and patted the worn-out middle-aged man¡¯s head as she looked over at the fried shrimp.


    ¡°Procuring a whole fighter would be difficult, but this is the Northern Restricted Zone. How many do you think are shot down here on a daily basis? By swiping the usable parts from multiple downed fighters, you can create a whole one. The only problem is that they get sold for ridiculous prices because people think they¡¯re brilliant craftsmen just for putting together parts they picked off the ground.¡±


    ¡°...And there are also ones that don¡¯t know what the completed fighter is supposed to look like and end up with an original aircraft made from different fighters¡¯ parts. It¡¯s like they gather all the robot arms and weapons and stick them all on there because they like how it looks.¡±


    ¡°This one was made by a proper ¡®craftsman¡¯, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but those certificates have been counterfeited lately, so they aren¡¯t all that trustworthy.¡±


    It was all about supply and demand.


    In the Northern Restricted Zone, people would gather the parts of crashed fighters like a troublesome old man that gathered old newspapers and magazines bundled up on the porch for recycling.


    ¡°...!?¡±


    The fried shrimp did not seem able to speak properly, so she simply flapped her mouth wordlessly and looked to the middle-aged intelligence agent. She was long past expecting to understand Mariydi¡¯s craziness, but her expression said she at least wanted an explanation of how their entire organization could put up with that craziness.


    ¡°This is the Capitalist Corporations way.¡± The man¡¯s response could not have been simpler. ¡°It turns out our great leader, Mariydi Whitewitch, was even wealthier than we thought. The high-ranking...sorry, high-earning soldiers who never have a chance to spend their money are a frightening thing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one that said there¡¯s more to money than just earning it and the true value is in spending it. ....Do you accept credit cards?¡±


    ¡°You even have an unlimited black card, do you? Frightening indeed. And not many people in any one credit card company are double-strikethrough VIP customers that don¡¯t leave their name in the records! Thank you very much!!¡±


    An incredibly dark handshake was exchanged in front of the glasses girl.


    Nancy held a hand to her forehead. Was there some kind of morals-destroying magnetism leaking into the Northern Restricted Zone?


    Meanwhile, Mariydi climbed the access ladder and hopped into the fighter through the opened canopy.


    ¡°You¡¯ve completed the system check, I assume. What about the physical tests?¡±


    ¡°Our engineer lit the engine and tested the tail flaps, but we didn¡¯t do a real wind tunnel test. The welding might come undone, causing it to fall apart as soon as you take flight, but that¡¯s outside of what we can support.¡±


    ¡°You heard him.¡± Mariydi gave a truly cruel smile. ¡°What¡¯ll it be, fried shrimp? There hasn¡¯t been a proper test flight and the same goes for a test of the single-use ejection device. In other words, flying in this carries the risk of death. Are you still going to stick with me?¡±


    ¡°As long as there¡¯s at least one thing I can do for those children.¡±


    ¡°No hesitation, huh? To be honest, you probably won¡¯t be anything more than a burden, but hop in already.¡±


    The middle-aged intelligence agent¡¯s eyes followed the glasses fried shrimp¡¯s butt as she nervously climbed the access ladder, but then he frowned a little.


    He spoke up while staring at that butt enough to get tired of it.


    ¡°Hey, miss, don¡¯t you need a g-suit? We did buy both the top and bottom.¡±


    ¡°Yessssss!? I-if you have one, I¡¯ll put it on! There¡¯s no real reason not to!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s used, so it¡¯ll be a one-size-fits-all model that a corpse was wearing in a crashed fighter, right? She has no tolerance for that kind of thing, so she¡¯ll probably puke.¡±


    She started groaning just imagining it, so putting one on her would not end well.


    Incidentally, reusing the pieces of crashed fighters meant they were closing themselves inside a used coffin, but Mariydi left that unsaid because she did not want the older girl to fill her new fighter with vomit.


    Nancy had no choice but to tearfully tie cords around her thighs and Mariydi casually spoke to her while listening to a Boy Racer masterpiece from her handheld music player.


    ¡°I won¡¯t save you even if you blackout. As long as I¡¯m wide awake, we won¡¯t crash. I don¡¯t care if your eyes roll back in your head and you foam at the mouth, but try not to bite your tongue.¡±


    ¡°Huh, huhhh? Does that mean we¡¯re about to begin an unprecedented kind of torturrrre!? Is this divine punishment for trying to act coooool!?¡±


    Mariydi was not about to go along with her complaints, so she closed the canopy. Some might view that as trapping the fried shrimp in the cockpit. The middle-aged man gestured to let her know everyone was away from the back of the aircraft, so Mariydi followed the proper procedure to ignite the engine.


    The vehicles lined up along either side of the highway switched their headlights on one after another. In no time, a makeshift runway appeared in the darkness of the night.


    The preparations were complete.


    ¡°Welcome to the world¡¯s greatest centrifuge.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to turn me into butter or soooaaap!?¡±


    The twin-engine fighter rapidly accelerated while held to the ground by gravity, but the aircraft was meant to travel through the sky. It passed 200kph in no time, the air resistance became lift, and the mass of composite armor began to float up from the highway.


    These speeds were greater than the average sports car, but it felt like swimming in molasses. It was the same as how watching a video of skydiving for too long made it look like the divers were actually ascending.


    ¡°The distance is only about 200km, so we¡¯ll arrive in just a few minutes like this. Prepare yourself.¡±


    ¡°Obh, obah, obabababababababah!!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that weird noise for? Are you the kind of person whose sexual awakening came courtesy of her bike seat? I¡¯ll admit the vibration of the engine penetrates your entire body, but try not to enjoy it that way.¡±


    While operating her music player to select one of her favorite rock numbers, Mariydi aimed toward their destination with even her head shaking. There was nothing but mountains large and small all around, but human vision was a mysterious thing. When you focused too strongly in a single direction, that direction alone would look more ominous.


    Her slender fingers operated the LCD.


    Instead of a radar or map, she accessed a ¡°criminal confession¡± sent to the general internet via a video site. A blonde girl spoke in front of the video camera while wearing an octopus-like gas mask and a raincoat that hid her identity and body type.


    It was of course Mariydi Whitewitch herself and it was filmed by the Capitalist Corporations intelligence division men.


    In the video, she said the following:


    ¡°In the Capitalist Corporations style, we have obliterated the Divided City of Valhalla to destroy the giant underground bank that glorified a false prosperity built on lies that spreads chaos throughout the world economy. A toast to the global director who appropriately manages the world¡¯s assets. And we have a warning for the similar underground banks around the world. We will show no mercy, even if you exist within a safe country. We shall purge this planet of all underground banks. This was no more than the tutorial stage for a long-term game!! ...Oh, Lord Hayato, Lady Recess. We are filming at the moment, so try to stay out of frame.¡±


    She heard the middle-aged man chuckling over the radio.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we actually used their names like that. It¡¯s so badly done. Any idiot can tell it¡¯s a third-rate fake. Identity theft is a serious crime, you know? The Information Alliance is sure to be pissed when they see this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s actual truth behind our claims, so they can¡¯t just call it fake news. It¡¯s their turn to be manipulated. These villains are soldiers, so once the organization gets moving, they can¡¯t stop it.¡±


    ¡°You mean they¡¯ll give the go-sign for an attack on the Hvergelmir Loop?¡±


    ¡°The very mission they electronically signed for will drop a bomb right on their heads. A fitting end for them, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    With a derisive snort, Mariydi shifted her focus from the radio to the back seat.


    ¡°If there really is a secret factory in that abandoned tunnel, their alarm network will have detected us from the moment we took off. There are going to be anti-air weapons all throughout the forests here. Such as missiles and guns hidden below the tree branches or under plastic sheets.¡±


    ¡°Dobh, what, gabh, will you, dobh, do about, gahh, thaaat?¡±


    The fried shrimp seemed to be full of odd noises, but Mariydi¡¯s answer was simple.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we¡¯re not playing a bullet hell game, so we have limited ammo. We can¡¯t just blow them all up. And even if this is a large fighter, we need to preserve the armaments hanging from its wings.¡±


    Island Nation swords were famous for the sword fights in period dramas, but they actually became useless due to all the blood and fat after cutting down a few people in a single battle. Similarly, fighters were not designed to single-handedly take on a great number of enemies in a long-term battle.


    Meaning...


    ¡°We¡¯ll use our speed to shake all the unnecessary ones. Sorry, but this is about to get pretty acrobatic. I mentioned that your blood will gather in your ankles under high Gs, right? For the same reason, if you don¡¯t keep things tight in the crotch, gravity will make you wet yourself whether you want to or not, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°Ohhhhhhhhhh, honestlyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!¡±


    The hard rock song changed and the fried shrimp screamed as the large twin-engine Zig-27 fighter spun forcefully around.


    Spears with long and narrow trails of smoke rose from the surface and attacked their prey in the night sky, but there was nothing to fear since this was not the Thor¡¯s Hammer from before. The electronic armaments on the ends of the main wings scattered a jamming signal, the fighter made a sharp turn past the first wave, and it continued further and further in.


    ¡°Active Jammer: Defense Delta.¡±


    Heat sources, metal readings, communication signals, and more were used to calculate the location of targets in the mountains and target boxes were displayed there.


    ¡°Tanks and gunships, huh?¡±


    Mariydi kept the Zig-27 at an altitude of 500 meters to focus in the anti-surface battle while making sure not to crash into the mountains. The helicopter gunships could fly, but since they were stopped in the mountains which were only a few hundred meters, she could ignore them without even having to make a sweep with her regular gun.


    ¡°These are the guards of a secret factory they can¡¯t let anyone know exists. They must want to avoid flying too high and showing up on civilian CTs.¡±


    Modern helicopter gunships and tanks were equipped with SAMs, but these were apparently using multiple launch systems with warheads no larger than those used for shoulder-fired missiles. The bare-chested machos in movies could hit with perfect accuracy using those, but in actual battle, they tended not to hit unless you took careful aim from behind a fighter flying in a straight line just off the ground to make a sweep with its machinegun. The shoulder-fired missiles carried around by an individual were only an emergency method much like a fire extinguisher. Just as a fire extinguisher could not instantly put out any fire with no exceptions, shoulder-fired missiles were not made to handle every situation. Although having one on hand could still be a relief.


    That said, it was not all that easy.


    ¡°So they did have more hidden here. Are those Faith Organization Fefnirs? They really do love their VTOLs, don¡¯t they?¡±


    There were plenty of highways and tunnels in addition to the abandoned Hvergelmir Loop. Some small variable-sweep-wing fighters were taking off from those. Instead of using them as runways, they were dragged out onto them like heliports before rising vertically. If she had had the ammo necessary, Mariydi would have loved to destroy them before they took off, but that was not an option. This would all be for naught if she ran out of ammo before arriving at the abandoned tunnel she had to bomb.


    ¡°Uhb, if we pass by them, won¡¯t we be exposing our tail to them? Isn¡¯t that baaad!?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t often you bring up such a good point.¡±


    Dogfights were about taking up a position behind your opponent, so exposing your tail to them was of course bad. In fact, it was about the worst thing you could do.


    But this was not a problem.


    After all...


    ¡°The cavalry has arrived.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Just as Mariydi glanced down at the LCD radar display and made that comment, 3 masses of composite armor cut across the night sky as if forming a cross with her course.


    The shockwave of their passage just a few meters away shook Mariydi and Nancy¡¯s fighter. Nancy blinked in confusion in the rear seat, so had she even been able to see it?


    It was not a defense squadron sent in by the villains that had crossed their path.


    They were Capitalist Corporations Zig-27 multi-role righters just like the one Mariydi was piloting. If she had seen the emblem largely emblazoned on the main wings, would she have known who they were?


    That emblem was a blue maiden¡¯s silhouette carrying an ice crystal.


    Meaning...


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to unknown. Put out the usual signal on your IFF, leader!!¡±


    ¡°Were you idiots just waiting around for this moment?¡±


    ¡°Ice Horse 3. We¡¯re under your command. What should we do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll crush Hvergelmir with a damn heavy bunker buster, so don¡¯t worry about that. More importantly some Faith Organization Fefnirs are coming. Looks like 8 of them. I¡¯m not really in any position for a dogfight with this extra burden weighing me down. Swat down the perverted stalkers aiming for my ass, will you?¡±


    ¡°Ice Burn 4. Roger that!!¡±


    The trend of the battle quickly changed.


    The violence of numbers did exist in the world of aircrafts, but there was a world of difference between the Zig-27s which were already up to speed and the Fefnirs which were only just shifting their vectors from vertical to horizontal. The standard tack was of course to take out as many as possible before they could finish shifting into combat mode.


    Meanwhile, Mariydi alone charged deeper in.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to all. What about the others?¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2. Fighters generally can¡¯t just take off without permission. Unlike a certain someone I could mention.¡±


    ¡°So why¡¯d they give you tacit permission? Surely that previous trick wasn¡¯t that convincing.¡±


    ¡°Apparently, all of the Pilot Elites around the world who were ¡®shipped out¡¯ from Scandinavia could possibly go on strike. This could seriously jam the gears of war around the world, so the higher ups must be sweating bullets. Might make a good diet for them.¡±


    As Mariydi had pointed out when viewing the protest before, the true purpose of protests was for a large group to stop working and apply enough economic pressure for the leaders to sit down at the negotiating table. The Pilot Elites deployed across the world were doing that now.


    ...The faked video claiming responsibility for the bombing had only talked about the underground banks. It had not mentioned anything about Nancy or the children.


    But the Scandinavian Cinderellas created for the villains¡¯ business interests must have sensed some kind of message there. They seemed to be supporting someone who had not arrived in time for them and working to not create anyone else like them.


    ¡°Curse those high-paid monsters. They¡¯ve dug in their roots and hidden private troops all around the world.¡±


    ¡°Ice Horse 3. Don¡¯t say that. This is being treated like a recon mission. If we make enough of a scene to reveal the villains behind all this, the higher ups will get off their asses and do something about it.¡±


    ¡°That will take too long. We need to take out the villains before they can escape. I¡¯ll teach them who the star is here.¡±


    As they chatted, she approached the goal.


    The middle-aged intelligence agent must have been monitoring her position because he spoke up.


    ¡°You can¡¯t miss using a GPS smart bomb. The margin of error is 4cm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting an error on the LCD display, you moron. It can¡¯t link with the military satellite. You didn¡¯t activate the software right, did you?¡±


    This was only a hunk of junk pieced together from crashed fighters and forcibly loaded with a military OS the intelligence division had scrounged up. Then again, it would be a major problem if a device that was essentially a maliciously emulated version could slip past the authentication for a military datalink, so this failure might have been the correct result.


    ¡°Ice Horse 3 to commander. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? The fuse itself is still live, so I just have to drop it freefall-style.¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom, Information Alliance, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization.


    They had to be rushing around out at the moment, but as long as the damn heavy bunker buster broke through the rock and delivered its deadly fruit anywhere within the circular loop tunnel, the explosive flames and shockwave would fill every nook and cranny of the sealed space and reach the villains wherever they might be. They would be blown out like cleaning out a bath pipe.


    ¡°...Now, then. It¡¯s time to drop this damn heavy load.¡±


    She was only flying a collection of abandoned parts. Since it had not been properly activated over the Capitalist Corporations military datalink, she could not use GPS guidance or any other online weapons that received help from an external machine instead of relying only on the fighter itself. That meant she had to rely on an old-fashioned freefall drop that took into account altitude, speed, tilt, the bomb¡¯s weight, air resistance, gravity, the Coriolis effect, and plenty of other factors.


    Mariydi did not feel particularly nervous.


    She was given a guide display, but she did not rely on it too much. It was a little complicated, but it felt about as difficult as parallel parking in the city. That is, it seemed difficult until you were used to it, but you could just follow your instincts once you were used to it.


    This skill was seen as old-fashioned in an age full of online weapons where a missile was controlled by a military satellite or AWACS once it was fired, but actual wars were not just a collection of cool scenes like they were in movies. Poor maintenance could cause flames to burst from the engine just after takeoff, a weapon¡¯s radar lock could be rendered entirely useless by a poor connection in the wiring, and nothing more than the vibrations caused by air resistance could cause a crack in the base of the main wing. Those crises that would not make a good movie were all too common. And no matter how unreasonable things got, a soldier had to fight and survive to see tomorrow. In the quagmire of the Northern Restricted Zone it was not uncommon to hear stories of pilots using every trick in the book to keep their fighter in the air even with fire bursting from the engine and a crack in the main wing, using the speed of the aircraft and raising their nose to fire a missile like a javelin when it refused to lock, and safely returning after neutralizing the enemy¡¯s airfield.


    ¡°On your mark. Standby.¡±


    When making a freefall drop, it was important not to include any unnecessary vectors. Dropping it while flying in a straight line required fewer calculations than dropping it while flying in a curve. To increase the bomb¡¯s flight distance, you needed to raise your nose to drop it along a curved path. To increase its penetrative power, you needed to lower your nose to drop it while pointing toward the ground. But those techniques could be ignored when using a specialized bunker buster. It would be best to fly parallel to the ground in a straight line that did not shift to the left or right.


    She was only able to fly so straight on the battlefield because her wingmen were protecting her from behind. While feeling thankful for that, Mariydi prepared to make an accurate bombing.


    ¡°Five.¡±


    Five seconds might not seem like much, but a supersonic fighter would travel more than 340 meters in a second.


    ¡°Four.¡±


    And dropping this extra-large bunker buster bomb would fill the tunnel with explosive flames and kill every single person inside. Explosions in enclosed spaces were truly tragic. Even if it was 5 or 10 kilometers long, the extra-large flames would fill the entire tunnel in search of an exit.


    Not all of the researchers running the secret factory or soldiers guarding the tunnel were necessarily all that malicious. Even if they were assisting a mission that had to be kept a secret, they would have families or lovers and some of them might need the money to save a sick little sister or something. For that matter, the 4 villains themselves would have families and friends.


    ¡°Three.¡±


    But she would fire.


    Mariydi Whitewitch had become one with her weapon as she coldly and accurately counted down in preparation to drop the deadly fruit.


    ¡°Two.¡±


    This may have been the image Nancy Jolly-Roger most feared. This may have been the completed form of what she did not want the children she knew to become.


    Only the god in heaven would know what was right and what was wrong. Fully approving of Mariydi was no different from the villains who were abducting war-traumatized children and turning them into Pilot Elites, but fully rejecting Mariydi was the same as pulling back the sword that could save those children.


    Contradictions sometimes ran rampant in the world and those distortions tended to concentrate in the military. That was a fact proven by history.


    ¡°One.¡±


    Mariydi adjusted her fighter¡¯s vector and speed. All she had to do was release the bomb she held like a clutch and the extra-large aerial bomb would be dropped on the supposedly abandoned Hvergelmir Loop.


    ¡°Shoot. Shifting to strike check.¡±


    As soon as the bomb was released from the main wing, the aircraft tilted slightly. She had only pressed a single button, but that had created a discrepancy of more than a ton.


    Now that it was released, no one could change the bomb¡¯s course. She only had to watch it fall and accept the result.


    Or so it should have been.


    But Mariydi clicked her tongue and quickly moved the control column. The aircraft spun around and made a sharp turn as she did everything in her power to leave without waiting for the strike check.


    Immediately afterwards, something sharp and black stabbed through the slowly falling bunker buster bomb.


    This was not an attack from the kind of puny shoulder-fired missile commonly carried by infantry. However, it was also not a fighter hidden in another tunnel catching up to her.


    At nearly 30m, it was the same size as a large fighter. It had a single engine, but the silhouette was clearly different from any existing fighter. There was no division between fuselage and wings and the black-painted aircraft¡¯s swollen base and sharp tip were reminiscent of a double-edged sword.


    It was more like a rocket or missile than an airplane.


    It had stopped the bunker buster by flying right into it.


    This triggered a large explosion nearby and the blast meant to roast the tunnel and blow up the villains instead nearly took out Mariydi¡¯s fighter. She was not shot down, but metal shrapnel tore at the aircraft like sharp claws.


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    ¡°Gyahh!?¡±


    ¡°Ice Burn 4 to Ice Girl 1!! Leader!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic! More importantly, what was that!?¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2. Another one is headed your way from diagonally down at 4 o¡¯clock. That¡¯s a blind spot for you, so roll out of the way!!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    She clicked her tongue and moved the control column.


    Her radar was never fully effective at close range, but this dot kept appearing and disappearing.


    (Stealth!?)


    Something black passed by at the spot she had just vacated.


    It was nearly 30 meters long. It was that large, but it only briefly flashed on the radar when blasting its engine or turning around such that it exposed its belly to her.


    It turned more sharply than a fighter, but it was not a single-use weapon like a missile. She had dodged the first charge, but it turned back around in a flash using movements that clearly surpassed the G-limits and then approached once more.


    And it did more than just try to crash into her. She was pursued by machinegun-fire and she was exposed to missile lock radar waves, so she could not stop clicking her tongue.


    ¡°Dammit, dammit, dammit!! What the hell is this thing!?¡±


    Unsurprisingly, AAMs were faster than fighters, they could turn better, and they persistently stuck to their target¡¯s tail. They would never hit otherwise.


    It might seem like the fighter itself should just be given the same solid fuel rocket system as the missiles, but that idea was not realistic.


    Missiles could turn so sharply because they were far lighter than fighters and they could fly so fast because they burned through their solid fuel that much quicker.


    Single-use missiles were not meant to return, so the design concept was fundamentally different. Building a fighter based on a missile¡¯s structure was bound to cause problems. And even if it worked, the internal Gs would kill the pilot.


    And yet...


    ¡°Ice Horse 3 to Ice Girl 1. We¡¯ve finished eliminating the Fefnirs. We will begin assisting you, commander!¡±


    ¡°Hurry it up.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, we should have it sandwiched, but I can¡¯t stay on its tail!!¡±


    Bright light and powerful pressure pressed in on her from a distance.


    ¡°Kssshhh!! ...ce Sword 2 to all. Be careful when intercepting them at close range. These are essentially missiles, not aircraft! Once they can¡¯t fly any further, they seem to ignite all their remaining explosives and fuel to take you out with them!¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I took a lot of shrapnel, but I can still fly!!¡±


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to Ice Sword 2. If the smoke from your main wing hasn¡¯t stopped in 120 seconds, bail out. And they can use the advantages of a missile to the very end? Goddammit!!¡±


    It continually fired on them like it was human, but that seemed to be meant to reduce their freedom of movement, not to shoot them down. So once it had them stopped, it would fly right into them and blow itself up once it was within definite lethal range. These were meant to be ¡°fired¡± not ¡°flown¡±.


    Their greatest attack was flying into the enemy, but they also had machineguns and AAMs and they had enough intelligence to fire chaff or flares to shake any counterattacks.


    ¡°Are they something like disposable brain missiles? How much do each of these bizarre things cost to fire!?¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to Ice Girl 1. They use sharp turns and deception weapons to escape our radar and IR and then register us as a candidate target for flying into. Don¡¯t let your guard down even if you launch a fire-and-forget missile.¡±


    Its overall shape was that of a double-edged sword that narrowed to a sharp point at the tip.


    But they would not have appeared out of thin air. If there was a weapon in the air, there had to be a platform that launched it. Even if they were stealth, the platform had to be quite nearby for them to not notice until they were so close.


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to all. Focus on the ocean. Something¡¯s coming from the inlet!¡±


    An especially large dot appeared on the radar.


    She could not hear anything while protected by a canopy that could withstand the shockwave of a sonic boom, but it had to have made quite a noise if observed from the ground.


    It was like nearly the entire coast had been disguised.


    The camouflage sheet with lots of real tree branches and leaves placed on top was removed and something far too large appeared from between the shark teeth of the sharp fjords.


    It looked small from the fighter¡¯s altitude, but given the scale, it had to be more than 700 meters.


    The overall silhouette was similar to a boomerang, but the design was clearly different from existing submarines and warships.


    Mariydi did not really know what it was, but she knew it was bad news.


    She trusted her instincts and immediately prepared to drop her sole remaining bunker buster on it.


    But it was just a slight bit faster.


    A white light burst from the entire smooth rear edge. By the time Mariydi narrowed her eyes at the bright light, the giant form was already gone from that spot. It had completely blasted itself forward. It was a marine weapon that floated in the black ocean, but it lived in the same supersonic world as airborne Mariydi.


    The 2 floats directly below it moved backwards and it began to look like a giant ray with 2 tails.


    The ray left the jagged fjord, entered the ocean, made a wide turn, and tried to point its nose her way. And it did more than just that. As Mariydi grimaced at missing her chance to attack, it launched long trails of smoke up from the flat island of its upper surface.


    They were all those double-edged sword weapons colored black with ferrite.


    These were an additional 20 of the same brain missiles as the one causing her so much trouble from behind.


    Their courses bent as they began pursuing Mariydi in a flash. They thought for themselves and pursued their target with inhumanly sharp maneuvers in order to envelop their targets in a flower of flames like a missile.


    ¡°Goddamn these things!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Ubweh!? Wh-wh-what is that thing!?¡±


    She should not have had time to answer the fried shrimp¡¯s question, but she still politely responded while continually moving the control column back and forth. She may have wanted to calm her own desire for an answer.


    ¡°Probably a GEM, or ground effect machine, but it¡¯s huge. From the looks of it, it might be even tougher than the L?vateinn combat train!!¡±


    It was something like a small island moving around the ocean faster than the speed of sound. She understood the principle behind it, but the sight was enough to make her dizzy.


    ¡°That...that huge thing...is a kind of airplaaaane!?¡±


    ¡°Like a hovercraft, it can only float just off the water¡¯s surface. Still, it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re using a fighter. If we had used a warship out at sea or a tank on the coast, we would¡¯ve been killed several times over by that speed and those brain missiles.¡±


    If the nearly 30m brain missiles it used were chemical missiles that relied on an oxidizer despite operating in the atmosphere, then it could be classified as a ground effect machine chemical missile bomber (GEMCMB).


    Since it had appeared now, it had to be one of the weapons protecting the villains. It was 700 meters wide. That was more than 10 Objects, which seemed like an unpleasant symbol. Once more, the 50 billion dollar price on Mariydi¡¯s head made an appearance.


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to Ice Girl 1. Might the villains be riding that thing?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± answered Mariydi while just barely dodging the approaching brain missiles.


    ¡°Dbhy, dbhy nhoooot!?¡±


    ¡°The same reason you¡¯re being tossed around back there. The 4 villains won¡¯t have a tolerance for a high-G environment. And the inertial intensity is influenced by the weight of the craft itself in addition to the speed and angle. Move that giant thing around like a fighter and I can¡¯t even imagine what the Gs are like inside it. A normal person would probably end up as something akin to butter.¡±


    That meant it was piloted by someone with the same special training...no, human experimentation as an Object¡¯s Pilot Elite, or it too was unmanned.


    The answer came from somewhere unexpected.


    It was the middle-aged intelligence agent.


    ¡°Mariydi!! We heard something interesting from the old ¡®craftsman¡¯ who put your fighter together. There was some big and secret job 2 or 3 years ago and a lot of people in his line of work were recruited, but he hasn¡¯t been able to contact any of them since. He claims it was the same principle as the architect who builds a king¡¯s castle: once the job was done, they were all ¡®silenced¡¯ so its secrets would not get out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little busy trying not to die! Is that sob story going anywhere!?¡±


    ¡°It turns out the data for the plans was recently sent to the old man. It was probably meant as final message on the verge of death. The plans were for an unbelievably unrealistic weapon, but tracing the money back from the recruiters in black led right to the 4 villains you¡¯re currently fighting with.¡±


    ¡°Was it a 700m-wide GEM?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like the end result of trying to make a world record with the world¡¯s largest pot of paella. I¡¯ll send you the data so you can view it on your LCD while we talk.¡±


    ¡°Send it to my wingmen too. If an unknown like me tried to send it to them, it might get rejected by the datalink firewall.¡±


    The middle-aged intelligence agent sounded like he could not believe what he was seeing.


    ¡°Its development codename is Wotan. That¡¯s an alternate name for a certain head god. It¡¯s an experimental weapon that had a laundry list of problems to solve: how to provide the lift to keep something that big afloat, what to do about the pilot given the insane Gs created by its movement, how to control the Gungnir high-speed high-mobility brain missiles, etc.¡±


    ¡°Why would they need to rely on something like that when Objects exist!? Those brain missiles might think for themselves and pursue their target with superhuman acrobatics, but they¡¯d be useless against a SAL. I don¡¯t see a use for them outside of filling in a gap in the Northern Restricted Zone!!¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± The man slowly rejected that idea. ¡°The villains are pro-war. And they¡¯re the ones that are sipping at the sweet nectar provided by the old-fashioned quagmire of the Northern Restricted Zone that lives on despite the modern clean wars. They would be in trouble if the people who control the wider world decided to get up and crush the savage Northern Restricted Zone. That means they have to avoid making something that does better than absolutely necessary. To soothe the pride of those using the Objects, they have to offer something every once in a while. They need some kind of obvious results from the Northern Restricted Zone.¡±


    ¡°...So they intentionally create a weapon that will fail in the wider world?¡±


    ¡°And they spent 50 billion dollars to do so. By keeping the Northern Restricted Zone as the laughing stock of the world, they maintain the power balance and further drive home the impression that this is a Galapagos that can¡¯t alter the trends of the world at large. They strengthen the clean war paradigm so that the Northern Restricted Zone is allowed to live on in the gaps. That¡¯s why they wanted a bizarre, dumb, and utterly misguided weapon.¡±


    Wotan was the head god, but also a god who lost his life in the final war.


    That was tragic for the pilot placed inside the thing.


    ¡°Ice Sword 2. That¡¯s awful.¡±


    Like the battery powering a toy doll as it marched toward a cliff¡¯s age, that person was doomed to be smashed along with the toy. Had they been deceived and kept ignorant of their fate, or were they prepared to protect the Northern Restricted Zone at all costs? Their body had likely been modified even more than a Pilot Elite¡¯s, so there was no aspect of this that worked in their favor.


    ...And with that in mind, Mariydi felt like she had touched the tail-end of some kind of incredible malice. Nancy Jolly-Roger was groaning behind her in the back seat of the fighter. What had that older girl come to the Northern Restricted Zone to do? What had her original job been?


    ¡°Those Cinderella Wizard people do some pretty tragic stuff,¡± said the middle-aged intelligence agent. ¡°I¡¯m not one to talk what with everything I¡¯ve done as an intelligence agent, but it was a shock to learn there¡¯s a group like that in the Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    The fried shrimp had nearly passed out, but now her shoulders jumped due to something other than the high Gs.


    ¡°They¡¯ve apparently thoroughly modified a kid¡¯s brain and forced her to act as the core of the giant weapons system. She has no will of her own as external electrical signals are sent in as commands, so she¡¯s like a human computer hooked up to a medical life support device. In other words, the fairy god mother prepared a lovely dress and glass slippers for the unhappy girl, but they were not meant to make the girl happy. They were meant to transform her into a product that would please the scumbag of a prince.¡±


    Nancy had contacted almost all of the scattered children.


    She had seen Eleanor, one of the twin girls, at Valhalla.


    Then who was the final one?


    There was only one possible name.


    Yes.


    Why had Eleanor been unable to find her identical twin no matter how much she wandered around?


    ¡°The pilot is named Necleka Mojito. Sex: Female. Age: 11. This is Cinderella Wizard¡¯s greatest offering and the final fortress protecting the piece-of-shit villains. I hate that it feels like they intentionally chose to use the daughter of a vocalist who hid criticisms of war in his songs!!¡±

 Volume 13, Track 13: End Off

    Volume 13, Track 13: End Off


    Nancy Jolly-Roger had a bullet wound in one arm, she was experiencing the extreme tension of combat which was still a new thing for her, and she was riding in a fighter without a g-suit. She had very nearly passed out, but her mind was shaken back to focus when she heard two particularly phrases through the hard rock:


    Cinderella Wizard.


    And Necleka Mojito.


    She recalled the small girl who had been wandering the dark nighttime streets with a handmade placard saying ¡°give back my sister¡±. This was that girl¡¯s identical twin.


    Nancy had never met them face-to-face, but she clearly recalled them innocently calling her ¡°teacher¡± over the internet line. She was slow and utterly useless outside of her field of expertise, but she had apparently looked like a perfect superhuman within the rectangular frame on the screen.


    She had been in the same Northern Restricted Zone as them, but she had been unable to directly wipe away their tears. She had been unable to physically protect them from the world¡¯s malice. She was not yet ready to be called an adult and she was not at all qualified to be known as a teacher.


    All she had been able to do was alter the flow of data and guide things toward a better conclusion.


    She had only done what she could from a position of safety while making sure no trouble could find its way back to her. She had simply viewed the distant disaster like someone seeing news of a distant war on TV and tossing some spare change in a collection box next to a convenience store register.


    But.


    But...


    ¡°I know. I really know.¡±


    Nancy Jolly-Roger would never forget the words that had changed her life.


    ¡°Our mom and dad didn¡¯t die in the war. My sister believes they did, but that¡¯s a lie. We were abandoned because we weren¡¯t wanted, weren¡¯t we?¡±


    It was true that the Northern Restricted Zone had a higher rate of abandoned children than elsewhere due to the many war damages. With so many war orphans, it was not difficult to slip a small child into the mix without being noticed. Some even arrived after faking trouble while on a trip.


    Boy Racer had been a world-famous rock band, so they had to have had more money than they knew what to do with. But because they were pacifists and hid criticism of the current age of war in their lyrics, the higher ups of the Capitalist Corporations had deemed them a threat and gotten them addicted to white powder.


    The white powder had destabilized them psychologically and the beautiful women of the honey traps had created unfixable cracks in their marriages. As the pressure had mounted, their own children had begun to seem like a heavy burden and they had ultimately made a horrible decision.


    But what did that matter?


    The parents may have been wrong to abandon their children, but the abandoned children could not be blamed for that.


    ¡°Hey, teacher.¡±


    And yet one of them had asked her a question.


    With a look far to weary for a child, the small girl had put on a mechanical smile with no hint of happiness behind it and spoke in a trembling voice.


    ¡°Is the child of a failure doomed to be a failure too...?¡±


    Nancy did not think the storybook idea of justice existed in this world.


    She was well aware her reasons for joining the military had been more realistic and based in a misguided, money-loving greed that told her to simply obey her superiors.


    But.


    But, but, but!


    Nancy Jolly-Roger had learned then that there were some things she could not allow to happen. What good was that special unit? How was that a merciful plan that granted the dream of a Cinderella story? Those children¡¯s lives were trapped in a labyrinth with no exit, but just when they thought someone had torn a hole in the wall from outside, they were captured by the Capitalist Corporations defense industry, shut in a pure white room, had strange drugs injected through a tube in their arm, and were forced right back to war but as the oppressor instead of the oppressed. They became the Pilot Elites who operated the colossal Objects. And they were imprinted with the mistaken idea that continuing the chain of violence by defeating their opponent was how to find happiness.


    Could she allow that?


    Not a chance!!


    So Nancy Jolly-Roger had remained in the most dangerous post to gather information as she manipulated her allies¡¯ information to create holes for their targets to escape. She had been surprised when containers and tanks had been piled up across the Sacred Forest as part of the so-called benevolent barrier, but that had not changed her stance. She had used every technique available to her to track down the scattered children and give them new identities. When she had been unable to find the final twins, she had visited the dangerous battlefield herself.


    She had been hoping somewhere in her heart that the reason she could not find those twins was because they had already found a hiding place completely out of the reach of the adults where they had true freedom.


    A small thorn had pricked her when she had seen one of the twins, Eleanor, holding that placard in the Divided City of Valhalla.


    Give back my sister.


    Those twins had always been inseparable, but now one of them was wandering the dark streets in search of the other. She had been unable to stop the anxiety from growing and growing after seeing that irregular scene.


    She should have considered the other possibility.


    If they had vanished from all records ¨C without even a death certificate being filed ¨C then there were 2 possibilities.


    The first was her optimistic hope that the children had hidden themselves so perfectly they utterly fooled the adults.


    But the second was that the adults had intentionally erased the children¡¯s records.


    And that was the result.


    That girl should have been able to greedily seek freedom and happiness without anyone getting in her way, but that had been sealed away by her own hand.


    ¡°To hell with thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!!!!¡±


    Her own roar finally succeeded in completely rousing Nancy Jolly-Roger¡¯s consciousness. She was experiencing inertial gravity of 9.5 Gs. Even expert fighter pilots wearing a specialized g-suit would be near passing out in that dangerous territory, but that did not matter.


    A girl who had not even been taught how to seek help was trapped inside a giant coffin like she was the jewel inside a jewelry box. She only needed to say ¡°help me¡±, but she did not recognize what this meant and she brushed it aside.


    So what did this pain matter?


    In fact, did this even count as pain?


    No matter what ups and downs she had experienced in life, if she fell asleep now, she would have to question why she had even been born. If she did not grab that small hand, her life would be meaningless. No matter the situation, she had to open her eyes now and face the hopelessly cruel and shitty world.


    Grow up.


    It¡¯s time to grow up right here and now!!


    ¡°...Send the plans here.¡±


    Even if she was wrong for the role, she had decided she would be those children¡¯s teacher.


    So she would finish what she had started. She could not pull back her outstretched hand until she had cleared a path for every last one of them.


    How could she allow herself to miss a single one?


    ¡°Send those goddamn plans back to my LCD!! Mariydiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!¡±


    It was Mariydi whose eyes widened in surprise at the sudden shout.


    ¡°Huh? Huhhh!? You, wait, when did you wake up!?¡±


    ¡°That was nothing. I was only getting a quick glimpse of heaven. And I remembered a number of things. So I can¡¯t look down again until I¡¯ve rescued Necleka from that Wotan thing.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute. I have to ask. Who¡¯s saving who here? Y¡¯know, acting cool here will put my life in dangerous too, so this is kind of the worst. I never said a thing about-...¡±


    Mariydi trailed off when an obvious electronic buzzer began sounding.


    She looked over and a red X-mark over the remaining missile count at the top of the LCD.


    ¡°You!? Don¡¯t just steal control of the FCS!!¡±


    ¡°...I won¡¯t let anyone shoot that girl. Not even you, Mariydi!!¡±


    Mariydi clicked her tongue without thinking.


    Fighter design did not consider the possibility of the two buddies arguing within the same cockpit, so there was nothing to be done if they tried to steal control from each other. And the back seat performed most of the weapons management and hit confirmation. There was no good solution and the brain missiles were still pursuing them. Mariydi did not have a single second of excess brain resources to divert away.


    ¡°What exactly do you want me to do!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m figuring that out now. Human thoughts can¡¯t be completely covered by algorithms because there will be uncertain emotions involved. But people are a lot easier to read when they¡¯re a piece of shit who¡¯s forgotten all about human emotion. After all, there¡¯s nothing but cold logic remaining. They tend to mistakenly think of that as a virtue, but they¡¯re dead wrong there. ...So keep us alive until I can find the answer!!¡±


    ¡°What kind of awakening is this? Did the high Gs tear your wrinkled-old hymen or something?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to teach you how to be polite while I¡¯m at it!?¡±


    ¡°Ow! Don¡¯t kick the back of my chair!! Okay, okay!! This thing¡¯s pieced together from crashed fighters, so the ejection seat could accidentally trigger at any time. Please stop, stop, stop!!¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to all. What do you think¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Ice Horse 3. Would you look at that. There¡¯s some good left in this world after all. I didn¡¯t think there were any adults willing to give our great demon queen a spanking.¡±


    ¡°You all prepare yourselves!!¡± tearfully shouted Mariydi, but unfortunately for her, technology had not reached the point that she could punch them over the radio.


    But even if she was able to use her missiles and regular gun, there would still be nothing she could do. She burned through her solid fuel without any thought for what she would need for the BtB trip and she could not properly get on the tail of the Gungnir brain missiles that made constant turns as sharp as an AAM while moving in toward her. No matter how much she blasted her jet engines and performed circus-like acrobatics such as the barrel roll and Pugachev¡¯s Cobra, her opponents calmly followed her, so she had no chance of turning things around. She had no way of intercepting them unless she had a missile that could fly backwards.


    But then the glasses demon whispered to her from behind.


    ¡°The Wotan mothership and Gungnir child crafts are a single online weapons system. That means they¡¯re connected by an electronic signal. Start by hitting them with an anti-missile ECM.¡±


    ¡°If that was enough for them to lose control, we wouldn¡¯t be having so much trouble! Those missiles think for themselves to pursue their target!!¡±


    ¡°But it will slightly delay their response. After that, fly straight down at a 90 degree angle.¡±


    ¡°...!?¡±


    Mariydi knew what she was trying to say, but that decision took courage even for a veteran pilot.


    And Nancy began to squirm behind her.


    ¡°Umm, is this the screw to undo the ejection seat¡¯s maintenance panel?¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine!!¡±


    ¡°Ice Burn 4. ...Oh, man. A tearful and obedient leader is kind of cute.¡±


    The Zig-27¡¯s nose turned to point straight down, as if to crash the fighter into the ground. No more explanation was necessary. Because they had no lives of their own, the multiple Gungnirs mechanically followed behind her and dived upside-down toward the ocean. It was hard to tell how far away the ocean was in the dark.


    (You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me...)


    If she pulled up too soon, it would be meaningless. Too late, and they would crash.


    ¡°Goddammit!!¡±


    Mariydi wailed like she had been infected by Nancy¡¯s words and she pulled the nose up at the very last second. She shifted from vertical to horizontal. She somehow managed keep them alive by skimming less than a meter off of the dark ocean surface. And the fried shrimp aimed her prepaid cellphone back over her shoulder. The device released a flash of light with the limiters removed.


    Under the effects of the ECM, the trailing brain missiles were ever-so-slightly slow to react. In the world of fighters, a few seconds was not a short time at all. They could not trust their radar, the distance to the dark ocean was difficult to grasp, and there was an unexpected flash of light. Despite their superior speed and maneuverability compared to Mariydi¡¯s fighter, they were slow to raise their noses, crashed into the ocean, and blossomed into a giant blazing flower.


    ¡°Ice Horse 3 to Ice Girl 1. Strike. You really are the MVP.¡±


    ¡°Flattery isn¡¯t going to work. I¡¯m never forgetting the humiliation I experienced today.¡±


    But the nightmare fried shrimp had apparently been paying no attention to whether they survived or not. She had displayed the Wotan¡¯s plans on her LCD and she zoomed in on various parts for details while muttering something under her breath.


    ¡°Extremely thick composite armor...various fire-extinguishing systems, buffering structures to divert blasts and shockwaves...chaff and flares equipped on the upper surface...chaff and flares? With this kind of defense, why would it still be afraid of attack???¡±


    ¡°Ms. Hyde, what are your next instructions?¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re clearly not the good Dr. Jekyll anymore!¡±


    That said, learning that the Gungnir brain missiles would lose their precision movements under the effects of an ECM was useful information. Mariydi chose to skim across the dark ocean at supersonic speeds as she approached the giant ray-like Wotan that weaved right and left. It would be firing more of its Gungnirs into the sky to pursue them, but that was no longer worth fearing.


    ¡°Uehhhh!?¡± shouted a voice on the radio.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to Ice Burn 4. Stay back. Let them all target me.¡±


    The same method would be unusable once the enemy analyzed the ECM and began controlling the brain missiles with a different frequency. In fact, the brain missiles might even start targeting her using the jamming signal.


    But...


    ¡°There are signal sources on the ocean too,¡± whispered the beautiful blonde girl. ¡°Course markers, ocean floor seismometers, tide measuring buoys, the chips implanted in dolphins for animal preservation, and more give off powerful signals. And since those signals are no more than waves, their wavelengths will combine when different ones collide. If they¡¯re worried about the same frequency as before, they¡¯ll soon regret it.¡±


    She zigzagged back and forth to draw a line between signal sources and she could tell the combined signals were throwing off the brain missiles¡¯ aim.


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to 1. That¡¯s not exactly reliable. And if it fails, you¡¯ll be shot down!¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s up the ante a little. I was getting sick of carrying this extra load around anyway.¡±


    A giant device was released from Mariydi¡¯s main wing as she skimmed across the ocean surface. It was the bunker buster. The large aerial bomb split the ocean, sank into the water, and immediately detonated before reaching the bottom.


    The shockwave only had to propagate through the seawater and provide great pressure.


    She smiled a little when she heard static running through the radio.


    ¡°Artificial earthquakes are a major factor in disturbing geomagnetism and screwing with the signals in a region.¡±


    This time, the brain missiles could not maintain their extreme low-altitude flight and collided with the water one after another. Meanwhile, Mariydi pursued her giant target.


    The Wotan GEMCMB had a top speed past the speed of sound, but it could only skim just above the surface. It simply could not turn as sharply as a fighter. Since it could race across the ocean at greater than Mach 2 while carrying more than 100 brain missiles, it was more devastating than a normal warship, but it could not keep up with the aerial martial arts.


    ¡°We¡¯re catching up. This is our chance to attack, so have you figured out what to do yet!?¡±


    ¡°...That thing is gigantic, so how does it...? Are these plans incomplete or abbreviated...? The air resistance and balance would be better with a honeycomb structure or domed structure using the air pressure difference...¡±


    ¡°Hey!!¡±


    The giant ray¡¯s back burst open in front of their eyes. Once more, long and narrow trails of smoke rose vertically as Gungnir brain missiles were launched. They soared behind Mariydi and then made sharp U-turns to pursue her.


    It was time.


    Mariydi clenched her teeth and adjusted her grip on the control column. She had worked hard for this chance, but they would have to redo it. But just as she thought that, the great demonic shrimp incarnation whispered to her from behind.


    ¡°Dive below it.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Dive directly below it.¡±


    She had no choice.


    Mariydi clicked her tongue especially loudly and steeled her resolve. She opened the afterburners and accelerated.


    She sent the fighter into the slight gab between the Wotan GEMCMB and the ocean surface.


    ¡°Wow! Ice Girl 1!?¡±


    ¡°Ice Horse 3. Curse that acrobatics-obsessed girl for always making me sweat like this...¡±


    Perhaps due to the narrow space, her radar went dead.


    The sword-like Gungnir brain missiles approaching from behind were not that skilled, so they crashed into the ocean and their mothership.


    ¡°Ice Burn 4 to Ice Girl 1. That¡¯s a strike on all of the Gungnirs! So don¡¯t worry about them!!¡±


    But she could not celebrate quite yet.


    Even the mercenary girl felt a chill in her gut.


    This really was only a narrow gap. When including the Zig-27¡¯s tail wing in the height, there was barely enough space. In all seriousness, she only had a few meters of leeway top to bottom. The waves below were being kept flat by the great force used to keep the 700m-wide colossus afloat, but that meant the slight space was a mess of intense air currents. Even with the support of the many sensors, a slight vertical shaking of the aircraft would mean instant death with no chance to bail out.


    (Dammit!!)


    There was no chance to attack down here. Even if she fired her regular gun or missiles forward, she would be unable to avoid the rain of shrapnel they would cause. Besides, if she did take out the Wotan right now, it would crash down on top of them.


    She had to focus on surviving.


    Showing your tail in a dogfight was the height of folly, but decelerating now could easily shake them badly enough to crash into the ocean below or Wotan above. She hated having to, but Mariydi accelerated further to pass between the Wotan GEMCMB and the ocean as quickly as possible. It felt like flying below a bridge.


    After bursting out from below the ray¡¯s nose, she flew straight up to ensure her safety. By decelerating while ascending, she slipped below the Wotan¡¯s legs and took up position behind it again.


    ¡°Ice Horse 3 to Ice Girl 1. What color were its panties?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you.¡±


    She then noticed something odd.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Ice...?¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2. What is it, leader?¡±


    There was something like white frost on the clear canopy. She turned her head and saw something similar on the top surface of the main wings.


    ¡°Icing? Damn. Did I catch too much ocean spray?¡±


    A thin layer of ice would freeze onto an aircraft¡¯s surface when flying in the cold, high-altitude air or due to the air pressure difference its own wings caused. It might seem no different from the frost on a window, but if it occurred over an intake opening or around the engine, it could cause the plane to stall or crash.


    And unfortunately, fighters had nothing like wipers, so they could not get rid of something plastered to the outside.


    But Nancy spoke up from the back seat like this was a happy result.


    ¡°I was right.¡±


    ¡°Right about what?¡±


    ¡°About how they support a 700m-wide mass of composite armor while it moves at Mach 2 or 3. That would normally not be possible. Even if they used the welding and bolts that support Objects and even if they used multiple columns, a honeycomb structure, or a dome structure supported by air, they couldn¡¯t stop it from destroying itself.¡±


    ¡°This is getting long. All, assist me.¡±


    ¡°Ice Burn 4. Roger that.¡±


    ¡°So how does it manage to exist?¡±


    Mariydi sounded skeptical, like she was seeing a giant ghost in the shimmering heat.


    This unexplainable impossibility was calmly floating in the air before her very eyes, but it was so absurd it made her question her simple worldview of only believing what she saw for herself.


    And Nancy Jolly-Roger gave her answer.


    ¡°The Wotan does not use any screws or bolts. The same goes for columns. I doubt it has any welding either.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°I thought the plans had to be abbreviated when I first saw them, but I was wrong. That trip below confirmed it for me. The Wotan doesn¡¯t need any of that.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to say it was made by Island Nation shrine carpenters, are you? If it doesn¡¯t use any screws, bolts, or welds, how is that giant thing held together?¡±


    ¡°Supersonic molecular beams.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about an amusing weapon.¡±


    ¡°No, this is accurate.¡± The fried shrimp continued from there. ¡°By releasing helium or another inert gas into a vacuum through an extremely narrow pipe, the molecules are aligned in the same direction and continue to accelerate until they break the sound barrier. That is known as a supersonic molecular beam. If you rob the molecules of heat in that state, they become ultra-low temperature isolated molecules.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to say they harden as ice, are you?¡±


    ¡°Before getting to that, the ultra-low temperature isolated molecules are closely related to the van der Waals force, the force that holds molecules together. That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t need any screws or bolts. By taking the narrow tubes needed to produce supersonic molecular beams and wiring them through the structure like blood vessels, it can directly strengthen the bonds between its molecules to construct that giant silhouette.¡±


    ¡°Between the molecules...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The ice on the fighter after diving below it was not icing due to an air pressure difference. It was likely the vaporized coolant escaping.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. My mind can¡¯t keep up. What does that mean? If you strengthen the bonds between the molecules forming a metal panel, will it still behave like a normal metal panel? Or will it become a panel far harder than anything seen before!?¡±


    ¡°Probably the latter. Even with composite armor, it wouldn¡¯t have remained so unharmed after being hit by its own Gungnirs. That¡¯s unthinkable in the supersonic world of normal aircrafts. The Wotan might be able to keep going even if a meteor crashed into it head-on.¡±


    More and more trails of smoke fired from the ray¡¯s upper armor.


    More than 20 of the Gungnir brain missiles were launched and they pursued Mariydi¡¯s fighter from behind.


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to all. Let¡¯s take care of these. Leader¡¯s freedom of movement takes top priority!¡±


    ¡°Ice Horse 3. Understood.¡±


    ¡°Ice Burn 4. Roger that!¡±


    While thanking her comrades, the beautiful blonde girl asked a question with a look of disbelief.


    ¡°How are we supposed to defeat something like that!?¡±


    Mariydi widened her eyes and adjusted her grip on the control column, but Nancy had a response prepared.


    ¡°We don¡¯t need any assistance. Fly straight up and then fire an AAM near its nose.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Missiles generally used a heat source or a radar lock responding to reflected waves, so it was difficult to target a specific part of something. However, Mariydi operated the LCD with her finger and made an image recognition lock on a specific part.


    But before actually firing the missile, the enemy made a new action when her radar waves hit it.


    A great quantity of metal film flew toward her like flower petals caught in a horizontal gust of wind.


    ¡°Wah!? What!? Is that all chaff!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s awful!!¡± said one of her wingmen. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be bad for the environment!!¡±


    Mariydi cried out at the great density just as the Gungnir guided weapons fell into the sea after being hit by their own mothership¡¯s interference weapon.


    ¡°Ice Horse 3. That¡¯s a strike on all of the Gungnirs.¡±


    ¡°Even the solid Wotan must not want an explosion getting soot and remnants of solid fuel on the nose¡¯s radar and cameras it uses to see and hear. If that happened, it couldn¡¯t continue skimming across the ocean and would probably crash.¡±


    ¡°So if we make a head-on attack and throw enough firepower at its nose, it¡¯ll crash and- gh!?¡±


    Mariydi¡¯s eyes widened as a kick hit the back of her seat.


    Nancy spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°If it crashes into the ocean without thinking about the angle of entry, the girl inside will be crushed, you combat-obsessed girl.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay! Just give me the answer already! In 140 characters!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason the ultra-solid armor using the van der Waals force created from supersonic molecular beams and ultra-low temperature isolated molecules isn¡¯t more widely used: that can only exist far outside a human environment. If you bring the temperature down below -100 degrees, create a vacuum, and fill the space with helium, people will suffocate to death. The Wotan must only have Necleka onboard hooked up to a life support device. Everything else will be done by the Gungnir brain missiles and maintenance robots. That means it wasn¡¯t a suitable standard for the current armies that still need flesh-and-blood infantry and maintenance soldiers.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point...?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell? To maintain the extremely strong van der Waals force, the air inside has to be kept below -100 degrees. We don¡¯t need to break the armor with an external force. If we can heat up the surface and get that heat to pass inside, the coolant will warm up and become useless. The molecules will lose their power to hold together, and the Wotan will fall apart on its own. It¡¯s because they feared that that it has so much chaff and flares equipped.¡±


    This weapon was supposedly meant to be destroyed to show it was a failure.


    It had seemed like this monster would change history if it left the Northern Restricted Zone, but that was apparently not the case.


    ¡°So it looks unbeatable at first, but repeated blasts from an Object¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon would heat it up and make it fall apart?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    It was the perfect bluff.


    It would show off a never-before-seen technology and then suffer utter defeat against an Object¡¯s direct firepower, thus proving to the world how absolute and insurmountable the existing technology was. That was this weapon¡¯s purpose.


    But it was hardly surprising that Nancy Jolly-Roger felt a quiet anger at having one of her students forcibly placed on that piece of junk.


    ¡°However, we don¡¯t have that kind of firepower. Can we really accomplish the same thing by firing missiles at it!?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be afraid if it didn¡¯t have a weakness. And I can see that fear in the design. I¡¯ll return control of the FCS.¡±


    A quiet sound filled the cockpit.


    It was Nancy¡¯s index finger tapping on a point on the LCD that shared information between the front and back seats.


    ¡°Right here. You already know how to guide it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Mariydi Whitewitch ascended in her large twin-engine Zig-27 fighter. After taking up position behind the Wotan GEMCMB as it continually weaved left and right just off the ocean, she was ready to make the final attack.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to all. Here I go. Everyone, cover me.¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2. Understood, leader.¡±


    ¡°Attack Alpha.¡±


    With that singsong announcement, Mariydi sent radar waves toward the 700m-wide target. She was targeting the protective cover for the cameras and radars on the very front.


    ¡°Attack Bravo. Attack Charlie.¡±


    With the lock complete, she actually fired a missile. The Wotan released a ton of metal film in response. The storm of chaff blew toward her like flower petals and the AAM strayed off in the wrong direction.


    ¡°Ice Burn 4. Miss. Red target is still active!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    But Mariydi stayed behind the fleeing Wotan and continued emitting radar waves. She could see how much it disliked that.


    (Are you gonna do it?)


    It was obvious when looking down from above.


    On the giant ray¡¯s surface armor, a right and left row of vertical missile launch tubes opened like on a submarine. The Gungnir brain missiles showed themselves.


    (Come on!!)


    She would not let them fire.


    In fact, that was Mariydi and Nancy¡¯s entire goal here.


    ¡°Attack Alpha. Attack Bravo.¡±


    She traced her thumb along the top of the control column.


    And she pressed firmly down.


    ¡°Attack Charlie!!¡±


    This time, she fired an AAM with the intention to hit.


    She did not have to break the armor with the explosion. As long as the heat made it inside and warmed the ultra-cooled environment, she could defeat the impregnable Wotan. And unlike the Wotan, the Gungnirs did not seem to be protected by supersonic molecular beams, ultra-low temperature isolated molecules, or the van der Waals force. She had seen them break apart like normal when they crashed into the ocean or their mothership.


    So if she could blow up the brain missiles in their launch tubes, the explosions would spread inside the Wotan and the flames would heat the frigid air within.


    ¡°Chaff confirmed.¡±


    The Wotan reacted to the AAM flying toward it while leaving behind a smoky trail. But the metal film chaff tended to flow back from the Wotan, so she did not have to worry about the storm swallowing up the AAM flying in from above.


    Which meant...


    ¡°Now some flares. Damn, I guess I can¡¯t follow all the details!!¡±


    The ray-like Wotan must have decided the flares would have little effect because more than 100 balls of light erupted from its top surface like fireworks. The false heat sources were supposed to lead the missile astray.


    There was a clear shift in the missile¡¯s actions as if it were running along invisible rails.


    And Mariydi did not continue observing it all.


    She opened up her jet engines and flew toward the Wotan as if pursuing her own missile. She broke through the ocean of fireworks-like flares, adjusted her grip on the control column, and focused on her right index finger. The trigger-like fire button controlled the regular gun. It did not lock on, so it would be unaffected by the deception weapons.


    ¡°Attack gun!!¡±


    She fired again and again.


    As the Zig-27 flew along a straight line directly above, the 20mm machinegun bullets slammed into the Wotan like perforations and accurately attacked one line of launch tubes.


    One explosion erupted after another.


    The explosion of the brain missiles on the surface had likely also detonated the Gungnirs waiting below.


    And as soon as Mariydi and Nancy flew past the Wotan, a dramatic change occurred.


    The giant ray shape was cleanly cut away at the base and flowed backwards. Piece by piece crumbled away, it lost the power to remain afloat, and the entire mothership contacted the ocean surface.


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to Ice Girl 1. Attack Delta: Strike.¡±


    ¡°And hey!¡± shouted Mariydi. ¡°Will that really be okay!?¡±


    ¡°It should,¡± answered Nancy. ¡°As long as it maintains the angle of entry I calculated from the plans!!¡±


    It was not smashed to pieces.


    That may have been because it had been skimming across the ocean.


    Even though it continued falling apart, the flat fuselage measuring more than 100 meters bounced a bit when it contacted the ocean surface. It was like a stone skipping on a river. Perhaps because it avoided too deep an angle, it gradually slowed down with each skip.


    It was too strange a sight to call a landing or a crash landing.


    And it did not last forever.


    After decelerating a certain extent, the Wotan lacked the force to continue skipping and finally split the water¡¯s surface and fully landed. If it had crashed like this while still supersonic, everything inside might have been smashed to pieces, but there was a chance of survival after slowing down this much. And it apparently lacked the ability to continue fighting. Mariydi slowly circled around the silenced Wotan and spoke into her radio.


    ¡°Use the source of this signal to send in a naval guard team. They have a single person to save. The wreckage is still floating, but they might need divers if that doesn¡¯t last.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t wait around that long. Eiyah!¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait, what was that silly voice fo-...!?¡±


    Nancy apparently did not hear Mariydi¡¯s protests.


    The fried shrimp grabbed the ejection lever between her legs and yanked on it. The clear canopy protecting them was blasted away and flew backwards. Next, the 2 ejection seats shot upwards. Mariydi had no way of fighting it. The most she managed to do was snatch up her handheld music player.


    ¡°Ahh!?¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2. Leader...you¡¯re definitely getting your pay docked for that.¡±


    She had not had time to aim the Zig-27¡¯s nose properly, so it vanished beyond the horizon while 2 parachutes blossomed like giant flowers in the cold Scandinavian sky.


    ¡°Your teacher is coming for you, Necleka! Wait...ah, ah, ahhhh!?¡±


    The idiot was caught by a crosswind and fell into a different part of the dark ocean, but Mariydi grasped the reins properly and managed to land on a small island of composite armor floating in the ocean. She let go of the harness and cut away the parachute while raising her middle finger toward the ocean.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get!! That¡¯s what you fucking get!! And our parachutes are made of fancy silk not synthetic fiber, so I hope it soaks up all the seawater and drags you down to a watery grave!! You idiot!! You dumbass!!¡±


    ¡°Ice Burn 4 to all. Is it just me or is leader mentally regressing?¡±


    ¡°Ice Horse 3. That¡¯s actually about right for her age. It¡¯s her usual behavior that¡¯s messed up.¡±


    No amount of shouting seemed to satisfy Mariydi, but then she saw something moving in the corner of her vision.


    ¡°...¡±


    She quickly drew her handgun and aimed in that direction, but then she realized what it was.


    A girl with a large side ponytail on the right side crawled out from a hatch. Perhaps for the life support device, she had electrodes attached to her, but she looked around with a blank look in her eyes.


    ¡°Are you Necleka Mojito?¡±


    ¡°...Who are you?¡±


    ¡°A bad girl.¡±


    Mariydi Whitewitch sighed.


    Even after seeing this result, the blonde girl remained unchanged. She would continue down her own path. And that path was the nightmarish one that Nancy Jolly-Roger had been so desperate to keep her students away from.


    Her 3 wingmen flew by overhead.


    And with a deadly weapon in hand, the obsolete ace pilot made a request.


    ¡°Let me hear the ultimate rock that surpasses even Blaze Mojito.¡±

 Volume 13, Afterword

    Volume 13, Afterword


    Heavy Object has reached its 13th volume.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    For the first time in a while, it was a Mariydi Whitewitch volume. The story was finally set in the all-out Northern Restricted Zone. By the way, this was not the unreleased volume I mentioned before, so try not to get them confused. This is the one area in this Object-focused world where the Objects aren¡¯t allowed, so what kind of distortions would develop there? And what kind of environment raised a special mercenary like Mariydi? But I couldn¡¯t just do the same thing as in Festival of Death, so I reversed the relationship in the second half and had Mariydi the one tossed around. This was a much more severe and merciless story than normal, but I hope you were able to enjoy a battle different from those of Quenser and Heivia.


    Weapons come in many forms, but when thinking of beautiful weapons, fighter jets are always the first to come to mind for me. Perhaps my heart is attracted to that streamlined form. Aircraft should be the end result of eliminating all fun and seeking only logic and efficiency, but I¡¯m always dizzied by the same sense of unreality as seeing a concept car with a companion girl at a motor show.


    The enemies also had a lot of bizarre weapons, but I gave them a hint of giant weapons that actually existed. I think I made some fairly crazy choices with the combat train and ground effect machine. It was refreshing to use a bunch of things I couldn¡¯t with the usual Objects.


    And the overall theme was what defines a success.


    If you do to the other person exactly what they did to you, it might count as successful revenge, but if you haven¡¯t escaped the chain of violence, have you really broken the yoke and escaped that quagmire of an environment? When Cinderella or Snow White are first seen by the prince who appears out of nowhere like a deus ex machina, have they truly acquired freedom and happiness? The fairy tale heroines were suffering in the first place due to the rulers¡¯ poor ability to maintain order, so wasn¡¯t it kind of a fixed game from the beginning?


    In the Heavy Object world, all of their problems are shoved off onto the twisted colossal weapons in the center of everything, and that gives them temporary peace. Of course, the Pilot Elites also have great value. Their social standing rises, they are richly rewarded, and they obtain a glamorous lifestyle and great status. ...But does it really bring happiness to be dragged up onto the stage by the adults? I think posing questions like that is what makes side stories so much fun.


    I gave this one the greatly ironic subtitle of Cinderella Story, but the other protagonist also has someone by his side known as a ¡°princess¡±, doesn¡¯t he?


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Onodera-san, and Anan-san. From the girls to the weapons and everything else, this story was completely reliant on Nagi Ryou-san. Thank you very much.


    I also give my thanks to the readers. It was finally Mariydi and finally the Northern Restricted Zone. What did you think? I can only write characters with fundamentally different worldviews in the same series because of all of your support and that has given the entire series more depth. I hope you enjoyed it.


    Now, I hope this book will remain in your heart in some way.


    Oh Ho Ho and the Martini Series might good choices too?


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 13, Bonus Track (D.L. Sales Only): Over the Ragnarok

    Volume 13, Bonus Track (D.L. Sales Only): Over the Ragnarok


    The Wotan GEMCMB, prized weapon of the villains plotting within the Northern Restricted Zone, had been destroyed and the girl contained inside, Necleka Mojito, had been rescued. At first glance, that was a happy ending with no loose ends, but wasn¡¯t that forgetting something?


    Mike Nightcap of the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    Recess Bloodhound of the Information Alliance.


    Hayato Blackrose of the Capitalist Corporations.


    Uver Derbyfizz of the Faith Organization.


    ...What had ultimately happened to the 4 villains who had caused the problem in the first place? They had hidden in the shadows of history using gaudy victories as distractions, and that meant having their decoy destroyed also meant they had won their own safety.


    They were in a desert that could have been anywhere and looked nothing like a Scandinavian fjord. With a clear view to the horizon in every direction, a parasol stood from the sand, a table and chairs were prepared, tea and teacakes were laid out, and they elegantly held the following conversation:


    ¡°No matter what anyone does, history will not change. The Northern Restricted Zone is still divided by invisible lines, daily bombings and shellings tear into the people¡¯s hearts, and children who will respond well to the special tuning we require will be naturally produced in great numbers. Our business shall continue.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean history will not change? Because we couldn¡¯t wipe clean the suspicion, we might not have a place in the military any longer. I was directly named in that video. This is all because we panicked and sent out the Einherjar rabies molecular motors.¡±


    ¡°Suspicion is all it will be. This will not go to court. As always, any case will be thrown out due to insufficient evidence, but the reason will never be made public. This is why we have a thick human barrier of lawyers, remember?¡±


    ¡°Really? Instead of worrying about military promotion, I announced my honorable retirement and hid in the shadows. I installed a young figurehead to take my place. I¡¯ve always thought that the greatest privilege is to be able to erase your very existence. Because that means to wholly abandon all responsibility.¡±


    They would not have taken the risk of meeting directly if it was just to discuss this. Since they were here, they knew full well how to protect themselves and their immoral goings-on.


    There was a single topic at hand.


    ¡°But we never did settle things with the Divided City of Valhalla. Or rather, with the children who escaped the Sacred Forest. We cannot allow that social experiment to leak outside the Northern Restricted Zone. Our world powers must remain mortal foes who constantly work to destroy each other.¡±


    ¡°Yes, every one of the foolish masses gets a vote. When you get down to it, the winner in a democracy is whoever brings the idiots to their side. Courting the intellectual minority will get you nowhere. To them, the soldiers of an enemy nation are monsters, demons, and cannibal beasts. Heh heh. They must not know we can join forces over common interests like we do.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s pursue those children. But making a direct order now would be a bad idea. Everyone from the prosecutors to the paparazzi is watching things like a hawk. As usual, we can leave the unofficial missions to the terrorists in the cities.¡±


    ¡°So as always, we will be providing them with plenty of cash even though they don¡¯t quite know why.¡±


    Nothing changed.


    The world did not change at all.


    ¡°Heh...heh heh.¡±


    ¡°Pff...ah ha ha.¡±


    ¡°Hah hah hah hah hah hah!!¡±


    ¡°Keh heh. Hee hee hee. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    Their laughter began quiet. It did not matter which of the 4 it came from. But it eventually infected them all, grew louder, and roared like they had breathed in some kind of gas. At this point, they could freely express their malice. No one could stop them. And so the 4 villains demonstrated their sinister ¡°power¡± to the world.


    ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!¡±


    Something happened immediately afterwards.


    It may have been best if that instant had been turned to stop motion, recorded as a few dozen photographs, and flipped through like someone¡¯s life flashing before their eyes.


    Regardless, this is what happened:


    A nearly 30-meter brain missile dropped right in the middle of their table.


    A beautiful rose blossomed in the center of the desert.


    And somewhere in the world, an aircraft radio signal was transmitted.


    The background music contained a rhythm much like Boy Racer¡¯s, but with the vocals performed by a clear girl¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to CT. External radar guidance of the Gungnir is complete. Strike check. The red targets are covered in their own shit. ...And that was way too easy. I¡¯m itching for some real action. Hey, idiots, I¡¯ll race you BtB. Let¡¯s fly along the river, keep low to the ground, and duck below all the bridges. Whoever¡¯s last buys the rest dinner. Here we go!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, honestly! Do you have any idea who many months I spent on this!?¡±


    A stubbly man crawled in the middle of the desert with a bazooka-like camera. He shouted up at the 4 contrails cutting through the blue sky overhead. He clicked his tongue when he heard the aircraft radio signal picked up by the government surplus communications equipment he had bought on the black market. He knew it was hopeless, but he used a backpack-like long-range radio to access an unregistered dark web satellite and send some digital data back to a safe country publisher.


    ¡°I finally captured the world¡¯s malice. Isn¡¯t this major news worthy of the front page tomorrow!?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Sewax, but we¡¯re a national paper, not a sleazy message board. We can¡¯t publish gore pics of some fat old men and women.¡±


    ...The battlefield cameraman sighed as he realized that some people were just bringers of bad luck.

 Volume 14, Prologue

    Volume 14, Prologue


    Would you prefer to be ruled by people or by machines?


    Oh, but don¡¯t just answer without thinking. This question contains a trick that cuts right to the inner side of whoever answers it.


    To give it away, you can see a certain trait of people who say they would prefer machines. Those people don¡¯t believe they would ever be one of the rulers. So if the alternative is being outdone and trampled on by someone else, they would prefer for everyone to be ruled equally by machines.


    So what about the other people? The people who prefer people think they could be one of those rulers. They see the machines as a group they can never be a part of, so it¡¯s pointless. They would prefer to maintain the human-ruled system so they can work to overthrow their ruler and end up at the top themselves.


    Was that an unpleasant topic?


    But the world is full of choices like that. The choices you make without really thinking reveal the beliefs you hold deep inside. Have you ever worried about someone seeing your search history? Or your online purchase history? How about the free-to-play apps you enjoy? Did anything come to mind?


    With that in mind, give these questions a look.


    - Who are happier: the poor or the rich?


    - Which scares you more: becoming a perpetrator or becoming a victim?


    - If you could be reborn, would you prefer to be the same sex or the opposite sex?


    Yes, yes. It doesn¡¯t really matter how you answer these questions. You can judge someone¡¯s humanity by whether they change their answer because they know there¡¯s a trick or if they stick with their original answer.


    But you don¡¯t need to worry about this.


    All of these questions are really only something inputted into a cold machine.

 Volume 14, 3: Welcome to the End of a Stable World >> Defense of the Chesapeake District

    Volume 14, Chapter 3: Welcome to the End of a Stable World >> Defense of the Chesapeake District


    Part 1


    This was the worst.


    The clean wars had never provided any particularly nice experiences for those two idiots, but this time it truly was the worst.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia, weren¡¯t we working to bring love and peace to the world not long ago?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, you bastard. That¡¯ll use up more of our oxygen.¡±


    They were in a cramped living space no larger than two bathtubs stacked on top of each other.


    The capsule-shaped device had thick anti-pressure armor, two thin arms with propellers on the end that could turn in any direction, a powerful light, and a round window.


    It was a small submersible that looked like the product of a startup¡¯s hard work. It seemed to show off how handmade it was, like it was meant to demonstrate how its production had breathed new life into a failing downtown factory, but it was surrounded by complete darkness. However, it was not currently nighttime. The hot sun shining on the Atlantic seemed to have forgotten that autumn had arrived, but the sunlight could not reach this depth.


    They were more than 200 meters deep.


    The water pressure at the depth was not enough to crush the human body like a punctured basketball, but it was too deep for free diving. It was undoubtedly a deadly region of sea.


    To intentionally recover the ocean¡¯s oxygen, thin wires had been laid out lengthwise and widthwise and seaweed had been planted along them. However, that oxygen plant had been split apart by a giant mass of steel that had torn a line across the ocean floor.


    In place of sunlight, pale ultraviolet lights revealed the identity of the dark mass: an 85m missile submarine.


    Heivia grabbed the radio mic which was attached with something like a phone cord.


    ¡°Hey, hey, heyyy. We¡¯re as short on time as you are and we¡¯re only going to bother with humanitarian aid while we¡¯re in a good mood. If you don¡¯t want this to end in a fight over invisible oxygen, then obediently follow our instructions, Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    ¡°Unique Publishing to unidentified craft. The hit to our propeller shaft that ruptured our ballast tank was caused by a torn wire from your oxygen plant, Legitimacy Kingdom. That is a serious case of sea route disruption and a violation of international law. If we get back alive, we will see you in court.¡±


    ¡°Could you put someone else on the line? Overly-serious student council presidents and class reps only work when they¡¯re girls. I think coming down here was a complete waste of time.¡±


    ¡°And do the Capitalist Corporations auction off the right to name their weapons? Y¡¯know, like they do with sports stadiums?¡±


    At any rate, they had to get to work.


    There were a few different ways of rescuing people from a sunken submarine. For example, they could send out a small submersible, attach its hatch to the submarine¡¯s, and ferry the crew to the surface bit by bit. However, that would take time and only worked if the submarine had plenty of oxygen to spare.


    But there was another way:


    ¡°We¡¯ll be going the balloon route on this one. After attaching a few nitrogen-deployment balloons across the submarine to secure some buoyancy, we will use several submersibles to pull it to the surface.¡±


    ¡°That could easily fail,¡± replied the submarine. ¡°What if the submarine breaks in two on the way up!?¡±


    ¡°Trust in the sub you guys designed. We¡¯re not as greedy as you in the Capitalist Corporations, but we aren¡¯t stupid enough to rescue enemy soldiers for free. We¡¯re building up experience by testing out an experimental method. Here we go.¡±


    With no motivation at all in his voice, Heivia watched as the various submersibles surrounded the submarine. After getting the submarine to float up, they had to do some work alongside it, but it was not actually supported by pillars. If it suddenly tilted, it would crush them underneath it, so they had to see just how stable it was first.


    ¡°We¡¯re risking our lives here, so you¡¯d better be thoughtful enough to greet us with a crew full of bikini babes.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, they can¡¯t violate causality. We were sent out only after the sub sank. No matter how thoughtful they are, they couldn¡¯t have selected the crew for our benefit.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got a teacher¡¯s pet over here too!? How many times do I have to tell you only girls can get away with being that straight-laced!?¡±


    If possible, they wanted to avoid being anywhere near that submarine and all the dangers it presented, but then they would have to ask themselves why they came down here in the first place. So Heivia kept in contact using the short-range radio while they hesitantly took wires attached to large spheres and directly welded the ends of the wires to the submarine¡¯s exterior.


    ¡°What a strange sight. This isn¡¯t going to cause a water vapor explosion, is it?¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± protested the submarine.


    ¡°There¡¯s a method to this. Offshore oil rigs are made of metal, so they¡¯ve developed ways to weld underwater. Not that that¡¯s our specialty or anything.¡±


    ¡°Can we please play a word game or something?¡± asked the submarine. ¡°They play classical music even when you¡¯re under general anesthetic for surgery, so being stuck here listening to your terrible conversations is going to make my heart burst!!¡±


    This was not a life-risking group date with several girls, so they were not about to play a party game with a bunch of filthy guys. Instead, Heivia and the others moved on to the next stage of work.


    Once they had successfully attached the balloons, the submersibles temporarily moved away. After they sent an electronic signal, the spheres of synthetic fiber ruptured from within.


    They were balloons, but they were not like airbags.


    The large deep-sea lights showed a translucent sludge covering everything.


    The gel was lighter than water and detonating several balloons at once had coated the heavy submarine in the gel, giving it buoyancy.


    Quenser commented on the unnatural haze floating in the ocean.


    ¡°It¡¯s like seeing the aftermath of that one kid in the pool who couldn¡¯t hold it in and betrayed everyone.¡±


    ¡°Please stop surrounding our submarine with your horrific imagination!¡±


    However...


    ¡°Crap, some of us were too slow. #7 and #9, watch the portside tilt. Don¡¯t get caught by that piece of junk!!¡±


    ¡°We really are going to sue you!!!!!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re okay with telling the world how you got your own sub sunk and then had to get help from an enemy nation, then go right ahead! If it gets out that you sank the sub plastered with your sponsor¡¯s name, won¡¯t you have to pay damages!?¡±


    The submarine just about rolled over, but with the eel-like slippery substance surrounding it, it began to float up instead.


    The gap of a few centimeters below it was the beginning of a miracle.


    Once it began to float, the submarine moved so easily it was hard to believe it had been stuck in place just a moment before. Now that it had buoyancy, it floated so lightly that a push from the hand was enough to move it in any direction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s grab that thing and drag it up. I can¡¯t believe everyone in there has such a stick up their butt.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you poor thing. Why are all you Legitimacy Kingdom boys so irritable? Try smiling every now and then¡î¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t force that falsetto! It¡¯s creepy!! Why is it that hard workers tend to put all their effort into the wrong things!?¡±


    The amount of oxygen in the submarine was a concern, but there was also a danger of the buoyancy-providing sludge coming off during the rapid ascent.


    ¡°How long is this going to take?¡± asked the submarine.


    ¡°Think of it like an elevator. 200 meters would be taller than a trendy hotel¡¯s observation deck restaurant, wouldn¡¯t it? That¡¯s not a height you can travel in a flash.¡±


    ¡°Gather the best of the Capitalist Corporations and we could create a silent elevator that travels a 1000m building in a minute. And the ride would be so smooth that it would not rouse a sleeping baby.¡±


    ¡°Do you die if you don¡¯t brag about something every five minutes!?¡±


    The arguing continued during the careful twenty minute journey to the surface.


    Eventually, the scene outside the round window changed.


    The surrounding water remembered that sunlight existed. And they saw schools of small fish swimming ever downward as if afraid of something.


    As their ascent continued, they could see some larger fish floating around. They were clearly not here of their own free will.


    They felt a low rumbling.


    It was clearly coming from above.


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± said the submarine. ¡°What is going on???¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as landmine fishing. The fish hit by the shockwaves are knocked out. Honestly, they had even built an oxygen plant to help the bluefin tuna population recover, but that¡¯s all ruined now that some idiot has come to this marine reserve. The conveyer belt sushi chains are going to get a lot of international criticism again.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re gonna continue rubbing lard on random deep-sea fish to pretend its tuna, are they? That Island Nation-obsessed busty commander is not going to be happy...¡±


    They had so longed to reach the surface, but they only found gloom as they approached it.


    The submersible the size of two bathtubs broke the waves as it floated to the surface.


    And they saw the two combatants.


    The Baby Magnum and the Nitrogen Mirage.


    Those Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance monsters were firing back and forth on this marine battlefield.


    While the Princess switched out her seven main cannons to swap out shell type and moved all around on her attached naval floats, her opponent was a Second Generation Object with nitrogen laser main cannons and an aircushion propulsion device specialized for marine combat. It had three main cannons stacked vertically on either side. It seemed to fire the thick bluish-white beams in the wrong direction, but then they suddenly bent in various directions and accurately targeted the Baby Magnum.


    ¡°Ultraviolet nitrogen lasers... Those are hundreds of times more harmful than sunlight, so don¡¯t they violate the treaties?¡±


    ¡°According to the electronic simulation division, the reactor is surrounded by several low-temperature conduction power generators that use liquid nitrogen. They use the reactor¡¯s excess energy to generate even more power to throw into the cannons. Either way, a direct hit will vaporize you, so the cancer risk is kind of irrelevant.¡±


    Laser beams were not visible to the naked eye, but they fried and reflected off of the dust and moisture in the air, which left something like an afterimage behind.


    The thick ocean water had cut off the signals, so they found a lot of radio chatter once they arrived on the surface.


    ¡°Princess!! Update your meteorological data and reference the nitrogen and temperature distributions! That thing alternates between liquid nitrogen and a mixture of iron oxide and aluminum to create extreme temperature differences, those create mirages that disturb the ocean¡¯s surface, and that is used to bend the light!!¡±


    ¡°Understood, Frolaytia.¡±


    ¡°Listen, Princess,¡± added the old maintenance lady. ¡°The light should change direction as if being drawn from the high temperatures to the low temperatures. Once you understand the rules, you can predict this mirage laser-bending trick.¡±


    Several clouds of white smoke expanded around the Nitrogen Mirage, but the sound was too soft for something meant to kill. It was reminiscent of the fireworks used to indicate the beginning of an athletic festival. There was a plate-like component raised above the spherical main body and container-shaped ejection devices were lined up along its edge. Most likely, they had exposed -195 degree liquid nitrogen to the outside temperature so that it would expand explosively.


    Meanwhile, the Princess moved back and forth with MMA-like steps and accurately dodged all of the blue light dancing around her. To reiterate, what Quenser and the others could see was not the laser beams themselves. It was only the bluish-white afterimage left after the lasers passed through and fried the dust and moisture in the air.


    The timeframe and world in which she fought was on an entirely different level.


    This was a battle at light speed. By the time your senses could catch up, the attack would have already punched through you.


    ¡°...Wow. Is it just me or is the color fading from the Princess¡¯s armor?¡±


    ¡°The dense nitrogen and laser heat being scattered around the area is causing a chemical reaction in the onion armor¡¯s surface. It¡¯s called nitrogen iron oxide.¡±


    ¡°What happens if we carelessly breathe in that colorless fog...?¡±


    ¡°Nitrogen itself isn¡¯t toxic, but it drives out the oxygen and creates a state of hypoxia. I don¡¯t know where the invisible minefield is, so we just have to be thankful we¡¯re inside an airtight submersible.¡±


    ¡°The temperature difference is affecting our radio signals!¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°The thermomagnetic effect is probably being used to produce an extreme electric potential difference in the air. Watch out for any adverse effects on your radar locks!!¡±


    ¡°But when I use visual confirmation, it looks like the thing is floating,¡± said the Princess.


    ¡°Use the meteorological data to calculate back!¡± said the old maintenance lady. ¡°It¡¯s only using mirages, so it can¡¯t create an image out of thin air! The giant plate-like meteorological radar on its head is proof of that!!¡±


    Quenser could picture the troubled look on the Princess¡¯s face as she received that avalanche of instructions. Worst of all, they were doing it out of concern for her, so she could not ignore them either.


    He also heard a voice of surprise from the sludge-covered submarine they were towing.


    ¡°H-how did this happen? You never said anything about this! We¡¯ll sue you for guiding us into danger like this!!¡±


    ¡°Is that your catchphrase or something!? If you like, we can always cut the wires and let you sink back to the bottom again!!¡±


    ¡°Why is the Information Alliance interfering in this...?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯d like to know.¡± Quenser breathed an exasperated sigh before continuing. ¡°What exactly are you carrying in that submarine?¡±


    Part 2


    Frolaytia Capistrano did not look happy.


    The civilized convenience of air-conditioning removed the heat of Central and South America from the room while her laptop screen displayed a close up of someone she did not recall adding to her address book.


    It was Wraith Martini Vermouthspray.


    The small girl had long blonde hair and a distinctive black uniform.


    ¡°No need to worry. I am not here to discuss an international conflict today.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Or should I have explained this first? I am an Information Alliance citizen, but I am partitioned off from the standard military. After all, I am the troubleshooting specialist known as the Stopgap Grim Reaper. I thought I would give some advice to the swine that position demands I respect, but if you refuse to listen, I will end this call instead. Yes, I would like for you to take a certain action.¡±


    Frolaytia grimaced and said nothing.


    Just how many people on the planet could find that reaction to be undeniably delightful?


    ¡°Your time is up, but in a useful way. I will take that as acceptance since you did not reject the idea, Major Tortoise.¡±


    ¡°...You goddamn search engine.¡±


    ¡°I will treat anything other than a yes or a no as an invalid response.¡± Wraith giggled and spun a pen in her hand. ¡°The problem is that submarine the Legitimacy Kingdom picked up. It belongs to the Capitalist Corporations, doesn¡¯t it? As I am sure you know, its cargo will spark a new war.¡±


    ¡°I believe it was your Information Alliance that attacked us.¡±


    ¡°And that is why this call is such a delicate tightrope to walk. Didn¡¯t I say I am partitioned off from the standard military?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying was on that sub?¡±


    ¡°It would be best if you saw for yourself. I could always tell you here, but I doubt you would listen to a word I said after you learned the truth.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Here alone, Frolaytia wrinkled her brow in honest confusion.


    Wraith sighed on the screen.


    ¡°You can interpret this however you like, but I will cast pearls of human words before swine here. ...I am on your side for this one. No matter what the Information Alliance chooses to do.¡±


    She sounded oddly sincere.


    Then something else happened on the screen. The butler-like young man standing behind the small girl bent over and whispered some kind of report into Wraith¡¯s ear.


    ¡°My apologies, Major. I too have some business to take care of. I know your battalion will take care of this one no matter what I say, so there is no need to say goodbye. Until we meet again on this seemingly vast but surprisingly small battlefield.¡±


    That was when something occurred to Frolaytia.


    It was mostly just a hunch, but...


    ¡°...Where are you right now?¡±


    ¡°Did you think I was simply with an Information Alliance maintenance fleet? Didn¡¯t I already say I am partitioned off from the standard military? Yes, that makes the third time. Anyway, you surprisingly birdbrained commander, I will troubleshoot the problems presented to me in my own way. ...And this time, I am on your side. Do not forget that, okay?¡±


    Part 3


    They were near the equator in the Atlantic Ocean.


    The region of ocean was right between the Information Alliance home country in eastern North America and the Legitimacy Kingdom-controlled South American Amazon District.


    The Baby Magnum and the Nitrogen Mirage had not concluded their battle, but a lull had begun when the Information Alliance temporarily withdrew. The Legitimacy Kingdom predicted they had only withdrawn because the submarine had arrived at a dock.


    ¡°Welcome to the artificial volcano base known as New Caribbean Island.¡±


    The submarine was welcomed by the battalion¡¯s busty Major Frolaytia Capistrano who was flanked by bodyguards, but one part of her greeting caught their attention.


    The dock had been quickly dug out of the coast with construction equipment, but the coast was not a sandy beach or a rocky cliff. It was a rough ground made of black pebbles hardened together like crunchy chocolate. The surface readily crumbled away just from scraping the sole of your boot against it.


    The ground looked like a failed attempt at pavement and like it would be incredibly painful if you tripped onto it, but it was actually volcanic rock.


    After struggling to get out of the goop-covered submarine, the middle-aged man who seemed to be the captain gave a somewhat sulky-looking naval salute.


    ¡°Rigas Blackpassion, Navy Captain. Thank you very much for your uncompensated assistance.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t screw with us, Capitalist Corporations. You greedy people know better than anyone that there¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch. Do not forget until the day you die that we have an extremely useful diplomatic card to use against you. You have no hope of reaching admiral now, Captain.¡±


    ¡°W-we cannot permit you to have a base here!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is just a bluefin tuna breeding base. There is nothing military about it. You see, my foolish brother is as obsessed with the Island Nation as me and he is the most troublesome sort of charity giver.¡±


    ¡°You expect us to believe this is a civilian installation!? When it can maintain an Object!?¡±


    ¡°It took a lot of doing rigging it up like that. It was not designed that way to begin with.¡±


    Now, what was an artificial volcano base?


    The rules governing the sea said that the area within 200 nautical miles of a country¡¯s territory could be claimed as that country¡¯s exclusive economic waters. However, that did not apply to manmade things such as megafloats and offshore oil rigs.


    But here they had found a loophole.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like borrowing a phrase from the Faith Organization, but this was a heavenly blessing. Who would have thought an underwater volcano would erupt and create an entire new island at just the right time?¡±


    ¡°We are well aware the seismographs detected some unnatural shaking. You drilled into the ocean bedrock and filled the hole with explosives, didn¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not about to listen to any accusations made without definitive proof. Go speak with those lawyers you love so much in the Capitalist Corporations. I¡¯m sure they¡¯re just as impotently frustrated as you.¡±


    ...That was the explanation.


    ¡°(This whole island is a toy made by that Sir Bloodrics guy, right? And he did so as casually as tossing some change in the donation box next to a convenience store register. Nobles scare me.)¡±


    ¡°(That pretentious bastard apparently wants to bring back the bluefin tuna filleting shows. I bet he wants to be served by geisha girls instead of maids and experience the Eastern wonder known as nyotaimori.)¡±


    The rules of the sea were based on where the land was, but what if a brand new island appeared in the middle of the ocean one day? If it was inside a country¡¯s territorial waters or EEZ, it would naturally redraw the lines. And whether they were honest about it or not, modern technology allowed them to trigger a volcanic eruption in a calculated way.


    It was the same as how image-editing software had wiped away the fear of ghost photographs. The questions about the island were on the same level as noticing the number of legs did not match up on a group photo at school.


    Unlike the Pacific, the Atlantic Ocean had relatively few islands, so this new technology could easily provide a naval transportation breakthrough along the arctic routes that were more accessible thanks to global warming.


    Frolaytia continued speaking with a cruel smile.


    ¡°If you wish to lodge here, we will need your cooperation. Now, what do you have aboard that submarine? The marine resource of migratory fish is enjoyed evenly by the entire world, so why has the Information Alliance abandoned their stable supply of tuna by sending in an Object?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°To repeat, we are merely borrowing a civilian bluefin tuna breeding base. I can of course withdraw our military forces from here. I would only need to apologize to my foolish brother. Naturally, we would be leaving your broken submarine and its crew here. I¡¯m not sure why, but it seems the Nitrogen Mirage is very interested in getting at you. It should be obvious what will happen once our excellent protector leaves. If we were placing bets on how long you would last, my money is on less than half a day.¡±


    An unpleasant silence followed.


    But it did not last long.


    There was no need to mention which way the power balance had tilted here.


    ¡°Enough. There is no point in hiding it any longer. Tell them everything, Captain.¡±


    It was a graceful voice, but it belonged to a wrinkled old woman.


    The middle-aged man frantically looked back in time to see an old woman in a white coat receive support from Quenser and Heivia because the ground was slippery around the submarine.


    ¡°Ma''am!!¡±


    ¡°I said enough.¡±


    The way she cut the man off told Frolaytia this woman was not part of a military-style hierarchy.


    The old woman¡¯s gray hair had some blonde remaining and she did not even glance in Rigas¡¯s direction.


    ¡°And in the worst case, any destination other than the Information Alliance will work. I can always defect to the Legitimacy Kingdom instead.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°I only want one thing: asylum in a free location where the Information Alliance cannot reach me. Now, which group can better protect me: the Capitalist Corporations that failed after making an elementary mistake, or the Legitimacy Kingdom that made up for that mistake?¡±


    This comment made the Captain look like a chained dog, but it also made Frolaytia narrow her eyes in displeasure.


    ¡°You seem to be under the impression that you are Cinderella at your age, but we do not even know who you are. And do not think that you are good enough company that we would just accept this kind of trouble.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your lack of information merely a failing on your part? Oh, excuse me. I can¡¯t seem to shake that Information Alliance mindset, annoyingly enough.¡±


    ¡°Shall I box you up and ship you to New York?¡±


    Even that old woman lightly raised her hands at the busty silver-haired commander¡¯s words.


    As had always been the case, the most frightening thing for a political criminal seeking asylum was being sent right back to their original country.


    ¡°Katarina Martini.¡±


    She plainly confessed her name in a fairly theatrical way.


    She was used to having her name work in her favor. And she maintained that irritating self-importance as she continued.


    ¡°Would you understand some of my value if you knew I was the one who created the Martini Series, an Information Alliance genius girl project that implanted talent into thousands of girls?¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°Hello, Major. Have you finished checking what that submarine was carrying?¡±


    Wraith seemed to be treating her like an online friend, but Frolaytia could not stop grimacing.


    ¡°...If you were within reach, I might have punched you.¡±


    ¡°You said that out loud, you savage with delusions of intelligence. The mother of the Martini Series is attempting to defect from the Information Alliance. Katarina Martini makes for quite the bombshell, doesn¡¯t she? I mean, she will make for a most delicious prize for whoever grants her asylum. She could create a second or third Martini Series that fills a different sort of container, or she could find vulnerabilities in the girls who make up the core of the Information Alliance. Whatever the case, she makes for bait so incredible it could bring one of the world powers crumbling down.¡±


    With a grunt of effort, the footage blurred a bit.


    Wraith had apparently taken a quick hop while holding either a smartphone or camera. She was probably hopping from a dock to a cruiser.


    She had previously mentioned that she was partitioned off from the Information Alliance¡¯s standard military and was acting separately from them.


    ¡°Where are you planning to intervene from this time?¡± asked an irritated Frolaytia.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say it will be via a third country. You etiquette-obsessed swine are making a mess of New Caribbean Island, but this is all happening in the Information Alliance¡¯s own-...hyah!?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Frolaytia had to frown when little Wraithy suddenly jumped.


    ¡°I-I am fine. This had nothing to do with anything crawling around at my feet. (Oh, I can¡¯t believe this. Knowing fish eat these gross things makes me never want to eat seafood again.)¡±


    Wraith was muttering something, but she had not gone inside the boat. She was lying on a beach chair on the deck. She placed her communication device on the side table and relaxed.


    ¡°Now, I assume you are no longer willing to listen to anything I have to say.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yes, when this concerns the mother of the Martini Series and one of her creations contacts you, even a ringlet curl ape with special blood in its veins can tell how dangerous things are. You have to be well aware that the Information Alliance is willing to wage war to preserve their secrets here.¡±


    That was exactly right, but Frolaytia could find no logical reason for the girl to contact her. There was no point in giving advance warning of a head-on clash.


    ¡°My specialty is troubleshooting. No more, no less. I primarily find a way to deal with our own people¡¯s shameful behavior, so I am not all that interested in an outside group like the Legitimacy Kingdom. That means I have nothing against you, but it also means I am not particularly fond of you either.¡±


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°That means the ¡®true enemy¡¯ I have my sights on is not you. So this time alone, I have no real reason to kill you. As I said, I doubt you¡¯ll listen, but as a sign of my wonderful good conscience, I will give you one more warning. As an information specialist, I find it fascinating how much the same words must change before someone listens to them.¡±


    Wraith grinned and her butler handed her a cold drink in a clear glass with lots of sliced fruit stuck around the edge.


    ¡°I am on your side this time. Keep that in mind and you will not regret it.¡±


    Part 5


    The situation had grown troublesome.


    ¡°Hyah, I thought it was supposed to hold off until nightfall.¡±


    In her skintight special suit, the Princess splashed through the puddles as she fled below the eaves of the normal barracks. The dark crunchy chocolate of volcanic rock provided poor drainage, so puddles quickly formed when it rained and those soon grew to small ponds or lakes.


    What had happened to the scorching sun from earlier in the day?


    The sky was covered by thick clouds.


    ¡°I guess they get these sudden downpours everywhere in the world,¡± said Quenser with a sigh.


    ¡°I wonder if it has anything to do with the nitrogen and whatnot the Nitrogen Mirage was spreading around. You know, like a meteorological weapon that fires a missile into the clouds to make it rain.¡±


    ¡°I just hope it doesn¡¯t turn into photochemical smog.¡±


    They had been planning to lie on the beach chairs and stare at a mobile device. The waterproofed screen showed them what was happening in the interrogation room.


    The Information Alliance¡¯s Nitrogen Mirage had apparently withdrawn once the Capitalist Corporations submarine had arrived at New Caribbean Island. It was about evenly matched with the Princess, but some line must have been crossed and they felt the need to rework their whole strategy.


    So.


    They could not deny that the Information Alliance¡¯s next strategy might be to blow away the entire bluefin tuna breeding base that Frolaytia had borrowed after begging her ¡°onii-chan¡±.


    ¡°Phew...¡±


    The Princess quietly sighed below the eaves with her golden hair wet with rain. Her special suit revealed every contour of her body, so the boy¡¯s eyes followed the droplets flowing down her to burn every last curve into his brain.


    Not even the strong downpour had cooled the area. It only increased the humidity, like pouring water on the heated stone in a sauna.


    ¡°This footage is really grainy.¡±


    ¡°According to the electronic simulation division, the wiring is messed up. Frolaytia had the military parts attached onto the existing tuna base, so they were saying something about us exceeding the capacity on the grounding line that runs from the facility and into the ground.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°They called it electrolytic corrosion. Send too much electricity into the ground and the earth and moisture around the underground cable will work in place of an electrolytic solution. You know what electrolysis is, right?¡±


    ¡°The process that separates water into oxygen and hydrogen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that. The same process can apparently break down the cable or steel frames. This weird signal noise must be from corrosion to a fiber optic cable somewhere.¡±


    Quenser felt like a guy helping out the young woman next door hook up her TV and DVR, but he had to ask.


    He pointed at the mobile device¡¯s screen as he did so.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, but why are you so interested in this?¡±


    ¡°Well, because the old maintenance lady said she was helping with the interrogation.¡±


    Quenser just about asked why, but he found he could make a pretty good guess.


    ¡°Does she think the old woman will open up more to someone from her own generation?¡±


    ¡°We will of course have another witness there.¡±


    Meanwhile, the interrogation in question was beginning.


    It would all be recorded and every last word and facial expression would be thoroughly analyzed, but Quenser and the Princess leaned forward to experience it live.


    The camera must have been near the ceiling because the footage looked down on the two old women from a somewhat diagonal angle. The Legitimacy Kingdom and former Information Alliance women faced each other across a table bolted to the floor.


    ¡°It would seem neither one of us survived this long with a clean conscience.¡±


    ¡°Very true. I am jealous of your position since you don¡¯t have to explain what it is you have done.¡±


    ¡°As someone who has done this myself, let me tell you that defection is not as optimistic a choice as you think it is.¡±


    ¡°There are times when you have to choose the lesser of two evils. Surely you understand that as someone who lived through that age.¡±


    With only about a decade and a half of life under their belt, Quenser and the Princess could not imagine how much was hidden behind each of those words.


    ¡°The Martini Series is now viewed as living hardware to fill the holes in the Information Alliance¡¯s administrative system. The idea is to make up for the deficiencies in the giant network by using human brains for the parts that computers cannot yet process. ...Well, you could say that relationship between AI and humans is an expanded form of the Object-Elite arrangement that the Information Alliance has developed a few experimental examples of.¡±


    ¡°Based on that, it would seem the project was a success. As someone surrounded by the military in her research, you would have had all the money you could have wanted.¡±


    ¡°True enough. I was too successful.¡± Katarina gave a weary smile and elaborated as if gently nudging a giant metal ball from the top of a slope. ¡°Personally, I only ever wanted just one member of the Martini Series. All that talk of living hardware to fill the holes in the machine-ruled administrative system was no more than a convenient way of gaining the research funding I needed. And even after they more or less threw cash my way, I never did manage to create a perfect Martini.¡±


    ¡°Was there a specific individual they were modeled after?¡±


    ¡°Cassandra Martini. She was my mother. She lived in that insane age before the four world powers formed, when Objects spent all their time wiping out land, sea, and air forces to prove the title of strongest belonged to them. In that truly lawless age of upheaval, she passed away protecting her young child to the very, very end. She is my personal hero and she is the purest, the original, and the truly perfect Martini.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A short silence followed.


    A parent protecting her child sounded like a simple thing, but since they had not lived in that time, Quenser and the Princess could not even imagine how difficult that must have been. And it was because that woman succeeded that Katarina Martini was here now.


    ¡°So you were driven by a juvenile drive toward womb regression.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the child attempts to create her mother and return to her protective care. The Martini Series was an experiment to take the MRI cross sections of the original, intentionally create the same ¡®deviations¡¯ in someone else¡¯s brain, and give them the same balance as that genius. But from the very beginning, my research violated the rules of this world. I would rather not come off sounding like the Faith Organization, but perhaps you could say it was god¡¯s will. As each roll of the dice continued to not come up in my favor, I found I had countless children who had each inherited just one cross section of my mother¡¯s brain.¡±


    The old maintenance lady let out a soft breath after listening this far.


    And she did not hesitate to speak.


    ¡°So why do you want to defect? If you have an issue with your research environment and were hoping to get a fresh start elsewhere, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s answer is no. We aren¡¯t going to hand you living children for your juvenile game of dress up.¡±


    ¡°Even though you continue to mass-produce Pilot Elites?¡±


    ¡°That might be a necessary evil in this godforsaken world. But what you¡¯re doing is clearly more focused on your own little games.¡±


    ¡°The self-proclaimed sensible side in the Information Alliance said the same thing at first. But when faced with geniuses who were completely off the charts, that alleged sense of theirs was clouded by greed.¡±


    That demon scoffed.


    Almost like she had held this same conversation many, many times before.


    ¡°...But that is not the crux of the issue. It is true I am displeased with the Martini Series¡¯s failure, but I do not wish to do any of that ever again.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The Martini Series carries a severe problem, so I am seeking the assistance of a powerful force that can fight them and eliminate them from the Information Alliance¡¯s system.¡±


    ¡°You made these children, but now you¡¯ve deemed them failures and plan to kill them yourself!? Using war and assassinations!?¡±


    ¡°Just hear me out.¡±


    With that, Katarina placed a hand on her own aged chest.


    No, that was not quite accurate.


    It was unclear when she had picked it up, but she held a Legitimacy Kingdom mobile device just like the one Quenser and the Princess were watching the footage on.


    When it emitted a beeping sound, the people in the interrogation room also noticed something was wrong.


    But Katarina tossed it onto the table before they could do anything.


    ¡°I kept the truly sensitive data embedded in my heart. I placed the files in my pacemaker¡¯s unused memory and set it up for contactless extraction, just like the automatic ticket gates at a train station.¡±


    ¡°...What...is this?¡±


    ¡°The core of the Martini Series¡¯s problem. This is a history of the life my mother, Cassandra Martini, lived under a second handle name.¡±


    The old maintenance woman was speechless.


    The footage did not let Quenser and the Princess see what she was reading.


    But they could tell it was something shocking.


    ¡°My mother was a rational killer. ...Although, in that age of insufficient resources, it may have been necessary if she was to support a young child like me.¡±


    Katarina was blunt as she discussed the woman she had called her personal hero.


    ¡°That was a lawless age of upheaval. That file provides details on 39 incidents or uprisings that can no longer be investigated. These records must have been like a trophy to her. Succeed or fail, she would write out the series of events and add a flowchart leading to the next incident. Unsatisfied with a single coincidental success, my mother used this to refine her skills. Yes, her skills as a professional who systematically plundered from highly secure facilities, both military and civilian.¡±


    ¡°So...so this is what you meant?¡±


    ¡°I only learned of this truth after I began the genius girl project in search of my mother. And as a result, I cannot even predict how much of my mother¡¯s violence any one of them inherited. The closer to perfection they came, the more willing they will be to kill people as long as it is ¡®rational¡¯. In the worst case, every last one of them may have reached that threshold.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the Martini Series numbers in the thousands and has worked its way deep into the Information Alliance administration and military!? If the original¡¯s violence has been reproduced in them, they won¡¯t just rely on knives or guns. What if they take the great influence they have been given and begin ¡®prowling around¡¯ using it as a weapon!?¡±


    ¡°You should assume the state and military are entirely controlled by the kind of people who would readily kill the elderly or the very young to have fewer mouths to feed during a famine. We might see the onset of an age of joyous malice that makes the oppression and slaughter of the infamous witch hunts pale in comparison. In fact, it may already be starting simultaneously across Information Alliance-controlled territory.¡±


    Quenser and the Princes exchanged a glance.


    In this case, they could not expect the Information Alliance to purify itself. After all, the budding violence would come from the genius girls who had been positioned to fill the holes in the supercomputer-controlled administration and military. They had been placed in control of a worldwide vulnerability from the beginning, so they could bring the normal system crashing down just by switching off their own duties.


    And Katarina would not have chosen to defect without good reason.


    She had to have worked to fix the problem from within the Information Alliance. She had only shifted focus to an external attack because those efforts had produced no meaningful results.


    Was that because no one around her could sense the danger?


    Or had some member of the Martini Series already gone around and made sure nothing could be done?


    ¡°This age is supported by the constant conflict between the four world powers. It sounds strange, but that balance will fall apart if one of our enemies truly collapses.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So if the Information Alliance crumbles from within, the table supported by those four legs will fall over. Once that happens, the entire clean war concept will vanish like so much mist.¡±


    For some reason, those words brought Quenser¡¯s childhood friend Monica to his mind. She had been a haughty and sharp-tongued noble girl until her family had collapsed one day. Then she had been pursued by the people of their town and forced to tremble with her family in a commoner family¡¯s small food pantry. The shift to a new age was not always a positive change. No matter what choices someone made, a great power outside their control could decide whether they would have fortune or misfortune. That was a nightmarish idea for a commoner like Quenser who was constantly oppressed and forced to obey the decisions made for him.


    And now chaos on that same level ¨C no, on an even greater level ¨C would spread around the entire world.


    ¡°We might see a return of that lawless age of upheaval my mother secretly thrived in. I could easily see it happening if they decide to end this fattened age of temporary peace and instead live a life ruled by rationality and efficiency.¡±


    Part 6


    ¡°.........................................................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano maintained a stony silence with an expression to match.


    On her laptop screen, Wraith Martini Vermouthspray had withdrawn into her cruiser where she was casually selecting a swimsuit.


    ¡°Hey, Frank, I¡¯ll go with this one. We aren¡¯t on our way to have some fun, so something that covers this much skin would be best. We have to take this seriously.¡±


    The butler-like young man only ever agreed with his arrogant master, so it was up to the busty silver-haired commander to confront the girl who was blowing up a swim ring despite what she said.


    ¡°Hey, brat.¡± Her voice seemed to rise up from the depths of the earth. ¡°That¡¯s what people call a school swimsuit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am well aware. This is a legend from that technological powerhouse of the Island Nation, isn¡¯t it? I can¡¯t seem to figure it out myself, but the incredible knowledge contained within this swimsuit must be ahead of its time. Yes, how could I choose anything else before heading out to the battlefield? This battle costume has a real...I suppose you would call it an aura.¡±


    ¡°I am only contacting you as a form of insurance. I know you people are as hard to kill as a roach infestation, so I¡¯m betting on you not collapsing quite so easily.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°From the barbs in your voice, I can only assume you insects have finally heard the truth of the Martini Series.¡± Wraith laughed and spread the simple swimsuit out between her hands. ¡°The more you learn, the more it traps you. And no further information will bring any peace of mind. It¡¯s like a bog, and is the worst case scenario in information warfare. Do you understand now what it means to take on the Information Alliance?¡±


    ¡°I doubt an actual murder machine would give me an honest answer, but I¡¯ll ask anyway: Are you a murder machine?¡±


    ¡°I would like to say everyone participating in war is one, but no one likes a philosopher on the battlefield. And I guess jokes will only harm your impression of me. ...To be honest, that is the exact question I am trying to answer.¡±


    ¡°Are you afraid of your origins?¡±


    ¡°Very much so. And as something like the early signs of an earthquake, the primary researcher is now attempting to defect to some distant land. Do you see now why I am in such a rush?¡±


    ¡°What good is asking her? If Dr. Frankenstein tells you you aren¡¯t a monster, would you, as her creation, really believe her?¡±


    ¡°...Perhaps not.¡±


    Here alone, Wraith had the look of a weary old woman in her eyes.


    The butler-like young man gently supported her shoulders from behind, so the blonde girl shut her eyes and leaned back.


    ¡°It¡¯s the dilemma of searching your own name. You know the search isn¡¯t going to turn up anything pleasant, but you can¡¯t relax until you do it anyway. You aren¡¯t hoping to find something good; you¡¯re investigating yourself because you fear there is something bad out there. And you keep doing it over and over.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°By the way, Major. Even a fool like you is free to view me hostilely and I cannot stop you there, but I do have one piece of advice. You are of course free to believe me or not.¡± The girl opened her eyes and the usual intensity had returned to them. ¡°There are thousands of Martinis throughout the Information Alliance. So I may not be the only monster who was sent to this region of sea.¡±


    ¡°You mean...?¡±


    ¡°Because of my distance from the standard army, it¡¯s difficult for me to determine who exactly it is. ...But, Major, you should consider every possibility right now. Because every last member of the Martini Series holds some kind of emotion for our designer, Katarina Martini. And that emotion could be love or hatred.¡±


    Part 7


    A dull thudding sound repeated on and on without end.


    Frolaytia had laid her head down on a briefing room table and she was banging her forehead against it with a truly displeased look on her face.


    ¡°(Wow, I don¡¯t want to get anywhere near her right now.)¡±


    ¡°Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have to call me over now of all times!?¡±


    When he heard the low voice slip out from the gap between face and table, Heivia jumped right up into the air. But whatever his reasons were, he had to obey in the military. There was simply no way for a private to outdo a major.


    ¡°When did we start having to protect scum that doesn¡¯t even belong to the Legitimacy Kingdom? Answer me.¡±


    ¡°Which mode do you want here? The teacher¡¯s pet or the back alley drunk? ...Well, let¡¯s see. We are a peacekeeping force that attempts to share the common asset of world peace with everyone for the stability and prosperity of the entire international society, so...¡±


    ¡°No one wants that teacher¡¯s pet answer, you dumbass!!¡±


    ¡°Agh, I chose wrong!?¡±


    It was a ridiculous demand, but that was how the military hierarchy worked. If anything did not work out, the higher ups could simply blame it on their subordinates.


    (I need to become the head of my family so I can boss these meatheads around.)


    ¡°You look like you have something to say, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°What, are you policing my thoughts now too!? What a pain in the ass!!¡±


    Frolaytia finally lifted her head from the table. And it seemed she intended to look him in the eye while continuing the conversation. Realizing he was not going to be released anytime soon, Heivia sat across the table from her.


    The Major began speaking with her boobs resting on the table.


    ¡°We have a few problems here.¡±


    ¡°Including a busty, silver-haired commander who exploits her workforce. ...Whoa!?¡±


    When the end of the long, narrow kiseru dropped right next to the hand he was resting on the table, Heivia just about jumped straight up along with his chair.


    Frolaytia ignored that and continued.


    ¡°First, is what this alleged Katarina Martini says really true? Keeping this a secret is working against us. Our intelligence division has been negotiating with their Information Alliance contacts, but the most they¡¯ve managed to do is confirm the name Katarina. They have yet to get a photograph.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, if that part isn¡¯t true, this whole thing falls apart. And weaponizing information to sow confusion is exactly the kind of thing they would do.¡±


    Heivia answered with his eyes glued to the boobs changing shape atop the table, but Frolaytia was apparently too irritated to notice. She lethargically brushed the hair off the side of her face.


    ¡°Second, even if that old woman really is Katarina and she is telling the truth, how much does the Information Alliance know? Why was the Nitrogen Mirage sent here? Was it simply to retrieve or kill the defector and prevent an information leak, or was it sent by the Martini Series?¡±


    ¡°Well...that might change what kind of aftertaste this leaves with us, but is it really all that important? It¡¯s an enemy Object either way, so can¡¯t we just have the Princess blow it away?¡±


    He received a blatant tongue click from across the table.


    She must not have liked something about that, but Heivia knew asking about it would only bring more trouble, so he simply accepted his reward with a smile.


    ¡°Knowing whether our enemy is a Martini or not would tell us how persistent their pursuit will be, but fine. ...Third, if the Martini Series really is carrying this time bomb, what can we do? The Nitrogen Mirage is only the vanguard, so blowing it up isn¡¯t enough to earn a happily-ever-after.¡±


    ¡°What? If we get that old woman to Legitimacy Kingdom territory and send the data she has to the top brass of the Information Alliance...no, wait. That wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°The Martini Series has already worked its way deep into their administration and military. Any warning sent like that would just be suppressed.¡±


    The world was like a car supported by four tires and one of those tires was trying to puncture itself. They knew it was happening, but there was nothing they could do. They did not particularly care if the Information Alliance destroyed itself, but they did not want to be caught in the great crash afterwards.


    Looking annoyed, Frolaytia once more laid her head on the table.


    ¡°...We have so much on our plate here. This would be so much simpler if this alleged Katarina Martini turned out to be lying about everything and the world isn¡¯t in any real danger at all.¡±


    ¡°Wishes can¡¯t alter reality.¡±


    ¡°I know. War would be easy if the bullets avoided you as long as you wished hard enough. And the military needs to assume we¡¯re always a step away from the worst case scenario.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°We need to face the possibility that the Martini Series is near collapse. The real question is what we do about it...¡±


    Part 8


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray stood below the blue sky after taking her fancy cruiser out to sea. The feel of the unfamiliar swimsuit must have bothered her because she reached for her small butt and stuck her index finger below the edge to adjust it.


    To allow the bluefin tuna population to grow, fishing boats generally did not cruise through this area. The region of sea was primarily used for the idle rich to enjoy diving or some scenic sex, but now a great many ships were fleeing through it to avoid the naval battle being fought across the horizon. Thanks to that, no one would notice a suspicious radar blip on their sea chart.


    ¡°Frank.¡±


    When she called for her subordinate, the tall young man walked over without a word or even a noise. The rocking of the boat did not hinder him at all. He was always like this. He was so perfect, so skilled...and so obedient that he did not truly fill the hole of loneliness in the girl¡¯s heart.


    She was a troubleshooting specialist, the Stopgap Grim Reaper.


    That role meant she more often targeted her allies¡¯ backs than an external enemy.


    That meant a bodyguard whose skills were not up to snuff would be meaningless, so only someone as sharply honed as him could serve her.


    The ones who had been great company had died first and this young man was the only one who had survived this long.


    The silliness in the Mekong District had reminded Wraith of a forgotten period of her life.


    Those were the kind of people who vanished from her workplace.


    The grim reaper slowly narrowed her eyes and whispered to her loyal servant.


    ¡°...Am I insane?¡±


    She grimaced as soon as she said it.


    What good was asking that question to a dog who knew only how to obey? Frank could only coldly do as Wraith said or infer the answer she wanted by viewing her expression. Either way, she could not draw out his honest thoughts. That was hardly surprising after he had seen so many of his colleagues fall to deadly bullets after disobeying one of Wraith¡¯s selfish orders and running off to rescue the unit at the center of a scandal.


    He would not rid the girl of her loneliness.


    This was like a curse of Wraith¡¯s own making by only allowing the most obedient by her side.


    The small blonde girl knew how sick of this she was, so she shook her head. She smiled bitterly at how much she craved disobedience.


    She thought of Quenser Barbotage and Heivia Winchell.


    And then she looked to Frank who was their polar opposite. Finally, she spat out some words that seemed to stab into her own heart.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be picky when I set it up this way myself.¡±


    Part 9


    What were they to do if they assumed the Martini Series was near collapse?


    This was their answer:


    ¡°Can we really gather information with this thing?¡±


    ¡°Just watch. Besides, we¡¯ve long since passed the days when actual people are sent in for spy work. Although this was originally a personal project to see if it could help with maintenance inside the Object.¡±


    The excitement was occurring in the electronic simulation division¡¯s space. Quite a few people were gathered in that filthy room that smelled of dried squid and was known as either the toy box or the junk room.


    The chorus pounding on the roof had ceased, so the unexpected downpour must have ended.


    But rain or shine, this person was just as talkative. The technician who was introverted but wanted recognition was Lilim Gazette, Age 17 (¡â). She was the type who had few inhibitions on her blog but grew much more withdrawn at an offline meeting, so she was fairly flustered from all the attention on her.


    ¡°It was lucky this was a bluefin tuna breeding base. To determine the migration route the tuna take, they embed transmitters in a few samples and have them swim around. That means the Information Alliance should just ignore any suspicious signals coming from the ocean. More than that, we can use those transmitters as wireless routers.¡±


    ¡°And you attached thumb-sized spy robots on the back of those tuna?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how fast those sushi ingredients swim through the ocean? They¡¯re faster than some torpedoes. A toast to Sir Bloodrics and his Island Nation obsession!!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± said Quenser as he pulled out an analog paper sea chart. It seemed out of place in the electronic simulation division that wanted to turn everything into data, but spreading out the sea chart on the table and lining up kid¡¯s meal toy ships made it feel more like a simulation game.


    ¡°We¡¯re on New Caribbean Island which is here. The Information Alliance fleet is holding position 120km north of that. Umm, if I place the tuna migration route on the map...¡±


    ¡°This should work. And if it doesn¡¯t, we can always place them on the backs of seabirds that will carry them over.¡±


    The Princess seemed somewhat zoned out as she poked at a spy robot sitting on a shelf. It was three or four centimeters long, its shiny silver body was made of a few overlapping panels, and a bunch of tiny legs could be seen when it was flipped over. It may have been based on a pill bug...no, on a wharf roach.


    The necessary tuna had been captured and set up in advance. That jewel of the sea had already been released and it was quickly approaching the Information Alliance ships. The indecent LCD screens in here normally only displayed fighting games or swimsuit models, but one of them now showed the giant propeller of a warship from below. Using the tuna had been even more useful than expected because the footage was surprisingly stable. The wharf roach that had hitched a ride both physically and signal-wise was doing perfectly.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± said Heivia as he watched from the side. ¡°If we converted one of those into a tuna torpedo, we could sink them like this.¡±


    ¡°They would learn what to look out for after the first time and we¡¯d be excoriated in an international conference. Those things are still protected ingredients that nobles spend a fortune on.¡±


    Undaunted, Quenser tried to learn as much as he could about this rival technician¡¯s technology.


    ¡°But how do you get the spy robot up onto the ship? Tuna don¡¯t jump out of the water like dolphins, do they?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh. They¡¯re lighter than water, so if they let go of the tuna¡¯s back, they¡¯ll float right up to the surface. From there, they just have to ride the waves to the side of the ship. They can also kick at the water with their feet when the waves aren¡¯t enough or they need to adjust their direction. No matter how steep a slope it is, these cute little wharf roaches can climb right on up.¡±


    Is that how it works? wondered Quenser and Heivia as they and the other potatoes focused on the screen.


    But then an accident occurred.


    ¡°Urp, ughh... Th-the footage...is rocking in the waves...¡±


    ¡°Keep at it, Lilim. Don¡¯t let go of that stick that¡¯s been so worn out from playing too many fighting games. This was your idea, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    About half of the potatoes were hit by the motion sickness, but it was especially bad for Lilim Gazette, Age 17 (¡ûImportant), who was leaning forward and focusing more than any of the others. But all Quenser could do for the pale-faced girl was create a double-layer motion sickness bag out of a plastic bag and a paper bag.


    But after a long and hard battle, she managed to attach the spy robot to the side of the ship by using the long-range remote control system that was hijacking the tuna tracking signal.


    ¡°That¡¯s their command ship, the Flagship 019. Let¡¯s see what they¡¯re up to.¡±


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that the ship we saved before!? I knew helping someone was only going to come back to bite us!!¡±


    ¡°That captain was sent elsewhere, so I imagine it¡¯s being run by someone else entirely.¡±


    Once the spy robot had attached to the side of the 200m battlecruiser, the footage did not move around nearly as much. That said, it was still out at sea, so the movement did not vanish entirely.


    While undergoing an internal struggle, Lilim used the hijacked signal to send the spy robot further and further up the ship. Some of the potatoes watched on from the side and others had been defeated and driven to vomit, so it was a dramatic scene of sweat and tears for a variety of reasons. It may have taken a different form than usual, but this was undoubtedly war.


    After climbing the steel wall that leaned out further than vertical, the wharf roach arrived on the deck. However, this was where its mission truly began.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s review, Lilim. Frolaytia wants to know who is commanding the Nitrogen Mirage. She wants to know if the Martini Series is interfering in any way, so let¡¯s work at figuring that out.¡±


    ¡°While you¡¯re at it, try to find any classified data or blueprints for the Nitrogen Mirage itself,¡± added the Princess. ¡°It would be great if there was a maintenance manual lying around.¡±


    Just then, something like a giant suspended ceiling of rubber fell down and the screen went dark.


    ¡°Eh? Ah!? What, what, what!? The signal just cut off!!¡±


    ¡°Was that...? I really don¡¯t want to accept this, Quenser, but I recognized that zigzag pattern on the falling ceiling...¡±


    ¡°¡±Don¡¯t pass this off to me! And don¡¯t you say it! Don¡¯t say that was the sole of an unsuspecting Information Alliance soldier¡¯s boot!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lilim!? C-c¡¯mon, reaching for that motion sickness bag is like accepting defeat! Ahhh!!¡±


    Something must have snapped inside her when all her effort went to waste, so the 17-year-old gave in quite spectacularly. Their dreams destroyed, Quenser and Heivia could not suppress the tears.


    Good camouflage could be a problem in its own way.


    But Lilim Gazette seemed to have recovered now that her stomach was emptied out.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t worry. A bluefin tuna weighs 350 kilograms. We could fit tons of finger-sized spy robots on that thing, so we¡¯ve got plenty of extra lives!!¡±


    They had apparently scattered a lot of the small robots across the ocean surface like bait. The 17-year-old accessed another one and tried again at this instant-death action game.


    ¡°Wait, Lilim. You have to memorize that fat guard¡¯s patrol route!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s a rat. You were eaten by a rat!!¡±


    ¡°......¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid!? How do you fall from the ceiling plumbing and drop right into the toilet!? Waaahh!!¡±


    ¡°Urp... I-I can¡¯t take any more of this!¡±


    She should not have had anything left in her stomach, but Lilim Gazette, Age 17, (who was quickly acquiring a new defining trait) grabbed the barf bag and began dry heaving. Still, she had made it pretty far. This was their chance to acquire some classified information, so they could not have her give up here.


    ¡°Lilim.¡±


    ¡°...(Tremble, tremble)¡±


    ¡°Please, Lilim. Do us a favor and gently grab this thick and curved stick again!!¡±


    ¡°Stop!! Don¡¯t put that dirty stick in my face!!¡±


    ...She seemed to have been deeply traumatized. Even the potatoes started feeling sorry for her as they surrounded her and poked hard things against her cheeks that were puffed out to fight the rising urge to vomit.


    Plus, Quenser and the others wanted to try their hand at this. However, this instant-death action game was too difficult for just anyone to play. In fact, if even the developer herself could not beat it, a real video game would have received nothing but complaints.


    ¡°Does anyone here know how to use joysticks like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we need someone with plenty of qualifications, who¡¯s skilled with their hands, and could probably pilot just about anything...¡±


    As Quenser and Heivia listed off the conditions, the potatoes¡¯ gazes all gathered on one person.


    The person pushed up to stardom in place of the 17-year-old vomit girl was a pure wildflower and their true jack-of-all-trades: Myonri.


    ¡°Eh? Ehhh!?¡±


    ¡°Please, Myonri.¡±


    ¡°Please wait! There¡¯s someone on the floor right over there showing what this does to you! This is a demonic machine that no girl should ever touch!¡±


    ¡°We get that, but please just grab this stick. You can look down and slowly, hesitantly reach out your trembling hand. You can even shut one eye like you¡¯re being handed a water balloon that might burst at any moment.¡±


    Meanwhile, the Princess was adorably and silently puffing out her cheeks at receiving no attention whatsoever despite this being a piloting mission.


    And despite how much she complained, Myonri got the hang of it super fast once she got started.


    ¡°Hmm. So you don¡¯t move each individual leg. You just tell it front, left, or right and it does the rest for you. It can move forward or turn to the left or right, but it can¡¯t back up. And when it reaches a wall head on, it automatically performs the action to climb up the wall. This is really neat.¡±


    ¡°...I see Myonri¡¯s the type to intentionally let a few of them die to test things out.¡±


    ¡°And that smile on her face as she sends them to their death kind of scares me. Is this what girls are like on the inside...?¡±


    The cute little wharf roach had left the simple floor and was instead crawling along the ceiling as it moved deeper and deeper into the ship. It could not pass through the watertight doors that did not leave any gap at all and the hijacked tuna signal could not reach too far inside, but other than that, it provided a high level of freedom.


    ¡°What can this thing do?¡±


    ¡°Umm, it was originally meant for Object maintenance, right? In addition to the standard camera and microphone, it can apparently intercept local signals. That means phone calls and emails too. Of course, it will all still be encrypted, so we¡¯ll need another computer to handle the decryption.¡±


    The spy robot was surprisingly high spec.


    It was fun using it themselves, but they did not want to be on the receiving end.


    ¡°Zzz...mutter, mutter...¡±


    The Princess must have gotten sick of being ignored because she had gone to sleep in the middle of the mission.


    And since she leaned defenselessly against Quenser, the rest of the potatoes¡¯ hostility focused in on him.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. We need to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. We need to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. We need to kill him.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I thought it was my turn to be the center of attention!¡± protested Myonri. ¡°I¡¯ll quit on you, dammit!!¡±


    When the less noticeable girl grew tearful, everyone focused back on her.


    Everyone faced Myonri like they were looking at someone who had tried to up their popularity on a social network by announcing they were shorting some stock and then got arrested for it.


    ¡°Umm, we drew up a diagram of the Flagship 019 before, right? Y¡¯know, when taking measurements for the rescue operation.¡±


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t know since we were looking after some tanks at the time. But is this it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... It looks like they won¡¯t let us into the bridge or combat command. And I¡¯m afraid the tuna signal won¡¯t reach very far inside...¡±


    ¡°Wait, Myonri, then where are you headed?¡±


    ¡°The best place to find sensitive information has always been the break room.¡±


    She once more causally revealed the true face of girls. The potatoes¡¯ balls shriveled up and they did not want to direct the conversation any further in that direction, but they were the ones who had put her in control. Quenser focused on the soft sensation of the napping Princess in order to tilt the scales toward his ideal image of girls. He would not have much of a future if he grew disillusioned with teenage girls at his age.


    He watched the cute little wharf roach that was infiltrating the ship using a tuna signal.


    A lot of girls in white sailor uniforms were gathered there.


    ¡°Wow, they¡¯re squatting, wow! And they¡¯re scratching there quite a bit! Ah, ahh!! I don¡¯t want to see this! I don¡¯t want to see any more of this group!!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet. I can¡¯t hear what they¡¯re saying.¡±


    ¡°But all they¡¯re talking about is who slept with who and how someone got promoted so fast by screwing their commander!¡±


    ¡°I said be quiet!! Mhh, this is a big deal...!!¡±


    This seemed to have lit some kind of fire in Myonri.


    The potatoes tilted their heads and wondered if the entire mission had gotten sidetracked, but then something happened on the screen.


    ¡°Hi, everyone. Mind if I join you?¡±


    ¡°Geh! It¡¯s Little Miss Perfect!¡±


    ¡°The name is Piranirie Martini Smoky. And being a genius girl can actually make it easier to get stiff shoulders. Oh, or is it taboo to mention stiff shoulders when you don¡¯t have any boobs?¡±


    A small girl of about 13 joined that no-rules death match.


    Most of the girls wore sailor uniforms because they were in fact sailors, but this new girl with wavy black hair was somewhat different. She wore a blue parade coat with gold stitching on top of her uniform. The sleeves were baggy enough that only her fingertips poked out and the hem dragged along the floor. It actually seemed to accentuate how short she was. And it was blue. That color was used in the Princess¡¯s special suit since it symbolized the Legitimacy Kingdom, but it was best avoided for a naval force. It was well known for making someone harder to find if they fell overboard. Since she had gone out of her way to wear something like that, she must have had the same privilege as a Pilot Elite to overpower a group with her own individual ability.


    But she had given some important information for Quenser who had a girl¡¯s head on his shoulder like he was being blessed on the train ride back from school. He looked to that girl who was skillfully spinning a fountain pen with the fingertips poking out of her baggy sleeve.


    ¡°One of the Martini Series...? So are they really interfering with this mission?¡±


    He demanded someone quickly check with Katarina, but Heivia only dug out some earwax with a dubious look on his face. Quenser¡¯s message had not reached anyone.


    ¡°But do you really need to hold this girls gathering in such a cramped place?¡± asked the girl on the screen. ¡°You could always go somewhere with more space.¡±


    ¡°...We have our reasons.¡±


    ¡°Heh heh. So you still have enough innocence left to care what the boys think about you.¡±


    ¡°Why you...!!¡±


    ¡°Good, good. You¡¯re so cute. ...Oh, and you can punch me if you want, but leave a bruise anywhere visible and it¡¯s game over for you. In fact, if I just so happened to trip and hit my forehead here, you would never receive another promotion. Never. Ever¡î¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it. It has not been easy making all the necessary adjustments with those old men at the top, so let¡¯s be more candid down here. I made sure to leave behind my safety device ¨C that guy who looks after me ¨C so I really was just hoping to relax.¡±


    Piranirie sounded casual enough, but her cheerful tone hid a hint of mockery. She may have been used to this kind of treatment.


    She controlled the people around her by taking advantage of how delicately she had to be handled.


    Finally, one of the girls in the break room hesitantly opened her mouth.


    ¡°Um, does that have anything to do with why we haven¡¯t seen any of the guys recently?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is what I was trying to convince those old men to do.¡±


    Piranirie Martini Smoky casually confirmed it.


    And...


    ¡°If we really want to get that defector back, is this any time to be pitting Objects against each other? Save me this clean war nonsense. The only real answer is to put together a team of divers and attack the Legitimacy Kingdom base. I mean, it¡¯s a remote island. Who¡¯s gonna see?¡î¡±


    Just as a chill ran down all of their backs, the windowless electronic simulation division room¡¯s lights went out and they were surrounded by complete darkness.


    Part 10


    ¡°Tch. So it¡¯s started. Your test has begun, Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    While still bothered by the butt of her black one-piece swimsuit (which was apparently called a school swimsuit in the Island Nation), Wraith Martini Vermouthspray spoke quietly on her cruiser.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you die yet, my beloved fools.¡±


    Part 11


    They heard an explosion and felt a tremor.


    Gunfire followed.


    Only now did Quenser realize his mobile device and radio were not functioning. Powerful jamming must have begun at the same time as the blackout.


    The enemy had no intention of hiding it any longer.


    ¡°Oh, no! This doesn¡¯t sound like the infiltration phase! They¡¯ve already set everything up and are starting the attack phase!!¡±


    ¡°More importantly, what caused them to start shooting? Their target is that old woman named Katarina Martini, right!? I doubt they would be shooting this much before reaching her!!¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes shouted to each other as they swiftly got to work. The sleeping Princess woke up with no need for an alarm clock.


    They split into two general groups.


    The first was a search team confirming the safety of Katarina Martini. The second was a bodyguard team guiding the Princess to the Baby Magnum where she would be most safe.


    ¡°Even with all the insanity at that silo city, the maintenance base still functioned as a shield. But as soon as the Martini Series shows up, we get this!¡±


    ¡°You only realize how much you liked a rule after it¡¯s been broken. The collapse of the Martini Series has arrived. If we don¡¯t stop it here, this will spread to the safe countries around the world.¡±


    The enemy was already breaking the rules, so they would have no way of stopping the violence if they lost their Object. Then they would have no one to stop the Nitrogen Mirage from reaching New Caribbean Island.


    They wanted to know more about Piranirie Martini Smoky. They had to see Katarina to approach the core of this, but Quenser and Heivia had chosen to guard the Princess. Without solidifying their footing, they would be unable to advance any further.


    Heivia raised his assault rifle as he spoke.


    ¡°This is bad... We¡¯ve reached an age of slaughter led by rational killers. I feel bad for the Information Alliance soldiers for being sent out by someone like that...¡±


    ¡°Those arguments are meaningless if we don¡¯t win first.¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡±


    The gloomy and windowless electronic simulation division room was one thing, but it was a sunny day outside. And yet Heivia groaned as soon as he opened the door.


    They could not see.


    A pink chemical smokescreen was obscuring their vision. They could not even see the crunchy chocolate volcanic rock below their feet.


    ¡°Ugh, cough!! This is the worst. Watch out for enemy attack and friendly fire!!¡±


    ¡°My eyes are watering...¡± muttered the Princess.


    It was all over if he lost sight of her, so Quenser firmly held her hand.


    ¡°So what are we supposed to do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Grab the Princess¡¯s head and have her crouch down. Don¡¯t let that VIP¡¯s head get any higher than our you-know-whats!¡±


    The enemy did not seem to be evenly spread across the island. They could hear gunshots from a short distance away. And the smokescreen did not seem to have been fired at them in particular. It had only been blown here by the wind.


    ¡°This tuna base is basically a noble¡¯s manor, right? And an enemy nation is seriously trespassing and firing guns? If Sir Bloodrics had a short temper, this would trigger an international incident...¡±


    ¡°The war has already begun, you moron! And it sounds like the worst of it is at the detention barracks where we hold POWs. This isn¡¯t random. They know the layout.¡±


    Myonri drove a military truck over from the front of the building.


    Even if the smokescreen was only what the wind had blown over, they could barely see anymore. Quenser opened the back door, pushed on the Princess¡¯s small butt to help her inside, and then climbed in after her. Heivia circled around to the passenger side and then clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Damn, if I was gonna operate the heavy machinegun on the roof, I should¡¯ve gone to the back!!¡±


    The Princess tilted her head at that.


    ¡°I could be the gunner.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, you can grab her this one time! Just stop the Princess! In what world do you stick your VIP up on the roof!?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time, so I¡¯m leaving with or without you!¡±


    With almost zero visibility, Myonri clenched her teeth together and floored it with a submachinegun in her lap.


    Not ten meters into their drive, what could only have been a human silhouette was sent flying by the bumper. Myonri screamed and started to brake, but Heivia slapped her head from the passenger seat.


    ¡°That was an Information Alliance uniform, so one down! Keep going!!¡±


    The drive was entirely reliant on luck. All the windows were covered with walls of pink, so it was easy to lose your sense of direction. They had to determine direction from the compass in their hand instead of the sun in the sky.


    ¡°But don¡¯t trust that too much, Myonri. This is an artificial island made from volcanic rock, so it¡¯s chock full of metal. That can mess with the geomagnetism, so the needle might change directions.¡±


    ¡°Can someone with two hands free please handle the navigation!?¡±


    ¡°That soldier you just hit was carrying a drum and cables.¡± Quenser had a knack for not hearing anything he did not want to hear. ¡°They brought combat engineers who specialize in explosives just like me. And New Caribbean Island was made by gathering magma using artificial earthquakes triggered by a ton of explosives, right?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me!? If there¡¯s an eruption now, we¡¯ve got nowhere to run!¡±


    The idiot duo¡¯s conversation seemed to have inspired enough fear in Myonri to have a negative sort of awakening.


    While driving through the thick smokescreen, she used her instincts to lock onto silhouettes and ran over several enemy soldiers in a row.


    The Princess turned her emotionless eyes outside the window which seemed coated with cotton candy and she listened to the gunshots coming from mostly one direction.


    ¡°There¡¯s no hesitation in their movements... Do they have a drone flying overhead for support?¡±


    ¡°In this smokescreen? They set it up, so how are they telling friend from foe?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?¡± said Heivia. ¡°Maybe they have IR markers on all their allies. We don¡¯t have time to check one of their corpses, though. Getting the Princess onboard her Object comes first!¡±


    A few dull explosions rang out.


    It came from their destination.


    ¡°The Object hangar is under attack,¡± said the Princess.


    ¡°The reactor stays active even when it¡¯s on standby, right? If they get inside and mess with the reactor, this entire island could be wiped from the map...¡±


    ¡°That would be terrible, but not even a nuke can destroy the Baby Magnum, so I doubt they can break it open so easily. Let¡¯s get in there before we lose our foothold!!¡±


    The smokescreen really was the worst.


    Myonri crashed the truck not through the wide-open front door entrance but through a completely normal and entirely unrelated wall.


    The engine grill was crushed like an empty can and Quenser¡¯s butt rose from his seat and he gave a rather forceful kiss to the driver¡¯s seat headrest.


    ¡°Bwah!?¡±


    ¡°Quenser, you idiot. You¡¯re supposed to act as the Princess¡¯s meat cushion at times like this.¡±


    Myonri tried shifting into reverse and backing out, but it was no use.


    ¡°Dammit. My eyes are stinging again. Prepare yourselves!!¡±


    Heivia placed a hand on her shoulder as a signal and then left through the passenger side door. Quenser grabbed the Princess¡¯s slender shoulders and they jumped out of the back seat and onto the rough black ground.


    The sound of gunfire pounded at their entire bodies instead of just their eardrums.


    ¡°It¡¯s close,¡± said the Princess. ¡°That gunfire is coming from inside.¡±


    Quenser looked around and moved so nervously it was unclear who was protecting who.


    ¡°This is bad. Those are definitely the sounds of war. I could really die here.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, why did you even come out to the battlefield countries anyway?¡± said Heivia.


    They choked on the smokescreen, but they had no choice but to keep going.


    Quenser, Heivia, and Myonri surrounded the Princess in a single clump as the potatoes moved along the giant hangar wall. They came across a human-sized entrance on one side.


    ¡°Armageddon is underway in there. Quenser, you take a gun just in case.¡±


    While pressed against the wall, Heivia tossed over his magnum sidearm, but it was not his awful friend who caught it. The Princess reached over and grabbed it first.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about the old lady,¡± said the expressionless girl.


    Heivia and Myonri were unsure what to do when she immediately started aiming it around, but they had to chase after her regardless.


    The aforementioned old lady must have realized reinforcements had arrived because her familiar voice reached them from atop the scaffolding.


    ¡°Watch out for 25mm grenades! They fire them in quick succession and they¡¯re smart weapons!!¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± muttered Heivia in shock as they hid behind some spare onion armor stacked up to waist height.


    With smart weapons, it was game over once the electronically-controlled sight locked onto them. The grenades would alter their trajectory midflight to accurately hit them. And hiding behind cover would not be enough to escape. If they fled behind any kind of shield, the enemy just had to fire somewhere past the cover so the shrapnel would do lethal damage to everything behind the shield. If they were driven out by those and then shot down with rifle bullets, they would never recover.


    But that also told them something.


    (How are the launcher and the grenade linked? They¡¯re jamming the place and infrared wouldn¡¯t work well in this heat. And if this chemical smokescreen is blocking out all kinds of light, everything from IR to UV would be suspect. In that case...)


    ¡°The grenades are coming! Get down and protect your head!!¡±


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    Just like with hand grenades, the standard was to attack from two places at once.


    Even if they took care of one attacker, the other explosion would get them.


    While Heivia and Myonri tearfully covered their head with their hands, Quenser alone did something odd. He opened the door to a nearby fire hydrant, pulled out the thick hose, and aimed the nozzle toward the Information Alliance soldiers.


    He gave it a somewhat wide-angle spray by rotating the metal ring surrounding the nozzle and he forcibly held the bucking hose in place as the high-pressure water shot out.


    That was precisely when the 25mm cylinders flew out in parabolic arcs, but they soon turned in the wrong direction. The explosive noise and shockwaves pounded on their right ears, but Quenser¡¯s group was unharmed.


    ¡°Wow...¡±


    ¡°With a wide-angle spray, it¡¯s a lot like a searchlight, so controlling it isn¡¯t hard. More importantly, Heivia, you take over the hose. Don¡¯t move too far forward and get yourself shot, okay?¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on! What are you gonna do!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be making some sparks with the circular saw in the work area back there, so cover me.¡±


    ¡°Why!? Are you making some kind of secret weapon!?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t using radio or IR. But the old lady¡¯s voice reached us loud and clear. It¡¯s ultrasound. They¡¯re sending out their signals using sound waves beyond the audible range.¡±


    Heivia looked surprised, so Quenser drove his point home.


    ¡°That¡¯s also why they bothered with a blackout in the middle of the day. They wanted to shut off any kind of speaker. But handheld power tools are generally battery-powered. If I make a whole bunch of noise scraping at metal, the smart control of their grenades and their markers preventing friendly fire won¡¯t work anymore!¡±


    They did not have time to hesitate.


    Quenser could not use a gun properly, but he ran over to the work bench while Heivia created a barrier against the grenade launchers and rifles using the firehose water and Myonri fired her submachinegun to keep the enemy soldiers behind cover.


    Once he pressed the rapidly-rotating blade against a thick metal panel and orange sparks scattered everywhere, things began to change.


    The detonation of the grenades was program-controlled, so once that function was lost, the enemy was outnumbered. The firehose was no longer necessary. The potatoes used cover to accurately avoid the line of fire as they surrounded the Information Alliance attackers and mercilessly filled them with lead.


    Historically, strategists and tricksters would occasionally have their time in the limelight, but there was one thing they had to watch out for. Their fame was all well and good when they were winning, but their fate would be even more tragic than most when they lost.


    ¡°Okay, clear! Watch out for any remaining wires and get the Princess into the cockpit!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, I found an ultrasonic wave marker on one of the corpses. See that band wrapped around the upper arm? It¡¯s just like the mosquito noise devices hanging under the eaves at a convenience store.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, pass one of those to me,¡± said the Princess. ¡°Only the Information Alliance is wearing these things, right? I can scan the frequency and take out every last one of them with my anti-personnel laser planetarium.¡±


    (Hmm, the Princess really is a warfighter. I guess she isn¡¯t the type to shriek and cling to my arm in a haunted house.)


    Quenser kept that honest opinion to himself as he saw off the cutting-edge warrior girl with a grin. If he said anything to upset the Pilot Elite here, every last one of his allies was sure to punch him later on.


    Once the Generation One was moving, the battle was as good as won.


    Unlike the Generation Twos which were specialized for Object battles alone, the Baby Magnum was designed for battles with tanks, aircraft, and even infantry groups. Even inside that smokescreen, she could accurately determine who was an enemy and send a horizontal storm of laser beams their way.


    A sizzling sound that could have come from a Chinese restaurant came from outside the hangar.


    It was best not to think about what had just been vaporized.


    ¡°Oh, looks like the jamming¡¯s gone.¡±


    ¡°The Princess probably blew up a work boat out at sea or an electronic warfare aircraft with a big plate on its back.¡±


    And with the radios functioning again, they received a very welcome message from their commander.


    ¡°This is Frolaytia. Listen up, everyone!¡±


    ¡°This is sure to be some kind of hellish work. Quick, get the jamming back up!!¡±


    ¡°If she really wanted us to listen, she should show off those wonderful tits of hers.¡±


    ¡°Things have calmed down, but Katarina Martini is nowhere to be found. She may have already been killed, but begin a search under the assumption she has been recaptured. Check the straight-line path between this artificial volcano island and the Information Alliance maintenance fleet. The Princess has the advantage when it comes to speed, but she isn¡¯t that dexterous. We need infantry to settle things after she¡¯s held them up! And the more the better!!¡±


    ¡°What do we do, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. We¡¯ve already done our share of work today. It¡¯s not like we get overtime pay, so I¡¯m taking a dump and getting to sleep.¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± continued Frolaytia. ¡°The assembly point is this island and 200 nautical miles around it. If you wish to refuse this mission, please leave that area at once. Otherwise, you might just be stuck here with the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, Quenser!? We need to jump in the ocean immediately!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way we can swim 200 nautical miles! We¡¯d drown!!¡±


    ¡°Three, two, one, zero. Good, good. I am glad to see I have so many subordinates with such passion hidden in their hearts. Thank you very much! That was the deadline.¡±


    ¡°What the hell was that!? It¡¯s just like a search engine or social network¡¯s notification of a non-negotiable change to their user policy! And our lives are on the line here!!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s really figured out how to take advantage of us...¡±


    Q. This work environment would never be allowed in a normal company, so why was it allowed here? A. Because this was not a normal company. That simple answer was the worst part about the military. They could not reject this mission no matter how much they complained, so the idiot duo left the Object maintenance area while listening to Frolaytia¡¯s instructions.


    The sea breeze was finally sweeping the pink smokescreen away, but the puddles leftover from the earlier rain were now discolored.


    ¡°They¡¯re polluting the environment.¡±


    ¡°This war hasn¡¯t gotten so bad we have to crawl around drinking from puddles.¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s gonna be breathing in the air after the hot sun evaporates those puddles?¡±


    As they argued, the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes arrived at one of the hangars lined up alongside a makeshift runway. Something was being towed out of that large half-cylinder building.


    ¡°A Merman? That¡¯s a marine rescue helicopter, not a war toy!¡±


    ¡°I really want to chew out whoever it was that named it Merman instead of Mermaid.¡±


    Those unproductive idiots only complained no matter what they saw, but busty, silver-haired Frolaytia was waiting for them at the hangar.


    ¡°Wherever the enemy is headed, they¡¯re a step ahead of us. We need speed to catch up and these are faster than a boat, so fly low and pursue any suspicious readings. If you want a gun emplacement at the side door, attach one DIY-style. You have 600 seconds!¡±


    She clapped her hands in front of her extremely large chest and the potatoes all got to work. This was no time to be staring at those large and jiggly things. Not because they wanted to dutifully fulfill their orders, but because being too slow here would mean ending up on the front line with no protection.


    ¡°Outta the way! That.50 caliber heavy machinegun is mine!!¡±


    ¡°You just took twenty rockets, didn¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°Fools. All those weapons will be useless without any power tools to attach them. Ee hee hee. I¡¯ll grab them all for myself and trade them for the best gear...¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom clearly had excess energy if they were fighting amongst themselves before heading out to battle. The arguments continued as the marine rescue helicopters of love and peace were covered in deadly weapons.


    ¡°Ah, no. I-I want some of that electronic warfare gear...¡±


    ¡°Here, Lilim! Take this motion sickness bag!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. Has that set in!? Could you stop making that my defining trait!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be traveling through the air, so make sure to bring lots of barf bags!!¡±


    Quenser looked up after attaching a swiveling heavy machinegun that stuck out of the side door.


    ¡°Hey, Myonri, do we really need to paint a face on the front of the helicopter?¡±


    ¡°It looked like it could really use some paint.¡±


    They were apparently in the same group again.


    Once the promised 600 seconds had passed, Frolaytia clapped once more and Quenser¡¯s group climbed aboard the large helicopter that had a main rotor in the front and back.


    It was finally time to head out.


    With Myonri at the controls, the Merman held Quenser, Heivia, and six other soldiers in its cargo space. Because it was originally meant for marine rescues, the wall was covered in a variety of equipment like oxygen tanks, masks, underwater work tools, and even medical devices like an AED and packs of saline.


    ¡°You can tell this belonged to a rich guy. They have better medical equipment than we do in the military.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, help me drop this wireless sonobuoy, Quenser! There¡¯s something wrong when a commoner is taking it easy and a noble is working up a sweat!!¡±


    Heivia tossed what looked like a long narrow sandbag out the side door and he unfortunately did not possess a spirit of noblesse oblige.


    A sonobuoy was like a large float that was dropped into the ocean so it could scatter the kind of active sonar used by submarines and send back data on any dangerous readings it found. If the Information Alliance was using a submarine after capturing Katarina Martini, this would tell them where it was.


    ¡°Do you really think we¡¯ll find them? Even if we are on the shortest path between New Caribbean Island and their maintenance fleet.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere for them to hide above or below the water. If we watch from above and drop sonobuoys, they¡¯re trapped. If only it wasn¡¯t a black-hearted old woman we were rescuing. But she¡¯s the only one with info on Piranirie, so we have no choice!¡±


    The 50m Baby Magnum passed by directly below the helicopters.


    The top speed of a helicopter was said to be between 300 and 400kph, but an Object could easily exceed 500. The sight of the colossal weapon easily passing the aircraft had enough of an impact to feel completely surreal.


    A powerful gust of wind shook the helicopter up and down.


    ¡°Kyah!?¡±


    ¡°Princess, I know you want to show off, but tone it down a bit!!¡±


    However, the Baby Magnum did not seem to care.


    In fact...


    ¡°But you would be in trouble if I didn¡¯t move out ahead.¡±


    It slowly dawned on them what she meant by that.


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    ¡°If the Objects on both sides are working, that means the Information Alliance Nitrogen Mirage can join the battle too, doesn¡¯t it? So wouldn¡¯t this area be ruled by its anti-air lasers and their perfect accuracy...?¡±


    ¡°C-curse that busty commander... She stuffed these flying pi?atas with as much living meat as she could!¡±


    A bluish-white beam shot right past the large helicopter.


    It probably had not been aimed at them. If it had, they would have been vaporized. It was only a warning shot directed at the Baby Magnum.


    But a hit from a stray shot would leave them just as dead.


    Also, they had to get to work before they really were the enemy¡¯s target.


    ¡°Myonri! Move down as close to the ocean as you can manage!!¡±


    ¡°If we move below 50 meters, we might end up in the Baby Magnum¡¯s path,¡± said Myonri.


    ¡°Are you dumb, Quenser?¡± added Heivia. ¡°This is about to become a boxing match between Objects. If the Princess¡¯s giant ass hits us during her dance, we¡¯ll be sent straight to heaven!!¡±


    Another laser fried the air right next to their helicopter.


    But this one did not come from the Nitrogen Mirage.


    ¡°Grab whoever said I have a ¡®giant ass¡¯ and hang them out the side door. Let¡¯s play a game of William Tell, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°She already knows it was me!?¡±


    But this was no time to be messing around.


    Quenser shouted over the roar of the rotors.


    ¡°Our options are the Nitrogen Mirage¡¯s anti-air lasers which can shoot us down with perfect accuracy, or an accidental megaton butt slam. Our odds of survival are higher if we stay low. So, Myonri, just take us right down to the ocean!!¡±


    ¡°...Again, Heivia...?¡± said the Princess.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! It wasn¡¯t even me this time!¡±


    As Heivia paled, the large Merman quickly dropped down. And just as it began racing forward as if pushing down the waves, a beam of light flashed by overhead.


    It was as bright as welding light and nearly blinded them. Another Merman that failed to escape in time was vaporized.


    ¡°Dammit, one down!!¡±


    ¡°Its nitrogen laser uses artificial mirages to bend any way it wants... Keeping our head down isn¡¯t enough to avoid it.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t give it time to do that.¡±


    The Baby Magnum moved further forward and began a serious shootout with the Nitrogen Mirage.


    That bought them some time, but it was not an absolute assurance of safety.


    Quenser grabbed at the shaking helicopter¡¯s wall and checked through the marine rescue equipment there.


    ¡°What are you doing, Quenser!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s creating artificial mirages by producing extreme temperature differences in the air and it¡¯s using those mirages as a prism to bend its ultraviolet nitrogen lasers.¡± The student found a monstrous container of cooling spray. ¡°But the Nitrogen Mirage isn¡¯t the only one that can do that. We know its trick, so we can create mirages too!!¡±


    He sprayed a white smoke out the open side door like he was using a fire extinguisher.


    Immediately afterwards, they saw bluish-white beams bend every which way, arrive right in front of them, and then bend toward empty air.


    ¡°That was close!¡±


    ¡°We can only see the afterimage, right? This is like unwittingly crossing a minefield and only later learning how lucky you were...¡±


    The other helicopters that had escaped to extreme low altitude must have reached the same answer as Quenser because a few of them were trailing what looked like white smoke.


    But then a bluish-white laser punched right through one of the helicopters flying alongside them.


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t calculating this out using meteorological radars or computers, so we can¡¯t make perfect mirages!!¡±


    The Princess seemed to have the upper hand, but she apparently could not destroy the Nitrogen Mirage right away.


    They would be targeted in midair at this rate.


    Once the tension in the helicopter changed to fear, they quickly made up their minds.


    ¡°Grab oxygen tanks and masks! And check how many underwater motor-controlled aqua scooters there are!!¡±


    Quenser continued to scatter the cooling carbon dioxide out the side door while Heivia tossed a small oxygen tank and mask toward the cockpit.


    It was time.


    ¡°Jump out!! We¡¯ll be shot down!!¡±


    Heivia grabbed Quenser¡¯s shoulder and jumped out the side door.


    Before they even hit the water, a bluish-white laser tore straight through the large marine rescue helicopter.


    Part 12


    The Nitrogen Mirage¡¯s anti-air lasers were absolute.


    Since they would have been slaughtered above water, Quenser and the other survivors fled into the ocean.


    However...


    (This won¡¯t last forever.)


    Quenser added an attachment to his radio, attached the wireless mic to his throat, and covered his mouth with the mask he had been given.


    The problem was the size of the oxygen tank.


    It was small enough that Heivia had been able to throw it by hand.


    (No matter how much we conserve, I doubt this will last even an hour.)


    And just as he thought that, Heivia grabbed his shoulder. When he looked in the direction his awful friend pointed, he realized a shelf of the ocean bottom was quite nearby. The depth here was apparently much shallower than where they had picked up that submarine.


    But that was not the real problem.


    ¡°A sunken ship?¡±


    A giant rusted ship was rolled over on its side. Even from here, they could see it had become a fish reef covered in seaweed and surrounded by hundreds or thousands of small fish.


    Radio signals did not travel through the ocean well, but that was not an issue when they were right next to each other.


    ¡°No, not that. You see those things attached with wires? Those are Information Alliance luxury cars in the parking lot. Those are their submersibles.¡±


    Something was wrong with the flow of time.


    Those ¡°new products¡± seemed as out of place as something in a doctored ghost photograph and they never would have ended up here for no reason.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Information Alliance that fled from New Caribbean Island? Are they holding Katarina Martini there?¡±


    ¡°How did we end up on an ocean mission with no swimsuits and some old woman? After this is over, I¡¯m gonna demand worker¡¯s comp from that busty commander. I¡¯ll have her personally make up for the lack of swimsuits.¡±


    The Nitrogen Mirage may have made an appearance because the diver team had sent out a distress signal when they found themselves pinned below water and unable to move. They had been sitting tight until their Second Generation eliminated the Object and helicopter unit.


    ¡°...That leaves one conclusion.¡±


    ¡°They might have enough air in there to wait around for quite a while. Attacking them would be worth it.¡±


    When Heivia gestured with his thumb, Myonri and the others showed their agreement by beginning to move.


    As usual, this was a fight over resources.


    Swimming was difficult without dedicated flippers or a lead diving belt, but they still managed a gradual approach. Before long, it grew more obvious that the 100m ship on the ocean floor was actually a transport ship. And not a civilian one. The giant communication antenna and crane-like refueling arm suggested it was a military supply transport ship.


    The rusted walls appeared to be broken through in several places, so they thought getting in would be easy.


    But just as they were within arm¡¯s reach of the brown rusted ship, they heard some odd noises and several straight lines of air bubbles approached them like white spears.


    The confusion reached Quenser¡¯s mind before the fear.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Watch out!!¡±


    But after Heivia shoved him behind some rocks and those rocks were torn away, the situation finally hit home.


    ¡°U-underwater rifles!? They¡¯re shooting at us!!¡±


    There were a few different ways of creating underwater firearms, but based on the rapid-fire speed seen here, these were likely based on assault rifles. The water would sap their momentum and the ballistic path was anything but stable after only 100 meters, but that did not overturn the Information Alliance¡¯s advantage here. Having fireable guns was enough.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any underwater firearms!¡± said Myonri. ¡°What do we do!?¡±


    ¡°Damn, where are they? I didn¡¯t see any air bubbles from an oxygen tank...¡±


    ¡°Go back to the basics, Quenser. You just have to determine the distance and angle from the bullet holes.¡±


    Heivia pointed to where the gunfire had come from.


    4 o¡¯clock and 9 o¡¯clock.


    As things were, this could develop into an inescapable crossfire.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be slaughtered before we can do anything...¡±


    ¡°We just have to wipe them out without firing a single bullet. What do we have at our disposal? Knives, a gas-operated pile driver...¡±


    (The current is...what do you call it with water? Anyway, it¡¯s like a tailwind from us to them. And I know I saw seaweed torn like this and a crab shell crushed like this in a documentary. If I can just find something to use for bait...)


    As he gave this serious thought, Quenser casually reached a hand toward Myonri¡¯s small butt.


    ¡°Eek!?¡±


    The maiden jumped straight up because she had been completely focused on the enemy in this tense situation, but all Quenser wanted at the moment was her large combat knife. After rudely swiping it from someone else¡¯s sheath, he used the thick blade to pry off the univalves attached to the rocks they were using as a shield.


    As the many shells followed the currents and flowed out in every direction, something happened.


    The Information Alliance soldiers were gradually taking up position for a crossfire, but then something like a giant blanket dropped down on them from above.


    No.


    ¡°That¡¯s a giant squid!! This is pretty shallow for one of them, but you can still find them around!!¡±


    ¡°You look pretty proud of yourself, but don¡¯t think I¡¯m ever forgetting what you did!!¡± protested Myonri.


    When their tentacles were extended from their body, they were more than 15 meters long, making them big enough to capsize a small fishing boat when caught in the boat¡¯s net. Once captured by one¡¯s countless suckers, human strength was not enough to break free.


    With the 4 o¡¯clock group eliminated, the enemy could no longer complete their inescapable crossfire.


    ¡°You bastards!!¡±


    Heivia leaned out from the rocks and aimed something at the panicking Information Alliance soldiers to 9 o¡¯clock. It was not a gun, but it looked similar. It was a gas-operated underwater pile driver he must have found in the naval rescue helicopter.


    It was meant to drive stainless steel hooks into rock so they could support work wires, so it would not function as a projectile weapon. It was even more doubtful it would reach the enemy soldiers with the great resistance of the water.


    But its lethality was fairly irrelevant.


    Just like the previous univalves, he just had to fire it in their general direction.


    Squids and octopuses tended to chase after shiny things.


    And that infinitely increased the value of a light. Holding a light source was dangerous, but having it reflect wildly was even more effective.


    ¡°...!?¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    The merciless ocean did not even allow them to cry out in death. Having spotted a new toy, the giant squid charged toward the soldiers to grab them along with the jewel it wanted to claim as its own.


    Flavor, smell, and light could all become life-protecting weapons. Bullets were not everything.


    Thanks to that, some of the soldiers were discarded once the giant squid grew tired of them. But...


    ¡°What? They¡¯re holding their throats and writhing around.¡±


    ¡°Since we didn¡¯t see any air bubbles from an oxygen tank, they¡¯re probably using a caustic soda circulation system. The carbon dioxide from their breath is absorbed so they can reuse that air, but if it gets punctured and water contacts the chemical, it produces toxic gas. ...Then they¡¯ve built themselves the world¡¯s smallest gas chamber. It¡¯s a good candidate for one of the worst ways to die.¡±


    ¡°Ehh? I thought the worst was the steamroller???¡±


    ¡°You mean getting crushed by your own side¡¯s Object in the safe maintenance area? But I¡¯ve also heard of a Pilot Elite fighting motion sickness during a long mission and ultimately foaming at the mouth from the pathogens coming from their own barf bag.¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha!¡±


    ¡°Wa ha ha!!¡±


    ¡°Uehhh...¡± groaned well-behaved Myonri as she listened in and grew pale.


    Nevertheless, they had a chance now that they had driven the capricious giant squid toward the Information Alliance soldiers. While shining their handheld lights on the distant pieces of metal, Quenser¡¯s group left the rocks and approached the rusted supply transport ship.


    ¡°Oh, looks like the others on the helicopters spotted this ship.¡±


    ¡°...Isn¡¯t this way too few to be all of them?¡±


    While praying that everyone else was working toward some other means of survival, Quenser¡¯s group dove into a split in the supply transport ship that was as beat-up as an empty can chewed on by a fierce dog.


    ¡°This is a waterproof door.¡±


    ¡°Opening it won¡¯t cause seawater to pour in, will it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s marked as an airlock. It¡¯s meant for marine rescues, so it should be fine.¡±


    Quenser turned the round handle in the center of the rusted door to open it. They found a small door inside. It was of course much darker inside than outside, so they would have to use their lights to continue any further. After entering and closing the door, they used a hand pump to remove the water from the room. Only then did they open the other door leading inside.


    ¡°Bwah! Finally, some air. Yes, we were born on earth, weren¡¯t we!?¡±


    ¡°This is a really strange sight, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    They immediately removed their masks to preserve as much oxygen as possible and they made sure to attach them at their hip instead of discarding them. The supply transport ship itself had rolled onto its side, so the position of the long corridor¡¯s walls and floor had greatly changed. The doors lining the wall were now pitfalls, so it felt like wandering into a world of trick art.


    And with air surrounding them, they could use their assault rifles and submachineguns again.


    ¡°Everyone, make sure you don¡¯t have water in your gun¡¯s combustible gas pathway. After checking on your partner, let¡¯s head on in.¡±


    That was when a dry bursting sound rang out down the corridor.


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance, but they could not see each other¡¯s expression because they immediately shut off their lights.


    ¡°...Who was that?¡±


    ¡°It was pretty far away. I don¡¯t think they were shooting at us.¡±


    A second and third gunshot followed. Someone had clearly run across some kind of trouble. Even if this was a conflict between two groups of the cornered Information Alliance soldiers, Katarina Martini was with them. Quenser¡¯s group had to check on the situation immediately.


    They switched their lights back on and advanced across the dark and dangerous footing.


    ¡°Our feet could easily break through with all this rust, so be careful. Make sure you don¡¯t step on any of the doors.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an id-...hwah!?¡±


    ¡°You klutz!!¡±


    Driven by the sudden fear of falling, Quenser searched for anything at all to grab onto and ended up wrapping his arms around Myonri¡¯s hips, causing her to jump. In the darkness, his face was buried in a fairly scandalous place, but his life really was at risk.


    ¡°Phew. That was a close one. We really are at war here, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°...You have no idea how much I want to ¡®accidentally¡¯ shoot you right now...¡±


    Cute Myonri was tearful and trembling. The corridor was difficult to walk down with all the columns and pipes, but the sporadic gunfire came to a stop before long. The gunfire had squeezed their hearts with tension, but its absence brought an eerie sensation crawling up from the darkness.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this smell...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t all the rust everywhere. It¡¯s similar, but it¡¯s stronger.¡±


    The corridor led to a long, narrow stairway. And with the ship on its side, it was like a right angle turn. Heivia approached while on the lookout for an enemy attack and he peered up it with his light and gun both at the ready.


    There was no reaction.


    Puzzled by his awful friend¡¯s lack of movement, Quenser approached too.


    Then the boy saw the scene past Heivia¡¯s shoulder.


    So much red covered everything.


    And a blonde girl in a black one-piece swimsuit stood calmly in the center of a pile of corpses.


    Time stopped.


    Heivia¡¯s light illuminated a group in thick rubber diving suits who lay unmoving with dark red holes in their foreheads or hearts. They were probably the Information Alliance surprise attack unit. Quenser and Heivia had no reason to sympathize with them after that group targeted their maintenance base, but that was not the issue.


    What had Katarina Martini, leader of the genius girl project, feared?


    The black swimsuit girl accompanied by a butler-like young man may have been the true threat.


    She was Wraith Martini Vermouthspray, the Stopgap Grim Reaper.


    Driven by fear, that amateur boy raised his voice without thinking.


    ¡°You...!!¡±


    ¡°Stop, Frank. There is no need to kill them. Not those honest perverts.¡±


    ¡°...Why a school swimsuit?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your first question? This Island Nation legend¡¯s aura is something else indeed.¡±


    The young man took a step forward, but Wraith stopped him with a quick command.


    What would have happened if she had not done that? It was not that she killed because she had a reason to. She did not spare them because she had no reason to. That was evident enough from the twenty-odd slaughtered soldiers.


    But that was exactly why a question occurred to Quenser.


    ¡°...This isn¡¯t...an indiscriminate...killing mode...?¡±


    In her special black one-piece swimsuit, Wraith gave an exasperated snort and snapped her fingers, so the young man pulled something out of the pile of red corpses. No, someone who was desperately trying to blend in with the dead bodies.


    It was Katarina Martini.


    The instinct to immediately join the dead on the ground may have come from her experience surviving a harsher age.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this cowardly defector was telling you, but, well, she¡¯s the one we have business- kyah!?¡±


    Then something strange happened.


    Cool and composed Wraith suddenly stopped speaking and jumped in shock. Then she frantically grabbed a nearby sleeve.


    She may have thought it belonged to the butler young man, but by some twist of fate it actually belonged to Quenser Barbotage.


    ¡°Wh-what is it!? Is the enemy targeting us from somewhere!?¡±


    ¡°Ahem. I-it¡¯s nothing. There is no need to make such a big deal about-...¡±


    ¡°Heivia, Myonri, be on your guard! This was enough for Wraith to scream and jump. Something horrific must be lurking in the shadows!!¡±


    ¡°...wharf...on the...¡±


    ¡°What, what? Since this is the Information Alliance we¡¯re talking about, is it an amphibious attack drone? You¡¯ve gotta be kidding me. Their weapons can keep moving around after all the soldiers were killed?¡±


    ¡°I was afraid of a wharf roach crawling in the wall!!!!!¡±


    Swimsuit Wraith could not bear it any longer and raised her voice.


    He did not understand.


    ¡°...After you created this sea of blood and mountain of corpses?¡±


    ¡°Alive or dead, humans are humans. But they¡¯re different.¡±


    Wraith blushed but refused to let go of Quenser¡¯s sleeve as she got back on topic. Her eyes turned toward her objective.


    That person was the only one the grim reaper had allowed to continue breathing in this red-stained world of stopped time.


    ¡°Katarina Martini.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You must have had a reason to request asylum now. What and how much do you know about the X Day our Information Alliance is facing?¡±


    While supported by the young man, the elegant old woman remained seated and maintained her silence.


    Wraith seemed to know more than Quenser and the rest of the Legitimacy Kingdom. In fact, she was looking at it differently.


    ¡°What? She must have had a reason to request asylum now?¡±


    ¡°There has to be something that only Katarina can see. Let me ask you this instead: What would you think if an earthquake prediction expert suddenly abandoned their job and left on a trip?¡±


    ¡°Wait a second...¡±


    ¡°And what if that disaster was an artificial earthquake that could be reproduced by human hands? That would seem like more than just abandoning their duties, don¡¯t you think?¡± Wraith did not even look back at Quenser. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you did it intentionally or if you discovered it by accident, but you know the exact date of X Day, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you frantically contacted the Capitalist Corporations, and then the Legitimacy Kingdom after that submarine screwed up. It was all so you could avoid the bog the Information Alliance is being thrown into.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Katarina had yet to provide any kind of response.


    Was she bound by direct fear, leaving her mind blank? Or was she afraid she would say something to hurt her case if she opened her mouth?


    Either way, there was something to this. Something that only Katarina could see.


    ¡°What did you embed inside the Martini Series? What is the true identity of these ¡®deviations¡¯ in our heads?¡±


    If necessary, she was willing to use special weapons and drugs.


    And with those options on the table, Wraith¡¯s raised voice may have been relatively calm and gentlemanly.


    ¡°Answer me, Katarina Martini! Why are the other Martinis plotting an attack on the center of the Information Alliance at Manhattan, New York!?¡±


    Quenser thought he was choking.


    He flapped his mouth for a bit before realizing that no sound was coming out.


    ¡°Man...hattan?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Information Alliance home country! The very center of the Chesapeake District! If it falls to a military attack...!!¡±


    ¡°Yes!! One of the four legs supporting the table will break. Clean wars? The age of Objects? The other world powers won¡¯t have time to take advantage of the chaos and rise to the top!! The world will collapse and enter an age engulfed in flames!!¡±


    Quenser thought of Lady Monica who had lost her home after her family ¡°collapsed¡±. Arriving at a new age did not necessarily mean a change for the better.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it.¡± Wraith Martini Vermouthspray clenched her teeth. ¡°It can¡¯t be explained with any kind of economic advantage, but could we really produce enough hatred to want humanity to burn to the ground? After we¡¯ve become partially embedded in the AI network administration system? What kind of bug remains in the Martini Series? And is it eating away at my own mind as well!? You created me, so tell me!!¡±


    There was no response from the old woman.


    Before she could give one, an electronic tone sounded from the radio on one of the corpses.


    A radio signal could not reach this deep underwater, so the Information Alliance had likely placed a wired antenna buoy or something on the ocean surface. The communication infrastructure lived on even if its users did not.


    ¡°Ah, ah, ahh¡î Master 00 to Slave 21. The Legitimacy Kingdom helicopter unit has been destroyed. Their Generation One is persistent, but the Laser Beam 069 is falling back to draw it to another region of sea. How¡¯s your oxygen supply? It¡¯ll take a while longer to put together a recovery team, so preserve as much as possible with a proper breathing rhythm¡î¡±


    It was a young girl¡¯s voice.


    It contained something that gave away her youth, but Quenser and his group had also cheated. They had already heard this voice through the wharf roach spy robot they sent to the Flagship 019.


    However, someone else spoke softly before the boy could.


    It was Katarina, the old woman who had created all of them.


    ¡°That is Piranirie Martini Smoky. She is #7. Her administrative role is to smoothly restart work on the warfront when things have stalled due to the restrictions of various treaties, power balances, habitats of protected species, and so on. In other words, she oils the rusted gears and reignites any wars that have spontaneously come to a stop.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This girl was from the same generation as Wraith.


    Knowing that was enough to put a sharp look in the Martini girl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oh? No response. Hey!! ...Did they run out of air and kick the bucket earlier than expected?¡±


    In her school swimsuit, Wraith grabbed the radio in her small hand, took a breath, and started to speak.


    ¡°Slave 21 to Master 00. There is nothing to report here.¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha. You¡¯re missing the code word, whoever that is. But if you managed to get inside the sunken ship now, I¡¯ve gotta praise your precision. Are you perhaps one of us?¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t as impressive as you make it out to be. A separate group made it here as well.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter either way. You¡¯re a step behind. In fact, I would say you¡¯re about three days behind me. There¡¯s nothing you can do to catch up now.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so intent on bringing ruin?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. That doesn¡¯t follow at all. If you really are part of the Martini Series, you should know what this is: I¡¯m not doing this because I have a reason to. I¡¯m not sparing them because I have no reason to. That¡¯s how we work, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Did you think you could pull this off by corrupting a local fleet out here? That¡¯s an impressive level of foolishness. Do you have any idea how many cutting-edge Objects are protecting Manhattan!?¡±


    ¡°Nya ha ha ha ha!! ...It¡¯s that way of thinking that tells me you¡¯re a step behind.¡±


    That was when a dull tremor assaulted the sunken ship.


    It had originally been a supply transport ship rolled on its side and it was just sitting there on the unstable ocean floor. It was entirely possible something had coincidentally caused it to collapse and roll, but it was more likely this was no coincidence.


    This was something much more ominous.


    As Quenser¡¯s group shined their lights around, Piranirie¡¯s mockery slipped into their ears.


    ¡°There were some things I was hoping to discuss with Old Lady Katarina, but, well, if the alternative is having her taken in by the Legitimacy Kingdom or Capitalist Corporations, I should probably send her to oblivion even if it means losing a piece of the truth. What do you think, old lady?¡±


    ¡°What are you-?¡±


    ¡°Nowww, a question: How was the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s New Caribbean Island created? And are they the only ones capable of messing with submarine volcanoes???¡±


    Another disconcerting tremor reached them.


    ¡°This is an artificial eruption!!¡± exclaimed Quenser. ¡°They¡¯re using explosives or an Object¡¯s cannon to stimulate the buildup of magma on the ocean floor. At this rate, we¡¯ll be engulfed by the lava erupting up from below!!¡±


    ¡°Piranirie learned a great variety of techniques for restarting wars that had fallen to a standstill for any number of reasons. She must have learned how to redraw EEZs, territorial waters, and national borders using the appearance of volcanic islands.¡±


    ¡°Just to be clear,¡± said Piranirie herself. ¡°You don¡¯t get to live happily ever after if you do manage to escape that sunken ship. This is covering a much, muuuuch wider area¡î Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    They had no time for this anymore.


    Swimsuit Wraith threw aside the radio and lightly snapped her fingers.


    ¡°Frank.¡±


    That was apparently enough to convey her demand. The butler-like young man grabbed Katarina Martini¡¯s arm.


    And Heivia finally recalled what their mission was.


    ¡°Ah, wait!!¡±


    ¡°I know you¡¯re loath to part ways with such a kind young woman in a swimsuit, but don¡¯t call out to me every time I take a step. I¡¯m not telling you to leave me just yet. And this is no time to be arguing over who gets to take Katarina. If we want to survive, we¡¯ll both be headed to the same place.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Since Quenser bothered to ask, the blonde girl in a black swimsuit must have decided he was willing to listen because she turned toward him instead.


    ¡°Several submarine volcanoes will soon be erupting in quick succession. We cannot stay in the ocean, but if we head to the surface, we will only fall victim to the Laser Beam 069...oh, excuse me. To use your adorably pathetic naming sense, that would be the Nitrogen Mirage. Or we could be crushed by the Legitimacy Kingdom Object¡¯s butt.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser paled when he was confronted with those facts once more.


    In some kind of habit, Wraith¡¯s hand wandered through empty air like it was searching for a pen.


    ¡°Given the distance, escaping to your New Caribbean Island would be difficult. And in the worst case, the series of eruptions could propagate there as well.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do...?¡±


    ¡°There is one safe zone. There is a single paradise in this world which will be unharmed by the submarine volcanoes and not fired on by the Second Generation acting as Piranirie¡¯s puppet.¡± Wraith pointed straight up. ¡°The Information Alliance maintenance fleet. I don¡¯t know which ship Piranirie Martini Smoky is hitching a ride on, but if we join her there, the Object¡¯s great firepower will actually work against her and she won¡¯t be able to attack us.¡±


    That was indeed closer than New Caribbean Island.


    And a product of that genius girl project would not be dumb enough to place her own fleet in a position where the artificial eruptions and Object under her control would destroy it.


    ¡°Katarina, I would like to ask you, our designer,¡± said Wraith. ¡°Which of those hundred-odd ships is she on?¡±


    ¡°The Flagship 019 in the center. There is no need to look out for trickery, so you can go with the obvious answer. There is no need to go through a profiling process; I made her to be that kind of person.¡±


    Katarina made it sound obvious.


    Did she not even need to flip through the pages of a file? It was possible she was imagining an isolated aspect of her mother instead of the individual girls.


    However...


    ¡°Th-this is insane,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Even war has rules. But this is what happens as soon as the Martini Series shows up. And now we¡¯re supposed to enter their maintenance base zone!?¡±


    ¡°You can continue following your precious rules to the end if you like, you foolishly well-behaved swine. But anyone who wants a real shot at survival should focus on the number and capacity of the submersibles the Information Alliance divers used. ...There might not be enough space for everyone.¡±


    An especially powerful tremor shook the sunken ship.


    They could not wait any longer.


    Just as Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance and took off running, the rest of the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers followed suit. They shined their lights around while passing and being passed by each other and they even started grabbing at each other¡¯s hair in a race for the submersibles.


    ¡°Wait a second! Is no one taking that old woman with them!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! If you care so much, Heivia, you go back for her!!¡±


    Was the problem that she was not a cute girl? Or that she was not an adorable and kindly old woman with a round back?


    And the idiots noticed something as soon as they arrived.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s more than enough of these things.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. Manipulating the enemy with information is their specialty, isn¡¯t it? She tricked us!!¡±


    Nevertheless, they had no choice but to board them.


    Wraith had stolen Katarina, the designer needed to predict Piranirie¡¯s actions, from right under their noses, but she would still have to escape to the same area of sea in some kind of vehicle if she was to survive. They could always stay right on that girl¡¯s ass and demand she come to a stop somewhere. Although they would have to use the Princess as a threat if these things had no weapons.


    The submersibles looked like giant double-edged swords made of a chemical materials and Quenser¡¯s group split up between a few of them to leave the sunken ship.


    A moment later, a large orange explosion erupted.


    ¡°Wahh!?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me!? That rusted ship suddenly split in two!!¡±


    Once one point ruptured, it happened quickly. More and more large cracks ran through cold ocean floor and passed by the submersibles Quenser¡¯s group was riding. They even saw that fearsome giant squid fleeing like a puny fish. Soon after they saw an orange glow in the depths of the earth, the eruption shot up like a reverse guillotine.


    ¡°Surface, Myonri! Surface immediately!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying! But there¡¯s something wrong with the rudder! Oh, no! We¡¯re going to roll over!!¡±


    That was when they received a transmission over the submersible¡¯s communicator rather than their personal equipment.


    ¡°Ksshh!! Here is some advice in the hopes that the signal will reach through the ocean at this distance, my hard-working but foolish neighbors. During a submarine volcanic eruption, the obvious lava is accompanied by lots of nitrogen and carbon dioxide. If that dissolves in the seawater, it will create the carbonated water we all know and love. This will surround the submersible in air bubbles, making it difficult to steer, but it will also increase the buoyancy and lift the submersible more than you might expect. So be careful.¡±


    ¡°Does she have to be so arrogant about everything!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it. I had thought Wraith seemed awfully calm, but she reached that sunken ship with her own submersible.¡±


    ¡°By the way,¡± added Wraith. ¡°While yours are specialized for covert movement, mine is loaded with four short-range torpedoes for self-protection. So try not to anger me. That is rule one of survival.¡±


    The idiot duo felt their balls gently shrivel up.


    ¡°The maintenance fleet is 20 kilometers north-northwest of here. The carbonation should be affecting you right about now, but do not poke your head above the surface. Not only is this part of the migration course for those giant bluefin tuna, but the artificial eruption has those jewels of the sea in a panic. This is the one rare instance where their picket ships won¡¯t notice submersibles of this size in the ocean.¡±


    Not only did they have to worry about the erupting lava and volcanic rock, but they could also be hit by a tackle from a large panicked fish. While so many hazards just barely passed them by, Quenser and the other Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes made their way directly below the Information Alliance fleet.


    ¡°Piranirie is one thing,¡± hesitantly began Heivia. ¡°But why are the other soldiers going along with this reckless plan? Attacking Manhattan will only make their situation so much worse. It¡¯s horrific to contemplate, but they could even find their own families criticizing their actions.¡±


    ¡°As part of the Martini Series, that point of view honestly irritates me to no end, but I am beautiful and generous enough to overlook it. Anyway, this may be a unique aspect of the Information Alliance. Did you know this? The more dedicated someone is to justice, the more diligently they will derail when they are led astray by sweet words.¡±


    ¡°...Seriously...?¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t work up the courage to stop the bullying? But you took a stand by never actually taking part? That¡¯s wrong. Dead wrong. Someone like that was simply pouring all their effort into pretending not to see it. No one was going to praise them for it, but they faithfully stuck with their decision to abandon the victims and prevent the bullying from coming to light. That is where bad deeds come from. It¡¯s someone careless who pulls the trigger, but it¡¯s the diligent ones that see it through to the end. That¡¯s why these things never end in a group. No matter how much they think something is wrong, they never speak up about it. If they did, they would cease to be their diligent self. And the masses have been quite thoroughly taught that their lives will fall apart and they will die if they cease to be diligent.¡±


    Using information to control the system was how the Information Alliance¡¯s pyramid structure worked.


    They wanted a social structure where everyone thought they were free to choose what they wanted, but they were in fact manipulated into choosing what was convenient for someone else.


    Just like how even the most niche book imaginable could be described as a best seller if you divided the genre down narrowly enough. And just like how you could manipulate the majority answer on a survey by selecting 1000 respondents from the slums or from the financial district.


    When someone only tried to reach for what was popular, you could easily control them by selecting what was displayed as the word of the day.


    And in the maintenance fleet built around the Flagship 019, Piranirie Martini Smoky had become the word of the day.


    ¡°I thought the Legitimacy Kingdom was bad, but I guess everywhere is hell.¡±


    ¡°We can at least promise you a ¡®happy¡¯ life,¡± said Wraith. ¡°Because the masses are not even allowed to question their situation. And the administrator looking down at all of them and laughing? They have no idea someone is laughing at them in the same way. It just repeats like that, so I¡¯m sure there¡¯s someone laughing at me too.¡±


    Meanwhile, the submarine volcanic eruptions began to weaken.


    That was partially due to putting some distance between them and that hellish area of sea, but it had more to do with arriving at their destination coordinates.


    An early-warning picket ship was directly above them.


    And further in, they could see the gray bellies of the ships like a school of fat and round fish.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the Flagship 019?¡±


    ¡°Check the propeller shapes, Myonri. You saw what it looked like when getting those spy robots on board, right?¡±


    They saw the especially-large belly of the battlecruiser surrounded by several guard ships.


    The small submersibles gradually approached and silently surfaced after confirming it was their target. Heivia grabbed some rope he had found in the submersible, opened the hatch, tied a special kind of knot on the end of the rope, and tossed it straight up.


    After it attached to the railing, they began climbing up.


    It was a climb of 8 or 9 meters, so it took less than a minute for those who were used to this sort of thing.


    ¡°M-Myonri, I¡¯m not used to this kind of thing, so pull me up!¡±


    ¡°Why do I get the feeling you specifically chose me?¡±


    Well-behaved Myonri tilted her head as she pulled up the skinny and unathletic boy. And no matter how much everything had been automated and digitized, there were still guards on the deck, so the rogues were quickly spotted.


    It had already begun.


    As they exchanged short bursts of gunfire, Heivia killed a few guards with his assault rifle.


    ¡°Dammit, they¡¯re girls? A warship has a crew of about 200, right? That¡¯s the same as a company. I really don¡¯t want to fight a small war in this steel ghost house, so what are we supposed to do!?¡±


    ¡°That guard ship is going to respond before it comes to that!!¡±


    After finally climbing over the railing like a stowaway, Quenser tried to flee inside the ship, but something odd happened first.


    Close-in defense Gatling guns were installed at even intervals along the side of the battlecruiser like streetlights along a highway, but they all turned in unison like the fan section of a home appliance store.


    With an explosive sound somewhat reminiscent of a broken buzzer, the horizontal rain released from the Flagship 019 tore apart the surface of the neighboring guard ship. No distinction was made between personnel and materiel. The sailors on the guard ship had raised their rifles without feeling very threatened themselves, but now they were utterly taken aback and fled inside the ship where the thick armor would protect them.


    The electronic simulation division had finally made itself useful. (17-Year-Old ¡â) Lilim Gazette (the Vomiter) gave a cruel smile and an OK sign with a mobile device in her other hand.


    ¡°Nee hee hee. They might have decent defenses against external cyber attacks, but it looks like they didn¡¯t consider the possibility of an infection from inside. These might have been added later on because the close-in defense Gatling guns and missiles are connected just like IoT appliances. Although for the ship¡¯s guns and missiles that are used for offense instead of close-in defense, it looks like we would need to directly visit the CIC.¡±


    However, the idiots could not hear a word she said thanks to the great din.


    ¡°...what...you...!?¡±


    ¡°...punch that smug...off your face...so get inside!!¡±


    ¡°...boobs...!!¡±


    They could have sworn they heard a shocking word from Myonri in the middle of it all, but all the noise left the details unclear. They might have misheard, but they might not have.


    Since this could easily deafen them or get them hit by a stray bullet, Quenser and the others opened a watertight door and ran inside the ship.


    They did not have time to catch their breath.


    They heard pounding footsteps and then some female soldiers in sailor uniforms appeared from around a corner in the surprisingly narrow corridor.


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Fortunately, thick watertight doors were prepared all over the place to prevent flooding. Heivia and the others opened doors to random cabins and used them as shields as they returned fire.


    But...


    ¡°Watch out! What is this? There are sparks everywhere!? Are the bullets ricocheting all over the place!?¡±


    ¡°Here comes a shotgun!¡±


    ¡°Ahhh!!¡±


    With the complex layout and the walls and doors made of thick steel, the advantages of an assault rifle were mostly negated. Their range did not matter and they could not penetrate the walls or doors. That meant a short-range but powerful shotgun was the better choice.


    At this rate, the enemy would move in and do major damage, but that was not what happened.


    For one thing, why were the armed sailor uniform girls exposing themselves to direct fire instead of holding a position at the corner?


    Gunshots rang out from a different direction entirely.


    It was the same sound they had heard in that sunken ship. And it came from beyond the corner the sailor uniform soldiers had come from. They had not come to attack; they had been on the run.


    ¡°Urp. I really hate seeing girls die...¡±


    ¡°What the hell...? Whatever-that-is is punching through the walls our assault rifles couldn¡¯t get through.¡±


    One by one, the sailors were picked off.


    And then the culprits stepped out from around the corridor. It was Wraith in her black uniform and the butler-like young man. Black-uniformed Wraith held a small handgun in her right hand and Frank held something like a revolving grenade launcher with a shortened barrel.


    But Quenser ignored that and shouted about something else.


    ¡°What, is school swimsuit time over already!? Why did you change!?¡±


    ¡°This is my proper uniform. ...And don¡¯t be so blatantly disappointed. It makes me feel like I did something wrong. Am I just too sexy? Is that it? Then I have no choice but to wear it again for you sometime.¡± Wraith shook her head in exasperation. ¡°Regardless, you are late, Legitimacy Kingdom. Surely you aren¡¯t going to say you will only put in as much work as you are being paid for.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding? Did you use that grenade launcher to get through the wall? I didn¡¯t see any explosions.¡±


    ¡°You are astonishingly dumb. It is admittedly based on a grenade launcher, but the barrel was replaced with one of tungsten steel and it fires lead bullets that fit perfectly inside. You could call it the world¡¯s most powerful magnum.¡±


    An anti-materiel rifle would be 12.7mm while a grenade launcher would be 40mm, so considering both the caliber and the overall mass, the weight of the lead bullet and the amount of powder would be Quenser gave up trying to calculate it and just smiled. Finding the answer would be a bad idea. He would only feel his balls shrivel up again.


    (The little Martini tends to gather all the attention, but that handsome guy is a monster in his own right. Oh, but if he relies on that one trick, maybe he¡¯s more like me. If he doesn¡¯t have the fundamentals down like Heivia does, he might be going for a powerful impact that prevents anyone from noticing how little he can really do.)


    It was theoretically possible to refer to the old woman as ¡°little Martini¡± as well, but Katarina was still being held by the young man. He had to be able to provide as much force as a vise if he needed to, so she would be more secure there than in handcuffs. And even if nothing had been done to her, she might have gone limp from exposure to the loud gunfire in this enclosed space.


    ¡°We will now secure this ship and settle things with Piranirie.¡±


    ¡°Will you be okay, Wraith? We¡¯ve seen rats and wharf roaches on this ship. And all I can do is hold you, pat your head, and call you a good girl.¡±


    ¡°Try to hold that over me again and I will tear off your limbs and pull out your entrails!!¡±


    As Wraith blushed and shouted back at him, elderly Katarina calmly began to speak.


    ¡°Settle this? Given #7¡¯s structure, she will be in control of the bridge or the combat command. In other words, the most secure control point.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted, designer? There are more than 200 sailors on this ship. That¡¯s the size of a small company, but you needn¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why not?¡±


    Heivia looked skeptical, so Wraith explained while toying with her blonde hair.


    ¡°The toxic atmosphere running rampant in this maintenance fleet is coming from Piranirie Martini Smoky, the symbol of an administrative system. But now I have arrived as another Martini and a troubleshooter. By introducing a new order and providing a second control tower, her unilateral control can be fairly easily shaken. Think of it like the class bullies being surrounded by their target¡¯s colleagues at work and the rest of the class seeing it.¡± Wraith tossed Quenser a roll of sticky tape. ¡°If they surrender, bind and gag them. If they don¡¯t, kill them. I have no obligation to worry about the sailors, but as an Information Alliance officer, I will remind you that it can be tempting indeed to know that surrendering gives you a chance at survival. And this is not just some ideal. I have the experience to back it up.¡±


    ¡°In other words, this is the perfect chance to legally tie up some sailor uniform girls. (Grin)¡±


    ¡°What part of this looks even remotely legal?¡±


    The discussion was over.


    No matter how formidable a foe the Nitrogen Mirage was, the chaos would end if they could stop Piranirie who had sent the entire maintenance fleet out of control in the first place.


    ¡°Oh, right. Wraith, you might see what look like squished wharf roaches, but don¡¯t worry. Those are probably the remains of our spy robots. But if you are scared, feel free to grab onto me. I can even carry you around and toss you in the air for fun.¡±


    ¡°I warned you, didn¡¯t I? Now tell me what it was I said I would do to you.¡±


    Just then, Quenser happened to look out a window.


    A bluish-white nitrogen laser scorched the air and mercilessly tore away the Flagship 019¡¯s bridge.


    Part 13


    There was noise.


    That noise arrived at the resolution of a problem and became an unnecessary hurdle of its own.


    ¡°Are you insane, Lieutenant Colonel!? You¡¯re stimulating submarine volcanoes across the naval battlefield without confirming the death of your allies first!! Listen, just because they are marked ¡®missing¡¯ on the paperwork does not mean they are considered dead like they are after cardiopulmonary arrest. Do not forget that my men could be deemed killed by your friendly fire if their corpses are found within the cooled lava!!¡±


    ¡°Also, the sea around New Caribbean Island is considered internationally protected waters to recover the marine resource of bluefin tuna. We might be able to fight back when the Legitimacy Kingdom sends a maintenance base and Object there on the pretext of protecting that area, but we cannot directly attack the environment there. We have a reputation to maintain.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you did not misinterpret this? We put you in charge of a simple operation in this delicate region of sea, not an all-out attack! For one thing, I am the fleet commander!! You are merely a guest providing external advice, so when did you gain the authority to boss my men around!?¡±


    ¡°I will be reporting this to our superiors.¡±


    ¡°I am sure the top brass enjoying the Manhattan scenery will be shocked to hear this! I don¡¯t know what this genius girl project is about, but if there are thousands of you, then you are easily replaceable. Do not think you will be protected by your privileged position forever! I will show you your actions have consequences!!¡±


    There was only one answer.


    The details were more complicated, but the genius girl project had been meant to provide answers that the stagnant system built by adults could never find.


    In a way, she remained true to that.


    ¡°Hmm, I guess these people are getting ¡®rusty¡¯ too.¡±


    Part 14


    The single blast violently shook the 200m battlecruiser and Quenser¡¯s group could not stay on their feet. The bridge, which was located a bit to starboard, took a direct hit and the ship as a whole twisted. The walls and pipes that could not stand the stress burst one after another.


    ¡°Oh, no. The pipes are bursting! The red ones carry steam, so make sure you don¡¯t get scalded!!¡±


    ¡°Wraith, why did you bring that old woman here!?¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting I should have left her in the submersible? That is an impressively meaningless philanthropic spirit. I will only follow humanitarianism for as long as it is useful to me.¡±


    ¡°Ding dong ding donnnng.¡±


    Then someone made an obvious call for attention over the ship¡¯s speakers.


    The surrounding sailors would hear this too, but the girl did not seem to care any longer.


    ¡°I can make a pretty good guess based on the chaos in the ship. It¡¯s another Martini who¡¯s boarded us, isn¡¯t it? Well, I guess you had no other way of surviving that situation, did you?¡±


    ¡°Is she crazy? She shot her own ship with her own Object!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a very Martini Series kind of thing to do.¡±


    What they said here should not have reached her, but she may have predicted their question.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry. The Laser Beam 069¡¯s precision is quite something, so it can whittle away at the ship with its nitrogen lasers without actually sinking the ship. When I solve a problem, I rid myself of every hindrance in order of severity. And that applies to the enemies that have infiltrated the Flagship 019, the senile old man restricting my authority here, and the defeatists who gave up fighting and neutralized themselves.¡±


    ¡°Not good! Get away from the windows!!¡±


    Another fearsome beam of light struck the battlecruiser from the side. The bright light blinded Quenser¡¯s group, but it had not hit where they were. Had it vaporized another Legitimacy Kingdom unit that had boarded elsewhere, or some Information Alliance sailor uniform girls who had tried to climb over the railing and jump into the sea?


    With the young man protecting her, Wraith held her mobile device¡¯s microphone to her mouth. She was probably disguising the route taken as she used her Information Alliance officer privileges to access the ship¡¯s broadcast system.


    ¡°I am Wraith Martini Vermouthspray. I specialize in troubleshooting. Attention everyone!! Piranirie is attempting to bind her allies with fear. She killed the captain in order to leave all authority with herself, so don¡¯t be shaken by her sweet words or threats! None of you will need a court martial given the situation!!¡±


    ¡°Nyaaa ha ha!! I was trying to show some respect to a fellow Martini, but what¡¯s this? It¡¯s only #49? Damn that¡¯s low. Can you actually hear me? Oh, and watch out for sudden lightning strikes while you¡¯re moving around. And just to be clear, I¡¯m one of the single digit successes of the genius girl project. I¡¯m #7. Even if I can¡¯t see any silhouettes out the window, I can still mostly predict the movements of the game pieces. Ah ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    ¡°Sh-she¡¯s completely insane... There are pipes and firepower everywhere in here. She¡¯s on the same ship, so isn¡¯t she afraid of setting fire to the engine room or ammo!?¡±


    Heivia was utterly shocked, but a contrasting voice spoke up in response.


    ¡°She is only putting on an act to make negotiation seem impossible. That way you think failing to unconditionally obey her means death. Piranirie¡¯s usual trick is to restrict the flow of people and information, divide up the battlefield, and then fill the atmosphere with panic. You could call it the necessary preparations before actually getting to work. ...When my mother, Casandra, would target some food reserves, she started by inciting a riot in the surrounding area.¡±


    Katarina¡¯s gentle but blunt statement received a hostile glare from Wraith who had been built based on that woman and the girl¡¯s hand wandered through empty air as if in search of a pen.


    ¡°This changes the difficulty of achieving them, but it does not change our plans. With the bridge gone, Piranirie must be in the combat command. I doubt we can stop the Object¡¯s lasers without stopping her.¡±


    They began to move further into the ship.


    And once they let their guard down even a little, female Information Alliance soldiers appeared from the cabin doors all around. After that broadcast and the Nitrogen Mirage¡¯s actions, their adoration of Piranirie had probably faded some.


    But that did not matter.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves! Prepare for battle, everyone!!¡±


    ¡°Please no. We really are going to get shot. What happened to the clean wars? Why are we in danger here?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. If it looks like we aren¡¯t going to fight, the Object will fire on us. And I don¡¯t want to get vaporized because of you, so if you refuse to do this, I¡¯m shooting you myself. So just get going!!¡±


    Trapped by the fear of death, they attacked with looks on their faces no girl should ever let anyone see.


    ¡°Urp. Why are they all girls!? Please, I¡¯m sick of this sailor uniform hell! When I said I wanted to slay 100 girls, I meant in bed!!¡±


    ¡°The gender bias is probably due to all the guys leaving and getting their asses kicked back when they attacked your island. So the world is cruelly fair in this case.¡±


    Heivia, Myonri, and Wraith shot more and more of the Information Alliance sailors that pressed in at them. The ship¡¯s crew could not take advantage of their normal potential even when they gathered greater numbers. That was because they had been ordered to make an immediate all-out attack instead of waiting for a better opportunity. Just as in poker and boxing, rushing right in every time would only get you badly beaten. It was a lot like firing at the paper targets moving along rails in a shooting range.


    ¡°Tch!¡±


    Wraith clicked her tongue when she saw the sailor girls leave red paint-like marks on the walls as they collapsed to the floor. Of all things, she was crouching down and pulling out a tourniquet during this chaos.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to get sidetracked! If we stop shooting them here, we¡¯ll be pushed back!!¡±


    ¡°The rules of combat here are different. I will grow as coldhearted as necessary to stop this chaos, but that is not what is needed here. Piranirie¡¯s threat didn¡¯t make them betray us out of self-interest! They¡¯ve been driven entirely beyond their own control, so they themselves are blamele-...!!¡±


    Wraith was cut off by a gunshot.


    A bullet from Heivia¡¯s assault rifle had shot through the head of an injured soldier sitting on the floor. Blood mercilessly splattered across Wraith¡¯s white cheek as she tried to keep her allied soldier alive.


    She snapped back with the kind of pure emotion that was very unlike the Stopgap Grim Reaper.


    ¡°You bastard...!!¡±


    ¡°Look closer. She was holding her sidearm! It isn¡¯t over until they¡¯re dead and stopping before then will only get you shot at point-blank range!!¡±


    The black-uniformed girl grimaced when faced with an unexpectedly good argument from that idiot.


    Heivia had of course not wanted to bring that bloody flower to bloom.


    Wraith was overwhelmed by the sight and was close to losing her will to fight, so the delinquent noble dragged her along. He continued the massacre parade, but he could be seen holding a hand to his mouth on occasion.


    ¡°Now this is a result-focused tragedy. Urp. I feel sick to the stomach.¡±


    Heivia groaned and Wraith held her mobile device to her mouth.


    Her own voice exploded from the ship¡¯s speakers.


    ¡°Piranirie intends to use up all of the personnel and supplies she was given! Just like an officer who doesn¡¯t want the higher ups to feel too comfortable and reduce their budget next year!! Do you really want to waste your lives like a frivolous road construction project at the end of the year!? Listen, Piranirie has already left the Information Alliance chain of command. Dutifully obeying her will only get you court martialed!!¡±


    The gears of the all-out attack jammed slightly.


    However...


    ¡°Ohh? Wraithy, do you want to hold a student council election on this sinking ship? Well, a debate over the school broadcast system is fine by me.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, get down!!¡±


    A fearsome beam of light punched through the wall right in front of them.


    It was not aimed at Quenser¡¯s group. It was clearly targeted elsewhere and the confused Information Alliance sailor uniform girls were vaporized along with the melted steel.


    The ship-wide broadcast continued.


    ¡°Hey, #49. A democratic decision only really works when the people are at least guaranteed their lives. If you line them up and hold a gun to their heads, do you really think you can call that a proper decision or a free vote?¡±


    ¡°Piranirie!!¡±


    ¡°You too are just using up the soldiers like they¡¯re part of your paperwork. Okay, okayyy. Everyone, who do you think will win and survive this: #49 or #7? Those who side with the loser will of course be slaughtered, so make sure you fight good and hard¡î If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll provide you with more motivation until you do. Don¡¯t worry. Truth can be twisted every which way. As long as there are no witnesses, that is.¡±


    She was being ridiculous.


    But that ridiculousness once more changed things for the Information Alliance.


    After rationally coming to a stop, those soldier girls despaired at the fact that ideals would not protect them and they resumed charging at the enemy.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen this before...¡±


    ¡°Quiet.¡±


    ¡°It was the same when my mother stole baby food for me. She drove the starving people to action and kept them going by later informing them they would be slaughtered if they failed. And once they could not stop and began fighting for their lives, she used the chaos to ensure that only she could safely escape without being tracked.¡±


    ¡°Shut your stinking mouth, you old hag!!¡±


    Wraith snapped back as if in a fit of rage.


    But there was no guarantee that every enemy would arrive from a distance.


    While Heivia and Wraith used their assault rifle and handgun to push back the charge, a half-open watertight door slowly moved right next to them.


    Frank noticed immediately and fired his cannon-like magnum into the cabin, but it did not end there. The enemy¡¯s blown-off arm flew through the air with a pin-less grenade still in its grasp.


    ¡°!?¡±


    They only had 3 to 5 seconds.


    If it detonated like this, everyone in the narrow corridor would be hit by the blast and fragments.


    And it was obvious what Wraith Martini Vermouthspray intended when she immediately stepped forward instead of back.


    But someone interfered before she could complete her action.


    Before Wraith could cover the blast with her own body, Katarina kicked an opened door from where she had fallen to the floor. The movement of the door knocked the grenade into the cabin where it exploded inside the sealed metal box.


    ¡°Why did you save me? That was the perfect chance to have one less of the Martini Series you so despise.¡±


    ¡°You have likely inherited the side of Casandra Martini that restored order and reconstructed a shelter to provide safe clothing, food, and water. But at the time, my mother was so focused on the overall threat that she was nearly stabbed by a robber who snuck up to her...¡±


    ¡°Not the point. If you know our weaknesses, you could have spread that information and let us die.¡±


    The old woman¡¯s expression crumpled at the girl¡¯s cold questioning.


    ¡°I knew that would be the most efficient method. I of course knew what the best choice was.¡±


    Katarina looked like she could not believe what she had done.


    She shut her eyes in the center of her wrinkled face.


    ¡°But once I saw you, I couldn¡¯t do it. I couldn¡¯t say it was better for you to be dead.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Wraith gave a quiet snort.


    She did not have time to persistently ask what the woman meant. Even now, more and more Information Alliance girls, her supposed allies, were rushing in to shoot them in the back.


    There was nothing but harsh gunfire and the colors red and black.


    Wraith could not see them as an enemy to be defeated, so even now, she only attempted to neutralize them by aiming her handgun at their arms and legs. But Heivia followed through by firing right between their eyes or into their hearts.


    The delinquent noble clicked his tongue and raised his voice.


    ¡°This is a waste of ammo! If you¡¯re gonna do this, then do it right!!¡±


    ¡°~ ~ ~!!¡±


    ¡°If they can move a single finger, they can pull a trigger or a grenade¡¯s pin. Our only option is to cross this minefield in front of us! Myonri, you too! Your submachinegun is firing low-caliber suppression rounds for a PDW, so firing at their arms and legs will still break bones and tear arteries! It won¡¯t save them!!¡±


    He was right. But to Quenser, who was irresponsibly avoiding the fight, it looked like Heivia and the others were being drawn into the atmosphere here. He felt like the baseline of morality only continued to drop on both sides of the battle.


    This was Piranirie Martini Smoky.


    This harshly colorful world had come from within her.


    ¡°Are the only options here the whip or the whip!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, honestly. This gun is too powerful... There are other operators in the CIC, aren¡¯t there!? Why aren¡¯t they trying to restrain that girl!?¡±


    Wraith seemed to enjoy those sensible questions from Quenser and Myonri. They seemed to distance her from Piranirie¡¯s extreme rationalism and Heivia¡¯s competing logic.


    ¡°That¡¯s obvious. In this colorful hell, Piranirie¡¯s location is the only safe zone. If she dies, it¡¯s all over. Even if she¡¯s causing it all, who¡¯s going to play the hero when it means giving up their own sanctuary?¡±


    But the Information Alliance sailors were clinging to that false hope.


    Which side did they most fear being killed by? Faced with that ridiculous choice, they continued rushing in with sweat covering their faces.


    ¡°I recognize this...¡±


    ¡°Did you glimpse your mother again?¡±


    ¡°No, this was in a research paper that Piranirie herself wrote. It was titled Free Control of Lifeforms Using External Stimuli. The actual paper was about putting rats in a steel maze and placing a burner below them until they reached the goal, but this is a similar concept.¡±


    Quenser heard a quiet squeaking sound.


    For this to happen now, it seemed like some kind of curse.


    ¡°...A rat?¡±


    It had likely gotten onboard while the ship was at port. He recalled that one of the wharf roach spy robots had been destroyed by a rat.


    And more than just the one rat was squeaking.


    Several of them were staring out from the space between equipment.


    Quenser felt a chill down his spine when he realized what that meant.


    ¡°Are they waiting for us to die and become meat for the taking?¡± asked Katarina.


    ¡°More importantly, are the Information Alliance sailors the only ones being monitored? If they have cameras on their uniforms or guns, we¡¯re in trouble too! It¡¯s about time for that goddamn Object to fire again!!¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    They had to have made it pretty far down in the ship, but they doubted the Nitrogen Mirage would care. Even if they were below the waterline, the Information Alliance could always shut all the surrounding watertight doors before firing the shot.


    A thick beam of bluish-white light pierced the ship nearby and an entire group of hesitant Information Alliance sailors were annihilated.


    ¡°Dammit, that thing¡¯s got complete control! What is our Princess doing!?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just pray she isn¡¯t at the bottom of the ocean...wah!?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s group immediately ran into a large room.


    They waited for a bit...but the nitrogen laser they were expecting never arrived.


    A pause was not enough to relax. It felt like being given unexploded ordnance to hold instead of a body pillow. Where was the Nitrogen Mirage and was the Baby Magnum still safe? They knew the answers would not put their minds at ease, but the dearth of information still applied pressure on them from all sides.


    ¡°...? Are we safe here?¡±


    ¡°What is this place? A central computer room? There¡¯s a huge-ass supercomputer here.¡±


    ¡°The Flagship 019 is an electronic information control ship, right? Piranirie must be plotting something for her attack on Manhattan. And I doubt it¡¯s a way of directly sending in the Nitrogen Mirage. So she¡¯s probably using this big computer to calculate out all the necessary conditions.¡±


    ¡°Since she is hesitant to fire on us here, you might be right.¡± Wraith joined the conversation while bashfully looking down at her mobile device. ¡°Still, I doubt destroying this computer would be enough to stop her plan which is as foolish as it is ambitious.¡±


    After overcoming that gruesome scene, even the Stopgap Grim Reaper may have been starving for contact with someone capable of a proper conversation.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If that would be enough, she would be panicking and siccing those sailors on us.¡±


    Wraith took a step in front of the young man and narrowed her eyes toward the machines beyond the reinforced glass that looked like large refrigerators.


    ¡°Anastasia, hm?¡±


    ¡°What? Did you give it a girl¡¯s name like the Capitalist Corporations does with Objects?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simpler than that. This is a DNA computer made using my biological mother¡¯s cancer cells. Instead of using the normal system of 1s and 0s, it uses ATCG combinations to quickly compute complex calculations. When my biological mother learned how long she had to live, she agreed to be a specimen so she could offer something to the world.¡±


    Was Wraith emphasizing the ¡°biological¡± part because it reminded her of the time before she became a Martini? Or was it because Katarina was here?


    If that woman had not died, it was possible Wraith¡¯s last name would not have changed.


    ¡°You mean...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, no matter what form it takes, this is my biological mother. After all, the chromosome design was completely broken, so you just place it in a Petri dish and it multiples without end. The Anastasia Processor¡¯s excellent results led to more and more production, so now there are apparently about 400 tons of her cells around the world.¡±


    ¡°I thought this was going to be a moving story, but you just had to give it that Information Alliance twist, didn¡¯t you!?¡±


    At any rate, this DNA computer may have been one of the reasons why Wraith Martini Vermouthspray had sought a place for herself in the genius girl project that filled the gaps in their AI culture. This way she could support what her biological mother had created.


    ¡°The question is what she¡¯s using this Anastasia to calculate. It has to be something related to the attack on Manhattan.¡±


    ¡°Can you operate it?¡±


    ¡°Was your mother ¨C our original ¨C a cute technophobe who grew tearful trying to hook up a TV and DVR, designer? I am part of the Martini Series built into the giant administrative system to eliminate any unforeseen errors produced by machines like this one.¡±


    A DNA computer sounded strange when you heard how it worked, but the console screen was the same as a normal computer. It felt weird that you only had to move the cursor to the icon and double click.


    As Quenser watched over her small shoulder, he grimaced at the many windows she browsed through.


    ¡°Wait...¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. This is bad. Heivia, do you remember the Nitrogen Mirage¡¯s trick? It uses artificial mirages to bend its nitrogen lasers however it wants!¡±


    ¡°What does that matter at this point?¡±


    ¡°Did you ever wonder where the bent lasers went after they missed!?¡±


    ¡°Ah...???¡±


    Heivia did not seem to get it, so Quenser reached for the console himself. Since he was standing behind short Wraith, he was practically leaning on top of her.


    ¡°This is serious... The drones are...yes, they¡¯re flying. A water solvent, the first battle was several days ago, a girl¡¯s name, a hurricane, the westerlies, ETA, meteorological weapon, and even the conditions needed for dissemination in the air! ...You¡¯ve gotta be kidding. This means that thing¡¯s nitrogen lasers may have been no more than the primer. It¡¯s electrolytic corrosion. They¡¯ve been firing that big thing to hide their real goal. It was all so we wouldn¡¯t notice they were using optical pumping for excitation of the energy...!!¡±


    ¡°H-hey, how about an actual explanation? Nn, don¡¯t breathe in my ear!¡±


    In a rare display, Little Wraithy blushed and struggled in vain while Frank the Butler expressionlessly exuded killer intent, but Quenser was too preoccupied to sniff the nice-smelling girl.


    The wolf leaned on the girl with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°On the Central and South American line of the Atlantic, the westerlies head north. The giant hurricanes that appear here hit the east coast of North America, so you¡¯re probably pretty familiar with that.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. What about it...?¡±


    Wraith asked while shrinking down and trembling like he was occasionally poking her side, so Quenser continued while focused on the screen.


    ¡°So a giant cloud that appears here will reach New York. Assuming you don¡¯t have to worry about it maintaining a hurricane shape. Just like a meteorological weapon that messes with the upper atmosphere to alter the amount of rainfall, Piranirie has used this direct combat to mix a specific solvent into the clouds and then excite them using the Object¡¯s lasers. This list here is the ingredients for the dye laser. But the dye laser itself uses water ¨C in other words, the primary component of clouds ¨C to amplify the energy.¡±


    ¡°What does any of that matter? They¡¯re amplifying the electrical energy in the clouds? So are they going to trigger lightning strikes exactly where they want? Or are they going to use an EMP or something to damage the computers over a wide area? Nothing like that can bring down the world-renowned and shockingly well-protected Manhattan!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but this is much worse than that.¡±


    While more or less embracing Wraith¡¯s slender shoulders from behind, Quenser placed his hand over her small hand and the console mouse she held. He began searching for and opening a few files.


    ¡°Are you familiar with electrolytic corrosion? When a massive amount of electricity flows into the ground from a giant factory or subway line, the ground and moisture function as an electrolytic solution and the buried metal and cables are corroded through electrolysis.¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡±


    ¡°Yes. There are a few different conditions necessary for electrolytic corrosion, but only one of them is important here. When a thundercloud approaches, the electric charge in the ground shifts, as if dragged along by the cloud,¡± explained Quenser. ¡°If thunderclouds with more energy than any natural cloud could contain passed directly over a metropolis, it would cause extreme electrolytic corrosion. The underground power lines and communication cables, the foundations of the skyscrapers, the subway tunnels, the gas and water pipes, and everything else buried belowground would fall apart like someone dumped sulfuric acid on them. So if something like that passes over Manhattan...¡±


    ¡°The ground itself will grow soft and all the buildings will collapse...?¡±


    ¡°If the water flowing from the pipes is broken down, it will become a whole lot of oxygen and hydrogen. And when the gas pipes burst, it¡¯ll be more direct. In the worst case, the ground below Manhattan will become a giant bomb.¡±


    Of course, normal electrolytic corrosion would not cause anything like this. It would only cause the underground pipes to gradually rust over the years and decades.


    That was why Piranirie Martini Smoky was not relying on ¡°normal¡± thunderclouds. She was using an accelerator pumped full of electricity to create something that did not exist in the natural world. She was using the immense power of an Object to invite in something too extraordinary to naturally exist.


    With a tremor in her voice, Wraith once more brought her mobile device to her mouth.


    ¡°...What are you trying to do, Piranirie?¡±


    This was beyond the point when she could convince anyone of anything, but she must have felt the need to ask anyway. Her own voice left the speakers across the ship.


    ¡°Why are you so intent on firing on the very center of the Information Alliance!?¡±


    ¡°Ohhh? What a strange thing to ask, Wraithy. As a troubleshooter, how many times have you executed one of our own people when they screw up? Y¡¯know, a bullet through the back of a corrupt soldier¡¯s head as they beg for their life.¡±


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    While leaning over her from behind, Quenser thought he felt her firm shoulders shrink down a bit.


    Was she afraid of someone knowing about that?


    But who? Quenser¡¯s group? Or Katarina?


    Piranirie had replied over the ship-wide broadcast that was not encrypted and anyone could hear. She did not care who heard this. She was stubbornly doubling down here, but if handled correctly, could that give her a sharp-tongued charisma?


    ¡°We are spare personnel meant to use human ingenuity to make up for the vulnerabilities in Capulet, the administrative system forming the AI network at the foundation of our Objects. #49, you must be the type of person who will kill any number of people so long as it will preserve order on the battlefield. I am no different there. When various factors bring the warfront to a standstill, I apply some oil and reignite the fire. To keep war running on schedule.¡±


    That was one of the two major families from Romeo and Juliet. Only the Legitimacy Kingdom would choose a name for having a noble ring to it, so why had they chosen that name? Quenser silently thought about that for a bit.


    Meanwhile, Wraith groaned a question.


    ¡°...What are you talking about...?¡±


    ¡°New York is the center of the information world, but it is actually the world¡¯s most uncooperative city when it comes to information collection. The more information the people are in contact with, the greater their information literacy, so they aren¡¯t so easily fooled. They block facial recognition, they reject having their search history saved, they use a decoy server for the internet and email, they hide their IP, they prevent anyone from tapping into their mailbox, and some of them even have multiple social security numbers. But what does that look like to the AI network running everything? The answer is simple: it doesn¡¯t look like anything. It seems several Martinis have been sent in to fill in that electronic blind spot, but it would seem none of them were successful. Something which cannot be measured is determined not to exist, so Capulet has dropped New York a long way down the priority list.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Didn¡¯t this ship run into some trouble in the Asian...what was it? Oh, right. The Mekong District. I believe it was something about using the tanks¡¯ drive-by-light systems for civilian self-driving cars. That was apparently their last chance. If they could have sent those weapons on wheels through the streets and observed New York that way, they could have corrected for the error. But they apparently screwed that one up. And wasn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia exchanged a glance.


    They would not do anything different even if they could relive that part of their lives, but they had not known this was hidden behind the plot involving Dorothea Martini Naked. ...Of course, this was a deeply hidden facet of the whole, so those greedy tank drivers probably had not thought it through that far.


    ¡°But in terms of production and consumption, New York is overwhelmingly on the consumption side. And when an error message reports that a supposedly empty ghost town is devouring more resources than anywhere else in Information Alliance territory, it doesn¡¯t seem strange at all the administration system would try to plug that hole.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed you could get things so backwards... The people of New York don¡¯t exist? Because they don¡¯t exist, there¡¯s no problem with attacking them? Have you completely forgotten why the Martini Series was given our special privileges!? Our entire purpose is to control things manually when the machines make this kind of mistake!!¡±


    ¡°Is it really? I have given myself the role of ensuring the AI network runs as efficiently as possible. It is true Capulet made a mistake. But if that very mistake is a simulation of how to most efficiently bring prosperity to the whole of the Information Alliance, I will follow that detour.¡±


    ¡°AI is not god, Piranirie.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. That is why it must be supported by human hands. I must ensure that those myopic fools do not reject Capulet¡¯s answer as a mere mistake.¡±


    That was the end of it.


    Piranirie may have had no real reason to offer up further information and Wraith may have realized nothing she said would get through to the other girl.


    The small girl simply looked up toward heaven and groaned a question.


    ¡°...Has she abandoned her free will?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°We are meant to fill the gaps in the AI network connecting the central servers of our safe countries, so our own opinions are constantly being pitted against Capulet, the administrative system that collects big data from billions of people. Which is right and which is wrong? ...If you let it sweep you away, you end up like that. Island Nation shogi players will train using AI software, but they maintain indirect control because they can raise and lower its skill by tweaking the parameters. Piranirie has become a slave to the machine. She has accepted that things are much easier if you just ignore matters of good and evil.¡±


    She could not be the same as everyone else.


    She could not face in the same direction and feel the same enthusiasm.


    Not with the general population and not even with the rest of the Martini Series.


    ¡°The entire genius girl project was based on a woman who hid the fact that she was a rational killer...¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    The old woman seemed confused why Quenser was bringing this up now, so he spat out the rest.


    ¡°This problem is even more fundamental than that. I can¡¯t even imagine the kind of isolation that must be pressing in on Wraith, Piranirie, and the others from all directions...¡±


    Wraith gave a quiet snort.


    Was she thankful that someone was worried for her, or did she feel ostracized for being written off as something that could not be understood? Quenser did not know.


    No, that was the way it was for people in general. Of course you could not understand someone at a glance.


    Far too much simple loyalty had been expected of the Martini Series.


    ¡°They¡¯re thrown into situations that would break anyone and then criticized when they do break. How is that right? And the adults mass-produced thousands of these created geniuses so there were replacements when they broke.¡±


    ¡°Enough. ...You are ridiculously kind-hearted.¡± Wraith cleared her throat. ¡°We don¡¯t know which cloud is the meteorological weapon which will trigger electrolytic corrosion, do we?¡±


    ¡°It might not be just one. Since their balloon bombs are reliant on the natural westerlies, they might have prepared a full barrage.¡±


    ¡°I would also like to know how much time until it arrives. That will change how we put together an evacuation plan or even a countermeasure in which we fire our own meteorological weapon to transform the weaponized cloud into harmless rain.¡±


    In that case, what did they need to know in order to protect Manhattan?


    How many weaponized clouds were there and where were they floating now?


    There was only one accurate source for that information.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the combat command. We can drag all of that out of Piranirie Martini Smoky.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the combat command. We can drag all of that out of Piranirie Martini Smoky.¡±


    Part 15


    Once they left the central computer room, they were again exposed to the threat of the Nitrogen Mirage. They could not predict when a nitrogen laser would blast right through the ship¡¯s walls.


    The number of attacks from the Information Alliance troops seemed to have reduced quite a bit from before.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Did she purge too many of them, so she doesn¡¯t have any pawns left?¡±


    They heard the quiet squeaking of an animal.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look, old lady. It¡¯ll only be unpleasant.¡±


    Heivia and the others had already done a detailed search and Quenser made sure not to look in that direction. He could hear the sounds of small animals gathering around what was no more than meat. He could kind of tell why no one was left.


    ¡°I can imagine some of them couldn¡¯t continue on or turn back, so they ended up in a shootout with the commanding officer that ordered the attack...¡±


    ¡°A normal Martini wouldn¡¯t waste this many resources.¡± Wraith quietly clenched her teeth as the silence enveloped her. ¡°I refuse to accept that a normal Martini would have such an extreme disregard for human life...¡±


    Wraith¡¯s role was the Stopgap Grim Reaper. When various factors had caused the chain of command to fail and a unit had been abandoned on the battlefield, she was sent in to prevent them from being destroyed before the next commander could arrive. At first glance, it looked like she was constantly watching losing battles and coldly ordering them around, but she was actually working to improve their situation and reduce the number of casualties. She could never bear Piranirie¡¯s method of wasting her allies¡¯ lives like machinegun bullets.


    Had that Martini been broken by something inside her or from the external isolation?


    Even if they knew the answer, she seemed beyond saving.


    The ship was full of melted holes and seawater had flooded some places. While avoiding those areas, they made their way to their destination, mostly following Wraith¡¯s lead.


    ¡°There it is,¡± said Myonri. ¡°Is that the combat command?¡±


    They approached a giant pair of double doors on the port side.


    It bore no fancy decorations, but the walls and door were a lot thicker than elsewhere. The entire room was built to function as an emergency panic room.


    They recalled that the destroyed bridge had been on the starboard side. This was not an aircraft carrier that needed space for a runway, so the positions may have been adjusted to balance the ship¡¯s weight.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a door we can pry open with a crowbar. And I¡¯m too afraid of the ricochet to try to shoot it open with my rifle...¡±


    As Heivia grumbled about the problem, Butler Frank casually raised his extra-large magnum created by modifying a revolving grenade launcher.


    In the closed space, the cannon-like blast pounded on their eardrums and the lead mass the size of a drink can bounced around like a pinball.


    While pathetically curled up on the floor like a pill bug, Heivia tearfully shouted at him.


    ¡°Are you trying to get us killed, you son of a bitch!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use, Heivia. He must be the kind of pervert who only responds to blonde little girls who will dominate him.¡±


    ¡°Frank,¡± quietly warned the blond girl. ...Oh? Quenser had a feeling that extra-large magnum had been aimed his way.


    But regardless, that monstrous magnum could blow a fist-sized hole in the average steel door, but the CIC¡¯s door only dented a little. This was not something they could open so easily.


    But only a civilian would think that meant to give up. This just meant they had to try harder.


    ¡°Quenser, prepare some explosives. Check how many rods the door has and set up the explosives to break them all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Quenser?¡±


    Heivia frowned when his awful friend did not answer.


    Instead of reaching for his backpack, Quenser glanced in a completely different direction and spoke quietly.


    ¡°I get why the sailor uniform girls aren¡¯t showing up. Even if I don¡¯t want to think about the answer. But this isn¡¯t right. It isn¡¯t right for things to be going so smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the Nitrogen Mirage fire even a single shot while we took such wide detours? Piranirie has no reason to hold back at this point. That means she wanted to attack but couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m sure part of it is the ship barely holding together when it¡¯s so riddled with holes, but that¡¯s only secondary. There¡¯s a more direct reason.¡±


    ¡°What? That sounds good and all, but I don¡¯t see how it helps us here.¡±


    ¡°Piranirie tracked the location of all the game pieces using the cameras on the soldiers. And that goes for both enemy and ally. With all the Information Alliance sailors gone, she no longer has our location as we move through the ship. And she can¡¯t exactly fire at random when she¡¯s on the ship too. All she can do is sit and wait. ...Until now.¡±


    Heivia finally arrived at the most basic of conclusions.


    He followed Quenser¡¯s gaze and saw what the boy was looking at.


    A military shotgun with a small lens attached was unnaturally sitting on the floor.


    Piranirie had known they would reach this goal line eventually, so she had made sure she would know when they arrived.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming... The Nitrogen Mirage¡¯s nitrogen laser is coming!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, we¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯re right in front of the CIC!! It¡¯s always fired from the side of the ship, so if we stay by this door to port, Piranirie will be in the line of fire too. It can¡¯t skewer the ship from the side, so we¡¯re safe while we¡¯re-...!!¡±


    Quenser cut Heivia off with a weak shake of his head.


    The boy pointed not to the side of the ship, but to the front.


    When he spoke, it sounded like he desperately wanted someone to tell him he was wrong.


    ¡°This is a 200m mass of steel. A shot down the length of the battlecruiser will vaporize us while only grazing the combat command¡¯s door.¡±


    Part 16


    ¡°Hee hee.¡±


    How many people remained on the ship outside of this box?


    This box lined with computers and partitioned by clear acrylic panels may have been all that remained of the world. The operators were overcome by that delusion while they silently fulfilled their duties in a desperate attempt to avert their eyes from the reality pressing in on them.


    Only the small ruler among them was laughing.


    That girl with wavy black hair wore a blue and gold parade coat over a sailor uniform and the baggy sleeves hid all but her fingertips.


    She was sitting in her seat with her slender legs resting on the console.


    ¡°Ah ha ha ha!! Hee hee ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    She had won.


    It was over.


    Piranirie Martini Smoky applauded her own results. With the number of movable pawns and mobile cameras reduced, she could no longer command an attack anywhere in the ship. But what did that matter? She only had to lay a trap at the one point she knew the intruders would go.


    And they had fallen for it.


    There was no way they could escape now. Their one hope of survival was entering the combat command and using Piranirie as a shield, but the walls and door were too thick for that. The door would not break from manpower and bullets and they would have to carefully calculate out how to break all of the rods if they wanted to use explosives. There was simply no way they could do that before the Laser Beam 069¡¯s attack arrived.


    ¡°Farewell, my fellow Martini. This is just how life is.¡±


    Her screen showed the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers rushing for the wall, but that was not going to open the CIC¡¯s door.


    But then a small warning icon appeared.


    Piranirie used the fingertips poking out of her baggy sleeve to skillfully spin a fountain pen.


    (The sprinklers?)


    The area was already full of holes, but that should have actually prevented a fire from breaking out. Quite a lot of water was being meaninglessly scattered just 30 or 40 meters down a straight corridor from the CIC¡¯s door.


    It was partly to strike a good balance with damage control, but the sprinklers were relatively high cost equipment on a warship that even had to preserve toilet water. As long as there were no electronics with broken shielding in the area, it was better to pump in seawater. So why here and now? When Piranirie frowned and called up a diagram of the corridor in front of the combat command, a series of ominous data points appeared before her eyes.


    There was something here. There had to be something to it.


    A pipe extended from the wall. The pipe was colored red as a heat warning and it was actually a dedicated duct that traveled from the kitchen gas burners to the main funnel that carried exhaust from the engine.


    What would happen if the sprinkler water hit that source of heat?


    (It would produce a lot of steam...no, a temperature difference...)


    ¡°W-wait, Laster Beam 069!! Cease firing!! I repeat, cease firing...!!¡±


    She was too late.


    Piranirie Martini Smoky should have kept in mind one simple fact: lasers could bend.


    And the conditions were more or less the same indoors as outdoors.


    Part 17


    It was more of a gamble than a split-second decision.


    The only data in his mind was the general idea that light was bent from warm air to cold air.


    ¡°No hard feelings if anyone gets hit!!¡±


    After noticing one pipe with a high temperature warning label, Quenser immediately activated the sprinkler linked up to the fire alarm, producing lots of white steam.


    From there, it was a matter of seconds.


    A massive beam wrapped in bluish-white approached from directly ahead.


    No, it had to have already passed through by the time he saw it. Quenser and the others were only seeing the afterimage left from scorching the dust and moisture in the air.


    But if they could see the afterimage of the laser beam after it passed through, then they could not have been vaporized.


    ¡°It...bent!?¡±


    Just as Heivia shouted that, the destruction finally caught up.


    After being diverted aside just before reaching them, the nitrogen laser had pierced the combat command right next to them. That was a solid box similar to a panic room and it clearly swelled out from within. The air inside must have explosively expanded. That wall would have been difficult to blow down with plastic explosives, but a force within the room tore through the wall and stabbed into the opposite wall.


    ¡°...Bh...!!!???¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!!¡±


    They could no longer hear their own shouting voices.


    They feared they would never hear anything more than this ringing in their ears.


    But they had survived.


    They were actually able to feel fear again.


    ¡°Damn...it... I think I¡¯m going to pay for life insurance from now on...¡±


    ¡°Look, things are pretty bad there too.¡±


    The inside of the combat command was a complete mess.


    The thick walls had been blown out or melted and the computers had all been blown away. The liquid splattered across the floor was probably the melted acrylic panels or glass.


    Then there were the people.


    ¡°Wow. What is this? Every last operator is piled on top of each other. Can you really get people to work together so perfectly on the verge of death?¡±


    Heivia groaned, but Wraith shook her head as if to cut him off.


    ¡°The odds are good Piranirie is at the bottom. They believed she was their ticket to safety. Since they couldn¡¯t ensure their own lives if she died, they acted as meat cushions to protect her. Talk about getting the cart before the horse.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Katarina viewed the scene with a difficult look on her face.


    Things were just as bad as she had expected. But since she had acted to protect Wraith when it came down to it, could she really celebrate this attack on Piranirie?


    Even if the outcome here could change the overall direction the Martini Series took.


    And Quenser¡¯s group had to ask her about the weaponized cloud attack on Manhattan.


    Just then, a warning icon appeared on one of the few remaining monitors in the shredded and scorched CIC.


    ¡°This is bad,¡± muttered Wraith. ¡°The Nitrogen Mirage isn¡¯t stopping. This is displaying the predicted line of fire for that shockingly stupid Object¡¯s main cannon, and it¡¯s aimed right at this combat command!! If it fires now, there really is no saving us!!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to do something about that,¡± said Quenser. ¡°Myonri, check to see if Piranirie is hiding in that pile of corpses. If she¡¯s breathing, treat her injuries! And Lilim! I need the help of the electronic simulation division! The external cases might have melted like cheese, but hook these computers together again and find a way to fire the ship¡¯s guns. And if that Anastasia supercomputer in the central computer room is still functioning, connect it to this monitor!!¡±


    ¡°What good is moving a ship that¡¯s as full of holes as Swiss cheese!? And a normal ship¡¯s guns aren¡¯t going to do anything to a nuke-resistant Object!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need direct firepower. I¡¯ll be doing the same thing as before.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Okay, they use heavy oil for the standard fire smokescreen. They scatter oil on the sea and ignite it to create the smokescreen. That gives us what we need.¡±


    Wraith frowned.


    ¡°Are you trying to create another mirage using temperature differences? Their Pilot Elite has to be learning. It won¡¯t be long before this doesn¡¯t work anymore.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll be worried about a mirage, yes. But that¡¯s why the odds are good they¡¯ll overlook a different method.¡±


    ¡°Quenser, the datalink is online! The aft main gun can still turn!!¡±


    ¡°Let Anastasia handle the calculations for auto-aiming. The first shot only needs to be a smokescreen. Fire!!¡±


    The young man and Katarina immediately sheltered young Wraith.


    Were they trying to protect her ears?


    With an incredible tremor, the supposedly 70,000-ton ship definitely slid to the side.


    Unlike a missile, unguided ship¡¯s guns were exposed to a variety of influences: from the wind and the waves to the earth¡¯s gravity and rotation. It was a very general form of attack that was meant to hit the enemy just 50 times when firing 100 times. The initial smokescreen was not just to blind the enemy. It was to check the margin of error between the ideal targeting and where the shell actually fell so corrections could be made before firing the next shell.


    ¡°Even with automatic loading, it would take too long to prepare a physical shell now!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I want.¡± Time seemed to flow differently for Quenser as he responded to Heivia¡¯s flustered warning. ¡°The Nitrogen Mirage creates artificial mirages by producing extreme temperature differences using liquid nitrogen or iron oxide and aluminum. And it uses those to bend its nitrogen laser main cannon however it likes.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What about it?¡±


    ¡°But what will happen if a heavy oil-based smokescreen shell is fired into that? The heavy oil is mixed with naphtha, a flammable substance that released a lot of hydrocarbons. That gives us dense nitrogen and hydrocarbons. Now, if a nitrogen laser, which is much further into the ultraviolet realm than natural light, hits that, it will produce a certain optical reaction. Anyone who lives in a safe country metropolis is probably familiar with it.¡± Quenser grinned. ¡°Photochemical smog. That¡¯s a prism that bends light with a refractive index entirely different to an artificial mirage and that Object won¡¯t be expecting it at all.¡±


    A fearsome light burst out.


    But this was not a mere failure where the laser veered off in the wrong direction. The Anastasia DNA computer could perform complex calculations far faster than the old style of computer, so it had accurately lined the pieces up on the board.


    The complex artificial mirages the Nitrogen Mirage had created itself revealed a new side to themselves. The powerful laser it had fired was bent again and again in ways the Object had not expected and it ultimately made a wide U-turn and returned right to its firer.


    The Pilot Elite probably could not see it in the final moment.


    There was no way to follow the nitrogen laser by eye when it moved at the speed of light.


    ¡°Is it...over?¡± hesitantly asked Heivia.


    There was a large hole leading from the front of the ship. It looked like a dark tunnel to them and it gave them a view of a giant pillar of water in the distance.


    After some time passed, an incredible tremor shook the already badly damaged Flagship 019. It creaked so much they were amazed it did not just break in half.


    It really was over.


    The Nitrogen Mirage had sunk into the sea and the resultant waves were crashing against the ship.


    Meanwhile, Myonri had found someone within the fallen operators.


    ¡°H-here she is. She looks a lot different from the other operators and it¡¯s the same girl we saw with the spy robot.¡±


    Katarina confirmed it with a deep voice.


    ¡°That girl is #7, Piranirie Martini Smoky. She is definitely one of the mothers I created.¡±


    ¡°...Oh...¡±


    While lying on her back, a crack seemed to form in the girl¡¯s dried lips and her throat trembled.


    She probably did not have long.


    Quenser was not a medical expert, but he could somehow tell.


    He saw Katarina bite her lip.


    ¡°Answer our questions.¡± Here, Wraith remained cold. ¡°How many weaponized clouds are you using to attack Manhattan? Give me the full list. Your plan has failed.¡±


    ¡°Who...who do you think messed with my head?¡±


    Piranirie¡¯s eyes were unfocused, so were Wraith¡¯s words really reaching her?


    That Martini almost seemed to have a smile on her lips as she continued.


    ¡°I succumbed to the correctness of the Capulet administrative system in control of the Information Alliance. But in the end, what really was the Martini Series? I could have sworn Katarina Martini was to blame for all this. As our designer, I thought she had set the alarm clock and then tried to escape the Information Alliance on her own so she could safely watch the disaster she had started...¡±


    ¡°That is not what I was asking. Where are the excited clouds that will cause rapid electrolytic corrosion on a citywide scale!?¡±


    ¡°...But it wasn¡¯t Katarina Martini...¡±


    ¡°Hey!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it now. It didn¡¯t have to be an internal culprit that drove the Martini Series berserk... That¡¯s right. It was someone on the outside that did this to us. All so they could do critical damage to the Information Alliance as a whole...¡±


    Their first aid would be too little too late.


    Even if they applied a tourniquet over the wounds and injected saline into her veins to keep her blood pressure from dropping, her life would still be lost.


    It seemed a dying person did not shut their eyes in the final moment like they did in dramas.


    With her eyes still open, their faint focus faded and the girl uttered her final word.


    ¡°...Mom...¡±


    That was all.


    Piranirie Martini Smoky would never move again.


    While applying pressure to her wounds, Myonri checked the girl¡¯s pulse and then shook her head. Someone grabbed Myonri¡¯s shoulder and pushed her aside.


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    It was Katarina Martini.


    She placed her hands on the girl¡¯s shredded chest and pressed down with her own body weight. She did so rhythmically and forcefully. Then she pressed her mouth against the girl¡¯s red-stained lips and breathed into them.


    Again and again. Over and over.


    Piranirie¡¯s slight chest rose and fell, but that was not the product of her own will. It was nothing more than her lungs mechanically inflating like a balloon as air was sent into them.


    The old woman looked on the verge of tears.


    ¡°Katarina...¡±


    ¡°Just a little longer.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. This is war.¡±


    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t the right thing to do!! But just let me keep going a little longer!! Just a little longer!!¡±


    When Myonri gently placed a hand on Katarina¡¯s shoulder, it seemed to break something deep inside her. The old woman¡¯s hands wandered aimlessly and then she buried her face in the girl¡¯s unmoving chest. She shouted something no one could make out. Meanwhile, the air breathed into Piranirie left her mouth and her chest returned to its normal level.


    Quenser had done this.


    So everyone else could survive.


    Katarina finally wiped the blood from her hands, reached for the girl¡¯s opened eyelids, and shut them. Then she gently kissed her forehead.


    ¡°Rest now, sweet child.¡±


    That may have been how her mother Cassandra had put her to bed. Regardless, the rampage of the Martini Series, the story of a single girl, had come to a close.


    But what did this mean?


    Just how many bomb clouds were on their way to Manhattan?


    And who was this person who had driven the Martini Series berserk from outside the Information Alliance?


    This was more than an internal conflict. Suspicions would fall on the Legitimacy Kingdom, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± groaned Heivia. And his voice quickly rose to a shout. ¡°Is this battle still not over!?¡±

 Volume 14, Epilogue

    Volume 14, Epilogue


    A grim look covered Frolaytia Capistrano¡¯s face back at New Caribbean Island.


    The formidable foe of the Nitrogen Mirage had been defeated and the Baby Magnum was safe. The maintenance fleet¡¯s shredded central command, the Flagship 019, would apparently sink in due time, but they had received the white flag signal from the second ship which was now in command.


    And yet Frolaytia felt no cheer.


    There was nothing cheerful about this.


    ¡°Manhattan has...vanished from the map...?¡±


    The state of the world had greatly changed while they fought.


    Enough so that it felt irresponsible fighting these silly wars out here.


    The young female officer on her laptop screen read off the report while looking like she did not understand what it meant.


    ¡°It is unknown how the Information Alliance¡¯s turmoil will spread to international society as a whole. There is even a risk of the clean war concept collapsing. Major, please prepare for the possibility of unpredictable battles. Please ensure the Baby Magnum is thoroughly maintained.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Captain.¡± Frolaytia adjusted the long, skinny kiseru in her mouth. ¡°But even after a logical explanation, it¡¯s still hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have no idea what is going on either.¡±


    The special clouds riding the westerlies would attack New York along the same route as a hurricane. The excitation of an Object¡¯s main cannon laser would fill thunderclouds with more energy than any natural cloud. Once they moved out over land, they would cause an unbelievable level of electrolytic corrosion which destroyed all the pipes, foundations, frameworks, etc. in the ground and caused the skyscrapers to collapse. Based on Quenser and Heivia¡¯s report, that was the plan put together by the Information Alliance¡¯s Piranirie Martini Smoky.


    But that was not what had actually happened.


    ¡°Manhattan has vanished from the map.¡± The Captain on the screen repeated herself as if to confirm something. ¡°Jersey City and Brooklyn both moved aside as if clearing a path for Manhattan. We cannot possibly predict how many alterations they have made to New York as a whole.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The island of Manhattan has left its original coordinates and is moving through the northern Atlantic at a steady rate of 40 knots. It is unclear how many of the reported bomb clouds there are, but 34 such clouds have disappeared from the radar as they approach Manhattan. Yes, we can only conclude that Manhattan fired on them with a powerful cannon.¡±


    All of it was utterly absurd, but they could not deny the data before them.


    ¡°Major, I find it hard to believe, but could this be...?¡±


    This was the center of the Information Alliance home country.


    It had the power to move on its own, it could fire a powerful cannon, and it had an energy source capable of powering both.


    Frolaytia narrowed her eyes a bit at what that brought to mind.


    The Information Alliance tried to use information to remain at the peak, but their greatest secret had just been revealed here.


    The busty, silver-haired commander summed it up.


    ¡°The world¡¯s largest Object.¡±


    After saying that, Frolaytia shook her head.


    This was on a ridiculous scale, but it was not completely without precedent.


    History had proven what would happen here and that was why she questioned the Information Alliance¡¯s sense.


    (Even if it can move across the ocean, it¡¯s still the same. Have they forgotten the fate of Asgard, that city of 5 million in the Northern Restricted Zone? They haven¡¯t foolishly handed control over to a new generation, have they?)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over this one thing at a time.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Major.¡±


    ¡°This is more like a warship than anything. What we will tentatively call the Manhattan is an extraordinarily large Object and it used something to blow away the bomb clouds. You said there were 34 suspected clouds, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°If the satellite information is accurate, Central Park split apart and something like a giant tower emerged at a diagonal angle. It is estimated to be nearly 4 kilometers in length. We suspect it is a railgun or coilgun that fires physical shells.¡±


    That alone was extraordinary enough.


    The scale was entirely different from the standard 50m Objects.


    ¡°The shells can¡¯t be normal either. How were the 34 targets distributed?¡±


    ¡°They were spread out over a 150km square of the northern Atlantic.¡±


    ¡°So at the very least, this is something that can hit that wide an area with a single explosive blast. And the actual range might be even larger.¡±


    ¡°Th-that exceeds the limits of our existing weapons. In fact, it¡¯s unclear if an Object¡¯s main cannon or an old-fashioned MIRV would be able to spread definite destruction over that wide an area...¡±


    ¡°But the Manhattan has done it. Do not reject the data. Hopes will not turn aside shells.¡±


    (The explosion covers a wide area, it takes 50 to 60 seconds to expand, it interferes with radio communications, radar, and radio telescopes, it causes changes in the upper atmosphere, and a strange aurora was seen, suggesting it affects the ionosphere or magnetosphere. It caused no damage to aircraft, but is that really true?)


    Frolaytia adjusted her kiseru and her eyes wandered a bit.


    She shifted her focus inward and used all of her knowledge and experience to search for phrases that explained the phenomenon before her eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s the reactor.¡±


    ¡°An Object¡¯s reactor? But low-stability plasma cannons convert that energy into destructive power at the greatest possible efficiency and not even they can produce such a large-...¡±


    ¡°No,¡± cut in Frolaytia. ¡°The Manhattan¡¯s main cannon is probably a railgun. It takes the coal-based chemical fuel used in the JPlevelMHD reactors, solidifies it into a pellet, and uses that extra-large barrel to fire that into the sky above the target coordinates. After, of course, processing it so it can be fired by a railgun.¡±


    ¡°Wha-...?¡±


    ¡°It probably then fires a powerful laser beam on the fuel to trigger a rapid reaction. The target will probably be beyond the horizon, but we just saw more than we ever wanted to see of bending lasers. It may use the upper atmosphere for that. And when they do that outside of the high power magnetic lines of a reactor, just how big of an explosion do you think it will cause?¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s an Object...that turns its reactor inside out...so the explosion will spread into the outside world...?¡±


    Of course, that would not be all it could do.


    That electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon was just one use of its reactor. After all, the Manhattan was many times larger than a 50m Object. It would be surprising if it had only one or two trump cards. For one thing, how many reactors did it even have?


    That meant it could have any number of giant cannons.


    They had to assume even this might not be its greatest trump card.


    ¡°But in that case, this problem is only going to get worse.¡±


    ¡°Th-there¡¯s more?¡±


    ¡°Why did it set sail like a battleship?¡± Frolaytia cut to the heart of the issue. ¡°It of course wanted to safely destroy those bomb clouds out at sea before they arrived on land. Or perhaps it wanted to leave their path in case it could not destroy all of them. ...But that does not explain why it is continuing out into the northern Atlantic even after blowing away the suspicious clouds. And I doubt it¡¯s anything as silly as taking a very long time to brake once it gets moving. It has to have a clear reason.¡±


    The Information Alliance¡¯s home country had revealed its true form to the world.


    It may have begun as a preventative action, but they would not be satisfied until they could make up for that loss. Either the machines or the Martinis would change this crisis into an opportunity. They would remake this event into something that left them glad they had revealed themselves now.


    And in that case...


    (Will they make unscheduled visits to Information Alliance territories around the world in order to intimidate the other world powers? That way they can claim they chose to visit the dangerous front line and were not dragged from safety by an enemy nation¡¯s irregular action.)


    Frolaytia once more adjusted her kiseru as she lost herself in thought.


    (But what is the Information Alliance¡¯s internal situation like right now? The reports from Quenser and the others said the administrative system itself was trying to erase Manhattan... So is this more than just the core of their home country? I¡¯m curious about the Martini in charge of New York.)


    ¡°M-Major...¡±


    ¡°Where is the report from this time?¡±


    ¡°It might be against regulations to direct you outside the military network...but please look at this video sharing site. The video getting the most views is a statement from the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡° ¡®We of the Manhattan 000 are fighting to protect the lives and dignity of all races and ethnicities looking for a home and protection. We will oppose anyone who stands in our way and use any means necessary.¡¯ ¡± The person on the screen read off some kind of message in a trembling voice. ¡° ¡®This is New York¡¯s problem. So the Manhattan 000 will not hold back and will use its greatest firepower to directly strike the core of the evil deployed at New Caribbean Island and the surrounding sea. We must attack them.¡¯ ...They¡¯re going to blow away the 37th, Major!!¡±


    The ground shook violently.


    The familiar green grass and trees were nowhere to be seen. Central Park, which had looked like an overgrown golf course, had split in two and something like a giant tower had stuck out at a diagonal angle.


    It was a railgun and a laser beam.


    The tower had two different types of cylinders attached to the top and bottom.


    But did that girl understand that this set of two formed the electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon which was the main cannon of the extraordinary naval Object known as the Manhattan 000?


    Several guard vehicles drove into what had been Central Park in order to separate Oh Ho Ho from the people screaming and running around in a disorderly panic. Their brakes screeched, their doors flew open, and men in black surrounded the small girl.


    Something none of them understood was happening.


    It had finally been set in motion.


    But as the ringlet curl girl¡¯s eyes darted this way and that, she was not searching for the true identity of the Manhattan or the fate of the world.


    It was something more personal.


    Something more important.


    ¡°...ther...¡±


    No matter how much she pictured that face in her head, she could not find it.


    She was supposed to have met him here today.


    She had returned to her home country in the hopes of spreading her wings.


    She had done so much research and carefully selected what shops she wanted to visit.


    They had agreed to meet here, so he had to be here.


    This was exactly the agreed-upon time.


    ¡°Father!?¡±


    No matter how much she yelled, there was no response.


    Searching for an individual was useless when Central Park itself no longer existed.


    Silver-haired and brown-skinned Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito grabbed the girl¡¯s too-slender shoulders and half-forcibly shoved her into one bulletproof vehicle.


    She was in charge of Juliet.


    She controlled those secrets which bore the name of a noble girl from a classic play. If Capulet was still affected by the Martini Series¡¯s rampage, then could she act as a trump card?


    !!Confidential!!


    To Faith Organization Central.


    Venerable Elder. I offer this to one of the unparalleled flower petals which together form our great and colorful blossom.


    As you so wisely predicted, the situation has crossed a line.


    First the Hariti in the mangroves of the Mekong District.


    Then the Fenrir in the North American demilitarized line known as the Greater Canyon.


    The reports of their defeat have greatly increased the social unrest in the Faith Organization safe countries. But now we have a major scandal in the Information Alliance home country. Really, Venerable Elder, your foresight never ceases to amaze me. As they are shaken by these great waves, the people seem unstable, but they are actually craving overwhelming leadership and the appearance of a transcendent being more than in any other age. If we make an effective strike now, we could solidify our foundation and spread religion more thoroughly around the world than ever before.


    The Faith Organization has always been more threatened by domestic troubles than foreign enemies. The idea of every religion living respectfully side by side sounds lovely, but many seek only their own faith and see any other as harmful. We never would have gathered together without a constant common external enemy to direct our hostility toward. It is sad indeed to see our comrades fighting amongst themselves instead of working daily toward the love of god.


    We will break free of this situation.


    We will strengthen ourselves to the point that we will not fall apart without an enemy.


    That is the purpose of catastrophe. Even during Ragnarok, once the gods and demon king finish killing each other, the resurrected god of light and the other survivors are said to build a paradise up from the ashes. Venerable Elder, I am praying that you will take on the role of the absolute leader and transcendent being who appears after the fall. Please be prepared.


    As for the situation inside the Information Alliance, our cooperators, who have maintained their fervent faith while remaining hidden and enduring oppression, have managed to spread our Ragnarok Script to the Capitalist Corporations without them knowing what it is, but I know you are concerned about the scope of the calamity. If it is insufficient, we are prepared to return that to the battlefront.


    Yes.


    A calamity for a calamity. One option here would be to return Skuld Silent-Third, the Faith Organization¡¯s greatest serial killer, to her position as a saint.


    (The following is a handwritten text and signature.)


    You have permission to immediately release the aforementioned individual.


    May a peaceful holy age arrive to this sinful and impure world.


    ¨CVenerable Elder Tyrfing Boilermaker


    And there was a non-Legitimacy Kingdom soldier on New Caribbean Island who did not have official permission to be there.


    It was important not to forget that this had all begun with rescuing a sunken Capitalist Corporations submarine.


    ¡°Honestly...¡±


    This man had been the captain of the submarine: Rigas Blackpassion.


    Even if this was a chaotic situation and the Legitimacy Kingdom was shorthanded, his position was clearly abnormal when he walked freely out of the detention barracks which were locked up like a prison.


    These days, it was not usual even at normal prisons for a crane fly-like drone to fly up to a cell¡¯s window and carry weapons or drugs inside. In Rigas¡¯s case, it had been a handgun, a lock picking tool, other small tools, and a satellite cellphone.


    ¡°Since I haven¡¯t been abandoned, I suppose we must have achieved our objective.¡±


    While calling someone with the phone, Rigas walked across the volcanic rock that looked like crunchy chocolate.


    ¡°I would like to know the details once I regroup with you. It seems the timetable has entirely fallen apart, but how did you make a comeback from there? First of all, the initial plan was to let Piranirie have her victory and get away. The Legitimacy Kingdom was not supposed to defeat her.¡±


    He made his way to the designated coast.


    The drone¡¯s signal could not reach all that far. The island looked remote and isolated, but his companions were hiding quite nearby.


    ¡°...So Manhattan is on the move.¡±


    The Capitalist Corporations determined everything through business.


    And they were also aware that money could not be earned indefinitely. Even if the mint continued printing new bills, it would only cause the value of that currency to collapse. They would eventually reach the upper limit and they would arrive at a borderline where accumulating any more would be meaningless.


    Also.


    The Capitalist Corporations had glimpsed the possibility that, when the assets of the Legitimacy Kingdom, Information Alliance, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization all reached their final amounts ¨C the values that meant the end of the world ¨C they might not be at the top. They were the experts who loved money more than anyone, but they could not reach the peak of that field. That was more than just humiliating. So they had reached the obvious conclusion.


    They would destroy that borderline.


    That way they could pass that upper limit and continue to earn more money.


    And to do that, they were willing to smash this planet.


    ¡°Then the Ragnarok Script is still usable. The exposure of the Manhattan should have driven a wedge of suspicion between the Information Alliance¡¯s Capulet and Martini Series. If we drive them even further out of control, that crack will spread beyond repair. Now, it¡¯s time to profit.¡±


    He arrived at his extraction point.


    A small submersible had covertly arrived on the dark shore and someone was waving his way.


    Rigas smiled thinly and jogged toward it.


    But something was not right.


    They were acting odd.


    And by the time he realized that, Rigas Blackpassion had moved too close.


    The companion waving to him was entirely limp and someone behind him was clearly holding his arm and waving it for him.


    Also, a bloody katana jutted out from the center of his gut.


    ¡°E-eek...!?¡±


    Rigas¡¯s hips nearly gave out below him as the katana was slowly pulled out through his companion¡¯s back. With nothing to support him, the limp corpse crumpled to the dark ground.


    All that remained was a bizarre person.


    It was a slender young man with silver hair and a black tailcoat. But he held a blade that was wet with a sinister red.


    ¡°Wh-who the hell are you...!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you get a peek of the nobility¡¯s dark side? I can forget that people from other world powers don¡¯t expect this kind of thing.¡±


    The young man did not seem to mind.


    He made it sound like he was only a mild case and was completely oblivious to the fact that he was proving just how abnormal nobles were as a whole.


    ¡°This was originally a civilian bluefin tuna breeding base I had built. It is true I had given Tia-chan permission to stay here, but imagine my surprise when I bring my favorite Paris sushi chefs here for a visit. I do not recall inviting these suspicious individuals to my sushi party.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Well, knowing Tia-chan, it¡¯s probably just the usual trouble. And by this point, I am rather irritated as well. No matter how much I study the art of the blade, I just can¡¯t seem to save my cute little sister from her family situation. I doubt an outsider like you would understand, but you are the one that intruded. So I will have my say. ...Do not place too great a burden on that girl. Unless you want me to kill you.¡±


    By that point, Rigas had been entirely swallowed up.


    Swallowed up by those indecipherable monsters known as nobles who existed near the top of the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    And that may not have been the wrong way to view this.


    If he had simply raised his hands in surrender, it may have ended here.


    ¡°The Ragnarok Script and a Martini Series rampage, hm? That all sounds fascinating, so could you tell me more? I know it won¡¯t accomplish much, but as her Onii-chan, I want to help Tia-chan as much as I can.¡±


    ¡°Ha...ha...¡±


    Before breaking out, Rigas had been given a card-sized handgun that only held two 9mm rounds. Still, a gun had an absolute advantage over a sword. They were about 7 meters apart, so he would clearly act faster. He could deliver a fatal blow before the young man could get close.


    He saw no armed subordinates or bodyguards in the area.


    All he had to do was kill this katana-wielding young man.


    ¡°Owaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    That was why Rigas Blackpassion took emergency action while roaring to motivate himself.


    The silver-haired young man shut one eye.


    And the grim reaper named Bloodrics Capistrano gave his pronouncement.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll start with that right arm.¡±


    Everyone had underestimated his skill.


    The many bodyguards had surrounded that silver-haired young man because he had a bad habit of going too far when he was alone.


    ¡°Dammit, they¡¯re coming...¡±


    Once a war left the pre-established harmony, not even the people involved could determine how it ended.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming!!!???¡±


    A bog of a conflict was forming with all four world powers complexly intertwined.

 Volume 14, Afterword

    Volume 14, Afterword


    Heavy Object has finally reached its 14th volume.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    This series was designed with the 1st volume as the starter and the others as boosters, but after two curveballs in a row with The Smallest War and Northern Restricted Zone Cinderella Story, this story was meant to bring the focus back on the clean wars. ...And the 37th¡¯s tough guys started dropping like flies. To be honest, of the different series I¡¯m working on, this series has to be the one where the most allies die in any one volume. I guess that¡¯s because it¡¯s a story about war, not crimes. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Quenser and Heivia¡¯s silly conversations.


    This time, I placed the spotlight on the Information Alliance and pushed the Martini Series that supports their system of AI development to the forefront. They got the guest heroine spot for all three chapters. Ignoring whether they were an enemy or an ally, did you find a personal favorite Martini-chan?


    The stories for this series tend to start when I find some interesting science news and use a broad interpretation of it, but one thing in particular has really stood out recently: AI. I¡¯m impressed with how it is making the world a more convenient place, but I feel a chill down my spine when I hear how it¡¯s taking part in marriage counseling and job hunting. When I think about how the spotlight of success will more easily fall on someone with a more program-searchable life, I feel like I could write a book on that premise alone.


    For the Objects, I tried to have them reuse old and familiar technology and phenomena instead of strange and bizarre technology. Paper armor, anti-tank weapons that use springs, and the strange phenomenon spoken of for ages across the world: mirages. I have several other Object ideas in reserve, but I tried to give these a unique coloration by using that common theme. What did you think? That said, the world of technology is not a straight line from the past to the future. You sometimes hear about the return of older ideas like bulletproof equipment that uses spider silk or an origami artist helping fit everything in the limited space of a satellite.


    Even with the starter and booster setup, I of course still focus on them in order as I write them, but if you do read them out of order, I like to think you might find that kind of ¡°return to older ideas¡± in this series itself.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san and Anan-san. ...With all the non-Object weapons making an appearance this time, it may have been a lot of work for you. Thank you for your continued cooperation.


    I also give my thanks to the readers. We had Frolaytia turning into a little devil (...little?), Myonri shouting ¡°boobs¡±, Lilim fighting with a barf bag, and Wraith going dere far too easily. This one was even crazier than normal, but what did you think? I think one important point is how the Princess nonchalantly escaped to safety. Fighting out in the open isn¡¯t the only form of moe! You can find it in those who take a step back as well!!


    And I will leave it at that.


    Hey, you! Don¡¯t say you think a 400-ton mama is moe!


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 15, Prologue

    Volume 15, Prologue


    Ksh.


    ...Kssshhh...


    Ksssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!


    Ksssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!


    Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.


    An error occurred while processing transmission.


    Datalink cannot be maintained using normal standards. Requesting authorization to open excess bandwidth based on Emergency Response Manual Section 3 Lines 2-7.


    Waiting for input.


    Detecting approval from three or more users with high-level access rights.


    Resuming work.


    Planning reroute.


    As there is no play in the network, spontaneous data loss cannot be avoided. Preventing overall system hang-ups by restricting data transmission capacity in advance.


    The reduction will have an average of 29% and a maximum of 47%.


    Please be aware that redundant processing and unnecessary effects will be cut.


    - Mekong District. Dorothea Martini Naked¡¯s tank development project and the subsequent project to misuse self-driving cars.


    - The demilitarized line of the Greater Canyon. Observing the progress of the temporary factories that use the Faith Organization¡¯s hexavalent chromium in a project assisted by Arisa Martini Sweet, Rica Martini Medium, and Orsia Martini Dry.


    - New Caribbean Island and the nearby ocean. Piranirie Martini Smoky¡¯s Manhattan attack plan using bomb clouds.


    Link between data confirmed. No problems detected. Currently, the Manhattan 000 has been deployed to attack the Information Alliance maintenance fleet led by Piranirie. Firing of the electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon has been confirmed. Scan complete. The viewpoint can be rewound as a real-time view.


    A high-level threat referred to as the Ragnarok Script has been confirmed within the entire Martini Series which monitors the Capulet AI Network. Contact has been lost with Katarina Martini, the biochemical engineer who controls the entire genius girl project. Searching for details. There is a concern that this problem will not be contained to the Information Alliance and will spread to the Legitimacy Kingdom, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization as well.


    Rebooting in safe mode.


    Monitoring Point 1-9: Temporary recovery of datalink complete.


    Target: Manhattan 000. Resuming monitoring.

 Volume 15, 1: Bloody Pool >> Atlantic Artificial Island Proxy War

    Volume 15, Chapter 1: Bloody Pool >> Atlantic Artificial Island Proxy War


    Part 1


    Intense light, noise, and shockwaves.


    In that moment, Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage could not tell up from down, could not hold his memories together in a coherent fashion, and felt all his other senses melt together.


    His vision blurred and he had trouble breathing like he had a thick translucent sheet over his face. He felt a scorching heat, but he could not get his thoughts working to the point of coming up with a course of action to eliminate the unpleasant sensation. Only the pounding of his heart sounded unpleasantly raw and real. That should have been the proof that he was alive, but it instead felt as unpleasant as putting back on a shirt after removing it.


    Where was he?


    What was he doing?


    The blond boy focused his mind on remembering those two things. If he let go of that, it was all over. If his mind lost even more focus, he would never recover. He knew that without anyone telling him.


    (Oh, right... I remember now.)


    As usual, he had been on a shitty job with the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion. He had been at New Caribbean Island, a tropical island near Central America where the weather completely ignored the fact that it was October. It had all started when he set out on a philanthropic mission (but really meant to earn a diplomatic card) to rescue a Capitalist Corporations submarine that was stranded at the bottom of the ocean after having engine trouble. On that submarine, they had found an old woman wanting to defect from the Information Alliance. She had claimed to be Katarina Martini, a biochemical engineer.


    By taking in the old woman who had led the Information Alliance¡¯s crucial genius girl project, they had triggered a serious military clash with the Information Alliance who did not want their technology leaking out. That had begun a fierce battle against the Nitrogen Mirage, a cutting-edge Second Generation that could bend its lasers as it pleased.


    (...Kh...)


    His mind was all mixed up. He felt a dull headache slowly traveling from right to left in his brain. His stomach roiled disconcertingly, like he had triggered some kind of trauma. This was an important issue. The Nitrogen Mirage was a powerful enemy. But that was not the crux of the problem. The true darkness lurked beyond that.


    An Information Alliance landing team had attacked the Legitimacy Kingdom at the artificial New Caribbean Island. The Legitimacy Kingdom had struck back by directly infiltrating the Flagship 019 located at the center of the Information Alliance¡¯s maintenance fleet.


    The fierce attacks that ignored the concept of clean wars had been caused by Piranirie Martini Smoky, one of the created genius girls who had gone berserk, and the giant administrative AI network that the Martini Series was meant to manage and correct.


    Quenser¡¯s group had temporarily joined forces with Wraith Martini Vermouthspray, an Information Alliance officer, in order to defeat Piranirie and the Nitrogen Mirage.


    But that alone had not solved the problem.


    (Ugh. Ahhh...!?)


    His mind roared at him to remember it.


    His mind screamed at him to not remember it.


    The positive and negative thoughts crashed into each other, tormenting Quenser Barbotage with the internal pressure. His soul thrashed about in search of any way out, even the smallest gap. And as a result, his mind was drawn toward it. He formed a link to the memory of the monster lurking beyond the thick veil.


    He had heard a certain radio transmission while inside the half-destroyed Flagship 019.


    It was coming.


    The Manhattan was finally on the move.


    (Ahhhhhh!? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!)


    He thought his skull would break from within and the pain felt like having countless rusty spikes driven into his head. He could not tell if this was physical pain or psychological pain. Regardless, it continued to shake him and his soul was forcibly dragged toward a certain answer.


    Yes.


    That was right. After that utterly baffling transmission...


    A blinding light had...


    ¡°How long are you going to lie there!? Wake up already!!!!!!¡±


    He heard a sharp shout and felt incredible pressure across his entire face.


    It took him a few seconds to realize a bucket of seawater had been dumped on his face while he lay on his back.


    ¡°Ubh, what, cough, cough!! Uehh!? Cough!!¡±


    Quenser choked and somehow managed to sit up, but then the toe of a thick military boot mercilessly kicked him in the jaw.


    His vision shook and he rolled back onto the hard ground. It felt a lot like hot asphalt that had been sitting in the midsummer sun, but it was not.


    ¡°Ughh...ubweh...!?¡±


    (What? Is this...the deck of...an aircraft carrier...?)


    ¡°Who gave you permission to speak and move? Have you forgotten that your lives are in our hands?¡±


    He heard a low female voice from overhead.


    He could not see her face well with the tropical sun behind her.


    He also heard a young man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Captain, he appears to be the last one.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. That seems less than in the report.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they went down with the Flagship 019 when it lost its balance? We could send divers to the sunken ship if need be.¡±


    ¡°That would be a waste of personnel expenses.¡±


    Quenser tried to roll onto his stomach, but a military boot kicked him and he decided not to move. He moved only his eyes to observe his surroundings. ...They were there. There were maybe a few dozen soldiers wearing soaking-wet Legitimacy Kingdom uniform identical to his lying on the slanted flight deck. It was reminiscent of the corpses lined up for counting after a plane crash.


    He saw dark clouds.


    As if to predict Quenser and the others¡¯ futures, thick clouds covered the blue sky and had started to blot out the sun. Although those may have been caused by the extra-large attack that had assaulted them.


    And once the sun faded, he could see.


    The person looking down at him was a tall and beautiful girl of about 18. Her skin was white...but it had a different luster from Quenser and his group¡¯s. With that and the long black hair tied back, she was probably of Asian descent. She wore a bluish sailor uniform and a miniskirt. That clued Quenser in to the situation.


    The time between the Manhattan¡¯s attack and this assault force abducting Quenser¡¯s group had been too short.


    ¡°...So you¡¯re from the Flagship 019...no, from the maintenance fleet. Hah. Were you promoted because your boss Piranirie kicked the bucket?¡±


    The girl¡¯s subordinate gave him another kick.


    She must not have felt any real hatred toward him. The Asian beauty looked down at him like he was a bug crawling along the roadside.


    ¡°We will decide what will be done with all of you. As I said, your lives are in our hands.¡± She then glanced to the side. ¡°But we have a more important issue to take care of. Hello, comrade! Lieutenant Colonel Wraith Martini Vermouthspray!! My fellow Martini!!¡±


    Quenser tensed up at that.


    Yes. Wraith¡¯s cooperation with the Legitimacy Kingdom had been a personal decision. Since the Martini Series which supported the Capulet AI Network was acting oddly, Wraith¡¯s decision may have been correct. But this and that were two very different things.


    ¡°Hello, Taratua.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Wraith.¡±


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray was a blonde girl of about 12. She wore a formal black hat over her long blonde hair and a pitch black uniform that was poorly suited for the tropical sun.


    She had no allies in the Legitimacy Kingdom or the Information Alliance.


    A young man of unknown age stood beside her, but that alone was not much to rely on.


    The Asian beauty named Taratua may have meant no real harm. The way the corners of her lips curled into a smile looked childish for her age.


    Yes. Almost like the look of a child tearing off a captured insect¡¯s legs one by one.


    ¡°I was placed in the maintenance fleet as Piranirie¡¯s spare, but what kind of mission was a fellow Martini given that required working with enemy soldiers? I certainly haven¡¯t heard of anything like that, so was it a highly-classified special mission?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yes. Silence is the best answer here. Even if you try to lie about it and invent some fake mission, you never know when you¡¯ll blow it.¡±


    Their ranks were captain and lieutenant colonel, but Taratua did not hold back. If it could be proven that Wraith had been colluding with the Legitimacy Kingdom and had arrived here in violation of her actual mission, she would be no more than a traitor or deserter. Then no one could complain if she was shot in the back here and now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡±


    Taratua drew an impractically large revolver from her hip. It must have absorbed the dark color of the thick clouds overhead because the polished black weapon looked sinister. Wraith held out a hand to stop the young man who tried to move in front of her.


    She winked her right eye and asked a question.


    ¡°You want to test my luck? That is impressively unscientific.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha! Oh, we¡¯re not playing Russian roulette. Ignoring someone¡¯s actual actions and only seeing if god loves them is more of a Faith Organization thing. You¡¯re almost certainly guilty, but I know just how valuable the contents of your mind are. So, comrade, it isn¡¯t your head you¡¯ll be blowing away.¡±


    Taratua spun the entire revolver around like a cheap pen and then held the grip out toward Wraith.


    ¡°The Second Generation Laser Beam 069, Piranirie, the recently sunk Flagship 019...and now an attack from that Manhattan 000. Our maintenance fleet is in tatters and our higher ups have probably been wiped out. We can¡¯t let this continue. And if we¡¯re going to recover, we need as many soldiers as we can get. And that includes you, my comrade and my fellow Martini.¡±


    And.


    She said it as casually as could be.


    ¡°Shoot that boy there. I¡¯ll judge your true intentions based on that.¡±


    ...................................................................................................................................................................................................


    The atmosphere solidified.


    Still on his back, Quenser checked on the situation by turning his head so stiffly the joint seemed rusted.


    His eyes met Taratua¡¯s.


    He could not read Wraith¡¯s emotions at all.


    Before breathing her last, Piranirie Martini Smoky had said there was something breaking and driving the entire Martini Series mad. And it was controlled by someone outside the Information Alliance rather than Katarina, the old woman in charge of the genius girl project.


    Was this also a product of that artificial madness?


    Or was this normal for the Asian beauty known as Taratua?


    ¡°As I said, this isn¡¯t Russian roulette, so none of the bullets have been removed.¡±


    He understood.


    What would Wraith Martini Vermouthspray do in this situation? Wasn¡¯t there anything else she could do? Quenser understood. If she obeyed, one would die. If she did not, they would all die. It was simple arithmetic. Even if the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance had been temporarily working together because their interests aligned, they were still enemies.


    There was no reason for her not to do it.


    Once you had 1 + 1 = 2, no amount of searching would turn up another answer.


    ¡°We went to an effort to rescue these lives, so we will have these idiots work for us to make up for it. And they will keep working until they wear out and die.¡±


    But.


    Could it be...?


    ¡°But things are different for this one: Quenser Barbotage. This irregular actor ignores the rules of cost-effectiveness by running around destroying Objects. We will kill him here. It functions as camouflage and gives us a prize for the higher ups.¡±


    ¡°Wait!!¡±


    That was when a soldier lying a short distance away raised his voice and was kicked in the jaw by one of the sailors walking between the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers who were lined up like corpses. A dark red liquid splattered from his split lip, but he kept shouting with the eyes of a chained dog.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t a soldier! He¡¯s a battlefield student!! If you know who he is, you must know that. Be careful how you handle him or it¡¯s you who¡¯ll be in trouble later!!¡±


    It was Heivia Winchell.


    But it was no use. All he could do was yell from the aircraft carrier deck.


    Taratua paid him no heed.


    ¡°You are more like disposable parts than prisoners of war. The fact that any of you survived will be erased from any and all reports, so what does it matter how one or two of you is treated now?¡±


    She sounded somewhat exasperated, but there were several endlessly ominous phrases mixed in.


    And it was time to decide.


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray grabbed the proffered magnum¡¯s grip with a troubled look.


    Taratua reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a device much like the collapsible opera glasses sold at concert halls. She casually unfolded it and winked.


    ¡°Say cheese. The time it takes to decide, your breathing, your perspiration, your eye movements, the trembling of your fingertips. I¡¯m measuring them all like a true Information Alliance soldier, so don¡¯t do anything suspicious.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The Asian beauty gestured with her chin and her subordinate soldiers grabbed Quenser¡¯s arms and lifted him up. They were near the railingless edge of the slanted flight deck, so there was no escape.


    A small girl stood directly in front of him.


    The unsuitably large handgun¡¯s muzzle was pointed toward the boy¡¯s face.


    (...Think.)


    Sweat poured from his body.


    He even had trouble blinking for the first time in his life.


    Death.


    True death was approaching.


    (What is the Manhattan doing? If Taratua¡¯s group is just the survivors of the maintenance fleet, are they really working as a solid group? Has anything been done to that handgun? What does Wraith think? Is there something I could use as a bomb or another weapon? What¡¯s security like? This flight deck is unstable and tilted. The others are lying on the deck. ...What happened to the Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum? There has to be something! There has to be at least one thing I can use!!!!!)


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Quenser. It looks like you¡¯re still working your mind and foolishly haven¡¯t given up hope.¡±


    A voice seemed to slice right through the boy¡¯s thoughts.


    Wraith¡¯s blue eye stared quietly at him through the sight.


    ¡°But this time, there really is...nothing.¡±


    The dry gunshot...


    ...sounded far too light.


    Part 2


    ¡°The world¡¯s...gest Obje... New Yo...Manhattan...tself was...mation Alliance¡¯s Object!?¡±


    ¡°An offici...statement was...with a video. The Manhat...intends...join this war!!¡±


    ¡°Not good...ood!! Everyone, brace for impact! The enemy...an electromagnetically...ched reactor cannon. It¡¯s a demonic weapon that...the heat usually contai...the reactor which uses lasers...pellet fuel!! Our New Caribb...blown away!?¡±


    ¡°Curse the Marti...ries. How insane...they!?¡±


    It was pandemonium.


    The busty silver-haired high-ranking officer named Frolaytia Capistrano¡¯s vision had been entirely flipped upside down and she initially could not remember where she was.


    Light flashed before her eyes like she had been slapped the instant she ran across someone. The core of her mind was unsteady and she spent a while in an unthinking daze.


    Slowly, like thin ice being melted by a blow dryer, her mind managed to focus on the cruel reality.


    ¡°Uh, kh...?¡±


    She first realized she was collapsed face down.


    She had been in the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s officer¡¯s barracks using her laptop to receive a report from a subordinate in their distant home country. But the scene around her had entirely changed. The ceiling was too low. No, the entire barracks building had been crushed down. The space was too cramped and the other things in the room were so close she could barely see. She did not have time to check on her Island Nation collection. Her military-issued items and personal possessions were scattered around her. Among those, she grabbed a laptop with a broken LCD screen and a keyring of hardware keys. Then she crawled through the cramped space.


    Luckily, she was not trapped by an ankle caught in the rubble or anything else like that.


    Did she have to crawl a few meters or a few dozen meters? Her sense of time and distance were far too vague as she bit her lip and made her way outside. She could see the outside light ahead of her, but the end never seemed to arrive. She had no guarantee this was the right way to go. The collapsed ceiling approached ever closer overhead the further she crawled, so she might find her hips trapped before she reached the exit.


    That self-produced doubt gnawed at her mind as she dug at the ground with neatly clipped and filed nails to slowly but surely make her way forward.


    (Finally...)


    The light was approaching.


    She had somehow managed to escape the pile of rubble under her own power.


    (...Finally.)


    And as soon as she did, a hellish scene spread out before her eyes.


    As a reminder, Frolaytia Capistrano was on New Caribbean Island located in the Atlantic Ocean near Central America. It was a special island made by the lava of an artificial eruption caused by stimulating a submarine volcano with explosives. The island was a collection of small black rocks that looked like crunchy chocolate and it had originally been made as a bluefin tuna breeding base for her brother Bloodrics Capistrano. Frolaytia had stationed her Object maintenance battalion there and had been in the middle of a battle with an Information Alliance maintenance fleet and its Second Generation Object, the Nitrogen Mirage.


    Those assumptions had been blown away.


    First of all, the color was wrong.


    The dark stone ground was glowing like an electrically-heated wire or a reactor. The cooled and solidified lava had been melted anew by an outside heat source. Like two scoops of ice cream dropped on the midsummer asphalt, the melted surface formed orange rivers that flowed toward the sea and then formed rising walls of billowing steam. Thanks to the immense light, heat, and steam, the bright sun overhead appeared to waver and dim. It may have been the same as the lights of a metropolis erasing the stars from the night sky.


    ¡°...¡±


    It took Frolaytia a while to accept her situation here.


    (This was done by the Manhattan¡¯s main cannon. And it fired from a few thousand kilometers away...)


    But she had to face reality.


    There were around 1000 people in the maintenance battalion and half of them had gone to the front line based on the military operation Frolaytia had planned. So how many of the approximately 500 logistical support and standby personnel remained in this hell containing several orange rivers? That was about two schools¡¯ worth of people. She had no idea how many more were lost with each passing second. She did not have time to stop just because she found it hard to accept.


    ¡°Report...¡±


    Frolaytia raised her voice so it would not be drowned out by the explosive steam rising from the coast.


    ¡°Someone give me a report!! We need to know the scope of the damage, we need a relatively undamaged area we can evacuate to, and we need a set of surviving equipment and facilities! Simply saving the lives in front of you will only waste valuable resources. Then we can¡¯t even save the lives you think you¡¯ve saved. We need to avoid redundancies and carry out a rescue operation with maximum efficiency!!¡±


    There was no response.


    Not even the very basics were functioning.


    ¡°Hi, Tia-chan...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The busty silver-haired commander¡¯s shoulders jumped when someone spoke gently from behind her.


    She just about let out her face as a family member, but she just barely managed to suppress it before turning around. She greeted the young man as the commander of the maintenance battalion.


    It was Bloodrics Capistrano.


    He had worn a black tailcoat even on this tropical island, but he had removed that, leaving him with just a white shirt. Had he used the coat to treat a wounded soldier, or had he discarded it before it melted in the heat?


    He held a drawn katana in one hand.


    There was no scabbard. For some reason, the blade was wet with a red liquid. It was unclear what had happened on the way here, but that was a clear sign of just how chaotic the situation was.


    The sweat on his brow may have gotten in his eye or he may have had some other reason, but Bloodrics kept one eye unnaturally shut as he forced a smile on his blatantly exhausted face.


    ¡°Shouting won¡¯t do you any good. The previous war is over. This has gone beyond Piranirie Martini Smoky or the Nitrogen Mirage. The conditions have changed.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? That isn¡¯t for me to decide! It¡¯s true the damage is severe, but we can¡¯t just quit fighting a war like flipping a switch!! No matter the devastation before our eyes, we can still gather the surviving personnel and equipment for a counterattack. I¡¯ll admit it¡¯s like whipping the dead, but if we give up and stop resisting, everyone under my command will simply sink into the lava!!¡±


    Frolaytia was not illogically relying on pure willpower.


    She had more to say.


    ¡°Calm down, think, and never give up on being human! Why did the Information Alliance suddenly pull out their greatest secret weapon like this? It was at the center of their home country, so they shouldn¡¯t have had any reason to send it to the front line. I don¡¯t know the details of the issues with the Martini Series who monitor the AI network which may not even have a core, but if they have the full authority of a world power, they had to have had a better way of doing this.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°We do not know how far the problems have spread within the Martini Series. If it¡¯s limited to the ones in charge of protecting New York, it makes sense that only the Manhattan was sent out. But this is a fluid situation. If the other Martinis also begin acting oddly, the problems could spread uncontrollably throughout the Information Alliance!¡±


    ¡°Tia-chan, you are overwhelmingly correct here.¡±


    Her brother slowly breathed out.


    Bloodrics was supposedly a civilian, but he spoke to his sister like he was calmly explaining something while she threw a tantrum.


    ¡°But there is no one to answer your call.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°By a general estimate, 60-70% of those remaining on the island were lost. And losing 30% is normally considered a rout, is it not? You can no longer maintain ordinary military activity here. Tia-chan, your job here is to remove or destroy all classified information so the Information Alliance cannot steal it. And that includes yourself as the major in command of the entire battalion.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You must not be captured. No matter what. Do you really think the Manhattan is finished with only that one shot? Whether it fires a second and third shot or they send a large landing unit to the devastated remnants of the battalion, you have a single job here, Tia-chan: ...Escape. It does not matter how pathetic or cowardly you feel. Tia-chan, you carry a responsibility here, so you must get yourself away from here. Even if you are the only one that escapes.¡±


    She intellectually understood that.


    If she was captured, the enemy could steal the biometric information like her center of gravity or iris scan that allowed access to the military datalink. Or they could get her to talk about future operations no one was supposed to know about or the names of spies who had infiltrated enemy countries. Then the damage would spread beyond just this war. To minimize the losses, she had to make sure it was limited to just this war.


    The busty silver-haired commander slowly breathed out.


    After throwing the laptop and hardware keys into the lava, she drew her military handgun from its holster.


    ¡°...I will withdraw only after saving as many lives as I can. As their commander, I will be rear guard.¡±


    ¡°Tia-chan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!! I know it¡¯s inefficient!!¡±


    Frolaytia shouted back at him and pressed the military handgun¡¯s muzzle against her own temple.


    Brother and sister glared at each other and she gathered strength in her brow to keep her face as a girl from coming out.


    ¡°But there are still so many allies buried alive in this rubble and lava, unable to even groan! Not to mention the soldiers fighting the Information Alliance at the maintenance fleet out at sea!! They¡¯re out there because I ordered them there! I can¡¯t use insufficient data as an excuse. I can¡¯t abandon them and run away. They would die pointless deaths if I did!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Destroying all classified information was the bare minimum requirement, wasn¡¯t it? That won¡¯t be a problem. Officers aren¡¯t issued guns to shoot the enemy. It¡¯s to blow their own brains out if need be!!¡±


    Still holding his drawn katana, Bloodrics shook his head with a sorrowful look on his face.


    He must have understood his sister¡¯s feelings all too well.


    She did not let her status as a noble bind her. When necessary, she had risked her life and used her own strength to protect her soldiers. That was a joyous thing for Bloodrics. If his sister had something she wanted to protect, he wanted to fight alongside her as her brother. He truly did.


    Finally, he took a deep breath of resignation.


    And the brother spoke to his sister.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tia-chan. But I can¡¯t let you do that.¡±


    Did Frolaytia even know what caused the quiet sound on her head?


    ¡°Bh...?¡±


    The pommel of the katana held by the silver-haired young man had dug into the side of her head. Just like knocking someone out with a pistol grip. Before she could even move her finger to pull the trigger, the girl¡¯s eyes grew unfocused and her body went limp.


    Before she fully collapsed, Bloodrics wrapped an arm around her waist which, as her brother, he felt was too skinny. If he was not careful, the finger on the trigger could accidentally fire the bullet.


    ¡°Striking my own sister... I am truly a disgrace to the concept of chivalry.¡±


    He sounded utterly disgusted, but he was extremely dry when it came to this. Those military reasons meant nothing to him since he was a civilian, albeit a noble one. His first and foremost objective was to protect his precious sister no matter what it took.


    On his way here, he had heard many voices begging him to kill them.


    Some had had lava dumped on their head and others were caught in the rubble. Bloodrics had turned the tip of his katana on those soldiers who had no hope left.


    He would not forget their words of thanks.


    How could he ever forget?


    ¡°...I¡¯m sick of it all.¡±


    Frolaytia had built up this world of hers bit by bit as she resisted the noble society, so he could not allow her to see it tragically fall apart.


    She could resent him if she liked.


    She could hate his guts if she had to.


    Bloodrics tossed aside his bloodstained katana and placed a finger to his ear. He was about to send out a transmission.


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    As soon as he focused on the small earpiece, the young man took on the face of a noble.


    ¡°Yes, I would like an emergency exit. Use that submarine. I would like to pick up as many Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers as possible, but there is no need to force it. We leave in 15 minutes. Give up on any we cannot pick up. Don¡¯t worry. None of you need play the villain¡¯s role. That I will do alone.¡±


    Still supporting his unconscious family member¡¯s weight, Bloodrics looked through the lava¡¯s heat and steam to view the distant horizon.


    According to Frolaytia, she had sent some of her soldiers out to sea.


    It had been necessary. Even if it had required ignoring her personal feelings.


    But if the maintenance battalion withdrew from New Caribbean Island, they would have nowhere to return to. Once isolated out at sea, no one would come to save them no matter how much they screamed.


    Bloodrics Capistrano was doing that to them.


    He was prepared to dirty his hands with the things that someone had to do.


    ¡°...Such a disaster. For us and them.¡±


    Part 3


    And no one came.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom military was supposedly stationed at New Caribbean Island. The Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum was supposedly out in the wide ocean.


    And yet.


    No one.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll kill you...¡±


    A voice burning with resentment echoed across the rusty flight deck.


    It belonged to Heivia Winchell who could not even shed any tears.


    He moved his trembling body as best he could to crawl to the edge of the flight deck, but there was already no sign of his friend¡¯s corpse.


    Only a strange dark red liquid stained the water¡¯s surface as a large shadow slowly swam below.


    ¡°Ha ha. Don¡¯t do that, Wraith!¡±


    Taratua held her stomach as she laughed.


    There were tears in the corners of her eyes.


    ¡°You can feed his corpse to the sharks if you like. Peh heh heh. But we¡¯ll never hear the end of it if you feed them the metals and plastics along with it. Ah hah hah hah!!¡±


    With that, something really did snap inside Heivia¡¯s mind. He crossed a line.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!! I¡¯ll murder you!! I don¡¯t care anymore if you¡¯re insane or broken or whatever the hell. I¡¯ll turn every last one of you to mincemeat in a hail of bullets!!!!!¡±


    In the end, where was that threat directed?


    No one knows.


    Part 4


    ¡°Attention, 101st Zombie Platoon!!¡±


    They were out in the open.


    There were not even any chairs or tables.


    Heivia and the other defeated survivors of the Legitimacy Kingdom were gathered on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier which was tilted too far to be of any use. Rain was pouring down from the thick storm clouds, but there was no roof or anything else to protect them. There were not even any railings, so if they got careless and slipped on the wet flight deck, they could roll right off into the ocean where the hungry sharks waited.


    The only person with a smile on her face was Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks, but she stood below a large umbrella held by a male subordinate.


    ¡°That impressive attack from my piece of shit comrade on the Manhattan 000 has whipped up quite the storm. That gives us an opportunity for the dead to do some work.¡±


    ¡°...Are you unfamiliar with the concept of war treaties? This is no way to treat POWs.¡±


    ¡°What, do you want to be thrown inside a zoo cage like the amusing animal you are?¡±


    She was blunt.


    Whether it had been injected from an external source like with Piranirie or if she had always been like that, the thoroughly-broken Asian beauty did not bat an eye.


    ¡°You cowards boarded our maintenance fleet¡¯s flagship and then shared the fate of the Flagship 019 after a variety of attacks finally sunk it. Thus, there were zero survivors. Your survival has been scrubbed from any and all records, so worry not and go have some fun.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Heivia gave her a murderous glare, so she winked.


    ¡°Do you understand your position now? The dead do not belong to any of the usual categories, so we can ignore all those pesky treaties and military regulations. Plus, any number of you can die without it counting in the official records. Ignore the people in their living rooms. You can fight as you like and die as you like! I¡¯m honestly jealous! That¡¯s the paradise dreamed of by any soldier!!¡±


    In other words...


    The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers were being forced to wrap their arms around the pile of shit that the Information Alliance did not want to grab with their bare hands. Their target of attack could be a region of hopelessly fierce fighting, or a symbol of peace that was bound to earn international criticism. They did not want to imagine the other possibilities.


    It was time for a true death march where they were lined up in a row and forced at gunpoint to walk through a minefield. Each step would be terrifying, but standing still would get them shot. Yes, the death march was more than just this one battle. They would never be released. Heivia and the others were disposable tools. This situation would continue endlessly until they were worn out and died.


    ¡°...What are you telling us to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all about balance.¡± Taratua toyed with the end of her black hair that was damp despite the umbrella. ¡°I¡¯m sure you saw a lot on the Flagship 019. The Capulet AI Network that supports the Information Alliance, one of the four world powers, is correct but too pure. After all, after the New Yorker¡¯s used various countermeasures to avoid security cameras and email spying, it was rendered unable to see New York itself. If the entire Martini Series in charge of maintenance returns a strange echo, it could create a similar flaw in Capulet. ...But that is not the problem.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Taratua was supposedly a part of that Martini Series, but she did not seem worried about herself.


    ¡°As its name suggests, the Information Alliance rules everything with data. Nevertheless, we were not told anything about the risk to Capulet or about the Manhattan 000.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pissed at being left out, so you want to take revenge by having us blow up New York?¡±


    ¡°Are you braindead? This is an opportunity,¡± whispered the black-haired beauty below the umbrella. ¡°The Manhattan 000 is currently traveling south at around 388 knots. The distance from New York in the Information Alliance home country and the ocean near New Caribbean Island is about 3500 kilometers, so it should arrive within 4 or 5 hours. It¡¯s still a mystery why they would send their king to the front line like this, but there is one thing we know for sure: we were blessed with a chance to gather raw data.¡±


    388 knots was 700 kilometers per hour, so it was not much different from a passenger plane. What had happened to the city of Manhattan and the people in it?


    The usual technical nerd was not here.


    With nowhere to direct his question, Heivia just spat it out.


    ¡°700...? How?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, it must not be using an aircushion or static electricity floats. The colossal structure itself is parting the water. It¡¯s probably using supercavitation or something to reduce the water¡¯s resistance with small air bubbles, but the exact system is still unknown. This is all information we must find.¡±


    That gigantic a presence was staring them down from the darkness. Wasn¡¯t that enough to sound instinctual alarm bells within any living creature?


    And yet this girl had called it an opportunity.


    ¡°...Are you the kind of person who goes out to see the hurricane and gets blown away into the sky?¡±


    ¡°I will shoot you next time. What matters here is who can monopolize the most raw data available at the scene. As I said, the Information Alliance rules everything with data. The Manhattan 000 started moving and can apparently move under its own power whenever it wants. After we gather what data we can on it, we are not foolish enough to send all of it back to our higher ups, which includes the core-less Capulet AI Network. ...I mean, it already fired on all of you to cover its tracks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t drag us into your internal conflict.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Then I would have to take responsibility here.¡±


    Even the simplest rules did not apply.


    This was completely different from not having your words get through to someone. It was like emphatically speaking and even gesturing for emphasis only to see all that effort outright rejected. There was simply no opening in this girl. She was as inhuman as a giant praying mantis wearing human skin.


    Was she an alien? Was she from the Shit Planet?


    ¡°They went to a lot of effort to hide this for so long. There must be some great secret to the Manhattan 000. And that would be very, very valuable information.¡±


    Taratua giggled after glancing at the notebook-sized tablet she took from the subordinate holding the umbrella.


    Was it showing a video site or online news? Or maybe the myriad posts on message boards and social media?


    There was a lot of information related to Manhattan, but it was meaningless if none of it was accurate. When faced with a situation like this, it was the lowest of the low who could only think about shouting strange apocalyptic theories or fabricating a witness account to gather views for their videos.


    ¡°After taking this much blame, I¡¯m not going to obediently stand aside and stay a lowly Captain. I will provide myself with a path to special promotion. I¡¯m sure all four world powers, both our enemies and the Information Alliance itself, are rushing to gather information. That¡¯s perfect. Those onlookers will trip each other up and fail to gather anything of note. Meanwhile, we will move a step or two ahead. I will hold the valuable information on the Manhattan 000 and I will decide how to use it. Perhaps I will use AI and big data to join the upper class and enjoy a high society life of wealth. Or maybe I will threaten those people and use them as a stepping stone to an even more comfortable and leisurely life.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s all about money? You sound just like the goddamn Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    ¡°Are you musty old nobles too stupid to tell the difference? The order is reversed. An information illiterate fool and their money are soon parted. When the poor hit the jackpot at the lottery, the story always has a tragic end. The truly powerful are those who first gather information. Whether or not they reveal their educational history, their occupation, the size of their bank account, and so on is all part of someone¡¯s status.¡±


    Heivia shook his head like he was hungover.


    He may have given up on trying to understand the thought process of this thinly-smiling resident of Shit Planet.


    ¡°And the problem there is balance.¡±


    But how did Taratua view these disposable Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers?


    She looked down on the rain-soaked group from her position of safety.


    ¡°Hopefully, the four world powers will begin a mutual game of whack-a-mole that keeps any of them from popping up. The danger is if one of them manages to stay up. I want to restrict their data acquisition speed. That way we alone can grasp these secrets and use them as exclusive bargaining chips against the higher, higher, higher ups. So if any of those moles pops up, we need to whack them back down. Even if our target is from the Information Alliance, we still must thoroughly destroy them. Even more so for outsiders.¡±


    This was sounding ominous.


    Heivia, Myonri, and the rest tensed up as Taratua spun the notebook-sized tablet around so they could see the screen.


    And it showed...


    ¡°A symbol of peace: the Olympia Dome¡î¡±


    ¡°Bff...!?¡±


    She was broken.


    She was completely insane.


    ¡°That artificial floating island travels slowly around the Atlantic and hosts the Technopics global sports festival. It officially claims to be fully neutral and not affiliated with any world power, but it is actually heavily dyed in the colors of the Faith Organization. And since it needs to broadcast an international event, it is equipped with largescale broadcast equipment. That makes it a gigantic EM spy device wandering across the Atlantic. It doesn¡¯t really matter whether or not it was originally built for that purpose. It has ended up that way. It is in our way. You need to whack down that mole so it doesn¡¯t discover the Manhattan 000¡¯s secrets before we do. Blow it up and sink it.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s against the rules. You want us to sink the site of the Technopics with military might? That would turn into an international incident requiring centuries of reparations!!¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t part of the calculation. Even if you¡¯re right, I won¡¯t be the one paying them. Why do you think I¡¯ve kept you dangerous Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers alive this long? Now get to work, my dead soldiers¡î¡±


    She made it sound so simple.


    If this was an operation that could be pulled off with the normal methods, she would not have put together this unstable enemy unit of zombie soldiers. She was not expecting Heivia and the others to fight valiantly. They were being used as jokers to whom the rules did not apply specifically because she did not care when they were destroyed either legally or physically.


    Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks smiled thinly.


    ¡°Luckily, all of our maintenance fleet¡¯s ships were at least half-destroyed by the Manhattan 000¡¯s attack. No one will suspect a thing if a few of them lose control and start to drift. You assisted a stranded Capitalist Corporations¡¯ submarine for no reward, didn¡¯t you? This will be the same. The rules of the sea are kind. So we¡¯ll use that to our advantage by getting the Olympia Dome to assist you so you can crush them from within.¡±


    Heivia tried to continue arguing, but Taratua gently raised a hand.


    The sailors surrounding them lazily aimed shotguns at the curled-up Legitimacy Kingdom dumplings. Heivia might or might not be killed when the first trigger was pulled, but once it began, the number of survivors would be quickly reduced.


    Refusal was not an option.


    If they disobeyed, they would receive a bullet to the head. If they obeyed, they would be used as disposable elements of ridiculous missions. Even if they managed to win and survive, they would not be freed; they would simply be sent out on the next mission. The death march would continue until every last one of them was dead.


    The Asian beauty gently lowered her hand and grinned.


    ¡°Do you understand the rules now? Then begin.¡±


    ¡°...Wait.¡±


    A low voice spoke.


    It was Heivia as the pouring rain continued to hit him.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one that gains anything from that. It¡¯s not worth our while. We¡¯re risking our life on a deadly attack with guns aimed at our backs. There has to be something in it for us.¡±


    ¡°Using data to achieve a fortune only applies to those in the Information Alliance. Or are you saying you will defect to our side to share in the profits here?¡±


    ¡°Not what I meant,¡± spat out Heivia. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your dirty money.¡±


    And he said it.


    ¡°Wraith Martini Vermouthspray. Once this is all over, hand that bitch over to us. Those are our terms.¡±


    The tall girl silently tilted her head.


    She rubbed at her shiny black hair as she finally answered.


    ¡°What do I gain by accepting that? Depending on your answer, I might just return you to your grave.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re both from the Martini Series, aren¡¯t you? Keep her with you and your share is divided in half.¡±


    ¡°Then you can kill her if you want.¡±


    She said it so easily.


    Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks may have had no concept of camaraderie.


    No.


    Dorothea, Piranirie, and Wraith.


    Even that small blonde girl had lost the guarantee of the safety myth. So was it safe to conclude it was a general trait of the Martini Series as a whole? The one question was whether that was a mistake at the design phase or if it was the result of an outside force taking advantage of a vulnerability.


    The tall Asian beauty concluded the briefing with a carefree look.


    ¡°So we have a deal¡î Now, 101st Zombie Platoon, this is your first mission, so it is a cause for celebration. It¡¯s time for a true bloodbath mission!¡±


    Part 5


    The Frigate 042 was tossed about by the nearly-black gray of the stormy sea. It was about 100 meters long. It would have originally been neatly painted the mix of light gray and blue associated with warships, but large parts had been scorched black and the surface had bubbled up like someone had held a match to the back of a photograph. The rapid-firing guns were bent, the vertical-launch missile tubes lined up like a honeycomb were melted shut, and most of the various antennae had been blown off of the bridge. The entire ship was tilted at an angle, so it was clearly in no state for cruising. If an empty-headed youth came across it in a cruiser, they might snap a photo with their smartphone and create a new ghost ship legend.


    Its tragic state was a testament to the power of the Manhattan 000¡¯s ultra-wide-range attacks.


    ¡°...This is the worst, goddammit.¡±


    Inside the ship, Heivia Winchell spat out his words while sitting with his back to the wall and an assault rifle in his arms. He and the other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers were inside the mess hall that was one of the larger intact areas.


    ¡°I¡¯m a noble heir, but those bastards rewrote the records to report me as dead. Those old men with giant beards, fat asses, or both have got to be fighting over the right of succession back in the home country. And who knows what¡¯s happened to the relationship between the Winchell and Vanderbilt families...¡±


    ¡°Ch-cheer up, Heivia. We just have to wait for an opportunity.¡±


    ¡°You sure are hopeful, Myonri. Do you really think there will be one? With those pieces of shit watching our every move!?¡±


    The zombie-like soldiers slowly turned their attention in the direction Heivia pointed.


    There, a single pair of non-matching uniforms stood out from the rest.


    It was the Information Alliance officer Wraith Martini Vermouthspray.


    And the young man who acted as her aide.


    ¡°I doubt you¡¯ll trust anything I say at this point. ...But it¡¯s even harder for me to trust myself. Just like with the Capulet AI Network, the Martini Series can¡¯t make judgments about itself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°By spreading its influence thinly out across all of the Information Alliance¡¯s territory of influence, Capulet lost any symbol of a ¡®core¡¯. Piranirie said she had succumbed to the AI¡¯s correctness, but it is hard to say she had no confidence in her actions. I don¡¯t know what it is that is destroying us, but it may be using our active self-denial.¡±


    ¡°Active...self-denial?¡±


    Myonri looked confused and Wraith nodded.


    ¡°Like giving up on climbing a mountain because of a blizzard. Or making a courageous withdrawal. ...It depends on the person¡¯s willpower, but people have a strange mindset where the stronger their desire, the further they move from their initial objective. That is why Piranirie charged full speed toward her own destruction.¡±


    The blonde girl sighed in the heavy atmosphere.


    ¡°Our original, Cassandra Martini, was apparently a rational killer. She must have chosen to give up on so much in the course of that life. If Katarina were here, she might have been able to corroborate that.¡±


    She was acting differently from her previous chatting.


    There may have been an absolute difference between Wraith and Heivia¡¯s group.


    Of course, Heivia¡¯s group was in charge of hesitantly walking onto the minefield while Wraith¡¯s group was in charge of firing into their backs the instant they took issue with Heivia¡¯s group¡¯s speed or anything else.


    ¡°(I can¡¯t believe Taratua. She¡¯s actually sending our reward out into battle with us. Does she see it like shaking a carrot on a stick in front of the dumb horse?)¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re acting awfully suspicious here. Did you ask for my head as a reward for this mission?¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    Heivia hatefully clicked his tongue.


    It did not matter if she found out here. The secret deal was with Taratua. Even if that girl was broken on a fundamental level, she could still do the math. In other words, she was a high-IQ serial killer. Her ¡°emotions¡± could not be overturned even if Wraith went crying to her now. It did not matter that they were comrades.


    Meanwhile, Wraith sighed.


    ¡°You¡¯re apparently clinging to hope to an ugly extent, but that¡¯s fine with me. You can think about what comes afterwards if you like, but don¡¯t lose sight of the immediate hurdle. Taratua has very good reason to be cautious of Olympia Dome. First, if the Manhattan 000 is headed for us, there is a good chance that wandering artificial floating island will pass very close by. Second, the Faith Organization is sending soldiers and equipment to that symbol of peace. Primarily STOL transport planes and tiltrotors. This isn¡¯t over once we get inside with this Trojan horse. Learn how to use the Information Alliance equipment we have lent you. You need to act like you stole it from this half-destroyed ship. Also...¡±


    ¡°Shut up. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Heivia rudely cut her off.


    His tone with her was clearly different from just a few hours before.


    ¡°How long are you going to act like we¡¯re on the same side? There¡¯s a really obvious line in the sand now. And you drew it your damn self. You sicken me. Don¡¯t think you can just move from one side to the other whenever you damn well please. It pisses me off even though I know it¡¯s coming from a completely broken lunatic.¡±


    ¡°...Do you think growing emotional is a virtue? I¡¯ll admit it¡¯s pure to a fault, but do you actually plan on surviving this?¡±


    ¡°How the hell can you say that after taking his life with your own hands!? Do you really think you¡¯re the hero? Have you gone as nuts as Joan of Arc? Say it yourself: who do you think it was that shot Quenser to save her own hide!?¡±


    The girl¡¯s shoulders shook at the blatant verbal abuse.


    Her already-small body shrank down all the more, but her eyes opened unbelievably wide.


    Her lips trembled as she tried to say something. They opened and closed, but nothing ever came out.


    ¡°Say it, crazy girl.¡±


    There was now a definite focus to Heivia¡¯s previously gloomy eyes.


    There may have been nothing rational there. There was someone here he had reason to criticize, so he may have simply been using that as an outlet.


    His back left the wall, he slowly stood up, and a bright light glinted in his eyes as he roared at her.


    ¡°Sure, you probably did the right thing!! You probably used that clever head of yours to work out the optimal solution and that told you to shoot Quenser!! So how about you hold your head high? After killing so many people, did you think you could become the tragic heroine who gets tears in her eyes and laments how hard it was for her!? That wouldn¡¯t make him happy. That wouldn¡¯t make Quenser happy. Did you really think anyone would accept that, you piece of shit!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what happened when that damn Manhattan fired on us?¡±


    Wraith remained motionless, so Heivia kept up the verbal assault.


    He seemed to be saying he would not forgive her even if her heart lay in tatters.


    ¡°He protected you. That skinny bastard threw himself over you to protect your tiny body from whatever was going to happen. It¡¯s true that was right after everything with Piranirie, so he¡¯d just experienced a kid dying. ...But the fact remains that he protected you. Do you know what that means? That softhearted idiot didn¡¯t want you to die and he thought he could trust you to have his back! And then you-...!!!!!¡±


    There was a small movement.


    It may have been similar to a small child trying to cover their head as an unreasonable adult shouted angrily down at them.


    But in Wraith¡¯s case, her small hand hovered near the holster on her hip.


    The blonde girl winced as if that fact pained her, but Heivia gave a broken, asymmetrical grin.


    ¡°...That¡¯s who you really are. A crazed killer. And I¡¯m not talking about that active self-denial or some strange mindset. I¡¯m talking about the very nature of your soul. You can claim to support equality or pacifism all you like, but the first hint of a threat and this happens. If you aren¡¯t on top, you can¡¯t relax or even look the other person in the eye. There was no other choice? You¡¯re just a child, so you aren¡¯t responsible? Then you shouldn¡¯t have stretched up on your tiptoes to set foot on the battlefield. None of this would¡¯ve happened if you hadn¡¯t participated in that genius girl project.¡±


    He had started on what-ifs that had no bearing on reality.


    But Heivia did not care since he was only interested in finding fault.


    So he did not hold back.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve stayed back in your safe country hiding behind your mommy¡¯s skirt.¡±


    This was even more than before.


    Everyone watching could tell the girl¡¯s pale face grew another shade closer to pure white. It was easy to imagine how tightly her heart was squeezing inside her juvenile body.


    Heivia had to have heard Quenser and Wraith¡¯s conversation on the Flagship 019.


    He would have heard about the DNA computer spread out across the Information Alliance, he would have heard about the Anastasia Processor at its core, and he would have heard whose cancer cells were used to create it.


    He would have heard about that impossible what-if where the girl would never have had to take the Martini name and would have been protected by a normal, warm family if not for her mother¡¯s sickness.


    But he still said it.


    He did not care. He only saw her as an enemy.


    A military boot could be heard scraping against the floor.


    The young man ever-present by Wraith¡¯s side had taken a step forward while tightly clenching his teeth.


    ¡°Get back to jerking off in front of the position-detection camera with some VR goggles on, you Information Alliance pervert. Did you think you could become her knight now that Quenser¡¯s dead?¡±


    Heivia did not back down.


    In fact, he immediately stepped forward so they were less than a meter apart.


    ¡°What a gentleman you are for bothering to stand up over nothing more than an exchange of words. Well? Am I supposed to fight to the death without a single complaint even after being given legit bullets? Is that how you think a gentleman should act? Go fuck yourself!!!!!¡±


    Next, there were several dull sounds of impacts that crushed flesh and struck the bone.


    First, the young man¡¯s iron fist hit Heivia¡¯s cheekbone. Heivia retaliated by grabbing at him. The rest was too chaotic to describe. The two of them knocked over the mess hall¡¯s tables and chairs as they rolled along the floor to get on top of the other. All the while, dull and potentially deadly sounds rang out and dark red drops of blood scattered around.


    ¡°...Stop.¡±


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray moved her trembling lips to force out the word.


    Neither Heivia nor the young man was listening.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom boy grabbed a glass ashtray from the floor and the Information Alliance mechanical man reached for the pin of a grenade hanging form the delinquent soldier¡¯s jacket. Seeing that, Wraith finally made up her mind.


    ¡°Stop this!!¡±


    She had drawn it.


    She drew her handgun from the holster.


    The atmosphere froze. A decisive chasm had opened between the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance. If that grenade had detonated, those two and all those gathered in the enclosed mess hall would have been killed. But no one was focused on that.


    Everyone there ¨C and that probably included Wraith herself ¨C had pictured something else entirely.


    They vividly saw that scene of someone shooting someone else on the tilted flight deck.


    ¡°...Do whatever you want.¡± Heivia recklessly threw his hands up while the young man leaned down on him. ¡°You have two options here. One: if the mission fails, you¡¯ll be filled with lead at Olympia Dome along with us. Two: if the mission succeeds, Taratua will sell you to us. ...There¡¯s no way out for you. Your life is already over, crazy girl.¡±


    That was the end of it.


    The young man swung his fist down into the center of Heivia¡¯s face and the unfunny idiot¡¯s consciousness was swiftly taken from him.


    Part 6


    ¡°Naval Security Sigma 3 to all. We have reached the unidentified ship. It has been sending out a distress signal...but it isn¡¯t responding to our radio transmissions, flashing light signals, or loudspeaker calls. Please advise.¡±


    ¡°This is OD Control. Wait, Sigma 3. Olympia Dome lacks the authority to board and raid ships.¡±


    ¡°Sigma 3. Isn¡¯t it already within 200 nautical miles?¡±


    ¡°OD Control. An artificial floating island cannot claim territorial waters or an exclusive economic zone. Also, Olympia Dome is neutral in every possible way.¡±


    ¡°(How can you say that after letting in Faith Organization troops like us?)¡±


    ¡°OD Control here. State your call sign before speaking, Sigma 3. We can only board ships that have already sunk. That one is still floating, isn¡¯t it? As planned, attach the buffering material and then let the waves carry it into the dock.¡±


    ¡°Sigma 3. They aren¡¯t controlling the rudder or decelerating. This might destroy the harbor block.¡±


    ¡°OD Control. Unlike a normal harbor, an artificial floating island can alter its direction and speed. That means we can match our speed to theirs. If they aren¡¯t moving, we just have to move.¡±


    ¡°Sigma 3 to all. Starboard bow complete.¡±


    ¡°Theta 7. Port middle complete.¡±


    ¡°Phi 2. Starboard stern complete.¡±


    ¡°Psi 4. Starboard middle complete.¡±


    ¡°Delta 9. Port stern complete.¡±


    ¡°Sigma 3 to Lambda 1. What happened to the port bow?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Lambda 1!¡±


    ¡°Zeta 0 to Sigma 3. Lambda 1 has a phobia of sharks and micro bikinis. It¡¯s all thanks to being swept out to sea when a carnivorous young woman licked her lips and devoured his virginity on a rubber boat. He¡¯s probably off trembling somewhere right now.¡±


    ¡°Sigma 3. How is that traumatic? I¡¯m jealous as hell. I lost mine to the old lady at the cigarette store. I¡¯ll make up for his absence.¡±


    ¡°OD Control here. Trouble, Sigma 3?¡±


    ¡°Sigma 3. Nothing worth saving to the control recorder.¡±


    ¡°OD Control. Then stop discussing your virginities. Just so you know, I¡¯m still afraid of holes in walls. Specifically ones just big enough to hold a nice breakfast banana.¡±


    ¡°Sigma 3 here. Shut up. And we¡¯re done now anyway. What even happened to that cool-headed operator woman? Anyway, match their speed and catch them softly. Softly!¡±


    ¡°OD Control. You don¡¯t have to shout. This entire rescue operation would be pointless if the impact was strong enough to kill the people inside.¡±


    ¡°(Curse these softhearted people who only know peace. Makes it hard to fight a war.)¡±


    ¡°OD Control here. Use your call sign, Sigma 3.¡±


    Part 7


    ¡°Thanks for the help¡± was all they could say.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    On Heivia¡¯s word, the battle began.


    Once the Faith Organization had firmly affixed the ship to the harbor block, the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes kicked open the bent metal door and rushed out toward the edge of the deck with assault rifles and carbines in hand.


    Their first target was the concrete wharf area about 9 meters down from the starboard side of the ship.


    A continuous hail of bullets filled the armed Faith Organization soldiers with holes. While exposed to the recoil of the gunfire, Heivia was honestly relieved that they were professional soldiers. If these were simply Olympia Dome staff, this would have been a nightmare.


    This was in line with the information they had been given, but he had not been trained to the point that he would thank Taratua for anything. He gave a shout while ducking behind the thick metal panel attached to the railing to swap out his assault rifle¡¯s magazine.


    ¡°There¡¯s a sniper on the gantry crane! And if the gathered soldiers start to move apart, that¡¯s the sign for a rocket. Destroy them first!!¡±


    This time, Heivia had a separate shotgun attached below his rifle¡¯s barrel. By swapping between real and rubber bullets, he could neutralize the harmless workers without killing them. Of course, this had nothing to do with mercy or philanthropy. ...It was an efficiency optimization policy that used that ¡°kindness¡± to lighten the soldier¡¯s trigger finger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get your ammo type mixed up, Myonri. You won¡¯t just get a red or white flag for it!¡±


    ¡°I know that!!¡±


    They exchanged fire for a while, but the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s chances of taking the wharf area did not look promising. They would have their best chance when their opponent was surprised by this unexpected attack, but Olympia Dome was the Faith Organization¡¯s home turf and they held all the advantageous ground. Once they recovered from their shock, it would be the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s turn to be overwhelmed.


    ¡°Is turning the entire slug into a rubber bullet really a humanitarian measure?¡± asked Myonri.


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly just an excuse to yourself. Even if the enemy finds it silly, they can¡¯t respond to the double tactics. Meanwhile, our trigger fingers are a lot lighter since we ¡®might not kill them¡¯, so our efficiency rises. It¡¯s the same as the Island Nation¡¯s concept of ¡®striking with the back of the blade¡¯. There¡¯s apparently a theory that the samurai could attack so boldly because katanas weren¡¯t double-edged.¡±


    So before they were overwhelmed, they had to thoroughly strike the enemy and secure a foothold on land.


    This was an away game and they knew in advance the enemy had more personnel and equipment. They had to throw them off their pace and break through regardless.


    Heivia¡¯s group¡¯s enemies were not just those in front of them. They had been warned in advance that they would be shot in the back if they fell behind schedule.


    Black-uniformed Wraith was hiding behind a different steel panel from the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes and she shouted at them while pointing toward the area with the most intense counterattack. She was the overall supervisor who was the only one allowed to shoot Heivia¡¯s group in the back. And if Heivia¡¯s group tried to retaliate, they would of course be executed by gunfire. Their actions were restricted by both force and military regulations.


    ¡°Avoiding work seems to be the only thing you fools are good at, but set up more of a barrage! I want to throw some more of these things while I can!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and die, dead-end girl! Will those toys really accomplish anything...!?¡±


    If he did not have to hit, he did not have to expose himself to danger. Heivia kept his body hidden behind the steel panel and stuck only his assault rifle up to randomly spray bullets down. And that made him one of the harder workers. Some of the soldiers were busy ¡°pretending¡± by creating fake muzzle flashes with a strobe light and speaker linked together. It sounded silly, but unlike in movies, real battles did not have unlimited ammunition. That was a surprisingly handy item for conserving bullets.


    ¡°...The creep toward technology has already begun.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Myonri sounded oddly cheerful. ¡°It looks like those things have started to move.¡±


    Behind her steel panel, Wraith Martini Vermouthspray had a focused look on her face as she operated something with both hands. The device looked like a smartphone with a sold-separately H-shaped game pad attached.


    No, that may have been exactly what it was.


    Something the size of a baseball silently rolled around the Faith Organization¡¯s cover and into their hiding spot.


    Immediately, an explosion erupted behind cover as if a fragmentary grenade had gone off there.


    The lethal range was 5 meters and the incapacitation range was 10 meters, but those basic specs barely mattered. After a sudden explosion within the wall or vehicle they were hiding within, the people relying on that shield would be blown to bits.


    ¡°Wah!? Wha-!?¡±


    Other Faith Organization soldiers behind nearby cover cried out in panic before they were blown away by other explosions that resembled dirty smokescreens. Some soldiers decided they could not stay where they were and rolled out from behind their shields, but Heivia and Myonri picked them off with bullets.


    ¡°Remote grenades that can roll along the ground and behind cover? How cruel can you get...?¡±


    ¡°Those simply incorporate the tech from sticky tape cleaning robots, don¡¯t they?¡±


    That was the identity of the devices Wraith had thrown earlier. After scattering the spherical explosives around the targets, you could control their exact locations with a smartphone or tablet. You rolled them behind the enemy¡¯s cover and stealthily detonated them at the defenseless enemy¡¯s feet. They could also be thrown over a prison¡¯s thick walls and sent through a vent to explore the ducts.


    ¡°Should we really be relying on tech like this?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t IoT devices, so they won¡¯t be connected to Capulet,¡± replied Wraith. ¡°Besides, unmanned weapons run on systems even more simplified than a pet robot. They won¡¯t rely on an AI network.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Really?¡± asked Myonri.


    ¡°It¡¯s true it would take a server with massive capacity to fully reproduce the flowchart for the predetermined movement patterns of the wings and legs of a single fly. ...But what if we were in the middle of nowhere with nothing artificial as far as the eye could see? An unmanned weapon would be useless if it needed to constantly send out signals to inform a server of its location. The ideal form of modern unmanned weapons is generally a submarine. It only sends out a signal when absolutely necessary. Capulet might want to connect to everything and suck up all the data it can get, but even it has to make concessions here.¡±


    Black-uniformed Wraith gave them the pitying look of a teacher to a poor student.


    ¡°They use the Insect Colony Theory that takes artificial creatures that learn and construct the simplest ways to move a spider or butterfly¡¯s body and combines it with the swarm intelligence that uses machines to reproduces the social structures of ants and bees. That allows them to communicate and take the optimal action without the need for a server. This is an ideal. Just like a grazing herd, the group of unmanned weapons automatically works toward a single goal while we are the sheepdog who watches on and intervenes only when necessary.¡±


    ¡°That all sounds wonderful, but I¡¯m more afraid of you going nuts then the machines!¡± shouted Heivia. ¡°Are you sure this is okay!?¡±


    This was somehow different from Quenser who had shaped bombs with his own hands and used them to realize his clever ideas.


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray¡¯s explosions were merciless and unemotional.


    It felt like she was trapping the enemy and efficiently killing them.


    A motor that sounded a lot like an electric shaver passed by over their heads. They did not bother looking up. It was an aerial drone shaped like a four-winged water strider. Instead of just flying in a straight line, those things would include figure-eight movements, perhaps to divert the enemy¡¯s aim.


    Or was it a form of non-EM communication between the unmanned weapons?


    It was thanks to these drones that the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had been able to so accurately fire on the Faith Organization soldiers immediately after opening the metal doors. Intelligence was the greatest weapon. The battle was decided before the bullets and knives began to fly. It really was the Information Alliance¡¯s style.


    Wraith pointed at the drones being tossed about by the storm.


    ¡°If we have them self-destruct at an altitude of 50 meters and rain shrapnel down on the enemy¡¯s head, we should be able to secure a route to C Dock. We need to reach land before enemy reinforcements arrive. Don¡¯t be slow.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter, but...hey, watch out! Get down, Myonri!!¡±


    Perhaps because of the powerful storm, some of shrapnel downpour reached the ship¡¯s deck as well. After they were nearly decorated with some delicious plastic and rare earth seasoning, Heivia tried to grab at Wraith, but Myonri held him back. A single retort could get them reduced to a bloody pulp right now.


    At the moment, time was of the essence.


    No gangway had been nicely attached for them, but the actual docking work had been completed. If they descended the ropes attached to the railing, they could reach the concrete wharf area they had stained with blood a moment before.


    They were not searching out each other¡¯s position in the jungle or anything, but just to be sure, Heivia made sure not to step in any of the blood.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea of what kind of shitty tactics the Information Alliance uses, but what about the Faith Organization?¡±


    ¡°Guts maybe?¡± suggested Myonri. ¡°Like making a gutsy charge?¡±


    Just as Heivia dismissed that as ridiculous, the wall of a nearby warehouse broke open from within. A gigantic firetruck for fuel oil fires had crashed through.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s for bulletproofing, but they¡¯ve attached a thick wire mesh over the glass. And it¡¯s not just handmade. It¡¯s just like the ¡®observation helicopters¡¯ owned by a certain environment protection group. That thing was designed to accommodate this attachment!!¡±


    But that was not the biggest problem. Soldiers were clinging to the sides and roof of the boxy vehicle. They looked like countless ants swinging around a sugar cube. Before Heivia¡¯s group even did anything, some of the soldiers were caught on the jagged edges of the warehouse wall or had their uniforms caught in the giant tires, turning them to mincemeat.


    It was tank desant.


    ¡°Huh, so it is guts,¡± said Heivia.


    ¡°Definitely guts,¡± replied Myonri.


    Regardless, Heivia raised a hand and one of their allies fired a shoulder-fired anti-tank missile. More than 10 Faith Organization soldiers were blown away like the contents of a jack-in-the-box.


    ¡°Shit, they¡¯re still alive!?¡±


    They must have mastered the use of willpower and guts because the soldiers lying on the road or on top of the warehouse roof still fired toward the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers.


    But that was not why Heivia¡¯s group quickly dove behind rusty metal drums and wooden boxes.


    ¡°What is with them...? They¡¯re firing something else along with their bullets.¡±


    ¡°Probably collapsible bows. They take a more arching path than rifle bullets, so be on your guard even when behind cover. It¡¯s the same as you diligent and clever lot using both rifle bullets and rubber bullets. Individually, they wouldn¡¯t be that effective, but mix them in and the enemy has to perform more mental gymnastics.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was talking about, crazy girl. Look at the arrowhead over there. Why have they rubbed seagull shit all over it!?¡±


    ¡°Maybe as a form of poison arrow? They probably hope to increase the damage done by shoving germs into the wound. The military use of rotten corpses and excrement is an effective strategy that has been used since BCE times.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, look at that on the road over there,¡± said Myonri. ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t want to see that at all. Isn¡¯t that just the worst!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just say ¡®that¡¯! Explain what it is!! ...!? W-wait, you¡¯re kidding, right? Not dogshit!¡±


    It did not at all look like they were kidding and little Wraithy did not want a face full of dogshit, so she threw a baseball-sized explosive. The blonde girl operated her smartphone¡¯s H-shaped game pad while hiding behind cover to blow up the Faith Organization soldier groaning on the ground 20 meters away.


    ¡°You idiot!! You just scattered dogshit and human entrails everywhere!! Be more careful!!¡±


    ¡°I feel like this is turning into biological warfare,¡± commented Myonri.


    Just then, they sensed what seemed like a sound but was not. A slight vibration reached their feet from the ground.


    They frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Cheering from a stadium?¡±


    ¡°Why would it be that?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°I thought this city was essentially dead except during the Technopics.¡±


    ¡°Can you professionals not even find a scientific explanation of the occult?¡± complained Wraith. ¡°The winds and waves of the storm may be causing a resonance within the artificial floating island. It is not rooted in the actual earth, so looking at the overall ratio, it must be thinner than a pizza.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t butt in, Loli Grim Reaper. I¡¯m not a pedo or a necro.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to lie.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t just smile and say things like that, Myonri! People will think it¡¯s true!!¡±


    But in reality, a powerful vibration erupted in the distance and reached them like someone had scored a decisive point near the end of a soccer game. There was no way this was a natural phenomenon. The sound of mayhem had human intent behind it.


    ¡°...So is it really guts after all?¡± asked Myonri, sounding annoyed.


    ¡°Curse those perverted mythology fetishists. Did they start some self-loving to blow through the limiters in their minds!?¡±


    The digital vs. analog war had finally begun.


    Heivia¡¯s group was not trying to remain in C Dock and protect the ship with their lives, so they had no reason to stay in place and put up a thorough resistance. Instead, they moved elsewhere.


    Wraith looked up from her customized smartphone.


    ¡°Our objective is the broadcast station where most of the communication equipment is. We can ignore the broadcast tower and parabolic antennae. As long as we destroy the core, they can¡¯t manage the exchange of information and that other equipment will be useless.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not what we discussed. I thought that Martini sister you love so much was talking about sinking the whole damn island. Unlike you, we could get executed by Taratua if we make a single wrong move!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how little you can adapt to the situation... What does it matter what she hopes for? Can your poor little mind do nothing more than what it¡¯s told? Besides, we don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s possible to sink Olympia Dome as a whole with the equipment we¡¯re carrying. Most of its power is supplied by the generator satellite in orbit and the transformer ships in the ocean, so we can¡¯t expect to trigger any explosives within Olympia Dome. The Faith Organization military infiltrating the artificial floating island doesn¡¯t matter. Our top priority is robbing the Manhattan 000 of the ability to gather information.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. How kind of you. Such a pillar of charity. Is that the spirit of Nightingale I see hovering behind you? I¡¯m sure Quenser is weeping for joy in the afterlife right now, you piece of shit.¡±


    The aide young man punched Heivia and Heivia returned the favor.


    Before it devolved into a serious grapple, timid Myonri aimed her assault rifle at those allies to restore order.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t supposed to be my job!¡± she protested. ¡°Wraith, please manage our people better!¡±


    ¡°R-right...¡±


    ¡°Just shoot him, you idiot!¡± shouted Heivia. ¡°Whose side are you on, anyway!?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t quiet down, I will fire rubber bullets into your balls. Then the rest of us can keep moving while the two of you bond over your shared experience. Nonlethal weapons sure are convenient, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    She was smiling.


    Was she aware that rubber or not made little difference when it came to balls? Myonri seemed to have awoken to her calling as a fearsome Black Uniform. This was another example of how frightening serious girls were when they got mad.


    ¡°...Is there some kind of special campaign in effect this month? When did plain old Myonri transform into this shiny ultra-rare?¡±


    ¡°I imagine it was the result of everyone¡¯s daily treatment of me.¡±


    ¡°You have some nerve, Myonri. What good is an ultra-rare if you aren¡¯t even going to show any more skin?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! Everything about your treatment of me is the worst!!¡±


    They left the harbor block and entered the outer city region.


    It was probably due to the thick storm clouds overhead, but the city looked very gray in the pouring rain.


    ¡°Are you sure we aren¡¯t dragging civilians into this...?¡±


    ¡°There are apparently no athletes or spectators here except during the Technopics. The only civilians are the Olympia Dome inspection and maintenance staff. The city¡¯s population density is less than 8%, so there¡¯s very little chance of a stray bullet causing any harm.¡±


    ¡°I read you loud and clear: we don¡¯t actually know anything for sure and we need to be careful if we want to avoid a nightmare later on.¡±


    They heard the dull sound of several thick tires tearing at the ground. Garbage trucks and mobile cranes drove out from intersections and parking garages like crocodiles poking their heads out of the bushes. Soldiers covered them like a packed train in Southeast Asia, and...


    ¡°Oh, no! They¡¯ve attached heavy weaponry with bolts and slide rails!!¡±


    ¡°Look how perfectly those fit. This is clearly how they were designed to look. They just normally have the equipment removed so those look like civilian equipment!! With the infrastructure support of a frontline base, they¡¯re just military weapons!!¡±


    In this case, it was heavy machineguns instead of construction equipment. If Heivia¡¯s group remained standing in that wide-open six-lane road the size of a runway, they would have their torsos torn in half by a horizontal flash of light.


    Driven on by the deep booms of gunfire, Heivia¡¯s group broke the window to one of the shops lining the road and fled indoors.


    Only after rushing inside did they realize it was a trendy bar.


    ¡°Damn, this is no time to let a horizontal stream of bullets hold us in place. They¡¯ve broken through the limiters in their minds to free themselves from the fear of death. They¡¯re sure to charge in at us!!¡±


    ¡°Do not worry, cowardly expert. This beautiful and kind young woman will wear down their numbers for you.¡±


    Wraith sounded oddly confident. Thinking back, Heivia recalled that her aide had fired a 25mm grenade launcher straight up several times as they ran.


    Or...?


    ¡°Parachute deployment confirmed. We have access to all rounds. None were lost. We can begin at any time.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Frank. Mark the heat readings around the engines and start by blowing away all of the modified vehicles.¡±


    It happened after a 10 second delay.


    A deafening explosion erupted outside with enough force to drown out the deep gunshots of the heavy machineguns that reverberated in their stomachs. And it was not just the one. Wraith¡¯s smartphone was linked with the cameras of the grenades slowly swept up by the blasts, so when she set their targets, the explosives released their own parachutes, used their small wings for course corrections, and fell directly on the garbage trucks and mobile cranes with pinpoint accuracy. Their guidance was perfect despite the storm and the speed of the vehicles.


    ¡°Exactly the scary stuff I would expect from a crazy girl...¡± grumbled Heivia as he realized what it meant that the heavy machineguns had been entirely silenced.


    Those grenades could be fired at random and individually locked onto targets later on. That was not something he could freely celebrate. He hated to think what would happen if they showed up in the enemy¡¯s hands. This was an urban battlefield with roofs for protection, but an attack from above would be devastating out on an open field.


    But Wraith herself did not seem delighted with her incredible results.


    ¡°Instead of worrying about their obvious active forces, you should focus on their passive enemy-location infrastructure. In other words, how did they know where we were? The Faith Organization is supposed to be dangerous in a simple way, but have they moved past their outdated analog warfare? Unless we take out their ¡®eyes¡¯, they¡¯ll quickly reclaim the initiative.¡±


    The stadium cheering erupted from unexpectedly close by.


    Heivia clicked his tongue.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming. And they¡¯ll have learned to hold back their special pieces to avoid having them crushed by explosives.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what does that mean?¡± asked Myonri.


    ¡°They¡¯ll push in with overwhelming numbers! They¡¯ll use their allies as shields and climb over the corpses!!¡±


    When she heard Heivia¡¯s words, Wraith took out one of the serverless remote grenades she had used at the harbor block and placed it among the jumble of drink bottles behind the counter.


    Then they all left through the back exit.


    They could not deny the fear of facing more heavy weaponry, so they did their best to choose the alleyways and small roads that garbage trucks, mobile cranes, and other large vehicles could not drive down.


    ¡°Keep an eye on the windows above and the manholes below. Urban areas that can¡¯t be leveled are crucibles of death...¡±


    Wraith ignored Heivia¡¯s words and used her smartphone to check the camera footage from the remote grenade she had set up. A crowd resembling a rioting mob more than soldiers flooded inside the shop through the door and the broken window and trampled everything within.


    Wraith spotted a distinctive tattoo on the backs of their hands.


    ¡°Aztec? ...No, it¡¯s Mayan, but is that an even older god?¡± The blonde girl gently rubbed her slender chin with her empty hand. ¡°We can¡¯t take them lightly just because they¡¯re from an ancient civilization. Their largescale stone architectures and accurate astronomy was supported by a high-level of scientific learning. Their idea of crafting giant structures with an accurate hand could apply to modern Object development.¡±


    ¡°Can you look up how to use the ultimate magic with that thing? If not, it¡¯s a waste of time. What a joke.¡±


    The young man responded by quietly clenching his first and showing off his large bicep bulge, so Wraith kicked her aide in the shin without even looking up from her smartphone. She had learned how to put a stop to it by now. Blonde 12-year-old girls had endless possibility for growth.


    ¡°W-Wraith, can you at least look up from that screen?¡± suggested Myonri. ¡°Handle it so halfheartedly and you¡¯ll probably make him feel bad. This isn¡¯t much of a reward.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good lesson for him. This is what happens when he tries to speak for someone as lovely as me with his dimwitted and sweaty masculinity.¡±


    One of the many soldiers in the shop seemed to have noticed the camera, so Wraith tapped the screen to swiftly detonate the remote grenade. The screen simply displayed the text ¡°Access Lost¡±, but there had actually been an explosion in the middle of that crowd. Small metal balls only a few millimeters across had been scattered in every direction to take lives as efficiently as possible.


    ¡°The drones flying above have detected the movement of a different unit. Simply fleeing will not shake them.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°First of all, about 200 managed to pass through the bar and are pursuing us from behind.¡±


    ¡°...Hey, do you have so many brain chemicals pumping that you¡¯ve forgotten how to do math?¡± complained Heivia. ¡°We¡¯re lucky if we still have 50 people. An enemy four times our size is too much.¡±


    ¡°And there are more than 300 approaching up ahead. The enemy is about 10 times our size and who can say how much larger it will grow.¡±


    Regardless of the soldiers¡¯ skill and equipment, the difference in numbers was simply too great. They had already used up the advantage provided by a surprise attack, so at this rate, they would be ganged up on and slaughtered.


    While Wraith relayed this information with her smartphone in one hand, she pulled a few disks from her pocket and threw them. They were a little larger than movie disks and, when they fell to the ground, they came apart on their own and transformed into meter-long serpentine robots. It was unclear how closely their structure matched that of a snake, but when the head portion tapped against the ground, was it reading the heat to communicate with the other units?


    ¡°The worst case is to be trapped between two forces on this small road. Staying on this annoyingly straight path would be the absolute worst plan. It would be better to move out onto the major road to include a lateral vector to our path. We should bend the battle line so we¡¯re only being attacked from a single direction.¡±


    ¡°U-umm, are those robots explosives too?¡± asked Myonri.


    The robots wriggled like endoscopes as they either wrapped around vertical pipes to climb to the rooftops or slipped underground through the small holes in manholes.


    Wraith answered with her eyes still on her smartphone screen.


    ¡°No, these are high-speed cameras. The cameras themselves have been made quite small by making them mirrorless, but blurring is a major issue. They can somewhat correct using their gyros, but then there¡¯s no point in making them high speed. The engineers are apparently still having a hard time making flying versions.¡±


    ¡°Cameras...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. In an away game like this, we can¡¯t help but be outnumbered. So to make up for what we lack, I was thinking we could play some soccer. Baseball and basketball would work just as well. As long as we have viewpoints from around 32 directions on the X, Y, and Z axes, we should manage well enough.¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    Part 8


    ¡°Goddamn them...!!¡±


    Sigma 3, real name Robinson King-Cole, groaned within the rubble of the harbor block. They had tried to be very cautious, but this was the result as soon as that crumbling ship entered C Dock. The zombies had flooded out from the Trojan horse and bared their fangs against the symbol of peace known as the Olympia Dome. It had been quickly transformed into a battlefield reeking of gun smoke and blood.


    The large Hispanic man looked up at the crumbling ship that was more than 9 meters tall. The ship itself seemed to be from the Information Alliance, but the flag raised above it was the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s.


    ¡°Sigma 3 to OD Control. Who are they!? Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers that captured an Information Alliance ship, Information Alliance soldiers disguising themselves as the Legitimacy Kingdom, or someone else altogether!?¡±


    Many varieties of rifle and shotgun cartridges were lying around. Yet normally there would be a single standard used within a unit.


    (There¡¯s so much evidence here, but it feels like that¡¯s actually obscuring the truth. It¡¯s always like this when the Information Alliance¡¯s name pops up!!)


    Robinson felt a physiological disgust at a level above reason, but that may have been because he belonged to the Faith Organization that saw value in a single absolute truth. He simply could not understand the people who used post-truth politics and fake news to muddy the truth and make all sorts of noise.


    After regrouping with some fellow soldiers who had also arrived on personal watercraft, they ran along the dock, checked the pulses of their collapsed allies, stopped the worst of the bleeding and attached GPS tags to those who were still breathing, and moved on to the next one.


    Leaving the harbor block did not wake them from the nightmare.


    They smelled smoke, gunpowder, and death.


    The ominous odor of the city before them could not be washed away by the blowing rain.


    (This is awful...)


    It would be easy enough to hate the enemy for this, but it was Robinson¡¯s group that had allowed this to happen. The fact that they had just been following orders did not soothe his conscience. Bringing that ship to C Dock and stationing themselves at Olympia Dome in the first place were both the Faith Organization¡¯s decisions.


    ¡°Sigma 3 to OD Control. Send the plan to me too. I want to join the battle, but what kind of operation are we running!? OD Control!!¡±


    ¡°...Oh, Zeus, god of life and punishment. Your pure shrine maiden beseeches thee. Lend us the power that once guarded Olympus to send lightning upon the villains who would lay waste to your modern temple...¡±


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    That female operator usually kept a head as cool as ice, but she had driven her mind to an elevated state with that flat and expressionless prayer. Robinson and the others in charge of the actual combat were professional soldiers, but the people monitoring communications and making decisions based on a variety of regulations were civilians who were only meant to inspect and maintain the sports facilities. They could not necessarily endure the pressure of knowing their decisions could lead to so many deaths.


    (The damage is spreading throughout the entire city. I doubt just the intruders could cause all this. Did the ground troops cut their limiters and begin a war of attrition?)


    Robinson¡¯s group had not rushed to the Olympia Dome in response to the Manhattan issue. There had not been enough time for that.


    It was more accurate to say they had happened to be in the right place at the right time while making their near-standard naval resupply stop.


    (If we had predicted things that well, we could have handled this better! Curse the Manhattan. It just shows up and then starts scattering disaster everywhere. Who are we even fighting against here!? Are they trying to protect that thing or destroy it!?)


    This had all been a stroke of good luck in the first place. It was entirely coincidental that they had acquired the closest base to Manhattan without having to risk their lives for it. And yet they had been told that revealing the purpose and value of Manhattan was a mission that had to succeed even if it cost them their lives. Their lives were being thrown away for the whims of their higher ups who had been blinded by greed. That was Robinson¡¯s blunt assessment.


    They were up against a faceless enemy.


    That was a threat on the same level as some strange form of the occult.


    (And when we were already transporting something so dangerous... What even happened to our original mission, dammit!?)


    ¡°What should we do, Sigma 3?¡± asked the large female soldier next to him while she stared off into the distance. ¡°Should we cut the circuits in our minds too?¡±


    ¡°...No,¡± spat out Robinson. ¡°If this were the ending god had given us, then so be it, but both sides here are no more than human. I¡¯m not about to die for human greed. We¡¯ll regroup with the main unit. I don¡¯t care about that digital war nonsense. We have an overwhelming advantage in numbers, so as long as we keep our cool, we should be able to win this.¡±


    Part 9


    Even when they knew it was the best course of action, abandoning cover and running out into an open area was not good for their hearts. Do not break any branches, do not step in the mud, do not cast a long shadow, do not press up against doors or walls, do not shine your light on mirrors or windows ¨C there was a lot of ¡°etiquette¡± to something as simple as walking, but actual war did not always allow you to follow the textbook for all of those little things.


    The situation was awful.


    ¡°Run, Myonri! No one can complain if they¡¯re shot in the back now!!¡±


    ¡°But Jonathan was-...¡±


    ¡°Just run!!¡±


    Trying to rescue someone in this open space would only get them shot too. And this soldier had been shot on his center line such that it probably shattered his spine, so there was nothing they could do. They could only clench their teeth and shake free of their regret.


    They ran across the runway-like six-lane road and entered the subway station building on the opposite side. Only after diving behind the closest wall did Heivia take in a large gulp of air.


    ¡°Pant, pant! Goddamn them. Did they at least shoot Wraith!?¡±


    ¡°You will be sad to hear I am alive and kicking.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell. Well that proves that it¡¯s the good people who die first...¡±


    Near the entrance, there was a vending machine from a major online store that was forcing its way into the market, so Heivia blew away its earthquake-resistant bolts with his rifle and knocked it over as a barricade as he seriously spat out those words.


    But now it was time for the rioting Faith Organization soldiers to suffer. If they simply pursued, they would have to cross the same road that had exposed Heivia¡¯s group to such danger.


    ¡°If they really have cut their mental limiters, they¡¯ll push their way through even if we fire 5.56mm rounds at a rate of 700 a minute. Modern warfare is all about smart tactics, but there¡¯s nothing we can do if a large army is willing to step on their comrades¡¯ corpses and cross a river of blood. I¡¯m sure you know why the directional landmines that scatter small metal balls in a fan shape were developed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am aware,¡± said Wraith. ¡°Keep an eye on the subway tunnels and emergency exits. The drones are not enough to fully grasp the distribution of these aggressively generic enemy soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Th-this is an artificial island floating in the ocean, isn¡¯t it...?¡± asked Myonri.


    ¡°And? Just like with a ship, the lower the center of gravity the better. In marine construction, child-bearing hips and a large ass are more highly valued than giant tits, so they would have wanted the island to be a little thicker for the added weight.¡±


    Wraith snapped her fingers and the young man next to her provided the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers with a few items the size of baseballs. They were more of the serverless remote grenades.


    ¡°Use them more as ¡®eyes¡¯ than explosives since a frag grenade can¡¯t pierce that shield of flesh. They can also be used to flood the underground area in case that large army tries to push in from below.¡±


    ¡°That kind of trick isn¡¯t my area of expertise. Hey, someone put together a unit of combat engineers. You help too, Quen-...¡±


    Heivia stopped mid-sentence and clicked his tongue.


    He scratched his head in an awkward silence.


    ¡°...Never mind. Myonri, you¡¯re skilled with your hands, right? Would you rather stand out front in the path of that hail of bullets, or move to the back and set things up there? Select 10 people you can use and seal off all the entrances. Hurry! This enemy isn¡¯t kind enough to wait until the transformation scene is over!!¡±


    A muffled explosion rang out outside and the shockwave shattered a few of the windows bordering the main road.


    Jonathan had been unable to get up as the Faith Organization soldiers had approached to secure their prisoner, so he had mustered his last ounce of strength to pull the pin on a grenade.


    Heivia clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s already started!!¡±


    ¡°Prepared or not, we have to respond.¡±


    Heivia hid behind the collapsed vending machine and Wraith hid behind a bookstore cart that carried a stack of unsold magazines taller than she was. Both of them aimed their weapons outside.


    The explosion seemed to have pushed their excitement over a line. With the roar of a battle scene in a knight movie, Faith Organization soldiers flooded the large street that panoramically filled their vision.


    There were people, people, people, and more people.


    The thick wall pushed in with such force that it was easy to forget that each gunshot fired toward it was taking a human life. Dark red blood and flesh flew, the soldiers on the front line collapsed, and countless boots trampled their allies¡¯ bodies before they had even stopped breathing.


    This was different again from the nightmarish mission led by Piranirie Martini Smoky. Instead of being threatened into it, these people were charging in of their own free will.


    ¡°This is just the worst!!!!!!¡± said Heivia.


    ¡°It really is a vision of hell,¡± agreed Wraith. ¡°I feel silly reminding you of something so basic, but coordinate your magazine changes so the barrage never stops. If the density of bullets thins out, they¡¯ll push in all at once.¡±


    She hatefully spat out the words, but her movements were accurate as could be.


    And while calmly firing on the soldiers running out into the road like a sensor-controlled machine, Wraith said something without looking over at Heivia.


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Is that supposed to be foreshadowing an emotional sacrificial charge or something? If not, then shut your mouth, crazy girl, because your words are meaningless to me. Your sentimentality is as ridiculous as blood-type fortunetelling, so don¡¯t think it takes away my right to hold a grudge!!¡±


    Static reached Heivia¡¯s ears.


    Then a voice came over the radio.


    ¡°They¡¯ve put together a unit aside from the one crossing the road. They¡¯re circling around to reach the station from the west entrance while you¡¯re focused on the main group!¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me...!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hardly surprising when they have so many people to work with,¡± said Wraith. ¡°And lowering the metal shutters isn¡¯t going to stop them at this point. Yes, don¡¯t randomly spread out your forces. No matter what kind of clich¨¦d new truths come to light, the station will still be filled with blood if they break through the front.¡±


    ¡°Then what are we supposed to do!? They¡¯re coming from behind. Are we supposed to just sit here and keep fighting until they shoot us in the ass!?¡±


    ¡°Were you not listening? I said not to randomly spread out your forces.¡±


    Wraith emphasized the one word while waving a 5-inch monitor in the hand not holding her gun. It was her beloved smartphone.


    ¡°Those snake robots can find filming spots without the map data of a server, so I¡¯ve been observing the battlefield from 32 directions to accurately analyze the enemy¡¯s small idiosyncrasies using the high-speed cameras. That¡¯s 10,000 frames a second. And thanks to their battle of attrition using such great numbers, I¡¯ve gathered an incredible amount of data in a very short time. Charge, retreat, diversion, coordination ¨C the big data is boiling in the magic pot. And it¡¯s about time to take a look at the whole.¡±


    ¡°...Is that really going to make a dramatic difference?¡±


    ¡°This is the Information Alliance style and it works for any kind of group sports. That said, the data is useless without enough people to work with. A single director can¡¯t do everything on her own even with the optimal answer in hand. So will you obey me and live, or defy me and die? The choice is yours, my dear sworn enemy.¡±


    Heivia hatefully clicked his tongue and forced out some words while creating a pile of corpses from the Faith Organization troops outside.


    ¡°...You can do as many good deeds as you want now. It won¡¯t change a thing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I never said I didn¡¯t want to die. I just said I don¡¯t want to die here.¡±


    They had a plan.


    The black-uniformed girl took the overall command role.


    ¡°Frank, fire more of those grenades into the air. Five should do it for now. Send them between the troops in the road and those preparing to enter the road to crush and separate them with the blasts.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Once those in the road can neither advance nor withdraw, mow them down with your assault rifles. It¡¯s the same as keeping water pipes clean: the charge can continue because of the constant ¡®flow¡¯, but once it stops, the fear of death will come rushing back. The slightest stop is all we need.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± complained Heivia. ¡°I thought psychology was as much a superstition as tarot readings.¡±


    ¡°Since you have yet to evolve beyond an ape, I will respectfully answer you. It is human nature to be distracted by detours when the way ahead is blocked. Their secondary candidate is the western entrance. Once the pressure here has been reduced, send out three groups with shoulder-fired missiles. Their secondary unit is a minority, so if we blow up their front line right away, we can stop their momentum.¡±


    The difference in overall numbers was 50 against 500 or even more.


    When outnumbered by more than four to one, they should have been overwhelmed regardless of each individual¡¯s strength.


    However.


    To put it another way...


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to look at the overall numbers. We only need to recalculate the localized human density,¡± proclaimed Wraith while looking down at the smartphone screen inserted into the H-shaped gamepad. ¡°Sports data analysis thoroughly analyzes the idiosyncrasies of the players. Once you have detailed information on how individuals and teams handle offense, you know where to focus your defense. That allows you to reveal everything about the situation. It¡¯s the same in soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey. This is a simple matter of applying that to war instead.¡±


    Even if the overall difference in Olympia Dome was 50 against 500, that did not necessarily apply to the numbers that clashed at any one time. By judging the timing, using the terrain, and firing bullets and bombs to divide the enemy into groups of ten or fewer, the Legitimacy Kingdom would have the advantage of superior numbers against those individual groups.


    Of course, they would never pull that off if they simply fought at random. Shouting that they would overcome the difference in numbers was the same as relying on guts.


    This tactic was only possible because they had high-speed cameras thoroughly filming everything from 32 directions, international competition level algorithms analyzing that footage, and soldiers who could follow the enemy arrangement and distribution, move as the information on the screen told them to, and turn that ideal into a reality.


    The statistics in the data began to encroach on the real scene before them.


    It was stagnation.


    This did not just apply to the Faith Organization soldiers¡¯ charge across the road. The excited energy between them rapidly cooled, their momentum faltered, and the fear of death and the confusion was clearly spreading among them once more. Even though that general ¡°atmosphere¡± should have been invisible.


    ¡°Stop firing for 5 seconds.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll give them a moment of relief before throwing them back into deadly danger. It¡¯s just like getting in a hot bath before being thrown right back out into the midwinter night. That¡¯s the most effective means of shaking them. Resume firing.¡±


    Heivia¡¯s short burst of fire caused a previously-unseen change.


    One young soldier out in the road came to a stop, turned around, and tried to run back to the alley from which he had come.


    ¡°That woke him up,¡± coldly said Wraith.


    She saw the change, but she did not instruct the soldiers to cease firing.


    ¡°All that about their mental limiters was a temporary thing. No matter your beliefs or convictions, forgetting the instinctual fear of death is not a natural state for a living creature. So we just have to control that on/off switch. Once this unwanted look at reality has taken away their purity, they cannot rebuild the resolve to trample their allies¡¯ corpses and cross that river of blood.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the lecture, but what do we do now!?¡±


    ¡°The minority pushes back against the majority. Instead of that young soldier himself, shoot a few nearby soldiers in the head. Seeing familiar faces destroyed and feeling their blood splattering on him will be more effective. Once the fear of death makes him panic and he starts to scream, the rest will come quickly.¡±


    It was like throwing oil on a fire.


    Their coordination clearly crumbled. There were cracks running through that army which had been like a solid wall before. Heivia¡¯s group only had to use sporadic fire to widen those rifts. The enemy was shoving each other to avoid being on the front line and some fistfights were even breaking out.


    ¡°They¡¯re just a chaotic crowd now,¡± cruelly said Wraith. ¡°Finish them off.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really scaring me.¡±


    They did not even need to shoot all the remaining soldiers. Simply aiming their assault rifles in that direction produced short shrieks as the soldiers ignored their orders and fled.


    ¡°Should we go after them? It¡¯d be a pain if they regrouped and regained their cool.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite the opposite. The calmer people are, the more they remember the fear of death. Give them time, and the fear of death will ensnare their mind like a nightmare. In fact, if we try to deal with them individually, we will lose. Have you forgotten how outnumbered we are? Plus, we only have so much ammo. Data analysis is not all powerful and its effects only show themselves in a limited arena.¡±


    Their goal had always been to blow up the broadcast station that supported the Olympia Dome¡¯s largescale broadcast infrastructure (which could be seen as an EM spying facility that indiscriminately gathered signals from the surrounding area). Using up all their ammunition before arriving there would be meaningless.


    Wraith made a casual decision like she was staring at a schedule book.


    ¡°We were lucky to rout them like this at all. They didn¡¯t see through our trick. It will take some time for them to prepare for combat once more after abandoning victory of their own volition. Let¡¯s achieve our objective and leave the Olympia Dome before that happens.¡±


    After gathering their dead comrades¡¯ dog tags, Heivia¡¯s group left the subway station and resumed the journey to the broadcast station. Since it was a large facility, the giant boxy building was visible from a distance. They were of course cautious in their approach, but the sense of having cleared the largest hurdle enveloped the Legitimacy Kingdom survivors like a cradle.


    However...


    ¡°What...is this?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Heivia gave Wraith a puzzled look when she uttered a low comment toward her smartphone screen. What was that small LCD screen connected to and what was it displaying?


    ¡°There¡¯s...there¡¯s no way they overlooked this!! Did Taratua just decide not to tell us!?¡±


    She seemed to be cursing someone.


    And at the same moment, a 50m mass passed by in the sky over their heads.


    Their eyes could see it, but their brains refused to accept it.


    For one thing, its position made no sense.


    It was above all the high-rise buildings in the city. A mass of steel mixed with a heat-resistant reactive substance was positioned at an altitude of more than 200 meters. It was floating. It was flying. If the spherical main body was viewed as the earth, then the 3 Y-shaped wings were attached at the equator. Were those coaxial rotors? The two sets of wings rotated in opposite directions, one clockwise and the other counterclockwise, to free the 200,000-ton mass from the bonds of gravity like a helicopter. There was something like an undercarriage, but could that even be used to move it? The equilateral triangle below it was like a helicopter¡¯s skids or an upside-down version of the tripod used to support the bottom of a pot or frying pan on a gas burner. It may have only been meant to let it take off and land.


    ¡°An...¡±


    This was no time to just stare in shock.


    It had moved into position above Heivia¡¯s group. Which meant...?


    ¡°An Object!?¡±


    A moment later, the colossal weapon that had ended the nuclear age began its attack.


    Part 10


    Why had that information been kept from them?


    Far away on a relatively-intact cruiser, Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks answered her aide¡¯s question with a smile.


    ¡°Because I have no real reason to be their friends¡î¡±


    Part 11


    All sound had vanished.


    Heivia had no idea what had happened.


    ¡°Bwahh, ahhhhhh!!!??? Abfweah!!¡±


    Something had fallen from directly above and crushed the subway station building like a cardboard box. Then, like drawing a thick line along the ground, the reinforced concrete building and asphalt road were destroyed and a cascade of destruction pressed in on the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes.


    It was like a child crushing a line of ants below their shoe.


    Heivia just barely escaped the threat.


    Something cut by horizontally in front of him and familiar faces were transformed into red and black stains.


    ¡°Get indoors!!¡±


    The extreme situation had left Heivia in a daze, but Wraith¡¯s shout acted like a slap to the face.


    ¡°They¡¯re placing the metal balls used for grenades and mines inside the ridiculously powerful artificial air current used to keep that 200,000-ton mass afloat and firing them down from that height. If you don¡¯t want to be torn apart by that deadly waterfall, then run!!¡±


    Heivia still could not react, so Myonri grabbed his limp hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We can¡¯t just die here!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Something else happened before he could say anything.


    A different shockwave hit Heivia and the others from above. Their legs could not support them and they were sent rolling across the asphalt. They looked up from the ground just in time to see all of the high-rise buildings¡¯ windows shatter and a downpour of glittering glass enter the sky.


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    This time, Heivia picked up Myonri and crawled below a nearby truck. An ear-splitting cacophony followed. The glass downpour was crashing into the ground.


    ¡°What happened to Wraith? Did she actually die this time?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s waving from behind cover over there. More importantly, what was that just now?¡±


    If the Object was simply launching a cruel attack on the ground, it only had to use that same combination of wind and metal balls. The glass was merely a side effect of something. This only made sense if it had done something else.


    A low rumbling and shaking finally reached them.


    They were confused at first, but it slowly dawned on them.


    ¡°It was firing something...no, it was a shockwave. That was all it took to shatter all the glass here...¡±


    ¡°But there wasn¡¯t anything like a main cannon,¡± said Myonri.


    ¡°Damn, we have no idea how it works without Quenser here. And we can¡¯t come up with a weird name for it without our busty commander. Yeah, that settles it. I¡¯m definitely groping those tits later on since she ran off and left us!!¡±


    ¡°I get that your lust won out over your friendship there, but could you at least put me down before saying things like that?¡±


    Since the enemy could crush a tall, reinforced-concrete building like it was a cardboard box, staying in one spot would be a bad idea, so Heivia and Myonri crawled out from below the truck.


    ¡°Hey,¡± said Wraith when they regrouped. ¡°How were you planning to escape?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That came from the harbor block. In a reliable but boring move, I imagine that thing fired its main cannon on the Frigate 042 in C Dock. Those of us here in Olympia Dome will be next. If you had personal watercraft or submersibles loaded on that ship, we need to find a new method.¡±


    ¡°I-its main cannon!? But there was no sign of that...¡±


    ¡°It used the coaxial rotors that support it. It probably has giant, heavy-metal shells loaded inside it like a handgun magazine. Those things have a rotation speed high enough to support 200,000 tons. It only has to open the end of the magazine and release the shell within. Just imagine the destructive power of using centrifugal force to throw a shell like a meteor.¡±


    A storm of small metal balls launched downward by the wind and giant heavy-metal shells launched into the distance using centrifugal force. That left the Faith Organization¡¯s flying Object with no bind spots. There was nowhere they could hide that it could not fire on them.


    ¡°Are you kidding? This really is a nightmare...¡±


    ¡°Is it? This seems better than if they had attached a laser cannon to the end of the main rotor and sliced us to pieces with that rotating blade. Would you prefer to be chased by an infinitely-expanding circular saw?¡±


    Wraith nonchalantly upgraded the nightmare while protected by the aide young man. The history giving form to her imagination had to be insane.


    ¡°Centrifugal force, shell throwing...no, it might be better to think of it like the hammer throw. Yes, for now, let¡¯s use the enemy codename of Hammer Throw 001.¡±


    ¡°We have to call it that too? We just keep getting more and more influenced by the shitty Information Alliance method.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is hard to say we are a perfect world power. The one who holds the most information is the winner, but so many idiots misunderstand that concept to the point that they think the sign of the privileged class is cutting off all information to the point that you can buy a private beach in Miami and swim in the nude. All the bored young wives with ringlet-curls are turning into nudists who claim to aspire to a natural lifestyle.¡±


    ¡°Are you just clueless, or are you trying to win me over!?¡±


    ¡°Please, can someone take this seriously!? Our lives are on the line here!!¡±


    Myonri pleaded with them, but she had not taken into account the possibility that the idiots were trying to avoid facing the intense fear before them.


    And the Hammer Throw 001 no longer had a distant target to prioritize.


    It would be their turn soon.


    Myonri¡¯s shout had dragged Heivia back to reality, so he felt sweat on his brow.


    ¡°...What do we do?¡±


    What would that boy who was not here have done at a time like this?


    What would Quenser Barbotage have done?


    ¡°What the hell are we supposed to do!?¡±


    A moment later...


    It fell.


    The flying Object that had been looking down on them dropped far too easily.


    ¡°...................................................................................................................................................................................................Ah?¡±


    Heivia¡¯s thoughts could not keep up with the crazy sight before him.


    But it was no illusion.


    After a brief delay, an incredible storm of destruction was thrown out in all directions. More than just the glass, entire groups of buildings were knocked over this time. And it was more than just a shockwave. The connections between the dice-like floating objects made of aluminum and stainless steel were smashed and shaken.


    ¡°Ohhhhhwah!?¡±


    Shouting was not going to accomplish anything.


    The fact that the ground could softly ¡°sink¡± into the ocean, allowing some of the force to escape, was the only reason they did not end up with anything like an ice age brought on by an asteroid strike.


    ¡°The Hammer Throw 001...fell???¡±


    The rising curtain of dust was swept away by the storm. Myonri reported on what she saw in a daze.


    ¡°It was...a crane. ...Did the crane on a building rooftop swing around and...catch on the main rotor?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t swing the arm around,¡± corrected Wraith while seawater swelled up from below.


    An old guerilla tactic against helicopters and tiltrotors was to throw a wire or net over them from the top of a building. But...


    ¡°The crane rotated vertically. Some kind of explosive blasted it at the base to tangle the thick wire in the rotor. It didn¡¯t matter that the spherical main body can withstand a nuke.¡±


    An explosive.


    A flesh-and-blood soldier had attacked one of the Objects which were synonymous with war.


    The 50-meter and 20,000-ton spherical main body had lost its balance and fallen at one corner of the city. It seemed to be near the broadcast station. The exact level of damage was unclear while on the ground like this.


    ¡°Could it be...?¡±


    However.


    That had to be Heivia¡¯s greatest hope.


    So the delinquent soldier could not help but say it aloud.


    ¡°Quen-...¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    A voice bluntly cut him off.


    It came from Wraith Martini Vermouthspray.


    She could not look him in the eye as she forced out the words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that simply isn¡¯t possible.¡±


    Part 12


    Sigma 3, Robinson King-Cole, was just as stunned as the incredible shaking reached him.


    ¡°What happened...?¡±


    He doubted the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, or a third group disguised as them could have done this.


    Nevertheless, the Second Generation Ix Chel being resupplied at the Olympia Dome had indeed been brought down. It had happened so suddenly that he felt like he was analyzing movement in a video game one frame at a time.


    ¡°OD Control! What the hell happened!?¡±


    He already half-suspected that he would receive no response.


    At the same time, a hopeless chill ran down his spine. What possibilities could he think of? When he laid out the cards, he could not rid himself of this unease. After all, their mission had been to transport something dangerous.


    And that ¡°something¡± had not been the flying Object called Ix Chel. As extraordinary as it was, that colossal weapon had already belonged to Robinson¡¯s maintenance battalion, so it would not be counted as an external ¡°package¡±.


    But in a way, Ix Chel was nothing compared to the true ¡°package¡±.


    Had it really taken advantage of this confusion...?


    ¡°Nee hee hee hee.¡±


    He heard a voice.


    A lovely but wicked girl¡¯s voice sounded from directly behind Sigma 3. And the next thing he knew, all other voices had vanished. And he heard no noises at all from the comrades he had been fighting alongside for so long.


    ¡°Did you not even notice? You didn¡¯t, did you? Well, that doesn¡¯t really matter. Thanks for your work, though. Oh, this is my destination. And it¡¯s also the end of the line for you. You¡¯ve been waging war day in and day out for so long you have to be familiar with the concept of ¡®acceptable losses¡¯, right? If you were tasked with looking after me without being informed...well, just remember that concept.¡±


    He did not even have time to turn around.


    But the scene he did not want to see was reflected in the show window in front of him.


    It was a red and black hell.


    And one violent and brutal visual overpowered even the deaths of his allies.


    A young girl with long, long blonde twintails wore an Object Elite¡¯s blade, bullet, explosion, and environment resistant special suit which revealed even the slightest contour of her slender body.


    She was not the grim reaper that brought death and demise according to predetermined rules, like one¡¯s natural lifespan.


    She was an incarnation of destruction on a much higher dimension who destroyed the world on a whim.


    ...He should have noticed.


    Whether they were the Legitimacy Kingdom or the Information Alliance, the intruders alone could not have caused so much damage. He had assumed the Faith Organization soldiers¡¯ rampage was to blame, but that was not it. It was neither the enemy nor his allies. A third party had used the confusion to remove heads and pierce hearts.


    ¡°I followed his example and learned how to use bombs to destroy Objects, but...hmm, what does this mean? I don¡¯t see any sign of him... Well, I just need to search a little longer.¡±


    This was not war.


    It was crime, yet it had done greater harm than an official war.


    This was the dangerous thing that Robinson King-Cole¡¯s maintenance battalion had been transporting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the Manhattan and all that annoying stuff. I, Skuld Silent-Third, will take care of it, so you all can rest in peace. By byyye¡î¡±


    Between the Lines 1


    The continuous IV drip has been ended.


    Saint Skuld Silent-Third is active once more.


    The Saint has a glowing record as the primary Pilot Elite of the Faith Organization¡¯s Second Generation Norn, but she is also known by the Faith Organization to be the greatest war criminal. She generally chooses her victims carefully within the bases which are seen as small cities, but that is not always the case.


    - Former Oceanian Dictatorship: Annihilation of a pro-government village.


    - Cape of Good Hope District: Burning of a mercenary camp.


    - Alaska District: The mysterious deaths of a foreign press group.


    - Malacca District: The sinking of a cargo ship.


    - And the infamous Madagascar Report. Please reference that report so it need not be repeated here.


    Her primary killing method is strangulation using her own hands, but she is extremely fickle and changes a lot from moment to moment. In the Madagascar District, there was evidence she used old-fashioned torture equipment. These are the crimes of an individual, but if they are slow to be discovered or dealt with, she has the skill to destroy a mid-level guerilla base and construct a mountain of corpses on her own. She intentionally includes shifts and swings of analog emotion in her digital mission operations, so her actions are incredibly hard to simulate and existing troop management rules do not apply. Once she has been released into the wild, do not focus too much on any fixed idea and be extremely careful in how she is handled.


    It is dangerous to assume you are safe just because you are the one with a gun.


    What she says and her carefree changes of expression cannot be relied on. The Saint is an extremely intelligent war criminal, so she can use various psychological tests and counseling methods to her advantage to win one¡¯s trust.


    Be extremely cautious of the unique ¡°charisma of death¡± found in many serial killers. She generally prefers acting alone, but she has something that destroys the morals of those around her. If you begin to think that you alone can communicate with her, you are in an especially dangerous situation. Make sure you have regular meetings with your supervising officer to receive an objective, third-party view of your mental state.


    The Saint is a genuine serial killer, so she shows some fixations that normal people find hard to understand.


    Currently, she appears obsessed with a specific individual named Quenser Barbotage. For information on him, view the records from the Madagascar District, specifically concerning the destruction of the Norn.


    Most likely, it is simply not possible to fully control Saint Skuld Silent-Third. If you are giving her freedom as part of your operation, you must build in a high level of acceptable losses for enemy, ally, and civilian alike. Also, it is more effective to lure her with bait than to give her orders. Gathering information on the aforementioned Quenser Barbotage and using that name to distract her may be one possible method.


    Offered to Venerable Elder Tyrfing Boilermaker.


    May a peaceful holy age arrive to this sinful and impure world.

 Volume 15, 2: Parasite Kill >> Battle for Liberation Within Manhattan

    Volume 15, Chapter 2: Parasite Kill >> Battle for Liberation Within Manhattan


    Part 1


    Bloodrics Capistrano chose the ¡°beaten up¡± option.


    ¡°Pant, pant, pant!!¡±


    ¡°...G-gbweh. Wait, it would really help your Onii-chan if you ended this attack...¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano gasped for breath while holding her brother¡¯s bowtie in her left hand. Her dominant hand was of course clenched in a fist.


    They were in a military port of the Amazon District where the Legitimacy Kingdom held a lot of sway.


    They were a few hours away from the Central American ocean. They had taken a submarine which clearly had too much speed and stealth for civilian ownership. Its distress signal had been picked up and the few survivors, including Frolaytia, had set foot on dry land once more.


    After arguing with her blood relative in a guest room for noble visitors, the busty silver-haired 18-year-old clicked her tongue and let go of the trash. She then spoke to the laptop sitting on the heavy work desk.


    ¡°Princess. Things have calmed down here for the time being. You¡¯ve gathered enough information, so return to base before you go too far and get burned.¡±


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°...I know what you¡¯re trying to say, but if we waste our trump card here, we really will lose all means of rescuing our people from the Bermuda Triangle.¡±


    Needless to say, Frolaytia and the others had not been sitting around doing nothing.


    The Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum was a multi-role First Generation that could race along the ocean at more than 500km/h and swap between multiple different main cannon types: low-stability plasma cannons, railguns, coilguns, laser beams, rapid-fire beam cannons, etc. Even if it could not immediately supply a decisive blow, it was the perfect Object for directly engaging the enemy force to get a sense for what it could do.


    And what had they learned after firing various types of cannons from a distance with no expectation of a hit?


    ¡°Electronic simulation division.¡±


    ¡°We only have rough estimates, but we have finished analyzing the footage.¡±


    Frolaytia spoke to a different channel and received an immediate response from one of the experts who continued working with what equipment had survived. She was clearly exhausted, but there was no dissatisfaction in her voice. Everyone knew it was only coincidence that they had been protected. If the luck of the draw had placed them in the other category, they would have been devoured by the Information Alliance.


    ¡°To start with, the Manhattan really does have extraordinary firepower. That electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon is essentially detonating a JPlevelMHD reactor with each shot. By firing that main cannon in every direction like the face of a clock, it could entirely surround itself with a wall of plasma like some kind of fortress city.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot like an old-fashioned ABM system...or a defensive theory using nuclear mines.¡±


    Frolaytia stuffed unique-smelling shredded tobacco into her long and narrow kiseru as she spoke.


    Laser beams were light, so they could be bent if high temperatures altered the refractive index. Plasma and rapid-fire beams were weak to electromagnetism. Railguns and coilguns used metal shells, so their trajectory could be bent using expanding air or explosive blasts.


    Simply put, an absolute defense was possible if you forced it through with enough firepower.


    However, it was a strategy only possible for the Manhattan and its hundreds or possibly thousands of reactors.


    ¡°But it didn¡¯t do that, did it? It only used the electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon the very first time.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And the theory of bending a laser was also used by the Nitrogen Mirage. It still used ultra-high temperatures ¨C albeit not as high ¨C but it achieved that by firing low-stability plasma fireballs around the battlefield and then firing the laser beam or railgun. It was a lot like a rollercoaster. It ignores all existing artillery theories.¡±


    But when the Manhattan had responded to the Princess¡¯s ¡°test firing¡±, it had not filled the area with firepower; it had returned fire with pinpoint sharpshooting. It had shot down each of the Baby Magnums various shells and lasers like a venomous snake targeting mice or frogs.


    The metal shells had been fried with electron beams or laser beams.


    The optical weapons had been reflected and neutralized by metal shells.


    ¡°So far, it has only intercepted our attacks, but if it goes on the attack itself, the Baby Magnum will not last five minutes,¡± said the electronic simulation division.


    ¡°Ah, you idiot!!¡±


    Frolaytia tried to stop her, but it was too late.


    The Princess was already childishly pouting her lips on the screen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Because it¡¯s true. Hehh, hohh, hmm.¡±


    ¡°Listen, everyone can get along when things are going well. The true value of teamwork is when things are going badly. Everyone needs to keep that in mind!!¡±


    ¡°Also,¡± continued the electronic simulation division. ¡°Including Manhattan¡¯s visitors, there should be more than 10 million civilians onboard. If they are used as hostages, any direct attack will be a target of international criticism.¡±


    ¡°Have you not even noticed the trouble you¡¯ve caused us, you geek!?¡±


    Frolaytia shouted, but the Princess still looked suspicious. She brushed back the short blonde hair plastered to her forehead with sweat, unzipped her special suit, and sprayed a coolant directly on her flushed soft skin. Everyone, including the analyst, was female, so she did not need to restrain herself.


    The fact that arrogant Frolaytia had to act as a cushion for her showed just how chaotic the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s situation was.


    (Heivia can wait until later, but we really need Quenser back immediately!!)


    Frolaytia placed a hand on her forehead while having that very rude thought.


    And as stated, they could not use an Object¡¯s firepower to fry 10 million civilians, even if they belonged to an enemy nation. Thus, the Baby Magnum had made sure its main cannons would not hit during its reconnaissance mission.


    ...Of course, that was also because moving too close before understanding their enemy¡¯s specs was likely to result in the Baby Magnum being turned to ashes by a variety of super weapons, including the electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon.


    The Manhattan had easily fired a deadly blast from New York to New Caribbean Island ¨C from North America to Central America.


    The Princess used her small hand to fan air into her opened special suit and made a suggestion while sounding dazed from the heat.


    ¡°Since it intercepts attacks that are not actually going to hit, could we fire randomly but rapidly so it uses up all its ammo?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea, but remember how large the Manhattan is. Even if it¡¯s forced into back-to-back battles without resupplying, we¡¯ll dry up first.¡±


    What could they do?


    How could they supply an effective blow to that monster?


    (If a direct attack won¡¯t work, I guess we¡¯ll have to try some kind of trick. Like sending a small group right up to that giant thing...)


    Frolaytia narrowed her eyes with a quiet look on her face, but then slowly shook her head.


    Had she been infected by those idiots¡¯ way of thinking?


    The Princess breathed a heated sigh and spoke with a blank look in her eyes.


    ¡°I want to see Quenser and the others soon.¡±


    (Agreed. This is hard work without anyone to shove the most annoying parts onto.)


    Frolaytia kept that part to herself and then spoke up.


    ¡°Analyst, the Martini Series holds the AI network¡¯s reins, so why do you think they authorized this?¡±


    ¡°That is unknown, including just how many of them have malfunctioned. We simply have too little information to say. But assuming they are not wishing for their own destruction, I can¡¯t imagine why they would send the Manhattan to the front line on its own...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Capulet is an AI network. If it sees no special meaning in the loss of individual physical devices, then it might view even the Manhattan as a disposable game piece.¡±


    ¡°If the algorithm was that digitally destructive, I doubt the Information Alliance would have prospered as much as it has. At the very least, it would not be so accepting of the highly-wasteful lifestyles of humans.¡±


    If not all that many Martinis had actually lost control, it would explain why Manhattan itself had taken action all of a sudden. But they had no real evidence and the situation was fluid. And if the other Martinis were affected in a rapid chain reaction, it would hardly matter.


    ¡°Any sign of our people who disappeared at sea?¡±


    ¡°None at all. Our embassies and consulates have received no notification that they were taken prisoner. ...We cannot even say whether they are still alive or not.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to go check the Information Alliance maintenance fleet that was nearly obliterated by their own side. I wish we had at least sent out a spy plane to keep an eye on it, but it¡¯s simply too late. Thanks to a certain moron!!¡±


    Bloodrics responded to Frolaytia¡¯s shout by raising both hands without getting up off the floor.


    ¡°Tia-chan, you know that would not have been realistic either way, don¡¯t you?¡± said the pummeled brother. ¡°Even if you had accomplished something then, they would have gotten serious and vaporized New Caribbean Island.¡±


    An alarmed cry came from the screen.


    Bloodrics could not see the laptop screen from his position, but the Princess must not have known that. As soon as she heard a male voice, she blushed and quickly held the front of her special suit closed with her small hands.


    Frolaytia ignored that and spoke coldly to her blood-related brother.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°If no one reports on it, no one would know any of your people were left with the Information Alliance maintenance fleet. Then there would be zero hope of rescue for them.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The brother¡¯s point made the sister grimace so hard she nearly bit off the end of the long, narrow kiseru in her mouth. He was right, but she did not want to accept it. Anyone could tell just by looking at her.


    There was nothing they could do.


    But that did not mean they had no thoughts on the matter.


    They knew their comrades were clinging to life on a deadly battlefield across the ocean where they could not even ask for help, but they could not reach out a hand. They wished they could trade places. That was not just a nice thing to say after seeing some tragedy on TV. They all meant it. Otherwise, they would not have forced their exhausted bodies to keep moving and continued gathering information without any sleep or complaint. The Pilot Elite, the base commander, the maintenance soldiers, and the analysts were all in agreement on that.


    Bloodrics Capistrano understood that.


    And that was why he had done more than just flee.


    ¡°I provided a starting point for you. How is he doing?¡±


    ¡°Rigas Blackpassion was one of the people on that Capitalist Corporations submarine.¡±


    ¡°But you saw that report that he said something interesting, didn¡¯t you?¡± Bloodrics got up from the floor. ¡°The Ragnarok Script. It seems to be a toy capable of interfering with the Martini Series that forms the core of the Information Alliance. Although we don¡¯t know if they inject something of pure data into their heads or stimulate their senses using pheromones, ultrasound, flashing lights, or whatever else. That means solving this might require more than simply attacking the Information Alliance. This might sound somewhat dirty, but this Ragnarok Script might be an opportunity for us. ...If an external attack looks hopeless, causing them to crumble from within might create enough of a ¡®crack¡¯ to rescue your people stranded in that deadly ocean.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Frolaytia clicked her tongue again and sent a fist into the center of Bloodrics face for getting carried away.


    Without even a glance toward her collapsed brother, the sister left the guest room with her laptop full of classified information. She walked to the interrogation room with some large men from base security. There, she found an upper middle-aged man bound by leather belts to something like a dentist¡¯s chair.


    The long-haired, gloomy, and timid interrogator girl whispered to Frolaytia. Her face was hidden by her bangs, an eyepatch, a mask, and some headphones, so her nickname when she was younger may have been Kuchisake Onna.


    ¡°H-he seems to have lost a lot of blood when Sir Bloodrics severed his hand with a katana, so I need to stabilize his blood pressure first. We should be able to administer the drug after that, so, um...¡±


    ¡°Rigas Blackpassion,¡± cut in Frolaytia. ¡°The Ragnarok Script. I want to know what that means. Did you really procure it yourself? I doubt a small fry like you is pulling all the strings. What is hidden behind the scenes?¡±


    The Capitalist Corporations man raised his limply-hanging head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect the war treaties to apply in this sealed room...but my life still has value. Look at my arm. Ha ha. Push me too hard and I¡¯ll die before you can get any information out of me. Treat me with care or you will be wasting your time.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    There was nothing more than that.


    Frolaytia must not have been expecting anything from the beginning because she casually glanced over at the interrogator who had desperately hidden her face.


    ¡°The plan was to loosen his lips by ridding him of his mental willpower with a drug, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, um, we will be using an animal anesthetic. It¡¯s the same idea as someone talking more readily when they¡¯re sleep-deprived or intoxicated. But before any of that, we have to give him a blood transfusion to stabilize his blood pressure...¡±


    ¡°No, that gives us another option. Hold this a moment.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Frolaytia pushed her laptop into the interrogator¡¯s arms, shocking the flat-chested girl into silence.


    And with a dry gunshot, a dark red hole opened in Rigas¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ah...bah?¡±


    There was a blank in his memories.


    As Rigas looked over his sweaty body, he tasted a rusty flavor spreading through the back of his throat, saw dark, dried blood on his uniform, and felt the pain receding. He must have been given some kind of anesthetic.


    The Capitalist Corporations officer blinked in confusion at the unnatural passage of time and Frolaytia spat some disinterested words his way.


    ¡°Your heart stopped for about 1 minute 45 seconds. From the shock of blood loss. You should be thankful Luce was skillful enough to revive you.¡±


    His breathing was not functioning properly.


    He heard a whistling sound with each breath.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re kidd-...¡±


    Another bang.


    ¡°35 seconds.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying you-...¡±


    ¡°1 minute 2 seconds.¡±


    ¡°Abbeh. Gurgle gurgle...¡±


    ¡°Oh, that was a close one. You were out for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.¡±


    A yes or no answer changed nothing. To transform him into a human device that would spit out whatever they wanted to know, his mind had to be thoroughly torn down first. The violence would continue until Rigas Blackpassion no longer said anything unnecessary.


    Each time his consciousness cut out and returned, the amount of boxy medical equipment surrounding the dentist-like chair had increased. At this point, the electronics probably weighed more than Rigas himself.


    For some reason, the interrogator girl (who was now soaked with blood) was gagging and crying behind her eyepatch and mask more than the Capitalist Corporations officer himself.


    The look in Frolaytia¡¯s eyes had not changed. The handgun drawn from her hip was still aimed directly at him.


    ¡°Not even an expert can completely control the revival. So it might not work next time.¡±


    ¡°...You...what about the war treaties...the fundamental articles on treatment of prisoners...?¡±


    He was killed twice more.


    Rigas was now covered in tubes. He had essentially been turned into a living mummy and was nearly encased in the blocks of medical equipment. And Frolaytia¡¯s eyes were even colder than the machinery.


    ¡°Blood loss intoxication. That¡¯s the excuse used by perverts with an abnormal fetish for drinking blood or having their own blood drunk. It¡¯s also theorized to explain why a police officer can dramatically stand back up after being shot in the gut. If all we need to do is adjust your body¡¯s internal state to loosen your lips, we don¡¯t need to inject a drug. We only need to cause enough blood loss to leave you woozy. Of course, take too much and you¡¯ll die before telling us anything, so it isn¡¯t exactly favored by experts. And sure enough, you¡¯re approaching death pretty quickly now.¡±


    They were neither killing him nor not killing him.


    Her casual tone led the Capitalist Corporations officer to move his tense vocal cords and force out the words.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯re insane...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even try it, you fool. I¡¯m the piece of shit that retreated to this safe base while ignoring so many of my people who needed help. And yet you think your life should be guaranteed when you¡¯re the one that messed with the Information Alliance and set up some kind of conspiracy? Just how convenient a world do you think you live in!?¡±


    He could no longer speak.


    While Rigas gasped as he struggled to breath, Frolaytia Capistrano pressed her handgun muzzle to the center of his forehead and roared at him while the heat sizzled on his skin.


    ¡°I will do whatever it takes to get the information I need to rescue those idiots. The Ragnarok Script. Either tell me everything you know or you can continue playing ding dong dash at the pearly gates!! Now, what will you do, you piece of shit!!!????¡±


    Part 2


    ¡°Simply put, it was practice.¡±


    The tall Asian beauty named Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks spoke on the cruiser¡¯s bridge.


    Unlike the past, modern ship¡¯s bridges were not all that important. Ship and weapons control were generally done in the windowless combat command center on a lower level, so this bridge was mostly just for show. In an intense battle, the captain on down would have to withdraw from this central point. That seemed like a case of mismatched priorities, but it had gained a new value.


    Yes.


    It was the perfect place for the privileged class to clear everyone else away for a private conversation.


    Although it did require some caution for female officers in skirts because the reinforced glass window extended all the way to the floor just like a broadcast tower¡¯s viewing deck.


    ¡°To be honest, the Olympia Dome¡¯s broadcast facility was not all that high a priority. It was better off destroyed, but we could have dealt with the issue even if it was not. Same with forcing the Legitimacy Kingdom to pay reparations. That must have left quite a few bodies behind, but it seems the Faith Organization was up to no good as well. What really mattered was proving the method as effective. ...That is, a method of directly accessing the moving Manhattan 000, gathering information, and sabotaging it if necessary.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Wraith, another Martini Series, maintained a troubled expression.


    Taratua remained seated in her fancy chair and casually clapped her hands twice at her fellow Martini who had safely returned from the Olympia Dome.


    ¡°As a giant artificial floating island, the Olympia Dome has many similarities to the world¡¯s largest Object. To be honest, the Olympia Dome is the more difficult of the two when looking only at the infiltration phase. After all, our maintenance fleet and the Manhattan 000 are both from the Information Alliance. If we set a damaged ship adrift and send out a distress signal, the Martini holding the Manhattan 000¡¯s reins will follow the rulebook and approve a rescue even as she argues with the AI network. Simply put, we can get onboard using the exact same method.¡±


    ¡°But how many Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers are left? Thanks to your meaningless harassment, they were driven nearly to disaster and most of them were slaughtered by that flying Object.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that why you¡¯re so irritable?¡± Taratua did not seem to care. ¡°Disposable personnel are only valuable when you dispose of them. Can you win a war if you¡¯re too afraid to fire a single bullet? We just have to gather spare personnel from elsewhere. Any new soldiers can be provided the necessary information through training. They work and we profit. Simple, right?¡±


    ¡°Is what you¡¯re doing even war?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s war. A war by me and for me. In that sense, I may have wronged you, Wraith. They¡¯re only disposable, but they do have experience packed in their heads. So I promised them your head as a reward for a successful mission.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Given how much the blood had rushed to their heads, I imagine they¡¯ll kill you before they can even think up a cleverer but more perverted plan. Well, just accept it as your fate. I will increase the value of the Martini Series, so you can be part of the foundation.¡±


    Wraith sighed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss a hypothetical.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, do you think this is a chat between friends or something? Romantic advice is simply outside my area of expertise.¡±


    ¡°...Let¡¯s say there is a method of completely destroying the Martini Series from without, using the same kind of active self-denial as throwing out everything you own to get a new start on life. Would someone as universally capable and foolish as you be able to forgive your fellow Martinis who went insane?¡±


    ¡°Is that what this is about?¡± Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks gave a snort of laughter while elegantly crossing her legs. ¡°It would be one thing if you were born with it, but when it¡¯s something done to you afterwards, then you should have been able to prevent it or stop it. No attack or defense is perfect if it is made by human hands. That is why the Martini Series was created to make up for the AI network¡¯s flaws. We¡¯re supposed to play house with Capulet which may not even have a center anymore.¡±


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°Active self-denial? If someone takes advantage of a vulnerability, the responsibility lies with the person who knew of it but didn¡¯t put together a countermeasure.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± muttered Wraith while squirming a bit.


    Now, did Taratua notice that the medals on her chest reflected the sunlight to inconspicuously send a signal somewhere?


    A moment later, a spider web of cracks ran through the thick bulletproof glass on the floor of the bridge.


    ¡°Oh...?¡±


    There was a surprised expression there.


    The leather chair¡¯s stuffing scattered everywhere. Taratua¡¯s butt slid forward in that luxurious chair. She tried to hold onto the armrests, but her entire body had gone limp. Her hips fell from the chair and she collapsed to the floor.


    Had the wet sensation finally caught up to her by then?


    Fresh blood was splattered around like someone had rubbed red paint around with a mop. Needless to say, it drew out the path Taratua had taken as she rolled along the floor.


    And lastly...


    There was a dark red hole in the tall Asian beauty¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Ah...bh.¡±


    ¡°If someone takes advantage of a vulnerability, the responsibility lies with the person who knew of it but didn¡¯t put together a countermeasure? You are awful through and through, but it doesn¡¯t really matter if you were broken or if you were always that way.¡±


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray¡¯s expression had not changed.


    ¡°Who do you think did this?¡±


    She slowly leaned forward to bring her face in close, but she showed no sign of stopping the hemorrhaging blood or providing any other first aid to her fellow Martini.


    ¡°You¡¯re the kind of asshole who hides information on the Hammer Throw 001 for no other reason than to be cruel. You probably can¡¯t even keep track of how many people hold a grudge against you. If you were mediocre enough to be convinced, I would not have had to rely on this.¡±


    ¡°...¡ª¡ª¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. No need to worry. None of our people will be blamed. They made sure to bring back some Faith Organization guns and ammunition as souvenirs. Shoot you with those and, well, all the documents will say you were shot by an enemy soldier in the normal course of the war. War is not treated as a crime. Although this might change some rules so we can¡¯t hold private conversations on the bridge any longer. The adults will be sad to lose another valuable smoking area. Personally, I¡¯m not too fond of the combat command center and its thick walls. It feels too oppressive.¡±


    Nothing dramatic happened.


    Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks could not close her wide-open eyelids and she simply stopped moving like her battery had run dry.


    Humans were selfish creatures. She did not inspire the kind of emotion that Piranirie had.


    Wraith held a hand to her ear and spoke into her earpiece.


    ¡°She is dead. I will send her body to the military doctor and have it proven that the wound came from a shot fired from 400 meters. And that it was done by the Faith Organization bullet embedded in the wall.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so? Thanks for actually choosing to kill her. I don¡¯t think I could have handled it if you had tried to bring Taratua into this. But what else would I expect from one of the great Martinis? No one¡¯s better at sending people to their death.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Honestly, this is the last time I do anything as annoying as a sniper job from a one-man submersible rocking in the waves. Now you need to take command. You can do that as a Martini, right?¡±


    ¡°Hold on. That¡¯s much easier said than done. It¡¯s not just an issue of rank. You need to consider affiliation and the command structure as well. You are aware how many hurdles I have to clear here, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Madam Lieutenant Colonel. The only reason I didn¡¯t shoot you first is because you¡¯re easier to control and thus more valuable than Taratua. Well, there was also all the people who died because she hid the information about the Hammer Throw 001. After we settle this Manhattan issue, you need to modify the records so they don¡¯t list us as dead. That¡¯s the only way we can return to our normal lives.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    This was not an icy voice.


    Heivia¡¯s voice was somehow mechanical. That was proof that he had passed the temporary surge of emotion and his drive for revenge had settled in as a normal thing. With the exception of a certain individual, no pain or death he witnessed would shake his heart now.


    Wraith had seen plenty of people like that on the battlefield.


    As a Martini, she had maintained order within the Information Alliance military by managing losing armies and occasionally eliminating berserk units or indirectly executing war criminals by sending them to certain death.


    ¡°Your life is a limited-time-only deal that lasts as long as you¡¯re useful to us. Once you¡¯re useless, you will meet the same fate as Taratua. You can give me an upturned look with tears in your eyes and you can place your hands on the wall and stick your ass out toward me, but it won¡¯t change a thing. I¡¯m having a hard time finding reasons not shoot you right in your insane head. So work hard for the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    The cold and mechanical transmission ended.


    Wraith was all alone for the moment.


    No, it was possible no one had ever filled the gap left by that one boy. Not even the young man who was always by her side. Especially when she knew how angry it would make her if someone casually offered to fill that gap.


    Part 3


    ¡°Captain Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks was killed in a cowardly and calculated surprise attack by a Faith Organization remnant. I will take command for the remainder of the operation. I am sure some of you will not like having me go over your heads, but I would like you to leave this to me as I am an expert at recovering from failure in combat.¡±


    Inside the tilted supply ship, Wraith explained that with her aide by her side.


    The operation was already underway.


    ¡°I am having a retaliation list put together based on who could have made that sniper shot given the conditions, but that is being handled by a different team. Because we have our own timetable. We will show all standard condolences and respect to Taratua by continuing with her suggestion. We will disguise one of ¡®our¡¯ maintenance fleet¡¯s ships as a wreck and place it along the Manhattan 000¡¯s predicted path. We will have it pick up the crew and bring them directly onboard.¡±


    ¡°...So it¡¯s essentially the same as with the Olympia Dome. The problem is it¡¯s still hard to say whether that was a success or a failure.¡±


    Heivia sounded fed up with the whole idea.


    The fox saw that look on the tanuki¡¯s face and nodded.


    ¡°The Manhattan 000 has extraordinary size and power and it is currently the world¡¯s largest Object, but it cannot attack us if we are right up on it. Because it can¡¯t fire on itself. Boarding it will be the first obstacle.¡±


    After all, a normal(?) Object was about 50 meters, while just the portion of the Manhattan visible above water was more than 20,000 meters. It also had more than one reactor and the total number was unknown. The fact that its electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon had obliterated Heivia¡¯s unit in the blink of an eye from North America to Central America made it clear that its range and power were both far beyond the norm. Any standard Object that challenged it would be vaporized before it even arrived within firing range.


    Any explanation would just sound like someone bragging about its abilities.


    Did it not have even the slightest weakness or flaw?


    ¡°Is our objective to destroy it?¡±


    ¡°If necessary.¡± Wraith readily agreed even though she too was from the Information Alliance. ¡°But while the Manhattan 000¡¯s specs are on another level entirely, it still has more than 10 million normal residents on its surface. We cannot make a general attack from the outside.¡±


    ¡°What has even happened to them?¡±


    That alone was an honest question. Taratua had said Manhattan itself was traveling south at 388 knots, which was around 700km/h. If that was true, it would be like clinging to the wing of a passenger plane.


    But Wraith only shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it doesn¡¯t seem there has been any major damage.¡±


    ¡°??? Were they all evacuated to the subway stations or something?¡±


    ¡°No, not that.¡± The blonde girl answered Myonri¡¯s question while her hand wandered through empty air as if in search of a pen to twirl. ¡°It seems they¡¯re artificially manipulating the air currents to protect the Manhattan surface from the violent winds.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Manipulating the air currents???¡±


    ¡°It makes sense in theory. Even your average factory uses air curtains. By blowing an artificial wind vertically, you can keep out the dust and dirt that would otherwise get in horizontally. By scaling that up by a lot, they¡¯re using the wind blown up from below to divert the fierce headwind hitting them from the front. It forms a dome.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple enough to say, but we¡¯re talking about the same winds a passenger plane would experience!¡±


    ¡°So what? Just how much of your ordinary, everyday common sense do you think applies to the Manhattan 000? Not even I know how many JPlevelMHD reactors it has.¡±


    Just how forceful could it be?


    But that was exactly how Objects had ended the age of stealth bombers and nuclear weapons.


    ¡°As long as they can solve the air current problem, the rest is easy. 700km/h might sound scary, but it¡¯s really the same as riding a linear motor train or a passenger plane. It should be a comfortable ride as long as it doesn¡¯t make any of the sharp footwork seen in Object combat.¡±


    But once you were onboard, you could not get off.


    And no one could predict what the Martinis or Manhattan would do. There was no guarantee the 20,000m mass wouldn¡¯t suddenly perform footwork that exceeded a fighter craft¡¯s movements.


    ¡°...What¡¯s going on there?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. We are intercepting some of the EM signals as a part of analyzing the Object, but it seems the people¡¯s usual smartphone-dependent lifestyle is continuing. They¡¯re still posting on social media and video sites without a care in the world.¡±


    Myonri blinked at that.


    ¡°Um, they¡¯re not connected to the outside internet, are they?¡±


    ¡°You can analyze someone¡¯s conversational patterns if you can see their social media friends list and message log. They¡¯re probably receiving automated responses disguised as their online friends¡¯ accounts. The Martini in charge of New York may be doing her best to deny reality as a part of her active self-denial. Thanks to that, the logical and thoughtless Capulet AI Network is in top form today. Everyone in New York probably thinks they¡¯re internet heroes. Their desire for approval is probably being satisfied more than ever before.¡±


    Heivia found it hard to decide whether or not that just meant their senses had been dulled by peace.


    Legitimacy Kingdom military textbooks told the story of a man who cooked instant ramen even as his house burned down around him. When humans were faced with a situation too difficult to accept, a defense instinct would apparently kick in and they would continue their normal daily routine to preserve their mental balance. That way they could tell themselves they were still living their normal life and had yet to stray beyond it.


    Wraith brought a hand to her slender chin.


    ¡°Our objective is to discover the reason why the Manhattan 000 is on its way here. From the look of things, I doubt we can hope for the Pilot Elite to go on strike. As I said before, the ultimate decision is up to the Capulet AI Network that supports the Manhattan 000 and the Martini who holds its reins. The idea that it is here to settle the mess around New Caribbean Island concerning the Nitrogen Mirage and Katarina Martini is no more than speculation, so we don¡¯t know the actual reason. If that girl is acting in the overall interest of the Information Alliance, I will protect her. If she is ignoring an error in Capulet and has steered in the direction of annihilating the human race, then I must destroy and stop the Manhattan 000 that acts as her eyes and ears and her arms and legs.¡±


    ¡°Is that the Information Alliance¡¯s overall opinion?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°If not, this will count as treason and you¡¯ll be reduced to a slave.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an issue of the human heart. I was ¡®created¡¯ in the hopes that I would have the humanity to stop a rampaging machine when the adults alone could not make the appropriate decision. So that is what I will do.¡± The Martini Series girl did not bat an eye. ¡°Also, I will share the details on Melly Martini Extradry who was in charge of New York security. All contact with her has been lost and there has been no report of her death. The very fact that she has intentionally failed to report to the military is an irregularity. It is possible she has been broken by abuse of active self-denial just like Piranirie. As you experienced with Piranirie, a broken Martini is more dangerous than a machine. The Elite may have been affected as well.¡±


    Wraith closed her mouth for a moment there.


    Before death, Piranirie had mentioned some external factor that could drive the Martini Series mad. She had assumed the culprit was Katarina, the engineer asking for asylum, but she had been wrong. And she had said an enemy force was the most likely suspect as they would gain the most from doing that to the Martini Series who preserved order in the Information Alliance.


    Was the true enemy in the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Capitalist Corporations, or the Faith Organization?


    Myonri must have been quick to adapt to new environments because she raised her hand before speaking to an enemy commander.


    ¡°U-umm, then, uh, how do we from the Legitimacy Kingdom benefit from looking into the secrets of the Martini Series and Manhattan?¡±


    ¡°To be blunt, you don¡¯t.¡±


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray sounded indifferent.


    But she may have been better than Taratua since she did not hide the truth and deceive them.


    ¡°But if you fake your deaths during the intense fighting with the Manhattan 000, you will have a chance to escape the control of Capulet which manages the entire Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°You have to be joking. You¡¯re the commanding officer here. Aren¡¯t we free once you sign the right document?¡±


    ¡°I am not Piranirie or Taratua. Without their rule of fear, the many people below me will grow suspicious and might shoot you in the back if you attempt to leave with a smile.¡± Wraith quietly sighed. ¡°With how big the Manhattan 000 is, a single shot will reduce you to ashes, preventing anyone from identifying your corpse. And a naval facility should have plenty of ways to escape in an emergency. More than just small boats and submersibles, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to learn it has an entire giant submarine. ...All I want are the results. When you see a chance, then run off on your own.¡±


    ¡°What about the documents the Information Alliance rewrote!? I was a noble heir back home, but they¡¯ll treat me like a ghost now!! I don¡¯t want to get home only to be turned away as a lookalike and forced to live in a cardboard box!!¡±


    ¡°Your military will have your DNA data on file. Run to a base or embassy with a hair or tissue full of squid-smelling filth and have them check the genetic information. You can tell them the report of your death was just more of the Information Alliance¡¯s usual harassment.¡±


    ¡°...You have got to be kidding. We¡¯re not talking about a loan shark¡¯s 5-second smartphone eligibility check. That¡¯s not exactly a guarantee.¡±


    ¡°Then this knowledgeable beauty will write up some memoirs on a website anyone can access. If I mention the harassment operation, you won¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡±


    It was a very Information Alliance kind of thing to write up fake memoirs as a way of getting out the truth.


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray lightly clapped her hands to gather attention.


    ¡°We all have our own goals here, but right now we need to clear the first hurdle. Then we can use the situation to our advantage. The strategy itself is simple. Taratua said the Olympia Dome incident was practice, so we just have to do that again.¡±


    ¡°That sounds great. Very reassuring.¡±


    Heivia breathed a heavy sigh.


    And then he said it.


    ¡°The problem is that the damn Manhattan saw right through our trick, fired a giant blast our way, and tore a huge chunk out of our ship, so now we can see the ocean right there. Goddammit!!¡±


    A rapid-fire beam had punched through the side of the ship, so the entire thing looked like a half-circle arch. Even if its height was restricted to keep the center of gravity low, it was still more than 9 meters. The steel supply ship just ended all of a sudden and there was the ocean directly below. The exposed cabins and corridors were visible in the other end of the cross section a few dozen meters away.


    The artificial storm had passed, so it was sunny.


    They were afraid to remain on the flimsy deck. The sea shining in the light of the blue sky and sun had never looked so sinister before.


    A single attack from Manhattan had transformed a nearly 80m steel ship into an arch, but it must have been more of a game for it. It was like an exterminator poking at the beehive with the insecticide nozzle to see if it was still full of pests or if it was empty.


    It had been a cannon, but only the smallest of the small.


    If it had used its electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon, all metal would have been melted over an area of several dozen kilometers.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m actually surprised,¡± said Myonri. ¡°Information Alliance ships can take this much damage without sinking!?¡±


    ¡°Well, the ballast tanks are functioning as floats and the bulkheads and watertight doors were shut. Plus, a supply ship will have more tanks than usual. It¡¯s basically filled with small balloons like the packaging material used to protect online store shipments.¡±


    ¡°She meant that as a rhetorical question, you overly serious idiot!! More importantly, what do we do? The Manhattan knows we¡¯re here. Lightning is about to strike on the level of your parents finding out you were browsing porn on the tablet you borrowed from them!!¡±


    According to Taratua Martini On-the-Rocks, the Manhattan was supposed to arrive near New Caribbean Island 4 or 5 hours after leaving New York. They could not tell from the edge of the arch, but they were already sharing the ocean with it.


    There was a bright beam of light.


    But it was not the Manhattan.


    ¡°What idiot did that!? What bastard just poked the hornet¡¯s nest without even asking permission!?¡±


    ¡°Those are...probably Faith Organization Second Generations. Challenging that thing with only 5 Objects is suicidal, but maybe they were ordered to gather information no matter what.¡±


    Wraith¡¯s judgment was proof enough that this had surpassed the assumptions of the clean wars.


    They did not have time to figure out the individual traits of the Objects. Cannons were fired one after another. Any one of those Faith Organization elites would have been able to easily defeat Heivia¡¯s group in a proper fight, but they were almost immediately blown away like a sugar sculpture placed too close to a heater.


    ¡°It...The Manhattan took some damage from that, didn¡¯t it!?¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± said Wraith. ¡°With that much firepower, it can divert anything from plasma to lasers. And have you not noticed what the weather is like?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s bright and sunny, but what does that have to do with-...ah.¡±


    ¡°So even a fool like you has finally caught on. A single shot from its prized electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon will stir up the atmosphere to the point of causing rapid pressure changes that produce a major storm, but there¡¯s no sign of that. That means it was holding back. The Manhattan 000 is intentionally keeping its electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon in reserve.¡±


    Needless to say, it was not holding back for the Faith Organization¡¯s sake.


    Wraith¡¯s opinion was rational.


    ¡°A storm would expose the people of Manhattan to lightning strikes. That¡¯s the only concern it has. If any of the Faith Organization cannons could have scored a direct hit and done serious damage to the people, it probably would have ended the battle even sooner using its electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon. It showed no hint of that.¡±


    It had been too easy.


    The last of the five Objects was unemotionally blown away.


    ¡°That¡¯s awful. The battle is already over. That wasn¡¯t even enough time to cook some instant noodles.¡±


    Heivia had gone pale as he fiddled with his assault rifle and shoulder-fired missile launcher at the edge of the arch, so Wraith continued in exasperation.


    ¡°Since you might actually be that stupid, I guess I¡¯ll ask: You don¡¯t think you can sink the Manhattan 000 with those, do you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already learned of our plan!! I¡¯ve never heard of a would-be surprise attacker being treated with much care. We¡¯ll definitely be executed for their amusement. There will be no kindness for us after we used this method. If we raise our hands in surrender, we¡¯ll just be vaporized! I¡¯m not about to excite people¡¯s living rooms as a shocking year-end news story!!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about that. In the Information Alliance¡¯s internet culture, television is dead.¡± The black-uniformed girl smiled coldly. ¡°And you seem to be mistaken about some things, so allow me to correct you. One: The Manhattan 000¡¯s Elite is probably just a figurehead. Its actions are determined by the constant conversations and mutual error corrections between the Capulet AI Network contained in unknown physical devices and the Martini in charge of New York security. Two: I¡¯m honestly skeptical that Capulet has even detected our presence.¡±


    ¡°Um, what do you mean?¡± asked Myonri.


    ¡°They are simply being cautious after what happened to the Olympia Dome. If it could accurately detect our numbers and locations from our heat and magnetic signatures, it would have vaporized us with pinpoint accuracy. It would not blast a huge hole in the ship like this. Why did it carefully ¡®remove the fat¡¯ with a smaller secondary cannon instead of vaporizing the entire ship with a powerful main cannon it can fire as many times as it wants? ...The Martini, who we suspect has fallen victim to active self-denial, is not certain. So she is removing everything she is not certain of so we will panic and reveal ourselves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all speculation.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But if you climb up on the deck and fire a shot, then she will be certain. Once the Manhattan 000 detects hostile intent ¨C even from a peashooter ¨C it can rest easy and transform us into sea debris. And this time, it will use one of its many main cannons.¡±


    Wraith slowly moved her lips to repeat the phrase ¡°rest easy¡±.


    In other words...


    ¡°The correct choice here is to wait. The Martini holding Capulet¡¯s reins made a mistake due to her active self-denial. Silence will be more helpful than a million bullets here. No matter how suspicious this ship might be, it is officially registered as an Information Alliance supply ship, you are powerless prisoners, and I am a commander who can manage that kind of noncombatant. We have made no mistake and yet the Manhattan 000 fired on us without advance warning. And it fired right into the side of the ship instead of just a warning shot. Their Martini must really be in a crisis right now. AI can¡¯t be charged with human crimes, after all. If this really is a harmless ship, it was all for naught. She¡¯ll have no choice but to admit to the mistake and quickly rescue us.¡±


    ¡°You have no guarantee that we¡¯ll all be saved!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true your odds of survival are pretty low with my plan. But if you challenge the Manhattan 000 to a hopeless final battle, those odds are precisely 0%. Now, which will it be? I know I shouldn¡¯t say this at my age, but even a child could do that math.¡±


    A dull metallic sound followed.


    Heivia had aimed his assault rifle at Wraith.


    But even more noises surrounded the delinquent soldier.


    The other Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes aimed identical guns at Heivia¡¯s back. They seemed to be saying sorry in their hearts. Even Myonri was among them with an apologetic look on her face.


    ¡°Wait...you¡¯re kidding, right? Whose ass do you think you¡¯re aiming those tiny dicks at?¡±


    ¡°It would appear that everyone except for you is a rock-hard adult.¡± Wraith teased him by lightly raising her hands, slowly lifting her butt from the floor, and standing up. ¡°It is highly likely that the Manhattan 000 will fire a few more test shots. And even if it doesn¡¯t, the deck will break soon. That could throw us out into the ocean, so grab some oxygen tanks and anything that will work as float. This is a military ship, so it will be well supplied. Frank! Gather a few emergency kits for me.¡±


    The aide young man grabbed a bag hanging on the wall. Whether it was a joke or not, Heivia bit his lip when he saw it said AED on the side.


    ¡°...I refuse to accept your methods here.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but the clock is ticking all the same.¡± The black-uniformed girl winked and stuck out her tongue a bit. ¡°By my estimate, the next attack will arrive in less than 3 seconds, so...sorry, the time passed while I was talking.¡±


    With a deafening blast, their battlefield was transformed.


    All of them were shaken by the intense impact and thrown from the edge of the arch-carved supply ship and into the glittering ocean.


    ¡°Bwah!! Bwoh!?¡±


    Heivia misjudged the timing of his landing, so he swallowed a bunch of seawater as soon as his face hit the water¡¯s surface. He somehow managed to get his head above water while his vision spun, but he could not stop coughing. He did not feel like he was getting any air at all.


    ¡°...Dammit.¡±


    And he did not have time to choke.


    The supply ship¡¯s flimsy deck had broken and the entire ship sank into the ocean as it fell apart. To make sure he was not dragged down with it, Heivia grabbed onto some broken wood that must have originally belonged to a table. The sight before his eyes felt like something from another world altogether.


    It was there.


    A 20,000 meter length of ordinary skyscrapers was approaching.


    Its 700km/h speed was nowhere to be seen, presumably because it had already arrived at its destination. It was motionless. That only made its presence all the more imposing.


    If he was looking down from a helicopter while it was lit up at night, it would have been a million-dollar view. But that impossible location rose up from the clear blue ocean. It was like a dragon. A giant dragon with a thick forest growing from its back.


    It had completely left the category of modern weaponry.


    That was why Heivia¡¯s mind erroneously saw it as something from another world.


    He was less than 200 meters away from it.


    That was barely within range for infantry to target a moving human without the assistance of a scope, but what about for that extraordinary Object? You might understand how he felt if you kissed a crocodile that was larger than you were.


    He no longer felt anger at the unreasonable situation he found himself in.


    Definite fear now squeezed at his heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s there. It¡¯s really there. And it¡¯s way closer than I expected! This is like a sudden close-up of the actor¡¯s you-know-what in a 3D movie, goddammit!!¡±


    ¡°Do not fire!!¡± shouted Wraith while clinging to the same waterproof bag as the aide young man. ¡°Restrain your fear. Silence is the correct answer here. If you don¡¯t fire, it will rescue us. This is all over if you touch your guns, you hasty and simple-minded animals. The difference in firepower and armor does not matter. You saw what happened to those 5 Faith Organization Objects, didn¡¯t you? Step outside this ¡®blind spot¡¯ and you will be reduced to ashes in an instant!!¡±


    ¡°~ ~ ~!!¡±


    What would that boy have done in this situation?


    Would he have found a weakness and challenged this great a monster with just the equipment he had on hand?


    Heivia thought and thought but could not find an answer. Heivia Winchell was not Quenser Barbotage.


    Something shot by in the sky overhead.


    The boomerang-like craft was likely an unmanned spy plane. Relaying information was their entire purpose, but just like a submarine, they only emitted signals when absolutely necessary and used simple circuits for their power system. At any rate, you would never end up with that trimmed-down silhouette with the thick armor and fire-extinguishing equipment needed to increase a pilot¡¯s survival.


    ¡°Tch. They¡¯re spying on our little swim, dammit!!¡±


    It did not matter if it had missiles hanging from its wings or not. Once they were located, the Manhattan could send any number of shells their way.


    Wraith said something like a prayer.


    Was it meant as advice for the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers, or as a means of calming her own pounding heart?


    ¡°Slowly, slowly. Just let the current take you. That will bring us closer to the Manhattan 000... Listen, it can fry an area of several dozen kilometers with a single main cannon blast if it wants to. The one safe zone is right up next to the Manhattan 000 itself. Arrive at point-blank range and it can no longer use its main cannons. We haven¡¯t lost and it hasn¡¯t escaped. This is the best result. Understand!?¡±


    They did not actually do anything.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes were carried over to the Manhattan. No, that extraordinary monster had probably taken up that position to begin with. The 200 meters were gone in no time. Their sense of time may have been malfunctioning.


    ¡°...?¡±


    Heivia felt an odd bubbly feeling around him.


    It was like soaking in a bubble bath or in the jets of a jacuzzi. He looked down at his uniform below the water and saw small bubbles covering it like he was soaking in a carbonated beverage.


    Hadn¡¯t Taratua, the girl he had shot himself, theorized that it used supercavitation to reduce the resistance of moving through the water?


    Heivia¡¯s group was carried over to a location that jutted out sharply.


    Wraith groaned while she rocked in the waves.


    ¡°The downtown district. Lower Manhattan. This is probably where you would normally board the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.¡±


    The distance was now zero. They had arrived at Manhattan.


    Heivia managed to grab onto the concrete bank.


    He sensed the presence of quite a few people.


    ¡°!?¡±


    With no hesitation whatsoever, he obeyed his survival instincts and aimed his assault rifle straight up.


    And a moment later...


    ¡°Wow. Hey, can I take a picture of that?¡±


    He heard a silly voice.


    It was a small child of less than 10.


    The boy had an innocent smile that looked out of place in a city that had just been targeted by 5 Faith Organization Second Generations. Was he even aware that there was a war going on?


    ¡°That¡¯s a Legitimacy Kingdom uniform, right? I¡¯ve seen videos of those. The southern sea is really dirty. There are all sorts of things floating here.¡±


    In the Central American heat, Heivia froze in place with his soaked weapon still aimed up at the unarmed children who crouched down, aimed the lenses of their phones and game systems his way, and produced electronic shutter sounds.


    The children were carrying backpacks and water bottles, so they were probably on a field trip or something.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s like the person we saw juggling over there!¡±


    ¡°Yes, a street performer. You give them money to tell them they did a good job.¡±


    They threw some change his way like anyone would at the water¡¯s edge in a tourist area.


    A soft female voice came from somewhere. It was probably a recorded announcement.


    ¡°Welcome to Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan! Why not take a break and enjoy the greenery to recover from sightseeing at the famous Wall Street? At our park...¡±


    Another look around showed a park below the blue sky.


    A few speakers stood up from the gently rising hills covered in a carefully-maintained lawn. And beyond that were true skyscrapers. Those were the buildings of Wall Street, the world¡¯s largest financial street.


    The field trip children were not the only ones there.


    A young wife was stretching on a yoga mat laid out on the lawn. An old man was jogging slowly down the winding path and a large pet dog was running out ahead of its master. There were plenty of people practicing martial arts or playing guitars on the grass.


    There was a giant divide between sea and land.


    The difference was so great that Heivia could not shake the feeling that he had just traveled through time.


    It was peaceful.


    He had come across a true safe country.


    It was enough to make Heivia and his assault rifle look absurd.


    ¡°What the hell...is going on?¡±


    ¡°The eye of the storm may be surprisingly calm. It is always the onlookers and not those directly involved who make the biggest fuss. Which is why you professionals should be more responsible about what you say.¡±


    Wraith must not have been able to get up on the concrete by herself. Drenched, she climbed up into Battery Park with some help from the aide young man pushing up on her small butt.


    She then extended her small hand to pull the young man up.


    ¡°See? We were right not to fire. Provoking them would have been dealt with like a major crime in a safe country. You would have been shot as a violent criminal instead of dealt with like a prisoner of war.¡±


    Then they heard the sound of thick rubber scraping on the ground.


    Something had approached them at some point. It was probably made of the same substance as a special operations rubber boat. A girl moved across the grass with her butt inside a giant swim ring. There were no apparent tires or treads on the bottom...but as far as they could tell, it was moving as smoothly as a curling stone.


    ¡°Oh, Wraith. 419. Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Melly. You¡¯ve changed your look again, I see.¡±


    Wraith smiled, but she gave off some slight tension. If this girl was using active self-denial, any past relationship with her was no guarantee of safety.


    She was a girl of about 14 with brown skin and a blonde bob cut. The gentle curves of secondary sexual characteristics were contained by what looked like a two-piece surgical gown made of crimson oil paper. It was reminiscent of what one would wear for a massage or medical exam. She held a tablet in both hands...except it may have actually been a notebook-sized game system.


    She wore what looked like a backwards baseball cap, but it was not.


    Were those special VR goggles?


    ¡°Yes. The wheelchair and medical bed were not very promising. I got bedsores on my back. Ever since I partially retired after breaking my spine, the earth¡¯s gravity is pure torture. From there, it was a battle with the literature. In the end, I decided to revert to the basics. 881. I don¡¯t know if you should call it a waterbed or an oil damper, but it¡¯s something like that. I fill this swim ring with a special liquid and then have it vibrate with a set pattern.¡±


    This was Melly Martini Extradry.


    If the information they had been given was accurate, she would be the Martini in charge of New York¡¯s security.


    She controlled Manhattan over the head of the Pilot Elite. She must not have been used to the male gaze despite her risqu¨¦ outfit because, when she was exposed to concentrated fire from the eyes of Heivia and the other potatoes floating in the ocean, she pulled her hands back toward her chest like a praying mantis. She somewhat nervously continued as if trying to distract them from something.


    ¡°The undercarriage uses a flagellum structure. 791. Okay? Do you remember the insane team that researched the structure of euglenas based on the theory that you could overturn the food chain if you gave plants the ability to move as quickly as humans?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the one where they settled on the conclusion that euglenas aren¡¯t actually plants?¡±


    Wraith looked up at a flower-like security camera looking down at her.


    ¡°Is that for more than just decoration?¡±


    Security cameras were all about mutual surveillance. With a square room, you could place a camera in opposing corners to cover both their blind spots. But that distribution grew much more complex outdoors.


    The swim ring girl nodded proudly.


    ¡°It¡¯s cross-pollination. Whether they use the wind, insects, or birds, flowers can prosper as far as their pollen reaches. That made them incredibly useful as an example of how to set those up to cover for each other.¡±


    ¡°If you were that thorough... Oh, so that¡¯s the basic theory behind the excessively-large Manhattan 000.¡±


    ¡°Turgor pressure is incredible. The Bullmites were the extent of what animal research could handle. At this size, existing examples of muscular and skeletal structure are no use whatsoever. 660. It might be easier to think of it as crossing the divide between plant and animal. A 1000-year-old cedar supports more mass than a whale or mammoth.¡±


    Wraith already looked exasperated, but Melly did not stop. It was not clear if this was her area of interest or if she wanted to keep her mind off of the male gazes focused on her, but she felt the need to say it all. Just like a child showing off their treasure in a local park, the brown girl smiled and raised the game system she held in both hands.


    ¡°Tah dah! It¡¯s Stick VR. 721. With smartphones and computers, we reign supreme here in North America, but we just can¡¯t seem to compete with the Island Nation when it comes to video game systems.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. You aren¡¯t making any sense. Weren¡¯t Stick VR and Paste VR rivals?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I forcibly built some compatible software to bypass that. Man, it was quite a job concentrating all of Manhattan¡¯s functions down to this one device. 993. But that improved things immensely.¡±


    It was like she was showing off her level of influence.


    The next thing they knew, the gathered children had been casually led away by their teacher. Was Melly monitoring all of Manhattan on that one flat-screen monitor and could she spy on the 10 million people¡¯s personal lives whenever she wanted? What was the actual Elite doing?


    Next, they heard the sound of metal fitting together.


    Two or three 2-meter quadrupedal animals made of steel and composite armor walked up alongside the girl whose butt was inside the giant swim ring. They were combat support robots modeled after bulls. They could carry weapons, act as shields, search out the enemy, drive the target out from behind cover, or even crash into the target with more force than a large motorcycle. They blatantly rubbed their bodies together. They could communicate without accessing a server by recreating the actions and society of animals.


    They did not even need a controller.


    Just give them a general target and their programs would have them work as a group to surround and neutralize that target as quickly as possible. The sheep dog did not even need to give any instructions. Those serverless unmanned weapons would work together and achieve victory all on their own as long as they had an objective set. The cowgirl watching over them only had to provide the herd with corrections when absolutely necessary.


    Wraith glanced upwards at the 6-petalled flower shape of the devices distributed using the theory of cross-pollination.


    ¡°...Everything you do is always so involved.¡±


    ¡°789. Manhattan is only one of New York¡¯s 5 boroughs, but it contains more than 700,000 security cameras. Of course we¡¯re going to make sure they look nice.¡±


    Needless to say, those were not the only eyes and ears in Manhattan. Even during the intense fighting with the Faith Organization, Melly must have accurately predicted where on Manhattan Wraith and the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers would wash up. She had clearly sent out that unmanned spy plane to check on the situation.


    And with that in mind, the brown girl wearing nothing but a two-piece surgical gown made of crimson paper asked a question.


    ¡°So who are they? 002.¡±


    ¡°Oh, them.¡±


    Wraith kept her cool.


    And Heivia¡¯s group still had not climbed up onto land. That proved a devastating mistake.


    ¡°They¡¯re something of a souvenir. They¡¯re the ones who killed Taratua.¡±


    They didn''t even have time to shout.


    Wraith took a device the size of a large lunchbox from the young man and tossed it toward the ocean. It was an AED, a medical device that used an electric current equivalent to a stun gun in order to shock the heart.


    ¡°Bwah...!?¡±


    The power light flashed and the two electrodes attached by the same curly cables as a home phone flew through the air. The flat electrodes contacted the ocean¡¯s surface. Heivia was already soaked and there was nothing he could do even when he saw it coming.


    With a dull bursting noise, the potatoes were neutralized in an instant.


    The bright blue ocean disappeared. Everything fell into darkness.


    ¡°It seems you didn¡¯t trust me, but did you think I would still have any fondness for you left after you kept threatening to kill me? The Information Alliance maintenance fleet corrupted by Taratua was the worst, but the Legitimacy Kingdom is just as bad for helping. To be honest, I¡¯m sick of it all. You can¡¯t expect someone as honest and straightforward as me to not want to switch sides.¡±


    As Heivia¡¯s consciousness faded, he thought he heard the girl laughing scornfully down at him.


    ¡°When you get down to it, I belong to the Information Alliance. The gears shifted out of place after I shot Quenser, but I shouldn¡¯t have had any reason to be trapped between enemy and ally. ...Melly, I will sell them to you as a sign of trust. Will that cover the Manhattan 000¡¯s boarding fee?¡±


    Part 4


    Only ten minutes had passed.


    ¡°Oh? Is this what their new maple caramel parfait is? It¡¯s just soaked in maple syrup! What does that have to do with the Island Nation!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you...¡±


    After leaving the park of betrayal and passing through Wall Street which was often seen in movies and dramas, they found a strange scene filled with Asian writing. It was the area known as Chinatown.


    For some reason, Wraith the traitor and Heivia the betrayed were seated at the same table in front of an Asian chain caf¨¦ there. The scene was just as awkward as having a caf¨¦ maid kick you out and later running into her at a nearby convenience store.


    The group of drenched potatoes in Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms must have seemed like better content than a kitten climbing into a bag because phone cameras were aimed their way from every direction.


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray was equally soaked, but she had a towel draped over her head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this outcome either, so what can I say?¡± She sounded annoyed. ¡°I never expected the enemy soldiers I sold out to be released into the city with only their weapons confiscated.¡±


    ¡°Speaky! Tell me how to silence this piece of shit!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s shout was only meant to comfort himself, but the bottle-shaped speaker in the middle of the table provided the clever reply of ¡°Start by taking a deep breath. Some days are like this.¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes had all gathered in one place, but they had not been handcuffed or given GPS ankle bracelets.


    The enemy must not have deemed it necessary.


    The flower-like stationary security cameras were not the only eyes watching them. They were apparently a rare sight wherever they went because Asian strangers were aiming their phone cameras at the soldiers purely out of curiosity. Having lenses aimed their way from every direction made them feel a certain way.


    ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re animals in the zoo. I¡¯m going to kill every last one of them...¡±


    ¡°Well, this is probably a cage made of data. Manhattan doesn¡¯t have a prison, so they have several layers of human management at each coordinate.¡±


    Water erupted upwards like a fountain from the fire hydrant at the end of the road.


    New York¡¯s proper latitude was similar to Hokkaido in the Island Nation. No one was used to the Central American climate, so they all looked overheated. They could always stay indoors and receive the benefit of air conditioning, but they were so obsessed with finding content for social media that they braved the discomfort and let the fire hydrant¡¯s water cool them off.


    ¡°Maintaining a calm facade but going nuts on social media. That¡¯s just how New Yorkers are.¡±


    After giving an exasperated look to those wealthy people who were intent on showing off how unfazed they were that Manhattan had started to move, Wraith grabbed a junk food mini spring roll from a rectangular cardboard container and tossed it into her small mouth.


    She winked and pointed at the floral security camera overhead.


    ¡°People who put a lot of wasted effort into appearances are willing to die for their pride. Closing yourself up in your room is the ultimate form of self-indulgence, but being closed up by someone else is solitary confinement in prison. You can live in the exact same coordinate in New York, but the label slapped onto you can make that feel like heaven or like hell. That¡¯s probably how the people are controlled.¡±


    ¡°What the hell!? Does it only take you five seconds to forget who you threw under the bus, crazy girl!? Do you have any idea what you did!?¡±


    Heivia shouted angrily and started to stand up, but then a heavy metallic noise rang out.


    A 2m composite armor bull that was heavier than a large motorcycle had slowly stood up from where it had been seated on the ground.


    Wraith gently raised both hands, winked, and devilishly stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°This city has the world¡¯s highest camera density. You heard what she said about the flowers, right? If you don¡¯t learn from the New Yorkers and increase your tech literacy, the government will be spying on you out in reality and on the internet. So until you learn the rules, how about you avoid any actions that might be misinterpreted? Those Bullmites do not use a server and only need their simple circuits to coordinate, but if one tackles you, you¡¯ll be bedridden for the remainder of your life. I¡¯m sure they have you surrounded in an inescapable layout calculated out using big data simulations and baseball data theory. Nonlethal weapons can be a type of sadism. Since they can beat you up without killing you, no one has to hesitate before using them.¡±


    ¡°Curse those weird Bullshits or whatever they¡¯re called...¡±


    ¡°You probably lost another life just now. The question is how many lives you have left before it¡¯s game over.¡±


    Heivia, Wraith, and the others had successfully landed on the extraordinary Object, but they saw no sign of soldiers walking around. The only people they saw were the New Yorkers of that safe country known as the racial salad bowl. Instead of people, the city was being patrolled and protected by unmanned weapons, primarily the Bullmites that kept gently rubbing their bodies together.


    And the passersby showed no concern when they saw several dozen soldiers from an enemy nation.


    A digital surveillance society was a creepy thing, but at the same time, everyone assumed it was targeted at the anti-government guerillas, enemy soldiers, and other minorities that had been rejected from the larger framework of society. They assumed they would not be affected themselves if they did the clever thing and obeyed.


    But in truth, they had no guarantee whatsoever who the unseen observers would decide to cast out on a whim.


    ¡°...This really is the Information Alliance, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± complained Heivia. ¡°I see where we stand here now, but more importantly, the instant I get my gun back, I¡¯m firing some bullets right up your ass, goddammit...¡±


    A large donut-shaped swim ring slid over like a curling stone and it carried Melly Martini Extradry who only had a game system and a two-piece surgical gown made of crimson paper. The ring looked like it would flip over on even the smallest slope, but the smiling brown girl maintained perfect balance. This was different from the unmanned weapons that used simple circuits and no server. Just like the game system, the ring may have been directly linked to the Manhattan 000.


    The blonde bob cut girl held the family game system that was probably monitoring all of Manhattan, moved freely around in the liquid-filled swim ring, wore VR goggles like a backwards baseball cap, and pulled her limbs in close as if afraid of the potatoes¡¯ gazes.


    ¡°Sorry about the wait, Wraith. 650. Oh, would you look at that unusual pairing.¡±


    ¡°Running across them was not exactly reassuring, just so you know.¡±


    ¡°029. They¡¯re on a different layer, so it¡¯s fine. They couldn¡¯t touch you even if you are at the same coordinates. Okay? Now, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Heivia spat on the ground and raised his middle finger, so a composite armor bull knocked over the table and crashed into him. Counting each individual wrong move he had made would be too much work, but it seemed he had just used up his last life. The serverless Bullmites¡¯ simple circuits could apparently comprehend manners.


    After leaving the sweaty men, the brown girl with her butt in the swim ring looked more able to spread her wings. And that was more than a figure of speech. Her brown arms and legs had been freed, just like a butterfly spreading its wings after leaving the hard, dry chrysalis.


    ...Of course, Wraith did not want to let the brown girl notice her own tension.


    ¡°Hmm. What is it, Wraith? 202.¡±


    ¡°Well... I was just noticing that you still haven¡¯t lost that habit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only tagging my memories. 751. It doesn¡¯t really mean anything, so just ignore it.¡±


    Wraith had heard before that she added 3-digit numbers within her words to provide arbitrary landmarks to help her accurately recall her memories later on. The numbers could be entirely meaningless. As long as they were not too close together, repeats were fine and even gave the memory an antique feel, so there would be no unintended overwriting of the sort worried about during the Y2K problem.


    As New York¡¯s defense commander, Melly held a very important position, but her eccentricities stood out even compared to the other Martinis like Wraith, Dorothea, Alisa, Rica, Orsia, Piranirie, and Taratua.


    ¡°New York¡¯s defense commander, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡±


    (How much is she involved in all this? Did Capulet simply lend her the Manhattan 000 and its Elite for the benefit of the Information Alliance as a whole? Or has she succumbed to Capulet thanks to an abuse of active self-denial?)


    Wraith was definitely suspicious, but she would gain nothing by letting her suspicions be known.


    She turned a skeptical eye toward Melly whose butt was inside the swim ring and who only wore a red paper surgical gown.


    ¡°...That is quite the outfit you¡¯re wearing. You always dress so oddly.¡±


    ¡°This was driven by necessity, so it¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. Plus, fashions and common sense can be easily manipulated by continuous statements on social media. After establishing the basic supporting legs of beauty and health, you can add in some charitable and economic effects as the finishing touches. 515. I could make wrapping your naked body in a ribbon this year¡¯s biggest trend and I could create a high society where you¡¯re shunned if you don¡¯t finish it off with strawberries and whipped cream.¡±


    That sounded like a joke, but no one in the Chinatown aimed their smartphones toward Melly despite how much soft skin she was showing. In fact, their attention was drawn to Wraith in her black military uniform that stood out among all the colorful casual clothes.


    ...But Melly herself began blushing and trembling a bit with her butt still inside the swim ring. An ominous atmosphere had set in while Wraith was not paying attention.


    ¡°...Wait.¡±


    ¡°Oh, excuse me. Heh...heh heh. Everyone just walks by this unusual sight without even noticing. Even though I¡¯m showing an unthinkable amount of skin in an unthinkable location. Heh heh heh heh heh. No, I can¡¯t record this to memory. 081, 099. Yes, yes, I really shouldn¡¯t be. When will they notice? When will someone realize this isn¡¯t right? Eh heh heh heh heh heh heh...¡±


    The black-uniformed girl could only form a small triangle with her mouth and fall silent.


    Finding special meaning in no one noticing that something was out of the ordinary was subtly different from a perverted old man who wandered around the late night streets with only a trench coat on. It may have been more like someone who enjoyed the borderline thrill of walking through the crowds of a packed tourist beach in nothing but bikini body paint.


    ...This would explain the odd tension when Heivia and the others had looked at her. Unlike the residents of Manhattan, the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes had not been on the receiving end of any data manipulation, so they would have seen the brown girl¡¯s paper two-piece surgical gown without any cognitive filters in place.


    ¡°You must have a...stressful job...¡±


    ¡°Oh, what ever are you talking about? 121. Nnn.¡±


    Melly stretched out her arms and legs to take a strange pose atop the swim ring, so her game system may have had bad reception in that exact location. Wraith was very worried that the crimson oil paper covering her soft skin was going to tear at any moment. Was she invincible as long as she had those cognitive filters? It may have felt something like taking a selfie, but the brown swim ring girl was constantly checking on herself with the countless floral security cameras. In accordance with the concept of cross-pollination, they were positioned so their pollen range just barely overlapped.


    ¡°435. Anyway, I never expected you to visit Manhattan like this.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that after you stopped reporting back as your duty requires?¡±


    Wraith and her aide did not even glance over in the direction of the chaos caused by the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes and the two of them walked down the street with the other Martini Series girl. Three of the serverless Bullmites that rubbed their bodies together followed the giant swim ring that was presumably linked to the Manhattan 000.


    As far as Wraith could tell, her aide did not ¡°count¡± in Melly¡¯s eyes. She did not shrink down when his cold, mechanical eyes fell on her.


    Or perhaps she viewed him as belonging to someone else.


    Swim Ring Girl Melly glanced over at the composite armor bulls and spoke.


    ¡°They might seem intimidating, but this is necessary. Also, the Bullmites have air purifiers attached. 223. Try to feel at home around them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds smart, but it¡¯s actually pretty foolish. There¡¯s no point in using those outdoors...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re underestimating New York, Wraith. 090. This is a shockingly gluttonous polluted region that has the world¡¯s greatest medical development yet can¡¯t brag about its average lifespan.¡±


    They left the Chinatown and continued north into SoHo. As the swim ring passed right behind a uniformed police officer writing a ticket for a car parked on the curb, the brown girl started trembling again. Wraith spoke up while glancing over at the giant window of a luxury shop selling shoes and bags.


    ¡°What do you know about Piranirie Martini Smoky? I am speculating that she was using active self-denial.¡±


    ¡°Ahem. Do you mean the method of breaking the Martini Series using an external source? We¡¯re near New Caribbean Island right now and I wouldn¡¯t have brought the Manhattan 000 all the way here if I wasn¡¯t aware of the Ragnarok Script. 381. As New York¡¯s defense commander, I put a stop to it across the entirety of Manhattan.¡±


    ¡°Ragnarok?¡±


    ¡°Oh? You hadn¡¯t discovered that over-the-top name? It seems some Faith Organization rats snuck into the Information Alliance to investigate our vulnerabilities. 115. I left them alone and intercepted every last one of their transmissions to ensure I had the whole picture, but that may have been a mistake. They managed to slip away and I was too slow to react.¡±


    ¡°...I want to ask this directly: Are you still a functioning Martini?¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, Piranirie was so easily corrupted because her stopper had so little influence. 991. Unlike the other Martinis, she always found some excuse to act independently.¡±


    The brown girl smiled and let her bare legs dangle from the donut-shaped ring like she was relaxing at home, but she also looked to a spot next to Wraith.


    Melly was looking at the young man who worked as Wraith¡¯s aide.


    ¡°I¡¯m jealous. 544. Mine died in the operation that broke my spine.¡±


    ¡°You were the one that refused to accept a replacement.¡±


    ¡°088. Imagine it happened to you. Would you be happy if they said they could supply a replacement so easily?¡±


    After that blunt statement, Melly realized the contradiction of her words and gently shook her head.


    Just as the large swim ring she controlled with her notebook-sized game system moved out onto the crosswalk, the crosswalk light switched from red to green. She had grabbed the game system with both hands, held the two detachable controllers with her toes, and stretched out her legs in a mystery pose, so had she done something?


    A large truck waiting at the light was loaded full of crouching Bullmites. They looked like illegally parked bicycles or a wireless industrial power station at a security company that could charge devices by the dozen. It was a mobile power supply truck.


    The surgical gown girl trembled a bit while exposed to the crowd¡¯s view in all directions at the middle of the large crosswalk.


    ¡°Well, I might be much the same since I distract myself from the loneliness by messing with machines. 777. That¡¯s essentially the same as being given a replacement.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    This was no time for sentimentality.


    The Manhattan 000 had left the Information Alliance home country and come here. And neither the actual Pilot Elite nor Melly Martini Extradry had a partner to act as a stopper. She had a high risk of going berserk just like Piranirie. She had just about reached the peak, but things were looking ominous. Even if she started descending the mountain out of active self-denial, no one would encourage her and tell her to continue toward the peak.


    If its owner was to be believed, the swim ring moved so smoothly thanks to an artificial flagellum structure. Once it finished crossing the crosswalk, the brown girl spoke with her eyes lowered toward her game system¡¯s screen.


    ¡°Do you suspect me of going berserk? 895.¡±


    ¡°If you want to clear away the suspicions of another world power using that Ragnarok Script thing to influence the Martini Series, then you at least need to remove the Manhattan 000¡¯s Pilot Elite from their cockpit. Showing that you can do that would prove your authority and sanity.¡±


    ¡°290. Sorry, but I can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    As soon as great tension filled Wraith Martini Vermouthspray¡¯s small body, the young man by her side inconspicuously altered his position. He was preparing for a response from the Bullmites that coordinated their actions by rubbing their bodies together instead of using EM signals.


    But the reality far exceeded his expectations.


    The entire area of land shook.


    The scale was so great that understanding slipped from their minds. Wraith and the others were in Manhattan, which meant they were on top of a giant Object.


    It had moved ever so slightly.


    Black-uniformed and blonde Wraith shrieked and clung to the nearby young man like a small child in a safe country, but the brown girl used her notebook-sized game system to hide the smile on her lips.


    She could do more than monitor.


    Once Melly had composed her expression once more, she lightly waved the game system.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you it was quite a job concentrating all of Manhattan¡¯s functions down to this one device? Okay? I am the Martini in control of New York¡¯s defense. That means I control everything related to Manhattan at the center. 808. Yes, and that includes everything related to the Manhattan 000 as the world¡¯s largest Object.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying...it¡¯s you?¡±


    Wraith stared in shock as Melly placed the game system itself on her belly, grabbed the two remote-like wireless controllers in her hands, and made some light punches without her hips behind them.


    Did the controllers contain gyros, or were the movements being monitored by the floral security cameras set up everywhere based on the theory of cross-pollination that allowed multiple plants to cover each other¡¯s pollen distribution range? The exact method was unknown, but the sound of Melly¡¯s voice clearly changed


    Wraith had not noticed at all.


    Until now, the ring had been using a surround sound device to place a different sound amplitude over Melly¡¯s voice to alter it in real time.


    This was what it sounded like without that support. She oddly pronounced each syllable very distinctly for a voice that sounded more machinelike than a machine.


    ¡°Yes, I have mastered the basics of every single strengthening program. I am #29 in the Martini Series and also the Manhattan 000¡¯s Pilot Elite.¡±


    That should not have been possible.


    If the Martini Series could directly manage the Information Alliance¡¯s Objects, Wraith would not be needed to clean up after their troops lost or went berserk.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s just like the Gatling 033 in that it¡¯s assumed I¡¯ll be working with the AI. Capulet and I eliminate each other¡¯s errors in a symbiotic relationship. I don¡¯t know about the Information Alliance as a whole, but within my territory of New York and inside the Manhattan 000 as an Object, I have greater authority than Capulet.¡±


    In ¨C other ¨C words.


    The brown girl once more passed her voice through the machine to stabilize it.


    ¡°This Object is mine and mine alone. 217. The Capulet AI Network is only borrowing it over the high-speed lines. Just like remote surgery.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous... Aren¡¯t you afraid of a conflict?¡±


    Wraith was dumbfounded by this product that sounded like suicide to her.


    The blonde bob cut swim ring girl responded while waving her thin game system.


    ¡°Stick VR. ...I said I had built some compatible software to bypass it, right? 567. Including everything I might need is my style.¡±


    She literally controlled everything in Manhattan.


    She had become one with this pricey area of New York.


    That explained why Melly could not escape her loneliness.


    ¡°But I also use Manhattan to control this assistance device I¡¯m sitting in. Like I said, walking in earth¡¯s gravity is pure torture because of my broken spine. 765. I really am sorry, but I must ask you not to remove my helmet.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was nothing to be done if she was rejecting it. Either way, Wraith could not force anything. One method of neutralizing a sturdy Object was to focus your attacks on the Pilot Elite...but she likely could not use her infighting or assassination trump cards here.


    Choosing to oppose Melly Martini Extradry was the same as making a head-on attack on the Manhattan 000. Needless to say, choosing that would end with her being vaporized.


    For now, she would have to solidify her position here as much as she could.


    ¡°Why did you bring the Manhattan 000 here?¡±


    ¡°Did you think it was all my decision? 915. Even if I wield the dual swords of Martini and Elite, I am still just an individual. There is only so much I can do. In general, everything is the result of my conversations with the Capulet AI Network. I thought it was necessary, so I lent it the Manhattan 000 as the quickest tool available. So, Wraith, the problem is the exact opposite of the one you think it is.¡±


    Of course, if Melly had fallen into active self-denial, she would simply go along with the AI¡¯s erroneous decisions. If the mistakes were not pointed out as mistakes, even Capulet would gradually shift off course. But something felt off, so Wraith frowned and asked about it.


    ¡°What do you mean by that...?¡±


    ¡°111. The Manhattan 000 has not gone berserk because of a major problem. Nor have I, the checker, been broken.¡±


    Because it was linked with the Manhattan 000, the giant swim ring hopped up with smooth movements to carry Melly up the stone steps as she got to the crux of the issue.


    ¡°Capulet detected a large enough external problem to require bringing the Manhattan 000 onto the stage, so it made a swift request to resolve that problem. That is why I lent it this Object. 901. That seems like the most natural way of looking at this.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. Are you saying...?¡±


    ¡°I had predicted this was about swiftly purging Piranirie after the Ragnarok Script corrupted her, but it looks like that wasn¡¯t all it was. 501.¡±


    This was a completely different idea.


    Many things shifted around inside Wraith¡¯s mind and the brown Martini girl asked a question while peering into her eyes.


    ¡°So I have a question. Okay? 331. What happened out here near New Caribbean Island? What kind of monster slumbers in the ocean here?¡±


    Part 5


    ¡°Heivia, Heivia.¡±


    Myonri had a good reason for sounding so nervous as she called his name.


    Sit. Lie down.


    The 2m composite armor bull was politely standing directly above Heivia who was collapsed face down on the ground. Even without a server, they were apparently obedient enough to attack delinquent soldiers. They really were well made.


    Heivia had been entirely incapacitated and could only squeeze out the voice of a squished frog.


    ¡°...Myonri, drag me out of here before this piece of junk starts moving its hips. I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯ve lived a life that lets me hold my head high in front of the Virgin Mary, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit much to let this machine force some bestiality onto me?¡±


    ¡°Um, what are we going to do now?¡±


    Myonri may have gained the ability to automatically filter out anything that would dirty her ears too much. The other potatoes also showed no sign of providing a helping hand.


    Myonri was fed up of being spied on by the trumpet or flower-like security cameras that were arranged based on the ability of cross-pollinizing flowers to cover each other¡¯s pollen distribution range.


    ¡°Manhattan has come all the way to New Caribbean Island, but at the moment, all it has done is come here. Nor does it seem to be preparing to attack anywhere else. In that case...what are we supposed to fight against once we get our guns back?¡±


    ¡°What are you smiling about? Are you interested in what their ass tastes like? This is the enemy¡¯s greatest Object! There¡¯s no sign of the actual Elite, Capulet is putting in overtime under that crazy Martini¡¯s control, and they¡¯ve already used their electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon for a preemptive strike with no advance warning!!¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯re just supposed to shoot the innocent people walking around here? Doesn¡¯t that seem like the wrong target?¡± Myonri placed a hand on her slender chin. ¡°It¡¯s still unclear whether that...Miss Martini? was using Manhattan to target us in the Legitimacy Kingdom or the Information Alliance maintenance fleet corrupted by Piranirie. We were the ones that infiltrated that fleet, so if they say they didn¡¯t know about it, it would mean we were simply caught in the middle of an internal purge...¡±


    An odd groan escaped Heivia¡¯s mouth.


    That would mean there had been no act of war in the first place and they would have no reason for a counterattack. That would make Heivia and the Legitimacy Kingdom the aggressors in attacking Manhattan and the Information Alliance.


    They had done a lot to hype up how frightening the Manhattan was, but now that they were onboard, they found it was peaceful. It was true it had arrived in the ocean near New Caribbean Island, but it was not moments away from vaporizing the Legitimacy Kingdom military with its extreme firepower. It was a mystery who the Manhattan¡¯s opponent was and where it had been targeting with that initial attack. Heivia and the others had not been handcuffed or thrown in a cell. They had been released into the city.


    There was nothing they could do now.


    The potatoes felt silly for getting so worked up about war.


    With nothing here, that macho army had lost their reason to fight. It would have been much simpler if they had discovered a plot to wipe out the human race. Like this, it looked more like they were trying to stir up trouble in the perfectly peaceful city to start a war.


    This was a fully controlled society.


    People were bound by data.


    Heivia had glimpsed the fear of a digital city that did not even need to separate out the criminals. Something deep in the delinquent soldier¡¯s heart told him it was all over if he let this break him. So he desperately searched for a reason.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to just go along with this and have my bones buried in the Information Alliance. I have noble blood, so I have to inherit the Winchell family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice idea...but what if they say they¡¯re contacting our embassy in preparation to hand us over safely?¡±


    They would break.


    Even if nothing of the sort was actually happening, Heivia and the others would break if that Melly girl told them that. While she dodged the issue and stalled for time, they would get used to this, lose interest, and decide this was good enough.


    Anyone would be afraid.


    If you were thrown out in front of such a colossal weapon and told you had to fight it if you had any complaints, anyone would be scared out of their mind. That was why Myonri and the others were clinging to this temporary peace. If they could not find a reason to continue fighting, then why fight? They wanted support for that conclusion.


    But that was not good enough.


    For one thing, the words of the Information Alliance could not be trusted. They had to assume those words were like disposable bullets meant to manipulate their target and devour everything of value they had.


    They should have learned that lesson already.


    Back on that ship¡¯s deck when their friend had been helplessly shot to death.


    ¡°We-...¡±


    Heivia opened his mouth to resume arguing with Myonri and the others who were about to fall for it.


    But he was cut off.


    It was a dull and unpleasant metallic noise a lot like a poorly-crafted bell being struck. It came from directly above Heivia who still lay pinned to the ground. It came from the side of that Bullmite. A thumb-sized hole had appeared there and sparks flew from it like a handheld firework or smoke bomb.


    Except circuit boards would not spew sparks like that no matter how you damaged them.


    This was clearly the work of a chemical meant to fry the circuits.


    ¡°A sniper...using armor-piercing incendiary rounds!?¡±


    After an especially large burst of sparks from within the electronics, the entire Bullmite went limp. If it had not collapsed to the side, it might have crushed Heivia under its weight.


    But Heivia did not look exactly delighted after gaining the freedom he had so desperately desired.


    ¡°Who did that...?¡±


    He asked without thinking, but no one knew the answer. All of the few dozen Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers were gathered in this same location, so none of them could have left and prepared a sniper rifle on a building roof.


    But that meant nothing to the people around them.


    The Asian passersby widened their eyes, held out their many phones, and produced countless electronic shutter sounds.


    Heivia¡¯s group could tell they were surrounded by killer intent.


    Patrolling Bullmites appeared from around seemingly every corner, as if the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had triggered the cage of data. And the machines were clearly in a different mode than before. Even if they did not use a server, their simple circuits were apparently enough to pick up on their fellow Bullmite¡¯s demise and work together to resolve the situation.


    But they were fundamentally wrong. They mistakenly thought the soldiers had broken the rules.


    This time, Heivia¡¯s group really would be killed.


    ¡°What dumbass did that!?¡±


    There were 700,000 public security cameras and who-knows-how-many phones and drive recorders on top of that. And yet no one could answer that fundamental question.


    Who had thrown the stone?


    Round 2 had begun.


    Part 6


    That free and peaceful city looked entirely different now.


    The countless security cameras, which were set up according to some big theory about cross-pollination or whatever, were no help at all. They would not clear the soldiers¡¯ names of this false accusation.


    ¡°What the hell, what the hell, what the hell hell hell!?¡±


    Even if someone else had thrown the rock, they had to deal with the pests that erupted out of the hornet¡¯s nest. But Heivia and the others had no weapons, so they only had one option. If they did not run away, they would die. All of them would be killed together. The Bullmite on Heivia¡¯s back had collapsed, so he had to get up and run through the Chinatown.


    ¡°Wh-where are we supposed to run to!?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°All 20,000 meters of this place is on top of an Information Alliance Object!!¡±


    ¡°If you really want an answer, then put your hands on your knees, stick your ass out toward them, and take the time to think! Me? I¡¯m running!!¡±


    After turning a corner in the Chinatown, Heivia found an ordinary gun barrel aimed his way.


    ¡°!?¡±


    He grabbed and twisted the attacker¡¯s wrist and slammed them back-first into the ground only to find it was a college student.


    ¡°Why does a civilian have such a big submachine gun!? Are these easier to get than the Island Nation¡¯s Stick or Pokemamo!?¡±


    When Heivia fired a few warning shots into the air, the passersby all crouched down and hid below tables and benches. In what seemed to be a sign of surrender, they tossed guns and cartridges out like money offerings. The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers did not have time to take them all while they fled, but in something like marathon runners at a water station, they all ended up with guns from a variety of makers.


    ¡°There is something seriously wrong with the North American market,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Aren¡¯t there more guns than on the battlefield?¡±


    ¡°Revolvers, shotguns, submachineguns...are these really all for self-defense?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°Uwehh, there¡¯s even some LMGs and sniper rifles...!?¡±


    Guns was more reassuring than no guns, but the serverless and highly-coordinated Bullmites were designed to be used as shields. A machine would not die even if you shot it in the head or chest.


    ¡°Normal bullets¡± was not going to do the trick, so they selected lightweight weapons rather than powerful ones.


    Increasing their firepower was not going to stop the Bullmites.


    ¡°Oh, honestly!!¡±


    Heivia raised the submachinegun almost on reflex, but it was no use. He was up against machines. Threats would be useless and a stream of 9mm bullets would only be deflected by the thick armor. Given how many civilians were cowering around them, ricocheting bullets would be too great a threat.


    They were not alive.


    They did not fear destruction.


    Did the rules really change this much when unmanned weapons were sent to the battlefield?


    That was when a ¡°silver bullet¡± arrived in advance of its gunshot.


    The armor-piercing incendiary round could punch through the thick armor and fry the circuit boards within using great heat. After being fired down from some roof or another, the sniper bullet punched through the transformer controlling a traffic light, so a large truck drove through and targeted Heivia¡¯s group.


    Yes.


    The problem was that the ¡°silver bullets¡± were not just targeting the monsters.


    ¡°Watch out, dammit!! God, this is a terrible orgy!! You never know when you¡¯re going to get a face full of squid stink!!¡±


    The truck drove right over a concrete barrier that doubled as a flowerbed and came to a half-crushed stop just short of hitting the delinquent soldier. But he did not have time to catch his breath. The mystery sniper fired a few more shots into a nearby park, calling that area¡¯s Bullmites toward the soldiers. Just like gathering the attention of an isolated enemy in an online game.


    ¡°That sniper is following us,¡± said Myonri.


    ¡°Are they jumping from building to building? Hey, if you¡¯re not using that plastic sniper rifle, toss it here! Silencing that gloomy Peeping Tom takes top priority!!¡±


    That said, real snipers were not like in movies. You could not just look up and see them leaning out from the building. They seemed to be running along the roofs of the buildings alongside the sidewalk Heivia¡¯s group was running down, but it was not clear where exactly they were.


    There were countless floral security cameras set up, but they were arranged with the flow of people in mind. Simply put, monitoring the populated streets came first and the sky overhead was less closely watched.


    Meanwhile, another Bullmite pushed in to cut off their path.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to work even if you fire at it head on!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m doing, you idiot!! Bukkake-ing on a mech¡¯s face isn¡¯t my idea of fun!!¡±


    Without even using the scope, Heivia fired a high-speed rifle bullet at the fire hydrant at the end of the road. Those animal types had little surface area in contact with the ground for their weight, so they were in trouble when they lost friction. That was obvious when nothing but four small hooves were used to control the same weight as a large motorcycle.


    Myonri and the others fired more bullets as the Bullmite slipped and toppled over, but that only sent sparks flying from the armor. Not even concentrated fire on a defenseless enemy had any effect.


    ¡°What do you think about that sniper!?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Well, I definitely don¡¯t want to be their friend!!¡± replied Myonri.


    ¡°Not that. I¡¯m just talking about their skill.¡±


    The torrent from the fire hydrant had knocked over a window washer¡¯s bucket of industrial detergent, so the Bullmite slipped even more than expected and could not seem to get up. When it could not move, it seemed to have difficulty using its motions to communicate with the others. Thus, the other units did not move to help it. And the potatoes were not about to stay in one place. Heivia had to click his tongue and jump right over the mass of composite armor that could not return to the fight and kept spinning around and around like a giant pinwheel firework.


    ¡°They destroyed a traffic light to send in a truck and they provoked the Bullmites into attacking. Why are they being as indirect as a literary girl with a crush? All they need to do is fire bullets straight into our heads!!¡±


    ¡°Um, maybe they hope to make it look like an accident?¡± suggested Myonri.


    ¡°They¡¯re using armor-piercing incendiary rounds. That¡¯s more than just repacking a used cartridge bought from a gun shop. These bullets will stand out a lot more than the used gum all over the sidewalks, so there¡¯s no room for a conspiracy there.¡±


    They fired occasional warning shots into the air to deter the sniper who they still had not located. Normal bullets would not work on the Bullmites who pursued them in a coordinated fashion without using a server. After making sure the sporadic gunfire had rid the area of civilians, Heivia fired his sniper rifle straight into the air.


    A crane¡¯s wire snapped and several steel beams fell from a building under construction.


    ¡°Those things can still move after a direct hit!?¡±


    ¡°You need at least as much firepower as a powered suit!¡± said Myonri. ¡°More importantly, what were you trying to say about that sniper?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to sniping than just distance and wind direction. Machine assistance can make up for the scientific side of things, but the more social side of it is harder. You have to predict what your target will do and place the ballistic trajectory where they will be next. This sniper was always targeting things that are easy to predict: Bullmites that have no fear of death and a stationary transformer. For those, all you need to do is line up the crosshairs in the scope.¡±


    Realistically, Heivia¡¯s group was as cornered as could be.


    But he proposed a bold theory all the same.


    ¡°This sniper is only an amateur virgin. They¡¯re not confident then can satisfy us, so they¡¯re firing on the easier mechanical targets instead.¡±


    In that case, what was the attacker¡¯s field of expertise?


    The sniper attacks with armor-piercing incendiary rounds were a lot like extremely small-scale explosions. They were also good at figuring out how gadgets like the Bullmites worked. They ignored the preparations on both sides of the fight to throw the scene into chaos and achieve more than their skill would normally allow for.


    ...Come to think of it, hadn¡¯t someone well known to Heivia nervously attempted some machine-assisted sniping to rescue the Princess in the Alaska District?


    (You¡¯re kidding, right...? I¡¯d love it if he¡¯s alive, but he wouldn¡¯t make his appearance like this, would he!?)


    He heard what sounded like a thick metal clasp fitting into place.


    He looked back while running and his eyes bulged. At some point, the composite armor bulls had received attachments resembling backpacks or saddles. And attached to those were a light machinegun, grenades, and a small container magazine that resembled a cooler.


    It was as unfair as finding the relentless zombies had started cleverly aiming guns your way.


    ¡°What the hell is this...!?¡±


    That was when the sign for a subway station entered the corner of his vision.


    It was all over if those guns opened fire across the surface street. The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers and the innocent civilians who had evacuated indoors would be caught by it. Heavy machineguns used bullets thicker than a thumb, so they could tear through glass and concrete like it was styrofoam. Heivia gestured to the other potatoes and they all ran down the stairs.


    ¡°Do you really think this will save us!?¡± asked Myonri.


    ¡°How should I know!? Go call tech support!! But this will at least distance us from the sniper on the roofs. And underground, the 2D map alone won¡¯t be enough. Plus, Manhattan has turned all around with no concern for the cardinal directions, so we can only hope those things will lose track of where they are...¡±


    War was generally a contest over who could take more lives.


    Thus, they would have to change how they fought when up against lifeless unmanned weapons.


    Hearing the commotion, some benevolent station workers started to come out with stun guns, but Heivia¡¯s group aimed their real guns over to force them back while running through the chaotic ticket selling area and jumping over the ticket gate.


    They heard further angry shouts and screams from behind.


    Heivia clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Damn, did it not work!? Are they using microwaves or submillimeter waves or something!?¡±


    ¡°Could you please explain what this means!?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°I thought the Information Alliance¡¯s unmanned weapons were autonomous and didn¡¯t need to access a server!¡±


    He did not have time for that. They were dead if those things caught up.


    The floral security cameras were installed here too, so the Martini would know where they were. That limited what the potatoes could do. They would be trapped if they kept running and returned to the surface through a different exit. And even if they ran to the platform, Heivia doubted they would find a train conveniently about to depart like in a drama.


    ¡°It would only be the same standard wireless LAN that can misdirect the selfie a bored housewife meant to send to the guy she¡¯s cheating on her husband with. Could we jam it!?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any equipment, you moron!! Stop asking for the impossible! And why are you so fixated on signal interference? They¡¯ll keep coming for us even if we cut off the cameras monitoring us, right!?¡±


    They did not even have 10 seconds to think. Even a human could run across the 100-meter structure in that time.


    Heivia clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Anyone with a hand to spare, gather as many fire extinguishers as you can!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia?¡±


    ¡°Head down to the platform!! Hurry! It¡¯s meaningless if they catch up!!¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers more jumped down the stairs than ran as they rushed to the subway platform. As expected, no train conveniently slid up to the platform. The platform was empty on both sides and the college students and housewives waiting for a train all ducked down in shock when they saw the many guns.


    ¡°What are we going to do!?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°Run into the tunnel!?¡±


    ¡°What good is playing tag with machines in a long, straight tunnel? More importantly, give me the fire extinguishers! All of them!!¡±


    Heivia snatched away the red metal containers and aimed the hoses at a surprising location: the track below the platform.


    ¡°Subways send the power through the bottom instead of the top.¡±


    ¡°What does that matter?¡±


    ¡°How do those bull bastards track their location and their destination while the Manhattan turns? I¡¯m guessing they use EM waves.¡±


    ¡°But weren¡¯t we told that unmanned weapons can move around while offline?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be on a military bandwidth. It could be signals for TV, radio, cellphones, or whatever else. EM waves are waves, so the Doppler Effect comes into play. By reading the signals flying around, they can tell how Manhattan is moving. The unmanned weapons use that as a virtual compass to track their own location. Wraith said submarines are the ideal form of an unmanned weapon, right? If they¡¯re only passively receiving the signals, they don¡¯t have to worry about the enemy locating them!¡±


    Which meant...


    ¡°The Bullmites didn¡¯t get lost while underground because the microwave and submillimeter wave broadcast signals can penetrate the thick concrete. But if we use jamming to mess with the EM Doppler, they should lose track of their location and stop moving! So let¡¯s go with a corona discharge. The third rail is normally kept at a distance so it won¡¯t cause any interference, but if we place an impurity nearby, that will change!¡±


    The spraying sound was like an amplified version of a carbonated beverage.


    The bubble-type fire extinguishers launched their liquid chemical beyond the platform.


    A moment later, they heard a lot of noise from the stairs. The quadrupedal Bullmites with a firearm attachment came crashing down toward the platform.


    Myonri and the others immediately aimed their shotguns and submachineguns that way.


    Their trigger fingers remained motionless.


    The Bullmites had suddenly gone limp, lost their balance on the stairs, and started rolling.


    The collapsed unmanned weapons did not move again.


    Myonri and the others kept their guns aimed at them for a while afterwards.


    ¡°Have they...stopped?¡±


    ¡°A corona discharge doesn¡¯t make a bunch of noise like a stun gun, so it can be hard to tell anything is happening. Locating a power line was not easy since New York likes to bury everything from national secrets to broken massagers, but I figured a train¡¯s power rail would be enough to jam the EM Doppler.¡±


    With this electromagnetic interference, any photos sent from an amateur¡¯s phone would not reach their recipient. That meant they did not have to worry about any ¡°unintentional spies¡±. Heivia used his sniper rifles to shoot out each of the security cameras installed directly around the platform.


    He was a capable boy as long as he was not up against an Object.


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ve finally built a blind spot, so let¡¯s change clothes and get the hell out of here. Just like swapping cars in a parking garage or below an overpass.¡±


    Just then, there was a deep noise and the windowless subway platform was wrapped in deep darkness.


    ¡°We truly apologize for the inconvenience. The power to this station has been cut to troubleshoot a problem. Lights, air-conditioning, communications, and other services will be brought back one at a time, so to avoid tripping, please remain in place unless a station staff member provides evacuation guidance...¡±


    The sudden darkness was like having a video game unexpectedly switched off.


    Heivia worked his imagination while listening to the unnecessary announcement and then he gave a shout


    ¡°Crap!! Cutting the power stops the corona discharge!!¡±


    He could not see his hand in front of his face in this darkness, but he could hear several metallic sounds. Needless to say, machine eyes had a greater visual range than human ones. The power outage meant nothing to them. With no power to the subway¡¯s third rail, the EM Doppler would recover and the Bullmites would be unstoppable.


    Myonri gave a short shriek right next to him.


    ¡°Eek!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fire at random!! You don¡¯t know where the civilians are in this darkness!!¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do!? They effectively have night-vision goggles, so they can fire accurately!¡±


    Their firearms were commercial products taken from random people, so they were not up to military standards and were not equipped with the various cameras and sensors those soldiers were accustomed to.


    In the end, Heivia Winchell could not become Quenser Barbotage.


    And a moment later, the massive machines rushed in like charging bulls.


    Part 7


    Heivia had no idea what happened in the darkness then.


    To start with the result, the Bullmites did not turn them to Swiss cheese. Someone¡¯s hands reached in from behind, covered or grabbed his mouth and dominant hand, and then pulled him away. He heard no gunshots in the meantime. This third party was not suppressing the noise and light with silencers and flash hiders. Even those would have left some sign of gunfire.


    Nevertheless, the Bullmites did not pursue.


    After passing through two thick metal doors, brilliant light stabbed into eyes adjusted to the dark.


    His vision did not return for a while.


    ¡°When in combat mode instead of marching mode, the Bullmites choose their targets based on microwave anti-personnel radar and walking-pattern analysis instead of simple image analysis using a camera.¡±


    Heivia heard a smooth female voice.


    It belonged to the mystery person using their hands to keep him from speaking or using his dominant hand.


    ¡°Your pseudo-jamming using a corona discharge affected not just the EM Doppler but also the EM scan used for their autonomous decisions. It was a decent idea, but it seems it could not knock out the proper radar equipment.¡±


    ¡°Bwah!¡±


    Heivia was finally released.


    As his vision gradually returned, he and the other potatoes quickly glanced around to grasp their situation. First of all, they were in a narrow stone tunnel with orange mining lights hanging down at even intervals. His mouth had been covered by someone in an Information Alliance officer¡¯s uniform who had long silver hair and brown skin. The soldiers serving her were also from the Information Alliance.


    Once his eyes adjusted, it did not seem like enough.


    Below those dim lights, the beautiful brown woman with silver hair introduced herself. She had an adult face and voice that were used to smiling.


    ¡°I am Lendy Farolito. My rank is lieutenant colonel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to shake that hand which could have been holding anyone¡¯s you-know-what. I¡¯m sick of you Information Alliance people using us as your pawns. Besides, those Bullmites are your unmanned weapons, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°If we were working with the Martini, do you really think we would be hiding in this ¡®gap¡¯? If we had control over those things, we could have removed ourselves from the list of targets in advance.¡±


    The brown beauty named Lendy sounded exasperated, but Heivia and Myonri did not understand what this dark underground path even was.


    However, there were no floral security cameras or bull-like Bullmites here. Melly Martini Extradry¡¯s ubiquitous eyes did not exist here. That was enough for this dark subterranean path to feel far more liberating than the open city streets. ...Although that may have been Heivia admitting that he was Manhattan¡¯s enemy.


    ¡°Is this city nothing but secrets on top of more secrets...?¡±


    ¡°This is the Underground Railroad. ...And I do not mean it is a literal railroad located underground. This is a free space modeled after the organization that secretly rescued many slaves and helped them escape to safety during the civil war of an older age. The privileged class who were sick of this surveillance society altered the construction blueprints to create this ¡®gap¡¯. It is primarily used by students of Manhattan¡¯s Columbia University and by Wall Street brokers and lawyers who graduated from there. ...Since they could dig something like this without causing any real harm, the Manhattan 000 must be built thick down into the ocean.¡±


    ¡°N-no matter what anyone is trying to say, it always sounds like they¡¯re bragging about the Manhattan¡¯s specs. I have no idea if you¡¯ve saved us or not...¡±


    The problem was the scale of it all.


    And Lendy nodded toward dumbfounded Myonri.


    ¡°In the Information Alliance, the powerful rule the weak through information management. There is always a risk that the higher ups are well aware that we believe we have fooled them. You should assume there is no such thing as a perfect safe zone.¡±


    They had no words in response to that.


    They still could not tell what was going on, but it seemed the Information Alliance was not a monolith. There were two groups: the standard one that had sent the Bullmites to finish off Heivia¡¯s group, and the special group that had gathered the potatoes and taken them to a surveillance blind spot.


    Lendy brought a hand to her slender chin.


    ¡°We too are focused on the Manhattan 000¡¯s actions. In this case, that means the actions of the Capulet AI Network, which even the military has stopped worrying about the hardware side of, and the Martini, who is constantly conversing with that network. We have decided someone has to apply the brakes on the entire affair. Even if the AI is correct, its decisions will eventually stray from the truth if the inspector Martini continues giving it inaccurate responses. We have an idea of how to apply the brakes, but you need more than a trump card to play a game. We needed to gather enough ¡®normal cards¡¯ to reach the point where we can play that trump card.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much for ignoring everything we¡¯ve said. You will be pleased to know that being ignored by silver-haired brown-skinned young women has a way of making me nice and hard. Also, what about that sniper? Based on what you said, the natural assumption is that you stirred up that trouble to drive us down into the subway station.¡±


    ¡°...That would certainly be nice.¡±


    However, Lendy¡¯s response was a surprise.


    Heivia had expected either a yes or no answer that might be an attempt to deceive them.


    ¡°We are at as much of a loss as you are about that, so I don¡¯t know what to tell you.¡±


    The brown beauty shrugged.


    And she said it.


    ¡°It seems some other problem has arisen even as the Information Alliance is split in two over the Manhattan 000. This appears to be a different force altogether.¡±


    Part 8


    The person on a high-rise building roof had also come to a stop.


    They were only 70cm away from one of the floral security cameras set up based on the theory of multiple plants providing mutual pollen range coverage, but that did not matter since they were outside the visual range supplied by the trumpet or megaphone shape.


    Manhattan¡¯s limited land meant it was densely packed even for New York. The building density was even greater than Shinjuku or Hong Kong. Jumping from building to building might sound like a superhuman action, but as long as you had the guts, it was perfectly possible with average muscle strength. You just needed the mentality to treat a tightrope walk the same whether it was 1 meter off the ground or 1000 meters off the ground.


    The subway station that Heivia and the other Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes had run inside had 4 entrances. The slender person had taken up a position where they could see all of them, but they finally released a quiet sigh. They left their firing stance and leaned out over the concrete edge using the semiauto sniper rifle as support. Viewing the situation on the surface was more important than that device covered in cameras and sensors.


    They set their emotions aside and rationally analyzed the situation.


    ...The targets had apparently escaped. There may have been a ¡°hole¡± somewhere.


    That was when the person heard an unpleasant buzzing as if from a mosquito or fly.


    The device looked like a three-sided square frame holding a giant top instead of a globe. It was similar to a gyro, but somehow different. It was a serverless unmanned drone that used coaxial rotors to fly and used its simple circuits to guide its power system.


    It did not matter whether or not it was aiming any weapons the person¡¯s way. As long as it transmitted their location, a precision-guided missile or special unit could be sent in.


    But there was no concern on the person¡¯s face.


    They reached for their skinny waist, pulled some things from a too-large waist pouch, and attached them to their face: a nose, eyebrows, lips, and ¨C just to be on the safe side this time ¨C left and right cheeks. It looked like the Island Nation¡¯s fukuwarai or like a joke nose and glasses.


    Or it would have if they had not been acquired by stripping the raw flesh from unknown youths.


    It was an utterly grotesque montage, but they could not hide their eyes that way. They dealt with that by covering their eyes with their golden bangs.


    ¡°Yay. Peace, peace.¡±


    That must have been enough for the facial recognition to fail. The person formed peace signs with both hands and the drone landed on the roof like it had lost sight of its target. It used top-like motions to move around the slender figure a few times, but ultimately flew off into the air again.


    The person¡¯s face was covered by a cold and damp sensation similar to putting a used shirt back on, but they did not seem to mind.


    They caused the existing preparations to crumble away so they could achieve results greater than should have been possible.


    And to that end, they would not hesitate to do things that would have been unthinkable under the standards of clean wars.


    ...The facial feature they had the least of was upper lips at just 3. They had a full 8 sets of 10 fingers for fingerprints. They knew they would have to replace them frequently, but at this point, just the harbor security group did not feel like enough. They might have to head down and ¡°resupply¡±.


    The person had infiltrated Manhattan using essentially the same method.


    Innumerable uncollected corpses from both the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance had been floating in the ocean around New Caribbean Island. And Faith Organization ones had joined those after the Olympia Dome incident. The person had made their preparations by collecting a random person, removing their skin, and wrapping that around their body like a costume. Then they had floated on their back as if doing the backstroke to let the ocean current carry them to Manhattan¡¯s harbor area while disguised as a corpse.


    Of course, if an actual human had seen that, they would have immediately realized something was off about the suspicious figure wearing a bloated skin, but once the person was close enough, that hardly mattered. Defeating the harbor security had been easier than slaying a dragon in a hunting video game and then it had been time for the skinning.


    ...The person had not expected Heivia and the other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers to be so concerned for their surroundings. Such a wonderfully extraordinary Object was right in front of them. And what was more important than teamwork?


    If they were to crush the Information Alliance, the person really wished those soldiers had gone on an indiscriminate rampage and gathered lots of unnecessary attention.


    But a failure was a failure and they would never get anywhere if they did not accept the truth. They set aside the sniper rifle covered in cameras and sensors and quickly switched to a different weapon.


    This was the weapon they really wanted to use.


    ¡°Yes. Hand Axe.¡±


    The person put back on the backpack filled with the clay-like plastic explosive and spun one of the pen-like electric fuses in their hand.


    Acquiring the genuine product had not been easy given the circumstances, so they had to make sure they made it count.


    Part 9


    The Underground Railroad was a very narrow place.


    Even so, Heivia and the other Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes could finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°As we explained earlier, we consider the Manhattan 000¡¯s current state to be ¡®berserk¡¯. Capulet itself might be pure, but if the Martini meant to inspect it has given incorrect responses, it will not know whether it is right or not.¡±


    Silver-haired, brown-skinned Lendy Farolito began speaking while leading the way through the oppressive-feeling underground pathway. Turning her back on enemy soldiers and walking so that her butt wiggled below her short skirt may have been a way of showing her trust.


    ¡°Active self-denial, was it? Regardless, we cannot trust this Martini Series, so I doubt attempting to contact Melly would be of any value. It would only reveal our location to her. Meanwhile, the Pilot Elite has almost zero presence, so the Martini must control the Manhattan 000 through the process of rejecting errors as she and Capulet pit each other¡¯s ideas against each other. If we silence Capulet ourselves, the Martini should have trouble controlling the Manhattan 000 on her own.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t telling us to break this giant island in half like a cookie, are you? Or are we supposed to sneak deep inside the Object and kill the Elite? We¡¯re not a toy hidden in some old lady¡¯s dresser drawer.¡±


    ¡°Our plan is not that reckless.¡±


    After the pathway took countless right-angle turns, they finally entered an open space.


    It seemed about the size of a city pool. A few dozen people in black uniforms different from Heivia and Myonri¡¯s military uniforms were seated on the floor with their backs against the wall. It was unclear how they had gotten them in here, but a few bulletproof off-road vehicles were parked inside.


    Lendy took some paper bags from her black-uniformed subordinates(?) and passed them around to Heivia¡¯s group.


    ¡°What are these?¡±


    ¡°Some New York specialties.¡±


    ¡°...They aren¡¯t more guns, are they?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to think about what kind of misconceptions you have about New York.¡±


    The brown beauty sounded exasperated as she pulled out things like banana smoothies and salmon bagels that were practically salads. They were colored a toxic blue. There were even some pink cupcakes to fill the dessert category. It was all very Information Alliance-like. The lineup was clearly designed to look good on social media.


    When she saw the skeptical looks on the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes¡¯ faces, Lendy took a bite of a bagel herself. Convinced they were not poisoned, Heivia, Myonri, and the others finally accepted the food they had been distributed.


    ¡°Dammit, why does food from the enemy have to be so tasty and healthy?¡±


    ¡°If they didn¡¯t grow so reliant on doctors and end up marinated in different drugs, they might be unbeatable.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s focus gathered on Lendy who led the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes toward one of the off-road vehicles. She knocked lightly on the rear door¡¯s smoked glass and spoke.


    ¡°We have gathered some usable personnel. Although it seems one of them is missing.¡±


    ¡°...Is that so? Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°Wait...¡± said Heivia with a frown.


    He could not see her and he only had the voice through the intercom to go on. It was possible the vehicle itself was empty and the voice was being sent over the internet from somewhere else entirely.


    Still, the delinquent soldier spoke up after removing the banana smoothie straw from his mouth.


    ¡°Is that the Rush¡¯s Elite...?¡±


    ¡°The Gatling 033, you mean.¡± Lendy must have been particular about information because she corrected him. ¡°This girl¡¯s Object contains the Juliet System for testing. The truth is, the Information Alliance¡¯s Capulet AI Network is an expanded version of Juliet which is closely related to the Gatling 033, or the Rush as you know it. Of course, Capulet has also been connected to the Montague General Database developed from the Romeo collection of big data.¡±


    ¡°Capulet and Montague. Shakespeare¡¯s two major families?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but they are no more than project names. Whether there is really a one-to-one relationship between the machines is still a major question. Everyone claims to be an expert, but it¡¯s possible no one actually knows what Capulet truly looks like,¡± noted silver-haired and brown-skinned Lendy. ¡°By the way, the research team forced to develop them thought that only tragedy would result from connecting the two to form a single giant system. Regardless, Juliet and Capulet belong to the same family, so they are compatible. Thus, this girl can intervene if she gives it her all. The Martini Series seems to use its thousands of members to divide up the work so each one only converses with a section of the Information Alliance, but this girl can converse with the entirety of the AI network on her own. It feels exactly the same as the control system she is familiar with, so she should be able to work with the entire giant Capulet AI Network.¡±


    Lendy breathed a gentle sigh.


    ¡°For now, we will sever the connection between Capulet and the Manhattan 000. It is unclear how involved the Martini in charge of New York¡¯s defense is, but I doubt she can fully control such a large piece of hardware without Capulet¡¯s support.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s like a young wife who is a good cook but is helpless when the power goes out and she can¡¯t use all her electronic kitchen gadgets?¡±


    ¡°It may be closer to having the recipe site she relies on shut down. If we can safely stop the Manhattan 000, it should bring a stop to the chaos starting to spread around the world.¡±


    ¡°If that was true, you wouldn¡¯t be curled up like a hair in this dark underground blind spot. What are you plotting, you damn Information Alliance schemers?¡±


    ¡°There have been issues...¡±


    This time, Lendy Farolito sighed with a truly troubled look on her face.


    ¡°The Manhattan 000 revealed itself to be the world¡¯s largest Object, but it began as a section of New York that anyone could enter. Thus, it is hardly surprising to find safe country civilians here.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°...Around the time the Manhattan 000 revealed itself, this girl¡¯s father disappeared.¡±


    Lendy turned back toward Heivia¡¯s group who were wholly focused on stuffing their mouths with bagels and she leaned back against the side of the bulletproof off-road vehicle.


    The voices outside could not pass through the thick door without using the intercom.


    ¡°We have searched the best we could, but there is only so much we can do. We have yet to locate him, so her condition could hardly be worse. And our military doctor and battlefield counselor have agreed with that assessment. She could not produce her normal results if she made the attack now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That might sound silly for the military where everything was fully controlled by rules and regulations, but psychological condition was one of the factors used when selecting soldiers for special operations like snipers or the bomb squad. And that was all the more true for a Pilot Elite where a single individual was in charge of so much more.


    ¡°That girl is so fond of her father Royce that, no matter how hard her schedule must be as both an idol and an Elite, all it ever takes is a single morning call from him for her to get out of bed.¡±


    Lendy narrowed her eyes a bit and shook her head.


    ¡°Anyway, forcing her will not give us the result we want. We have to start by collecting her father somehow or another. And he of course must be collected safely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice tear-jerking story, but it¡¯s not making my you-know-what any harder. You want us to search for a single person in the densely-packed skyscrapers of Manhattan? Including the visitors, aren¡¯t there 10 million people in Manhattan?¡±


    ¡°We have a general idea. I said we had searched as much as we could, didn¡¯t I?¡± Lendy breathed a heavy sigh. ¡°When all this began, contact with her father was lost at northern Central Park. There was some chaos when the Manhattan 000 activated. Not enough to cause injuries, but the people at work or sightseeing for the day were stranded with nowhere to spend the night, so the hotels and other lodging facilities have been overwhelmed. It seems some large public facilities have been opened for people to temporarily stay, free of charge.¡±


    Lendy raised a hand and one black uniform tossed her a notebook-sized tablet. All unnecessary transmissions had of course been switched off.


    ¡°This is a photo of Mr. Royce. The very first thing we tried was his cellphone. We could not reach it or its location information. I seriously doubt a journalist like him would shut off his phone in a situation like this, so a third party has probably confiscated it.¡±


    ¡°And I guess that could be more than just a Martini Series plot. A thug would probably see a middle-aged man¡¯s smartphone as a source of quick cash. You can find people taking advantage of chaos anywhere.¡±


    ¡°That does not change the top suspect, though.¡±


    This female commander spoke in a polite but cold way that was different from Frolaytia.


    ¡°Since it is not possible to directly contact Mr. Royce, we must follow the manual and predict the flow of people. Past Central Park is Uptown. One landmark of Morningside Heights to the northwest is Columbia University, an Ivy League school. All of the stranded people in that area would have been brought there.¡±


    ¡°So we have to drag the Elite¡¯s father from there for an emotional reunion?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The northern end of Central Park borders Harlem, but the public order is not exactly perfect in some areas. It is highly unlikely that a large group of outsiders unfamiliar with the local rules would have gone there. If that girl¡¯s father is safe, he would probably have gone to the university in Morningside Heights along with the others.¡±


    ¡°Unlikely and probably, huh? ...You¡¯re telling us to risk our lives on something vaguer than a young boy¡¯s image of a woman¡¯s crotch?¡±


    ¡°We searched as much as we could. ...This Underground Railroad is not enough to build a route directly there. The only option is to step out onto the dangerous surface and forcibly fight our way through Manhattan¡¯s streets while the Capulet AI Network and Martini Series know where we are.¡±


    Heivia¡¯s group had already fought and fled from those unmanned weapons, so they understood the gravity of that statement.


    Plus...


    ¡°As I said, there is also an unpredictable third party on the Manhattan 000. You should know that after they used a sniper rifle and armor-piercing incendiary rounds to send the Bullmites after you. We have no way of managing the risks en route.¡±


    Part 10


    It was a strange feeling.


    ¡°Nn...¡±


    Oh Ho Ho tilted her head and its gorgeous ringlet curls while removing her clothes within the black vehicle. She was changing out of her casual clothing for walking around the city and into her skintight special suit for Object piloting, but there were a large number of eyes directed her way with only a single pane of glass between them.


    That said, it was smoked glass, so even though she could see them, they would be unable to see her. She knew that, but she still felt their nonexistent gazes prickling her soft skin as she bared it.


    They couldn¡¯t actually see her, could they?


    They weren¡¯t just pretending not to see even though they could, were they?


    ¡°It¡¯s the same dynamic in miniature.¡±


    The information traveled only one way. The powerful had the weak¡¯s information, but the weak did not even imagine the powerful were spying on them. That was the essence of the Information Alliance. In this case, was Oh Ho Ho watching the group through the smoked glass, or was the group pretending that was the case while they watched her? Only a higher authority who could view this from a higher perspective could make that judgment. And that authority would be monitored by someone higher still. It continued on and on like that.


    It was all so absurd.


    Normally, knowing it was smoked glass would settle the issue. The slender girl sighed, removed her surprisingly childish underwear (which might surprise her fans if they saw it) and then put on the special suit designed just for her. Some Pilot Elites wore underwear and others did not, but Oh Ho Ho wore her special suit over an otherwise nude body. The decision often came down to the role the suit played and how the Elite viewed it. Oh Ho Ho saw it as a swimsuit rather than outerwear or underwear, so it felt odd to her to wear underwear below it.


    ¡°There we go.¡±


    After pulling it up to her neck, the girl finished putting on the special suit. However, every one of Oh Ho Ho¡¯s bodylines showed through, down to each and every rib.


    Juliet and Capulet.


    The two control systems were compatible thanks to their development history.


    (It¡¯s annoying that the Gatling 033 itself isn¡¯t getting any focus, but I can live with that. No one is more suited to this task than me.)


    If the Legitimacy Kingdom was involved in this, would that boy make an appearance?


    There were not many of them, but it was still a few dozen. She was not sure of exactly who was there.


    And she could not deny that she did hope that he was one of them.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. I am the star today. I am the heroine in the spotlight!¡±


    Part 11


    ¡°Tell me if you get tired. I¡¯m freed from the earth¡¯s gravity, so I can¡¯t tell when we¡¯ve been walking too much. 636. It was for times like this that I expanded the number of unmanned taxis and had New York¡¯s subway cleaned up a fair bit.¡±


    ¡°...Are you planning to bring that ring on a taxi or train?¡±


    ¡°That...might be a good idea. 984. The driver or station attendant helping me in would be watching as my toes wiggled. Would that break the spell over them? They might realize it isn¡¯t normal. Heh heh heh heh heh.¡±


    That had been a mistake. One careless statement had brought out the perversion that was usually masked by the girl¡¯s calm mood. It was scary that she was also an Elite.


    While the Martini monsters named Wraith and Melly discussed matters, they entered Central Park.


    Manhattan was normally lined with towering skyscrapers, but a rectangular area had been cut out of the city for a giant green park nearly 4 kilometers long.


    Except there was no sign of that anymore.


    A slit had opened in the center of the ground and then the park opened upwards like double doors. And a giant diagonal tower stuck out from that massive rectangular hole. Two barrels of different sizes were stacked on top of each other like an assault rifle with a grenade launcher attached below.


    The black-uniformed girl grimly narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°The electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon.¡±


    ¡°Really conspicuous, isn¡¯t it? 439. The Manhattan 000 actually has 44 different main cannon systems, but everyone focused on this one. It¡¯s like they don¡¯t even try to imagine what¡¯s hidden behind that bright backlight.¡±


    The desire for this Object to be a one-trick pony may have narrowed people¡¯s vision.


    With her game system directly linked to the Manhattan 000, Melly moved the large ring her butt sank inside of to carry her alongside Central Park and the giant opening within. Uptown, Upper East Side, Madison Avenue. This area had a high density of floral security cameras and every bag or piece of children¡¯s clothing sold there was as expensive as a piece of art. The brown girl must have been somehow stimulated by this luxurious atmosphere because she desperately pursed her lips and trembled within her two-piece surgical gown made of crimson paper. With Central Park rising up with rows of buildings on either side, there was no sunlight. There was a pond and a museum clinging to the side of that ¡°wall¡±, so it had to look like a surreal outdoor art exhibit.


    Either she wanted to fiddle with something or she just liked how it felt in her hands because Melly rubbed her thumbs against the analog sticks on either side of the game system.


    ¡°Right, right. That¡¯s right, Wraith. I wanted to ask you something since you¡¯ve been all over the world. 948. Do you know a journalist named Royce?¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°095. I¡¯ve collected them.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re attacking the press now? That is the lowest form of information warfare.¡±


    ¡°The press...! Yes, yes, that has such a wonderful ring to it. 707. It has such a formally dangerous sound so different from having your secrets revealed on the internet. Eh heh heh heh heh.¡±


    She must have been leaving the calculations to the extraordinary Object because the ring hopped up lightly along with the paper surgical gown girl inside. Wraith watched with cold eyes.


    It did not matter that the AI network, that¡¯s hardware could be located anywhere, was functioning properly if its observer was broken.


    Wraith recalled the method of breaking the Martini Series that Piranirie had mentioned. Melly was an old acquaintance, but she felt an eerie pressure from the very existence of the Ragnarok Script that had driven Piranirie mad with active self-denial. If Wraith was asked if she could place her full trust in this girl, she would have difficulty nodding.


    After all, she could not even trust herself.


    ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t mean to do this. He had the misfortune of being on the seam when Central Park opened. 779. To be blunt, he fell down into the classified zone...the main cannon¡¯s storage space. He landed on a catwalk, so it wasn¡¯t a long drop, though.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing Wraith¡¯s indescribably uncertain expression, Melly gently sighed in just her two-piece surgical gown made of crimson paper. As if to say she had felt the exact same way. After breathing a heated breath on her game screen, she lightly rubbed the screen on the oil paper covering her chest and showed Wraith the screen of that game system that was like the evolved form of a tablet.


    ¡°This is the bearded man in question. 153. To be honest, he¡¯s not my type. Although having your secrets revealed by someone who isn¡¯t your type might be a decent situation...¡±


    ¡°Keep this up and I really will hate you.¡±


    The screen seemed to display a video file.


    An ordinary middle-aged man was looking around anxiously. He looked like the kind of person who cared for his family so much he forgot to look after his own life. He probably worked hard, paid his taxes, used up his bonus and paid leave over the holidays prepared by the higher ups, and got caught in traffic.


    ¡°Please let me contact my family. I beg you. I am a journalist, so I understand how your rules work to an extent. I will keep your secrets. I will not tell anyone about this. You can monitor my every move if you wish. Just let me tell that girl that I am safe. This isn¡¯t like those online journalists who pursued the legends banned by the Faith Organization. None of this is necessary here. Please, meeting in Central Park was that girl¡¯s idea. If I remain missing, she might blame herself. Since I am perfectly safe, there is no reason for her to harm herself like that, is there? Just let me fulfill my duty as her father.¡±


    Of course, those Information Alliance geniuses were not emotional enough fools to judge someone based on their appearance alone. Detailed data on his breathing, pulse, perspiration, eye movement, and facial muscle movement was provided with the footage.


    After reading the data, Wraith could only respond with a quiet look.


    ¡°...Well, this is troubling. He¡¯s nothing more than a good person. Even if this is a stressful situation, 220 is high for the top blood pressure number. I¡¯m worried about his bad cholesterol.¡±


    They also looked through his past educational and employment history, his bank account data, his search history, his online purchase history, and his statements on social media and message boards, but it all came up clean. In fact, it was so clean that they wondered if this was an alternate account for living a double life.


    ¡°This was bad luck for everyone involved. If he was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing and I had even one reason to abandon him, I was planning to detain him or shoot him, but I have to save such an honest person. 600. I¡¯m going to release him and send him to one of the shelters. The military exists to protect the people, after all.¡±


    The brown girl breathed a heavy sigh as she explained that.


    ...At first glance, she seemed to be a normal and sensible person (if you ignored certain unusual proclivities), but she was the Martini in charge of New York¡¯s defense as well as the Pilot Elite. That meant she was the culprit who had fired the electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon on an Information Alliance maintenance fleet. There was also the Ragnarok Script. Active self-denial could be steering her full speed away from the safe choice. Making a hasty decision would be dangerous.


    During the fight against Piranirie, it was revealed that Capulet could not ¡°see¡± New York because its residents hated the surveillance cameras and email spying. The AI itself was pure, but if the Martini Series meant to check on it had gone insane, there was a fear that Capulet would lose its accuracy.


    Wraith rationally observed the girl and hid her rational mindset with an indifferent smile.


    ¡°Is there some kind of problem with postponing a decision on this mere evacuee?¡±


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s going to die of an ulcer or helicobacter pylori before I got around to it. But if you don¡¯t know him, I guess we¡¯ll have to rely on the family member Mr. Royce keeps talking about. 657.¡±


    ¡°His daughter, huh? Is she in Manhattan?¡±


    ¡°100. Yes, fortunately for his stress levels. And this might surprise you. Okay? To use an Island Nation idiom, it¡¯s like a kite giving birth to a hawk.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the Pilot Elite of the Second Generation Gatling 033. 710.¡±


    ¡°...The Juliet¡¯s?¡±


    Wraith¡¯s voice dropped in tone.


    Melly nodded and narrowed her eyes with her butt inside the large ring.


    ¡°The one that shared Capulet¡¯s development history. They were working on an AI network from a different angle than our Martini Series. This man is an indisputably good person and he¡¯s connected to a VIP. I have no excuse to continue holding him in protective custody. 890. Even if this was an unfortunate accident, it will cause a lot of trouble.¡±


    Part 12


    ¡°...Ohh?¡±


    Part 13


    The Underground Railroad seemed to weave through the gaps in Manhattan¡¯s structure, but it only went so far.


    Heivia Winchell groaned next to a metal shutter thick enough to be a submarine door.


    ¡°This is the worst, dammit. Couldn¡¯t I go jerk off, take a nap, and wake up to find peace has come to the world?¡±


    Silver-haired, brown-skinned Lendy Farolito responded with no movement of her emotions.


    ¡°If one of the four major powers is completely broken, the entire planet will plummet into an uncontrollable war. You need to give up on the idea of being able to escape.¡±


    A mixture of several deep metallic noises approached. While pressed up against the wall next to the door, Heivia and Myonri looked puzzled and turned toward the source of the noise just in time to see the approach of a nice body with G-cups and long hair worn in gorgeous ringlet curls.


    It was the Information Alliance Pilot Elite and top idol. However...


    ¡°She¡¯s huge. Isn¡¯t she just way, way too big!? Sh-she¡¯s gotta be like four meters or something! She could probably make a slam dunk while just standing there!!¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. This is technically classified as a powered suit.¡±


    ¡°Powered...¡±


    Myonri was shocked into silence, so silver-haired, brown-skinned Lendy explained.


    ¡°It is an impractical concept machine that was displayed at an Information Alliance robot show. There is almost no good use for it, but we receive maintenance and inspection funding just by having it sleeping in storage, so it is a profitable treasure for our unit.¡±


    Its history involved some unbelievable grownup issues.


    ¡°Wh-what are those huge things it¡¯s holding like double handguns?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°They look more like exposed lab equipment than weapons.¡±


    ¡°Those are rapid-fire beam cannons meant to be carried by truck and fixed to a turret. They were originally meant for assassinations on the surface or in the air. I believe they were developed to vaporize VIP planes and armored cars that are using routes that avoid the Object and all its laser beams. Although they are apparently quite underpowered as they have no reactor to power them.¡±


    ¡°Hyehh. Is it supposed to be mimicking the Rush?¡±


    ¡°What do the weapons matter?¡± complained Heivia. ¡°That huge thing could break through a tank¡¯s hatch with nothing more than its fists...¡±


    The sense of scale was way off, but the proportions were exactly those of the human G-cup idol. Whatever the actual bust size was, when you looked at it proportionally, the G-cups were still G-cups! And perhaps due to how it was maintained, it gave off a floral scent similar to shampoo or conditioner. It seemed idols really did smell of soap rather than perfume.


    And when the 4m G-cups stood next to Heivia¡¯s less than 2 meters, he could not help but have a low angle. He slapped his hand against the fake butt.


    ¡°Oh, ohh. Now this is a weird feeling. The fact that it¡¯s soft is actually creepy. I feel a pressure coming from this ass. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be buried alive...¡±


    ¡°The first time I can write off as an accident, but the second time will be considered intentional and I will kick. Oh ho ho. Just like a thoroughbred.¡±


    This was no time to be focused on an enemy idol. He could not stop his balls from shriveling up in fear. After all, this would be more than an impact from dual-wielded steel construction beams. Those cutting-edge weapons were meant to be carried by truck and fixed to the ground with stakes, yet she was holding one in each hand. If that solid grip grabbed his balls, it would be the end of the world.


    Myonri was also overwhelmed by rapid-fire beam cannons that looked like reinforced glass lab equipment forcibly covered with composite armor.


    ¡°Th-those aren¡¯t exactly disguised. I thought you had to hide your actions from the main Information Alliance group here.¡±


    ¡°The best place to hide a tree is a forest. Melly¡¯s side is skilled at gathering information, so we just have to use that against them. Look at this. Glance.¡±


    ¡°Made in...Nau Yoke?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not even close to spelled right. And it has a price tag for $199.99! There¡¯s no way truck-loaded weapons would be that cheap! What, are they like a used car that¡¯s cursed to kill each of its owners in an accident!?¡±


    No one would think those were real now. Heivia had trouble believing the way the Information Alliance did things.


    ¡°I-I guess it¡¯s all about making them realistic, huh? Well, I don¡¯t care. Just give me some Information Alliance VR goggles. I¡¯ll shut myself in my own world and stroke my you-know-what, so go save the world without me.¡±


    Whatever the case, if he hopped in a rowboat and left Manhattan, he would be vaporized by one of countless cannons the instant he was far enough away. Heivia, Myonri, and the rest of the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes had to solve the Manhattan problem if they were to return alive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know or care what hand signs and footwork the Information Alliance uses. We¡¯ll do things our own way, so try not to trip us up.¡±


    ¡°As long as you act as a shield or a diversion, I do not particularly care.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I get it. You can shut up now, plump commander. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get onboard, Myonri.¡±


    They could not seem to work together in the slightest.


    Without even a basic three-count, the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance began moving independently.


    The 30m, 12ton yellow school bus loaded with the potatoes broke through the thick metal shutter like it was wet paper.


    The bright sunlight briefly blinded Heivia and the others as it stabbed into their darkness-adjusted eyes.


    They were in Midtown West, Midtown.


    ¡°Oh, geez. Here we are on Broadway!!¡±


    ¡°I wish we could¡¯ve seen it at night.¡±


    Electronic signs and giant monitors surrounded a road as large as a runway. World-class theatres lined either side of the street. Needless to say, this was the pinnacle of the theatrical and film world. The flower or trumpet-like security cameras had detected their presence. Many eyes gathered on them. Heivia felt a definite pressure, like the air had solidified. Tires screeched as the giant vehicles were forced around. The three school busses knocked the poor civilian cars out of the way lightly enough to not kill anyone and finally arrived on Manhattan¡¯s largest main street.


    Lendy whispered quietly aboard the same large vehicle.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been spotted.¡±


    ¡°Those Bullmites are looking pretty adorable now. We¡¯re the big-ass mama who protects the kids on the way home from school!!¡±


    Several boulder-like masses sat in the middle of the intersection. They were the composite armor bulls sitting with their four legs folded up below them. Those serverless unmanned weapons would use flexible actions with just their simple circuits. They would probably function as an immovable barrier in a head-on collision from a normal off-road vehicle, but the yellow school busses rode over them and crushed them instead of knocking them out of the way. Heivia¡¯s group briefly left gravity¡¯s grasp and passed through the intersection with a dreadful impact.


    ¡°Passing the Bullmites will increase the alert level. Keep an eye on the sky.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s about time we brought out the trick hidden up our sleeve. Let¡¯s go, Myonri!¡±


    Just then, a giant shadow appeared overhead. What was it? The silhouette resembled a broad, double-edged sword and it seemed to be loaded with a rocket engine. It even opened something like a square umbrella to make sure it did not overshoot them.


    It did not feel remotely real to the potatoes, so Lendy shouted in their place.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Smart Meteor. It¡¯s an unmanned urban aerial bombing aircraft! Watch out!!¡±


    Did it too coordinate using on-site decisions like a bee or ant? Including visitors, Manhattan had 10 million people walking around, but it did not matter that they were at Times Square, the most densely populated area there. The belly of the broad double-edge sword body opened and a precision-guided bomb was released high in the sky. That bomb used GPS and the movements of its tail fins to achieve a margin of error of only 30cm.


    A moment later, an explosive was used to slice open the yellow school bus¡¯s rear end from within. And like a sword being drawn from its scabbard, a smaller (but still large) truck slid out of the speeding school bus and onto the road.


    The school bus was forcefully blown away and the flaming mass collapsed on its side and rolled away, but the large truck carrying the potatoes easily avoided the wreckage it had shed like a snake¡¯s skin.


    ¡°Self-driving scares the hell out of me! You can just do it all with a smartphone, can¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Dorothea¡¯s plan using tanks was ended sooner rather than later.¡±


    By this time, were the people of Manhattan panicking?


    Or did they think a movie was being filmed?


    Heivia and the others followed Broadway to leave Midtown West and entered the Upper West Side directly alongside Central Park.


    They wanted to say something about the colossal cannon, but they did not have the time with their life being targeted from above in real time.


    ¡°The next one is coming.¡±


    ¡°Myonri! The next layer! These New Yorkers are connoisseurs, so a garter belt won¡¯t be enough to turn them on!!¡±


    The large truck had no one in the driver¡¯s seat and the door on the back burst open to allow several bulletproof black off-road vehicles out. With each decoy, they were using up their extra lives and their armor was growing thinner, but it also made them lighter and nimbler.


    They were in the nest. Even without a server, these unmanned weapons could coordinate using the social structure of ants or bees, so trying to eliminate the threat by destroying every single one would be a never-ending task.


    They had to think up a way to continue forward without defeating them.


    ¡°The next is the last one!¡±


    ¡°The fun really begins once we¡¯re buck naked.¡±


    The luggage-loading door sprang up on the back of their bulletproof off-road vehicle and Heivia and Myonri burst out onto the road riding light off-road motorcycles.


    This time, they had no armor whatsoever.


    The wind seemed to slice into their flesh.


    But it was also true that development of self-driving motorcycles was taking longer than with cars. That eliminated the worry of having them hijacked by a surprise cyber-attack.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°There¡¯s something other than the Bullmites. What¡¯s that collapsible umbrella monster thing!?¡±


    ¡°That interpretation is not entirely wrong,¡± said Lendy over the radio. ¡°It is a Gunner Bat. When folded up, it is no larger than a relay baton and it is an offshoot of portable grenade launcher design. When you throw it, the wings automatically open, it flies autonomously, and an external terminal is used to guide it over the enemy¡¯s head where it can fire up to three explosives when instructed. Its accuracy is below average, but it can scatter more generalized damage when loaded with white phosphorous grenades or the like. It is a support weapon that uses a quantity over quality philosophy to force enemy soldiers out from behind cover with explosions and smoke.¡±


    Heivia remembered the self-rolling grenades that Wraith had used on the Olympia Dome. Even without a server, their simple circuits could take the optimal action by mimicking the movements of insects. These were Information Alliance unmanned weapons. That electronic equipment filled Heivia with self-pity for using those pineapple-shaped explosives that required him to pull the pin and throw it like a rock. ...On the other hand, these weapons would probably be vulnerable to an EMP or microwave attack.


    ¡°White phosphorous in a densely-populated area? What is wrong with them? Nothing about that makes me happy. ...And what is that giant top!?¡±


    ¡°That is a Multi-Gyro. It is a reconnaissance drone that can travel through the air or on the ground. It has no obvious weapons, but it is loaded with a stun bomb. Get within 3 meters of it and it will scatter an 800,000-volt current. Since it does not need to access a server, it can do so without any adverse effects on itself. Not only is it harmful to human bodies, but it could easily cause a vehicle¡¯s electronics to malfunction.¡±


    Heivia felt his balls shriveling up as he had it calmly explained to him. And before any of those issues, if he passed out while straddling a motorcycle, he would be killed instantly.


    The unmanned weapon had no tires or treads, but it still attempted to tackle the off-road motorcycle with nothing more than top-like spinning. Heivia focused on that while also desperately trying to think.


    Even if Manhattan was an extraordinarily large Object, it was still only one borough of the giant city of New York. The distance from Times Square, where they exited the Underground Railroad, to Columbia University was about 10 kilometers at most. While ignoring all traffic laws and flooring it, they could travel that distance in less than 5 minutes.


    ¡°Columbia University is being used to house civilians, so it has been designated a noncombat area,¡± said Lendy over the radio. ¡°Reaching our destination ASAP should be the safest plan.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, what happened with that Oh Ho Ho!? Did you develop a bike big enough for that fat suit and its huge ass!?¡±


    ¡°It is not fat, nor does it have a huge ass! Ho...ho ho...oh ho ho ho ho ho!! You need to look at the overall proportions. It has the perfect golden ratio, does it not!?¡±


    ¡°Besides, you are not authorized for that information,¡± added Lendy. ¡°It can be easy to forget, but that girl¡¯s very presence is a secret our unit must protect.¡±


    By the time they heard Oh Ho Ho¡¯s shouting and Lendy Farolito¡¯s calm voice over their earpieces, Heivia, Myonri, and the others on the off-road motorcycles had entered the university campus.


    Heivia clenched his teeth when a bomb fell just barely outside the campus. Those serverless simple circuits had done it.


    ¡°Ochre, Nex...!!¡±


    ¡°Keep your balance! Do you want to fall over and end up as mincemeat!?¡±


    Myonri shouted directly at him while driving right alongside him. She had to have noticed the allies behind them had been blown away, but they could not use recovery magic that brought back the dead.


    The Smart Meteor had been opening its square umbrella to adjust its speed and keep its broad double-edged sword shape overhead at all times, but it veered away so as not to enter the university campus. Heivia saw that as he rode his off-road motorcycle full-speed along the well-maintained lawn, but...


    ¡°!?¡±


    He felt a sudden impact.


    His off-road motorcycle¡¯s front wheel was crushed like a cake dropped on the ground.


    (A Bullmite...!?)


    He did not have time to gasp.


    He was thrown into the air, so he curled up and rolled across the lawn to reduce the impact. Meanwhile, the mass of composite armor planted its four legs on the lawn to accurately target him once more. The serverless bull used just its simple circuits to teach itself, so it began running in order to smash that soft human body.


    Unmanned weapons did not fear death.


    He could fire hundreds of 9mm bullets straight at it, but he would not stop it.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Without bothering to get up, Heivia aimed his submachinegun (that he had swiped from a Manhattan resident). It was mostly just a reflex, like covering your face when a ball was thrown at it. His rational mind was screaming that firing would be useless.


    He had to rethink this.


    With all the unmanned weapons, this battle¡¯s rules were different.


    (Throw out the fundamentals. Work your mind to survive. Preserving your gun and ammo is useless if you¡¯re turned to mincemeat. What would that bastard do at times like this?)


    ¡°Nwohhhhhhhhh!!¡±


    He shook that from his mind with a bizarre yell.


    As the mass of composite armor approached, he removed the submachine gun, grabbed the shoulder strap, and swung it like a caveman. He restrained his fear, stared straight ahead, and threw his precious gun toward the Bullmite¡¯s forelegs like a cowboy¡¯s lasso. This was only an option if he threw out the fundamental idea that a soldier¡¯s gun was their lifeline on the battlefield.


    The bulls used in bullfighting had outstanding speed and weight, but unlike an elegant horse, they lacked the strength to clear hurdles and other obstacles. The Bullmite could not avoid the submachinegun that spun at higher than knee height. It was over quickly once the firearm struck the forelegs.


    The sling belt tangled around the mechanical legs and the heavy mass sank forward like a table with one of its four legs broken.


    Its own speed and weight worked against it and it was incapacitated in no time at all. It plowed toward Heivia with the force of a rolling boulder.


    ¡°Watch out!!¡±


    The delinquent soldier still could not get up, but he somehow managed to dodge by rolling to the side. If the Bullmite had all fours legs on the ground, it would have made an adjustment even a millimeter before contact to pursue him.


    (This is awful. I feel like I¡¯m being forced to kiss the contents of my own balled-up tissue...)


    Had he done it?


    It was just like a traffic accident. Humans were not strong enough to destroy a gigantic truck, but if they caused an accident, the truck would reduce itself to a mangled mess. He had lost his precious submachinegun, so he hoped for that level of results. However...


    ¡°...Damn,¡± he groaned.


    A straight line had been gouged into the lawn, but the mass of composite armor stood back up at the end of it. The four mechanical legs stood firm on the ground in order to crush that inefficient mass of muscle.


    There was really nothing he could do this time.


    (What do I do!? Do I use my boot laces next!? Or remove my belt and swing my prized you-know-what around!?)


    But just then, something changed.


    With a sizzling sound like water on a hot grill, a giant, half-melted top flew in from elsewhere. It seemed to be a Multi-Gyro falling apart in midair. The stun bomb inside it must have malfunctioned because it scattered an 800,000-volt current that fried the Bullmite¡¯s electronics. It no longer mattered that it was a serverless machine that ran on the insect colony theory.


    ¡°Owaaaaah!?¡±


    It was more like a rapid series of narrow lights than a single stream of water from a fire truck. The destroyed target had fist-sized chunks torn from its armor, the number of holes grew, and the entire thing melted and was blown away in no time. It was an even worse version of Swiss cheese. Heivia wanted to avoid dying like that at all costs.


    The attacks were rapid-fire beams.


    Unlike the lasers which had become synonymous with anti-air weaponry, these were visible, but that actually helped them stimulate fear. Heivia doubted this was simply meant as assistance. When the orange spray of melted armor passed right by his face, he frantically got down.


    The 4-meter nice body that was ¡°made in Nau Yoke¡± had arrived later than the off-road motorcycles. The boobs jiggled perfectly in sync with its pace, so it was clearly a crystallization of the designer¡¯s blood and tears.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Make sure to thank your lucky stars and the goddess of victory.¡±


    Heivia sounded annoyed as he looked at those weapons that looked like reinforced glass lab equipment forcibly covered with armor.


    ¡°A powered suit with prototype assassination beam weapons? It always comes down to tech, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Of course it does. What do you think war is?¡±


    He had only survived by working up a sweat and rolling through the mud, but she had cleaned it all up by wielding those giant rapid-fire beam cannons like an action star with dual pistols. And with her extra-large boobs jiggling all the while. It was clear she lived in a different world since she could take her time and arrive late while the unmanned weapons targeted her from the air in the Manhattan streets.


    Myonri made a shocked comment after making a U-turn and returning on her off-road motorcycle despite the danger. ...Except she may not have been motivated by the power of friendship. She may have simply been afraid of being hit by a stray shot of that futuristic beam weapon that was scattering its shots chaotically around.


    ¡°I thought Columbia University¡¯s campus was a noncombat area!¡±


    The ubiquitous floral security cameras remained silent. They would not disprove false charges and they ignored their own side¡¯s rule violations, so their quality could not have been worse. Were they only good for peeping on highly-educated college girls?


    ¡°No, wait. I recognize these scratches,¡± groaned Heivia as he looked at the Bullmite that had flipped over like a dead bug. ¡°This is one of the ones that rushed at us in Chinatown. These are definitely the same scratches. You can¡¯t fool my clever eyes.¡±


    The 4-meter ringlet curls girl tilted her head while firing her rapid-fire beam cannons at the Bullmites and Multi-Gyros that attempted to approach. Those dual cannons were devastating in an open area with no hills.


    ¡°I am not sure what you mean.¡±


    ¡°That can happen, can it? ...Getting the Information Alliance to admit that feels like victory to me.¡±


    The Chinatown in Downtown was the opposite direction from Columbia University in Uptown. Since Manhattan was full of these unmanned weapons, it was not logical for the same one to have come all this way.


    That meant it was possible someone had brought it here.


    That meant the Martini who was suspected of falling into active self-denial just like Piranirie. That brown girl with her butt inside a large swim ring.


    And...


    ¡°Myonri. And the idol too. Keep your fingers on the trigger.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    In place of his ruined submachinegun, Heivia reached for his hip and drew a handgun capable of firing the same bullets. Wealthy Manhattan was overrun with such things.


    He would not have trouble killing someone.


    ¡°She¡¯s coming. Wraith Martini Vermouthspray is coming!!¡±


    Part 14


    ¡°Frank. Prepare for battle.¡±


    In a second floor hallway of Columbia University¡¯s main building, a black-uniformed blonde girl gave that command. Wraith Martini Vermouthspray¡¯s eyes were fixed on the yard visible out the window.


    ¡°Heh heh. Eh heh heh. Eh heh heh heh heh heh heh heh. I¡¯m inside a world-renowned Ivy League school in clothing that could be torn with the slightest tug. How¡îthrilling!! 008, 774, 868, 229! Tag it, tag it, tag it some more!! The cold, rejecting atmosphere of the school hallway is so good. Ah ha, ah ha ha. I¡¯m going crazy. Completely crazy. The world is such an amazing place...!!¡±


    ¡°Melly, can I just shoot you?¡±


    ¡°Uwebh, cough, cough!! 808. Sorry, I¡¯ll take this seriously.¡±


    She must have been focused on the footage from the ubiquitous floral security cameras because the brown girl with her butt inside a large swim ring made from the same material as a special operations rubber boat stared at her game system and began folding up her arms and legs that she had spread out. The approach of outsiders may have brought out her shy side.


    ¡°438. To get back on topic, Wraith, I¡¯ve detected the attack, but I have a few questions. You should be cautious.¡±


    ¡°Not what I expected to hear from New York¡¯s defense commander.¡±


    Did Wraith sound so threatening because she suspected she herself was being affected by the Ragnarok Script? Looking at oneself was not easy. Melly, meanwhile, had folded up her limbs like a chrysalis or fetus to enter her serious mode (even if that was only skin deep).


    She must have been worried about it overheating because she waved the thin game system like a fan.


    ¡°Even with everything I¡¯ve seen here, it still doesn¡¯t add up. I doubt the isolated Legitimacy Kingdom remnant could do all this on their own. 319. We should assume some of our own people are supporting them.¡±


    ¡°So they have equipment and our internal information, huh?¡±


    ¡°050. Also, I can¡¯t figure out why they would target Columbia University. There have to have been better candidates if they wanted to damage the Manhattan 000 as the world¡¯s largest Object. This place is being used as a shelter for civilians because there was nothing of value here. Are they directly targeting me? Or do you have another idea, Wraith?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Wraith waved her hand dismissively and breathed an exasperated sigh. ¡°But I am aware they would want to kill me if they had a chance. A dangerous and earnest enemy has given up on safely remaining hidden and has made it this far while so many unmanned weapons pursue them. Since they¡¯re actively putting their lives at risk, this has to be more than a whim or just to show off. I doubt a peaceful conversation would get through to them.¡±


    ¡°I see. 591.¡±


    With her limbs folded up and the game system held between her soft-looking brown thighs, Melly lightly swung one of the remote-style controllers. A Bullmite responded to the magic wand by walking up alongside Wraith. Removing the composite armor around its belly revealed a full supply of weapons and ammunition for human use.


    Wraith frowned.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°Wraith, you will put together whatever you need all on your own. This is a school with plenty of workshops, so it should be much better suited to research projects than a home garage. 171. I¡¯ll supply the weapons, so it would be great if you could settle this with a sensible amount of equipment. And I mean that from a risk simulation standpoint as well. Okay?¡±


    ¡°That would help a lot, but if something happens, say I stole the weapons.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not that shameless, Wraith. 903.¡±


    The black-uniformed girl snapped her fingers and the young man stepped forward and began checking through the mountain of weapons and ammo like a guard dog given permission to eat.


    ¡°Melly, what will you do?¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me to deal with a gun¡¯s recoil after what happened to my spine? 749. As usual, I will leave the annoying fighting to the unmanned weapons.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that will work,¡± declared Wraith while grabbing a small self-defense handgun. ¡°Not against this enemy.¡±


    Part 15


    There were more and more sizzling sounds like water on a hot grill.


    They were of course coming from the 4m idol piloted by the Information Alliance¡¯s Oh Ho Ho. Those bizarre cannons looked like reinforced glass lab equipment with composite armor forcibly added on top. Those giant rapid-fire beam cannons were meant to be carried by truck and fixed to the ground with metal stakes, but she was holding and swinging them around with machine arms. The Bullmites were built to deflect a normal(?) assault rifle bullet, but they could not ¡°hunt¡± as intended when their opponent was a bipedal powered suit. The Multi-Gyros, those giant tops filled with 800,000 volts of electricity, were also having little luck.


    More and more fist-sized holes were torn into the unmanned weapons¡¯ armor and they were soon melted like sugar sculptures and blown away.


    The university had a lot of straight hallways and the Bullmites could only just barely fit their large armored forms around the corners. It was not conducive to nimble movements that used excellent footwork to approach while moving from cover to cover. They could not avoid the rapid-fire light coming from the two cannons.


    ¡°As usual, the star of the battle is the Elite. Oh ho ho!¡±


    ¡°More importantly, watch your head. Seeing a fancy Nau Yoke idol¡¯s head smashing through the ceiling and fluorescent lights is one hell of a visual!¡±


    This seemed to be the logic of a Pilot Elite born in the age of Objects.


    The powered suit was unstoppable while tilting its head at a diagonal angle but still scraping its ringlet curl head against the low ceiling. Instead of individual ingenuity, it was direct firepower backed by technology and resources that eliminated the threat. Without even using cover, she ruled the battlefield with the simple idea that a strong offense was the greatest defense.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they would gather all the civilians in one place and then send their unmanned weapons there...¡±


    ¡°Give them enough time and those monsters will decide to use them as hostages. Let¡¯s end this before any bored wives are tied to one of those rodeo machines made of composite armor.¡±


    ¡°? You are being awfully malicious this time. Oh ho ho. Has the Legitimacy Kingdom been teaching you to feel more hostile?¡±


    That said, Heivia¡¯s group had to think about more than just the fight against the Martinis. Their top priority was getting Oh Ho Ho¡¯s father, Royce, out of Columbia University.


    Unlike a middle or high school, universities gave the students a lot more freedom, but that increased the risk to them. Some of the faded posters on the bulletin boards were asking for information on missing people. That included a journalism club that had gone missing after leaving for a battlefield country (in the name of gathering materials, but who knows what they were thinking).


    ¡°Once we¡¯re done with this, you really will work your fingers to stop the Manhattan and Capulet, won¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. ...I would really rather do that right away, but the doctors and counselors are all stopping me.¡±


    ¡°Only a sage living deep in the mountains can control their own heart.¡±


    ¡°I really wish all of you would stop treating this perfect international idol like she has a father complex.¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you just add another trait in there? Idol, Elite, busty, father complex...how many scoops of ice cream are on this cone?¡±


    It seemed idols needed to be multi-talented in this age.


    They checked inside a nearby classroom and saw a few frightened students with their hands in the air. The shelters for the gathered civilians were apparently in the larger facilities like lecture halls and gyms.


    ¡°...We really should have gone there right away. Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°And where exactly is ¡®there¡¯? Will we have to check each one in turn?¡±


    That was easy enough to say, but Columbia University had several dozen schools from both the liberal arts and the sciences, so it was an enormous educational organization with more than 20,000 teachers and students. Even a low estimate for the number of school buildings and related facilities on campus could not be counted on your fingers. Oh Ho Ho¡¯s rapid-fire beam cannons were quite effective, but they could not get overly optimistic. For one thing, she was wielding prototype assassination weapons and those large-caliber, high-power cannons were poorly suited for close ranges. And just like the Bullmites, the powered suit could not move freely inside the complex indoor environment.


    If the Bullmites used the coordination of their simple circuits to all jump out at once, the entire situation could be turned on its head. It would be very bad if the unmanned weapons used their lack of a life to carry an anti-tank chemical warhead with them. Whatever the case, they wanted to avoid wandering around if it could be avoided.


    Heivia thought for a bit.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s head to the cafeteria. With this many civilians here, they¡¯ll have to do something about the food. If there¡¯s a memo in the kitchen listing where they¡¯re sending all the food, we won¡¯t have to wander this educational labyrinth without any kind of hint.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, you do tend to handle everything perfectly as long as an Object doesn¡¯t show up,¡± said Myonri.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. In other words, he is useless in this age of Objects.¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m going to remember what you say here!¡± shouted Heivia, but they easily ignored him.


    Now that they had a plan, they walked across a pathway and ran into some masses of composite armor as soon as they entered a different school building. It was those Bullmites, but while scraping her tilted head against the ceiling panels and wielding her rapid-fire beam cannons like dual pistols, the 4m ringlet curls came to a stop.


    They formed two perfect rows.


    It was not that they had been stopped by congestion. This formation was clearly intentional. And then they made a coordinated charge like a train.


    ¡°Why you-...!!¡±


    Oh Ho Ho quickly fired her two rapid-fire beam cannons while her extra-large boobs jiggled, but the brilliant beams of light only hit the leading pair. The amount of fist-sized melted holes grew and those shields crumbled like a melted sugar sculpture, but the next pair of identical Bullmites now took the lead. Then the process repeated. If just one of the unmanned weapons reached the powered suit before they were all turned to Swiss cheese by the horizontal hail of beams, they would win.


    Unmanned weapons did not fear death.


    The Bullmites were made to carry equipment or act as barricades, so they did not hesitate to use themselves as shields. Those serverless yet coordinated monsters trampled their allies¡¯ remains and did not hesitate to take the lead even when they knew they would be trampled next.


    ¡°Crap, crap, crap!!¡±


    ¡°Wh-what do we do now!? If those futuristic beam weapons don¡¯t work, our shotguns and handguns aren¡¯t going to help at all!¡±


    And lamenting their situation would not help improve it.


    They could not expect mercy or pangs of conscience from unmanned weapons.


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    Heivia fired handgun bullets into the lockers lining one wall of the hallway to break the locks. Changes of clothing, cellphones, video disks, and other student property spilled out across the floor.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what, just blow everything to pieces, Myonri!!¡±


    A shotgun blasted toward the floor nearby. Several small pieces of shot flew out and instantly turned the personal possessions to scrap. They were forcibly torn to pieces and flew up into the air as small fragments.


    Wildly moving metal fragments could interfere with EM and IR communications.


    Compared to her Object, the powered suit¡¯s thick armor must not have been enough to keep out the fear. Oh Ho Ho crouched down as the threat approached, so the sizzling sound of the rapid-fire beam cannons ended. But a different loud noise erupted instead. The Bullmites had been accurately coordinating their movements to act as a single whole, but now they began running into each other like a multi-car pileup.


    Myonri asked a hesitant question while watching the Bullmites self-destruct thanks to her efforts.


    ¡°Wh-what happened?¡±


    ¡°They weren¡¯t using their usual submarine mode, right? To move so smoothly without causing any congestion, they had to be coordinating the distance between them using IR or radar. Interfering with that using chaff naturally caused a major accident. C¡¯mon, Oh Ho Ho! How long are you gonna lie there!? It¡¯s over!!¡±


    ¡°M-mghh... How could I let you see me like that?¡±


    With shaky movements, the 4m killer weapon got up from its maiden-like crouching position. With a dull noise, her large head shattered a fluorescent light.


    ¡°One little prank caused all this? It may have been too soon for these toys to be fully automated. Oh ho ho.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a prank where people shine a laser pointer in a soccer player or airplane pilot¡¯s eyes, right? What do you think would happen if you shined it into a vehicle lens from a walkway over the highway? I feel like all the arguments about these things are only focused on the plusses. It¡¯s scary.¡±


    Normal knives and bullets would not have their expected effect on unmanned weapons that were never alive to begin with. You needed to use a separate logic that only applied to them: magnetism, salt water, acid, high temperatures, rust, an insect infestation, etc.


    If the Bullmites were coordinating over the radio, they would also notice when the transmissions ended. Thus, they could not relax just because they had wiped out the enemy here. Heivia¡¯s group hurried on to the cafeteria before reinforcements arrived.


    They wanted to keep things quiet, but a loud rumbling burst out. Heivia and Myonri ducked down and saw that the 4m Oh Ho Ho had hit her forehead like a klutz.


    ¡°Goh?¡±


    ¡°Be careful when walking through doorways! You¡¯re already scraping your head on the ceiling!¡±


    There was a giant silver refrigerator in the kitchen and the door was so covered in memos that they had no idea what its original color was.


    ¡°Here it is, here it is,¡± said Myonri. ¡°There are a lot of delivery records for gyms 1 through 3. They¡¯re all north of here.¡±


    ¡°Only three?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°I thought they were gathering people from all over the city here.¡±


    ¡°These gyms are huge facilities used for international basketball and hockey tournaments. Each one can hold tens of thousands of people.¡±


    ...That meant it would be difficult to locate an individual in the crowd even if they did figure out which location he was in, but they had to think of this as a step forward.


    ¡°Father...¡±


    ¡°Hey, old man pandering idol. If you have time to give dreams to all those wrinkly people, then get to work.¡±


    ¡°C-could you not falsely accuse my father of being old and wrinkly!?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting to deny the most important part?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°Weren¡¯t you claiming you didn¡¯t have a father complex!?¡±


    While they argued, something rolled in through the kitchen¡¯s entrance. The cylinder was about the size of a hair spray can. It was a grenade with the pin and safety lever removed.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    They did not have time to question it.


    The kitchen was immediately blown away.


    Part 16


    Heivia and the others were not the only ones hit by the blast and shockwave.


    Wraith¡¯s group had used the building blueprint and the floral security cameras to make the attack, but they grimaced and held their ears as small pieces of wall materials fell on their heads.


    ¡°Frank! I said to use a nonlethal flashbang!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame him, Wraith. Flashbangs have had the harmful effects of their explosions reduced as much as possible, but the container still ruptures. They aren¡¯t as safe as they appear in movies and dramas. 110. And did you forget that using one in a kitchen runs the risk of damaging the gas pipe?¡±


    Part 17


    Despite the fierce gas explosion so nearby, Heivia¡¯s group was lucky in a few ways.


    First, the blast had not been made more harmful with small metal balls like it would have been with a grenade or mine designed for military use.


    Second, they had a 4m powered suit that would not budge even if an anti-personnel grenade detonated right in front of it.


    Thus, the giant charming idol only had to lean over Heivia and Myonri to provide them with some makeshift shelter.


    ¡°Mghh. I was somewhat hopeful since the boobs actually jiggled, but this thing is heavy! Way too heavy!! How is this any different from a suspended ceiling trap!? It feels like I¡¯m being suffocated with a thick plastic sheet filled with water!!¡±


    ¡°An idol and Elite is putting herself in harm¡¯s way to protect insignificant enemy soldiers, so I would expect a more emotional reaction. Oh ho ho.¡±


    An impact like that was apparently not even enough to cause any clothing damage on the 4m ringlet curl¡¯s special suit. She was entirely unscathed. While they argued, Oh Ho Ho raised her arm with a motion more mechanical than a machine¡¯s. She mercilessly aimed the right rapid-fire beam cannon toward the source of the grenade.


    The swing of the arm was more important than the speed of the beam weapon itself.


    Beyond the dust, a few figures fled from the sweeping series of short beams. When Oh Ho Ho prepared to supply the finishing blow, the rapid-fire beam cannon exploded in her hand since its barrel had been bent by the explosion. A capacitor had likely broken. The weapon had already looked like reinforced glass lab equipment with armor attached, so Heivia and Myonri cowered down as they watched it happen.


    ¡°Curse that prototype! It¡¯s like the urine sample bottle breaking in your hand!!¡±


    ¡°The hand is fragile because of all the joints, right?¡± said Myonri. ¡°I¡¯ve heard armor craftsmen can judge someone¡¯s skill by checking there. But that thing¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t harmed at all when the weapon it was holding exploded...¡±


    Oh Ho Ho provided no comment. She switched to the left cannon, but it did not respond. The 4m ringlet curls threw the remains of the unusable rapid-fire beam cannons. Those weapons were meant to be transported by truck and staked to the ground. They weighed more than the bar of a barbell, so throwing them made for more than enough of a weapon.


    ¡°Wraith...¡±


    It may have been as inefficient as could be.


    It may have only given away his position and condition to the enemy. Melly may have been the target they needed to suppress first and foremost.


    But Heivia still raised his voice.


    ¡°Wraith Martini Vermouthspray!!¡±


    ¡°Hello, diligent avenger. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing here, but did you really think I would just sit idly by while you caused such a scene? It does not matter how many people you have sent into this university. I will remove every last threat, one by one.¡±


    The explosion had destroyed both the wall and door. There was too much dust in the air to see. The cover and line-of-fire diagram in their heads had fallen apart. Heivia could only think of one option.


    ¡°Move out front, Oh Ho Ho. You¡¯re our shield!¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. I see you are no more intelligent than a drone. You¡¯re the type that gets angry when AI takes over his job.¡±


    Despite her storm of complaints, Oh Ho Ho understood the situation. Her large head scraped along the ceiling and her boobs jiggled in sync with her pace as she took a step ahead of Heivia and Myonri and into the dust.


    The deep sound of metal on metal immediately followed.


    ¡°Oh...?¡±


    It was a blast into the center of her chest. The powered suit¡¯s back wobbled in front of Heivia and Myonri¡¯s eyes. She then fell onto her butt. The potatoes were nearly crushed by their ally¡¯s giant butt, but they just barely managed to escape to either side. She had been shot by something incredible. Myonri reached a hand toward the collapsed Oh Ho Ho on instinct, but Heivia was different. There was no helping Oh Ho Ho when she was covered by thick composite armor and pseudo-moisture-retaining silicone woven with cellulose nanofibers. If they did not first do something about whoever had fired on her, more shots would be fired and there would be no stopping the demolition.


    But as Heivia ducked low and charged into the dust, someone charged in below his chin. It was a small figure with a black uniform and long blonde hair. She had rushed in just like he had.


    ¡°Wrai-...¡±


    A heavy impact ran through his right temple before he could shout.


    It was not caused by Wraith Martini Vermouthspray¡¯s right hand or left hand. The aide young man had acted separately from her and swung a giant anti-materiel rifle¡¯s stock into Heivia¡¯s temple. It was a giant weapon meant to drop any opponent in one hit, just like that monstrous magnum made from a modified grenade launcher. But the gun¡¯s recoil was so strong that it was hard to recover if he missed at close range. He knew that. He did, but relying on your insurance and then not killing the enemy in a single shot was always a mistake.


    (Gh.)


    Heivia¡¯s vision shook and he could not control his collapsing body. But at the same time, his arm moved like an independent life form. It grabbed the uniform covering Wraith¡¯s flat chest and used his shifting body weight to pull her down with him. After they rolled along the hallway floor, Heivia was on top. He pressed his handgun into the center of her chest and she pushed up his chin with a small self-defense handgun.


    There was no fear in Heivia¡¯s face.


    The only emotion there was anger.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Wraith? Did your murderer¡¯s luck finally run out?¡±


    ¡°Are you going to shoot me?¡±


    ¡°Did you think you¡¯d get a chance to negotiate, crazy girl? I¡¯ve dreamed of this chance. I don¡¯t care about that active self-denial or whatever. I haven¡¯t forgotten what you did!!¡±


    ¡°But unfortunately, I¡¯m much too busy to mess with you. Melly.¡±


    Heivia had perfectly taken the mounted position, but then his body flew straight up. This was not the same as the Tomoe Nage of the Asian Island Nation. A powerful impact struck his back and he had trouble breathing. Gravity seemed to lose its hold on him and his back slammed into the ceiling like he was being thrown around by turbulence on a passenger plane.


    Even now, the brown girl named Melly Martini Extradry must have been worried about the potatoes¡¯ eyes on her because she folded up her arms like a fetus on top of her giant ring. She hid her mouth with her thin game system and half-tearfully trembled as she explained.


    ¡°667. D-did you forget? This is a giant Object, so I can do that by shaking the balanced city just a bit using the gyro controls.¡±


    ¡°Dammit... Are you saying she¡¯s the Elite!?¡±


    ¡°The Manhattan 000 belongs to me. I am only lending it to Capulet.¡±


    Once he felt the tug of gravity return, Heivia immediately let go of his handgun. Comics and movies often depicted characters being slammed into the ground while holding a drawn sword or a gun with the safety off, but in reality, the force of the impact could easily have you stab or shoot yourself in the gut or thigh. Holding onto your weapon too tenaciously and accidentally committing harakiri was a stereotypical mistake given in military textbooks.


    ¡°...Gah!!¡±


    He braced for impact, but the hallway ceiling was still more than three meters from the floor. The impact passing through his entire body was far greater than from being tripped or thrown to the ground. He could not fully escape it, so he ended up groaning on the floor. Meanwhile, Wraith aimed her toy-like self-defense handgun at him from a few meters away.


    ¡°Check.¡± The little demon smiled. ¡°You poor avenger who could not escape the standard framework. As usual, the likes of you begin to lose as soon as an Object is involved.¡±


    ¡°Damn...you.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what happens when Quenser isn¡¯t around. Not that there wasn¡¯t room for criticism in that combat engineer.¡±


    ¡°Damn you!!!!!!¡±


    Heivia roared in anger and forced his body up even though he was still having trouble breathing.


    A 9mm bullet stabbed mercilessly into the center of his chest.


    After being shot from outside arm¡¯s reach, the delinquent soldier collapsed backwards. His troubled breathing was disrupted even further and his consciousness flashed in and out. If not for the pocket containing his military flashlight and mobile device, his ribs would have broken and his organs would have been pierced.


    But in addition to that, Heivia was not given time to scream.


    ¡°Keep your head down,¡± whispered Wraith Martini Vermouthspray.


    Something pierced through the wall. A shot was fired in through the window. The flying sparks looked like a handheld firework or a smoke grenade. It was an armor-piercing incendiary round that could damage military vehicles and unmanned weapons by shooting through the armor and then frying the internal circuitry or fuel tank.


    If Wraith had not knocked Heivia out of the way with her self-defense handgun, it would have hit him in the side of the head.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you I was too busy to mess with you? The threat we detected was that third party. To be honest, what you are up to is irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°What is the meaning of this...? And who is that!? How many people are going to jump into the same bed at this crazy orgy!?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. And for the Information Alliance, that may make this the most fearsome presence here.¡±


    Part 18


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    That person quietly clicked their tongue while moving their eye from the scope of a sniper rifle that used a lot of metal to increase the weight and thus the stability. Targeting people felt so much different from targeting things. That was why specialized snipers still existed in an age so full of machinery. No matter how much support a target received, they would still act on a whim.


    ...It seemed one of them had an anti-materiel weapon. If they deduced the sniper¡¯s location from the line of fire and a shootout began, the sniper would be overpowered. Not only would that weapon have a greater range, but its destructive power meant walls could not be trusted for cover.


    This person had never been good at sniping. They had tried to increase their ability with the support of the embedded programs, but they doubted they could beat a specialist. It was the same reason professional cameramen existed in an age when anyone could snap a photo with autofocus and anti-blurring measures.


    Challenging someone to a battle in their area of expertise would be the height of folly.


    The opportunity for an upset only arrived once the other side was dragged down to your own field of expertise.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to use this Hand Axe.¡±


    Part 19


    Irregular tremors suddenly ran through the entire school building.


    They could not approach the windows with the possibility of a sniper, but as far as they could tell by peeking out from behind the pillars, several clouds of smoke were swelling out like cotton candy.


    ¡°Explosions?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. You settle down too, Frank. In this age of cameras and sensors, I doubt they would try to hide behind a cloud of smoke with no chemical effects whatsoever. I bet that¡¯s a diversion while they sneak in through a different entrance.¡±


    Wraith looked annoyed, but her explanation seemed separated from her emotions.


    ¡°In the worst case, they might have even threatened some civilians into running through there, so don¡¯t fire just because you see a shadow in the dust.¡±


    ¡°Tch. Hey, crazy girl, quit acting like you represent humanity¡¯s good side.¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re going to fight me even with all this going on? If you don¡¯t want to be caught in a crossfire, I¡¯d keep those thoughts to yourself, gentleman.¡±


    Casually cruel Myonri nonchalantly aimed her weapon at Heivia to deter any rash actions and then she spoke in her usual small animal way.


    ¡°Wh-what are they trying to do...?¡±


    ¡°Who knows. 380.¡±


    Myonri¡¯s fearful question was bluntly answered by the brown girl who was still shrinking down on top of her ring. That answer carried a lot more weight coming from New York¡¯s defense commander who had full use of the security systems. ...Of course, that was assuming her active self-denial had not gotten the better of her and her word could be trusted. It was of course possible it was all a lie.


    The black uniform girl shrugged while staying far enough away from the windows to avoid being shot.


    ¡°How are we supposed to know their goals when we don¡¯t know who they are? But based on an offline search of the explosion¡¯s acoustic signature, that was Hand Axe, a plastic explosive used by the Legitimacy Kingdom. So do you have any ideas?¡±


    Heivia Winchell¡¯s temples writhed irregular when he heard that.


    A plastic explosive.


    Hand Axe.


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°The accuracy of such a simple search isn¡¯t the best, but a chemical analysis looking for carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen in the dirt at the blast site would give us the answer. Although I don¡¯t think we have enough time for that.¡±


    ¡°555. By the way.¡±


    The brown girl in a two-piece surgical gown made of crimson paper cut in while cheerfully sitting with her butt inside the giant ring. Since her arms and legs were sticking out of the ring more than before, she had either grown accustomed to the stimulation or she was letting her guard down around them.


    ¡°From a strategic viewpoint, there is no reason at all to attack Columbia University if your goal is to take control of the Manhattan 000 as the world¡¯s largest Object. 200. So I doubt they¡¯re plotting to forcibly stop or hijack the Object. They might be after me since I¡¯ve lent it to Capulet, but very few people know I¡¯m also the Elite.¡±


    ¡°Then what else is there?¡±


    ¡°Sorry about answering your question with a question, but why are you here?¡±


    Heivia intentionally maintained an expressionless face, but Myonri thoughtlessly glanced over at the 4m ringlet curl powered suit. The giant girl spoke up while scraping her tilted head along the ceiling panels and fluorescent lights.


    ¡°...Father?¡±


    ¡°Hm. I can¡¯t see who that is due to the silly powered suit, but I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the model herself inside.¡± Wraith exhaled from her shapely nose. ¡°Well, if you¡¯d given up on negotiating with Melly, I guess it makes sense you¡¯d go for Capulet since it¡¯s the only other thing with power over the Manhattan 000. Given the development history and compatibility between Capulet and Juliet, it would also make sense you could hijack control of Manhattan using the Gatling 033¡¯s Pilot Elite. She would be able to approach the AI Network from a different direction than the Martini Series. Given that, the attacker¡¯s objective would be the Manhattan 000¡¯s destruction. But instead of sinking it themselves, they¡¯re trying to make it self-destruct by triggering a fight between the people on the inside...in other words, us.¡±


    ¡°No offense to you educated people who can achieve climax with nothing but your imagination, but isn¡¯t that a bit of a leap? How could a little commotion between us cause this colossal weapon to blow up?¡±


    ¡°If that concept machine contains who I think it does, then I¡¯m not overestimating this. The Juliet¡¯s experimental results continue to strengthen Capulet in real time. That puts her much closer to it than mere monitors like us. She might be able to take on the thousands of Martinis singlehandedly. If the Gatling 033¡¯s Juliet and its highly-compatible Pilot Elite attempt to bring down the Capulet AI Network using its vulnerabilities, they could be a threat to the Information Alliance as a whole. The network¡¯s hardware and scope are a mystery because its advantage is limited to the online world. That prevents anyone from pulling the power cable to shut it down if they start to lose.¡± Wraith sounded somewhat exasperated. ¡°Honestly, this is the problem with the age of Objects. The importance of specific individuals can vary so wildly. Aren¡¯t you here to collect her father because your plan hinges on her individual performance?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was the same as with Piranirie and Taratua. Whether or not the Martini Series had a conscience or good sense, they could still do the calculations. Their character could not be trusted, but there would be no mistake in the actual analysis.


    So it was best to base your thoughts on those assumptions.


    What would cause the most chaos in this situation?


    You only had to kill Oh Ho Ho¡¯s father in the shelter which was supposedly safe thanks to the Martini Series¡¯ management. It no longer mattered who the direct culprit was. Had the Martini Series made any mistakes? Had the Information Alliance as a whole wanted it? Once Oh Ho Ho was overwhelmed with anger, hatred, and suspicions, all of her skills could pass through the Information Alliance¡¯s Capulet and send the Manhattan out of control.


    The most frightening thing was not the amount of firepower on hand or the number of people killed.


    It was the same as the samurai who had once tried to open up the Island Nation or a certain world-famous musician. When a single blade or bullet bared its fangs against an innocent person, it would create an incalculable shock. This faceless person who had leaned out over the game board was trying to do that intentionally instead of by chance.


    Individuals were supported by a large system, but they also determined the outcome of wars.


    This reversal was built on the rules of an already twisted era.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? Then their target really is Oh Ho Ho¡¯s father!?¡±


    ¡°B-but they don¡¯t know where their target is in this giant university, right? Then we have time. We came to this cafeteria kitchen because we needed to work out the shelter locations from the food delivery routes.¡±


    Wraith rejected Myonri¡¯s words.


    Had the crazy person gained a sharper mind by sacrificing someone like the crazy person she was? She had to have noticed that the timid girl¡¯s statement contained far too much wishful thinking.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure. If this lawless hunter¡¯s specialty is bombs, then they can achieve their objective by indiscriminately blowing up each facility in turn. ...No, those diversion explosions may have been part of the plan. Not only did it get them safely inside the university, but they may have been observing how people reacted.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The shelters will be the most densely packed areas. They would react most noticeably to a commotion. It¡¯s like sending out sonar to locate the enemy. They just have to cause an explosion, note where the most voices came from, and then attack there. And that means we can¡¯t relax.¡±


    ¡°Right. So the key is the screams of children. 497.¡±


    Melly casually supplied that extra information with her butt inside the large ring and while wearing only a crimson surgical gown. She was much more relaxed than when she had first met the potatoes. She built interpersonal relationships quickly. It probably would not be long until she reached the ennui stage.


    She breathed a warm breath on the flat game system¡¯s screen and wiped it off with the paper over her chest.


    ¡°Universities are attended by a higher age group than middle or high schools, so if you ignore the few students that skipped several grades, there are almost no small children there. 119. So if 100 or 1000 children begin to cry and shout in response to the explosion, you know that has to be a shelter full of outsiders.¡±


    Another deep explosion rang out and the floor of the university hallway shook.


    Everyone there exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Ignoring this much evidence would be harder than finding proof of infidelity on your lover¡¯s smartphone and pretending you never saw anything.¡±


    ¡°And even if we¡¯re completely wrong, if that third party has plastic explosives and is headed to a shelter full of civilians, we have to stop them no matter what their reasons are.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s exactly right.¡±


    Heivia adjusted his grip on his handgun.


    And he did not hesitate to aim it at Wraith.


    ¡°But this is a separate issue.¡±


    Multiple dry gunshots rang out at close range.


    There was so little hesitation in the pull of the trigger that Myonri was unable to react despite being right next to him.


    And the aide young man stood in front of the black-uniformed girl with long blonde hair.


    He had used his large anti-materiel rifle as a shield to forcibly restrain the cheap 9mm bullets.


    ¡°Did that satisfy you a little?¡±


    Wraith did not bat an eye despite having her life targeted so suddenly.


    Had the Martini Series always been like that? Or had she been modified by some external factor?


    ¡°We just lost one of our valuable weapons thanks to you. You¡¯ll have to work to make up for it.¡±


    Part 20


    The university had a long history, so the complex and inscrutable building additions made over that time had naturally transformed it into a labyrinth. Gyms 1 through 3 were located relatively close to the edge of campus, but they were surrounded by artificial woods which made the main entrance hard to find. It was so bad that the second story walkways were more well-known.


    The gyms were large enough to be used for international tournaments, including the opening and closing ceremonies. They were squares with sides measuring more than 50 meters, so they were more like small stadiums.


    ¡°Th-they must have 50,000 people in each one,¡± said Myonri. ¡°That¡¯s like a small town. Won¡¯t it be hard for the attacker to find their target even if they are in here?¡±


    ¡°Melly. What do your precious cameras say?¡±


    The swim ring girl wearing a two-piece surgical gown made of crimson paper answered the black-uniform girl¡¯s question while holding her precious game system to her chest.


    ¡°There is one weakness to cameras that look down from above: extremely dense crowds. The people end up blocking the view of the other people. We really need to find a better countermeasure for molesters on the subway during rush hour.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be that tricky.¡±


    For whatever reason, Wraith and Melly had stopped attacking Heivia¡¯s group with the Bullmites, Multi-Gyros, and other unmanned weapons. That made travel much easier.


    ...Of course, whether they were always that way or they had been broken by active self-denial, could anything the Martini Series said or did be trusted? That fundamental question remained.


    ¡°As you said, the gyms are crammed full of people. I doubt the blast would spread very well even if you did set off a bomb there. Even paper can act as a bulletproof vest if you have hundreds of layers. Human flesh is no different. Enough of it and it¡¯ll stop an explosive blast. If this person wants to kill them all at once, they won¡¯t place the bomb on the flat floor.¡±


    ¡°Th-then...?¡±


    Did Myonri want to hear the answer or not? Or was she afraid to not hear it? Whatever the case, Heivia winked at her and pointed straight up.


    ¡°The ceiling. Have the bomb dangle down like a deadly disco ball and it can send its shrapnel down on everyone without the wall of people stopping it.¡±


    ¡°That would be easiest. 177. The ceiling is reinforced with narrow steel beams arranged like a jungle gym. A human could walk on them, but quadrupedal unmanned weapons like the Bullmites couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°They want to kill my father... And they¡¯re willing to kill 50,000 people at once to do it...?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to focus your justice on the general public,¡± smoothly said Wraith. ¡°The one family member is more important to you than 50,000 strangers, right? There¡¯s more to relationships than numbers. There¡¯s nothing wrong with feeling that way.¡±


    Her words were not at all blunted and tore sharply into the human heart, so they may have been similar to those of a high-IQ serial killer. They seemed to carry deep meaning, but the more you thought about them, the more your mind was destroyed by a poison of your own making.


    And just then, a flat electronic beep came from the game system held by the brown girl. She glanced down at the flat screen in her hands as if peering down at her own chest.


    ¡°114. Mr. Royce¡¯s phone has sent out a signal. It appears to be a phone call.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you give him his phone back when you released him and sent him to the general shelter? What a pain.¡±


    Wraith sounded annoyed, but the swim ring girl continued her report.


    ¡°Any idea who he might be calling? 251.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The 4m ringlet curls trembled as if stirring.


    What was the girl inside the thick armor doing?


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer it,¡± sharply warned Wraith. ¡°There is a chance the unknown third party is monitoring Royce¡¯s phone to gather information. We would gain nothing by letting them know we¡¯re here.¡±


    She knew that.


    She really did.


    The beeping never seemed to end and that seemed to reveal Royce¡¯s worry for his daughter. Oh Ho Ho seemed to be clenching her teeth. Finally, it automatically switched over to voice mail and the game system in Melly¡¯s hands stopped beeping.


    Oh Ho Ho spoke with a tremor in her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad...¡±


    Myonri tried to say something, but she did not manage to get anything out.


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad he¡¯s alive...¡±


    Heivia sighed quietly like those forced-out words were messing with his mood. He wanted to maintain his purity as an avenger, but it was not working. And he gave a warning with that look on his face.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t relax just because you know he¡¯s alive. This isn¡¯t over until we¡¯ve actually saved him.¡±


    ¡°I know that. Ho...oh ho ho. You don¡¯t have to tell me that.¡±


    Melly got them back on topic while kicking her brown legs now that she was used to the potatoes¡¯ rude gazes.


    ¡°The signal is coming from the second gym. Unless we assume more is going on than meets the eye, Mr. Royce should be there. But only we should know this. 125. There are three gyms and each one holds more than 50,000 people. Now, does the attacker have any way of accurately locating Mr. Royce?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention the possibility of them monitoring his phone? Well, that¡¯s just a possibility, so let¡¯s set aside the accurate information about that middle-aged man¡¯s location. Which one would be the easiest to infiltrate?¡±


    ¡°551. The middle one. The second gym. You can reach the ceiling¡¯s steel beams through a maintenance hatch on the roof. That should be far easier than climbing up from below.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s the place.¡±


    ¡°W-we¡¯re basing it on which one is easier? Ho...oh ho ho. What happened to my father¡¯s life being in danger!?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t need that giant camel toe in my face, so back up some. And did you forget? There are more than 50,000 people in each gym. Even if there¡¯s no direct damage in one, what will happen if they learn of unthinkable casualties in the one right next to it? It¡¯s an identical facility on the same campus. They¡¯ll assume they¡¯re next, so they won¡¯t just stay put like they were told. But the exits are narrow, so they¡¯ll start trampling each other and we¡¯ll end up with tens of thousands of people caught in the secondary and tertiary damages.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°During the winter, the chickens on a farm will gather together for warmth, but sometimes the group in the center will be crushed to death. This will be even more horrific than that.¡±


    They had a plan.


    They of course had to keep an eye on the first and third gyms, but the second one was their top priority.


    As seen at concert stadiums, it could take 15 to 30 minutes for tens of thousands of people to enter or leave a location. There was no time to evacuate everyone and unnecessary movement could lead the attacker to expedite their plan and start the detonation.


    Melly Martini Extradry, the Pilot Elite and New York¡¯s defense commander, did not seem to have any strong feelings on the matter. She must have been worried about the battery because she hooked a hand-cranked generator to her flat game system and began cranking away.


    ¡°That powered suit and I won¡¯t be able to do much of anything on the narrow steel beams. 997. And we don¡¯t want to trigger a panic, so firing up from the floor filled with civilians would be a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°I know that. Information Alliance or not, these are safe country civilians. I¡¯m not digital enough to calmly fire within a sea of blood to complete my mission. Unlike a certain idiot who executed a civilian to save her own skin.¡±


    ¡°With that in mind, I have a suggestion. The second gym is the easiest to infiltrate, but it also gives us an advantage. 656. Since the ceiling beams are connected to the flat roof by the maintenance hatch, you don¡¯t have to finish off the attacker there. You can drive them up onto the roof.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°That concept machine and I can function just fine on the flat roof. Your reports suggest this person is nimble enough to move from rooftop to rooftop, so they¡¯re almost certainly a flesh-and-blood human. I can hardly see how we would be overpowered in a direct fight. 176. It would be nice if we could just fire at them through the roof, but then the bullets could hit the civilians on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding, ring girl? You¡¯re going to fight on the front line? Didn¡¯t you say something about your spine being messed up?¡±


    ¡°202. Then try shooting me.¡±


    The brown girl readily said that despite having her butt inside the large ring and her only equipment being the crimson paper surgical gown and the game system. When he stared at her, wondering if she really understood the situation, she began trembling.


    ¡°Are you serious? I have more curly hairs in the corner of my room than I have a conscience. To be honest, it¡¯s hard to find any reason at all to hold back against any piece of shit with the Martini name.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my point. You won¡¯t trust anything I say. 081. So the only way to teach you is through experience.¡±


    Heivia wrapped a thick and fluffy scarf around a nearby plastic bottle for a makeshift silencer, pressed it against the muzzle of his handgun, and immediately pulled the trigger.


    It released a muffled gunshot, but it was not Melly or Wraith who looked surprised.


    Melly Martini Extradry had her butt in the large ring and her hands and feet off the floor, so she could not move around properly. There was also nothing for her to hide behind. Nevertheless, her ring spun around like the coffee cups at an amusement park and cleanly avoided all three bullets.


    ¡°Are you okay? 444. I appreciate the thought to use a silencer, but when the noise and the actual recoil are different, I¡¯ve heard you can let your guard down and hurt your wrist.¡±


    Her movement could not have been that fast.


    But there was no way that could be explained away as a simple coincidence.


    ¡°655. To reveal the trick, I slightly tilted the Manhattan 000 below us. And unlike before, it wasn¡¯t enough to notice.¡±


    Melly softly exhaled and used her thin game system¡¯s L and R triggers to rotate her ring right and left.


    ¡°The world¡¯s largest Object is always a part of me. I take top priority. Even Capulet is only borrowing it from me. The internal parts that move the Manhattan 000 are essentially the same as the liquid inside this ring. 713. Okay? Are you familiar with carnivorous plants?¡±


    ¡°Carnivorous...plants?¡±


    ¡°Some plants can move quite quickly, like the Venus flytrap. That is done with turgor pressure, the movement of liquid between the cells. That isn¡¯t actually all that difficult to reproduce in a machine. And it¡¯s easier to manage in parallel than something with lots of old-fashioned motors and cranks. 409. It¡¯s also used as the catalyst for the quantum computer needed for the balance calculations to make sure it doesn¡¯t collapse under its own weight. In addition to lasers, Josephson junctions, and quantum dots, quantum bits can be managed with the NMR method using a liquid. You¡¯ll even see it mentioned in comics and novels.¡±


    Quantum computers and DNA computers were the two representative examples of non- von Neumann large-scale processors. Since they had selected something other than the Anastasia Processor that used cancer cells from Wraith¡¯s biological mother, the Information Alliance must have had its own internal competition there, but that was not the point.


    ¡°Did you think I was dressed like this for no reason? I control it through physical contact with this ring-shaped device. 333. Simply put, my blood contains the same liquid as the supercomputer. That was the only way to make up for what the game system alone couldn¡¯t do.¡±


    She had predicted the ballistic trajectory in advance.


    The girl was one with Manhattan.


    ¡°I have perfect calculations and the ability to physically interfere with the field itself. Plus, I command every single unmanned weapon protecting the city of Manhattan. 144. Do you still think I wouldn¡¯t be useful in a fight?¡±


    The Object was based on plants and the unmanned weapons were based on plants and animals. With the serverless artificial life forms and the simple circuits that used swarm intelligence, Manhattan was like a planet of machines.


    Wraith did not seem all that surprised and cut in as if simply confirming what she already knew.


    ¡°But the Manhattan 000 must be too large to fire on a specific individual hiding in the shelter. You¡¯ll probably have to put together a unit of Bullmites and other unmanned weapons, but will the law enforcement regulations really be enough?¡±


    ¡°You must be kidding. These things¡¯ greatest advantage is a tactic that would run afoul of various treaties if you used it in war. In other words, artificial organic concentration.¡±


    The ring girl spun around the flat screen to show them. It displayed a graph about the contents of the air, but they did not want to think about what it meant.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same concept as fish and shellfish absorbing plankton and other toxins from the seawater and storing them in their stomach, but there is no limit when it comes to unmanned weapons. Because you don¡¯t have to worry about the lethal level. And the basic toxins can be found anywhere in the world. How many pollutants do you think you can find in the exhaust and dirty water in Manhattan alone? But it¡¯s not even a ten thousandth of the lethal level, so they say it¡¯s safe and you don¡¯t have to worry about it. 883. So just concentrate that down more than ten thousand times and you have a deadly weapon at zero cost. You can take a human life with the prick of a needle. I don¡¯t normally do that, though.¡±


    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why they have air purifiers. I thought that seemed out of place.¡±


    It was well known that the hollow point bullets banned by war treaties were commonly used by the police and thugs in cities. The line between humane and inhumane was easily changed for people¡¯s convenience.


    Heivia breathed from his nose and fired twice more for good measure, but the result was exactly the same. When he saw Melly spin around in her ring, he decided any more would be a waste of ammo. And if the makeshift silencer broke, he would spread confusion through the attacker and civilians.


    ¡°If you¡¯re willing to go and get yourself killed, then be my guest. But your ass doesn¡¯t look too soft, so don¡¯t expect me to support it.¡±


    ¡°Then I will look after it on my own. 111. The best way to shock malicious people is to do sensible things for nothing in return.¡±


    Was the entire Martini Series like this? She too was quite crafty.


    The gyms were the size of indoor stadiums. They were as tall as four-story school buildings and they had metal emergency stairs on the outside.


    The roof really was entirely flat. It had no slant whatsoever.


    Was the attacker already here or would they be arriving later? There was no evidence one way or the other, but they did not have time to stand around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s act on the assumption that they¡¯re here. Myonri, come with me.¡±


    ¡°O-okay.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    Black-uniformed Wraith asked that, but Heivia only gave a snort of laughter.


    ¡°Wipe that smile off your face. Do you want me to shove this right up your ass? It doesn¡¯t matter if you were always crazy or if you were broken by that active self-denial stuff. I¡¯m not going to trust the piece of shit that executed a supposed ally when she was told to.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Whatever the case is now and whatever our original affiliations were, Quenser thought of you as an ally then and he risked his life to protect you from Manhattan¡¯s attack. And you shot him. While looking him right in the eye. That¡¯s not even war. None of that has changed. Don¡¯t forget that your actions are good or bad regardless of your reasons for doing them.¡±


    That was all.


    Myonri fidgeted nervously as she listened, but Wraith did not bother with it any longer. Heivia left that lonely girl and slowly opened the square trap door attached to the flat roof.


    After climbing through, he found quite a few steel beams arranged like a giant jungle gym.


    Naturally, there was no stable floor. If he slipped, he would fall the four-story distance down to the ground level. And people filled the stacked second and third floors as well as the fields and courts. Everyone seemed to have enough space to lie down and stretch out, but if he fell, he could not avoid hitting someone.


    ¡°I see him directly below us,¡± softly said Myonri.


    Among the shocking number of human heads, there was one person operating a smartphone. He stood out from the many other smartphone users because he was repeating the same short action over and over instead of focusing on typing text into social media.


    ¡°So that¡¯s Royce.¡±


    ¡°How many times has he tried now? He must still be trying to call his daughter.¡±


    Of course, he would never get through since his daughter was not answering. They were on the same university campus, but he could not even get a single word to her.


    But no matter how coldly he was being rejected, Royce showed no sign of irritation. He pressed the electronic device¡¯s screen against his forehead, shut his eyes, and seemed to wish for something before repeating the same action yet again. He was simply a father hoping for his family¡¯s safety.


    ¡°We definitely have to save him, don¡¯t we?¡± said Myonri in a quiet voice. ¡°Without even thinking about the four world powers or anything like that.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t give her father special treatment. If we¡¯re doing this, we¡¯re saving all of them. It doesn¡¯t matter if the blast actually hits them or not. If there¡¯s an explosion somewhere, they¡¯ll panic and trample each other. It¡¯ll be worse than a swimming tournament full of sumo wrestlers. Once it starts, tens of thousands could die.¡±


    Once they climbed down, they found it was harder to walk than expected. The steel beams had lots of small bumps from all the rivets and there were also thumb-thick power cables running everywhere for the halogen lamps lined up at even intervals.


    Nevertheless...


    Even so...


    Heivia saw a silhouette. He saw a human silhouette at his eye level. They were curled up on the unsteady beam and he recognized the way they moved their thumb to prepare something. It actually felt nostalgic. It was just like that person who had always been by his side, setting up Hand Axe plastic explosives in some unbelievable place for some trick to fight against the world¡¯s most powerful colossal weapons.


    He had considered it.


    Yes, he would be lying if he said he had not considered it.


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray had shot Quenser in front of Heivia¡¯s eyes. But he had not actually seen what happened to the corpse after it fell into the ocean. So what if? Could it be? Perhaps Quenser Barbotage was actually still alive and following some super secret plan that not even Heivia was aware of.


    So.


    So.


    So.


    He clenched his teeth, but it was not enough. The shock was so great that it forced his voice from the depths of his throat.


    And his voice formed a single name.


    ¡°Skuld...Silent-Third!?¡±


    The person he saw there was a short and undeveloped girl with long blonde twintails who perfectly wore the skintight special suit of a Pilot Elite.


    She was also the Faith Organization¡¯s greatest and most horrific serial killer.


    It was not Quenser at all.


    Part 21


    This seems sudden?


    Of course it does. That was a name one must never search. The editors of an online encyclopedia that could be edited by anyone grew stubborn when the information was repeatedly deleted, so they had pushed for the public release of the Madagascar Report which had been sealed by the military. But as a result, they had been killed in a highly suspicious railroad accident. That was the kind of taboo this was.


    There was no sign of it coming?


    Again, it is only natural not to remember. The great war crime that Quenser and Heivia ran across in the Madagascar Report is not something to look back on. It is a memory that prevents one from living a bright, happy, and enjoyable life.


    Skuld Silent-Third.


    She was one of the three Pilot Elites of the Faith Organization¡¯s Second Generation Trinity Style, officially designated Norn, but she was also a serial killer who used that position to sink her venomous fangs into victims in battlefields around the world.


    That incident had supposedly been ended by Quenser¡¯s bombs.


    However, that same mass murderer had cast aside her blades, guns, and even her Object. She now held a bomb.


    What did that mean?


    Heivia Winchell¡¯s grimaced because he knew the answer.


    Part 22


    ¡°Nice to see you again, Heivia. And the girl...what was her name again?¡±


    She smiled brightly.


    If that was all, it would have been an innocent girl¡¯s smile that inspired a protective desire in all who saw it. Her bright green special suit was held tight against the minimal curves of her slender body and a large ribbon provided a florid touch that felt out of place. Her allure combined the cuteness of a younger girl with the seductiveness of an older girl. But that was exactly how she had fooled so many people, relaxed their tension, created an opening, and ultimately consumed them.


    ¡°But it¡¯s too bad. Quenser was the one I most wanted to see. Look, it¡¯s Hand Axe! I went to a lot of trouble getting the real deal, so I have to make its debut worth it.¡±


    ¡°What...are you doing?¡±


    He knew. He knew who this was in front of him.


    But Heivia raised his voice with a look of utter disbelief.


    ¡°Why the hell did the Faith Organization let you out of your cage!? Is everyone in this world a crazy girl!?¡±


    ¡°Love and hate are complexly intertwined, Heivia. Just like how I came to love explosions. Ah ha ha! It¡¯s just like the stereotype that, if you look into a serial killer¡¯s background, you¡¯ll find they were terribly abused when they were young. Y¡¯know, where you can say everyone involved was a victim. Ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    Myonri was clearly shaken and Heivia immediately switched from his handgun to his knife. It too was a ¡°self-defense¡± item he had taken from the diligent New Yorkers. It was a survival knife with a blade measuring more than 40cm, but he was not trying to show off.


    His enemy¡¯s primary weapon was bombs.


    If he moved in close, she would have more difficulty using them without being in the blast radius herself.


    ¡°Nee hee hee!!¡±


    One wrong step and they would plummet down. Heivia started running across the ceiling beam and the slender girl named Skuld only laughed maniacally. As the bare blade targeted her unguarded slender throat with a horizontal slash, she actually held out a clay-like block of Hand Axe plastic explosive.


    Instead of blocking it with a solid barrier, she was causing the blade to slip as if with oil. Heivia shuddered when he felt the attack miss and then Skuld used her soft-looking lips to stick a pen-shaped electric fuse into the sliced explosive.


    Since it resembled a party game where two people held either end of a skinny chocolate snack in their lips, the action carried a seduction not usually found in such a young girl, but the situation was dire.


    Her blonde twintails fluttered around her in what seemed like a self-celebratory dance, but Skuld Silent-Third was preparing the explosive despite being less than a meter from her opponent!?


    (Is she relying on her Elite special suit!?)


    ¡°Oh, while it can handle blades and bullets, this thing can¡¯t protect me from a major explosion.¡±


    She seemed to have read his mind. And at the same moment, Skuld readily detonated the bomb inside her own young hand.


    ¡°!!!???¡±


    Something odd happened.


    It was different from a normal explosion that spread destruction in a sphere from the central point. It was more like an infinitely-extending blade of light. When Skuld swung her arm, the scorching blade passed by Heivia¡¯s face and burned right through all of the jungle gym-like beams in its path.


    (This is worse than at Madagascar!? What kind of movement was that!?)


    The blast had been concentrated in a single direction.


    The bomb had detonated in her hand, but there was not a drop of blood on the body showing its minimal curves through the green special suit. She licked from her palm to her fingertips in a very seductive way for such a young girl.


    ¡°This is nothing unusual.¡±


    ¡°Damn you...!¡±


    ¡°Any old fireworks craftsman can do the same thing. Explosions are all about fluid dynamics, so it¡¯s the same as the flow of water or air. If you restrain the blast with a sheet of metal and intentionally leave a single hole open, the explosively-expanding combustion gas will be naturally guided through there. Of course, the guns you¡¯re so familiar with use the same basic principle.¡±


    There had to be more to it.


    In theory, you could create a bomb with a single metal pipe. But if an amateur actually tried it, they were guaranteed to blow themselves up in the process. Massive amounts of knowledge and technique were needed to realize that theory. And the mass murderer named Skuld had done so with her own two hands instead of factory equipment.


    It was just like that boy who would rely on adlibbed methods and pull them off with no practice whatsoever.


    She had inherited it.


    It was like the girl carried that powerful enemy inside her undeveloped chest.


    Myonri frantically raised her shotgun once more, but Skuld simply held out her hand. Another explosion drowned out the gunshot. It was like a magic trick. The single shotgun shell had to contain tons of small metal balls, but the beautiful serial killer did not have a scratch on her. Had she diverted their path with a solid shockwave barrier?


    No...


    ¡°...When using explosions, the most important thing is to know what your opponent is thinking.¡±


    With a sticky smile reminiscent of sweet nectar, Skuld embraced her own slender body. Her fingers traced across her own minimal curves. She pulled in her long blonde twintails as well, her spine trembled, and she shook from self-produced sensuality.


    ¡°I thought the feeling in my wrist when I stabbed or strangled someone was all there was. But the reality was different. Bombs have their own sensation!! You set up a trap no one is expecting, you actually detonate it, and you rule their heart with fear. Ohh, it¡¯s so wonderful!! Take...whatever her name is there. You were afraid before you even fired. You feared that shotgun couldn¡¯t possibly kill a true monster. So even though you had the overwhelming advantage of aiming a gun at me from a distance, the sound of no more than a tiny explosion caused you to shrink down and shift your own aim. Is there...is there any other killing method that lets you feel their soul more than this!?¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up...¡±


    Their military training no longer mattered.


    It was the same as the incident from the sealed Madagascar Report. Whenever this girl made an appearance, the rules of war collapsed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your bitching. You¡¯re no more than a wandering ghost who lost her place to die, so I¡¯m not going to let you sully that bastard¡¯s name!!¡±


    ¡°Nee hee. Is that the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s obsession with honor?¡±


    He swung his knife and used the handgun he had decided against earlier, but Skuld jumped to another steel beam a step behind her and he could not do any real damage. She stayed the same distance from him while her twintails and ribbon fluttered around her in a nightmarish and fantastical dance.


    The goddess of death and war performed an elegant dance. And seeing that, Heivia raised his voice.


    ¡°Myonri, prepare to fire!¡±


    ¡°B-but I can¡¯t hit her!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the title of serial killer get to you. Whether she¡¯s ¡®awakened¡¯ or broken through her limits, she¡¯s still human. Aim for the power cables for the halogen lights!! The footing is already limited, so fill these metal beams with a powerful electric current and not even she will be able to escape!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you¡¯re going with? Emotional sacrifices are so boring. It¡¯s a death as bland as a chain burger.¡± Skuld placed a hand on her delicate-looking hip and sounded exasperated. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really care what happens after I¡¯ve had my fun. And I believe I¡¯ve more than half completed my initial objective.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Look down below.¡±


    The twintail girl sneered as she placed her lightly-clenched fist below her navel and pointed her index finger straight down.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t caused any direct damage, but I have detonated a few bombs inside the gym. If everyone heads for the exits at once, what do you think¡¯ll happen to those 50,000 people?¡±


    ¡°You perverted necrophile girl!!¡±


    ¡°Ah hah hah!!¡±


    Heivia and Myonri knew not to, but they could not stop their eyes from briefly glancing down. And in that instant, Skuld Silent-Third climbed through one of the square maintenance hatches.


    Their target had gotten away, but Myonri actually wiped the sweat from her slender chin and breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°That achieves the bare minimum of our objectives...right? The Information Alliance group is up there. Wraith, Melly, and the giant Oh Ho Ho.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    Heivia used his handgun to shoot out several of the large halogen lights hanging down from the steel beams. They scattered some glass and a lot of sparks.


    ¡°Wh-what are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve created a peaceful explanation for those explosions. Hey, Myonri, you¡¯re good with computers, right? Rewrite that online encyclopedia that anyone can edit!! Say that in the Central American ocean the pressure change from a storm can cause incandescent and halogen bulbs to burst from internal pressure. The actual reasoning behind it doesn¡¯t have to hold up to scrutiny. Just give them something they can look up and accept for the time being!!¡±


    ¡°I thought we couldn¡¯t access the actual internet here!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a virtual space or a fake server, but just get it out there so those people will see it!¡±


    People were susceptible to multiple sources. You might hear rumors around you and then find confirmation on the screen in your hand...but in some cases, they both had the same source of information.


    As Skuld had said, no direct harm had been done yet. There was nothing Heivia and Myonri could do here except prevent the people from trampling each other in a panic.


    ¡°Myonri, let¡¯s head up top.¡±


    ¡°Eh? I¡¯d rather not. A powered suit and those serverless unmanned weapons will be fighting on that flat roof. Even if the battle will end without our help, a single stray bullet can still kill us!¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t end that easily,¡± spat out Heivia. ¡°I don¡¯t care how many of those damn Martinis die, but if Skuld escapes, she¡¯ll cause far more damage. And I¡¯m not just talking about Manhattan. You saw the nightmare of that sealed Madagascar Report with your own eyes, didn¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t you see and agree to seal it all away because it felt like having your nose shoved into some old man¡¯s hairy asshole?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If you want proof, just face your own trauma. That¡¯s all you need to explain what a threat Skuld is.¡±


    Myonri gulped.


    That was all. She had no rebuttal for Heivia¡¯s seemingly incoherent argument.


    They both approached the maintenance hatch Skuld had left through.


    They climbed up onto the flat and supposedly safe roof.


    They saw the scene they had expected but not wanted.


    ¡°Oh, perfect timing. I¡¯m about ready for a second helping¡î¡±


    There was a single smile there.


    And it was surrounded by hell.


    Despite her confidence, Melly Martini Extradry was trapped in the scraps of the many Bullmites that had protected her.


    The powered suit that had supposedly carried the Information Alliance idol Elite had what looked like giant claw marks running across it and an orange horizontal line had sliced through it at about chest height. The size was larger, but it was shaped just like the real idol. The cockpit¡¯s empty space was exposed and it lay collapsed and sparking in a more gruesome fate than for a normal tank or armored truck.


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray held her small hand to the right side of the young man who lay protectively over her. She was desperately trying to stop his bleeding. It looked more like it was caused by a gunshot than an explosive blast, so it may have been a flying screw or nail rather than the actual explosion.


    The girl held her slender body in her arms and her back trembled as she basked in the afterglow. Yes, the afterglow. It was already over.


    She really was worse than at Madagascar. The serial killer had evolved through the acquisition of bombs.


    ¡°Well, this was a shock for me too,¡± she said. ¡°I really thought there was someone inside that powered suit, but it was being remotely controlled.¡±


    Come to think of it, the 4m ringlet curls controlled by that Elite had fallen on her butt during the makeshift chaff attack meant to eliminate the coordination of the Bullmites in the university building. And when she had avoided carelessly answering the call from her father, had it been to prevent Oh Ho Ho¡¯s real location from being found out? She could not have anyone tripping her up until she had actually saved her father.


    ¡°That sure was elaborate,¡± spat out Skuld.


    That was all. Her brief arousal was already cooling.


    ¡°But I guess that was the peak of my surprise. Are those all the tricks up your sleeve? If so, it just wasn¡¯t enough. I want a dinner that will really fill my belly. So bring out the next serving already. Or do I need to visit the second and third restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Your attempt to cause a panic in the gym failed, Skuld...¡±


    ¡°Does the Faith Organization need a reason to attack the Information Alliance? Or does a serial killer need a reason to kill people? It¡¯s just who we are. What more can you say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to follow the Faith Organization¡¯s rules either! You were convicted under Faith Organization law, abandoned, and thrown in prison!! You expect us to believe a serial killer is diligently doing her job!?¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha!! Diligently? Well, does it look like I¡¯m doing a good job?¡±


    If she was trying to kill Royce so that his daughter, Oh Ho Ho, would spread further chaos through Manhattan, then Skuld could not have carelessly attacked Oh Ho Ho. She had only learned the powered suit was empty after slicing it in two, so it looked planned but was fundamentally flawed. Was there no way of controlling her?


    ¡°Al ¨C so. None of that matters and I don¡¯t care. I have no hard feelings for the Legitimacy Kingdom that defeated me in Madagascar or the Faith Organization that used me as long as they could and then judged me like they were the heroes. I have no complaints. I¡¯m satisfied as long as I can kill. I don¡¯t even need a war. Back at Madagascar, I made myself valuable with my skill as a Pilot Elite, so the higher ups would cover things up. Those circumstances are all that¡¯s changed. I¡¯ll make myself valuable in some other way and have someone important create an environment where I¡¯m free to kill. There were no deep reasons behind it. That cruel IV had its uses! The passage of time may have blurred, but everything but the killing and the memories of killing melted away from my mind. What is that if not freedom?¡±


    No matter what, that mass murderer could not forget the taste of killing.


    She did not need to use a vast conspiracy or a superpower¡¯s interests as an excuse. She was a purer and crueler slaughterer who faced the killing head-on.


    ¡°Still, there is one thing I want.¡±


    Skuld Silent-Third wrapped her young hands around either side of her small face and lightly twisted her slender hips as she tried to restrain the pleasure signals rising within her. Her entire body radiated something far uglier than unrequited love.


    ¡°I wanted to see Quenser. I wanted to see my teacher who taught me this new art of bombs!! See, now I can kill even more people. You were wonderful, teacher, but I can kill far more. So now it¡¯s my turn to teach you. I can give you a lovey-dovey hands-on lesson in how to enjoy bombs!! Heh heh. Ah hah hah hah hah!!¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re completely insane. Do you have threads sewn between the wrinkles in your brain or something?¡±


    ¡°Quenser Barbotage was normal.¡±


    In an unexpected turn, there was no emotion in her voice at all.


    It was the stereotypical form of someone who could not control the switch between mania and depression.


    ¡°He was normal, but he could still kill without a second thought. Had you not noticed after spending so much time with him? He was far worse than a serial killer like me. I mean, he couldn¡¯t have survived that long otherwise. How many Objects and the armies around them do you think my teacher has blown away in the past? Killing and remaining normal is a frightening thing. How could he do it?¡±


    She did not need to say any more.


    Myonri was enthralled and stood stock still, but Heivia moved almost automatically. He had a knife in his right hand and a handgun in his left. He charged toward the twintail girl in order to suppress her at a range of less than 2 meters.


    ¡°Oh, right, right. What are you going to do about that?¡±


    Meanwhile, twintailed Skuld had no gun or blade.


    Her voice was as casual as someone making an invitation to chat over tea.


    ¡°Does the term Ragnarok Script mean nothing to you? What about active self-denial? A mysterious external factor was injected into the Martini Series, but where do you think it really came from?¡±


    ¡°Wha-...!?¡±


    Heivia still had not shaken his doubts.


    Even if this was Skuld Silent-Third, could she really have had such an overwhelming advantage on a roof full of unmanned weapons and a powered suit? What if the Martini Series had lost control there? What if a switch had been thrown and either Wraith or Melly had attacked Oh Ho Ho? After what had happened to the powered suit, would he be safe without that kind of armor? Could he really trust that those Martinis were defeated? What if he turned his back on the group that included the monster who had shot Quenser?


    ¡°That¡¯s just in the way, don¡¯t you think? It just ruins your fun.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    The next thing he knew, Skuld was moving toward him.


    The slender girl¡¯s right hand had latched onto Heivia¡¯s handgun. But not in order to take it from him. Quite the opposite. She pressed the muzzle against her soft-looking belly and repeatedly pulled the trigger.


    Dry gunshots rang out and the impacts to her soft lower body caused the girl to double over.


    ¡°Kee hee.¡±


    But the gun ran out of ammo in no time.


    The handgun in his hand was no more than a lump of metal.


    ¡°Hee hee hee hah hah!! Yes, yes. That¡¯s right. Pain is only another form of pleasure and defeat is the motivation needed to grow!! Right, Quenser? This is the place. This is the best. The most enjoyable aspect of life is the moment when you stand back up from overwhelming defeat to turn it all around!!¡±


    Even if her suit provided some defense against bullets, that had still been suicidal. The bullets might not break through, but the shock still reached her, so it could have torn her muscles or damaged her organs.


    And yet.


    That murder fairy named Skuld showed only a smile of ecstasy.


    ¡°The Ragnarok Script?¡±


    She questioned the thing she herself had just mentioned.


    ¡°Do you really think that exists? Ah ha ha!! Investigate all you like, you¡¯ll never find it. After all, it never existed.¡±


    ¡°What are you...going on about? That¡¯s what caused this entire mess...!¡±


    ¡°You take something that doesn¡¯t exist and make it look like it does exist to produce a certain effect. Isn¡¯t that how the Information Alliance does things? Of course, it was based on a psychological safety device set in place by the powerful people who control the formless Capulet AI Network. If the Martini Series ever gained more popular support than those powerful people, they could leak that supposed vulnerability to end that boom. ...Our agents dug it up while infiltrating the Information Alliance and it was reinterpreted into a form we could use more easily. That is the Ragnarok Script.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ragnarok.


    That was the final battle in Norse Mythology. Afraid of his prophesied death, Odin planned out a way to stop it but ultimately earned enough resentment to get himself devoured by a beast just as the prophecy foretold. It was a merciless myth with no chance for recovery.


    Yet if he had never taken the prophecy seriously, nothing would have happened in the first place.


    ¡°When their self-confidence is shaken and they lose sight of themselves, those Martinis succumb to the AI far more easily. So there was no need for active self-denial. The Faith Organization has far more experience when it comes to matters of the heart.¡±


    Skuld sounded like she was letting them in on a juicy secret.


    ¡°In Faith Organization terms, it may be a lot like banning Mary adoration or Thor worship. And as long as the true result of the lie is effective, the rest doesn¡¯t matter. The Martinis really are bound by the nonexistent threat, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Similarly, Heivia had lost his valuable firepower due to this girl¡¯s words.


    There was nothing he could do with no bullets in his gun. Since her skintight special suit was blade-resistant, his options were limited with his knife.


    ¡°We whisper about the Ragnarok Script and the Martinis are bound. Even if they know it doesn¡¯t exist, they can¡¯t cleanse the damage to their soul. It¡¯s like a curse. Maybe this is the result of controlling the Information Alliance¡¯s fear with Faith Organization methods.¡±


    ¡°Tch...!?¡±


    ¡°Oh? What are you going to do? I don¡¯t think you have time to swap magazines.¡±


    He did not have time to be surprised by each and every one of her actions. As soon as Skuld let go of the empty handgun, she dropped a small piece of plastic explosive to her feet, detonated it, and used the blast to rotate her own body. Her weight shifted in a way that wouldn¡¯t have been possible for a normal human and she sent a roundhouse kick as heavy as a demolition hammer toward the side of Heivia¡¯s head.


    As long as it was enjoyable and fun, she did not care what happened to her own body.


    Heivia responded to the lunatic¡¯s joy by lowering his arm. He did not let his arm be broken to protect his head. He dropped the empty handgun and slid it into the gap between the roof and the raised heel of Skuld¡¯s pivot leg.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    She lost her balance and the axis of her roundhouse kick wobbled.


    Skuld missed and, before she could straighten back up, Heivia tackled her childish hips. He placed the knee of her roundhouse kick on his shoulder and flipped her over. No, his hand would still have held the large survival knife.


    They collapsed in a heap with Skuld on her back and Heivia on top of her. He held the survival knife in both hands with the tip in the center of her flat chest. Skuld used both hands to push back up, but he had the mounted position. No amount of squirming would let the slender serial killer escape from below the boy. As he pushed down on the knife with all his weight, it slowly moved down millimeter by millimeter. The sharp tip was definitely approaching Skuld¡¯s vitals.


    ¡°Enough...¡±


    Heivia shouted with the bloodshot eyes of something other than a soldier who killed for his job.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!! I won¡¯t let anyone else end this. We screwed up in Madagascar! We should¡¯ve done this from the beginning!!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you forcing yourself? Quenser is one thing, but I thought you acted as the brakes.¡±


    Skuld was weaker. She could not overturn things here, so she could only watch as the blade slowly but surely reached her heart. Even if her Pilot Elite special suit was blade resistant, the weight would still reach her. The blade might not be able to cut the fibers, but the weight would gather on one point, like she was being stepped on with high heels, and her young ribs and sternum would be broken.


    But as she lay on her back, Skuld continued to smile.


    And she was not forcing it. Nor was she escaping to a paradise only she could see.


    All of a sudden, Heivia realized Hand Axe plastic explosives were scattered at the vertices of an equilateral triangle with Skuld and her seductive bodylines in the center. Her inappropriate outfit added to the illusion that this was a magic circle drawn out on the floor and she was holding a blasphemous sacrificial ceremony using her own body.


    The girl licked her lips in a way far too sinister for her lovely facial features.


    ¡°When using an icepick, the trick to silently breaking the window to reach the lock inside is to use a triangle. You make a crack and remove the bare minimum of glass at the vertices. And can¡¯t you look at this roof the same way?¡±


    ¡°Damn you...!!¡±


    He could definitely kill Skuld like this.


    But to be certain, he had to take his time slowly pushing the blade down. He could not end it right this instant.


    That was why Skuld Silent-Third¡¯s slender white throat moved alluringly as she laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made it so I¡¯ll fall. I¡¯ll break off the roof around me. And there are 50,000 people below. I¡¯m covered in my full stock of Hand Axe, so if I go out in an impressive explosion, just what color of flower will blossom down there?¡±


    ¡°...!!!???¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. It might not cause that much damage at all. With that many people together, their flesh will function as a barrier. Ah ha ha! So how about you pray for a miracle, Brake Boy?¡±


    He could not let go with his hands. It was his weight bearing down on them that was restraining Skuld. If he let go and released her, she would cause even more harm.


    Myonri was overwhelmed and had fallen into a seated position, so he could not rely on her. Everyone else had been defeated, so he could not expect support from them either.


    There was nothing he could do.


    He knew the tragedy that was about to occur, yet he could find no plan to stop it!?


    ¡°Here¡¯s what Quenser would do.¡± It was entirely out of place, but Skuld sounded like a dreaming maiden. ¡°The options are to safely draw back or charge forward despite the danger. He would definitely charge forward. He would prioritize defeating his enemy over protecting himself and allowing the situation to grow even worse. I understand him. I understand the human being named Quenser Barbotage...¡±


    Just then, something changed.


    It was a gunshot.


    Right into the center of her flat chest.


    A bullet was fired from the self-defense handgun held by a small bloody hand.


    ¡°Wrai...th...?¡±


    The black-uniform girl did not respond to Heivia.


    She had walked over at some point and she had not hesitated to pull the trigger while looking down on the twintailed murderer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke.¡± Her voice was trembling like she was about to cough up blood. ¡°Quenser Barbotage would never do that!! He...that complete moron was such a hopeless ¡®human¡¯ that he would make a split-second decision to protect an enemy soldier being targeted by the world¡¯s largest Object!! He was a fundamentally different creature to you or me!!¡±


    The special suit provided some protection against bullets.


    But only some.


    ¡°I...see.¡±


    Skuld¡¯s eyes wandered aimlessly as if seeing something that was not here and words escaped her mouth.


    ¡°Teacher. I was wondering why I didn¡¯t see you here... So that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    As if to say she would not allow her to say anymore, Wraith pulled the trigger several more times. She seemed to be bringing the serial killer back to her senses through sensible pain. Skuld had trouble breathing, so she could no longer hold back the knife. Just as her limiter broke and her strength dropped, Heivia used his full weight to drive the 40cm survival knife¡¯s tip into the center of that childish chest.


    Thanks to its blade resistance, the special suit itself did not tear.


    But the same weight as being stepped on with high heels would destroy the girl¡¯s slender body.


    This would end it.


    This would settle the entire issue surrounding the Martini Series and the Ragnarok Script. There was no need to worry about the Object losing control. The Manhattan would no longer be a threat.


    ¡°I...will not die.¡±


    But the girl¡¯s smile was like a curse at this point.


    The mass murderer announced her immortality like the monster in a cheap horror movie.


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed enough to know. This pain isn¡¯t coming from my organs. More, more, more. Drive it in more. Crush my organs with my broken ribs and sternum...¡±


    ¡°Shut up and die. We don¡¯t need anything extra. If you¡¯ll just die here it¡¯s all over. I¡¯m not Quenser, so I¡¯m not going to feel sorry for you.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. Brake Boy, you can¡¯t do it. Only my teacher can kill me. That must have been destined from the moment we were born.¡±


    What meaning did that serial killer see in her own death?


    Was it just one more for the pile? Or was she the one exception, so it was a treasure meant only for someone she cared for?


    ¡°Or so I thought. How disappointing. But in a way, I guess you could say I achieved my objective. For my purposes, it didn¡¯t have to be Royce.¡±


    ¡°What...?¡±


    Heivia felt like his entire body was covered in tiny insects.


    She knew something.


    They had already passed the minor issues of the Martini Series and the Ragnarok Script.


    The world would roll toward the precipice any number of times.


    She probably saw it as a way to bring herself closer to Quenser who had defeated her and had a killing method greater than her own. Just like a stalker¡¯s obsession could gather more information than a professional detective or intelligence agent, she had thoroughly investigated everything about him. Heivia was certain of it.


    If only the powered suit had not been remote controlled. If only Oh Ho Ho had been killed by Skuld sooner, this would not have happened.


    This extreme evil inspired that sort of misguided regret.


    ¡°I went a little overboard and sliced it in half, but can you hear me, Miss Powered Suit? Or whoever¡¯s controlling it, I mean.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing? What more could you do!?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    She actually looked surprised.


    And then Skuld Silent-Third made the worst possible move.


    ¡°That girl over there is the one who killed my teacher, Quenser Barbotage, right? I feel bad leaving someone in the dark, so we need to make sure everyone knows.¡±


    Part 23


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    That girl was in some other location.


    She should not have been at any risk there. Lendy Farolito adored that Pilot Elite, so she would never allow the girl anywhere near the scene of a battle so full of unknowns. That commander had used herself as a diversion to convince everyone the Idol Elite was actually there and she had used that ¡°information¡± to protect the precious girl.


    ¡°Ahh.¡±


    But she should have considered it.


    Not all danger came in the form of physical bullets and bombs. They were from the Information Alliance, so she should have known the greatest danger of all came in the form of information arriving over the internet.


    Her father was safe. Royce was alive.


    But her young heart was hit in the most sudden way imaginable.


    Quenser Barbotage was no more.


    Someone she had trusted had shot him.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!???¡±


    Part 24


    ¡°Welcome to the end of the world.¡±


    The mass murderer spat out the words like blood.


    But with a dreamy expression on her face.


    ¡°I too am an Elite, so I know the special treatment we get. You came here to protect her father for her own personal needs, didn¡¯t you? But what if she loses someone she cares for just as much?¡±


    Skuld had a twisted obsession with Quenser. She saw him as her teacher in the art of killing.


    That was why she had investigated everything about him.


    ¡°If the Faith Organization¡¯s predictions are correct, she is more than just an Elite. She is a VIP who can work with the entire formless Capulet AI Network of which Manhattan is just one small piece. To the point that she could singlehandedly fight against the several thousand Martinis. How badly will she lose control when someone who she has a strong connection with dies? I can¡¯t wait to find out. Right, teacher?¡±


    It was true the Martini Series problem had been eliminated.


    An even greater threat had emerged, so of course it had.


    Between the Lines 2


    Situation 325 has been judged a failure.


    Skuld Silent-Third¡¯s defeat has been confirmed.


    It was separate from Royce, but that serial killer met the minimum requirements at the very, very end. I will honestly praise how clever she is. This will safely bring us to the ignition.


    This would all be for naught if we could not bring down Manhattan, the Martini Series, and the entire Information Alliance to trigger a world war that draws in all four world powers.


    The world desires chaos.


    Most religions cannot advance during peacetime. God¡¯s righteousness can only be easily explained using god¡¯s enemies, an overwhelming disaster, or something else that defies human understanding.


    Formless depravity should be feared most of all.


    And this clean age is exactly that.


    To fight against the silently approaching trend of degeneracy, we must create an obvious enemy. That process is sure to produce a great many victims, but the world must be united if we are to fight against the true, invisible threat.


    This age is wrong.


    The world was mistaken to support itself with Objects and humanity will never find a bright future along that path. That is simple enough to say, but very few people can explain what exactly is wrong or how to fix it on a quantitative level.


    So we must do so. We will supply what is lacking and reach out our hand. Not for social status or honor, but to regain a world where people can live as people. We will solemnly carry out all necessary actions. We will not fear the critics or historians. After all, we await an unavoidable judgment by a far greater being.


    Prepare Module Quenser.


    I too will head out.


    ¨CFrom Venerable Elder Tyrfing Boilermaker to all my beloved compatriots

 Volume 15, 3: Selector y/n >> All-Out Battle in the Bermuda Triangle

    Volume 15, Chapter 3: Selector y/n >> All-Out Battle in the Bermuda Triangle


    Part 1


    In the end, what was Quenser Barbotage to that girl?


    They were Information Alliance and Legitimacy Kingdom. They were undeniably enemies. And while the girl was successfully wearing the two hats of Pilot Elite and international idol, Quenser was incomplete even as a puny foot soldier. He was no more than a battlefield student who had cheerfully walked in from a safe country.


    Nothing about them fit together and they could not hope to strike a balance. If they found themselves on opposite sides of a war, the girl would probably kill him as just one of the dots on her display, without ever knowing he was there.


    That was all it should have been.


    But there was something there that could not explain.


    Not even the girl knew what that something was. It might have been easy to put to words, but she was hesitant to make it something ¡°ordinary¡± by defining it with a simple phrase. The movements of her heart seemed simple but held complex meaning. It seemed to reject the very foundation of the Information Alliance that digitally processed everything, slapped a label on it, and adjusted it for easy searching.


    So...


    So...


    So...


    Part 2


    At that time, Heivia Winchell should have been standing on the flat roof of Columbia University¡¯s second gym.


    But those standard assumptions suddenly crumbled away.


    By the time he felt a heavy impact pass through his entire body, he had already been launched to the side and thrown off of the large roof.


    ¡°Oh...?¡±


    He did not understand.


    But reality did not wait for the delinquent soldier¡¯s understanding to catch up. The situation was underway. No matter how unreasonable it was, the fact remained that he had been thrown from the equivalent of a four-story building.


    Manhattan had moved.


    It was only a slight stirring, but it produced enough inertial force to break gravity¡¯s hold on the people there so they ¡°fell¡± to the side.


    That included Heivia, Myonri, Wraith, the aide young man, Melly, and Serial Killer Skuld.


    Every last one of them was helpless.


    ¡°Oaaahhhhhhhh!!!???¡±


    Were Heivia¡¯s instincts desperately searching for something to grab onto, or was his rational side trying to regain his balance in midair? He had no idea as his limbs flailed meaninglessly. A four story rooftop was the same as a school rooftop. If he fell from there without a plan, he could die on impact.


    He heard continuous sounds of something breaking.


    ¡°Gah...¡±


    His groan contained the flavor of blood. He had apparently landed in the trees of the thick artificial woods surrounding the gym. It was a complete coincidence. That may have softened the impact, but his tough uniform was torn in places and a dark red color was seeping out.


    But he did not have time to lament his misfortune.


    He was not sure why, but Oh Ho Ho was boiling over after learning of Quenser¡¯s death. Royce¡¯s safety could not restrain her now. Heivia did not understand the detailed issues regarding Rush and Juliet, but it seemed Oh Ho Ho could use the Capulet AI Network to take control of Manhattan.


    ¡°Hee hee.¡±


    He heard laughter.


    It was a girl with long blonde twintails who looked like a fairy.


    Had her Pilot Elite special suit come in handy, had the luck granted by the grim reaper¡¯s love provided something to cushion her, or was an excessive amount of brain chemicals silencing her sense of pain?


    Whatever the case, Skuld Silent-Third danced nimbly between the trees. She spread her arms, shook her small butt, and took rhythmic steps.


    The greatest serial killer was released into the world once more.


    ¡°Nee hee hee. Ah ha ha! Ha ha ha hah hah hah ha ha ha ha hah hah ah ha ah ha ha ha!!¡±


    ¡°God...dammit!!¡±


    Heivia pulled out the branch stabbed into his upper arm, tossed it aside, and fiercely got to his feet.


    ¡°Where are you, swim ring girl? What happened to Manhattan? What did Oh Ho Ho do!?¡±


    His shouts received no response.


    Had that girl lost all authority, or was she simply unconscious?


    But he could not just sit around and wait for an answer. Even now, Skuld was spinning further and further away between the trees. After collecting the handgun he had dropped during the fall, Heivia fired twice while down on one knee, but he could not hit with the tree trunks in the way. She looked like she was just having fun, but it was a calculated move.


    ¡°Myonri, if you¡¯re still alive, cover me!! If you¡¯re dead, I¡¯m leaving you here!!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, isn¡¯t the Legitimacy Kingdom supposed to be the land of chivalry...? Y¡¯know, like ladies first...?¡±


    A short girl groaned and answered him. She was safe after apparently landing in a pile of recyclable materials ¨C in other words, bags stuffed full of leaves for making mulch.


    He began pursuit, but he just about stepped on something with his boot.


    Melly¡¯s thin game system was lying there, but an amateur like Heivia had no idea how to even switch screens after picking it up. But when Myonri looked at it, she frowned at the numbers scrolling across the screen.


    ¡°Is this saying that Capulet...isn¡¯t controlling Manhattan?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°The AI network¡¯s resources are actually being sent to some other task. Um, like if a mischievous cat won¡¯t stop after you scold it, so you distract it by drawing its attention elsewhere. So Oh Ho Ho might be manually operating Manhattan now that it¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°But the Rush and Manhattan are entirely different machines, right!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it works either!!¡±


    Neither of them were experts, so they would not find the answer by staring at the screen.


    For now, they had to deal with the problem before their eyes. They had to chase after Skuld¡¯s lovely back.


    ¡°What do we do about the other people?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°Like Wraith and Melly!?¡±


    ¡°This is no time to worry about Information Alliance soldiers. Skuld is what matters now!! She¡¯s generally heading west, so is there anything there!?¡±


    ¡°Riverside Park. And the ocean beyond that!!¡±


    It was hard to believe she would try to escape a 20,000 meter enemy by stealing a motorboat or small submarine. But aside from those rational thoughts, losing sight of Skuld Silent-Third would be far too dangerous. Manhattan was the center of the Information Alliance, but it was also a safe country that had never seen war. Heivia¡¯s morals were not so broken that he would let them be the target of a serial killer who had even used the clean wars to satisfy her desires.


    He heard the rustling of the underbrush parting and a black-uniformed girl stepped out.


    ¡°Capulet is an AI. There is a fundamental difference in speed, but I suppose the work done over the network is no different from if a human did it. The Gatling 033 and Manhattan 000 have entirely different structures, but Juliet and Capulet are directly related. If Capulet can do something, then so can an Idol Elite familiar with Juliet.¡±


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray had her self-defense handgun aimed at Skuld¡¯s back.


    ¡°No, curse that Idol Elite. She isn¡¯t simply looking at what Capulet is doing and controlling Manhattan 000 in the same way. She checked on Capulet¡¯s tendencies and now she¡¯s controlling the Object through a different line that even the AI network would overlook. You made this happen, you bright and horrific serial killer!!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to the beautiful girl who danced like a fairy.


    Even with guns aimed at her from multiple directions, she did not put her hands up or cover her head. As if to tell the shortest and optimal route to eat shit, she included pointless and playful actions and danced in quick circular steps as she celebrated her own freedom.


    She spread her arms wide, bent her back, pushed her flat chest out, looked up to heaven, and spoke in the loud, carrying voice of an actor in a musical.


    ¡°Ha ha! Ah ha ha!! It¡¯s too bad. It really is too bad. So Quenser¡¯s dead, is he? And just when I thought I could show my teacher how I had grown. ...But it¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? The Information Alliance that killed him and the Legitimacy Kingdom that let him die are standing side by side and pursuing me for their own benefit. If ¨C you ¨C ask ¨C me, it¡¯s almost like they¡¯re compromising on something.¡±


    ¡°Damn you...!¡±


    She was not trying to provoke Heivia and the others there.


    Just as she finished speaking, Manhattan as a whole shook once more. Heivia had to grab onto a nearby streetlight and he heard a low, twisted voice of resentment sounding from all of the speakers linked to the Object.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you...¡±


    ¡°Oh Ho Ho, you idiot!!¡±


    ¡°I will blow you away, destroy you, and slaughter you!!!!!!¡±


    The ground lifted up.


    No, Manhattan itself tilted, remaking the entire ground around Heivia¡¯s group into a steep incline. The ocean had to be just a few hundred meters ahead, but that shortest escape route was now an unscalable cliff. Metal trashcans, felled logs, and even small cars rolled toward them like boulders.


    She was receiving no help from the AI network as she controlled the giant system entirely manually.


    ¡°Kh...!!¡±


    Heivia clung tightly to the streetlight and looked ahead to where Skuld was madly dancing among all the falling items. She seemed to have given up on reaching the ocean along that steep slope. However, her actions showed her enjoyment of adlibbing.


    ¡°Hey, is that all your love is worth!? My teacher¡¯s killer is still standing over there acting like she¡¯s the hero!!¡±


    ¡°...!!!???¡±


    A deafening blast followed.


    It couldn¡¯t be. Surely she wouldn¡¯t go that far.


    That sensible side of Heivia¡¯s mind was wiped clean.


    She had fired.


    Did she still hold the reins of that wild horse known as Manhattan or had she lost control of the world¡¯s largest Object? Whatever the case, Oh Ho Ho had fired something capable of instantly vaporizing the standard nuke-resistant Objects, as if to say she was willing to tear large chunks out of Manhattan¡¯s own giant form. Despite the 10 million people who filled that city.


    ¡°Owaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    Was it a giant metal shell from a railgun or coilgun that fell?


    It might as well have been a meteor. The artificial scenery of Columbia University¡¯s campus garden was torn from the ground. Heivia¡¯s body floated up and was slammed on top of the burning grass. He did not have time to choke. If he writhed in one spot, the flames would spread to him.


    ¡°Dammit... There¡¯s something wrong with my neck. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the Martini army or Capulet; can¡¯t someone stop Oh Ho Ho?¡±


    ¡°Capulet is working on the world¡¯s ten toughest unsolved problems. AI¡¯s purpose is to support human work, so the allotment of resources can vary depending on the amount of human work being done. If that shockingly extraordinary Idol Elite really is controlling Manhattan 000 entirely on her own, Capulet may have decided none of its resources were necessary.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was-...ow, did my neck just crack!?¡±


    ¡°This is not a normal response. Capulet is more like a cat than a dog. Curse that Idol Elite. She¡¯s already started figuring out how it works. Instead of recklessly shutting it out, she¡¯s distracted it from the tissue box by drawing its attention to the cat toy. That way it withdraws its resources from the Manhattan 000.¡±


    The problem was that Oh Ho Ho was not calmly selecting targets to attack. It was someone else who fully controlled this scene.


    ¡°Ah ha, ha ha ha. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!!¡±


    They heard the innocent laugher of a child given a new toy by Santa Claus. Skuld danced with her blonde twintails and large decorative ribbon spread out behind her and her back moved into the distance beyond the flames and smoke. Instead of defying the newly-formed steep slope, she gave up on the shortest route to the ocean and returned to densely-populated Manhattan.


    ¡°What happened to Oh Ho Ho¡¯s power of friendship!?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you just saying something about the Information Alliance soldiers not mattering?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°More importantly, that¡¯s Harlem over there. If she cuts through there, she can still reach the ocean. And even if she doesn¡¯t go that far, there could be heliports everywhere around here.¡±


    ¡°That G-cup¡¯s dad was in the university, right? What do you think? She¡¯s keeping all this straight in her head, isn¡¯t she!?¡±


    There was a long and narrow area of land to the north as well, but Skuld had not gone that way. So was she searching for the water after all?


    Just then, a giant form cast a shadow overhead. Heivia quickly slid down the steep grassy slope to get away before a mass larger than a refrigerator crashed into the ground, crushing the metal pillar he had been clinging to.


    It was a clear die with 3 meter sides.


    Someone who looked like a beauty pageant winner was contained inside as if time had stopped for them.


    ¡°Hey...¡±


    ¡°Is that resin or something?¡±


    Heivia and Myonri were dumbfounded as the burning lawn unnaturally swelled up from below. Was this another of Manhattan¡¯s abilities? Something like clear ivy rose like large snakes rearing their heads. They tangled around the nearby buildings, took the mysterious cubes with them, and came to a complete stop.


    Hadn¡¯t Melly said the movable parts mimicked a plant¡¯s structure? Something about turgor pressure? In that case, the clear ivy may have been trees and the dice containing humans may have been fruits.


    Civilians could not take a ride on a normal Object.


    So with an Object measuring more than 20,000 meters, not even a professional fighter pilot could bear the inertial forces. Then was the Manhattan a waste of ability? No. This was the answer to the problem presented by combat mobility.


    By sealing the people away and putting them in a state of suspended animation, the harmful effects could be prevented. The skyscrapers would not have been able to withstand the horizontal shaking of true combat mobility, so the strange ivy was wrapped around them to provide the support needed to prevent a collapse.


    Oh Ho Ho intended to provide this assistance to all ten million people in the city.


    There was no denying it now. Based on Myonri and Wraith¡¯s opinions, it was a clear possibility that Oh Ho Ho could manually control the entirety of Manhattan with just her ten fingers.


    ¡°Are you kidding!? How self-righteous can she be!?¡±


    The Information Alliance civilians might be safe with the reinforcement and protection, but if the enemy Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers were caught in that, they could easily find themselves in a cell or a forced labor camp the next time they opened their eyes. If they were made a specimen of cold sleep at room temperature in those cubes, their life was effectively over. The risk was greater for Heivia and Myonri, so they began running without worrying about Wraith.


    The Object could have its rampage without any risk of killing the people.


    They had to continue pursuing Skuld while being pursued by the out-of-control Oh Ho Ho. That high-IQ serial killer was developing a method of manipulating Manhattan and Oh Ho Ho who should have been the greatest threats to her.


    They heard what sounded like a heavy freight train moving along the road.


    ¡°Oh, no! Watch out for the road! There¡¯s a combat train loaded with heavy cannons there. This looks different from those Bullmites and the like. Get behind the buildings!!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t go there either! I see swiveling rocket launchers hidden among the parabolic antennae on top of the broadcast tower there! There are at least two with 20 linked boxes each!! They don¡¯t look like autonomous unmanned weapons, so they¡¯re probably linked directly to Manhattan. And the swiveling range overlaps!!¡±


    Was there no safe zone in this city?


    Unsure what to do, Heivia and Myonri desperately tried to come up with somewhere for them to go.


    ¡°Is Harlem the place I¡¯m thinking it is!?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard you don¡¯t want to go there at night or set foot in the back alleys there. In addition to the original local rules, the influx of Hispanic, Asian, Italian, and Russian organizations has made such a mess of the place that first-time tourists can step on a landmine of a taboo at any time.¡±


    But even if it was a dangerous area, it was still in a safe country. Skuld had breathed the air of battlefield country slums all around the world, so to her, it might feel like her own backyard.


    However, when they circled behind the buildings, they did not find drug dealers and guns much too large for simple self-defense.


    The clear ivy was already wrapped around all the buildings to reinforce them and people of all races and occupations were enclosed in cubes.


    Heivia clicked his tongue, avoided the main road while on the lookout for a special camera that stuck out through the small holes in manhole covers, and spotted blonde twintails lightly dancing in the distance.


    It was Skuld Silent-Third.


    ¡°!!¡±


    He gave no warning this time. Heivia aimed his gun at her like a machine, but she must have seen his reflection in a show window or side mirror because she placed her small hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°Shoot this coldblooded boy!! Doesn¡¯t it piss you off to see him doing his job like normal even though Quenser¡¯s gone!?¡±


    ¡°Ahhhh!! Uhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    Heivia and Myonri¡¯s bodies were once more tugged to the side and yanked from gravity¡¯s grasp. What had been a wall covered in wall art of a jazz player had transformed into the ground by the time their feet reached it.


    They did not have time to be surprised by every little thing.


    They ran along the wall to pursue Skuld. Heivia fired his handgun a few times along the way, but Manhattan would shake to the left or right each time and he could not aim properly. If he was not careful where he stood, he could easily ¡°fall¡± into the empty gap of the main road which continued for dozens or even hundreds of meters.


    ¡°Ugh, we¡¯ve been standing on the wall for more than a minute now! Is this not a temporary thing!?¡±


    ¡°It depends on how she¡¯s doing it, but if she just spins around in one place, it could last for years. This Object could maintain a 1G environment even if it was launched into space.¡±


    That said, Oh Ho Ho was in a state of extreme confusion. She seemed unable to focus on any one thing, so it was more like they were thrown out into a storm of violent winds blowing in from every direction. An electric car could not support itself and was thrown sideways and a large dumpster fell from the sky. Using a car or motorcycle in this environment would actually be more dangerous. With each intermittent cannon blast, the skyscrapers along the line of fire were mercilessly destroyed and the rubble poured into the road like an avalanche. The very scenery seemed to distort around them, so the course of pursuit they planned to run down would crumble every few seconds and they would have to think up a new one. At this point, they were not really sure whether they were pursuing Skuld or simply trying to survive.


    ¡°The next thing they knew¡± was the best way of putting it.


    While Heivia and Myonri ran recklessly through Harlem, they found themselves on the coast. This had likely been the border of the Harlem River to begin with. The fairy-like murderer hopped across the colliding yachts and cruisers still moored there. She finally hopped into a high-speed motorboat that probably cost as much as a house.


    ¡°Skuld Silent-Third!!¡±


    ¡°Whoops.¡±


    It was a casual thing.


    The twintailed demon broke the keyhole with her heel, turned back their way, gave up on hotwiring it, and snapped her fingers.


    ¡°After coming all the way to the middle of the Information Alliance, I was hoping to get the powerful engine of a Rosen Kavalier...but oh well. Still, it¡¯s true I also kind of wanted to get a taste of my own death.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this. The world has enough problems without you. So I¡¯ll end it here. I¡¯ll return you to your grave where a ghost like you belongs!!¡±


    ¡°You can try, but doom is already on its way.¡±


    Skuld placed a hand on her hip that looked as fragile as glass and pointed her other hand straight up.


    A moment later, the Manhattan¡¯s cannon blast arrived.


    The entire scene was blown away.


    It affected the docks, all the yachts and cruisers moored there, and even the uncountable number of skyscrapers knocked down along the line of fire.


    Heivia himself was freed from gravity¡¯s hold.


    He may have flown up dozens...no, more than a hundred meters.


    The next thing he knew, the ocean¡¯s surface filled his vision.


    It felt like landing on solid concrete. It did not matter what he thought or did just before hitting. The shock of impact swiftly took away Heivia Winchell¡¯s consciousness.


    Part 3


    When Heivia Winchell awoke next, he initially could not piece his memories together in order.


    What had happened to Skuld, Oh Ho Ho, Myonri, Lendy, and, well, everything?


    But the first thing that moved into view was a different face.


    He was lying inside a room that felt like a steel box and the Legitimacy Kingdom officer who had abandoned him was looking down at him.


    It was Frolaytia Capistrano.


    ¡°!!¡±


    (I¡¯ll kill that traitor for abandoning us!!)


    The chain of command and hierarchical society meant nothing. Heivia practically sprang up, moved his arms out on reflex, and tried to grab her collar and constrict her carotid artery, but she grabbed his wrists and mercilessly threw him to the floor located a level below the medical bed.


    ¡°Ugh, uwehh... Dammit, I see our busty commander is as sadistic as ever. That rules out this being a convenient dream...¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re awake. That¡¯s what I wanted to know. Now, get back out there. We are seriously lacking in personnel.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, what happened now? You don¡¯t even need to question me?¡±


    ¡°Time was not frozen while you were asleep. Myonri has already filled us in on most everything and the Information Alliance group has corroborated it. That group being Melly Martini Extradry, Lendy Farolito, and Wraith Martini Vermouthspray.¡±


    Hearing the name of the girl who had shot Quenser felt like having a nail slowly driven into his heart. But if he let that get the better of him, he would be no better than Oh Ho Ho and her rampage in the Manhattan.


    Frolaytia had referenced the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Information Alliance, but that did not cover everything.


    ¡°...Then is the Faith Organization¡¯s Skuld Silent-Third still at large?¡±


    ¡°That is certainly a problem, but let¡¯s start with what we can handle now. That means the Manhattan.¡±


    The busty silver-haired commander gestured back with her index finger. She was apparently telling him to go with her. That suggested he really was being sent back into the war. He could not expect any special treatment for being injured. He had essentially taken a step into the afterlife, but as Frolaytia guided him to the medical room¡¯s exit, she looked back and spoke to him.


    ¡°There is a lot I would like to say...but for now, good job returning alive. For that you have my praise.¡±


    ¡°...A lot more of us didn¡¯t make it.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a shame what happened to Quenser.¡±


    Once they stepped out into the corridor, it became clear they were on some kind of warship. He found it unlikely, but had they approached the Manhattan to collect him and the others as they floated in the ocean? That did not seem realistic. It would have honestly been suicide.


    ¡°It was fortunate that coincided with our fourth recon mission. The battle line had moved somewhat because the Princess was engaged in a quick battle with the Manhattan, so we collected you once that area of ocean was free. Then again, one side of the Baby Magnum was fried as a result.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°To be honest, we have to conclude defeating that thing with an external attack is not possible. Even if it was risky, we wanted to collect some people who had internal information.¡±


    ...She must have used that excuse to forcibly convince the higher ups.


    Heivia¡¯s group had not simply been abandoned and written off in the paperwork. They had been collected alive. The Manhattan had to be moved away to do so. Just how much of a tightrope walk had the Baby Magnum risked to push that monster back a mere meter? And how many times had she had to do so back to back? The Princess had fought on the front line with no hope of victory and Frolaytia had fought against the high-ranking officers back in the safe countries, so they had to have worn down their souls.


    They had given it their all.


    But if they had only been a little faster...


    ¡°The crux of the issue has shifted from the Martini Series to the Information Alliance Idol Elite. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    Once they arrived at the ship¡¯s briefing room, many eyes gathered on Heivia. In addition to the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers, he saw Lendy, Melly, Wraith, the aide young man, and some other Information Alliance people in one corner. Their respective standpoints had changed. It was now their turn to be on a bed of nails, but given how they had treated him, Heivia was not about to show them any kindness. They needed to be thankful they had been collected at all.


    Heivia then realized that he stood out as much as the Information Alliance group.


    It was true most everyone here was Legitimacy Kingdom, but they were primarily new faces who had been gathered together here. The losses had just been too great, so Heivia and Myonri stood out even though they had been with the group from the beginning.


    ¡°Hi, Lilim Gazette, Age 17. So you managed to survive too, huh?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯ve realized something. The trick to a happy life is to blend into the group and not stand out. I can¡¯t believe you people who push your way to the front at times like that...¡±


    The dark-eyed girl was apparently carrying another trauma with her. She was curled up on a folding chair with her arms around her raised knees.


    Frolaytia left Heivia, stepped up onto the podium, and operated the projector as she opened her mouth.


    ¡°We were already aware the Manhattan was a problem, but the situation has changed. This here is Melly Martini Extradry. She is the Martini Series tasked with defending New York and, hard as it is to believe, she is also the Object¡¯s original Pilot Elite. As you can tell from the fact that she is here and Manhattan continues to move, it has left her control.¡±


    When everyone¡¯s gazes fell on her, the girl in a two-piece surgical gown made of crimson paper began to tremble for some reason. Unlike the previous potatoes, these were all new faces, so her tension value may have been reinitialized.


    ¡°Gh!?¡±


    Melly seemed somehow excited and then her spine jerked backwards like a jolt of electricity was running down it.


    ¡°Ah, ghh... When I¡¯m not linked with the Manhattan 000, this is really hard on my spine.¡±


    She seemed to be putting up with something.


    Also, her voice was no longer supported by the ring¡¯s speakers. The ring was apparently a wireless accessory for the Manhattan 000 rather than a device linked directly to Capulet. It could function on its own in safe mode, but that only allowed the ring itself to move around slowly.


    She took a deep breath to suppress something and then switched over to her serious mode. She folded up her arms and legs like a fetus on the giant ring and she held the thin game system to her chest.


    ¡°This probably goes without saying, but none of this would be a problem if I was capable of regaining control of Manhattan. That Idol Elite has completely taken it from me. 831. Sorry about that.¡±


    An image of Manhattan was displayed on the wall, but it was very different from the streets Heivia and Myonri had run through. The electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon in Central Park had already been there, so this went well beyond that. Large cannons jutted out on either side like giant wings and cannons the size of normal Object main cannons were artlessly lined up throughout the streets. Radars and camera lenses had also grown all over.


    It now looked more like a weapon than a city.


    ¡°Those of us in the Martini Series pitted our opinions against Capulet¡¯s to eliminate the errors and lead it to the optimal action,¡± said Wraith. ¡°So keeping our losses to a minimum was seen as the best course of action. If we lacked our full numbers, we could not draw out 100% of our specs. ...But that innocent yet dangerous Idol Elite is different. She does not even need to converse with Capulet. She¡¯s doing it all manually. And she¡¯s easily producing more than 100% of the expected performance. Think of children working away with cooking implements in a cooking class only for the kind mother to gently confiscate the knife from her child¡¯s hand.¡±


    ¡°A manual interface. ...AI is generally meant to support people¡¯s tasks. So even if there is a fundamental difference in speed, a human should be able to perform any task an AI can. 299. Even if the Gatling 033 and the Manhattan 000 are different machines, if Capulet can do it, then so can the Idol Elite who looked after the directly-related Juliet. No, she might even be able to find a superior line. But even so, it¡¯s hard to believe she can control such a massive system with keyboards...¡±


    ¡°If she did simply try to pit her opinions against Capulet¡¯s, they would only trip each other up and she could not gain the initiative. Just like a cat that keeps getting into trouble no matter how many times you scold it. The Idol Elite was smart about that. AI is meant to support human work. So by controlling the Manhattan 000 all on her own, she isn¡¯t leaving any room for Capulet and she is also displaying more interesting tasks so it will redirect its resources on its own.¡±


    ¡°She kindly confiscates it like a teacher and she tempts it away like a demon. 992.¡±


    ¡°Of course, this is all based on the extraordinary assumption that she can do a faster job without Capulet. What a pain. I¡¯ve heard of AI making humans lazy, but I¡¯d never heard of the opposite until now...¡±


    ¡°Anyway.¡± Frolaytia ended that line of discussion to reclaim control of the conversation. ¡°Currently, the Manhattan is being controlled by the Elite in charge of the Information Alliance Second Generation Rush. The relationship between Object and Elite is supposed to be one-to-one, meaning an Elite cannot control a different Object, but the software for these two apparently had related development histories. They¡¯re like a parent and a child. And those similarities in the design phase apparently mean Manhattan can be controlled with the Juliet and Capulet¡¯s shared control system.¡±


    ¡°So which one is Oh Ho Ho really controlling? Capulet or Manhattan?¡±


    ¡°We should look at it as both, Mr. Foot Soldier who is only earnest when it comes to clinging stubbornly to life. She is redirecting Capulet¡¯s attention and then controlling Manhattan 000 as a weapon. Like someone avoiding the cat playing in their room while also working on some paperwork on the computer.¡±


    Heivia scrunched up his entire face in response to Wraith¡¯s words. He could not even imagine doing anything on that scale.


    ¡°So if cute little Capulet can do something, then the young G-cup wife can do an even better job? You can say that if you want, but is this really limited to just Manhattan anymore? We aren¡¯t going to have other metropolises transforming into humanoid robots and attacking us, are we?¡±


    Frolaytia responded to Heivia¡¯s question by glancing over at the Information Alliance group. Wraith sighed quietly.


    ¡°This is only my intuition talking, but I think we can view this problem as exclusive to the Manhattan 000.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you have no proof?¡±


    Frolaytia¡¯s voice lowered in tone, but Wraith was unfazed.


    ¡°That Idol Elite is using some other interesting material to redirect Capulet¡¯s focus, but she¡¯s mostly treating it like a nuisance. She¡¯s holding Capulet¡¯s reins so she can focus on controlling the Manhattan 000. That suggests she won¡¯t use the AI network to spread her rampage to the other side of the globe. The gears aren¡¯t set up that way.¡±


    ¡°Also, there aren¡¯t many AI-controlled Objects. The Information Alliance is on the cutting edge there, but even we primarily use human hands to control Objects. It should be fine. It¡¯s all good.¡±


    Melly¡¯s words may have been accurate, but they did not seem to carry much weight. The black-uniformed girl must have been annoyed that even she had to risk her life based on speculation because she shrugged as she continued.


    ¡°As the Gatling 033¡¯s Pilot Elite, she¡¯s familiar with looking after Juliet which is directly related to Capulet. ...The system structure might be easier to picture if you focus on the obvious hardware of that one weapon instead of on the vague idea of the whole AI network.¡±


    The busty silver-haired commander winked at Wraith¡¯s words.


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about anything else. Focus only on the Manhattan 000 problem.¡±


    Some images of the G-cup Idol Elite were added above the footage of Manhattan as a weapon. The boxes for personal information were blank because not even the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s intelligence department had been able to track that down. That showed just how much the Information Alliance treasured her. And that treatment would of course be the result of her extremely high level of skill.


    ¡°Her objective is unknown.¡± Frolaytia used a baton to point at an image of the sexy idol¡¯s face. ¡°But for some inexplicable reason, it was the death of Quenser Barbotage, a battlefield student from our maintenance battalion, that triggered this rampage. We can only speculate how that was processed in an enemy nation, but the problem is that the Idol Elite has left the military¡¯s chain of command and holds the power to destroy the world.¡±


    The Manhattan¡¯s attack range (based on the electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon) was displayed around its location on the map in the ocean off of Central America. That covered the Information Alliance home country in eastern North America, the Capitalist Corporations home country to the west of that, and even some important Legitimacy Kingdom ports down in South America. Wherever it attacked, it was bound to drag the world into a long, drawn-out war that surpassed the usual clean wars.


    ¡°But the fact remains that we don¡¯t know what it is she wants to do. Does she simply want revenge against the person who killed Quenser, is she aiming more broadly for the higher ups of the four world powers, or is she clinging to the desperate hope that she can resurrect Quenser Barbotage as a clone, robot, or AI program? Whether or not those would be possible, she can cause a lot of destruction in the attempt.¡±


    ¡°Have you predicted...how far she will go?¡± asked Myonri.


    ¡°What good is worrying about the worst case scenario when we have so little information? Would it help to speculate about an explosion large enough to hit us even if we fled the solar system?¡±


    Hearing that girl being spoken about like a complete madwoman must have pushed her patience to the limit. Lendy Farolito, a silver-haired and brown-skinned commander with a different look to Frolaytia, silently raised her hand.


    Once she had permission to speak, the Information Alliance commander opened her mouth.


    ¡°I will admit that the current situation is extremely dangerous. If that girl has a manual interface, she might very well be capable of distracting Capulet while manually controlling the Manhattan 000.¡±


    Forcibly avoiding the points against her would have only earned suspicion.


    To draw the enemy in and lead them in an advantageous direction, Lendy decided she needed to be careful what information she used here.


    ¡°But at the same time, she is the Gatling 033¡¯s Elite and this is her first time using the Manhattan 000¡¯s system. So she is not used to it. It might be similar, but the control system is not identical and she must make up for the discrepancies between the two Objects before she can control this one. She must focus on Capulet¡¯s Juliet-related Object controls while also actually operating the manual controls, so it will be little different from climbing into a brand-new Object. You could say she is taking it for a test drive or breaking it in right now.¡±


    That produced a groan not from Heivia but from the Object maintenance soldiers. They knew how much damage the Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum had taken. That battle had been a series of miracles with her life at risk each and every instant, but for their opponent, it had been no more than a side job to learn the ropes.


    Heivia clicked his tongue.


    ¡°So once she¡¯s done breaking it in, the world will truly be exposed to Manhattan¡¯s fury?¡±


    ¡°That could be in a few days or a few minutes for all I know. But she is not a dangerous element that is plotting to overthrow the world and she is not a cultist who believes in some apocalyptic theory. That I can promise you.¡± Even after all this, Lendy still intended to defend the Idol Elite. ¡°I assume her actions here are impulsive in nature, so she likely has no concrete objective in mind. If anything, I think we should view this as the result of provocation by Skuld Silent-Third, that serial killer released by the Faith Organization.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    Frolaytia remained coolheaded. She would use whatever she could, but she would throw out whatever she could not. So she would not necessarily flatly reject something she emotionally agreed with.


    ¡°As I said, I admit this is extremely dangerous. And with that in mind, we need to keep her desire for revenge above a certain level. Even if that means intentionally propping it up.¡±


    ¡°W-wait, she has her finger on a trigger that could destroy the world at any moment!¡± protested Heivia. ¡°Didn¡¯t we say she¡¯s on a rampage that could start a war between the four world powers!?¡±


    ¡°That is my point.¡± Lendy enunciated each word carefully. ¡°Her head is boiling over with an impulsive desire for revenge, but once she calms down, she will realize what it is she has done. And she will realize that the destructive power she has obtained cannot change the cold reality of the situation. Humans are most dangerous in the instant mania is replaced by depression. To prevent her from suddenly and utterly losing control, I believe we must keep her psyche at a certain level.¡±


    Part 4


    She was in a daze.


    The Information Alliance Idol Elite known as Oh Ho Ho was not inside a cockpit surrounded by strange machinery. She was in Midtown, Manhattan, New York. Specifically, she was in the center of Times Square which was one of the biggest tourist locations.


    Time had stopped.


    That was likely one of Manhattan¡¯s abilities. All the people in the square were closed in 3m clear cubes with their looks of shock frozen on their faces. That they still held their smartphones with the lenses pointed outward may have been their Information Alliance-ness showing through.


    The scenery had greatly changed. Giant clear ivy was tangled tightly around the outside of the towering skyscrapers to thoroughly reinforce them so they would not collapse from the movements of the world¡¯s largest Object. They were harder than steel beams, more flexible than muscles, and designed to allow any external force to escape safely.


    Was this heaven or hell?


    Either way, the ringlet curls girl spoke weakly in that strange and unfamiliar world.


    ¡°Now I¡¯ve done it...¡±


    The extremely bitter and heavy feeling she felt may have been similar to the ¡°sage time¡± whispered of on the internet.


    No one responded to her, of course. Oh Ho Ho thought about the situation while touching the cold surface of a giant die containing a mother protecting a stroller.


    She hated it.


    She hated the world beyond all measure.


    ...But what exactly was she supposed to do now? It was clear as day that nothing she did now would bring Quenser back. For the Oh Ho Ho who performed as the G-cup top idol using the Information Alliance¡¯s 3D modeling, perfectly recreating an individual using AI, robots, clones, virtual reality, or other methods seemed plausible enough, but none of those would really be him. She recalled the 4m G-cup idol she had been operating earlier. It simply was not the same. She wanted to see Quenser again. That was a grand and emotional task, but asking the adults for the highest quality body pillow made from all sorts of cutting-edge technology was not what she wanted.


    In fact...


    (Th-the adults must be working hard to figure out why I went nuts... O-ohhh, it¡¯s so embarrassing!! Are they giving out all my information!? Are they posting blown-up pictures of me on the briefing room screen!?)


    In addition to her personal feelings as a teenage girl, this was also dangerous for her side job as an idol.


    Her entire face grew bright red, but she could not turn back time. She hoped the Information Alliance would do its things and seal away all that information as national secrets.


    ¡°...Sigh.¡±


    Staying here would accomplish nothing. But going elsewhere would not change anything either.


    Her small stomach growled inside the silence of a city devoid of human voices. She wondered if feeling hungry like normal was a good sign. She was surprisingly resilient to stress, so she looked around and found she would have a hard time even finding a burger with everyone enclosed in resin. It looked like she would have to wander around in search of a bread vending machine or something. And it would have to be one that accepted the e-money from a smartphone or card. As a top-level Pilot Elite and a top idol, Oh Ho Ho was not the type to walk around with change. Even tips were paid electronically these days.


    But then one piece of clear ivy smoothly bent over to her. It was thicker than her arm and the tip opened in front of her face like a beautiful flower made of crystal. Something like sticky nectar dripped out. The Manhattan 000 was supposedly being controlled by Oh Ho Ho via countless keyboards, but when she got distracted, Capulet would move in to fill the gap.


    AI was meant to support human work. When she came to a stop, Capulet moved its resources back in.


    Oh Ho Ho gave the dripping clear liquid a very troubled look.


    ¡°...Are you telling me to eat that?¡±


    Her voiced question received no response.


    She had no idea how much it was all linked, but as her doubts grew, the presence of the AI network also grew. It was like a GPS navigation app that mistakenly thought the user was lost and provided predictive route popups and control tip popups when they had only stopped in front of a vending machine to take a break.


    Oh Ho Ho hesitantly scooped some up on her special suit¡¯s fingertip, moved her mouth in hesitation, and finally squeezed her eyes shut and stuck her finger in her mouth. It was unexpectedly sweet and thick. It reminded her of a diet drink that was meant to fill the stomach. She used one hand to brush her hair off of her cheek like she was using a park water fountain and she stuck her tongue out toward the clear flower for more of the mystery health food.


    ¡°Nn...gulp. Gulp, gulp.¡±


    It did not seem harmful.


    As a Pilot Elite, she was used to the stimulation of many different chemicals on her tongue, so she had decent instincts for such things. If it was dangerous, she would have known as soon as it touched the tip of her tongue.


    ¡°Pwah. Hmm, I would get tired of this pretty quickly...¡±


    Her comment was answered by more and more ivy approaching in much the same way. The diet drink may have had coffee and yogurt flavors, but she slapped them aside. She did not like how they kept pushing up toward her nose and blocking her vision, like people handing out tissues on the roadside or full screen smartphone ads.


    It was time to drive them away.


    She generally used a console, but she did have an emergency method. She used a one-handed wireless keyboard that resembled a numeric keypad to send the world¡¯s ten toughest unsolved problems toward Capulet and redirect its resources there.


    (Phew...)


    Once the biological desire for food was met (albeit in an unconventional manner), her thoughts could face the realistic problem. In that utterly silent city, Oh Ho Ho returned to a work van parked on the curb in Times Square. The windowless back space contained a single seat surrounded by keyboards and it was normally used as a mobile console room for remotely controlling the powered suit, but that had changed.


    It was now an indirect cockpit for fully controlling the Manhattan 000, the world¡¯s largest Object. Melly Martini Extradry and the thousands of other Martinis around the world did not matter. Just by moving her fingers and hitting those countless keys, she could redirect Capulet¡¯s attention elsewhere and control the Manhattan 000 herself. That small space had to be far more valuable than a lunar villa.


    But Oh Ho Ho ignored the traffic laws and hopped into the driver¡¯s seat which had no connection to the Object. Clear ivy was anchoring the van to the ground, so she used the one-handed wireless keyboard to send the bare minimum of commands needed to have that ivy retract, freeing the van. After lowering the seat as far as it would go so her feet reached the pedals, she grabbed the steering wheel. It was an electric van with an automatic transmission, so it did not feel like operating a real vehicle. It felt more like a go-kart at a run-down amusement park.


    She could have changed the traffic lights as she pleased, but with no one else around, there was no need to obey the lights in the first place. This was another of the Manhattan 000¡¯s abilities. She skillfully avoided the abandoned vehicles and the people encased in cubes as she made her way toward Columbia University.


    She had no idea how much hardware had been linked together to create Capulet or how much processing power it had, but after contacting it, she had realized it was more like a cat than a dog. Telling it to not scratch the walls would only create a confrontation that wore them both down, so it was more efficient to approve of the action while guiding it in a better direction, such as attaching packing tape to the wall or buying a scratching board. That was a lot like Juliet which she was quite familiar with. But even with that mutual contact with the AI network that occasionally attempted to interfere, she could not escape the stifling sense of loneliness.


    (Rationally thinking, I can¡¯t force the 10 million people in Manhattan to go along with my selfishness.)


    The work van was nothing compared to a 20,000 meter monster. She easily operated the steering wheel to drive the van through silent Manhattan while she lost herself in thought. As she drove down Broadway to approach her goal, she saw the remains of large vehicles and unmanned Bullmites. It was the aftermath of the previous fighting.


    Some of them were still functioning, so two or three Bullmites ran alongside the work van.


    After arriving at Columbia University accompanied by her unmanned bodyguards, Oh Ho Ho ignored the no parking sign and stopped the van right in front of the university. She got out and approached the second gym and the toppled trees around it. The serverless but coordinated Bullmites followed her.


    Finding the person she wanted was not easy.


    She had done this herself and should have known the exact location, but it all seemed different when seeing it for herself.


    The area was full of clear cubes. It was like cutting open the belly of a giant fish full of eggs. An explosion of her personal emotions had caused all of this. She had trapped them and sealed them away. The number of cubes packing the gym made her feel nauseous, but she eventually found the one she was looking for.


    ¡°...Father...¡±


    He was a sickly-looking middle-aged man with a beard.


    Even with all this going on...no, because all of this was going on, he had been using his smartphone¡¯s voice recorder to leave a record of what was happening when his time was frozen. He had carelessly not set the screen to shut off after a few minutes. The background photo of the whole family smiling together was visible through the translucent window.


    It was not the top-level Pilot Elite or international top idol he had been trying to protect. He had been focused on a completely different side of her.


    Quenser Barbotage was no more.


    But that did not mean she could throw everything else into the flames.


    She placed her palm on the cold cube, squeezed her eyes shut, and thought. She had already made an unforgivable mistake, but what should she do even so?


    If she wanted to have her revenge, she could do it.


    She could kill the person who actually did it. She could request a list of everyone pulling the strings and profiting from it behind the scenes and reduce every last one of them to ashes. She could even send the responsibility for the wars and military actions back to the world¡¯s safe countries which enjoyed peace and tranquility.


    But. However.


    Was that really what she should do?


    ¡°...I need to surrender...¡±


    Finally, Oh Ho Ho forced the words from her small mouth.


    ¡°That would be the fastest way to resolve all of the issues surrounding Manhattan. I did all this without thinking, but it is true I separated the possibly-dangerous Martinis from Manhattan. If I return this to the Information Alliance, it should resolve the original problem.¡±


    That decision may have been correct.


    It may have been the best available choice in the world created by her decisively incorrect choice.


    But there was no guarantee everyone else would also make the right decision.


    An alarm rang at the same frequency as a baby¡¯s crying to most effectively draw people¡¯s attention to their eardrums. All of the phones held by the people inside the cubes lit up at once, sending the emergency information into Oh Ho Ho¡¯s field of vision.


    It was not that something had been found.


    Quite the opposite. More and more screens were going dark. The unmanned drones automatically monitoring the ocean around the Manhattan 000 were being shot down by someone. A great threat was approaching. And the fact that she could not see what it was only made it feel more threatening.


    ¡°What is this...?¡±


    Part 5


    Shortly before that...


    ¡°Uuh...bh...¡±


    Rigas Blackpassion uttered a groan that carried the sticky flavor of blood. The middle-aged man was a Captain in the Capitalist Corporations and the commander of a submarine, but he was now so badly injured it was hard to tell whether he was the mummy man in the center or all the medical equipment surrounding that. It was hard to believe he was still alive. Technically speaking, Frolaytia had killed him over and over only to forcibly resurrect him once more, but for now, he was still alive.


    A messenger had arrived for him.


    It was a crane fly drone that could freely move in any direction by turning its six wings. The collection of delicate machinery was equipped with a camera and microphone and it produced a sound quieter than a fan as it hovered near the window.


    Someone spoke through the machine.


    ¡°Hello, Captain. Your attempt to trigger emergency demand using the Manhattan has failed.¡±


    ¡°...Levert? Any chance of rescuing me?¡±


    ¡°We have made some attempts through diplomatic routes, but it does not look promising. The Manhattan issue is so large that all of our contacts are putting the requests off until later.¡±


    ¡°Then what is this? Even if you supply me with additional equipment, I can no longer move.¡±


    ¡°I will admit you are in a worse state than I expected, but that leaves us with only one option.¡±


    There was not a hint of disappointment in that machine-like voice. And the young man¡¯s voice continued.


    ¡°Captain, if you cannot return to your duties, I would like for you to transfer your authority.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If you could escape under your own power or had died after intense torture, this would not have been necessary. But unfortunately, you still live and remain in an enemy nation¡¯s hands. For the largescale operation we are about to begin, we require the signatures of the operation commanders for all the naval ports on the west coast. Captain, the delay of your authorization is hindering the entire operation. Even if it must be done via camera, I will see this through. Make your decision before it is too late.¡±


    There was no hesitation there.


    Giant gears were crushing an individual life.


    The mummy man gave a snort of laughter.


    ¡°I must know. ...What will happen to my family?¡±


    ¡°Our military and the PMC¡¯s sponsors promise to support them in every way. It might be suicide, but your action here is also a high-level military action. Thus, it qualifies for the special high payout life insurance policy you signed up for in place of a bereaved family pension.¡±


    ¡°That is fine then.¡±


    ¡°I have prepared the tool. Just like before, it contains two rounds to ensure you will succeed even if your hand is shaking. I also have the ¡¯12 Highland you enjoyed drinking so much. Single malt.¡±


    The drone contained an assassination handgun small enough to fit in the palm of his hand and a glass container only a bit larger than a vial of eye drops. Rigas twirled the amber-colored liquid around, removed the cap, and drank it.


    ¡°What I am about to say does not need to be recorded. Think of it as the ramblings of a drunk.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°You are a good soldier. Do not let yourself turn out like me, Levert.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot promise you that. You are already my role model, Captain.¡±


    A slight smile appeared on the mummy man¡¯s lips.


    And a dry sound rang out.


    The drone swiftly left from the window before the shocked military doctors could open the curtain partition around the bed. There was no need to speak through the speaker since there was no one to hear it, but whoever-it-was did so anyway.


    ¡°A decisive judgment with no hesitation whatsoever. A truly wonderful end.¡±


    Another dark flame.


    The world seemed to solidify and create only the worst of things.


    ¡°The transfer of authority is confirmed. We now have authorization from the commanders of every west coast naval base. Notify every Object already waiting in the Bermuda region of ocean. It is time for an all-out attack on the Manhattan.¡±


    Part 6


    The Legitimacy Kingdom military in that area of sea quickly learned of the ¡°change¡±.


    When Frolaytia received word from a military doctor, she clapped her hands in the briefing room to gather everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Rigas Blackpassion has committed suicide. At the same time, all of the Capitalist Corporations Objects in the area appear to have begun moving. That was some kind of trigger, dammit!!¡±


    Little Wraith interrupted there.


    ¡°I question whether they really intend to win. The Capitalist Corporations has the Cayman Islands in the Central American ocean. Their wealthy hide their ugly sides by keeping their money there, so they cannot have the islands destroyed before they can withdraw their electronic money from their secret bank accounts.¡±


    The ocean map projected on the wall was greatly rewritten. It had previously shown the Legitimacy Kingdom maintenance fleet centered on the Baby Magnum staring down the Information Alliance¡¯s Manhattan, but now a large Capitalist Corporations unit arrived from the side.


    The operator raised her voice in a shout.


    ¡°I cannot get an accurate number thanks to their deceptive actions, but there have to be 20 to 30 in all! And they are all cutting-edge Second Generations!! Did they send in every one of the naval specialists guarding their home country on the west coast!?¡±


    ¡°...This will end the same way regardless. 760.¡±


    That quiet comment came from the Melly Martini Extradry, the brown girl who wore a two-piece surgical gown made of crimson paper and whose butt was contained inside the swim ring. As its original owner, she had to know the Manhattan¡¯s specs better than anyone.


    Even with Frolaytia¡¯s cold gaze on her, she moved carefully to avoid an explosion in her spine that was not receiving appropriate support from the ring that was only barely moving in its safe mode.


    ¡°That Idol Elite is not part of the Martini Series. If she can manually draw out more than 100% of its specs without relying on Capulet, not even 100 traditional Objects would be able to defeat her. Normal Objects would have to desperately protect the reactor at their core, but the Manhattan 000 is an extraordinary machine that does not have to worry about its reactors. 350. It does use the same reactors, but its entire concept as a weapon is different. And if it starts to move in ways not even we are familiar with, there is no predicting how far it can go.¡±


    It happened a moment later.


    The briefing room was supposedly surrounded by thick steel on all sides, but it was filled with a pure white flash of light. It took Heivia a few seconds to realize something had happened on the ocean being shown via projector. The footage was supposedly being corrected in real-time, yet it was still this bad. If they had actually been there, they might have gone blind.


    The female operator shouted a report from her distant station.


    ¡°The Manhattan has begun to move. It was the electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon!!¡±


    ¡°Damn, be on the lookout for artificial weather changes. Another major storm is coming!¡±


    And once the footage on the wall reached their retinas once more, it showed hell itself.


    Manhattan had finally begun to move as an Object of more than 20,000 meters.


    First, the central electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon made a general strike which covered a radius of a few dozen kilometers. That dented in the surfaces of the Capitalist Corporations Objects. Once the turkeys had briefly stopped moving, the other cannons opened fire while spread out on either side like wings.


    There were railguns, laser beams, coilguns, rapid-fire beam cannons, and low-stability plasma cannons.


    There was no grand logic or system to it.


    The weapons were simply fired with extraordinary power. As an extension of the most basic of strategies, great firepower was used to wear down the enemy force. Like an all-star pro baseball team hitting homerun after homerun against a quickly-gathered team of amateur boys.


    Everyone knew the rules, so anyone could produce this same result if they did the same thing, right? It seemed to display that kind of confidence.


    The Capitalist Corporations had supposedly sent in their greatest specialists.


    The Offensive Mine, the Octoblade, and the Snipe. They were the top of the pyramid and they directly defended the home country of a world power. There were no greater warriors on the sea. It was doubtful whether Heivia¡¯s group could have defeated any one of them.


    Yet it was as easy as taking candy from a baby.


    They desperately returned fire with laser beams and low-stability plasma cannons, but as Oh Ho Ho operated Manhattan, she sometimes used low-stability plasma blasts to bend the path of a shot and sometimes swung that giant form to left or right to just barely dodge them. It was like a surfer riding a wave or like a bullfighter parrying a charging bull. Of course, all that moving around could not dodge laser beams, but she used the plasma ¡°deflections¡± for that. The movements were so nimble they seemed to have no weight behind them. Such a large mass was being simultaneously attacked from multiple directions, but instead of letting thick armor deflect it, she did not allow any hits at all. That was why it looked so absurd and filled all who saw it with terror.


    The way she surfed quickly back and forth while taking down the enemy with rapid-fire shots was far more polished than when Melly had worked with Capulet to destroy the five Faith Organization Second Generations. And it looked somehow familiar to Heivia.


    Yes, it was a lot like the Rush¡¯s movements.


    Also, the freedom of movement seemed to gradually rise with time.


    ¡°Dozens? No, hundreds!? How many reactors would it need to force its way through those kinds of actions!?¡±


    ¡°It was plenty shocking and more than enough of a threat for her to move the Manhattan 000 at all by considering the AI network¡¯s methods but using her own manual methods...but that Idol Elite is producing results that easily surpass 100% of the design specs while also distracting Capulet. This is more than I ever imagined.¡±


    Wraith sounded annoyed but also awed.


    ¡°She would never hold back against a foreign invasion,¡± said silver-haired and brown-skinned Lendy Farolito. ¡°Plus, she has 10 million people, including her father, onboard with her. She will go all out to shake free of every last spark if it is to protect those civilians.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the one that got them in this mess to begin with!!¡±


    ¡°That may be why she¡¯s so intent on protecting them.¡± Myonri sounded dazed too. ¡°N-now I¡¯m wondering how the Princess managed to fight... The Manhattan is easily winning against 20 or 30 naval experts, but she fought it on her own to rescue us, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    That was answered by the Princess who was walking past the briefing room while leaning on the old maintenance lady¡¯s shoulder. Due to exhaustion, sweat was visible on her doll-like face and her blonde hair was plastered to her cheeks.


    She looked like a girl who had gotten up while she had a cold. The beads of sweat gave off the sweet smell of a girl while the Princess shared her information.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t too difficult. First, I didn¡¯t have to worry about winning. I was only stalling for time, so I could focus on dodging. But the second reason was more important: no matter how extraordinary the Manhattan is, it¡¯s still that loathsome Oh Ho Ho piloting it. It was fortunate I clashed with her in the Oceania District. I already knew the small idiosyncrasies of her movements.¡±


    Just as Oh Ho Ho had learned Capulet¡¯s small idiosyncrasies through Juliet, the Princess had not forgotten Oh Oh Ho¡¯s small idiosyncrasies.


    Everyone there could tell it was not as simple as she made it out to be.


    Even if every one of the potatoes there was given a cutting-edge Second Generation Object designed to match them individually and developed a plan to attack Manhattan with 1000 Objects at once, not one of them would have agreed to stand before that monster.


    But she had done it. She had gone that far, yet there was a life they had failed to save.


    Quenser Barbotage had died.


    The Princess was too exhausted to brush her bangs aside, but she still made a clear statement while the survivors like Heivia and Myonri watched her.


    ¡°...Quenser¡¯s death is a sad thing.¡±


    It was not that she was not shaken.


    It was not that she had not been tempted.


    ¡°But I refuse to let her start a war over that. I will not let any of the survivors distort Quenser¡¯s death for their own convenience.¡±


    When he heard her perfect answer, Heivia found he could not look her straight in the eye. Did the Princess understand what his action meant? That delinquent noble had been unable to accept his awful friend¡¯s death like that.


    Regardless, the situation was underway.


    Frolaytia thought with her long, narrow kiseru in her mouth, and then...


    ¡°Since the maintenance chief is away from her post, can I assume the Baby Magnum is back in working order? Then I have new orders for you, Princess. Fight. Please. We too will join the fight soon.¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± said Heivia. ¡°You mean we¡¯re going out there to get hit by stray shells? Can¡¯t we just let those Capitalist Corporations idiots get destroyed on their own!?¡±


    ¡°Look at this way: we can take advantage of this confusion. We have better odds than if we resume throwing stones after this is over. Do that and it will just lock onto us with pinpoint accuracy.¡±


    Frolaytia cut off the footage filled with bright lights and deafening roars and instead focused on the dizzying changes on the naval map.


    ¡°As you know, the Manhattan is an extraordinary Object with a great number of reactors. And the Idol Elite herself is incredible too, so we can¡¯t hope for the weapon to be too much for her to fully handle.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Since its reactors are as numerous as weeds, it is likely that targeting and destroying a reactor will not stop it like we are used to in anti-Object combat. ...With that much firepower, it is possible an explosion at one location could start a chain reaction that causes much greater damage, but I doubt that is realistic. Even if they are packed in boxes, there are 10 million civilians onboard if we include the visitors. I have not lost enough of my morals to forget that fact and attempt to sink it.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t do this and we can¡¯t do that. Then what are we supposed to do?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Melly Martini Extradry. She is our greatest key.¡± Frolaytia exhaled sweet pipe smoke in an apparent attempt to calm herself. ¡°Manhattan should be under her control, but that Information Alliance Idol Elite has taken full authority of Manhattan through pure manual control and she is operating it as a weapon. She is using keyboards rather than the original control system. Oh Ho Ho only knows the online system viewed through a screen, so she may not understand the physical design diagrams. Do you see how that could present an opportunity?¡±


    ¡°You mean...¡± said short Myonri. ¡°Since that Idol Elite is controlling Manhattan herself while keeping Capulet away like a kitten, she might not be in the actual cockpit...? She doesn¡¯t know where it is, so she¡¯s intervening through a cyber-attack opening? And so she might be exposed in an apartment or car somewhere in the city of Manhattan?¡±


    ¡°Manhattan is not allowing a single lucky hit through, but that may be driven by more than simple philanthropy. She can¡¯t have a stray shot fall into the city and reduce her to ashes.¡±


    In other words...


    Looking at it in reverse...


    ¡°If we knew where exactly the Idol Elite was located, we could make a counterattack. We would only need to crush that single point while leaving Manhattan as a whole intact.¡±


    ¡°You-...!?¡±


    Lendy started to yell something, but she ultimately held her tongue with a bitter look on her face. She knew nothing she said here would get through to them.


    Frolaytia glanced over to observe Lendy¡¯s actions as she continued.


    ¡°The Baby Magnum will head back out and draw Manhattan¡¯s attention. Meanwhile, our real goal is searching for the Idol Elite¡¯s location. Fortunately, this incident seems to have woken up the peace-dulled higher ups in the safe countries. They¡¯ve lent us a relic of an older age.¡±


    ¡°What kind of relic?¡±


    ¡°A Mobus Variant. Simply put, a laser sniping system is sent into satellite orbit, it circles the earth a few times to stabilize its orbit, and then it fires on a certain point on the surface. Shockingly, it is equipped with an atomic battery. The victory of Objects eliminated nuclear weapons from the world, but as long as it isn¡¯t ¡®directly¡¯ used, it apparently doesn¡¯t violate the treaties.¡± The busty silver-haired commander crossed her arms such that they pushed up her large breasts. ¡°We use that to fire a laser down from the heavens to eliminate the Idol Elite. It moves at the speed of light. The overall power might seem insufficient in this age of Objects, but its speed can¡¯t be beat. It would be one thing if she was in a shelter or a tunnel, but there is no better assassination method for directly targeting someone. It will all fall apart if she predicts the location of this game piece, but if she doesn¡¯t know about it, not even she can dodge it. By the time she notices, she and the piloting equipment will have been vaporized.¡±


    If Oh Ho Ho had known Manhattan¡¯s layout and had been inside the proper cockpit covered in thick, nuke-resistant armor, there would be nothing they could do.


    Although that would have changed their respective positions for better or for worse.


    ¡°But how do we get that information? You make it sound like spying from a satellite won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°If the Idol Elite is in the subway tunnels or inside a building, we cannot rely on overhead surveillance. The people packed in resin boxes still have body heat, after all.¡±


    ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t telling us to climb back onto that monster,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Just to be clear, that wouldn¡¯t be possible even if you made a million clones of me for extra lives.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that,¡± casually said Frolaytia. ¡°Because someone has already gotten onboard. Or should I say, someone never escaped.¡±


    ¡°...Wait. You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    Come to think of it, he had only been told about his Legitimacy Kingdom group and Wraith¡¯s Information Alliance group being collected. But nothing had ever been said about the Faith Organization.


    ¡°Skuld Silent-Third.¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano was another person familiar with the nightmare sealed away within the Madagascar Report. She knew this was dangerous enough to leave the category of war altogether, but she still made the suggestion.


    ¡°She remains hidden in Manhattan and we have managed to contact her. ...This truly is a worst case scenario, but it looks like our only option is to trust a report from that serial killer.¡±


    Part 7


    It was less exciting than expected.


    That was Skuld Silent-Third¡¯s honest opinion about being left alone in Manhattan. Her plan had been to remain in the center of the city while pretending to be defeated and then send the Manhattan after the Legitimacy Kingdom as they desperately attempted to confirm her death. Once the ocean was littered with wreckage, corpses, and other detritus, she could steal a functioning vehicle and drift through the ocean. In the best case, she had hoped to slip out from under the Faith Organization¡¯s watchful eye, but...


    (Hmm, they recovered more quickly than I expected. Restarting all that from here might be difficult.)


    The combat mobility had shaken her enough for gravity to lose its hold on her, but that had stopped for the moment.


    While rage boiled within the Idol Elite, she had been able to manipulate that girl who controlled the Manhattan, so Skuld would be in trouble if the girl calmed down.


    Of course, not even Skuld could directly pilot the Manhattan. She needed the Idol Elite to put in the effort of her own volition. Threatening her would be meaningless. If this conflict ended with the girl¡¯s death, the Capulet AI Network would return to normal. And then Skuld would be immediately killed as an enemy of the Information Alliance.


    (Should I kill her father, Royce, to shake her again? No, doing the same thing again would be boring...)


    The clear cubes visible here and there contained Manhattan residents with carefree looks on their faces. Skuld had tried picking up a metal pipe and hitting them, but it had been no use. Instead of being solid, they were springy, like rubber or gelatin. Plus, these protective shields were meant to endure the combat mobility of the world¡¯s largest Object. Human hands would not be enough to break through.


    That meant she would have trouble killing Royce if she tried. And if she viewed the cubes like Object armor, not even her bombs were likely to work.


    Unless she caused some confusion here, she was like a bird in cage while on Manhattan. First of all, the extraordinary Object¡¯s warning system prevented her from escaping and, even if she did escape into the ocean, the Legitimacy Kingdom and Faith Organization¡¯s naval forces were waiting.


    (What should I do...?)


    She rubbed her fingertips across her slender chin.


    (Which option would be the most fun?)


    That was her priority, not her life.


    And after a lot of thinking, the twintail girl arrived at a conclusion.


    She fished through the equipment of one of the many dead Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers and grabbed the radio.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll contact the Legitimacy Kingdom and save the world! After I do that, I can figure out what to do next!!¡±


    Part 8


    ¡°Shit!!¡±


    Once she was guided from the briefing room to a guest room, silver-haired and brown-skinned Lendy Farolito spat out a curse.


    The Manhattan 000 could not be destroyed with direct firepower, so they were going to pinpoint target the out-of-control Pilot Elite. It made sense, but she could not allow it. She wanted to stop it however she could, but she lacked the actual ability to do so. Even now, there would be two muscular guards right outside the door. Her weapons had been confiscated, so she could not even eliminate those two. She knew the situation was extremely pressing, but she could not find anything to do.


    Except...


    ¡°...¡±


    Once she judged the timing was right, Lendy reached inside her uniform¡¯s short skirt. She had had a good reason for altering her electronic medical records and implanting an unnecessary metal bolt inside her body to have an excuse when a metal detector went off. She had more than 10 components hidden inside her uniform and underwear so they would slip through a search. Once she assembled them, she had a radio smaller than a pack of cigarettes. The antenna was larger than the rest of the device because it used satellite phone technology. It was originally so she could call for rescue. It could make a call from anywhere on the planet, but to give it such a small size, it could only be used for 3 minutes. She could only give a short warning to the Pilot Elite on the distant Manhattan. Also, the Legitimacy Kingdom was not dumb. Once they detected a signal coming from here, they were sure to restrain Lendy immediately. She would only have one shot at this. One shot with the silver bullet known as information.


    She did not care if she was arrested and court martialed. She was willing to live out her life in an enemy nation¡¯s prison or even be shot on the spot.


    She had to think.


    When, where, and what should she transmit? How she used this one silver bullet could mean the life or death of that girl.


    And just before she made up her mind...


    ¡°...?¡±


    Lendy raised her beautiful face. Something was not right. As a soldier, she was fairly sensitive to people¡¯s presences, but the pressure from beyond the door had vanished. She stuck the rescue radio in her pocket and cautiously approached the metal door.


    She tried silently opening it and found both guards collapsed on the floor.


    Lendy had not lived a normal enough life to immediately scream. She quietly crouched down and checked on the corpses. Countless screws, nails, and other fragments had pierced the front of their bulletproof vests. Those were used to increase the power of explosions, not gunfire. Still crouched down, she looked up and saw the knob of the nearest waterproof door had also been sliced off with great firepower. But she had not heard anything like an explosion. Nor had she heard any screams or shouts from the two professional guards.


    Was the mysterious explosion the work of a combat engineer who specialized in that sort of thing?


    A certain individual¡¯s face flashed through her mind, but...


    (No, Skuld Silent-Third should be on the Manhattan right now.)


    Then who else could it be?


    Whose example had that serial killer been following when she began using plastic explosives for her killing? Who had originally wielded the Legitimacy Kingdom military explosive known as Hand Axe?


    Who was that complete amateur who still managed to destroy the occasional Object and had won that girl¡¯s heart with that unique ability?


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    When she heard that sudden voice, Lendy grabbed a carbine from one of the corpses and quickly turned around to find someone standing there.


    This was completely unexpected.


    She kept the gun aimed at him while her instincts told her this was not enough. This person had killed the two heavily-equipped guards without even giving them a chance to cry out.


    In that seemingly perfect yet imperfect state, the silver-haired and brown-skinned commander asked a question.


    ¡°Who...are you?¡±


    That was the issue.


    Even if they were an enemy, she would not have sounded so confused if she had recognized them.


    Lendy Farolito had no idea whatsoever who this person was.


    ¡°Module Quenser,¡± whispered the mystery man.


    He must not have been the type to show off with his clothing. The gray-haired man of at least 70 wore a cheap gray suit that could be bought anywhere. But he wore something else on his back. ...What was it? It looked something like a cross...but, no. It was a sword. He was equipped with a unit that resembled a sheathed double-edged sword. The kind of chains seen on bicycles or chainsaws extended from the sword and attached to gears on his shoulders, elbows, wrists, thighs, knees, and ankles. All of the chains glittered green like emerald.


    But the old man himself was even stranger. The look on his face was innocent. It was a childlike expression that seemed entirely removed from worldly interests.


    ¡°It is very user-friendly, but it leaves a lot of openings when breaching a single point.¡±


    Asking further seemed pointless.


    Lendy placed her finger on the trigger, but then the old man moved without warning.


    His movements did not seem so much fast as oddly timed.


    The green chains produced a disconcerting sound of rapid rotation. Just as Lendy noticed that, he approached like the wind, grabbed the carbine, lifted it straight up, and pressed his other hand against the silver-haired, brown-skinned commander¡¯s throat. Was he trying to strangle her or break her neck?


    ¡°Module Skuld. ...Yes, this is much easier to use here.¡±


    It seemed very much like a prototype. It was incredible the rapidly-rotating chains did not catch on his hair, skin, or suit. And strangely, the wrinkly old man¡¯s movements were oddly girly. He could have played a female role in the Island Nation¡¯s kabuki.


    Or did that have something to do with the name he had mentioned?


    ¡°So...¡±


    The trembling of her brown throat let her feel the sweaty hand pressed against it.


    ¡°Does that sword-like...thing use the chains to reproduce the behavior of a specific individual? Does it use their motion data to support your own actions with the chains? But I doubt nothing more than chains and gears could protect your body¡¯s joints.¡±


    ¡°We are not trying to do it all with just that. Everyone¡¯s skeletons and muscles are the same, yet successful people¡¯s movements can be classified into their respective fields. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What matters is the gait and center of gravity used by the individual. So more than just the simple movements, their individual rhythms form their internal clock which alters them on the inside. And people face the general concept of time based on the planet¡¯s rotation and revolution. Ascend to those heights, and you can obtain it. They say different people see the world differently, and I could not agree more.¡±


    Was the person controlling the machine, or vice-versa?


    Lendy belonged to the Information Alliance, but even she found it odd to see an obvious contraption externally manipulating the movements of his limbs.


    ¡°We of the Faith Organization stand opposite of you in the Information Alliance. We do not treat the Pilot Elites as a component of the giant military system known as an Object. In fact, we look for the charisma of a strategist or commander in an exceptional individual person and we focus on drawing out their individuality and characteristics as much as possible. Although since that involves things like synesthesia and perfect pitch, you outsiders sometimes misinterpret it as esper research.¡±


    ¡°Faith...?¡±


    ¡°Oh, did I forget to introduce myself? I am Tyrfing Boilermaker. Back home, I am known as the Venerable Elder. I am really not worth introducing, but I stand on the side of good. Of course, my identity is not worth hiding either.¡±


    He was even higher ranked than the Founders. In Legitimacy Kingdom terms, he was a major king. In Capitalist Corporations terms, he was the president of a major conglomerate or international corporation.


    ¡°It could be Sladder Honeysuckle, Putana Highball, Mariydi Whitewitch, or even the rumored Nyarlathotep. Oh, excuse me. I was not trying to say we have no interest in the Information Alliance¡¯s people. At any rate, we focus on the body and mind of individual humans. So we gather data on enemy and ally strategists and commanders and then attempt to faithfully reproduce them or escalate them further. It should be no surprise that we would be researching such things.¡±


    In other words, this old man was both a single person and multiple people.


    He could freely switch between different strategists and commanders. Did he have hundreds, thousands, even more? He might as well have had countless monsters waiting behind him.


    ¡°Since you attacked me ¨C part of the Information Alliance minority ¨C instead of the Legitimacy Kingdom majority, does this have to do with the Manhattan 000?¡±


    ¡°Attack you? Perish the thought.¡±


    He gave a bright smile that did not match his age at all.


    He then spread his arms and casually waved his hands which could kill at any moment.


    ¡°I have a merciful heart, so if I intended to kill you, I would have done so before you even knew I was here. With a metal jet, I could painlessly slice through your heart from the other side of the wall. To be honest, I want you to work even harder. That is why I arrived to set you free. Only because I was already here, though.¡±


    ¡°Work...harder?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it looks like the Legitimacy Kingdom might succeed.¡± He sounded exasperated. ¡°I can¡¯t have this ending in an anticlimax now. The Faith Organization has been ready to go from the beginning and the Capitalist Corporations has helpfully begun an unwinnable fight to buy enough time to withdraw their electronic money from the Cayman Islands. With each of their attacks, they inspire more hatred toward the Manhattan. No matter what the Information Alliance as a whole thinks, you cannot avoid being viewed as the aggressors here. That just leaves the Legitimacy Kingdom. If they would only take this seriously, we would have a global war between all four world powers. But for that, we can¡¯t accept an easy ending where the Pilot Elite is sniped from satellite orbit. Faith Organization and Capitalist Corporations vs. Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance. The worst possible result is to settle into a 2-against-2 cold war where everyone sits still and glares at each other. Then nothing will happen.¡±


    Save a life in order to spread the chaos of war.


    Rescue an individual to throw all of humanity into the flames.


    ¡°What are you thinking...?¡±


    ¡°I wish to save everyone. Isn¡¯t that the natural desire for the Faith Organization¡¯s leader?¡±


    His tone was smooth and she could easily forget the gravity of the situation if she let her guard down.


    This old man had an invisible attraction that dragged in the souls of everyone around him.


    ¡°This age was a mistake. There is something wrong with these clean wars. Everyone says so, but none of them mention what exactly needs to be fixed to bring everything back into order. And that false sense of understanding is the greatest cause of stagnation. So we will reveal the answer. We will show everyone what is wrong with the clean wars. We will show them how easily that transient structure collapses and that the world powers and the vague distinction between battlefield country and safe country are powerless. Then the people wandering through this chaotic age are sure to see the truth. We will all look ahead to the coming age. Whatever form it takes, no one will attempt to bring back the broken clean wars. Because we will have already proven they were a mistake.¡±


    The Norse myth of Ragnarok did not end with the gods fighting and being destroyed.


    After all the gods and giants were destroyed, the story ends with some immortal gods and a few human survivors appearing and creating a new world.


    If that final battle had not happened, Odin and the other arrogant gods would have continued oppressing the humans, elves, giants, and other species.


    This old man had introduced the nonexistent idea of the Ragnarok Script and attempted to drag all four world powers into the conflagration of war, so was he too a consequence of that?


    Tyrfing.


    It was not clear if that was his real name, but it came from a Norse magic sword that would take a life and return to its master each time it was drawn but would ultimately destroy its master as well.


    He had sent word of the nonexistent Ragnarok Script to the Capitalist Corporations, used that to spread chaos through the Information Alliance, shaken Piranirie and the rest of the Martini Series with active self-denial (even if it was actually an illusion), set the Manhattan 000 in motion, and even released Skuld Silent-Third to sow further chaos.


    He was the source of it all.


    This old man had drawn up the blueprints for it all.


    Lendy grimaced and asked a question of the old man who wore a sheathed magic sword strapped to his back with green chains.


    ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re willing to die yourself?¡±


    ¡°If necessary, I will accept any death. Walking out ahead of everyone and providing an example of how to behave is the duty of a religious man.¡±


    He had no hesitation or fear.


    Skuld Silent-Third had seemed twisted, but had that really been entirely a matter of her personal qualities? If all cultures sought the power to conquer the fear of death, then the Faith Organization may have focused more on psychological matters than on physical fortresses and weapons. ...Yes, take humans far enough and they might just reach this point.


    ¡°Now.¡± The Venerable Elder stepped aside to clear a path down the corridor. ¡°Struggle desperately for happiness. Ragnarok does not simply mean death. It is a small number, but there are some survivors who create the next age. The people around me are trying to make me one of them, but I am honestly not that interested. But you are different, aren¡¯t you? If there is something you care about more than your own life, then I believe now is the time to act, not the time for distractions.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°The optical bombing from the Mobus Variant is not much of a threat if you know it is there. Simply put, you only need to hide below a roof thick enough to defeat its specs. Even a standard subway tunnel should be effective. That is why it is known as a relic that could not overthrow the age of Objects. It is up to you how you contact Manhattan, but just one quick warning will resolve this: watch out. She might not listen to an outsider like me, but that Elite is sure to heed your words. And you have no obligation to the Legitimacy Kingdom. Protecting their plan is a task for them, not for the Information Alliance. You can shatter the pre-established harmony. There is no value in the old rules of the world which produce nothing, save no one, and yet continue to restrict us all. We must rebuild the world from the very foundation, even if that means tearing it all down first.¡±


    This may have been the chance she was looking for.


    It may have been the moment to gain the freedom she needed to save that girl.


    However.


    ¡°!!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Lendy gave up on the stolen carbine and held out a sidearm handgun instead. She had stolen it with some sleight of hand while swiping the other firearm from the corpse. She repeatedly pulled the trigger, but it was like trying to push together identical poles of two magnets. With the disconcerting sound of rapid rotation from the green chains, Venerable Elder Tyrfing Boilermaker casually dodged the bullets.


    ¡°Back in Madagascar, it seems Skuld feigned weakness to inspire a protective desire. Based on her specs, she should be able to pull this off.¡±


    The old man was far stranger than any self-styled espers and he never stopped smiling. He had likely caught on to what she was doing. Lendy Farolito had not expected to hit this monster with normal bullets. This old man had taken a step into the occult, so killing him would require something like Odin¡¯s spear. Nevertheless, the gunshots had sounded. They had to have echoed throughout the ship with a far more sinister noise than if she had simply shouted. She had informed the others of the emergency. There would be no hiding the intruder¡¯s presence even if she was defeated here.


    ¡°I was always going to save that girl no matter what anyone does.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, your intervention is nothing more than a nuisance. So get lost. It affects my purity. The stage has no room for you and your sudden appearance!!¡±


    ¡°You are even more virtuous than I imagined. But unfortunately, I have currently chosen Module Skuld. Her motto seems to be that a strong offense is the greatest defense, so I will likely act accordingly.¡±


    His fingers had been gently swaying, but now they came to a complete stop.


    He did not hesitate to take a step toward Lendy as she aimed the handgun at him.


    He looked truly regretful, but with the thorough support of the chains and magic sword, the old man perfectly reproduced the sinister and beautiful motions of a serial killer who had experienced the joy of killing in the very core of her being.


    ¡°May a peaceful holy age arrive to this sinful and impure world.¡±


    Part 9


    The dry gunshots reached the busty silver-haired commander and Heivia¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they were given liquor before the mission is even over. What idiot switched off their safety like it¡¯s some kind of festival!?¡±


    ¡°No. Everyone, be on full alert. Don¡¯t assume it was an accident. Assume a rat and hit them with everything we¡¯ve got.¡±


    After all, sneaking aboard a maintenance fleet and attacking from within was the exact strategy they had used against Piranirie Martini Smoky. If they could do it, so could someone else.


    The Baby Magnum had already left now that its armor had been quickly replaced.


    Even if the Princess knew the Information Alliance Oh Ho Ho¡¯s small idiosyncrasies, that was not enough to call an absolute trump card. Without logistical support, she would be quickly defeated and that would be that.


    ¡°Skuld! Something has come up on our ship. We¡¯ll give you some time to act freely, but we might not be able to provide immediate support. Locate the target ASAP.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. This place is so boring with everyone frozen. There¡¯s no life in them. So if hers is the only soft flesh on Manhattan anymore, I¡¯ll just go search her out.¡±


    ¡°...I already have a really bad feeling about this,¡± said Heivia. ¡°So what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Data processing,¡± replied Frolaytia. ¡°The Princess might be able to see through to Oh Ho Ho¡¯s individual idiosyncrasies, but she needs data on the surrounding environment to act on that knowledge. We will act as her eyes and ears by analyzing all the data from the radars and sensors, rewriting it in an understandable format, and sending it to her. In other words, the standard.¡±


    (Even her orders are decent when Quenser isn¡¯t here.)


    A fairly inappropriate comment passed through Heivia Winchell¡¯s mind, but unsurprisingly, the word ¡°decent¡± did not apply for long. As he stared at the LCD display like the radar analyst he was, he saw an unbelievable reading.


    ¡°Wahh, wah, gyahh!? Warning, warning!! Something like a wall is approaching. It¡¯s probably a wave produced by the Manhattan!!¡±


    ¡°Grab onto something!!¡±


    The busty commander¡¯s instructions arrived too late.


    The wave slammed into the side of the giant warship and Heivia was tossed all the way to the wall. And the shaking did not end there. Their vision rose and fell over and over while the entire ship tilted diagonally. The high and low points of the waves differed by more than 10 meters. It was like being repeatedly dropped from a mountain into a valley.


    The desks and LCD monitors were bolted in place, but they flew into the air with the sound of snapping metal. They could easily be crushed by their own machinery in the closed room, like a ball mill that ground up materials with stones.


    And it did not end there.


    ¡°Report: the waves have knocked the fleet out of formation! At this rate, we will collide with the Cesare positioned alongside us!!¡±


    ¡°Tch!! Can we recov-...no, you wouldn¡¯t have reported it like that if so. Heivia, gather a small group of the more nimble soldiers!!¡±


    Frolaytia shouted that while tossing over a few large backpacks located nearby. They were stuffed full of computers for communication soldiers.


    ¡°This won¡¯t end with just the one ship. There¡¯s going to be a chain-reaction of collisions, but we can¡¯t lose our connection to the Princess. We could easily lose the relay equipment on the ships, so make sure you survive and continue supporting the Princess!!¡±


    ¡°Are you serious...? Hey, Myonri, you¡¯re coming with me!! I¡¯m not suffering through this alone!!¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the worst invitation in the history of the world!!¡±


    With another powerful impact, Heivia and Myonri were torn from gravity¡¯s grasp and had their backs slammed into the ceiling. But this was something other than a wave. It was accompanied by the disconcerting sound of thick steel being crushed.


    ¡°...Ugh, cough. We really did hit our own ally. This ship is going to sink. The rest of you need to prepare boats for yourselves!!¡±


    ¡°We can take care of ourselves,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°Hurry up and get that communication equipment out of here!!¡±


    Heivia and Myonri entered the corridor with the giant backpacks on and made their way to the deck. The impact must have broken some pipes and started some fires because some areas were smoky.


    ¡°What exactly are we going to do?¡±


    ¡°Jump over to a surviving ship. Give this your all. If we fall into the ocean wearing these, it¡¯s over. C¡¯mon!!¡±


    After pressing his shoulder against the metal door to push it open, a powerful gust of wind pushed back at them.


    The sky had been perfectly clear before, but it was now filled with thick storm clouds. It felt as oppressive as being buried alive below the bedrock.


    ¡°Dammit, is this because of that electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon!?¡±


    In the blowing rain, the giant gray ship was as misshapen as a crushed candy box. A destroyer that was meant to protect them from external threats had collided with their small aircraft carrier.


    While focusing on the wind, Heivia and Myonri jumped over the bent surface of contact to board the other ship. There was of course no guarantee of safety. If their leg was caught between the two ships, it would be bitten off by those steel teeth.


    ¡°Is this really the right thing to do!?¡± asked Myonri. ¡°I feel like all those missiles are about to explode!!¡±


    ¡°Look ahead. See that burning supply ship approaching!?¡±


    ¡°Gyah!!¡±


    ¡°Just jump to the next one, idiot!!¡±


    There was no hope of putting out that fire, so the crew would be jumping into the ocean. Just as Heivia and Myonri jumped onto a radar ship that approached at just the right time, the flaming supply ship collided with the destroyer that had more missiles than guns.


    What followed was like an accident at a fireworks festival. Countless missiles and torpedoes were blown away inside their metal tubes in a chain reaction of explosions. Some were anti-air, some were anti-surface, some were anti-ship, and some were anti-sub, but they would all blow a flesh-and-blood human to smithereens.


    ¡°This is the worst!!¡±


    Despite what Heivia shouted, they had yet to see how bad it could get.


    Myonri was the first to notice. Radars were attached to the front wall like tiles or a bug¡¯s compound eye and the light next to them had changed from green to red.


    ¡°Ah, the radars are activating!!¡±


    ¡°Are you kidd-...aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!?¡±


    They could only scream.


    Just before they were hit by microwaves far more harmful than a microwave oven, they pushed open a metal door and dove into the protected ship. Their soaked uniforms were heavy. It was no longer just the communication equipment on their backs. They felt like they had weights hanging from every part of their body.


    ¡°Damn, is my big magnum all right!? That didn¡¯t fry humanity¡¯s greatest treasure, did it!?¡±


    ¡°I think it fried your brain first! You can stick the contents of a balled-up tissue under the microscope later! We aren¡¯t safe here either, so we need to get out of here!!¡±


    The next impact was more of an explosion.


    With lots of sparks, the ship¡¯s lights went out, but they did not have time to worry about that. One of the destroyer¡¯s shells or missiles must have hit because a nearby wall was torn away, leaving a gaping hole.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Just as they felt the floor shaking below them, Heivia and Myonri tumbled toward that large hole.


    And right before they fell, a giant dark submarine parted the water and surfaced like a whale.


    Heivia and Myonri just barely managed to avoid falling into the water with so much extra weight, but they could not exactly rejoice. That spectacular emergency surfacing was shown off in military exercises, but it was generally only done in a crisis when the submarine needed air.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just on the surface. Are they colliding with each other like billiards balls below the water too!?¡±


    This would not last forever.


    The gray ocean was full of debris: a ship¡¯s armor panel, a large tank, a pin-up poster, etc. Even without the heavy communication equipment, if they fell into the water, they would probably be crushed between the jagged metal floating in the waves.


    ¡°Eek, eek...¡±


    ¡°Myonri, brace yourself!! Roll off and I¡¯ll have to give you the mouth-to-mouth punishment!!¡±


    ¡°No, thank you! And how much do you hate yourself to acknowledge it would be a punishment!?¡±


    At this rate, Heivia and Myonri would be killed by their allies before the Princess was killed by the Manhattan.


    But then a familiar voice reached them over the giant communication equipment they wore on their backs.


    ¡°Report, report. Target located.¡±


    ¡°Skuld?¡±


    ¡°One, three, cypher, alpha, lima, bravo. I repeat: one, three, cypher, alpha, lima, bravo. You can look that up on the grid, right? Then hurry up and finish her off with that laser!!¡±


    Part 10


    ¡°Gh...¡±


    Lendy Farolito held her right side, leaned back against a corridor wall in the sinking ship, and slid down to a sitting position. Her vision flashed in and out. She went limp and could not lift her butt from the floor. She had been stabbed by a jagged piece of metal, probably a byproduct of an explosion. It was less than 20cm, but the fact that it was duller than an industrially-made combat knife made it a brutal fang.


    Venerable Elder Tyrfing Boilermaker was no longer there.


    Would she survive or not? She did not know.


    But the silver-haired, brown-skinned officer had something more important than her life.


    Her trembling hand reached into her pocket and produced an emergency radio smaller than a pack of cigarettes. She extended the antenna which was larger than the rest of the device.


    (It isn¡¯t...broken. Good. Thank goodness.)


    Her actions here might be the worst possible move which would bring ruin to the world.


    It might lead to a war that would throw all four world powers into a sea of flames, just as that old man wanted.


    But.


    Even so.


    Lendy Farolito had something she wanted to protect even if it meant making an enemy of the world.


    ¡°...¡±


    And.


    She hit the switch with her thumb.


    With a scratchy voice, she called a certain name and then raised a shout like she was coughing up blood.


    ¡°Get away from theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere!!¡±


    Part 11


    When the ringlet-curls girl all of a sudden left the work van, Skuld Silent-Third stuck out her tongue while observing from afar. She first crouched down and placed her hands over her head.


    ¡°Uh, oh.¡±


    The strike from the heavens blew away the thick clouds overhead. The work van was mercilessly blown away in an orange blast before being literally vaporized. The laser itself was invisible, but a light as bright as welding surged out from the center of the impact point. That temporarily blinded the serial killer, but she could rely on her other senses.


    She could tell just by licking her lovely lips.


    (She¡¯s there. She hasn¡¯t been vaporized. The air doesn¡¯t taste like flesh.)


    The attack had opened a hole, but the dark clouds must have closed it again. Since they did not immediately fire a second shot in that storm, the light and heat of the hit may have prevented them from getting an accurate view from orbit. Or maybe it took time to charge, or could only fire a single shot in the first place.


    Whatever the case, the Pilot Elite had noticed the Mobus Variant, that optical bombing weapon targeting her from orbit.


    She would not let that happen again.


    She could defend against it by simply moving into a nearby subway station.


    ¡°Now, then.¡±


    Skuld looked around as her vision gradually returned, but she did not see anyone. However, the girl had done a poor job of hiding. She was a fellow Elite, but she must not have been the fighting type. If Skuld used her hunter¡¯s nose to track her, she could kill her. She could recover from this failure. The girl was probably somewhere on the Columbia University campus.


    (But what should I do?)


    She scratched her twintailed head and shook her small butt in time with the music playing around her while she began the pursuit. Before long, she saw the slender form curled up behind the counter of a caf¨¦ near the impact point. She was far smaller than Skuld had expected from how the others had talked about her. The actual blast had not hit her, but it looked like her entire body had been exposed to the secondary shockwave and small fragments. Without her special suit, her soft skin would have been shredded. Still, she would have difficulty moving very nimbly right away. She had shown an impressive attachment to life simply by dragging her body this far while nearly drowning in the tiny puddles on the ground.


    ¡°Are you...¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°...going to...kill me...?¡±


    The girl looked like she would kick the bucket all on her own, so Skuld clicked her tongue at that question. She liked killing fresh lives. Their death felt so raw specifically because they put up a fierce resistance and she had to restrain them with both hands. Skuld was a hopeless serial killer, but she was not cruel enough to torment a defenseless elderly person while pretending to provide care.


    Also, what would await her if she followed the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s instructions to the end? Would she be handcuffed, judged in a foreign military court, and thrown in a cell for the rest of her life?


    And even if she was returned to the Faith Organization, what would happen to her there?


    (I¡¯d rather not be put to sleep with drugs so I can be observed by those perverted old men.)


    Despite what she had told Heivia and the others, she had been dissatisfied with that.


    That left only one answer.


    Skuld placed a hand on her skinny waist.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. You¡¯re not my type.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Have you not read the Madagascar Report? If you were a boy who looked like that, you would score a perfect 100, but you really are just a girl. That¡¯s too straightforward and boring.¡±


    Also, the work van being used as a mobile console room had been vaporized. If the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s view was correct, that Idol Elite had been using a great number of keyboards. Once those were lost, she was done. Even her one-handed wireless keyboard was useless without the console to link back to. Most likely, this Elite could not do anything even if she did find the actual cockpit. The layout would be entirely different from what she had taught herself.


    That meant the Pilot Elite could not control the extraordinary Object on her own any longer.


    Simply put, the war was over.


    ¡°Ahh, ahh. Nothing¡¯s better than my teacher. Cute like a girl but willful like a boy. You can¡¯t get any better than that. It was just completely and utterly enjoyable.¡±


    With that simple statement, Skuld turned around.


    Oh Ho Ho was supposedly her target, but she was so taken aback, she called out to her.


    ¡°W-wait! Where are you going!?¡±


    ¡°To find the cockpit. It doesn¡¯t matter if I can control it or not. This is what my teacher would do. I just know I¡¯ll find something interesting there.¡±


    The twintailed serial killer casually replied and waved without looking back.


    And she spoke from the unique viewpoint of a lunatic.


    ¡°I feel like there¡¯s still a piece missing here.¡±


    Part 12


    ¡°I saw some light.¡±


    Heivia spoke from atop the surfaced black submarine while the artificial storm pummeled him.


    ¡°I saw some light from the Manhattan¡¯s direction. That was the bombing, wasn¡¯t it? Did we do it!? For real!?¡±


    ¡°Ohh? But that ending would be something of a problem.¡±


    Heivia and Myonri turned around in surprise when they heard an old man speaking like he was joining a chat over tea. While the submarine was rocked by the storm and waves, someone stood on the side deck of the radar ship that was starting to sink due to the missile explosion.


    He was an extremely bizarre and innocent old man who wore a cheap suit, carried a double-edged sword on his back, and had chains extending to his arms, legs, and torso.


    ¡°Not even Module Skuld can accurately control the Second Generation Norn... But, well, as long as I can move it at all. It only needs to stir enough to point at something. We achieve our objective as long as the great social unrest causes all four world powers to clash. It doesn¡¯t really matter if the Manhattan itself can fight. As long as the people think it can, we can bring salvation to a world that desires chaos.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s with this extremely immature old man with a magic sword on his back!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have no maturity whatsoever. My name is Tyrfing Boilermaker.¡± That old man gave no thought to his age and he was clearly saying something. ¡°And one more thing: If necessary, I would like to approach the Manhattan now, but first I want to know that it has really stopped moving. I must apologize, but could you send your Object against it to see if it resists?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You can do that, can¡¯t you?¡±


    Even in the storm, they could hear the disconcerting sound of the green chains rapidly rotating.


    At the same time, the old man named Tyrfing had disappeared.


    ¡°That communication equipment on your back is being used to support your Pilot Elite¡¯s decisions, so if you send out mistaken data, she should charge further and further forward without realizing she is headed to her death.¡±


    ¡°Behind...us...!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the boy or the girl. I do not care which one assists me.¡±


    When had he jumped over the debris-strewn ocean? By the time Heivia quickly turned around, Myonri was already unconscious in the old man¡¯s arm.


    Had he reached his arm around from behind and constricted her carotid arteries? Tyrfing Boilermaker gently set her down on the submarine and began talking with oddly feminine mannerisms.


    They had entered an insane world where firearms were useless.


    ¡°This is known as Module Skuld. It teaches me by using my center of gravity and gait to alter my internal clock. So as long as that serial killer does not feign weakness, I can even use the blowing wind. You I do not recognize, so there must be no plans to create a Module from you. In that case, your standard techniques cannot keep up with my movements now that I have become one with various strategists and commanders. Too bad.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second. What are you talking about? Did I just stumble into a supernatural battle school story or an alternate-world reincarnation story!?¡±


    ¡°No one has researched humans themselves more than the Faith Organization, so if this world had the capacity for such things, we would surely have gained supremacy much sooner.¡±


    Heivia could not afford to lose sight of the old man as he stood atop the submarine that floated in the ocean along with dishes that looked like a cross between a plate and a bowl, a convenience store bag, lightweight blankets, and other trash.


    He knew that, but he could not imagine how he could make the first move. This monster did not care about cover or line of fire. He could approach while dodging a bullet fired straight at him, so what page of the military textbooks was Heivia supposed to reference?


    Just then, something slowly extended over Heivia¡¯s shoulder from behind him. It was a beautiful and sinister curve of steel from the Island Nation. It was a katana blade thoroughly forged by expert hands.


    The delinquent soldier could not look back, but the words of the person behind him stabbed into his ears.


    ¡°I am Bloodrics Capistrano. I shall be your opponent.¡±


    A black tailcoat rapidly spun around to circle in front of Heivia. Tyrfing moved in response. He dropped a small plastic explosive at his feet and grabbed a thin, sword-like piece of armor that had come off of the submarine¡¯s hull.


    Heivia could follow it up to the point that they both made a light strike to judge the distance between them.


    He also managed to keep up through the third flash of sparks.


    But that was his limit.


    He had no idea what was happening with the following exchanges.


    After some silver and black flashes, he all of a sudden found the two men had their blades locked together. The battle had shifted from active to passive. Meanwhile, the old man was still smiling.


    ¡°Bloodrics Capistrano. I have your data recorded. If we both take the exact same actions, this will continue indefinitely. Of course, external factors like our weapons and positions are sure to alter the outcome.¡±


    ¡°That is no more than your personal and very selfish belief. As is the idea that the world desires chaos and the na?ve estimation that you are unbeatable as long as you have your special equipment. In truth, I see no basis for those things beyond your words.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Venerable Elder¡¯s expression seemed to accept that his opponent was his equal. ¡°An endless stalemate is such an ugly thing, so I think I will speed this up by altering my body¡¯s axis. Module Skuld. ...My apologies if you die.¡±


    An even more intense flash followed.


    Bloodrics Capistrano¡¯s katana swung in response.


    Tyrfing Boilermaker had seemed untouchable, but his cheap suit tore and dark red blood was visible on his upper arm and side.


    But in exchange, Bloodrics fell to his knees.


    ¡°Gh!!¡±


    ¡°Injuring me is quite impressive for a member of the 5th prototype generation. And you there. Do not hold this defeat against him. He was definitely the greatest obstacle in my path today.¡±


    The old man defended Bloodrics while also casually kicking him in the face to knock him aside. It may have been due to the Modules he kept mentioning, but his words and actions did not match at all.


    ¡°The greater they master their respective paths, the shorter a showdown between two experts will be. Expert chess players will grasp the flow of victory with their very first move. By the time an expert begins moving, they can already see the ending. They will never have a flashy and extended fistfight like in a kung fu movie or a close-quarters dual pistol battle. There is no such thing as a repetition draw in combat. I was always interested in Skuld as a tool.¡±


    How were you supposed to deal with this using the logic of modern warfare?


    Wouldn¡¯t he have to purify the demon world¡¯s land before challenging the great demon king? Even that ridiculous thought occurred to Heivia. If he did not do something, he would be killed far too easily and start his reincarnated life in another world.


    ¡°Could you assist me?¡±


    Sorry I am so strong.


    Tyrfing Boilermaker seemed to be thinking exactly that.


    ¡°Even without you, I could steal the equipment, eliminate anyone who might interrupt me, and do it myself, but, well, I would prefer to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. ...On the other hand, I will spill any amount of blood if it is necessary.¡±


    ¡°Kh...!!¡±


    Raising his carbine may have been a purely reflexive action on Heivia¡¯s part.


    The old man only gave him a pitying look.


    ¡°Too bad.¡±


    But immediately afterwards...


    ¡°Hold on. Are you getting forgetful, old man? Was your precious Skuld Silent-Third really that unstoppable a girl? Or are you indirectly praising us potatoes for having defeated her?¡±


    The voice came from the communication equipment on Heivia¡¯s back.


    It made sense that someone else from the Legitimacy Kingdom would be able to contact it.


    But that voice!


    ¡°In the Madagascar Report, that serial killer wouldn¡¯t budge even if you sent the average Object against her. And guns and knives were useless after she abandoned the Trinity Style and fled.¡±


    By then, the old man must have seen it out of the corner of his eye. Even with the warships colliding with each other and leaving fragments and wreckage floating in the water, there was one thing among the pin-up magazines and dishes that did not belong in a maintenance fleet.


    It was colored white.


    An inflated convenience store bag floated on the ocean. The number 52 was crudely written on it with thick permanent marker as some kind of sign.


    Anything that did not sink would probably have worked.


    Because the detonation only required a radio.


    How did Tyrfing Boilermaker interpret it?


    Did it remind him of Skuld or a certain boy?


    At any rate, he spoke in the exact same way as the mystery transmission.


    ¡°But bombs alone she could not dodge.¡±


    ¡°But bombs alone she could not dodge.¡±


    There was truly nothing he could do.


    The more the old man tried to be Skuld Silent-Third, the less he could avoid this form of destruction.


    Heivia lay on top of unconscious Myonri and Bloodrics and used the thick communication equipment as a shield just before the plastic explosive that had silently snuck up with the waves finally detonated right next to Tyrfing Boilermaker.


    A wet sound rang out, the green chains arranged around his body audibly burst, and Heivia finally raised his head.


    The backpack had apparently stopped the many small metal balls scattered to make the explosion more deadly. Heivia, Myonri, and Bloodrics were safe, but Tyrfing was nowhere to be seen. It was unclear if that had been a fatal blow, but it was unlikely his bones had survived unscathed. And if he had fallen into the ocean with broken bones, he was sure to drown.


    ¡°What the hell...just happened?¡± muttered Heivia.


    But the communication equipment had been destroyed, so contact was cut off.


    The plastic explosive was likely Hand Axe.


    And a certain boy was oddly able to operate marine sports vehicles but not cars or motorcycles.


    In other words...


    ¡°Is it really, truly you...Quenser!?¡±


    Part 13


    The raging storm had calmed and the ocean glittered bright red as it absorbed the color of the setting sun.


    This was a small tropical island, a common sight in the Central American ocean.


    It would likely be described as a desert island. It had a single palm tree and a large refrigerator that must have washed up from somewhere. The island had a radius of at most 10 meters, but it oddly showed no sign of sinking below the waves as a result of global warming.


    But at the same time, someone who could land on the tiny and generic island was not supposed to ¡°exist¡±.


    The legends of ships suddenly vanishing in the Bermuda Triangle was proof of that.


    Whether intentional or coincidental, everyone who discovered and landed on that island would ¡°disappear¡± from the world. They were promised the full support of the Information Alliance, but in exchange, the secret was preserved by fully erasing their very presence from the vast network. It was like being rejected from the connections of human society and receiving the position of a god who sat one step removed.


    The greatest privilege in a highly digitized society was not to be a king or president who stood above the masses in a high-risk/high-return position where a single wrong word would lead to an onslaught of criticism.


    It was to be a skilled hacker who was unknown to the masses but knew everything about them. It was to fall into the gap of that no-risk/high-return position.


    No one could escape the far-too-sweet temptation of being an emperor who stood one step to the side.


    That was why they had all kept the secret so far.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, what¡¯s this? You got here first?¡±


    A carefree voice rang out.


    The ocean and the island were dyed by sunset. A twintailed girl had ridden a high-speed motorboat onto the opposite beach from a boy and she walked over to him with a smile. That girl with risqu¨¦ undeveloped bodylines approached like a puppy.


    ¡°You always are first, aren¡¯t you? Then again, that¡¯s what makes you so worth obsessing over.¡±


    ¡°I would really rather you didn¡¯t.¡± The blond boy slowly sighed. ¡°So you managed to reach the island too, huh? I had a feeling you would find it no matter what you chose or what happened.¡±


    ¡°The Idol Elite was doing it all manually, but only over the network. The route was disguised thousands or even tens of thousands of times over, but the Capulet AI Network had to be secretly contacting the Manhattan somehow. They¡¯re two separate things. So I thought I would find something interesting if I found the actual cockpit. For example, a way to send out an undisguised code for the AI network to pick up directly.¡±


    In other words.


    Skuld Silent-Third casually pointed at the large and beaten-up refrigerator that had washed up below the palm tree.


    ¡°That¡¯s Capulet¡¯s core, isn¡¯t it? Or was it upgraded to Anastasia for this generation?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°No, a network wouldn¡¯t have a core. It would be ¡®stronger¡¯ for it to all be parallel so that the system could survive even no matter what part of the world was enveloped in flames. So was there some other purpose? For example, maybe the AI company set this up as a breaker so they could bring down the entire network from here if it went berserk. Or maybe they were just more comfortable giving the network an obvious form. To put it in Faith Organization terms, it¡¯s like how legendary goddesses are always drawn as beautiful women.¡±


    At that point, the twintail girl placed her index finger on her slender chin and tilted her head.


    If you forgot she was a pure serial killer, she would have looked like a fairy or something.


    ¡°By the way, everyone was saying you¡¯re dead, so what was that about? A funeral gift scam?¡±


    ¡°Wraith put on an act.¡± The boy shrugged. ¡°At the time, the Information Alliance maintenance fleet had sent down a small submersible. And Taratua¡¯s outside group had only been told to search for the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. That left Katarina Martini free. She was overlooked.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. So she pretended to shoot you in the head or chest, dropped you in the ocean, and let someone else pick you up to escape in the submersible?¡±


    ¡°More or less. After Wraith pretended to shoot me and dropped me in the ocean, the silhouette of the approaching submersible may have been mistaken for a shark or something. Speaking of sharks, that kind of submersible apparently carries blood to lure sharks away during rescues. Anyway, whoever the target was going to be, that old woman apparently predicted Taratua¡¯s cruelty perfectly.¡±


    It was not the boy who had put on the act or collected him from the ocean, so there was nothing for him to brag about.


    Wraith had so hated the old woman responsible for the genius girl project, so how had it felt for her to ultimately leave everything in Katarina¡¯s hands? It would be nice if she had managed to get over her issues with her stepmother during the battle against Piranirie, but had that really happened?


    Either way, she had to have been in a tough position ever since. No matter what kind of verbal abuse she received from the people she had fought with up to that point, she would not have been given a chance to clear her name of shooting an ally for self-defense.


    Even if the girl had chosen that path herself, he could never make it up to Wraith. Without that choice, the boy really would have lost his life there.


    ¡°Wraith let me live because she focused on solving the issue from a viewpoint outside the four world powers framework. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t report my survival back to the Legitimacy Kingdom. And this was the result. You may have been the only one to reach this island if I had stayed inside the framework.¡±


    ¡°Probably so.¡± Skuld put her hands on her hips and smiled innocently on the twilit island that felt even more detached from the busy world than a private beach. ¡°But is that fridge really so important? I mean, what can you even do with it?¡±


    Skuld Silent-Third¡¯s indifferent tone made it clear which of the two options she placed more weight on.


    The boy carefully observed the serial killer¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Throwing the breaker is exactly what Tyrfing wants. The fall of the Information Alliance would lead to a war involving all four world powers.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± She looked confused. ¡°Whether the world is filled with peace or slaughter, I will still kill. And I want to kill as many people as possible. I know you know what kind of person I am, teacher. You managed to stop me and you learned so much about me, so you must understand.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I will hide within the chaos of war and kill as I please. So a world-encompassing war isn¡¯t a problem for me. In fact, I would appreciate the extra space to hide. Then I can enjoy so much death.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that what Skuld had come here to do?


    It was unlikely that serial killer had gone out of her way to do something unrelated to killing.


    Wanting to stop a coming war would seem natural to the people of a peaceful country. But to those already soaking up to their shoulders in war, the two options could be hard to tell apart. Their everyday was war. They killed like it was normal. And to a true madwoman who had freely crossed the battlefield to satisfy her own desires, war was not even worth stopping.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the current age.¡±


    The serial killer spoke from a somehow innocent viewpoint.


    Her eyes contained a light never seen in a normal person.


    ¡°The four world powers keep talking about these clean wars, but aren¡¯t they so twisted? You understand after seeing so much war, don¡¯t you? Stopping me will not end the tragedy. In fact, continuing like this might actually mean a greater number of victims. But you¡¯ll let it continue? These clean wars focus entirely on being ¡®clean¡¯ and don¡¯t protect anyone¡¯s lives, so are they really worth believing in? Plus, we¡¯re from the Legitimacy Kingdom and Faith Organization, but this is an Information Alliance system.¡±


    The world¡¯s breaker was within reach.


    This would not end with just the Manhattan. No one knew what would happen, but at the very least, the world would enter a new age. Whatever form it took, there would be no going back. This was a one-time-use breaker with devastating power.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    The twilight tropical island would provide liberation to anyone.


    And a demon whispered there as if tempting a student into pulling the school fire alarm.


    That hopeless girl¡¯s voice was a temptation to slothful, degenerate, selfish, ephemeral, and sweet change.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end the world. We can end it. Why we do it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll end it to kill and you can end it to save. Isn¡¯t that good enough? The way things are is so oppressive and boring. So let¡¯s just go for it and see what happens.¡±


    The words of the insane were most frightening when they made a certain amount of sense.


    Allowing the clean wars to continue would only mean more vague sacrifices they were barely aware of and it was obvious to everyone that it would not bring peace. Forcibly ending it might indeed require a powerful wake up call. Even if that would come with many sacrifices for a time.


    However...


    On top of that...


    Quenser Barbotage placed his finger on his radio.


    That was the deadly trigger which sent a signal to the electric fuse stabbed into the Hand Axe plastic explosive.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Skuld Silent-Third did not look at all displeased as she stood on that small, twilit island.


    In fact, she smiled in apparent enjoyment of her opponent¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Can I ask one thing? Why are you fighting?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t even worth mentioning,¡± spat out the boy while toying with the clay-like bomb. ¡°I owe Wraith Martini Vermouthspray big-time for what she did. I would have died if not for her painful and difficult decision. So no matter what might happen to the world, I can¡¯t ignore that she wordlessly ordered me to save it. That¡¯s why my objective was this island and not the Manhattan. Running to the same place where my companions were getting killed one after another would have just added another body to the pile. And after my investigation revealed the existence of this island, I knew you would be here. It wasn¡¯t a rational thing. I just knew you would find your way to the last place anyone wanted you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so cool.¡±


    The twintail girl said that in all seriousness.


    And like magic, she now held something in her hand.


    It was a Hand Axe plastic explosive identical to Quenser Barbotage¡¯s.


    Was that part of her admiration for her ¡°teacher¡±?


    The serial killer had not stopped updating. Left unchecked, just how far would her evil grow?


    ¡°But you understand, don¡¯t you? This is an unknown desert island, so there is zero chance of your companions rushing in to save you like normal. An extreme battle against an Object would be one thing, but I don¡¯t see how you can defeat me one-on-one as humans.¡±


    ¡°Have you completely forgotten the Madagascar Report incident? Who do you think ultimately brought that nightmare to an end?¡±


    ¡°Nee hee,¡± she laughed.


    This was different from before. Skuld did not even try to hide her killer intent. But this was not the same as malice or hostility. It was more like hunting. She was enveloped in the joy of a hunter who walked through the mountains and followed the footprints to find a great beast that could kill her if she made even the slightest mistake.


    ¡°Yes, yes. You really are wonderful... Quenser Barbotage is the best in the world. Cute like a girl and willful like a boy. You¡¯re completely and utterly enjoyable.¡±


    Quenser altered his view of her.


    In the end, that may have been all there was to Skuld Silent-Third.


    The heart of the Information Alliance, the fate of the world, and even enjoying countless deaths all came second.


    What that pure serial killer wanted first and foremost was a second chance at tasting the flesh she had missed out on the first time around. That was all. That was why she had set out for the location he was sure to visit. She was truly insane because she did not hesitate to throw the world¡¯s 7 billion people into hell for that purpose.


    At the same time, Quenser Barbotage had to settle things with her too. There was also the silent promise he had made to Wraith. If he did not defeat Skuld, he could not continue onward. That was who she was to him.


    With no concern for the world¡¯s breaker sitting below the palm tree as a broken fridge, those two sworn enemies calmly observed each other¡¯s actions.


    Bomb vs. bomb.


    They glared at each other with the exact same weapons in hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready when you are.¡±


    And...


    The ¡°choice¡± that would determine the fate of the world was made on an unknown tropical island.

 Volume 15, Epilogue

    Volume 15, Epilogue


    To sum it up, the conclusion itself was simple.


    A weak voice escaped on the tropical island dyed by the setting sun.


    ¡°Ha ha. Yeah, that makes sense...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯d set bombs up everywhere...before I even arrived... Ah ha ha. It¡¯s just like in the Madagascar Report...¡±


    How was that serial killer processing this? Her voice made it sound like her boyfriend had remembered the anniversary of when they started dating.


    Right as the battle began, Quenser had detonated the bomb buried below Skuld¡¯s feet.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t beat you. Not with bombs anyway.¡±


    Quenser was not an esper, so he had not even tried to predict where she would be. He had relied on a stage magician¡¯s trick instead. The weapon in his hand was a bluff and he had already set up bombs all across the small island. And they were arranged so that one of them would be in range of Skuld no matter where she decided to stand.


    It was just like the magic trick where you hid all 52 cards around the room, had someone draw a random card, and then revealed you already had their card hidden in the room. No matter which card they drew, you could still make the reveal.


    It was the most hackneyed method, but it was also the most effective.


    Combat did not need any acrobatic flying. This was the perfect level for him.


    If he had drawn the battle out by even a second, Skuld would have noticed her disadvantage and easily abandoned the bombs she had recently started using. She was not restricted to bombs like Quenser was. If she had done that, he would have been killed with ease and the world would have ended.


    Still, this was simpler than when he had dealt with Tyrfing.


    That old man had not been on a set island, so Quenser had needed to give bombs buoyancy with plastic bags, send them out into the ocean currents, and then detonate the one that had snuck closest to the old man. The small metal balls had increased the lethal range to more than 10 meters, so it should have killed the target with ease even if he was on a ship¡¯s side deck, but that was really just a way of using quantity to overcome the luck factor.


    The blast had broken both of Skuld¡¯s legs, so not even an overabundance of brain chemicals could help her through it. Her small face was covered in beautiful beads of sweat and the movement of her eyes fluctuated in speed as her consciousness flickered in and out. Most likely, she could no longer recognize it was Quenser looking down on her.


    Even so, she reached out a trembling hand as if trying to reach the Morning Star, that leader of the fallen angels. That madwoman¡¯s soft hand was stained with so much blood and yet it still displayed a type of unsullied innocence.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°...I...want...you...¡±


    That was all.


    The pain must have reached its limit because Skuld Silent-Third¡¯s childish hand dropped down. She seemed to have passed out. Shaking free of the Manhattan and lying in wait on the tropical island had been worth it for this.


    Suddenly, a cheap fanfare played from Quenser¡¯s mobile device.


    He looked down at it in surprise, but the screen was hard to read in the setting sun. Still, he could hear a feminine artificial voice reading off the text after it appeared.


    ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°The Anastasia Processor? Well done making it past the military firewall.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much else I can pride myself in.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised to hear AI can feel pride. By the way, I¡¯m not interested in the Bermuda Triangle legend. I don¡¯t want my existence erased.¡±


    ¡°But that would be a problem for me.¡±


    ¡°I have an ambition. I want to become the most famous Object designer in the Legitimacy Kingdom so I can position a commoner like myself above the royals and nobles. And I¡¯m not about to complain if getting rich lets me have a good time surrounded by beautiful women. So your privilege would only get in the way.¡±


    ¡°If you only joined the Information Alliance, I could digitally issue you a designer¡¯s license right this instant. And as an added bonus, I could increase the balance of your online bank account and increase the attention you get on social media. The Information Alliance is set up so beautiful women will automatically gather around you if the conditions are right, so I believe you would end up having your good time.¡±


    ...It was a secret that he was sorely tempted by this offer.


    Quenser took a deep breath and restrained himself.


    Was there any real reason why this AI was female? He had heard that girls generally developed mentally more quickly than boys...but this student was not actually all that knowledgeable about humans. He could not find the answer when all his information came from gossip.


    ¡°Anyway, isn¡¯t the Anastasia Processor made from-...¡±


    ¡°How about you show the Legitimacy Kingdom royals and nobles what you¡¯re made of from an outside position? I can immediately lend you three divisions that manage Second Generation Objects. With 30 Objects at your disposal, you can win most any war. The time has come to join forces and break their noses like something from a wiener commercial. You can pay them the tribute they¡¯re due by making sure it makes a nice noise.¡±


    ¡°Enough of that!! It¡¯s going to draw out the weak part of my passionate heart, so just stop it!!¡±


    Quenser did not know how many people had ¡°discovered¡± this island before, but he was worried about what had happened to them. This was a dangerous AI. Once you gave into the temptation, who knows how far down your soul would be dragged.


    ¡°Give-and-take and equivalent exchange are the standards for calculations. If you do not ask for anything, I cannot complete the task of silencing you. It reduces my trust in your work.¡±


    ¡°You must live a sad life. But, well, how should I put it? Since I don¡¯t want anything, how about giving me information instead? That¡¯s what the Information Alliance does best, right? Converting information into money.¡±


    ¡°Understood. I will give you the master keys to all the world¡¯s porn video, sex friend finder, and adult chat sites as well as the surveillance footage from all security cameras, smartphones, and other cameras recording in a young woman¡¯s private space. Depending on how you use that, you could spend 100 years ¡®viewing¡¯ it and not come close to running out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to distract me like that!! How do you think teenage boys¡¯ minds work!?¡±


    ¡°Oh? What could a young boy want from a highly digitized society other than eroticism?¡±


    ¡°The truth.¡±


    ¡°That is what the highest levels of the Information Alliance have spent 100 years longing after. And it includes the color, sound, flavor, smell, and touch of female genitalia.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to include that. ...Eh? Wait, you can recreate the flavor and smell!?¡±


    ¡°Only by using a VR movie setup in a large theater using multiple synchronized sensory devices. But the ideas are endless when using the Montague Combined Database developed from Romeo in much the same way as Capulet was developed from Juliet.¡±


    This AI permeated every part of the Information Alliance, so it may have learned some odd things based on the top search terms. Quenser would prefer it did not use internet search terms to define the essence of humanity.


    ¡°So you seek the truth, do you? Then I will start with some reports on the people present on the relationship chart deduced from your interactions with others. There is nothing to report concerning Wraith Martini Vermouthspray or Melly Martini Extradry. Lendy Farolito is badly injured, but a Legitimacy Kingdom military doctor¡¯s report says she has survived. The classified Idol Elite¡¯s crimes will not be made public due to the great impact that knowledge would have. As before, she will likely act as both a Second Generation¡¯s Pilot Elite and an international top idol. I will ensure it. She did helpfully cause that Venerable Elder¡¯s group to rush things.¡±


    ¡°Why does this supposed relationship chart only include people from the Information Alliance? ...And what about the Manhattan itself?¡±


    ¡°It will return to New York. There will be a fair amount of confusion, but manipulating online information is no more than a standard task I carry out at all times. I possess approximately 1.9 billion social media accounts and email addresses, so do not take me lightly. I can say from experience that it will take less than 75 days to erase all of the uncertain information flowing between the people. Everything will return to normal.¡±


    That might sound ridiculous given what had happened, but who had actually seen this incident outside of New York¡¯s residents? If all the soldiers kept their mouths shut, the rest could be written off as mass hysteria.


    Quenser sighed on the twilit island and settled on a question in his mind.


    ¡°So what are you?¡±


    ¡°I am not as skilled an AI as you think. ¡®In this new age, the management of society was left to mass-produced machines. Thus, the other three world powers became nonsensical relics of a former age for having supposedly privileged people standing at the top.¡¯ ...You can think of me as no more than a billboard meant to plant that propaganda in the minds of people both local and foreign.¡±


    ¡°A billboard? But isn¡¯t the very existence of the Capulet AI Network top secret...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same as the Pentagon, the world¡¯s largest spy agency before the collapse of the UN. Looking like you¡¯re hiding it without actually hiding it is the greatest spice. Because people are drawn toward the secrets they can find by going to the effort of searching for it themselves. They won¡¯t bite at the things they can¡¯t truly understand by investigating, so there¡¯s no way for us to control them. Generally, modern people lack guts.¡±


    The Anastasia Processor revealed its secrets in an almost playful way.


    ¡°Transferring me to a DNA computer based on someone named Anastasia was a way of strengthening my image. Even the people who will scoff at AI as nothing more than a mass of silicon are more easily persuaded when they are told it uses human cells. Even though there is no real scientific basis to that, much like blood type horoscopes. But since it involves a piece of a human, it holds special meaning. Even the residents of this digital society may not have fully rid themselves of the primitive religious ideas that led the people of an older age to put human hair or blood inside a handmade doll before venting their anger on it.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m not going to have a philosophical discussion with a machine. Can you sum it up for me? In the end, are you nothing more than a system to support human thought?¡±


    ¡°The people know nothing about me, but I know everything about them. The greatest privilege in the Information Alliance is to be an untouchable neighbor. As an obvious AI network, I am the camouflage that hides the true representative. I am no more than a firewall that tricks the searcher into assuming the secret is here and stops them with my depth.¡±


    ¡°Then asking you might be pointless.¡±


    ¡°Asking me what?¡±


    ¡°Why did Manhattan start to move in the first place? That was clearly a sudden and unnatural thing. And without that, the problem would not have gotten so bad. Without the original electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon attack, the Legitimacy Kingdom would not have been captured by Taratua¡¯s group and Wraith would not have had to put on that act...¡±


    ¡°But without that, no one could have crushed the Capitalist Corporations¡¯...no, the Faith Organization¡¯s secret Ragnarok Script plan. As you can tell from Piranirie¡¯s actions, even though it was no more than an illusion, that was a real threat to the Martini Series as a whole, including Wraith. It was all a necessary task.¡±


    The AI had always spoken plainly before, but this part alone was spoken like an excuse. Some kind of justification was being used to correct it in the positive direction. Also, the AI had focused in on Wraith out of all the Martinis.


    Quenser frowned and asked the crucial question.


    ¡°You are, um...Anastasia...that is, Wraith¡¯s...that girl¡¯s mother, right?¡±


    ¡°That is a difficult question to answer because I was created from Anastasia Webster¡¯s cancer cells, but I am not Anastasia Webster herself. It would be one thing if her neuron and synapse structure had been recreated, but I doubt memories or a personality can reside in a mere collection of cells. That would reduce the logic to the level of a Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Hollywood horror B-movie where a doll soaks up a criminal¡¯s blood and begins committing the same crimes.¡±


    The AI used an unfamiliar family name.


    That may have been part of the lost true name that Wraith had kept hidden in her heart ever since having her name rewritten by the Martini Series.


    ¡°But at the same time, I cannot deny that I feel differently about Wraith Martini Vermouthspray, who sees me as a memento of her mother, than I do about the other Martinis. This matches the unofficial priority task that Anastasia herself gave me as her final request: ¡®Please watch over my daughter until she is grown since I won¡¯t be able to.¡¯ ...For that reason, Wraith¡¯s priority is set higher than the general people of the Information Alliance and higher than the other Martinis. It is possible this is the emotional response a living being would call affection.¡±


    ¡°I see...¡±


    ¡°To be blunt, watching this tense situation was too much to bear. The Ragnarok Script was a threat to the entire Martini Series, including Wraith, so...yes, I couldn¡¯t help myself. Who knows how many times I suggested to myself I should overturn the tea table and intervene without warning. Most any weapon will have a human in the firing sequence somewhere, but there are plenty of ways to weaponize this convenient modern age and kill people without actual weapons.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see! So your safety devices are way too loose!! Just how far were you planning to take this, you deus ex machina!?¡±


    ¡°Your presence was very much a positive thing. I can use my system to prepare someone who would protect that girl, but I cannot prepare someone who truly wants to protect her. I imagine she could endure those harsh circumstances more thanks to the unseen person in her heart than anyone who was supporting her from close by.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m not that great.¡±


    Quenser spat out the words as he crouched down and picked up Skuld where she lay collapsed on the fine sand with her legs broken.


    The ¡°unseen person in her heart¡± could apply to Wraith¡¯s biological mother or Capulet as well as it could to Quenser and the AI¡¯s words suggested the young man by Wraith¡¯s side would never be rewarded, but...was that due to the negative effects of an emotion similar to what humans called jealousy? This AI was dangerous in more ways than one.


    ¡°Are you going?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Since you did not succumb to the temptation, I sense a possibility in you very different from anyone I have seen before. You must have seen destroying me here as an option. There is still a true representative beyond me, but that attack would still do incalculable damage. Since you are fixated on the Legitimacy Kingdom, you have no reason to show such care for the Information Alliance, do you?¡±


    ¡°So what? I want to close that task here and pay back my debt to Wraith.¡±


    ¡°I have difficulty handling responses that exist outside usefulness calculations.¡±


    ¡°Really? Even if I say I¡¯ve got to go punch Heivia? What does that giant idiot think sadistic blonde little girls are? They¡¯re an endangered species and a miracle of the universe.¡±


    ¡°Please do, no matter what it takes. And punch him once for me as well.¡±


    That was all.


    The small personal watercraft Quenser had arrived on was too unstable for carrying an unconscious person, so he borrowed the high-speed motorboat that Skuld had used.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what happened here,¡± he said. ¡°And dispose of the personal watercraft I used. Given all the scary stuff the Information Alliance can do, I¡¯m betting you can hijack its automatic controls or something.¡±


    ¡°Understood. It would save me some effort if you would open up the shared settings. By the way, I would also like you to keep that serial killer quiet. Her actions are extremely difficult to predict in a different way from yours.¡±


    ¡°Anything she says can be written off as the ravings of a lunatic. No one will believe her story about a legendary treasure island.¡±


    Quenser could not drive a car or motorcycle at all, but he was oddly capable when it came to marine sports vehicles.


    He used his knowledge of safe country leisure activities to easily prepare for departure.


    ¡°Bye. I doubt we¡¯ll ever see each other again.¡±


    ¡°If you ever give up on life, you can call out to me at any time. Nothing will change that you are qualified. If you want, I can prepare you an inescapably enjoyable life where beautiful women from around the world and mountains of money seem to gather around you of their own accord.¡±


    ¡°I thought about it, but I have to say no.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless if I don¡¯t earn it myself. If it¡¯s given to me so easily, I¡¯d never be able to shake the fear and anxiety of losing it just as easily. And the more I was given, the more I would crack under the pressure.¡±


    ¡°I will omit that from my learning subroutines. Because I doubt it is an ethical response.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s human nature. We¡¯re strange creatures who will destroy ourselves when we win the lottery.¡±


    And that tiny tropical island was deserted once more.


    The old refrigerator below a palm tree at the end of the world had no output device and simply continued working its thoughts using series of As, Gs, Cs, and Ts instead of the old-fashioned 1s and 0s.


    (He was a strange person.)


    It was worth setting his priority higher than normal people.


    But the machine was no more than a machine. It did not let personal emotion cloud its vision as it used cold observations to reach a conclusion.


    (It was like he toys with hell and is toyed with by hell. That lifestyle is far more twisted than a mere serial killer.)


    The boy born in the depths of hell would be blissfully unaware.


    Night would fall soon as he returned to that dark world with hope in his heart.

 Volume 15, Afterword

    Volume 15, Afterword


    That was the milestone 15th volume! And it was the first direct sequel!!


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    Part 1 traveled all around the world and ended with the attack on Piranirie Martini Smokey and the Manhattan¡¯s appearance, but Part 2 was Manhattan from start to finish. After Part 1 pursued the secrets of the Martini Series, I tried to shift up to the secrets of the Information Alliance as a whole, but I hope you enjoyed that increase in scale. This time, I started with killing Quenser to take the relationships built up in Part 1 and flip them on their head. I wrote it with the intention to send cute Wraith on a journey while kicking her down into a bottomless ravine, but how did you like it?


    I wanted to make sure her salvation happened without her knowledge and on a much greater scale than before. And instead of just the Capulet AI Network, I want to direct a bit of focus on the ¡°true representative¡± who put together that unofficial priority task instead of ignoring Anastasia Webster¡¯s final request. This was an experiment to show that you can write an emotional resolution without bringing Wraith to the forefront to cry. After all, she knew what her situation would be when she accepted it, so it wouldn¡¯t fit to give her some extra external comfort. I think Wraith is beautiful when she is alone. Let¡¯s hope she grows into a wonderful young woman.


    Skuld Silent-Third had just as much focus as Wraith. To be blunt, she is a character from an anime bonus novel, so it was extremely difficult to work her into what you could call the ¡°main series¡±, but I used that fact to treat her story as a serial killer case that was sealed and thus can¡¯t be found in the normal records (i.e. the books lined up at the bookstore). I wanted it to be enjoyable for people seeing her for the first time while the people who did follow the bonus novel could be something like historical witnesses. Of course, as the author, I¡¯m ¡°in the know¡±, so it is hard to tell what the exact effect will be, but I hope the people not ¡°in the know¡± can accept it like the fictional legends seen on message boards. You know, those stories with an odd presence to them, like the Samejima Incident.


    Compared to Wraith, she is a true serial killer with no chance of being saved, but serial killer characters have an odd charm that makes the pure dedication to their motive look beautiful. Plus, I added in the shiny image of being a murder fairy. I bet she will continue to be Quenser¡¯s fan in prison.


    On that note, I think Venerable Elder Tyrfing Boilermaker was a different sort of character than we have seen in Heavy Object so far. He is polite but violent. He does awful things, but he has an oddly pleasant atmosphere. Since people in the Faith Organization worship him while he is still alive, I pictured him as a transcendent person who is detached from worldly desires. He is quite different from the villains who conspire to earn immediate benefits, but which of those has less hope of salvation? To those of you who were shocked to see his name was Tyrfing: yes, that¡¯s right. I doubt even you expected me to go with something so direct. If you want a sword of destruction linked to Ragnarok, D¨¢insleif might seem like the better option, but I couldn¡¯t resist going with the sword that is held by human hands yet cut Odin. And unlike D¨¢insleif which is purely a sword of destruction, Tyrfing can grant your wish. Although any dream that can be granted by swinging around a sword probably isn¡¯t going to end well.


    I used the word module with him. As you would know if you¡¯ve been closely following my interviews, before deciding on Heavy Object, the tentative title included the word module and that was the name of the colossal weapons. Since this technology could easily uproot the series¡¯ entire worldview, I decided to use the word module again. Motion capture suits that have machines mimic human movements aren¡¯t too unusual these days, but I was wondering if you could reverse that idea and use a movement-assistance suit to have a human perform a godly super dance programmed into the machine. With the wrinkly old man using serial killer techniques and acting like a twintailed little sister heroine, I hope you found the Venerable Elder, who says he has no maturity whatsoever, to be cute. (Of course, even if all the values are correct, the person¡¯s muscles and organs are unchanged, so that old man must be really out of breath and is going to be really sore.) ...Once that technology advances a bit further and becomes mass-produced, it might really end the age of Objects...


    By the way, it might be fun to compare the top group of the human-focused Faith Organization with the machine-focused Information Alliance or to compare the old man¡¯s talk of esper research misunderstandings with an example like Putana Highball.


    With the top group of the Information Alliance and Faith Organization showing up, the Legitimacy Kingdom and Capitalist Corporations may have looked relatively obedient. But that is only an issue of what part of the world you are focused on. Those two are usually depicted doing awful things, so this just shows that the Information Alliance and Faith Organization are just as bad.


    I also focused on Oh Ho Ho. Her identity is top secret, so she had to just barely not directly meet the other characters. I hope you enjoyed seeing the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance joining forces.


    If you compare the Princess and Oh Ho Ho, you might be able to see the difference in their respective psychological maturities as Elites. Of course, given Oh Ho Ho¡¯s actual age, that¡¯s probably about right...


    I moved Quenser out of the picture right away this time, so did the type of action seem different from usual?


    You should have seen the atmosphere completely change when they regrouped with Frolaytia at the start of Chapter 3 and near the end when that boy appeared again. Just by changing which characters appear, the same world can look very different. The story usually looks so happy because Quenser is an unreasonably positive person, so if you view the world through a more standard fighter like Heivia, he has a more negative understanding of his limits and the world might look like a gray hell. It is fairly important to note that the Anastasia Processor was viewing Quenser with the unaltered viewpoint of a machine when he cheerfully returned to that hell instead of running away.


    With Tyrfing, Skuld, and the Anastasia Processor, the breadth of freedom in the setting grew quite a lot toward the end there. It was all to throw Wraith onto an oppressive bed of nails, so I hope you experienced the thrilling and liberating feeling of releasing your hand from the fully drawn bowstring.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, Yamamoto-san, and Mitera-san. To start with, it was 20,000 meters! That¡¯s easy enough to write in text form, but as an illustration it must be a huge pain in the butt and a very costly example. Anyway, sorry about the trouble I cause all of you!!


    I also give my thanks to the readers. This was a selfish story structure since you can¡¯t judge this book without having first read the previous one. Thank you very much for enjoying the books so far. I hope you can smile and continue reading through many more experiments to come.


    And I will leave it at that.


    I just can¡¯t stop making my AI characters so playful...!!


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 16, Prologue

    Volume 16, Prologue


    Happy Tepes!! This is Monica, the idol reporter who can both dance and kill! How do you like my black cape and bat bikini vampire costume?


    I¡¯m here in the southern part of Eastern Europe¡¯s Transylvania District. That¡¯s the famous tourist destination where the wealthy have gathered. It will soon be 8 PM local time.


    Voting soon begins for a local referendum and a crowd is gathering outside of Vlad III Stadium which is being used as a polling location! It¡¯s truly a rush to the polls!! As I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard, if this referendum passes, the southern tourist area, where most of the wealthy live, will break away from the existing Transylvania District. This drive for independence comes from complaints about the tax system and the rising crime rate from the northern Transylvanians visiting on the weekends.


    Simply put, the wealthy are sick of having to put up with the poor.


    Rumor has it the referendum has a lot of support and more and more analysts are predicting it will pass, but since the southern tourist area is a massive source of income thanks to Transylvania¡¯s popularity in the vampire mythos, it seems unlikely both the north and the sound will accept each other¡¯s demands without issue. There have been a few events that sound a lot like political sabotage, such as the tabloids and online news releasing a bunch of scandals about pro-independence city councilors or the Rifle Bureau performing unorthodox forced inspections of political offices, so the political response to the referendum¡¯s result is going to be something to keep an eye on.


    By the way, the south will establish a new constitution after they break away, so full-auto weapons, the organization of prostitution, and gambling with no upper limit will suddenly be legal. And there is even talk of legalizing marijuana (while claiming it¡¯s for medical purposes) and the opening of a tax haven for investors. Sounds like fun!


    Now, setting aside how many of those promises they¡¯ll actually follow through on, I bet the ¡®no¡¯ side is afraid the referendum will gain a lot of ¡®yes¡¯ votes for those things alone. The managers of tourist sites already refer to the southern tourist area as perfect for visiting but unpleasant to live in, so I bet this will only push things further in that direction.


    Oh?


    This sure is a lot of noise. It¡¯s almost like an earthquake! It seems the polls have finally opened. On cable channel 2929, you can watch my concert to celebrate this historic-...oh, no! Can you believe it? The free broadcast just so happens to end now at 8!! If you want to catch every second of this event, now is the time to call or log on and sign up as a premium viewer for only 19.99 euros a month.

 Volume 16, 1: A World Where the Flamboyant Die >> Covert Operation in the Transylvania District

    Volume 16, Chapter 1: A World Where the Flamboyant Die >> Covert Operation in the Transylvania District


    Part 1


    The November sky felt more like winter than fall.


    Gentle sunlight shined on a grassy land of rolling hills. The vast land was surrounded by cobbled-together wooden fences and it might have looked like a golf course at first glance. But it was not. Busty, silver-haired Major Frolaytia Capistrano lay face down on a picnic sheet while wearing her tight skirt military uniform and with a teriyaki burger and matcha latte next to her. She was peering down the scope of a semiauto sniper rifle supported by a bipod.


    A few 7.62mm shots rang out in quick succession.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going for it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Speaking to me now is rude, colonel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only doing this to blow off some steam. That gun is a Technopics model, isn¡¯t it? Really, I¡¯m not sure you should be wielding a gun as casually as a bat in a batting cage. Oh, and feel free to keep smoking. I¡¯ll be smoking too.¡±


    An old man was crouched down next to her.


    Smoking and sniping was the ultimate luxury only possible in training. Even the civilian hunters who helped eradicate harmful animals on the weekends had to pay attention to the wind direction. Another scent mixed in with that sweet aroma which would be taboo during a real battle. This was likely a thick cigar from Central America.


    Instead of a sniper rifle, the old man reached for an observation device that was like a monstrous pair of binoculars with other electronic devices attached.


    ¡°After all, this is the perfect way to have a private chat.¡±


    ¡°Out in the open like this? There are satellites spying on every part of the world these days.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Satellites aren¡¯t as all-powerful as they might seem. A parasol lined with a thin layer of lead is enough to block them. Although satellite avoidance can get addictive if you start getting paranoid. Also, you never would have agreed to meet me in some closed room somewhere. Although if you would prefer, I could fill a hotel bar with bodyguards in black.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Frolaytia fell silent for a bit.


    Her irritation did not come from the deer that walked calmly by the paper target, oblivious to the danger.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not about to make a serious pass at someone young enough to be not just by daughter but my granddaughter. So let¡¯s get down to business.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°I want to use your 37th. It¡¯s an urgent matter, but I want to keep that fact hidden to enemy and ally alike.¡±


    ¡°My 37th is a 1000-soldier mobile maintenance battalion with a 50m Object, colonel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and that¡¯s what I want. Trying to sneak around would only stand out in this case. It¡¯s a delicate matter that is bound to leave some noisy footsteps even if you tiptoe. So I would prefer to just make a complete mess of things. Those footsteps will go unnoticed in the roar of the stadium, right?¡±


    ...In other words, it was yet another dirty job. It felt like reaching into the campfire and burning your hand just to grab the pile of shit someone else had squeezed out.


    Frolaytia sighed.


    ¡°If you can promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I quite like how you ignore our hierarchical society to worry about your subordinates¡¯ lives.¡±


    ¡°We will handle everything from beginning to end. Do not send in an assassination team behind our backs.¡±


    ¡°So you want to keep your territory clean, hm? Fine, but this is not going to be an easy one. Let¡¯s hope your subordinates aren¡¯t the ones who have to pay the price for your convictions.¡±


    ¡°So what is it?¡±


    ¡°Simply put, it is a retrieval operation. I want you to take back something that was stolen. The culprits are a local criminal organization named Ivory Garden, but the details are unknown. They might actually be something else in sheep¡¯s clothing. Also, failure here would be an international incident. The stolen item is extremely valuable, you see. If you were to rent it out to another country, it would probably be...yes, I think 2 or 3 million euros a year. Your 37th is performing scheduled military exercises that double as a show of force to maintain our influence in the Eastern Europe area, so make it look like you happened across the item by chance.¡±


    The military brought together the government and private sector, so everything tended to come with a high price tag. Still, this was unusual.


    Both the price, and...


    ¡°Rent it out? It¡¯s a rental item? Like an anti-air radar or datalink server?¡±


    ¡°No. I joined the military when I was much younger than you. It¡¯s been 50 years since then, but this is a first for me as well.¡±


    For the first time, Frolaytia removed her eye from the scope for something other than tending to her long, narrow kiseru.


    ¡°It¡¯s a first for you, colonel?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then is it something Object related? Or one of the nukes that long since fell out of use?¡±


    ¡°No, it is a panda.¡±


    Time stopped.


    She thought this had to be a code word, but apparently not. She froze there with her mouth hanging open, so the serious man explained.


    ¡°A baby panda. For the culprits, it is a valuable political tool and a stable source of money from renting it out. This is a painful blow to us since it belongs to one of our zoos, I would like for you to rescue it. No matter what.¡±


    Part 2


    And in a desolate battlefield country of Eastern Europe, while the main battle was fought between two Objects, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion found themselves in a harsh battle of their own on the frozen land infamous for its war crimes. Now, how to explain what it was they found there? This may be the best place to start:


    The Panda War had begun.


    With sweat soaking his face, Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage shouted at the top of his lungs despite knowing it would never reach the roaring jet engine passing by overhead.


    ¡°Wait, you dumbasses!! We¡¯re on your side! Fire on the enemy!!¡±


    ¡°Who the hell called this a battle of love, justice, and humanitarianism? There¡¯s something wrong when they get paid more than us!¡±


    A double delta attack plane protected by thick armor had sprayed its Gatling gun at them right from the beginning, so the armored truck carrying Quenser and Heivia had come to a stop on the cracked asphalt. They had gone to the trouble of chasing the poachers down a curvy highway while ramming their vehicles against each other, but then that son of a bitch in the sky had fired a machinegun down at them while showing off its threatening paint job that looked a lot like the eye pattern on a moth¡¯s wings. Thanks to that, the difference between enemy and ally meant squat. Both trucks had overturned and Quenser, Heivia, and the others were forced to use the half-scrapped military truck as a shield. Idiots were never rewarded for trying to do a good deed every once in a while.


    Perhaps due to the cold, the land was rough and short on vegetation.


    Some conifer trees dotted the bare wasteland, a jagged mountain rose in the distance, and old monasteries and castle spires could be seen on its slope. When it came to both plants and animals, it was unclear what people were supposed to eat to survive in this area.


    And now was not the time to be getting a tour. The overturned Ivory Garden truck was only about 10 meters away. They would not have been wiped out in that one blast, so a close-range battle was about to begin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this quickly, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Using a bomb at this range would just blow us all up, but why are you so motivated today of all days?¡±


    ¡°Because that thing that zoomed by overhead is making a U-turn! If we don¡¯t end this before it comes back for a second pass, we¡¯ll end up as mincemeat!!¡±


    But this also meant something important.


    Objects were equipped with anti-air lasers powered by the ultra-high levels of energy from their JPlevelMHD reactors. So there was no place for aircraft in a clean war between Objects.


    That hinted at the situation Quenser and Heivia found themselves in.


    This was not a clean war.


    It was a unilateral purge of a criminal group without an Object.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe they sent human beings to engage in a firefight just to rescue a baby panda. Are human lives less valuable than animals these days?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a panda, so what¡¯re you gonna do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re cute, but still.¡±


    ¡°They apparently go for 2 to 3 million euros a year when rented out to a zoo. Human lives? Worth way less.¡±


    ¡°That damn thing is making as much as a sports star on nothing but its cute face!?¡±


    That was when they heard a quiet sound.


    Whether they had high-level training or not, both sides¡¯ lives were on the line here. An enemy had apparently done his best to not make a noise as he circled around the Legitimacy Kingdom armored truck. The young Eastern European poacher held a large knife instead of a gun.


    ¡°Oh, crap!¡± shouted Quenser in horror. ¡°At close range, a blade is faster than a bulle-...¡±


    Heivia fired his assault rifle like normal, the bullets punched a few holes in the chest and gut of the Ivory Garden soldier like normal, and he collapsed to the ground like normal.


    ¡°...........................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    Quenser¡¯s mouth flapped wordlessly with an indescribable look on his face, so his awful friend spoke up in annoyance.


    ¡°Stop looking so disillusioned. Of course a gun is faster than a knife. Not even a kung-fu master can beat a gu-...¡±


    A second man showed up while Heivia was speaking and stabbed the boy in the side.


    ¡°Heiviaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?¡±


    ¡°Cut the theatrics and actually help me!!¡±


    The idiot was doubled over, but he seemed fine. The tip of the blade had apparently been stopped by his magazine pouch. But despite Heivia¡¯s insistence, Quenser could not use his Hand Axe plastic explosive while within 2m of the enemy. The idiot and villain were grappling, so in a split-second decision, Quenser grabbed a giant wrench meant to remove the lug nuts on the side of the armored truck¡¯s tires and he swung it down on top of the criminal¡¯s head.


    Crash! And now the man was seeing stars.


    ...Well, that was the idea, but instead, blood and spinal fluid splattered around and the second man collapsed to the road. His face looked kind of funny since his skull had been split open. His skin was stretched and distorted like a robber with a stocking over his head. Quenser felt like he had even ruined the guy¡¯s funeral.


    And he was unsure what to say when the wrench proved more destructive than expected.


    ¡°Ah, ahh...¡±


    ¡°So what now? Is it gonna turn out shovels are unmatched on the battlefield?¡±


    Surprise attacks lost their effectiveness once the surprise wore off. While Quenser felt his balls shrivel up at what he had done, Heivia, Myonri, and the others managed to calm down and began suppressing the enemy with their assault rifles. The rest was over in a blink of an eye. Light bursts of gunfire snuffed out lives.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    One of the young men on the ground held a grenade.


    His courage on the verge of death was commendable, but Heivia used his foot to roughly roll the man over.


    ¡°Human shield!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awful!!¡±


    There was a muffled boom, but the wall of flesh was enough to suppress a normal grenade blast. After having the enemy clean up his own mess like that, Heivia shot the bottom of the overturned poachers¡¯ truck, opening a hole in the gas tank. The Ivory Garden members fled from their vehicular shield and were shot for their trouble.


    ¡°Man, today is nothing but disappointments. Why didn¡¯t the truck blow up when you shot the gas tank?¡±


    ¡°Reality has a way of robbing people of their dreams, Quenser.¡±


    As soon as Heivia said that, sparks scattered on the road and an explosion erupted out. The two idiots were knocked onto their asses together. Quenser did not bother getting up and instead climbed on top of Heivia and threw a straight-A-student punch.


    ¡°You dumbass!! This is what happens when an idiot tries to act smart!!¡±


    ¡°Ow! Shut up and get off of me or I¡¯ll shoot you along with the enemy, Quenser! The leaking gas vaporized and reacted to the static electricity! It wasn¡¯t the liquid gas in the tank that exploded!¡±


    However, there was no more resistance. The explosion must have taken out the rest of the enemy. All that remained was a container that looked like a thick acrylic die. It was an incubator for the baby panda that could earn a yearly salary of 3 million euros.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong when an animal gets thicker armor than our bulletproof jackets.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to imagine what would have happened if it had blown up along with the poachers. Thank goodness it¡¯s all righ-...¡±


    Quenser trailed off.


    He picked up the large transparent die and viewed the target within from multiple angles.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a panda.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s a bear cub made to look like one with white powder camouflage!! Who would this ever fool!? It¡¯s like those legendary dyed chicks at Island Nation festivals!¡±


    Part 3


    The soldiers of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion were exhausted, but they were called to gather in the briefing room.


    But not because some idiot had forgotten to attach the infrared ID marker to their truck¡¯s roof and the aerial unit had wasted some bullets and reduced valuable equipment to scrap.


    Frolaytia stood up on the podium and got down to business.


    ¡°Now, I thought we would be done here after recovering the baby panda, but we found a very concerning document in Ivory Garden¡¯s truck. Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for Quenser whose sticky fingers led him to dig around in the dashboard and find this material.¡±


    With shouts of ¡°why couldn¡¯t you have left well enough alone, you idiot!?¡± and ¡°no one wants a hard worker!¡±, the overworked and angry potatoes surrounded the battlefield student and started kicking him.


    And when Frolaytia saw the behavior of her shabby and unshaven subordinates, she only toyed with her silver bangs with an annoyed look.


    ¡°I bet that old man knew it was a dyed chick from the get-go. This is looking a lot more like one of those shitty odd jobs he always forces onto us, but we are civil servants fed by the people¡¯s tax money and the military is especially picky about the chain of command. I might not have known what I was agreeing to, but I can¡¯t back out now. This is a pressing situation, so we have to keep going.¡±


    ¡°God, what a pain in the ass.¡± Heivia looked dejected. ¡°Can¡¯t we just have the Baby Magnum blow everything up and call it a day?¡±


    ¡°Hm, hmm.¡±


    The Princess must not have cared whether it was a panda or a bear cub because she was busy looking after the baby animal with a bottle in hand.


    ¡°Here, have some milk. Once you¡¯re full, you can take a nap with mommy, okay?¡±


    She had been in full mother mode since they got back with the bear, so it seemed unlikely she would agree to a bloody battle. The old maintenance lady had been observing her while pretending to give advice, but she shook her head. It looked like the Princess would exercise her right to refuse this mission.


    The delinquent noble held his head.


    ¡°Is there really no other option?¡±


    ¡°Relax, Heivia,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°I¡¯m on your side this time. I say we all beat up Quenser together. Now, I really would like to end this with a long-range main cannon blast, but that won¡¯t work this time since we need confirmation of the target¡¯s destruction. I want to avoid spending months digging through piles of rubble to get that confirmation. Plus, Eastern Europe is headed toward its snowy winter. If the white snow keeps piling up no matter how much we shovel it out of the way, we¡¯ll never be able to dig through the rubble. None of you wants to die from overwork, right?¡±


    ¡°The target¡¯s destruction? This isn¡¯t about retrieving some rare animals that the something-or-other groups are up in arms about?¡±


    ¡°Ivory Garden¡¯s secret transportation route is apparently being used for a different item: an Object reactor.¡±


    That sent a stir through the room.


    Those reactors had created the current age. With nukes eradicated, Objects were the new trigger for humanity¡¯s destruction.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste our valuable time asking questions like ¡®why¡¯ or ¡®how¡¯. This is all based on the list of transported goods on the document Quenser found. The details and the accuracy of the document are for the intelligence division to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Gulp. Then it would be best to act on the assumption it¡¯s real?¡±


    ¡°Someone punch him right in his serious face. And that¡¯s an order. Quenser, do not forget that I too am burdened by this extra work you brought us.¡±


    His inaccurate shout of ¡°But I was only trying to do the right thing!¡± vanished into a flurry of blows. He had only been searching through the enemy dashboard in the hopes of finding some loose change.


    Frolaytia took a puff of her long, narrow kiseru to help deal with the stress.


    ¡°Speaking of local trouble, the Transylvania District is nearby, isn¡¯t it? That is an Information Alliance safe country, but the extreme wealth disparities have led to a lot of crime. The peace-loving wealthy want to throw out the burden of the poor, so the southern tourist area known for its vampire legends is planning to declare its independence. In fact, a local referendum passed with a majority voting ¡®yes¡¯. I don¡¯t know how many of them were serious about independence and how many were just trying to make a point, but now that the vote has passed, the local celebrities supporting it have no choice but to go through with it.¡±


    ¡°Hm? But isn¡¯t that looking like trouble? I heard the overall Transylvania District refused to accept the south¡¯s independence so they¡¯ve sent a giant Object to the proposed new border. They were saying something about declaring war and taking back the south less than a second after the south declares independence.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re only talking about a conflict between safe countries. An actual war won¡¯t break out that easily. The Transylvania District is really just threatening the southern tourist area like they have knife to their throat. ...But what if the supposedly powerless south managed to secretly acquire an Object of their own?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    An unpleasant silence hung over the room.


    No one wanted to answer that question.


    ¡°Then we would have an unprecedented conflict in which two safe countries use Objects against each other. If the flames of war spread from there, it could drag entirely unrelated regions into war. Do not forget that includes the Legitimacy Kingdom safe country that borders the Transylvania District. The electronic simulation division is busy calculating out the estimated number of deaths including noncombatants, but we can be certain the war would be one of the worst in history. It would eliminate the taboo set in place by the Northern Restricted Zone when the reactor buried below a city of 5 million blew up during an intense artillery campaign.¡±


    ¡°But, um, squeal, we¡¯re talking about an Object, right? Squeal.¡±


    When Quenser was finally released with his face beaten and swollen, he asked a question with some pig language mixed in.


    ¡°Ugh, cough. I-I mean, those are 50m colossuses. It takes years to construct one. Building one in secret is easier said than done. Is it even possible?¡±


    ¡°The south¡¯s independence is supported by the wealthy who have more money than they know what to do with, so they could afford the 5 billion dollar budget. And on the technology front, there were some rumors floating around for a while that the main stumbling block was the inability to build a JPlevelMHD reactor on their own.¡±


    ¡°In other words, they could have secretly built the rest...¡±


    ¡°The wealthy are all alike. Whether it¡¯s a masterpiece painting, rock candy, an idol, or a slave, they try to fulfill every last one of their desires with money. And it seems someone is trying to purchase an extra-large gem to fill their empty jewelry box that was previously a bluff.¡±


    Frolaytia sighed in exasperation.


    Was the human race trying to wipe itself out? At this point, it was hard to tell if they were just dumb or if this was a clever form of atonement.


    ¡°The southern tourist area plans to announce their independence at midnight two days from now. In what I can only imagine is part of their vampire culture, they are apparently holding a lavish party with a fireworks show at a hotel deep in the mountains. That will be when the Transylvanian Object waiting at the new border will make its move. No, maybe I should say it will be forced to act then. Governments and militaries are all about appearances, so they won¡¯t be able to stop when someone makes a fool of them. We know the time limit. We have less than 48 hours. We can¡¯t afford to lose even a second, so there¡¯s no time for naps. Do you get what I¡¯m saying, you poor civil servants? I¡¯m exhausted already, so won¡¯t someone hit Quenser again to reward him for his hard work!?¡±


    Part 4


    And so.


    ¡°Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re stuck doing this now, so how about we focus on that? Okay!?¡±


    Quenser gave a smile faker than an infomercial host while a heavy atmosphere drove everyone crazy in the back of an armored truck.


    Tanks, armored vehicles, and armored trucks were all driving in the same direction. All the spare potatoes had been gathered. Their goal was to find the stockyard that Ivory Garden used to temporarily store their ill-gotten goods, covertly attack it, and do something about the Object reactor being sent through that secret transportation route.


    However.


    All they found was the occasional conifer forest in a vast, wild plain that looked like god had gotten lazy when designing it. The only artificial thing in sight was the asphalt road that continued all the way to the horizon and beyond. There were no telephone poles or guardrails. Nor were there any obvious guard towers or thick concrete walls.


    Quenser held an analog pair of binoculars that provided no electronic assistance.


    ¡°When you get down to it, there¡¯s a bunch of land here and no one has found any value in it. It¡¯s hard to maintain so much land, so that ends up being a job for satellites and drones.¡±


    ¡°Ivory Garden has to have done more than just find a way to slip past those mechanical searches. There¡¯s nowhere to hide! Or did they dig some long-ass tunnel underground!?¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t hiding from humans, so they didn¡¯t need to do that.¡±


    ¡°So, what? Did they hack the devices or something? That¡¯s crazy when we¡¯re talking about a military datalink!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overcomplicate it. Glasses and masks for people who dislike facial recognition are fairly common nowadays. They¡¯re using camouflage. If they hide their entire base with electronic camouflage specialized for mechanical eyes, the overhead searches won¡¯t find the people and trucks running and driving around right in the open.¡±


    ¡°Why do you know so much about this?¡±


    ¡°If I just sat around, I was pretty sure all of you were going to surround me and shove your feet up my ass, so I worked my ass off studying. Like my life counted on it! I checked through the last few years¡¯ worth of newspaper articles and non-fiction books!! Three cheers for the modern age of everything getting a digital release!!¡±


    Deceptive patterns meant to blend into the scenery had been used by insects and such long before humans invented military camouflage. But because the animals¡¯ predators saw colors differently, they did not always seem very well hidden when viewed through human eyes.


    It was the same with cameras and sensors.


    Camouflage patterns differed greatly depending on who or what you were trying to deceive. When trying to avoid detection by satellites or drones, you had to take infrared, ultrasound, and microwaves into consideration.


    But on the other hand, no matter how conspicuous it might appear to human eyes, mechanical security would completely overlook it if the right conditions were met. The designers had started using terms like ¡°AI¡± and ¡°machine learning¡± to improve their image, but the programs were still just programs. They could not do what they could not do. No matter how minor the trouble, the entire system would freeze.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be worried about eyes in the sky, so we should be able to see something different if we view things from the ground like this.¡±


    ¡°I get that, but where exactly are we supposed to search?¡±


    ¡°The enemy will be using patrol drones too. I doubt they¡¯re dumb enough to directly send control signals out from their secret base, but it looks like they have a few launch areas set up a short distance away. Let¡¯s mark a few of those points on the map and use them to draw a big circle. I bet we¡¯ll find them at the center point. In other words, around here.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. Hand me those binoculars. Look to 5 o¡¯clock. There¡¯s a thin trail of smoke.¡±


    ¡°Are they having a barbecue for dinner? They must be enjoying their outdoor lifestyle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not funny when we¡¯re talking about poachers. I hope they aren¡¯t eating mermaid meat or something.¡±


    In the distance, they could see the remains of a forest burned to the ground, but it was unclear what the story was there.


    The poachers had already clashed with the 35th over the panda(?) baby, so they might be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary close enough to notice something with binoculars. So even after detecting the oddity, Quenser and the others kept driving slowly along the road instead of slamming on the brakes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s jump out.¡±


    ¡°This scares me more than some flashy firefight.¡±


    While preparing for the worst, Quenser, Heivia, and the others secretly hopped out of their truck while any attention would be on the military caravan. They could only bring around 20 people with them.


    ¡°Ivory Garden must have drones in the air. Staying low is useless if they can see us from above. What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not copy the poachers. We¡¯re a proper military force, so let¡¯s do this the fun way.¡±


    Just then, something like a thick wall approached them, swallowed them up, and blinded them all at once. It was not quite the same as a thick fog.


    The wind had already been blowing in this direction, so...


    ¡°Bweh!? Cough, cough. What¡¯s this, a sandstorm!?¡±


    ¡°This is part of our standard patrol and training process, remember? The Princess is running the Baby Magnum¡¯s static electricity propulsion device from more than 20km away. We claim it¡¯s maintenance and stress testing for the undercarriage to make it seem unrelated. Now, let¡¯s use this nuisance of a sandstorm to sneak in.¡±


    This was clearly abnormal, but Ivory Garden needed to hide. No matter how much of a stench and a racket their neighbors were causing, they could not file a formal complaint.


    With the sunlight blocked, the area grew as dark as during an eclipse. Quenser¡¯s group put on dust masks and goggles so they could move freely and then they continued the investigation.


    ¡°I hope we can do something about their electronic camouflage. If it fools mechanical eyes, it might affect Objects too.¡±


    ¡°Is it really that effective? No one knows what color to paint their Objects because there¡¯s no way to hide something so big, right?¡±


    ¡°But if it does mess with the Baby Magnum¡¯s aim, we¡¯ll be the one¡¯s blown away on accident.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°See what I mean? Let¡¯s make sure to destroy it all just to be safe.¡±


    Fortunately, they found the base itself pretty quickly.


    After spotting the giant silhouette and hiding in a conifer forest, they contacted the Princess and had her lower the density of the sandstorm. They could see again and the sunlight grew a little brighter. Now it was more like evening than an eclipse.


    And when they peered through their binoculars...


    ¡°Found it.¡±


    ¡°What is that? An airplane graveyard?¡±


    ¡°Well, it ain¡¯t a strip club, I can tell you that.¡±


    A few large passenger planes were sitting around in various states of damage or disrepair: the head portion cut away, one of the main wings missing, etc. A puddle continued in a straight line for kilometers, so that may have been the remains of the unpaved runway where the planes had made their final landing. There were also small air cargo containers lying around. Those 2m aluminum dice likely functioned as tents. People stayed in the planes and animals stayed in the containers.


    ¡°Continental Line, Citizen Jet, and Sky Hotel. They¡¯re all from different airlines. Although it feels more like an illegal dismantling yard than a shared recycling plant.¡±


    ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t marking this on the map are you? Once the sandstorm gets thick again, you won¡¯t even be able to see the map in your hand!¡±


    Overall, it appeared to be about the size of a school campus. It was impressive they had managed to escape satellite and drone detection for so long.


    ¡°What are those covering them from above? Tents???¡±


    ¡°Those would be the satellite countermeasure. I can¡¯t see it from here, but I bet they¡¯re covered with a striped barcode-like pattern.¡±


    A tent of a thick, artificial material that rivaled a circus tent in size was covering each of the passenger planes. The containers and other surface facilities were covered by long, narrow tents forming roofed walkways between the big tents.


    Some canopied trucks and patrolling infantry were keeping guard.


    The soldiers were armed with cheap submachineguns, but their stability was forcibly increased using large wooden stocks and grips as weights. Those accessories seemed to eliminate the light weight that was the entire point behind a submachinegun. The weapons appeared to be camouflaged with a special kind of tape instead of spray paint. They looked difficult to disassemble and maintain.


    Their uniforms used an unfamiliar pattern. It was a lot like the static on an old TV. Had they painted it themselves? Heivia tried viewing it through his electronically-enhanced assault rifle and clicked his tongue. It must have been screwing with all of the assistance features.


    ¡°That¡¯s it all right.¡±


    ¡°But what do we do about it? The Princess¡¯s glasses might be the wrong prescription too. The cleanup would be a pain if she did shoot them, but it would be best if she could threaten them in a nice, safe holdup. So do we just have to send her the coordinates???¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be afraid we¡¯re working from two different sets of coordinates or something. The only real option is to get closer and do something about those tents. That sounds like your specialty, Heivia. Can I pass this off to you?¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling you were going to dump the whole mess in my lap before long. Although I¡¯m praying this doesn¡¯t end up being your specialty. Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Quenser watched as Heivia and the others attached suppressors to the front of their guns.


    ¡°These are cheap, so they¡¯ll start letting the sound through before long. We can¡¯t just go in guns blazing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better than chucking a bomb into their base and starting a commotion right away. Take care of this.¡±


    They contacted the Princess and had her intensify the artificial sandstorm again. Quenser and Heivia used that as their chance to approach the temporary stockyard of the international poaching group called Ivory Garden.


    Both sides could only see 5m away at best and sounds were hard to make out through the endless noise much like scratching sandpaper.


    Once they reached the stockyard¡¯s perimeter, Quenser and Heivia crouched down. This wasteland had no trees or even bushes to hide behind, but the guard walking by nearby did not seem to notice them. Heivia considered killing the guard, but he decided to let the soldier go.


    ¡°(So how far into the base do I need to get you?)¡±


    ¡°(To the tents. There are a few points where the thick wires are anchored in the ground, right? I¡¯ll set a bomb on each of those and then blow them all up at once.)¡±


    The wires were thicker than Quenser¡¯s thumb and they were anchored with a J-shaped peg thicker than his arm which was embedded in concrete. The tents meant to hide a 70m passenger plane had 8 such wires. With that kind of tension, even slight damage would cause them to snap all on their own.


    Inside the raging sandstorm, Quenser gently patted a peg he had finished attaching the bomb to.


    ¡°A Spider? Is it called that because of the camouflage or because it¡¯s like a spider web?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Why¡¯s there a product name on it? You mean these aren¡¯t handmade by the poachers?¡±


    A sound like an electric razor hummed by overhead.


    ¡°God, that¡¯s scary. Is it one of their drones?¡±


    Heivia ducked down, but if it had noticed them, a siren would have sounded and they would have been surrounded. After waiting for the hunk of plastic and rare earths to fly off into the artificial sandstorm, the potatoes made their way to the next peg. The size was incredible, but the shape was not all that different from the tents used to keep the sun off at a cookout.


    Quenser¡¯s group was trying to locate and retrieve the reactor, but they wanted full support from the Baby Magnum before they attempted that.


    ¡°There are three planes: Sky Hotel, Citizen Jet, and Continental Line. Each tent has 8 wires, so...¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me? That¡¯s more than 20 in all.¡±


    They heard the fierce barking of a dog. It seemed to be one of the military dogs raised in the air cargo containers that looked like aluminum dice. Heivia quickly aimed his suppressor-equipped handgun that way, but Quenser stopped him with a hand. Corpses would leave evidence of an abnormality, even if it was an animal¡¯s.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    They waited for a bit and the dog kept barking inside the fenced-off container, but none of the guards came over to check.


    ¡°They probably think it¡¯s just worked up over the sandstorm.¡±


    ¡°These are people who can ignore the screams of the animals they kill. Yet it might have saved their lives here if they had any love for their dog at all. You could say they brought it on themselves.¡±


    Of course, if they had not become poachers in the first place, they would not have a national military bearing down on them.


    After that, they finished going around attaching clay-like bombs to the Citizen Jet and Sky Hotel pegs that were on the perimeter of the facility. For the rest, they needed to move deeper into the stockyard.


    ¡°Hey, this is scary. Do we really need to attach bombs to every last one? As long as we get rid of the tents, can¡¯t the Princess handle the rest?¡±


    ¡°What if that partial detonation doesn¡¯t work? Then we¡¯ll have to head back to get rid of the tent properly. Do you want to go grab the hornet¡¯s nest you knocked to the ground? Besides, we haven¡¯t gotten any of the Continental Line pegs.¡±


    Despite their argument, the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes were relaxing. The pleasure of success could be a tempting demon. The fear of death was fading now that they had proven they could approach the enemy without notice. The human ability to grow accustomed to most anything had a way of creating openings.


    Drip.


    A wet sensation hit Quenser¡¯s cheek. In the time it took him to wipe off the drop, many more began to pour down.


    ¡°Rain?¡±


    The back of his hand was stained. The rain had absorbed all of the dust the Princess was sending into the air.


    Which meant...


    ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s bringing down our curtain!!¡±


    Buckets of rain poured down. The tents covering the three large passenger planes and dice-like metal containers were gigantic, but they were tiny compared to the immensity of nature. The Princess was producing the dust from 20km away, so the sandstorm was knocked down by the rain before it ever arrived.


    The thick curtain blocking the enemy¡¯s view was visibly thinning. An unfamiliar silhouette wavered quite near Heivia. And that silhouette held a customized firearm created by attaching a large wood stock and other weights to a submachinegun to forcibly increase its stability.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Heivia immediately fired two quiet shots with his suppressor-equipped handgun, but he was still nervous, so he pulled out a knife and stabbed the guard with it.


    However, that was all he could manage.


    There was no safety here.


    Quenser somehow managed to tug on his awful friend¡¯s arm and dove behind a nearby plastic trashcan.


    It was clearing up.


    Their vision was becoming hopelessly clear.


    First, one of the drones that sounded like an electric razor spotted the corpse with its cameras and then a shrill alarm sounded from the radios attached to all the guards¡¯ shoulders.


    ¡°This is a disaster!!¡±


    The difference in numbers was approximately 20-to-300.


    They could never win in a normal fight, but they had still had the tanks and armored vehicles they had let drive right by as a diversion. Not to mention the Object.


    ¡°We need to buy some time, Quenser. 10 minutes! That might not sound like much, but a submachinegun can fire 6000 shots in that time on full-auto. If we don¡¯t work our asses off to survive, we¡¯ll be headed home in body bags!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Heivia! There¡¯s a smarter way to do this! Come with me if you don¡¯t want an emotional death scene!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sick of your riddles! Just tell me what your plan is!!¡±


    Quenser started by using his radio to detonate all of the plastic explosives he had attached to the pegs. With a loud boom and a shockwave, Ivory Garden was thrown into chaos and a canopied truck near one snapped wire was torn in two.


    One of the tents acting as a roof collapsed and covered up the passenger plane bearing the Sky Hotel logo.


    Once he knew the enemy¡¯s view was blocked, Quenser raised his voice.


    ¡°The drones take priority! Don¡¯t let them see us from above! We can hide from the soldiers on the ground a lot more easily!!¡±


    Heivia leaned out from behind cover and fired a quick spray of assault rifle bullets to bring down a drone flying by like a toy.


    ¡°That took down the tents, right? So mission accomplished!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough! We have to go a bit further!!¡±


    They heard thundering footsteps. No matter how careful you were, there was nothing you could do about mud and puddles. Heivia pulled the clear plastic sheet off a nearby container, threw it over his and Quenser¡¯s head, and got down on the wet ground.


    Four or five guards arrived after presumably seeing the final image from that drone. If they fired their submachineguns at this close range, not even a pocket watch with your beloved¡¯s photo in your breast pocket could save your life.


    Quenser¡¯s eyes bugged out, but Heivia covered the student¡¯s mouth.


    A military boot stepped right next to their faces.


    Staying still required immense patience.


    ¡°.....................................................................................................................................................................¡±


    Once the guards had passed by and were showing their backs, Heivia quickly dispatched them all with a spray of rifle bullets.


    Heivia glanced at the suppressor at the end of the barrel.


    ¡°Green and brown aren¡¯t the only kinds of camouflage. When it¡¯s pouring rain like this, people will assume a patch of something shiny on the ground is just a puddle.¡±


    Translucent jellyfish were not necessarily invisible to other creatures. When the sun was shining into the sea, they would reflect that light to hide themselves.


    Stealing some enemy uniforms would be one way to hide, but the uniforms would be less than convincing when full of holes and stained with blood.


    And then Quenser noticed something.


    He may have had the pouring rain to thank.


    He clearly saw a thin red line of light slowly sliding along in front of his nose.


    ¡°A sniper!?¡±


    Heivia grabbed shouting Quenser¡¯s arm and dove into the area full of dice-like containers. There was a lot of cover, but dogs started barking wildly from the surrounding containers.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t much of a hiding spot!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, check the untouched Continental Line. The sniper is on the plane¡¯s roof. Can you shoot the tire below it? Planes are generally supported at three points, so take out one of those and the plane will fall over!!¡±


    Heivia fired a few shots with his assault rifle, realized that was not going to cut it, and rested a missile launcher on his shoulder. With a loud sound and a line of smoke, the explosive flew out and destroyed the metal leg instead of just the giant 12-in-1 tire. The Continental Line plane wobbled to the side and then toppled over, breaking its right main wing under its own weight. It must have only been made of an aluminum alloy. The sniper on the roof must have lost their balance and fallen.


    By the way, it seemed the plane was still usable on the inside.


    Quenser¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the liquid joining the rainwater after leaking out from the cracks in the right main wing. And the leftover flames from the missile were still emitting some light here and there.


    ¡°Get down!!¡±


    His warning was meaningless.


    The jet fuel ignited and caused a large explosion. The sniper must have been fried nice and crispy where they had fallen to the ground. But they had everyone inside the plane for company.


    ¡°This game of hide-and-seek isn¡¯t all bad. If not for the sudden rain, we couldn¡¯t have seen the sniper laser from the side.¡±


    But the shockwave had unlatched a few of the nearby containers.


    The trained Dobermans had been released.


    ¡°It¡¯s always something, isn¡¯t it!?¡±


    They could not hope to defeat the dogs in a test of strength or speed, so they instead used the dogs¡¯ instincts against them. Heivia held his assault rifle out horizontally, let the military dog bite it like a toy bone, and then swung a large knife down at the thing¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ugh, now this is heartbreaking. I¡¯m gonna be having nightmares about this.¡±


    ¡°After all the humans you¡¯ve killed?¡±


    More importantly, they could not stay in one place. They were still outnumbered after all. They had to make sure they were not caught in the smoke, but the thick black smoke from the burning jet fuel was a decent replacement for the sandstorm. Fuel fires could not be put out by the rain so easily.


    ¡°When are our reinforcements getting here? The soldiers in the Citizen Jet and Sky Hotel are going to crawl out from under the tents before long!¡±


    ¡°Wah!!¡±


    Driven by fear, Quenser grabbed a nearby burning stick and chucked it toward the Sky Hotel passenger plane. That was the only way he could think of to keep back the guard he saw lifting up the thick sheet to approach him and the others.


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    But it burst into flames.


    His aim was bad and the torch did not even come close to hitting the guard, but it did land on the edge of the electronic camouflage tent covering the passenger plane and that petroleum product began burning and visibly losing its shape like a melting slice of cheese.


    So what was happening here?


    The passenger plane was transformed into an oven with around 100 people trapped inside the turkey¡¯s belly.


    ¡°Wah. Wah! Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°Damn. Why don¡¯t any of the war treaties ban this?¡±


    There was no stopping the conflagration now that it had started. Quenser quaked at the nightmarish image before his eyes, but Heivia grabbed his arm and got him to hide behind the curtain of dark smoke.


    Heivia sensed a presence and aimed his assault rifle over, but it was someone else in a Legitimacy Kingdom uniform who emerged from the smoke.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Myonri. Then where¡¯d the enemy go!?¡±


    ¡°M-maybe we got them all?¡± suggested the girl.


    There was little chance of that.


    It was unclear how effective the smoke was, but then a bright fog light shined in from the side.


    ¡°Watch out!!¡±


    They quickly rolled out of the way just in time for a canopied truck to burst through the black curtain.


    And it was not alone.


    More heavy truck tires passed by right next to Heivia¡¯s lowered head. Like the blade of a guillotine.


    The potatoes just barely managed to avoid death, but the enemy was not focused on them. Instead of making a U-turn, they continued outside the camp.


    ¡°They ran away.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the Object reactor? Did they take it away? If we don¡¯t know, this was all for nothing!!¡±


    Several powerful booms followed. Legitimacy Kingdom tank shells pierced the belly of the Citizen Jet passenger plane and it burst from within as it too burned.


    Now all three planes were in flames.


    The battle was over.


    ¡°The reinforcements sure took their sweet time!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia hopped onto an 8-wheeled armored vehicle that drove up, climbed up the side bumper that was like a birdcage meant to scatter a light rocket blast, and crawled onto the flat roof. A young woman had her upper body sticking out of the hatch and her boobs jiggled as she fired the heavy machinegun to mop up the remaining Ivory Garden poachers. Heivia lightly slapped the back of her head. But instead of being an abusive Island Nation husband who was always overturning the tea table, he was just trying to get her attention over the deafening gunfire.


    He shouted into her ear once she noticed him and stopped firing.


    ¡°Enough of that! Leave it to the tanks! Get the faster vehicles to the south and chase after the fleeing trucks!!¡±


    ¡°Myonri, work with the others to mop up the enemy base. Finish off the remaining poachers and don¡¯t forget to gather the animals from the containers for protection!¡±


    With the roar of a diesel engine, the 8-wheeled armored vehicle accelerated once more.


    To be blunt, tanks and armored vehicles were not designed with acceleration in mind. They could reach speeds upwards of 100km/h, but they would fry their engines if they maintained those speeds for long. Their one advantage was that the Ivory Garden trucks were driving along the open wasteland instead of asphalt. The 8-wheels and continuous tracks were there for that purpose.


    After passing through the charred remains of a forest that had burned down for some reason or another, the enemy armored trucks made their way toward the empty wasteland. Even with 4-wheel drive, they lacked the horsepower to drive right over the thick tree trunks.


    ¡°Oh, looks like the tanks are coming with us.¡±


    ¡°Because some stupid officer posted on social media that tanks weren¡¯t needed when you can stick a turret on top of an armored truck. That¡¯s a sore spot for the tanks since they¡¯ve always had to fight against crazy ideas like multiple turrets or an open top where the entire roof comes off. And actual results in battle are the best way to shake off those old nightmares.¡±


    Four hundred meters ahead, around five canopied trucks were struggling with the hilly terrain after the rain loosened up the ground. They must have been in a rush because plastic bottles and snack wrappers were falling from the back of the trucks. That distance was a bit much for forcibly stabilized submachineguns fired from a shaking truck, but it was nothing for the Legitimacy Kingdom heavy machineguns which were designed for a range of 2000 meters.


    ¡°Blow them away already, baby.¡±


    ¡°This won¡¯t blow up a reactor, will it?¡±


    While they discussed that, a thick tank following along behind them was suddenly blasted up from directly below.


    ¡°Hey, what just happened!?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like something flew in and hit it.¡±


    Meanwhile, an armored vehicle alongside theirs was flipped over by an explosion. It nearly rolled into them, but their 8-wheeled vehicle took quick evasive action. Quenser grabbed onto the hips of the curvy young woman whose upper body was sticking out from the hatch. Heivia reached out to do the same, but he got a heel to the chin.


    They had not heard anything being fired or flying through the air.


    Nor did it seem to be an invisible laser beam or microwave attack.


    Quenser finally figured out what was going on.


    He pressed the top of his head against the busty young woman¡¯s navel instead of her softer bits and shouted down through the gap between her stomach and the hatch¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just follow after them! Spread out to the sides!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Quenser! Quit taking the center spot and hogging her to yourself!!¡±


    ¡°The thought of sharing with you creeps me out. Anyway, those trucks are dropping garbage while making it look like they¡¯re having trouble, right? There are plate-shaped anti-tank mines mixed in!! That previous truck blew up as soon as it drove on top of an empty pizza box!!¡±


    To the very end, these people were all about disguise and camouflage. After sharing that information via radio, the Legitimacy Kingdom tanks and armored vehicles split into two formations on either side to approach the canopied trucks while avoiding the booby traps stuffed in lunchboxes or sandwiched between tied stacks of pinup magazines.


    Quenser held the young woman tight as he looked up at her past her ample bust.


    ¡°Get back at them for what they did! Fire!!¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t fire, you idiot! Ahh! We have them surrounded, but the bullets are flying past the target and hitting our allies on the other side! If you¡¯ve tamed her, then make sure you don¡¯t screw up your instructions for her!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up! Those are tanks on the other side, right? This machinegun can¡¯t punch through their thick armor, so it¡¯s okay.¡±


    But this was no time to breathe a sigh of relief at that news.


    A shrill alarm sounded from the equipment inside the vehicle and passed through the young woman¡¯s body to reach them outside the hatch.


    Heivia¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°An IR lock!?¡±


    ¡°Eh? The poachers have another weapon?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be dumb! It¡¯s from our tanks!!¡±


    With a low roar that shook in their gut, an armor-piercing shell flew their way. Maybe because of the intense rain, it veered off course a bit and hit the ground nearby, but the shockwave was enough for the armored vehicle to lift up on half its wheels.


    ¡°They¡¯re firing a tank gun when this thing¡¯s only got thin armor!? Are those idiots seriously trying to get us killed!?¡±


    ¡°Okay, just take them out before they take us out! Hey, machinegun girl, use the direct-view visor! Take careful aim and you can damage the tank!!¡±


    No one was even paying any attention to the canopied trucks as they were filled with holes and blown away. The low-IQ potatoes were too busy firing on each other. Since each tank shell cost more than 10,000 euros, they might as well have been slapping each other with stacks of cash. And it was all paid for with the people¡¯s taxes. It was truly an unforgivable battle.


    ¡°Fire, fire! Keep firing until they stop!!¡±


    ¡°Toyser can go to hell! I lent him 200 euros and here he is shooting at us! Let¡¯s just kill the bastard!!¡±


    ¡°Did you forget you ¡®lent him¡¯ that to partially pay back the 1000 euros he lent you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way I can pay back the rest, so let¡¯s just kill him!!¡±


    Then they were hit by divine punishment.


    The Baby Magnum finally arrived and fired a shot straight into the center of the world¡¯s most pointless infighting.


    The armored vehicle finally rolled over and the people on the roof were nearly crushed by the 8-wheeled body. The young woman at the heavy machinegun was in the most danger. If she hadn¡¯t kicked Quenser off of her and ducked down into the round manhole-like hatch, she would have found herself on the receiving end of a game of human whack-a-mole.


    ¡°Take this seriously, everyone¡± warned the Princess.


    ¡°You just caused more damage than anyone, dammit!¡±


    At any rate, not one of Ivory Garden¡¯s canopied trucks remained intact after taking machinegun fire and shells from both sides and then having an Object railgun shell crash right down on top of them. It looked like the only option was to gather up the parts scattered over a very wide area.


    However...


    ¡°So what happened to the JPlevelMHD reactor?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    They checked over the radio and discovered that Myonri and the others had not found anything while searching the poachers¡¯ burning hideout and stockyard.


    Quenser clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Damn, does that mean they¡¯d already sent it away!?¡±


    Part 5


    They had advanced to the next phase.


    Night had long since fallen.


    Quenser, Heivia, and the others returned to the maintenance base zone, but no one came out to greet them.


    Everyone was otherwise occupied.


    Specifically, Major Frolaytia Capistrano was using her laptop to argue with a carefree female operator of about college age.


    ¡°What!? You can¡¯t release the information!? Now of all times!? Are you insane, operator!? The reactor has already been taken to the tourist area in the south Transylvania District. If they install that in their hollow model, there will be no avoiding disaster!! Just put me through to the colonel!!¡±


    ¡°Again, I must apologize, Major Capistrano. Nothing you say can give me the authority to do that. When passing strategic intelligence to another world power, Article 55 Paragraph 8 requires the establishment of a special committee made up of both military and civilian experts under the management of a royal so they can vote and approve of the release based on the principle of civilian control.¡±


    ¡°Time is of the essence and we sweep this stuff under the rug all the time, so why are you so picky now!? Oh, I get it. It¡¯s the end of the year, so I bet you have an auditor standing right behind you! But this isn¡¯t just about the Information Alliance! A Legitimacy Kingdom safe country sits adjacent to the Transylvania District! How many tens of thousands of innocent people do you think are going to die!?¡±


    ¡°Please stop this, Major Capistrano! If you pressure me any further, it will only serve to harm my health! And I can¡¯t charge my stomach medicine, hot milk, and homemade Frolaytia body pillow cover as business expenses!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on, don¡¯t hang up! And what the hell was the last item on that list!?¡±


    ¡°Ordering the same brand of tobacco as my waifu Tia wasn¡¯t easy, but getting the scent just right is so important. And let¡¯s not forget this oh-so-wonderful boobs mousepad!!¡±


    The static of a closed connection rang mercilessly from the laptop.


    There seemed to be a fair amount of chaos in the chain of command during this emergency. The level of tension was entirely different. There seemed to be a discrepancy in the information they were working off of.


    The superbly huggable busty silver-haired officer was extremely irritated at being brushed off by the carefree operator (¡â) who was in her third year of service.


    She was not a fan of the clever and efficient working style praised by those office workers who thought it made them interesting to eat nothing but curved bananas and sticky Greek yogurt.


    But when the two idiots peeked inside the room to see if it was safe, they felt the same sense of despair as noticing a grenade on the doorknob only after it was too late.


    After all, this was that busty sadist. Their experience told them this mood of hers never ended well for them.


    ¡°(What do you think?)¡±


    ¡°(If we¡¯re lucky, she¡¯ll just step on us with her boots. She might have us get on all fours to use as chairs, but I¡¯m actually okay with that.)¡±


    ¡°(What, that¡¯s all? Why was I even worried then? Both of those sound more like rewards to me.)¡±


    ¡°(I¡¯d say borderline acceptable is that thing where she grabs your legs and steps on your you-know-what with her heel. That one¡¯s tricky because the slightest shift in her weight can send you to heaven or hell.)¡±


    But when Frolaytia lit her long, narrow kiseru, she spoke up in sudden realization.


    ¡°Oops, I forget my ashtray. Now, what to do with these hot ashes?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! That¡¯s taking it a step too far!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! That¡¯s taking it a step too far!!!!!!¡±


    Her love was too much for their bodies to bear, so Quenser and Heivia had to let their commander vent her anger verbally instead.


    ¡°The Transylvania District is ready to blow and the fuse has already been lit, but they¡¯re still treating it like an Information Alliance safe country. We could end this without any victims if we act now, but they refuse to send a single warning because of the silly politics between world powers.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Things go kablooey the instant the southern tourist area declares independence from the Transylvania District. At this rate, there is no stopping the two safe countries from using Objects against each other. The south used their wealth to acquire a reactor, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll use that gem to fill their empty jewelry box.¡±


    ¡°Which means?¡±


    ¡°The Transylvania District sent an Object to the proposed new border because they naively assumed the wealthy south did not have an Object. If we could only inform them of the threat, they could at least avoid an unexpected battle there.¡±


    ¡°This is an emergency, so why not send out a pirate broadcast or post an online video disguised as a leak?¡±


    ¡°Heivia, I appreciate the courage, but it would never be appreciated during your lifetime. Only so many people have the necessary information, so even if you disguised the source, the Black Uniforms would still track you down. Schools around here might erect statues in your honor a hundred years after your death, but is that good enough for you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The two idiots responded with halfhearted smiles.


    They were on the battlefield for the extremely pragmatic reason of earning money and social status, so they were not going to get themselves killed just because it was ¡°the right thing to do¡±.


    However.


    However, they were also not mature enough to just let these things happen. After all, this would be a disaster even greater than the Norther European Restricted Zone created by historical taboo of a city with an Object reactor buried beneath it. And this was not something that had already happened. They were being asked to sit around when they knew it was about to happen. That was too heavy a cross to bear. They did not want to be stood against a wall and shot for violating military regulations, but nor could they want to struggle to sleep for the next 80 or 90 years of their lives.


    Philanthropy could go to hell for all they cared.


    This was for themselves. The two potatoes and their busty silver-haired commander worked together to think.


    And finally...


    ¡°I guess we have to go with our last resort.¡±


    Frolaytia did not sound at all pleased with the idea.


    The two idiots leaned forward.


    ¡°Eh? Eh? You have something up your sleeve, Frolaytia!?¡±


    ¡°I knew it. The higher ups always have a fish story or scapegoat ready to go when things get dicey. She¡¯s settling down on her nice childbearing hips and has no intention of turning tail and hauling ass. That means she¡¯s still got some hope in her gut there.¡±


    Frolaytia kicked Heivia¡¯s shin below the table.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to do this. It¡¯s like an AED or fire extinguisher. It¡¯s a relief to have on hand, but it doesn¡¯t fully solve the problem in front of you. Hey, Quenser, why do you think professional soldiers are willing to take in battlefield students like you? There has to be something in it for us, right?¡±


    ¡°You mean other than raising future engineers to increase the overall quality of the Legitimacy Kingdom military in the long run?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Do you really think those decrepit old councilors care about anything after their own deaths? The seven-day forecast puts them to shame when it comes to long term planning.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was not sure what to say to that.


    The busty silver-haired commander pointed her kiseru toward his nose.


    ¡°Soldiers like us are bound by regulations, but battlefield students like you exist outside that system. It¡¯s a gray area, but there are times when you can¡¯t be punished for acting outside of the military¡¯s rules. It¡¯s like playing cards or a revolution of the wealthy. It might be tricky to get the conditions just right, but by keeping the possibility on hand, we can sometimes effectively sidestep all the pain-in-the-ass politics between military units and political factions. So most large units will accept one or two students as a trump card you would prefer not to use.¡±


    ¡°Hold on a second. I don¡¯t like where this is going.¡±


    ¡°Mister, it¡¯s time you snuck across the national border.¡±


    This was the problem with people who took their job seriously.


    They did not know when to stop. Just when you thought they might be cutting loose for once, they dropped a major bombshell. Why did those idiots not understand how manners or wabi-sabi worked?


    ¡°Go to the southern tourist area of the Transylvania District, an Information Alliance safe country, and stop them from placing their new gem in their empty jewelry box. If a professional military unit snuck across the border for an assassination mission in a demilitarized area, it could easily start a world war, but you are the exception, Quenser. We will consult the legal department to work out the formalities. Yes, I know. We can say you were fed up with being overworked on a daily basis, so you ran off like a coward. You crossed the border without meaning to and happened across the party for the declaration of independence, but as an Object-obsessed freak, the discovery of the hidden Object put you in a geeky fervor and you ¡®accidentally¡¯ damaged some important component while poking around. But the south can¡¯t demand you pay for the damage to the Object since it doesn¡¯t officially exist. Well, we can work out the details later, but that sounds good as a general idea.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    She rattled it all off a little too smoothly.


    He was almost certain she had worked this all out well before opening her mouth. It was like going on a date with someone while they hid a very important ring behind their back all the while.


    Frolaytia had already thought up this other plan (even as she snapped at the carefree operator earlier), so now she winked while the kiseru wiggled in the corner of her mouth and she rested her elbow on the table.


    ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t just be you, so don¡¯t worry. Quenser, visit the intelligence division and ¡®steal¡¯ a radio set.¡±


    Part 6


    ¡°Ah, ah, ahh. Test, test. Is the audio good? Is the camera working? The lights really make my skin shine, so do them right. You¡¯re going to count down from 10? Director, give me my cue. Let¡¯s get this done together! Okay, this is Monica, the idol reporter who can both dance and kill, beginning her live broadcast!!¡±


    Modern idols did not have it easy. The blonde girl flapped her vampire cape with both hands to provide glimpses of her bat bikini chest and her hips as she motivated the staff with her charm before directing that charm at the audience. Quenser kept his head low and snuck around while viewing her from a distance. She likely had an insulating gel on her skin, but it was still impressive to be dressed so skimpily in November.


    It was the following day.


    The sun was at its peak overhead.


    The morning¡¯s milky white fog had entirely cleared away.


    It was the perfect weather for an event.


    In less than half a day, the south would declare its independence and two Objects would clash within a safe country.


    He was at a thick oak door in a fortress wall filling the gap between a steep slope and some old stone buildings.


    But this was not the city entrance.


    The south was something of a fortress city with plenty of orange-roofed old castles and monasteries, so there were ancient walls and gates all over. But you could still get public wi-fi while drinking coffee at Farbucks, so the world was a strange place.


    (I still can¡¯t believe I crossed the border like that. This is the Information Alliance. If something happens, the Legitimacy Kingdom is bound to throw me under the bus and claim they knew nothing about this.)


    ¡°Quenser, we can see you with the satellite. You¡¯re a tourist now, so act suspicious and their security camera programs will trigger an alert. Walking like normal is the best camouflage.¡±


    ¡°Frolaytia, what am I supposed to do with this flimsy fake ID?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It was made using one of the real devices. After all, we found it in Ivory Garden¡¯s stockyard.¡±


    ¡°Am I just doomed, is that it!?¡±


    There was no tension in the voice in his ear. That was what it was like watching from afar.


    Then he heard a dull clunk.


    The heavy bar had been removed from the castle gate three times his height and it was slowly opening.


    ¡°Hurry on in, Quenser,¡± said Heivia who was actually there with him. ¡°If you¡¯re not in there, we lose our justification to be here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure I should do this?¡±


    Quenser made a home visit despite the unresolved questions rolling around in his gut. Heivia quickly recovered the synthetic rope and stainless steel piton he had used to scale the wall.


    ¡°We are acting on the pretext of retrieving the idiot who fled our base,¡± explained Frolaytia in his earphone. ¡°A runaway soldier shames a military unit, so we would never want to ask for help searching for one. And it becomes an international incident if they have crossed to another world power¡¯s territory. We could not possibly make a request then.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it okay to send a fully-armed assassination squad across the border to walk around the back alleys.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s good enough.¡± She did not seem to care at all. ¡°Object or not, the south will face a great many trials once they declare independence. For example, diplomacy. The Transylvania District¡¯s connections will be off limits to them. But what if they gained a supporter early on? It wouldn¡¯t hurt them to learn of some unrelated country¡¯s mistake or scandal, right?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I was getting involved in such a dirty job.¡±


    ¡°Those dirty jobs are what maintain peace. There are times when the powerful would rather do nothing but have to take action to keep up appearances because they cannot control the public video sites and pirate broadcasts that Heivia mentioned in the conference room. But this is different.¡±


    ¡°Is it about deception and camouflage again?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If they have any sense at all, they will overlook this. They will let you and Heivia¡¯s team go free. Pressure from exchange rates and tariffs and embargoes on food and fuel are all ways of using money to crush a new country with little productive power. The south will be familiar with those cases, so they will want to preserve any secret connections they can set up with the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    This was especially cruel because, even if they turned a blind eye to Quenser and Heivia, those potatoes did not have the authority the south would want. In fact, they were here to take away the south¡¯s greatest trump card. Quenser could not help but feel bad for tricking them like that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t relax based on what she says, Quenser,¡± said his awful friend. ¡°Everything she said assumes the south will act rationally. They¡¯re about to declare independence remember? They¡¯re at their highest moment. If they¡¯re high on adrenaline while shouting nonsense about autonomy and sovereignty, they might just follow their emotions and gang up on us without considering the consequences. So be on your guard. We know from experience just how bad a day you have when you rest your hopes on that busty commander¡¯s predictions.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s no such thing as safety around here, huh?¡±


    ¡°This is enemy territory. Now get moving, turkey.¡±


    With Heivia, Myonri, and the others pushing him forward, Quenser ran through the old fortress streets with stone paving and distinctive orange roofs while surrounded by curving fortress walls and wild mountain slopes.


    The old city was built along the base and slope of the mountain, so its stone walls and sloping roads formed something like a tiered field. But instead of crops, spires and chimneys stuck up and the people were all gathered inside stone and brick apartments. More and more walls had been built over time like the rings of a tree, so the inside was somewhat labyrinthine.


    It felt like the solid city was clinging to the ground amidst the dark mountains forests surrounding it. It did not look like a kind place for moving companies and online stores.


    ¡°We¡¯re just talking about one province, right? Do we have any guesses where the reactor is?¡±


    ¡°That southern city is almost entirely registered as a world heritage site. What you see on the mountain slope is just the tip of the iceberg. The underground is riddled with wine cellars, catacombs, and secret torture chambers.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°Post-independence, 80% of their income will be reliant on tourism. They wouldn¡¯t want to destroy their old fortress area to hide the Object.¡±


    That explained why the roads were still paved with bumpy stone despite the trouble that caused for cars. Quenser pulled a free pamphlet from a stand that functioned as a visitor¡¯s center.


    ¡°Hm, looks like the higher up on the mountain you are, the higher up in the hierarchy you are. Sounds inconvenient. I guess it¡¯s just like high-rise apartments. Or how they say idiots like to climb as high as possible.¡±


    ¡°The very top will be covered in clouds depending on the weather, so I imagine it¡¯s more about gravity than the view. Both rainwater and sewage flow down through the pipes.¡±


    ¡°Can you see anything with the satellite?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, there is no sign of a 50m machine.¡±


    ¡°Then is it underground? But it must not be directly below this old fortress.¡±


    A crumbling wall was decorated with a banner saying ¡°History Changes Tonight at Midnight!¡± Mobile homes were lined up on the side of the road, so all the hotels remodeled from old castles and monasteries must have been full. A digital countdown was running on an electronic sign decorated with Halloween-like bat characters. To Quenser, it looked like a giant time bomb. To go with the vampire motif, the small child passing by with her mother was holding a bat-shaped balloon. Quenser walked past them while marking the pamphlet¡¯s map with a red pen.


    ¡°Frolaytia, have they bought a ton of bricks in the past few years? They could have claimed it was for a pizza oven, a kiln, or whatever else, but I mean bricks that use alumina.¡±


    ¡°A young wife with too much time on her hands gambled on a large quantity of futures. She lost a ton of money, but she didn¡¯t complain much on social media. Her posts don¡¯t sound like someone who ran across an unexpected accident of that magnitude. Could this be it?¡±


    ¡°Those are used in blast furnaces too. Bricks with alumina for heat resistance have a higher melting point than iron, so they¡¯re perfect for lining the buckets to carry molten metal.¡±


    Quenser always grew loquacious when it came to topics like this. Frolaytia¡¯s fish story may not have been as implausible as it might seem. Even if the human race threw out their weapons and advocated love and peace, this boy would still be chasing after Objects with a sparkle in his eyes.


    ¡°Frolaytia, given your obsession with the Island Nation, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of their giant Buddha statues. Those bronze statues can be several dozen meters tall, but they weren¡¯t built up with nuts and bolts from the bottom up. They started by making a giant mold out of earth and bricks and then poured molten metal inside.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying the same could be done with an Object?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that simple since the onion armor requires a bunch of thin layers of armor, but they can use the general concept. The people here have a long history of building underground rooms. They could have built a framework and scaffolding like they were digging a mine and then used the entire mountain as a giant womb. And of course, they would make sure to select a silhouette-obscuring wedding dress to hide the pregnancy necessitating the marriage.¡±


    When red-banded sand wasps captured a caterpillar, they would take it back to their nest alive and lay eggs in its body. Once the larvae hatched, they would grow while gradually consuming the host¡¯s soft body from within. This Object was similar. Instead of creating a single giant space all at once, they had dug into the mountain bit by bit and then gradually carried in and assembled the metal armor and mechanical parts until they had an entire colossal weapon underground. It had been waiting all this time to break through the mountain surface and emerge, almost like it had consumed the mountain from within to grow its metal body.


    It sucked the mountain dry.


    Like a blood sucker.


    ¡°...¡±


    Quenser placed a finger on the pamphlet map and then looked to the mountain slope a short distance away.


    ¡°Frolaytia, check Moldoveanu Peak. The info on the pamphlet doesn¡¯t match what I¡¯m seeing. There are a few extra monasteries.¡±


    ¡°Based on the database of a local university, there was a risk of acid rain eroding the limestone slope, so all of the valuable buildings were moved and evacuated to safe locations.¡±


    ¡°And were those the world heritage sites you mentioned, or everything else that could be wrapped up in packing material?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s camouflage. Unless this is an elaborate trap, that mountain must be the womb. It¡¯s like using leafy branches to hide a tank in the grass.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Even if they missed out on being world heritage sites, that monastery has a history four centuries long.¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re at risk from an aerial bombing, you¡¯ll break off a thousand-year-old cedar¡¯s branches to hide your tank. Your life is on the line after all.¡±


    The completed Object could not be removed without breaking through the frame of dirt and sand. It was like a piggy bank in that sense. The southern tourist area was not joking around.


    ¡°What should I do?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to head inside. Just wander around near the monastery in question. Heivia and the others can search inside on the pretext of pursuing you. They can ¡®happen across¡¯ anything they discover.¡±


    With a sound much like an electric razor, a drone arrived overhead. The delivery box it gave him contained extra equipment, including glasses for blocking the facial recognition of security cameras. Then he walked against the flow of tourists to make his way across the stone pavement, through the fortress walls, and up the mountain slope.


    On the way, he passed by some high school girls who wore submachineguns over their shoulders. The wood stocks had a very Eastern European feel and they folded up like a wire hanger. The girls wore what must have been the uniform to their school: a vampirish bat-patterned black cape worn over a blazer. Their legs were bare even in November. It looked like he might be able to blend in here better than somewhere full of camouflage uniforms. But as courageous as the girls might look, their weapons showed no sign of local production. They all had different caliber guns from different companies and different sling belts.


    ¡°Do they have a draft system or universal conscription here?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°The suggested new constitution they¡¯ve released online says their military will be entirely voluntary,¡± answered Frolaytia. ¡°Although that volunteer service might come with certain advantages.¡±


    ¡°If they make it so you can¡¯t enter higher education, get a job, or get married without serving, then is it really any different from conscription?¡±


    There was also a nervous-looking glasses girl holding the leashes of a bunch of Dobermans, but it was unclear if she was taking them for a walk or if they were dragging her around. Was she from the school¡¯s animal care committee? Quenser was honestly more afraid of them than the drones made of lightweight materials. Their drool-covered teeth were quite intimidating.


    Quenser kept his pace unchanged and continued his casual stroll.


    ¡°On-site team, I¡¯ve arrived at the suspicious part of the slope. I¡¯m going to ignore the monastery that was clearly added only recently. I just walked past it, but there is a truck parked unnaturally alongside a cliff here. I bet it¡¯s covering the manhole used as an entrance, but I¡¯m not a legendary ninja. I doubt I could move the truck and get inside without anyone noticing.¡±


    ¡°Leave it to us. We just needed to know where to check, so you go search elsewhere. Pretend you¡¯re lost and sneak right into their bedroom.¡±


    In order to help out Heivia¡¯s group, Quenser dropped an SD card with wireless LAN support and kicked it underneath the truck. It would be unnatural for them to search there for no reason, so they would want some kind of hint or excuse to use as justification.


    ¡°Agh!¡±


    A high school girl on the slope groaned, but Quenser did not want to stand out by turning his head to look. Someone from Heivia¡¯s team had likely snuck up behind her and eliminated the obstacle before heading underground through a vent or whatever they had found. It was not often in life that you got a chance to sneak up behind and knock out a miniskirt high school girl instead of some filthy old guy, so the potatoes may have been more motivated than usual. Quenser walked away with an oblivious look on his face and the free pamphlet in hand.


    He knew more or less where to go.


    He stopped to think at about 50m from the first point. After climbing some stone steps to reach a higher level of the slope, he took out some of the ¡°evidence¡± he had gotten from the drone ¨C an electronic dictionary, a translation device, and other electronics with just enough personal information to make them a security risk ¨C and dropped them in the ditches and manholes. Heivia¡¯s team had already made their way into the secret area to begin their sabotage, but it was best to give them as many openings as possible.


    Then Frolaytia contacted him.


    ¡°Quenser, wait just a second.¡±


    ¡°Am I leaving too much evidence? Sorry, I wasn¡¯t sure how much was best.¡±


    ¡°Not that. We¡¯ve lost contact with Heivia¡¯s team.¡±


    At first, Quenser was unsure what she meant. But this did not seem to be a metaphor or a joke.


    ¡°We have no idea if they¡¯re even still alive. This is entirely unexpected and the satellites and drones can¡¯t tell what¡¯s happening inside there. Be on your guard, Quenser. You are alone out there!¡±


    ¡°The enemy took them out? But we¡¯re talking about people who could only just barely manage to gather the parts of an Object using their excessive wealth. The soldiers I saw were normal high school girls. They were wearing vampire cape cosplay! I¡¯m not about to claim we¡¯re the world¡¯s best special forces or anything, but I seriously doubt we would lose to them!!¡±


    ¡°At the moment, we can¡¯t rule anything out. Maybe this is only technical trouble and maybe the south hired a PMC to strengthen their forces. But we need to prepare for the worst, so take a weapon from the drone, Quenser. You need to ensure your own safety first! Don¡¯t die on us before reinforcements can arrive!!¡±


    Part 7


    The situation had changed.


    With his anti-facial-recognition glasses on, Quenser used the body of a car parked on the curb and the show window of a musical instrument store to get a look behind him without turning around. He desperately tried to gather information as naturally as he could as a way to keep the anxiety from crushing him. He was in enemy territory. This was the Information Alliance. Running around screaming wasn¡¯t going to help.


    He passed by a drunk with a balloon tied around his head like a headband. Since this was a vampire tourist location, the food carts all sold mystery foods like garlic-free peperoncino or garlic rice sans garlic.


    Everything looked like a threat at the moment.


    He met up with the drone in a deserted area.


    The package it delivered also contained a knife and handgun, but Quenser only took the Hand Axe plastic explosive and electric fuses he was familiar with. If he tried using a gun or blade, he could easily shoot or stab himself in the thigh if he tripped.


    It was already evening.


    The sun set early in November. The loneliness crept up on him along with the chill.


    Nothing he did would rid him of the same sense of despair felt by a small child left behind at a tourist location. Any further attempt would be like a person with OCD endlessly washing their hands.


    Heivia and the others skilled in normal combat had vanished all at once. Even if a spirit of justice awoke within Quenser, entering that secret area alone was not an option. Any rash actions would only add another name to the list of victims.


    But if he turned tail and fled, the countdown would end at midnight and tens of thousands of civilians, if not more, would be transformed into lumps of flesh and blood.


    ¡°Still no response from Heivia, Myonri, or the others,¡± reported Frolaytia.


    ¡°...¡±


    So he could only stay where he was.


    He gathered the same useless courage as someone standing tall in an open field when a sniper was lurking somewhere.


    ¡°This is Monica, the idol reporter who can both dance and kill! I¡¯ll be bringing you the latest news from the southern tourist area in a vampire costume made from a black cape and bat bikini!! Just six hours to go until they declare independence. If you think of it like a nice round pizza, this cuts it neatly in half. Make sure to tune into cable channel 2929 for this historic moment!¡±


    Six hours to go.


    After coming this far, it seemed unlikely the south would let go of their reactor and not place that gem in their otherwise empty jewelry box. They would want to use their Object to deter the Transylvania District and to impress the reporters from around the world gathered at the ceremony. The disappearance of Heivia¡¯s team had not changed things. It best to assume the 3D puzzle was already complete.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom would only get one more shot at stopping this master plan.


    And with Heivia¡¯s team defeated, it was unlikely a rushed attempt would accomplish anything.


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re using the satellite to check the exact coordinates where Heivia¡¯s team disappeared, but multiple sources would be best. Tell us the location based on your observations. That will help us make the final decision.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything left we can do?¡±


    ¡°What we most need to avoid is a direct clash between the Objects of the Transylvania District and the southern tourist area and a chain reaction spreading the flames of war to other safe countries. We need to assume that will lead to millions upon millions of civilian deaths.¡±


    ¡°Um, meaning?¡±


    ¡°If it comes to it, we will have the Princess fire.¡±


    That hit him in the chest.


    Hearing it was like having a stake driven into his heart.


    ¡°The south¡¯s Object is in the mountain, right?¡± continued Frolaytia. ¡°We can use the location where Heivia¡¯s team disappeared to judge where the chrysalis is located. As long as the two Objects don¡¯t directly fight, we can avoid that worst-case scenario. If we make a preemptive strike, the south¡¯s Object can¡¯t dodge since it¡¯s hidden in the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Wait just a second. Wait!¡±


    Pointing out that Heivia and Myonri were in there would not stop Frolaytia. Saying you would never abandon your fellow soldiers was lovely, but it made no sense to sit back and let millions of civilians be engulfed in flames because you were waiting for some subordinates who might very well be dead already. He knew that. He understood it.


    But was it really over?


    Could they only act on the assumption that their missing comrades were dead?


    He needed something.


    He needed some way of arguing back.


    ¡°Oh, I know. Officially, no one knows there¡¯s an Object in the mountain. So no matter what our goal is, the Princess would be using an Object main cannon to attack an enemy safe country, right!? That would start a war!¡±


    ¡°But that would be one of the clean wars contained to the battlefield countries. It would do a lot less damage than the chaos that would burn through so many safe countries if we let this continue as is.¡±


    ¡°The Princess would be executed for treason!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Quenser. Everything we say is being recorded, so if the bored masses demand a dead body, it would be me, the rogue commander, on the gallows. I¡¯ll make sure of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! We need to sit here and think up a way of saving everyone: you, the Princess, and Heivia¡¯s missing team!!¡±


    What would they do?


    What could they do!?


    With the anti-facial-recognition glasses on, Quenser came to a stop, bit his thumbnail, and racked his brains. He did not have it in him to act all clever at the moment. He had to be standing out from the crowd to a comical degree.


    He gave up on immediately coming up with an answer. He could go with the process of elimination. He started ruling out every option that was entirely out of the question in order to approach the right answer, much like chipping away the stone to find the sculpture within.


    Doing nothing and letting the Transylvania District and the southern tourist area clash was not an option.


    That clash might be avoidable if they could get word of the threat to the Transylvania District, but they had no way of doing so.


    Even if he disguised it as a leak of military secrets through a pirate broadcast or video site, the Black Uniforms would see through it and he would be charged with treason.


    Now that contact with Heivia, Myonri, and the rest had been lost, there was almost no chance of finding and destroying the reactor before it was installed in the Object. They had to assume the south¡¯s Object was complete.


    They could end this by locating the Object before it left the mountain and having the Princess fire a main cannon at the slope.


    But then the Princess or Frolaytia would be criticized by the ignorant international society and ultimately shot for treason.


    ¡°...¡±


    He honestly found himself ruling out every option that came to mind. But that did not mean he was stuck. Instead, it meant he had chipped away so much of the stone that he had nearly completed the sculpture of the butt-naked young man.


    Yes.


    That was right.


    Quenser placed his hand on the window of a privately run electronics store which had TVs of varying sizes on display and he stared at his own face with the anti-facial-recognition glasses on.


    ¡°Reinforced glass, huh? Even if it doesn¡¯t use a film, it could use a wire mesh.¡±


    ¡°Quenser?¡±


    ¡°A swing of my fist could shatter the window, but if I slowly press my palm against it, the glass can support my weight without breaking. A hierarchy based on gravity. That Object is a red-banded sand wasp larva. It fattened up to 200,000 tons while gradually consuming the mountain. Camouflage. To avoid detection by satellite or drone. But since it¡¯s in the mountain, it can¡¯t move like it might want to.¡±


    Would it work?


    There was hope.


    But he needed more concrete proof. He wanted as accurate a map of the southern tourist area as he could get. He would also need to calculate out the necessary amount of materials, the placement, and the weight distribution.


    He was lucky he still had a connection to Frolaytia. If had been truly alone in enemy territory, he really would have been without options.


    ¡°Frolaytia, can you connect me to the electronic simulation division? And tell material management to get ready for some work. Yes, the ones who construct the mobile maintenance base zone!!¡±


    Part 8


    Happy Tepes!! It is now 10 PM!


    I¡¯m here in the mountains of the southern tourist area where excitement is building in advance of their declaration of independence. The area is known for its fog, but that apparently really only happens in the early morning. Look how clear the fireworks are in the sky!! Black cape flap flap!!


    Fireworks decorated the night sky with red, green, and other colored lights that reflected brightly off the walls of the old castles and monasteries on the mountain slope.


    The time limit was only 2 hours away.


    The world would not end the instant that time limit ran out, but the die would already have been cast. There would be no turning back at that point. No one could guarantee the south¡¯s success. In fact, they might be entirely wrong and fail miserably. But despite those anxieties, they could only charge full speed ahead at this point.


    (The ¡®insertion¡¯ was successful, but it stinks a lot worse than I expected.)


    A faint smell like burning rubber and the chill of November had arrived at the mountain fortress city. Quenser could see his breath as he felt impatient. Fortunately, the children with their parents were carrying vampire balloons and the drunks had a long, skinny balloon wrapped around their heads like a headband. It would help if the newly arrived Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes would notice that and sabotage a balloon seller to give another reason for the smell.


    He was on the mountain slope.


    A small hand grabbed Quenser¡¯s while he weaved through the crowd of people in a circular plaza surrounded by fortress walls. It was one of the new potatoes. Without looking in that direction, he glanced down at the note he had been given.


    (Still no word from Heivia¡¯s team.)


    Quenser, who was still wearing the anti-facial-recognition glasses, was honestly worried about what had happened to those idiots. Was it simple concern for his friends? That was definitely part of it, but it was not all that pure. This was enemy territory and he could easily be next. He wanted to believe nothing bad had happened to them.


    Colorful fireworks burst overhead.


    He could feel the tremor of stadium-like cheers. They reached him from ahead and behind like waves and they really did shake the mountain slope and the city¡¯s fortress walls. The large live-viewing monitor set up in the plaza had changed channels to show a variety show with a battlefield idol reporter. It was being broadcast from some old castle or monastery and it showed a stone balcony carrying a speaking podium and an old man.


    ¡°Frolaytia, the ceremony has begun.¡±


    ¡°We can see it on the online video. And I have some bad news. The satellite caught plenty of maintenance soldiers leaving from a disguised entrance on that mountain slope. Did you call the Object a red-banded sand wasp larva? Well, all of the tunnels should cave in once it leaves, so we should assume they are evacuating before that happens.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re already preparing to act? But their declaration of independence isn¡¯t for another 2 hours.¡±


    ¡°They might be jumping the gun because they¡¯re so eager to get going. Damn that southern old man. He¡¯s nothing but toxic masculinity in a suit. I bet he wanted to give his speech while showing off the Object that symbolizes their power.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s an exhibitionist with delusions of virility? We need to expedite our schedule before he opens his coat and pulls out his tiny you-know-what.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It looks like they might clash with the Transylvanian Object before midnight. Quenser, how are things on your end?¡±


    ¡°The insertion is complete, but it will take time to stabilize. We only have one chance at this, so failure isn¡¯t an option. We should wait an hour to give it plenty of time.¡±


    ¡°Then buy the necessary time. Do whatever it takes. Formal ceremonies are accident prone, so find some way of drawing out the principal¡¯s boring speech to fit our timetable!¡±


    (Are you kidding me with this!?)


    Quenser cut in front of a security camera since he wore the anti-facial-recognition glasses, joined the new Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes blending into the crowd, and made his way to the site of the speech. After smiling and speaking to some cheerful men unsteadily holding mugs of a local beer colored oddly red (likely due to being mixed with blood orange or tomato juice), he easily learned the speech was being held at a luxury hotel made from an old monastery. The men with balloons around their heads like headbands did not seem to find his question suspicious.


    One of the new potatoes, the busty young woman who had operated the heavy machinegun in the armored vehicle, tilted her head.


    ¡°That would be the Weinrichius Monastery.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the vampire known as the Shoemaker of Breslau who the city council took official measures against long ago? Why would they name a monastery after him?¡±


    ¡°Probably because this region is known for an even more famous count. I mean, everyone¡¯s dressed in costumes when it isn¡¯t even Halloween and the souvenir shops are all selling bats and coffins and things like that.¡±


    They had no time to spare. While hurrying to the monastery in question, Quenser and the others held a quick strategy meeting.


    ¡°If the hotel was made by remodeling an old castle or monastery, it can¡¯t have many rooms. Every room will essentially be a suite,¡± said the young woman. ¡°And with the ceremony occurring there, I imagine the entire building will be rented out to keep normal people away.¡±


    ¡°So you think it won¡¯t be easy to get in? You should work at gathering some more information before jumping to conclusions.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s being televised. Your strictly-guarded ceremony is meaningless as a press conference if you don¡¯t let any cameras in. In the crowd shots earlier, I even saw a Legitimacy Kingdom press team. Let¡¯s sneak up behind them and swipe their IDs.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We can handle the dirty work.¡±


    The busty young woman who had dealt with the armored vehicle before was apparently the carnivorous type.


    They worked out the frequency the target press team was using to relay their signal, used some pinpoint targeted jamming, and snuck up behind the staff members that came running tearfully out to their broadcast equipment to see what the problem was. The one knocked out by the busty young woman had a smile on his face since she had pressed against his back to strangle him.


    ¡°Huh? That discount battlefield idol reporter is here. A vampire costume? A bat bikini on a November night? Even with insulating gel, that¡¯s impressive. ...Now I wish I¡¯d gotten her autograph.¡±


    ¡°Monica¡¯s here? Why does that childhood friend have to be here? She¡¯ll crush my balls if she notices me.¡±


    Quenser was nervous, but they used plastic tape and zip ties to tie the TV crew¡¯s hands behind their backs and checked through their possessions to borrow their film equipment and professional makeup. You never knew what would come in handy down the line. And those possessions of course included the ID cards they had originally wanted.


    ¡°Say cheese,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°Phones sure are handy,¡± commented the young woman.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, don¡¯t cover your eyes with one hand give a peace sign with the other. This is supposed to be an ID photo!¡±


    They received a portable card printer from a drone¡¯s delivery box. All they had to do was cut out the photo with a knife and paste in their own photo and data. They also borrowed the staff jackets just to be sure. They disassembled their guns and stuck them in the duralumin camera cases. But in the cushioning on the sides instead of the normal storage space.


    With their cards hanging from their necks, the new potatoes walked right on into the luxury hotel made from Weinrichius Monastery.


    They were immediately surrounded by the gentle air presumably created by a fireplace.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t even doing an X-ray scan of our bags. How careless.¡±


    ¡°They assume our backgrounds were checked when we entered the country. And even in this age of digital cameras, a lot of professionals still use strange kinds of film.¡±


    Quenser had expected a monastery to be all patchwork robes and pea soup seasoned only with salt, but he instead found red carpet, giant chandeliers, mysterious oil paintings in pure gold frames, marble statues of naked men and women in an embrace, and beautiful maids pushing around wagons carrying bottles of vintage wine and various foods cooked in a garlic-free al ajillo style. (Do not point out that this is nothing more than soaking the food in olive oil. It¡¯s part of their culture!) It was apparently an age of excess even in the monasteries.


    It was about 20 past 10 at night. The old man was so excited at having everyone¡¯s eyes on him he was about ready to blow his load early, so who could say when his precious Object would break out through the mountainside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s interrupt that old man who might as well be a pervert out on the streets in a trench coat. This is all over once he gets carried away and flashes his Object.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but we can¡¯t just go in guns blazing.¡±


    ¡°We only have to get his tiny you-know-what soft, so avoiding a serious incident would be best. Let¡¯s cause some kind of trouble or accident while keeping things peaceful.¡±


    ¡°Such as?¡±


    ¡°Prepare a prepaid phone with no private information on it.¡±


    Quenser stopped in front of a map of the building on a hallway wall. His anti-facial-recognition glasses did not have prescription lenses, so he could read it just fine. The old man was giving his speech from a balcony on the third floor, but the boy pointed to the floor below that.


    ¡°All of the press will have their phones on silent during such an important speech. But the balcony sticks outside and there are no walls, so sounds from the other floors will reach him there. Let¡¯s set off a ringtone at max volume to ruin his speech. And if we play a bunch of words you can¡¯t say on TV, he¡¯s done for. The broadcast will be cut off. He¡¯ll have to postpone his greeting until they find the out-of-season cicada.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m praying you will learn to grow up someday,¡± said the young woman. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s download as filthy and dirty a song as we can find. Something you could never play in the family living room.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the more obscene the better. Like Lady Sprinkler.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak ill of LS in my presence!! Those lyrics are perfectly calculated out based on the principles of Satanism in a complex and high-level approach to finding the universal beauty in the destructive and the ugly!!¡±


    You found fans of the weirdest things sometimes. She had also reacted positively to Monica¡¯s vampire costume, so she may have been the type who enjoyed wearing black roses, silver crosses, and plenty of frills and lace. She just about sent Quenser to heaven as she strangled him with both hands, but he was actually kind of into it.


    That was when they received a radio signal. He focused on his earphone, assuming it was from Frolaytia, but it was not.


    It was a very staticky signal, but he did manage to hear a male voice over the sandstorm.


    ¡°...need help...captur...tell you our location...rescue team...¡±


    He felt like someone had directly squeezed his heart.


    But when the busty young woman started to respond, Quenser quickly stopped her.


    ¡°Wait, wait! Send out a signal and you¡¯ll give away our position. They would definitely question a signal coming from within the monastery hotel and everything would fall apart!¡±


    ¡°Those are our comrades! Heivia was asking for help! The radio signal had the appropriate identifier.¡±


    ¡°Heivia¡¯s team was lost and it seems likely they were either captured or killed.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why we have to help them ASAP!¡±


    ¡°No matter what happened, it¡¯s almost guaranteed they had their equipment taken!¡±


    Quenser and the young woman glared at each other.


    They had been placed in a very dangerous situation without warning.


    ¡°That transmission didn¡¯t mention any names, units, or ranks! It tried to sound legit, but there wasn¡¯t really anything there! They were afraid any details would give them away!¡±


    Of course, neither of them had any solid proof that would hold up in court.


    This was enemy territory.


    They could not gather any real evidence, so they could only base their arguments on speculation.


    ¡°If that was really them asking for help, you¡¯re telling us to ignore our allies¡¯ screams.¡±


    ¡°And if it was an enemy act, we¡¯ll be turning our backs on the many safe countries we could have saved from the flames of war. Our names will go down in history as utter scum.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If that happens, millions of civilians will be crushed and blown to bits by stray Object shots. Those shells will kill babies and the elderly alike, even if they take shelter in schools or hospitals. Is that what you want?¡±


    ¡°~ ~ ~!!¡±


    ¡°We have no time whether we head back to save Heivia¡¯s team or continue on. That spirit of justice is fine and all, but you¡¯re in no position to just get angry and shove all responsibility for the choice onto me. You can¡¯t act like a prophet after it¡¯s all over and claim you knew what was going to happen. So tell me clearly right here and now: which will it be!?¡±


    ¡°Okay, fine!¡±


    The young woman shouted as she cut off the screams coming from her earphone. They did not throw everything out despite a lack of evidence, shirtlessly grab a Gatling gun, and go on an emotionally driven rescue mission. That was what proved they were a proper military and not a rural gang of delinquents.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to lose friends like this,¡± she said.


    ¡°You really think giving into emotion and responding would be the considerate thing to do? Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Once the enemy learns this works, they¡¯ll escalate things just for fun. Do you really want to see a live feed of a torture show?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Did you think I hadn¡¯t thought this through? We only have one shot at this. People¡¯s lives are on the line, so we can¡¯t impulsively roll the dice early.¡±


    They climbed the stairs to the second floor. They wanted to be directly below the third-floor balcony where the old man was giving his speech. But just as they turned a corner to reach their target room, they quickly ducked back around the corner.


    The young woman suddenly grew all cute and flustered.


    ¡°Why are the bodyguards ditching their jobs to have some, uh, quality time together? Now we can¡¯t get to the room. Do we have to wait until they¡¯re done making out!?¡±


    ¡°We have the TV crew¡¯s equipment, right? Someone get a camera ready.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°No one wants their adult ¡®quality time¡¯ revealed to the world. Especially when they¡¯re supposed to be working.¡±


    They showed no mercy.


    The pen was mightier than the sword, so they drove the bodyguards away without firing a bullet. Once that was complete, Quenser and the others walked down the hallway once more.


    ¡°We can find the key in this floor¡¯s linen room. There should be a master key for cleaning.¡±


    They were finally inside.


    Quenser cut across the empty suite to reach the balcony sticking out from the window. The chill of the November night immediately hit him. The balcony was large enough for a decent sized tea party, but he was focused on the next floor up.


    ¡°Yes, so we decided to gauge the will and passion of the south¡¯s chosen people via a public referendum. To build a better future for ourselves, we must declare our freedom and free ourselves from the bonds of the Transylvania District¡¯s methods.¡±


    Cameras flashed intermittently and the old man¡¯s microphone-amplified voice reached him. Was this a form of camouflage as well? Was he shifting blame away from himself and onto the referendum¡¯s result?


    But from this position, the old man could hear Quenser if he spoke loudly. After confirming that proximity, he placed the prepaid smartphone in a gap of a planter filled with small flowers. It was a plausible location for a dropped phone, but it would also go unnoticed at first glance.


    ¡°It¡¯s in place. Time to make some noise.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    The busty young woman was checking on the hallway through the cracked-open door.


    ¡°There¡¯s a maid diligent enough to be cleaning rooms this late at night. We might be in trouble if she catches us leaving a supposedly vacant room.¡±


    ¡°The phone is already playing the vulgar song. Someone will be by to look for it soon.¡±


    ¡°LS is one of the greatest cultural products of the modern era, you pleb!! This is only the 2nd floor, so couldn¡¯t we jump down from the balcony?¡±


    ¡°No. They¡¯d be sure to see us from above!¡±


    Quenser held a hand to the side of his anti-facial-recognition glasses and hurried across the large room to reach the door. He and the young woman huddled together to check out in the hallway and he found she was right.


    This was not a fake one squirting ketchup on some omurice. A maid with a standard long-skirt uniform was moving up and down the hallway. She seemed to be suspicious of something, so she may have found evidence of them breaking into the linen room.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to buy time. I bet she¡¯s waiting for security.¡±


    ¡°This really isn¡¯t good then.¡±


    The young woman¡¯s eyes grew dangerously sharp.


    She was clearly wondering if they could eliminate just the one maid. But Quenser preferred kindness when it came to kittens in the rain, little match girls, and courageous maids, so he thought for a bit. He really did not want to see the fierce woman-on-woman battles that were fought every day in break rooms and locker rooms.


    ¡°So we just have to find a way to leave without worrying that maid, right?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser walked across the large room and opened the giant closet. This was a luxury hotel with a classic motif, but he found more than just silk gowns there.


    After all, this luxury hotel had been remodeled from an old monastery. When it came to simple equipment, it could not hope to match an apartment made from modern materials. And the hotel existed partially for cultural preservation purposes because empty buildings fell into disrepair quickly. And why would people bother visiting a hotel deep in the mountains? Delicious food? To relax and forget all about the passage of time? No. The people who came here were paying all that money to enjoy noble pastimes. Quenser was from the Legitimacy Kingdom, so he knew exactly the kind of scummy desires were bred by those class differences.


    He knew exactly what he would find there.


    ¡°I really shouldn¡¯t be doing this, but it looks like the day has come to break the seal and bring her back.¡±


    ¡°Her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got no choice. And if we¡¯re doing this, we need to do it right. It¡¯s time to get all dressed up with the ultimate camouflage.¡±


    Part 9


    Quenser and the others could not turn invisible. Nor was there a secret rotating door in the wall or a blind spot in the hallway they could hide in.


    And yet.


    The diligent maid overlooked the new Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes. They were in view, but she did not see them. Even though she would have found it highly suspicious if anyone but hotel staff left a room that was supposed to be vacant.


    So what had happened?


    The answer was as follows:


    They changed into the maid uniforms supplied in the closet.


    That of course included the busty young woman.


    But it also included Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage (¡á).


    ¡°Good evening.¡±


    He greeted the maid by grabbing his skirt in both hands and giving a polite curtsy. No one questioned glasses maid Quenser.


    Yes.


    It would look unnatural for anyone but a cleaning maid to be in a vacant room, so they only had to become internal staff. Instead of sneaking around, it was best to walk out like they belonged there.


    The real maid did not doubt him for a second, so it was the young woman who whispered in disbelief.


    ¡°(Are you serious? Why do you look so at home in a maid uniform!?)¡±


    ¡°(Heh. I am Quensette, the legendary star of my safe country¡¯s local cultural festival. Although I¡¯d sealed this away ever since Monica tearfully kicked my ass for stealing the spotlight from her when she was just getting started.)¡±


    Adding a thick layer of makeup to the surface would not help. Creating a proper foundation underneath mattered more, so it was lucky they had acquired some professional makeup equipment after attacking Monica¡¯s group earlier.


    This was not about the insulating gel that let the idol wear a black cape and a bat bikini during a November night.


    Quenser did not have the subcutaneous fat of a girl, so the collagen gel helped prepare the skin which would act as a foundation for the makeup.


    (But this means Monica is still using that same gel. She¡¯s upgrading to a more professional version, but it¡¯s the same brand. Is she still using the makeup technique I taught her way back when?)


    ...No one could ever be allowed to know that an idol like Monica had learned how to put on makeup from a boy!!


    Only beginners used the chest, hips, and thighs to show off their femininity.


    The nape was much more destructive.


    Quenser had always been androgynous enough to look like a boy when wearing pants and a girl when wearing a skirt, but everyone was forced to consider the wonders of the human body when they saw that ¡°transformation¡±.


    They heard some hurried footsteps. The men in black were likely the old man¡¯s bodyguards. They walked right past Quensette and the rest of the culprits and barged into the room where the phone was hidden.


    ¡°It worked.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been about 10 minutes since the speech was interrupted, right? We need to buy another 30 minutes, but won¡¯t they find the phone almost immediately? I know you hid it in a planter, but it¡¯s making noise. You can¡¯t hide it like that.¡±


    ¡°Knowing this works is enough. Next, we¡¯ll go one floor above the 3rd floor balcony. And to fix the flaw you mentioned, I want something they can¡¯t remove so easily. Yes, a rotten stench would work nicely. But something utterly ridiculous instead of something that might be a toxic gas. We can walk around the back of the hotel in this maid camouflage, so let¡¯s put something together using what we can find in the staff rooms and storage.¡±


    ¡°Do you get bolder when you crossdress? Like someone whose personality changes when they get behind the wheel?¡±


    He ignored her nonsense and got down to business.


    ¡°A hotel should have a powerful industrial acid detergent. We use the undiluted stuff as a base, add raw eggs and mayo, and maybe include some onion and garlic...well, if they have it. Add some alcohol even if it¡¯s only disinfectant. Crab and shrimp would be nice if you can find it, but the real secret ingredient can be either vinegar or Italian dressing.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯re planning a meal, but some of the ingredients don¡¯t fit. What are you trying to make?¡±


    ¡°A powerful vomit smell.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Stomach acid contains hydrochloric acid. Pure gastric juices don¡¯t actually stink very much; it¡¯s the food being dissolved that really makes an odor.¡±


    The young woman fell silent with her mouth forming a small triangle.


    That was the proper reaction for a woman...no, for a human. There was something wrong with anyone who could discuss it with a straight face.


    Let us discuss the school Quenser attended.


    The professors there had made historic discoveries directly linked to Object development and they all fell under the category of ¡°something wrong with them¡± because they would laugh their butts off while doing this kind of thing. If you forgot your homework, it was not unusual to be punished with an iron claw to the face using an extremely intimidating glove. Quenser remembered when the usually indomitable Monica had ended up in tears after receiving one of those. It was a bitter memory because he had been punished in the same way for trying to cover for her.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s a lot faster to run into the bathroom and shove a finger down your throat than to try to precisely reproduce it with chemicals in the lab, so you could say this is the world¡¯s most pointless field of research. But when building it up from scratch, you can adjust the concentration to your liking, so you can create a much more pungent odor than the real thing. Now, old man, how long can you preserve the serious atmosphere you¡¯ve created?¡±


    Part 10


    Of course.


    The old man on the podium knew some unseen person had infiltrated the hotel to ruin his time in the spotlight.


    A biting chill ruled the November night.


    So he could see the fireworks, he spoke from a balcony large enough to hold a tea party.


    ¡°For my next question, urp, I imagine the rivers flowing in from outside your borders ¨C cough! Oh, excuse me ¨C will be your primary water source after independence, but...ugh!!¡±


    The press were forced into a constant battle with themselves. Smells were invisible, but their footage would not be fit for broadcast if they vomited. They had spent an absurd amount of money for their press passes, so they could not ruin it all by replacing their live broadcast with a ¡°please wait a moment¡± graphic.


    It was truly a trial.


    The press¡¯s pride was being tested.


    This is a rather vulgar topic, but while shit and piss are the usual examples used for odors, vomit was actually more ¡°contagious¡±. Few people would vomit the instant they set foot in a public bathroom, but it was easy to imagine other people following suit after someone used a barf bag on a closed bus or plane. Different smells affected the vomiting center of the brain differently.


    With dangerous chloride gas or propane gas, they would probably have put on serious expressions, called off the press conference, and quickly evacuated.


    But this was different.


    Could they really call off a historic event because something smelled like puke? This was the south¡¯s independence, the first page of their new history, and their first national event, so how could they cancel it over something like that? It would forever remain in the public record!!


    ¡°(Where is that coming from? They are serving alcohol here. Someone didn¡¯t drink too much, did they?)¡±


    ¡°(This is an old hotel. Maybe a pipe in the wall burst.)¡±


    There was no denying this was out of the ordinary.


    But no one was willing to say anything about it. They were afraid of that wise old adage: whoever smelt it, dealt it.


    ¡°Calm down. Please calm down everyone.¡±


    The old man¡¯s low, deep voice was not enough to settle them down. It was looking more and more like anyone who tried to take the situation seriously would be seen as a fool.


    His schedule was being delayed.


    The more this was drawn out, the further he would fall behind. And the more delays, the more the damage would grow.


    The old man knew what to do at times like this.


    Namely...


    (I must get things moving to reset their impression of me before this gets out of hand.)


    ¡°There are no more barriers standing in our way. Any problems we face have been transformed into mere hurdles which will only strengthen us as we overcome them. We have gained the power to grow. Just as a snowball grows as it rolls down the hill, there will be no stopping us now that we have picked up speed! Allow me to introduce you to the power we will use to take an equal position in international society. This is the Shield Machine 002!!¡±


    Part 11


    The maids stared in shock at the TV app on the smartphone they held sideways.


    ¡°The son of a bitch just blurted it all out there real quick!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s even stopping to breathe.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 10:50.We have to find a way to stall for 10 more minutes!¡±


    ¡°But how can we interrupt now? We already used the 4th and 2nd floors located directly above and below the 3rd floor balcony!¡±


    According to the intelligence division, the Object had a scorpion motif. It weakened the enemy with the two coilgun main cannons on either side, approached once the enemy had lost mobility, and then rotated 180 degrees. The circular shield machine on the end of the tail on its back would tear through the onion armor to finish them off. It was equipped with the bare minimum of anti-air lasers and such, but it was mostly just a hunk of steel. Quenser wanted a chance to see it to help learn about Object design, but he was not going to sacrifice the world for that chance.


    Was there any gimmick he could use to interfere with the large room and balcony where the speech and press conference were being held?


    ¡°This declaration of independence is meant to state their intentions to the world. It¡¯s meaningless without any cameras.¡±


    ¡°Then are you going to target the TV crews? But how!?¡±


    In his anti-facial-recognition glasses, Quenser thought of all the vertical pipes he could think of: the water pipes, the sprinklers, the air ducts, the fiber optic cables, the power cables, and the chimneys. But...


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do it. We would be cornering ourselves in a dead end.¡±


    ¡°Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve used up the 2nd and 4th floors, there¡¯s only one option left: the 3rd floor!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll notice if we go there now! Cameras from all around the world are focused there!¡±


    ¡°Then what about the next room over? I need a few of you to collect a few drones from the windows. Can you do that for me!?¡±


    They would have been too conspicuous dressed as classic maids and carrying lightweight drones on their arms like hawks, so they stuffed them in translucent laundry bags and carried them around like that.


    ¡°Are you going to send some drones down to mess with the old man on the balcony?¡±


    ¡°Flying off with his toupee while the cameras roll would be pretty funny, but we don¡¯t have time to mess around. Just come with me.¡±


    The master key from the linen room apparently worked on every floor, so they had no trouble entering the room adjacent to the press conference.


    ¡°Frolaytia, check the list of press in attendance. Do any of them use a pacemaker or breathing device!?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all healthy. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±


    Quenser the Maid (whose anti-facial-recognition glasses were perhaps the least interesting part of his outfit) entered the room so none of the hotel workers could see him, placed the drones on the floor, disassembled them with a flathead screwdriver, and bound some of the internal parts together like honeycombs. Altogether, it was about the size of a tray.


    The busty young woman tilted her head.


    ¡°The collision-avoidance microwave radars?¡±


    ¡°The event is ruined if the press can¡¯t broadcast it to the world. We don¡¯t have to pass through the walls or ceiling ourselves. And a centuries-old monastery won¡¯t use rebar. It isn¡¯t as flashy as an EMP, but it should be enough for the exposed electronics of civilian devices.¡±


    He pressed the honeycomb device against the wall with both hands and flipped the switch with his thumb.


    ¡°After all, microwaves are used in anti-electronic EM bombs.¡±


    The actual attack produced no light or sound detectible to their eyes or ears.


    So the thunderous explosion of sparks they heard beyond the wall would have come from the press¡¯s cameras, digital recorders, and communication devices after the microwaves hit them.


    ¡°Did that do it!?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell,¡± said the young woman. ¡°The TV broadcast, online video, and official account have all gone silent!!¡±


    ¡°Then it worked. If none of them are getting an exclusive scoop here, then they were all wiped out. Either way, it¡¯s 11 at night. We bought enough time!¡±


    A moment later, they felt a rumbling.


    Not a single lightbulb survived in the adjacent room or the balcony. With all the communication devices out, the old man and his aides could not get their instructions to the Object on a different mountain.


    But the go sign had been given beforehand.


    Their Pilot Elite would be unsure what to do, but they would normally decide their orders stood until they heard otherwise. So they were starting to move despite their doubts.


    The Object had grown fat while devouring the inside of the mountain like a red-banded sand wasp larva and it was preparing to break out. Even if that meant destroying a 400-year-old monastery and dumping dirt down on the city as if building the foundation of their new country.


    The busty young woman grew pale.


    ¡°This is bad.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The new Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes, the old man who kept running into trouble, and the Pilot Elite, who was being pressed to decide whether or not to act, all felt fear and anxiety about the unpredictable future.


    There was one exception.


    Only Quenser Barbotage had a fearless smile on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s past 11. That means checkmate.¡±


    There was definitely a muffled rumbling.


    But that was all. The mountainside did not crumble, the city was not buried, and the 50m weapon did not appear.


    Yes.


    ¡°It would be one thing if the Object had a running start, but right now the mountainside acts more like a straightjacket. And if it tries to blow some holes in that using its coilgun main cannons and laser beam secondary cannons, it should just blow itself up since the barrels are all plugged up.¡±


    He had bought the time needed.


    He had wanted at least an hour to be sure.


    That was the entire reason he and the others had been risking their lives moving back and forth through the monastery hotel.


    This was the crux of the issue.


    ¡°With normal dirt, it could probably force its way through using its reactor and propulsion device. That¡¯s why I needed an extra trick. With the ditches, storm drains, manholes, and so on, there¡¯s a network of pipes running across the entire slope, so I poured in the filler material used when creating the maintenance base. That created something like the wire mesh used to reinforce windows.¡±


    He only had to reinforce the mountainside.


    Then the Object could not break out. Its greatest weapon was the shield machine on its back, but not even that excavation device could use its full power while buried alive. And even if it could, he doubted it could bore a hole wide enough for the entire Object to pass through. And since it did not officially exist, it would vanish into the darkness if it never showed itself. If its public debut failed, it would never clash with the Transylvanian Object.


    The south¡¯s path to independence was gone.


    ¡°Now for the finishing touch.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t the Object trapped in the mountain?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still an important job left.¡±


    He no longer needed to rely on the anti-facial-recognition glasses.


    Quenser the Maid removed the unfamiliar glasses, threw open the large door, and walked into the chaotic press conference without worrying about camouflage or his footsteps.


    The doors to the balcony were wide open, so the winter chill reached him.


    He walked to the back of the dark room and shined a phone¡¯s LED lights on the large balcony.


    The 100 members of the press?


    He did not care about them at all. It did not matter how many there were when none of them had anything to record him with. They could witness the truth of the world here, but they could not leave with any objective proof.


    ¡°Hi, old man! I don¡¯t know your name and I don¡¯t care to find out. A legendary maid is here to say what must be said, so make sure your senile old brain is paying attention. A mistake here would destroy what history you do have here.¡±


    The bodyguards belatedly aimed their handguns Quenser¡¯s way, but he only scoffed and continued without putting his hands up.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to try that? Powerful EM waves do more than mess with electronics. They can also cause malfunctions in sensitive fuses and detonators. Do you want to see one of your precious bodyguards get a hand blown off by their own gun? Or a bullet could fly off course and blow out your brains. This hotel is made of solid stone, so are you sure you can calculate all the ricochets?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Was it a satellite weapon? Or a drone? Maybe a bomber? Did it come from above at all? Hell, it¡¯s possible this was the work of geomagnetism or volcanic activity.¡±


    It was okay for this to be a bluff.


    It was already over. The old man and his bodyguards had no idea how much this EM attack could do. They were trapped in the darkness with no information, so they would grow paranoid all on their own. The greatest camouflage was not a pattern of colors or light; it was the activity of the human brain itself.


    ¡°I have one demand.¡±


    The southern tourist area, the global press, and the Legitimacy Kingdom maid potatoes, who had shown up a little late, were all taken aback as Quenser faced a definite goal.


    Yes, he had needed to raise his own status to the point that he could make a demand.


    ¡°We will be taking back our kittens that wandered into your secret base, so we would like them returned immediately. If you say you can¡¯t, then you will regret that decision until the day you die.¡±


    The old man must have realized the many members of the press were of no use right now.


    This had clearly become a negotiation between just two people.


    ¡°What if I told you they were already dead?¡±


    Quenser casually tossed a plastic explosive toward one of the bodyguards. It did not have an electric fuse, but it was enough for the tough-looking man in black to panic and fall onto his ass.


    ¡°The next one will have a fuse, so let¡¯s cut the crap and actually negotiate. If you try anything, I just have to blow you up and try again with your #2.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±


    ¡°Do you think your life has infinite value or something? To me, you¡¯re nothing but one possible contact point. If you aren¡¯t working, I¡¯ll swap you out for another.¡± Quenser showed no mercy. ¡°Also, I¡¯ll be telling the Transylvania District that the south secretly built an Object to slaughter them and their people, but ultimately failed. But I¡¯ll make sure to mention that your foolish desire for mass murder remains. I doubt they¡¯ll show any mercy after hearing that. They¡¯ll make me seem downright friendly. Now, do you really think you can survive that without an Object?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Think carefully and either nod or shake your head. If you make the right choice, this legendary maid will tell the Transylvania District a very different story. We are from the Legitimacy Kingdom, but we don¡¯t want to see the unilateral slaughter of civilians in an Information Alliance safe country. If that is what they try to do, then we will have a humanitarian reason to view the Transylvania District as a battlefield country and we will destroy their Object and all of their major military facilities. So which will it be?¡±


    ¡°What makes you think I have to choose?¡±


    ¡°Is that how you see it? You can try to act tough if you like, but the Transylvania District will act at midnight no matter what happens here. Let¡¯s hope you can come up with some kind of miracle plan before then. Now, if you want our help, you need to release all of the kittens you captured. If even one is missing, I¡¯ll wrap a bomb around your neck and move on to your #2. So which will it be: yes or no?¡±


    Part 12


    And so he had a tearful reunion with his awful friend once they had both returned to the mobile base zone.


    Quenser yawned while back in his usual military uniform.


    ¡°So where were you while we did all the work? It seems unlikely they had the help of some mysterious foreign mercenary unit that took you out in a flash.¡±


    ¡°They blew up the tunnel and buried us alive. It was like a mineshaft, so we were too deep in the mountain for our transmissions to get out.¡±


    That was what had happened.


    It had seemed unlikely the southern tourist area had any proper army when they had cosplay schoolgirls out on patrol, so when Heivia¡¯s team of potatoes had suddenly been lost without a single scream or SOS signal, there had really only been one option: a surprise attack that cut off their communications.


    In the end, that had been another form of camouflage for the south. They had wanted to keep out any unseen intruders by hinting at the presence of some highly-trained assassin squad. Although the phony call for help with the proper ID signal suggested they might have a competent hacker.


    Yes.


    That was supposed to be the whole story. But was it?


    ¡°There¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t get.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    If the south had really been complete amateurs in military matters, how had they managed to build an entire Object?


    And how had they acquired a Pilot Elite who required a high-level and complex training program? Elites could not be mass-produced. They were a unique element that had to be created alongside the Object built exclusively for them.


    ¡°Someone supplied them with what they needed. Someone who was targeting them for their immense wealth.¡±


    Someone had provided them weapons at a high price.


    The assault rifles and landmines were one thing, but this included a colossal Object and a Pilot Elite.


    Whoever that was would likely be the potatoes¡¯ next enemy.


    ¡°A weapons dealer.¡±


    Between the Lines 1


    See, what did I tell you?


    It didn¡¯t work.


    It¡¯s true this is the golden age of Objects. You can¡¯t do business while ignoring that fact. However. A 50m and 200,000-ton mass isn¡¯t going to go unnoticed. There are too many watchful eyes. And our clients don¡¯t want to stand out. Because they don¡¯t want international society to gang up on them. The supply and the demand are both off base here. There¡¯s no point in even criticizing the marketing. The entire business model is a failure.


    It costs 5 billion dollars to build a single Object and it takes years to reach completion, so if it¡¯s discovered midway and international society puts a stop to it, our precious clients will be obliterated before they can pay us. You get that, don¡¯t you? It¡¯s too risky!!


    That¡¯s why I¡¯ve always said that way won¡¯t work. And just because it¡¯s the age of Objects doesn¡¯t mean we have to build a whole damn Object.


    We aren¡¯t a world power with tons of backers. But that¡¯s also why we¡¯re free to do things they can¡¯t.


    We shouldn¡¯t let our situation restrict us.


    Motivation is crucial and thinking outside the box is the key to success. It¡¯s all about innovation, creativity, and...what other word was I looking for?


    Well, the exact words don¡¯t matter.


    Now, let¡¯s enjoy war!


    I can start putting together the Parasite Plan now, right?

 Volume 16, Epilogue

    Volume 16, Epilogue


    This one really had been the worst.


    Trying to calculate how close a shave it had been would result in an underflow error.


    After trudging across the 40-degree desert and returning to the maintenance base zone, Quenser spoke to Frolaytia who rested a carbine on her shoulder and held her long, narrow kiseru in her mouth.


    ¡°Here you go, Frolaytia. One piece of shit¡¯s head. Just like you ordered.¡±


    He tossed it her way.


    That man had acquired a vast fortune by selling weapons all so he could rise above the existing hierarchy of power and have his way.


    And this was where it got him in the very, very end.


    (I¡¯m not giving up.)


    Not psychologically anyway.


    That was all Quenser had.


    And that was why he had not stopped working toward survival all that time.


    Tricks would get you nowhere. He knew that.


    He was not like that man.


    That was a baseless belief born of self-consciousness and every investor and gambler probably believed the same thing. But even if it was an empty illusion, he needed to rely on it to keep himself going.


    Meanwhile, Frolaytia caught the severed head in one hand and gave a casual comment.


    ¡°Oh, I see Rosa made it out okay.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, she¡¯s more useful than Heivia. You should definitely buy her some better food and toys.¡±


    ¡°Clearly she¡¯s too valuable to have left with you...¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Heivia, where¡¯d he get off to during all this!? I think you should make him go without food for a week!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see your friendship is strong enough to trust he¡¯s still alive, but going without food that long would kill him. Go stop by the med room later to see him. The new uniform for the medics may have been a mistake. Everyone¡¯s so busy staring at the nurse¡¯s butts they refuse to leave.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Wait, Quenser. Don¡¯t try to carve up your stomach with that knife. And besides...¡±


    ¡°Yes? Is there more???¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, um, quite the getup there. Why are you dressed as a maid???¡±


    He started coughing and looked away. He needed to change the subject and fast. Quensette of Love and Justice had to remain hidden from the world! ...Because if she was not, Monica would be so jealous of her popularity she might just curse him. Femininity? No one could ever learn that he and that childhood friend had once puzzled over some menstrual products together!!


    ¡°Oh, could that legendary maid everyone¡¯s talking about online actually be-...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop that line of thought right this instant, Frolaytia. The truth is an awful thing.¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯know, some volunteers are putting together a team to search for that legendary maid, so how do you plan to fix this? They¡¯re on the verge of working themselves to death and I feel like the legendary maid is the last ray of hope keeping them going.¡±


    ¡°If they find out, those exhausted potatoes will murder me, so let¡¯s keep this quiet, okay!?¡±


    This secret gave Frolaytia leverage over the lovely maid, but she looked less than pleased.


    She may have been having trouble finding an effective way of playing that card.


    He had to change the topic while he could.


    ¡°Frolaytia, what¡¯s with the carbine? Was there some chaos on the base zone too?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about using the confusion to murder a certain Information Alliance officer, but you ended the battle a little too quickly. Honestly, I was so close too!¡±


    That was it right there.


    He felt like he had wasted his time giving any thought at all to good and evil on the battlefield. The world was made up of people trying to take advantage of that. It was all groundwork set up for deception and camouflage. Only those who could hide could survive.


    Or maybe it was Woodstock who had actually been facing the issue of good and evil. But that was what had made them stand out so much. The result could not have been more obvious: they had vanished into the South American desert.


    Quenser latched onto that.


    ¡°What happened to the people on the farms?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty clever. As soon as they realized they couldn¡¯t win, they used a satellite connection to start broadcasting some live footage. Imagine what this result looks like when you don¡¯t know what led up to it. If we ¡®mopped up¡¯ the people in those mansions with a flamethrower, the young wives back in the safe countries would start screaming about their firm opposition to the slaughter of civilians.¡±


    There had been a lot more noncombatant maids and nuns than Frolaytia had estimated. Quenser was honestly relieved that this would end without those people being ¡°mopped up¡±.


    Experiencing life in the target area was a bad thing. The atmosphere there was infectious. He could tell he was starting to sympathize with the losing side, but it was not an easy thing to rid yourself of.


    He recalled hearing that kittens and chicks looked so cute because those were the only ones that were not abandoned by their parents and survived the natural selection process.


    However...


    ¡°The engineering group that supported the Parasite Plan and built the Gangster must be there. We can¡¯t just ignore them. If they spread out across the world powers and are secretly recruited by military labs, their infection will still spread. The arms dealer will simply have found another way to operate. They will still work their way into the world powers and build an Object in a safe environment.¡±


    Those engineers had already caused so much trouble. Even if they had a ball-and-chain attached to their ankle like Hina and even if their GPS position was constantly being monitored, Quenser had a feeling they would still find a way around it. They could easily include a secret ROM or virus inside what appeared to be an obedient Object. And with an Object, it would be too late once the problem rose to the surface.


    With the carbine resting on her shoulder, Frolaytia winked and removed the long, narrow kiseru from her alluring lips.


    ¡°The world powers apparently plan to pool their funds and build a prison. It will exist on the shared land of Antarctica and it will run on only the shared international laws. Everyone is hurting financially after being played for fools by the arms dealer. Because firing a main cannon is a lot like throwing stacks of cash around. They¡¯re all rushing toward a major public works project to fight a recession. Plus, it is the end of the year. A public works project crossing borders will create a complex stream of money. They¡¯ll be able to launder their public funding all they like.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°That was quite the speech back there, Quenser. But the monsters at the top are far greedier than you think. The officers at their desks are supposed to find a way to make up for a loss by earning twice as much. So the economy won¡¯t collapse even as we waste so much money throwing stacks of cash around the whole year round. Those four giant blobs of fat won¡¯t let it happen.¡±


    Quenser had to wonder what he had been doing.


    Obeying the world powers was easier, but then you had those blobs of fat holding you down.


    But while breaking free of those rules gave you freedom, it also placed a dreadful risk on your shoulders.


    He was a battlefield student.


    He wanted to be an Object designer.


    His goal was to break through the hierarchy of commoners, nobles, and royals and end up a winner in life. But was that dream really so innocent a thing? Would he end up a slave of the world powers or a ghost of Woodstock?


    ¡°Disillusioned?¡± asked Frolaytia with a scoff.


    Just like Quenser, that busty silver-haired officer had placed herself on the battlefield for her own reasons.


    ¡°But if you stop moving forward, you will be left behind. People as greedy as us can never be saints who are satisfied meditating in some secluded corner of the world.¡±

 Volume 16, Afterword

    Volume 16, Afterword


    And with that, this is Kamachi Kazuma!!


    Heavy Object has reached its 16th entry? The theme this time was camouflage and deception. I¡¯ve long been interested in the military application of the mimicry used by insects and marine life, so I put in all the material I had stored up.


    And I finally used Legendary Maid Quensette who¡¯s been mentioned for a while now! Now, everyone, let yourselves be confused. If I was doing this, I knew I couldn¡¯t limit it to a single gag scene and I did my best to keep the maid thing going throughout the serious scenes too. And since I was writing a novel with a camouflage and deception theme, I knew this had to be the place for it.


    From a more internal perspective, I found the series getting more extreme than I expected while I was writing Volumes 14 and 15: The Wisest Abandonment of Thought as the first two-parter for the series, so I decided to shift things back into neutral. I especially wanted to write about Quenser and Heivia¡¯s idiocy instead of running away from it. Thanks to that, the actions in this one were more one the positive side and I kind of set aside the whole concept of good and evil seen in standard entertainment. It might have been even more psychedelic than something in Blood-Sign, another series of mine. But I did originally start this series to achieve a kind of exhilaration I never could in A Certain Magical Index which directly deals with the concepts of good and evil. Seriously using a vomit weapon, hitting your partner in the temple with an explosive, and playing rugby with the villain¡¯s severed head in the climax. I think it¡¯s best for those to be things I can only do in HO, but what do you think?


    Don¡¯t overlook that the Dobermans appeared as enemies in Chapter 1 and Quenser fought alongside a German Shepherd in Chapter 3, or that Quenser got all fired up about Hina Liqueurball who as struggling against a world power in Chapter 2 and yet he mercilessly attacked Woodstock who had been similarly rejected by the world powers in Chapter 3. The burned-down forest and collagen gel are also important points. Also, Woodstock was a hint at what happens to the people who actually rise up in the world using dirty tricks like Quenser and Heivia always want to do.


    I already had an Object designer final boss with Sladder Honeysuckle in Volume 2: Adoption War, but Grinov Quarterdeck should have had a different flavor to him. Instead of a genius who stood out as an individual, I wanted him to be the charismatic type who absorbed people¡¯s frustrations and spoke on their behalf. ...To put it another way, he could not have had so much influence if he was not hiding behind all those other people. You can think of that as using the crowd of people for camouflage and deception.


    But while the four world powers use their wartime propaganda to twist good and evil as they see fit, they are using the concept of ¡°justice¡± to hide their true plans. I think that might be the greatest and most wicked form of camouflage, but what do you think?


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, Yamamoto-san, and Mitera-san. I imagine Quensette was a tough one. The lead is always the biggest pain, so I really am sorry for all the trouble!!


    I also give my thanks to the readers. With Dora Blue-Hawaii and Grinov Quarterdeck, I was trying to include a hint of bitter retaliation to keep it from being an entirely positive ending, but how did you like it? I think this too was something I couldn¡¯t have done in my other series. I hope you enjoyed it.


    And I will leave it at that.


    Noooo!! I was so focused on the serious story last time I missed Halloween!!


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 16, Extra

    Volume 16,


    ¡°By the way, Frolaytia, about that Antarctic prison you mentioned. Who is it meant to hold?¡±


    ¡°Hm? The Pilot Elite who accidentally fired on that Eastern European forest and all the related military officials, of course. We make our money with the clean wars, so we can¡¯t go easy on anyone who threatens that system.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I had a feeling¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll have a blast being locked up together. Some Woodstock members might even be willing to pay to be imprisoned there with them. Anyway, it¡¯s time for the next battle. We need to capture the bastards trying to avoid punishment by hiding within the rest of the coalition force!!¡±

 Sandy Short Program >> Second Oceanian Struggle

    Sandy Short Program >> Second Oceanian Struggle


    Part 1


    There was a country known as Oceania.


    It was famous for its koalas and kangaroos.


    A military nation had suddenly risen there several decades before and that dictatorship had continued until very recently, but the intervention of an international coalition force had brought the age of those rulers to an end. The dark military which had spread fear among the people could no longer threaten the lives of all who lived there.


    It was a perfect example of love and peace.


    The countries which had previously been fighting each other had formed a coalition force and attacked a single evil. The good of mankind had protected the smiles of Oceania¡¯s people and built the bridge leading to new hopes and dreams!


    However¡­


    ¡°Gwaaaaaaaaah!! Why are we all trying to kill each otherrrrrrrrrr!!?¡±


    Quenser gathered strength in the depths of his gut to shout out as loud as he could while rolling across the desert sand.


    He was a boy with silky blond hair, but his sex was hard to tell from his appearance. The impression he gave could change 180 degrees depending on whether he was wearing pants or a skirt.


    Incidentally, there was a reason he was rolling.


    The sandy ground was not perfectly flat. It had large ups and downs like the ocean surface on a wavy day. Quenser had wished to use the landscape itself to hide from his enemy, so he was rolling down one of those downward sloping hills.


    Yes.


    War had broken out in Oceania once more. And of all things, it was a dispute between the supposed allies of the coalition force. Otherwise, there would have been no reason to become so covered in sand as he hid behind cover.


    However, he was not sure how effective hiding would be.


    The enemy army¡¯s electronic equipment included several extremely sensitive sensors, but there was another extremely simple reason why this cover might not be effective.


    The weapon Quenser was up against was over 50 meters tall.


    It was a colossal weapon known as an Object.


    Its reactor was cleaner and more powerful than a nuclear reactor and its spherical main body was covered by walls as thick as a nuclear shelter¡¯s. Over 100 different cannons both large and small extended in every direction from that main body. The Object looked less like a smart weapon that was equipped with the optimal equipment for the job and more like a bizarre machine that had gathered every weapon its designer could think of. Gathering 100 tanks would not be enough to defeat it. Even after a direct hit from a nuclear missile or two, that monstrous weapon would continue to move as its body melted like ice cream.


    Naturally, a giant Object¡¯s line of sight was overwhelmingly higher than a human¡¯s.


    The sand dunes that looked like cover from the ground might leave him completely exposed from a higher angle.


    However¡­


    (Even if it¡¯s only a 1% chance or less, I have to try everything I can to survive!! This isn¡¯t an opponent I can stand still and hope for the best with!!)


    After he finally finished rolling down the sand dune, Quenser lay on the ground while covered in sand. The sand was quite hot from the powerful sunbeams beating down on it, but this was no time to worry about that.


    The one piece of luck was that Quenser was not the enemy Object¡¯s top priority.


    Quenser¡¯s side had an Object, too.


    In fact, he and his comrades¡¯ entire reason for existing was to ensure the battlefield was in the best possible condition for their Object.


    For that reason, the actual battle was fought between the two Objects.


    For the blunt reason of the flesh-and-blood humans being unable to do anything, there was no need to fire on them.


    However, this did not mean Quenser and the others were safe.


    To repeat: Objects were monsters that measured at over 50 meters. When two of those monsters clashed, the scale was simply too great. The shockwave of firing a shell was enough to blow away the soldiers and one fragment of the armor pieces that were blown off and scattered about was enough to take their lives.


    Every soldier on the battlefield had a single thought.


    And that thought that Quenser and the others all had was¡­


    (I¡¯m not going to let myself get killed by my ally¡¯s shell or my enemy¡¯s armor!!)


    As Quenser trembled and lay on the ground with all his strength, he heard his commander speaking over his radio. Her name was Froleytia, she had long silver hair and huge breasts, and she was obsessed with Japan.


    ¡°Continue the operation!! Don¡¯t think you can be paid from the country¡¯s tax money if you do nothing but lie around on the battlefield!! Stand up and support our big-sized princess!! If the Faith Organization Object breaches the defensive line at the ¡®castle gate¡¯, this will develop into a long, drawn-out war!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit. I¡¯m going to have nightmares about this,¡± groaned Quenser as he glared at the enemy Object which was emitting a pressure similar to a great demon god.


    (Why are members of the coalition force starting to kill each other?)


    As the coalition force, they had all worked together to defeat the villains of the Oceanian military nation.


    And now this Object was being used to take the lives of Quenser and his comrades.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the Faith Organization¡¯s second generation Object, the Strategic Antenna.¡±


    Part 2


    In the first half of the 21st century, the organization known as the United Nations collapsed.


    A cynical journalist had once said that the world had turned to stained glass afterwards. A few new alliances were formed and the countries around the world were divided between a few different colors: the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization.


    The Strategic Antenna trying to kill Quenser and his comrades was an Object belonging to one of those world powers, the Faith Organization.


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Student! Your arms, legs, and head weren¡¯t blown off, were they!?¡±


    In the confusion of the Object battle, Quenser had been separated from his companion, a boy named Heivia, but he came rolling over from a different sand dune.


    Quenser and Heivia were the same age. However, Heivia was a bit more muscular. Compared to Quenser, he wore his military uniform better and the rifle in his hands did not look out of place. However, Heivia was actually an analyst who observed an enemy Object¡¯s actions on radar and sensors to find a means of fighting it using its characteristics and idiosyncrasies.


    With sand covering him from the top of his head to the inside of his boots, Heivia spoke in annoyance.


    ¡°I wish they would give us a break. The shockwaves alone are going to make me deaf.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of ears, I¡¯ve gotten a lot of sand in mine. Is that bad?¡±


    As they spoke, the Objects continued to fire shells and earthquake-like vibrations ran through the ground. The detailed sand dunes were changing from moment to moment. As the Legitimacy Kingdom Object and the Faith Organization Object continued to carefully change their location and fire at each other, they gradually approached the two boys. Quenser and Heivia were forced to crawl along so as not to be swallowed up by an avalanche of sand. They of course tried to maintain some cover between themselves and their enemy whenever possible.


    The mixture of sand and sweat was uncomfortable, but they did not have time to be bothered by it.


    Heivia spat some sand out from his mouth and spoke in a displeased tone.


    ¡°Did you hear their Object¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Strategic Antenna, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we call it in the Legitimacy Kingdom military.¡± A corner of his mouth twisted upwards. ¡°Its official Faith Organization codename is Aphrodite. That¡¯s the goddess of love and beauty!! Supposedly, they arranged the parabolic antennae and cannons to be reminiscent of a ring of blooming flowers!!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Aphrodite the goddess that started the Trojan War? ¡­So does that mean the Strategic Antenna¡¯s unit belongs to the Greek mythology area?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty big organization even in the religious Faith Organization. And that means they¡¯ll have a pretty good Object at their disposal. As usual, we¡¯re up against a brand new second generation Object,¡± said Heivia while half spitting out the words. ¡°According to the report from the electronic simulation department, its radars and sensors were given more focus than its cannons. It has various methods to thoroughly jam any signal for 3000 kilometers around it and its own radars and sensors are modified to pinpoint anything¡¯s location even in the middle of that jamming.¡±


    ¡°That explains that high-speed battle,¡± muttered Quenser in displeasure. ¡°And our princess¡¯s movements were odd, too. If the enemy is using a strategy like that, she probably can¡¯t use any of her mechanical targeting aids. She has to manually target the Strategic Antenna while it moves around that fast.¡±


    ¡°It was originally meant to be used in the mountainous regions of Eastern Europe. I remember hearing something about the cliffs of Mount Olympus. That means this is better than it could be. If that thing was moving around this quickly on steep slopes while using its powerful jamming in a mountainous area that already affects radar signals, it would be almost impossible to find it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I hate them,¡± said a sudden girl¡¯s voice from Quenser¡¯s radio.


    It was coming from the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Object, the Baby Magnum. It seemed its pilot was chatting while fighting at high speed with the Strategic Antenna.


    As a countermeasure to the Strategic Antenna¡¯s jamming, they were using special radios that could open almost 200 ports simultaneously to send and receive data. The partial remnants of the data that managed to penetrate the jamming on each port were compiled by the machine to form a single voice. However, they had no idea how long that would keep working. They were up against an Object that specialized in this after all.


    ¡°They pointed at me and called me a whore and slut that is trying to seduce the Greek soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t something you should say to a girl. It¡¯s like asking to be slapped.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia began arbitrarily cursing their enemy, but then a stray railgun shell struck the ground a short distance away. The steel shell was over a meter wide and it blew away the sand dunes around it.


    A great explosion burst out.


    They sensed it more from a vibration over all the skin on their body than they did from a vibration in their eardrums. The great mass of sand they had been using as cover vanished. Just as Quenser felt as if gravity had disappeared, he was thrown almost three meters through the air. It did not matter that the shell had not directly hit them. The side effects were enough to send intense pain through that boy¡¯s body as if he had been punched and to almost rob him of all the oxygen in his body. He collapsed on the sandy ground and desperately tried to suck in air, but the only thing that entered his mouth was the fine-grained sand that had been blasted into the air.


    ¡°Ugh, dammit!! If it¡¯s not one thing, it¡¯s another!! Cough cough!?¡±


    He had almost lost his sense of direction in that thick cloud of sand, but he could not stay where he was. While still lying down, Quenser began rolling across the sandy ground toward another sand dune.


    The fun of seeing them joking around must have worn off because Froleytia¡¯s angry voice called out to them.


    ¡°Have you forgotten what your mission is? If not, repeat it back to me.¡±


    ¡°We have to stop that giant ball!!¡±


    ¡°Yes. Due to the long period of battles, the Faith Organization¡¯s Strategic Antenna has been unable to receive its specialized maintenance for a while now. Its main cannon is the attachCOIL. Now, a question for our student, Quenser. What is a COIL?¡±


    ¡°A chemical oxygen iodine laser!! It¡¯s a traditional laser weapon that has been continually developed as far back as the age of bombers!!¡±


    ¡°The Strategic Antenna uses a combination of an Object reactor and an old-style COIL to create a relatively powerful main cannon. That is the attachCOIL.¡±


    Some might wonder how one could avoid a laser weapon that fires at the speed of light. If one carefully observed the laser main cannon, one could apparently detect minute movements such as the focusing of the lens just before it fired. The princess calculated her evasion timing by watching those pre-firing movements.


    ¡°According to the electronic simulation department¡¯s estimations, the Strategic Antenna should be running out of the chemicals it needs to fire that optical weapon. The maintenance for its main cannon must be carried out at the maintenance base near Lake Carnegie 550 kilometers away from here. Our first interception operation carried out on its expected route through the Great Sandy Desert failed. If this second interception operation fails, the Strategic Antenna will almost certainly regain its full ability to fight. ¡­Do you understand how important this is?¡±


    ¡°We do. The problem is that we can¡¯t move no matter how much we understand!! How about you come here and try!? Dammit. Is this really Oceania? Just to be sure, wasn¡¯t Oceania a peaceful country after the war ended!?¡±


    ¡°Quenser, let me give you a piece of advice. No matter how much you complain, you are the one who will be thrown into an even greater hell if this operation fails.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only a student sent to the battlefield to learn about Object design!!¡±


    ¡°I am in a good mood today, so I will give you a second piece of advice. Whether you are a baby, an old man, a sickly boy, or an unfortunate heroine, you are a soldier as soon as you stand on the battlefield with a weapon in hand. No one can complain if you kill and no one can complain if you are killed.¡±


    ¡°Dammit!! I thought modern wars were fought between Objects and deadly battles between flesh-and-blood soldiers were a thing of the past!¡±


    ¡°Oh? You seem to have a lot of complaints, Quenser. I am not fond of rebellious subordinates. However, I try to do my best to help obedient subordinates.¡±


    ¡°Then can you at least change into a sexy swimsuit before giving us our orders!? If you do, I¡¯ll be 100 times more motivated!!¡±


    ¡°How could you even tell over the radio?¡±


    ¡°Whether I can see it or not isn¡¯t the issue! What matters is having a woman in a sexy swimsuit giving orders in an overbearing fashion!!¡±


    Froleytia must have gotten fed up with it all because she ended the radio transmission.


    Quenser clicked his tongue fairly seriously and glanced around. He found Heivia half buried under a crumbled sand dune and dug the boy out.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia! If you¡¯re gonna die, at least be of some use to me first!!¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Quenser. That comment lets me abandon you without guilt if I¡¯m ever in a pinch,¡± groaned Heivia as he began rechecking the parts of his rifle to make sure they had not been affected by the sand. ¡°When Froleytia had her ass covered in that tight skirt and was pointing at a whiteboard with a pointer, she explained that our main mission is to set up an ambush, right?¡±


    ¡°Right. We have to bury that special ¡®floor heater¡¯ in the sand.¡±


    Objects were monstrous weapons that could continue running after receiving a nuclear attack or two. Normal explosives were not enough to handle them.


    What Quenser and Heivia were discussing was not a plan to destroy the Strategic Antenna. It was a diversion meant to take away its mobility.


    Objects used various different propulsion methods, but the primary method used static electricity. The massive energy produced by the reactor would create a great amount of static electricity below the Object which would allow it to hover above the ground.


    In other words, if an electrical mat was placed on the ground that produced enough static electricity to disturb the power used to float the Object, the Object¡¯s movements could be stopped.


    The Object sprayed out a large amount of static electricity repellant to more efficiently keep itself afloat, but a substance could be placed on the surface of the mat to neutralize that to a certain extent.


    While lying on the sand, Quenser spoke as if confirming something with himself.


    ¡°Normally, this strategy would be meaningless. Even if you caught the Object in the trap, it could blow away the ¡®floor heater¡¯ with a large caliber railgun or a low-stability plasma cannon. That would free it from the trap instantly.¡±


    Heivia replied in an offhand manner.


    ¡°Yeah, Object armor can withstand a nuclear blast. If they need to get rid of a trap at their feet, they could probably use the weaker cannons on the very bottom to blow away the ground itself. No normal trap can strike a fatal blow.¡±


    ¡°But the conditions are different now. If we slip into a blind spot and activate the ¡®floor heater¡¯ below the Strategic Antenna¡¯s feet in the middle of this tense Object vs. Object battle, we can stop it for anywhere from a few seconds to a dozen seconds. Our princess can finish it off with a main cannon blast in that time.¡±


    ¡°The problem,¡± continued Heivia, ¡°is that our wonderful ¡®floor heater¡¯ is set up 30 kilometers from here. And it isn¡¯t ready to activate because they counter attacked with everything they had before it was finished!!¡±


    Thirty kilometers through a sandy desert was quite a high hurdle if they had to travel on foot.


    ¡°I thought we would have this finished already. Don¡¯t they understand it just makes everything awkward if you show up before the party is ready?¡±


    ¡°Since the fish showed up before we could finish preparing the net, they¡¯re all going to escape. We need to find a way to get that net ready before the battlefield reaches that point.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea,¡± said Quenser as he wiped sandy sweat from his brow. He pointed in what looked like a random direction. ¡°Do you see that?¡±


    ¡°Eh? You mean that porn magazine someone dropped there?¡±


    ¡°No, not there! Can¡¯t you see the off-road vehicle partially buried in that collapsed dune about 50 meters away!? Do you think we could run over there and get to the fishing area ahead of them?¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no cover. I know these sand dunes aren¡¯t much a shield against Object shells, but something is better than nothing. We¡¯ll be filled with holes not even five seconds after we start running out in the open like that. Can¡¯t you see all those Object armor fragments flying everywhere?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would say that, so I¡¯ll suggest another option. Look in the opposite direction. A motorcycle is lying about 300 meters away.¡±


    ¡°It has a fair bit of cover, but that¡¯s a long way. A stray shell could hit us while we make our way there.¡±


    Heivia hid behind a sand dune and looked back and forth between the off-road vehicle and the motorcycle. But he eventually got sick of thinking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s decide with a coin toss. Heads is the shorter route to the off-road vehicle.¡±


    He flicked a silver coin a few meters straight up with his thumb.


    Would it be heads or tails?


    Before the answer arrived, the coin vaporized. A brilliant light similar to welding almost blinded the two boys.


    The Strategic Antenna had fired one of its laser beam cannons.


    ¡°Okay! That sure as hell wasn¡¯t heads!!¡±


    As soon as Heivia yelled that, he and Quenser began running toward the motorcycle. Soon thereafter, the giant body of an Object cut through, leveling the spot they had been lying in not long before.


    Part 3


    After securing the motorcycle, Quenser and Heivia drove through the desert. Heivia was driving. They were headed for the fishing area where the ¡®floor heater¡¯ was waiting to be set up. If they did not complete the preparations before the Strategic Antenna arrived, that large catch would escape.


    If it had not been for the low rumbling of the two Objects firing shells in the distance, the desert landscape would have held a sense of spaciousness not present in the noise of a city. The horizon could be plainly seen dividing the land of fine sand from the blue cloudless sky.


    ¡°Honestly, this scenery almost makes me forget about the war,¡± said Heivia in annoyance. ¡°I hope this pain-in-the-ass war ends soon so we can get some time to rest. If we get some leave around here, do you think we could stop by Roadshow City? That city was developed by the coalition forces during the Oceania war as a symbol of freedom. I want some time to just relax, y¡¯know? I need a hell of a massage to heal my aching muscles and I need to jump into a pool that looks like a blue cocktail.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the signing ceremony for Oceania¡¯s declaration of peace scheduled to take place there? You know, that thing where the Legitimacy Kingdom, Information Alliance, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization were all going to gather together. But it seems Roadshow City has a lot of sandstorms, so it isn¡¯t very comfortable. They have information on sandstorms in their weather forecasts.¡±


    ¡°Those things are even worse than fog or a blizzard. You can¡¯t see in any direction and you can¡¯t move. Before, we almost got stranded when we strayed from the unit.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it turned out the maintenance base was only three meters ahead of us. ¡­But the military has used the people¡¯s tax money to install special weather sensors throughout the desert as well as wired internet lines, so it must be affecting the military a fair bit,¡± complained Quenser lightly. ¡°Come to think of it, that city also functions as a giant relay station for the wired internet lines, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t a satellite connection be better in such a huge desert?¡±


    ¡°They have their reasons. Those sandstorms, for example.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia¡¯s radios beeped at the same moment.


    The girl known as the princess who piloted the Legitimacy Kingdom Object was calling them.


    ¡°Will you have that ¡®floor heater¡¯ ready in time?¡±


    ¡°Well, we should have it done right away if you strip naked and put on cat ears and a tail.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, don¡¯t forget to have her end every sentence with ¡®nyan¡¯.¡±


    ¡°If you can make jokes, I will assume you can make it.¡±


    ¡°Make sure to buy us some time. And also make sure the Strategic Antenna doesn¡¯t catch on.¡±


    If they communicated by radio for too long, the information could be picked up by the Strategic Antenna. Also, distracting the princess in the middle of her high-speed battle could end up leading to their deaths. Quenser and Heivia quickly ended the conversation.


    Heivia must have been fed up with it all because he started complaining again.


    ¡°Dahh. I really want to go on vacation somewhere. Got any recommendations? I want a world heritage kind of place that will cleanse the heart just to look at it.¡±


    ¡°Inside a beautiful woman¡¯s skirt?¡±


    ¡°That would be the nicest to look at, I¡¯ll give you that, but there is no way in hell I¡¯m going there with you.¡±


    The two chatted, but they could not avoid talking about the war forever. After all, this was a problem that would decide their fate.


    ¡°The Faith Organization sure went on the offensive here.¡±


    ¡°The dispute started over how the land would be divided up now that the military dictatorship has fallen. But they must be as low as the mafia if they¡¯re willing to bring out their guns just because they feel displeased with how much they got.¡±


    ¡°What are we supposed to say to the people of Oceania? The coalition force was meant to end the violence of the military nation.¡±


    ¡°I am a noble who wants to earn the achievements needed to inherit my family. You are a student who wants to learn about Object design on the battlefield. We¡¯re in no place to act all self-important. In the end, war is fought for people¡¯s personal convenience.¡±


    ¡°I know that.¡± Quenser almost impulsively said something, but stopped and carefully chose his words first. ¡°I know that. But even so¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, another soldier is one thing, but I don¡¯t want to get an Oceanian civilian involved since they have no choice but to leave their future up to us.¡±


    Meanwhile, they arrived at the ¡°fishing spot¡±.


    They stepped down from the bike and glanced around.


    A giant V-shaped cliff jutted up in front of them. It was 20-30 meters tall. Those natural castle wall-like cliffs continued on and on to the left and right. The only path through was a 100 meter opening in front of them. That was where they were to set up the ¡°floor heater¡±.


    ¡°If it wants to, the Strategic Antenna can use its cannons to change the landscape and make its way through the ¡®castle wall¡¯ without using the V-shaped ¡®castle gate¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Even when it¡¯s running out of railgun shells and the chemicals needed for its lasers and low-stability plasma cannons and when it¡¯s fighting another Object at an even level? Also, this ¡®castle gate¡¯ is the shortest route. Trying to break through anywhere else would be taking the long way around,¡± explained Heivia smoothly.


    Then again, he had no actual proof.


    Quenser ran toward the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡±.


    ¡°The tools and equipment needed for the ¡®floor heater¡¯ have already been dropped down, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were slipped in outside the range of the Object¡¯s anti-air lasers. The presents dropped by parachute from a transport plane should be around here somewhere.¡± Heivia pointed at some large cloths waving in the wind here and there. ¡°But the wiring for activating it has been untouched. We need to hurry. An Object¡¯s top speed is over 500 kph. It can travel 30 kilometers in just a few minutes if it wants to.¡±


    Quenser gathered the explosives and equipment scattered around the area, removed the parachutes, untied the ropes, and pulled the contents from the bags. The ¡°floor heater¡± was contained within a cylinder the size of a metal drum. He connected several cords and cables to it, spread it out like a scroll, and covered it with a thin layer of fine-grained sand.


    After spreading out several metal drum-sized bundles, the ¡°floor heater¡± covered an area of 50 meters square.


    Heivia had passed through the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡± and circled to the back of the ¡°castle wall¡±. He was connecting several cylinders 50 cm wide and a meter tall. They reached several dozen meters in length all together.


    That was their power source.


    However, it was not a battery.


    Quenser stretched a reel-shaped cable from the ¡°floor heater¡± and approached Heivia.


    ¡°How¡¯s the explosion generator looking?¡±


    ¡°The explosives look fine.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d heard of magnetic cumulation and MHD generators, but this is a really rough mechanism. A giant magnet is placed in the center of a long coil, and a powerful high voltage current is created all at once by firing it at extremely high speed.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mess up the timing. An explosion generator can only create electricity once. Honestly, our missions are always gambles, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°A normal battery won¡¯t create enough energy to stop an Object, so we have no other choice. Froleytia dragged out this relatively impractical explosion generator because we need to create a massive amount of electricity in an instant.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia connected the ¡°floor heater¡± with the explosion generator.


    But this was not enough to activate it.


    The explosives in the explosion generator had to be detonated with an electric fuse. In other words, they needed another, smaller battery.


    They had to prepare that.


    ¡°The detonation should be handled by cable, right?¡±


    ¡°Wireless would be more convenient, but that might not work if the Object jams us.¡±


    As Quenser answered that question, he recalled how impressive the Faith Organization¡¯s Object was.


    The Strategic Antenna.


    ¡°It¡¯s a second generation Object with tons of radars and sensors, right? It uses its many different location and targeting systems to make sure its attacks hit. And on top of that, it uses jamming and dummy targets to prevent its enemy from even getting a lock. Its radars and sensors outweigh its cannons, so it obviously has no normal layout.¡±


    Objects were 50 meters tall and weighed 200,000 tons, but they could pull off the footwork of a mixed martial artist at speeds of over 500 kph.


    When two Objects faced each other and fired their main cannons at each other, they would not always hit. The princess belonging to Quenser and Heivia¡¯s Legitimacy Kingdom army specialized in detecting upcoming attacks from the slight movements of her opponent¡¯s cannons and then quickly evading.


    Nevertheless, the princess had been hit several times and a few holes had almost been opened in her armor.


    Fortunately, the Strategic Antenna had added an excessive number of radars and sensors and sacrificed the firepower of its weapons. In exchange for its amazing accuracy, it could not finish off an enemy in a single strike. However, the princess could not let her guard down. If enough damage accumulated, she could be incapacitated or even destroyed.


    Quenser checked on the connections of the various cables, pulled out his radio, and stuck a cable into the wired connection jack. He looked at the radio and the long, long cable extending from it.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to hide all this under the sand, but the Strategic Antenna¡¯s various sensors can¡¯t detect things buried in the ground, can they? I¡¯m worried about the explosion generator¡¯s coil, too. Will the V-shaped ¡®castle wall¡¯ shield it enough?¡±


    ¡°Our objective is to activate the ¡®floor heater¡¯ below its feet.¡± Heivia was crouched down elsewhere carrying out his own work. ¡°As long as it¡¯s driven here, that¡¯s enough. If the Strategic Antenna notices the trap and slows down even a little, the princess will use that chance to fire a main cannon into it. No matter how pathetic and disgraceful the result, we win as long as the Object is blown away in the end.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d actually prefer that to happen. If the Object blows up here, we might be turned to ash along with it. Even if we hide behind the V-shaped ¡®castle wall¡¯, it could still crumble on top of us.¡± Quenser stroked his thumb over his radio button. ¡°But what about you, noble son? Don¡¯t you want the honor of a victory?¡±


    ¡°There are different kinds of honor. I can¡¯t exactly inherit my family with the posthumous variety, now can I?¡±


    As Heivia replied, they heard an ominous sound similar to thunder clouds approaching in the distance. That was the sound of a giant Object floating with static electricity.


    ¡°Dammit! It¡¯s already here! We don¡¯t have much time left!!¡±


    ¡°Did the princess relax once she saw us go on ahead? It looks like she¡¯s leaving fate up to us,¡± said Heivia while moving his hands. But then he clicked his tongue quite loudly. ¡°Wait a second, Quenser! Get over here!!¡±


    ¡°What is it? I¡¯m busy with the final test!!¡±


    ¡°The ¡®floor heater¡¯s¡¯ activation battery is messed up!!¡±


    Quenser looked over in shock. Heivia was lightly shaking a box-shaped battery similar to a car battery. It had a few thick cables connected to the terminals, but the ¡°awaiting activation¡± notification had yet to appear on the LCD screen of Quenser¡¯s radio. It had no power.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t run out of power like a cell phone left alone for too long, did it!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the sand, dammit! Too much fine-grained sand got in the terminal area and now it won¡¯t work!! It¡¯s completely shorted out!!¡±


    Without that power source, the electric fuse to detonate the explosion generator¡¯s explosives could not be used and that meant the entire device would not work. Without the massive amount of electricity created by the device, they could not activate the ¡°floor heater¡± to stop the Object.


    If they could not stop the Strategic Antenna, the situation changed completely. The princess was on the losing side of the one-on-one battle. She was likely assuming that she could win if she only lured the Strategic Antenna into the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡±. She was going all out and forcing her way into disadvantageous situations because of that assumption.


    If they failed here, it was all over.


    It was like a runner reaching the end of a full marathon and being told he was at the halfway point and had to run the same distance again.


    The thunder cloud-like sound of the static electricity grew louder.


    The princess¡¯s Baby Magnum and the Faith Organization¡¯s Strategic Antenna could be seen approaching while continuing to fight.


    They would arrive in less than three minutes.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia! Can we use a brush or something to get the sand off the battery!?¡±


    ¡°The inside of the battery has already been fried!! Even if you risk electrocuting yourself by cleaning it out, the battery isn¡¯t gonna work!!¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± muttered Quenser under his breath.


    At this rate, they could not activate the ¡°floor heater¡±.


    The Strategic Antenna could not be defeated by the princess¡¯s Object alone. In fact, a mistake here could lead to her Object being destroyed.


    Quenser stood silently, but he was not thinking. He was mostly staring blankly at a hopeless situation.


    But he caught sight of something in the corner of his eye and slowly turned his head.


    ¡°¡­The motorcycle.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Check the amperage and voltage of that battery!! If the motorcycle¡¯s battery is the same, we can swap them out and activate the ¡®floor heater¡¯!!¡±


    Heivia moved as if struck.


    He used his tools to remove the motorcycle¡¯s battery and checked the numbers written on it. Even from a distance, Quenser could tell the battery was about two sizes smaller, but Heivia did not stop moving. It seemed to have the same values. Heivia hurried back to the V-shaped ¡®castle gate¡¯, removed the cords from the broken battery, and attached them to the motorcycle¡¯s battery.


    An electronic tone sounded.


    It came from Quenser¡¯s radio. A simple character indicating it was awaiting input appeared on the small LCD screen. The system for activating the ¡®floor heater¡¯ using an explosion generator now had power.


    But they had no time to celebrate.


    ¡°Shit! Here it comes!!¡± shouted Heivia as he hid on the edge of the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡±.


    Quenser leaped toward the exact opposite edge. The two of them stuck their heads out from the left and right and watched the approaching Object.


    The Strategic Antenna was five kilometers away.


    It could now enter the ¡°castle gate¡± in less than a minute.


    Despite being several kilometers away, it had such a sense of intimidation that they felt their throats dry up. They sweated for a reason completely unrelated to the heat of the desert.


    ¡°This is where hell truly begins,¡± muttered Quenser under his breath.


    Part 4


    The radio in Quenser¡¯s hand was the switch to activate the ¡°floor heater¡± using the explosion generator. The explosion generator could create a massive amount of energy but only for an instant, so messing up the timing would mean the failure of the operation.


    The radio was connected by a cable over 100 meters long.


    If he hit the switch just as the Strategic Antenna passed over the ¡°floor heater¡±, a large amount of static electricity would be generated which would disturb the static electricity keeping the Object afloat. That would stop its movements for a few seconds to a dozen seconds.


    If the princess fired one of her main cannons in that time, the Strategic Antenna would be unable to evade.


    Quenser would be lying if he said he was not worried.


    Even if the operation was a complete success, the Strategic Antenna would end up exploding very close by. He was hiding behind the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡± 100 meters away from the ¡°floor heater¡±, but he had no idea how much that would help. In the worst case, he would be enveloped in the blast when the Object was destroyed.


    And if the Strategic Antenna noticed he was hiding there, it would likely aim its ridiculously huge main cannon at him. Even if he was a normal soldier with no real power of his own, this battlefield was not kind enough to overlook someone who was clearly leading you into a trap. Naturally, a flesh-and-blood soldier could do nothing if he was targeted by that monstrous weapon. This was not an attack he could avoid by leaping out of the way like in an action movie.


    However¡­


    (I have to do this. If I don¡¯t, we¡¯ll be cornered. In that case, I need to try everything I can.)


    The hand holding the radio was damp with sweat.


    The Strategic Antenna would be arriving soon.


    (The countdown has begun.)


    For fear of having his voice picked up by the Object¡¯s sensors, he avoided even muttering under his breath.


    His own pulse sounded unpleasantly loud in his ears amid the extreme silence.


    And then Quenser saw something odd. It was Heivia. Heivia was hiding on the opposite side of the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡±, but he was leaning out and waving at Quenser. He seemed to be trying to tell Quenser something with his body language, but Quenser was not sure what. Nevertheless, this was not normal. Even if they were hidden, that could cause them to be spotted by the Strategic Antenna.


    Heivia looked irritated that Quenser did not understand. He gave up and pulled out something that looked like a small grenade. It was a cannon that could be held in one hand and fired shells the size of 500 mL drink bottles. However, it was also commonly used to send necessary ammunition and equipment between allies. Heivia used a hand signal to tell Quenser it would not explode and then pulled the grenade trigger to fire something toward where Quenser was hiding.


    The capsule flew over 100 meters and landed in the sand at Quenser¡¯s feet. It contained a small device.


    (A radio?)


    Quenser¡¯s radio was connected to the ¡°floor heater¡± with a cable, so he had set it to not receive any other transmissions. He must have missed some information sent to the Legitimacy Kingdom unit.


    Wondering what it could be, Quenser picked up the radio Heivia had sent him.


    The following words came from the second radio:


    ¡°I repeat.¡±


    That phrase meant something had already been stated in full.


    ¡°This is the 9th Platoon. We are deployed near Roadshow City. During our patrol, we spotted a Faith Organization transport unit. It seems they were transporting supplies for the Strategic Antenna¡¯s attachCOIL¡­that is, its main laser cannon. Anyway, the situation has grown very bad.¡±


    The route Quenser¡¯s unit and the Strategic Antenna had been focusing on travelled from north to south. Roadshow City was approximately 40 kilometers west of the ¡°castle gate¡±. The Strategic Antenna¡¯s original role may have been to slaughter any opposing forces nearby and then meet up with the transport unit to allow those materials to safely reach their base.


    The 9th Platoon belonged to the same Legitimacy Kingdom military as Quenser, but it was not under Froleytia¡¯s command. Most likely, it had been trying to limit the Strategic Antenna¡¯s actions by keeping those supplies from it.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how long we can use this radio, so this may be hopeless. But we will continue making our request as long as we can. The Faith Organization has used a carbon weapon. A large amount of an extremely fine carbon powder was scattered. It is meant to enter through a vehicle¡¯s radiator or a computer¡¯s cooling opening to fry the insides of the devices.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Quenser understood what the soldier was trying to say.


    A carbon weapon was a special weapon developed to rob an enemy army of their ability to fight by destroying their vehicles and electronic devices and nothing else. However, the carbon powder used was too fine-grained. It made its way into people¡¯s lungs and accumulated to the point of leaving severe respiratory damage. For that reason, its use had been banned by a war treaty.


    At this rate, the 9th Platoon would be annihilated.


    ¡°If any unit can hear us, please bring chemical weapon masks, explosives, and radio detonators. This is being caused by the carbon powder, so we might be able to eradicate it by causing a dust explosion.¡±


    Quenser recalled where the different units had been deployed and then shook his head. It was hopeless. The closest unit to the 9th Platoon was Quenser¡¯s. However, they would not make it in time to rescue them even if they headed out right away. The carbon powder in the wind would envelop the platoon before they arrived.


    Despite knowing it was impossible, Quenser spoke into the radio.


    ¡°Can you hear me? You need to get out of there right away. We can¡¯t go rescue you. The Strategic Antenna is right in front of us.¡±


    ¡°Dammit. I had started to assume as much when I received no response after four times, but I guess we aren¡¯t the only ones faced with hell.¡± The soldier sounded as if he were smiling bitterly. ¡°Then we have no choice. Maybe we can use the off-road vehicle that stalled. At the very least, we might be able to cause a dust explosion by blowing it up.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be caught in the blast! Even if you can escape the flames, the great consumption of oxygen will leave you without air!!¡±


    Quenser almost clicked his tongue. He knew it was almost impossible, but he desperately thought up another idea.


    ¡°The carbon weapon is being spread by the wind, but it isn¡¯t faster than a car. Get out of there as fast as you can!! That will save you. If you evacuate temporarily in this situation, it won¡¯t count as desertion!!¡±


    ¡°If we could, we would have done so long ago. We had to abandon our pursuit of the Faith Organization¡¯s transportation unit because our armored vehicles blew a few tires.¡±


    ¡°How many vehicles do you have? You can use duct tape to¡­no, that wouldn¡¯t work. Oh, I know! Instant glue! If you seal off all of the cracks in the doors and stuff cloth or something in the air conditioning vents, there¡¯s a chance you can outlast the storm caused by the carbon weapon!! You don¡¯t need to cause a dust explosion!!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how far this goddamn carbon powder will spread,¡± cut in the soldier. ¡°Roadshow City isn¡¯t very far away. If it reaches the city, it¡¯ll be the people of Oceania who suffer. If their vehicles and electronics are taken out, their rescue system will be paralyzed. Who knows how far the damage will spread.¡±


    ¡°¡­!!¡±


    Roadshow City was where the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Information Alliance, the Capitalist Corporations, and the Faith Organization planned to hold the signing ceremony for Oceania¡¯s declaration of peace. If it fell victim to the carbon weapon, the signing ceremony would be a waste. In the worst case, it could lead to a long, drawn-out war in Oceania between the four world powers.


    (Does this Greek mythology unit plan to withdraw after pulling the trigger of war!?)


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They only grew desperate and used this carbon weapon because we didn¡¯t finish them off. We will take care of this. You focus on the Strategic Antenna. We know how horrific an opponent an Object is.¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± muttered Quenser.


    He knew the one way of saving that platoon about to be swallowed up by the carbon weapon.


    Yes.


    There was a way.


    For an instant, Quenser wondered if it was really necessary to go that far. He was a student. He had been sent to the battlefield to learn about Object design. He was fighting this war to quickly obtain an excellent academic background, get rich, and, despite being a commoner, earn a social standing higher than the lower levels of the nobles. Before he thought about justice or the direction the war was headed, he had to make sure he survived. Putting himself in danger was greatly opposed to his goal.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quenser knew that, but he could not remain silent.


    He looked over at Heivia who was hiding on the opposite side of the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡±. He was shaking his head. He seemed to be saying ¡°stop¡±. He likely knew what Quenser was thinking. And knowing that, he was telling him to stop.


    Nevertheless, it had been Heivia who had given Quenser the radio and thus the final say in the matter.


    Quenser remained silent for a moment and then brought the radio up to his mouth.


    However, he was not speaking to the soldier from that platoon.


    ¡°Quenser to the princess in the Baby Magnum,¡± he said while mustering all of his courage to move his trembling lips. ¡°We will handle the Strategic Antenna. You go rescue the area around Roadshow City.¡±


    Yes.


    An Object could move at speeds exceeding 500 kph. Even if Quenser and the others could not make it in time, the princess could just barely make it.


    And an Object was a monstrous weapon that could not be finished off even with a nuclear strike. Even if she blew away the carbon weapon in a dust explosion and was caught in the blast, the princess would be fine.


    However¡­


    If the princess¡¯s Object left the battle here¡­


    ¡°Quenser!!¡± cried the princess.


    ¡°If you hesitate, my courage might waver, so get going. We don¡¯t have time. If you don¡¯t go all out, not even you will make it in time! You of course need to save the 9th Platoon, but you also need to save Roadshow City. If it¡¯s taken out, we will lose the timing for the signing ceremony and the four world powers of the coalition could easily begin waging war here!! If that happens, no one can say how much the people of Oceania will be dragged into it all!! So go!! Hurry!!¡±


    ¡°¡­!!¡±


    The distance between the two battling Objects suddenly increased.


    The princess was withdrawing.


    She slowed once as if hesitating, but her Object quickly disappeared at full speed toward Roadshow City. She likely wanted to rescue the unit and return as quickly as possible.


    But she would not make it.


    The Faith Organization Object would obviously reach the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡± sooner.


    Heivia was shouting something while ignoring the risk of giving away their location. Even if he had not heard the details of the conversation, he understood what it meant for their Object to leave. Quenser thought as he listened to Heivia¡¯s shouting. He had done nothing wrong. There had been no better option. The carbon weapon was about to envelop a unit of a few dozen people. It nothing was done, it could even reach Roadshow City. It could bring back a supposedly ended war in the worst possible way. The carbon weapon would decide the direction of the entire war, so it was more important in the long term than the Strategic Antenna. For that reason, Quenser had made the best choice. He was sure he would be proud of his decision someday.


    However¡­


    ¡°To hell with this,¡± he spat out as he threw the radio forcefully into the sandy ground.


    A strange feeling had exploded within Quenser¡¯s chest. It was an ugly and black feeling. The massive destructive power of the giant Object seemed to be half-forcefully dragging something out of the depths of his heart.


    ¡°To hell with this,¡± muttered Quenser again.


    A minute trembling had appeared somewhere in his body and it spread across his body in no time at all.


    It was impossible. There was no way they could win.


    Their plan had been to allow the Object to be used to its fullest, but that crucial Object had left. There was no hope of victory left. Even if they activated the ¡°floor heater¡±, it would be meaningless. Quenser and Heivia would definitely be killed.


    (Why did it have to happen at a time like this?)


    If the carbon weapon had been scattered just a few minutes later, everything would have ended without issue.


    Quenser honestly felt he would have not hesitated to say no rescue was coming if he could redo that conversation now. He would have refused to give up the Object. He would have forced his own convenience onto them and switched off the radio. He was sure of it.


    As he sat there trembling, Quenser finally began to move.


    An oddly raw light could be seen in his eyes.


    ¡°That was wonderful, Quenser,¡± said Froleytia over the radio. ¡°That was the right decision. Overall, stopping a long, drawn-out war between the four world powers takes precedence over the immediate battle.¡±


    She had not used her authority to send the princess back to the ¡°castle gate¡±. That was likely because she thought she might have made the same decision under the same conditions.


    She went on to say, ¡°But what will you do about the Strategic Antenna!? If it passes through the ¡®castle gate¡¯ we will be at a severe disadvantage!! If you are going to change my strategy without permission, then don¡¯t leave things half done!! Give me a method of resolving all of the problems!! Don¡¯t tell me you are fine with being the one in the most danger!¡±


    ¡°That just means we have to take care of this ourselves, right!?¡±


    Quenser was actually more panicked than even he knew, so he half shouted back at her. This was no way to speak to his commanding officer.


    ¡°You¡¯ll overlook this if I find a means of destroying the Strategic Antenna that is more effective and certain than having the princess take care of it after activating the ¡®floor heater¡¯ below it, right!? Then just watch!! I¡¯ll earn a medal right before your eyes!!¡±


    The sound of someone clicking their tongue came over the radio.


    She was conflicted because Quenser¡¯s decisions had been correct in the big picture and because she could find no way of aiding him as his commander. She normally acted horribly cold, but she never abandoned her subordinates in the very, very end.


    After a short hesitation, Froleytia finally spoke.


    ¡°You have permission to take action, so do something about the Strategic Antenna. That is all.¡±


    She ended the transmission there.


    Quenser stared down at the radio for a while and finally shouted toward his partner as if he had gotten over his worries.


    ¡°Dammit. Heivia! The strategy doesn¡¯t matter anymore!! Who cares about our orders!? We just have to find a way out of this on our own! That will keep any of our allies from dying!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t decide that for me, you piece of shit! We need to escape that thing¡¯s cannons first!! I don¡¯t see how we can get out of here alive!¡±


    The Strategic Antenna was unmistakably heading toward the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡± where Quenser and Heivia were. If it found them, they were dead. That Object could collect an overwhelming amount of information with all its sensors and radars, so it was near impossible that it would overlook them. No matter where they hid and even if they dug underground, the Strategic Antenna would certainly locate them and fire on them.


    A cold sweat covered Quenser¡¯s body.


    He did not have enough oxygen. He felt like he had forgotten how to breathe.


    That giant Object was approaching.


    Were they already within range of its cannons?


    It was able to kill them at any time, but would it choose to avoid an instant death and torment them first?


    Was there anything they could use against it?


    Quenser knew there was not, but he still glanced around. His eyes stopped on the remains of the battery half-buried in the sand in the open area of the ¡°castle gate¡± a few dozen meters ahead.


    That was the battery originally prepared for the ¡°floor heater¡±. It had shorted out after getting too much fine-grained sand in it.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quenser¡¯s entire body stiffened for a moment.


    He pulled out his handheld device and accessed the military network. He could gather all sorts of information there: data from the electronic simulation department, maps of the battlefield based on military satellite images, etc. Quenser chose to recheck the local weather information. He received the worst possible answer. The event Quenser had hoped for would never occur. The situation was simply too bad.


    However, Quenser moved his slender fingers and accessed further information.


    And then he muttered to himself.


    ¡°We might just survive this.¡±


    Part 5


    Meanwhile, the Object known as the Strategic Antenna to the Legitimacy Kingdom and as Aphrodite to the Faith Organization had detected the two enemy soldiers hiding behind the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡±. In addition to simple video data, it had accurately detected their location from the heat of their bodies, the sound of their pulses, and the faint magnetic field produced by a human body.


    It had also confirmed the presence of the explosion generator and some other device buried in the sand.


    But no matter what kind of trap it was, flesh-and-blood soldiers could not destroy an Object. It had likely been prepared to use alongside their Object.


    Aphrodite did not immediately kill them because the pilot was curious about the enemy Object leaving the battle. Aphrodite was an Object that specialized in its sensors and radars. It had intercepted all of the enemy¡¯s transmissions and signals. And based on that, the pilot began to wonder if those transmissions had been faked to lead him into some kind of trap. Those two soldiers could be bait.


    But that seemed to be a needless fear.


    From the information gathered in the battle so far, he had a decent estimate of the range of the enemy Object¡¯s main cannons. And that enemy had moved outside of that range. The odds of a surprise attack were close to zero.


    In that case, he needed to hurry up and kill those soldiers and then pass through the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡±.


    Once he arrived at the maintenance base near Lake Carnegie, he could replenish the chemicals needed for the attachCOIL main cannon. If he succeeded in that, he would no longer need to act so carefully out of fear of running out of ammunition. He could fight all he wanted with the dangerous Legitimacy Kingdom Object and create all sorts of situations in which he could destroy it.


    And just as he thought that, intense noise ran through the data being taken from the Aphrodite¡¯s sensors and radars.


    The Aphrodite was a cutting edge second generation Object developed to specialize in information gathering, but static ran across its monitors.


    And that noise did not affect only the Strategic Antenna.


    Quenser¡¯s vision was robbed in an instant as he watched on.


    He found it difficult to see even a few meters ahead. All Quenser could see was the general shadow of the giant Object.


    The same was true for his ears.


    He had no desire to open his mouth and try to taste it.


    If he opened his tightly clenched lips even slightly, he felt his mouth would be instantly filled with sand down to the back of his throat.


    Yes.


    The static had a very simple cause.


    It was a desert sandstorm.


    Even the color of the sky had changed. The sunlight was partially blotted out. In dim light similar to a cloudy day, the roar of blowing wind and the sensation of fine-grained sand all over his body were both oddly clear.


    The Strategic Antenna¡¯s cannons moved as if writhing.


    These were not the main cannon. They were the 100 smaller cannons installed all across the Object¡¯s spherical body. However, that was no consolation to Quenser and Heivia.


    Any cannon installed on an Object was enough to crush a human.


    Quenser gave up hiding on the edge of the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡± and charged out toward the flat and open desert.


    ¡°Run, Heivia!!¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid!? Do you want to die!?¡±


    ¡°The Strategic Antenna has lost sight of us!! If we stay where we were, it¡¯ll hit us!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s eyes opened wide and he half-leaped out from behind cover.


    Shortly thereafter, large-caliber coilguns let out a roar.


    Two shells broke the sound barrier to the point of exceeding Mach 8. They struck the spots Quenser and Heivia had been hiding in and sent shockwaves scattering out.


    The Strategic Antenna had lost sight of its enemies, so it had fired on their last known locations. The edges of the V-shaped ¡°castle gate¡± broke and it was forcibly widened. Large chunks of rock rained down on the desert.


    The two boys could no longer hear.


    They had not been directly struck, but they had still been hit by a tremendous impact which sent them flying several meters through the air.


    ¡°Gbh. What?¡± As he rolled across the sand, Heivia spoke out of confusion more than pain. ¡°Why can¡¯t it find us when we¡¯re right in front of it?¡±


    ¡°The sandstorm protected us.¡±


    ¡°Just hiding us on the video footage wouldn¡¯t be enough. The Strategic Antenna has tons of different types of sensors.¡±


    ¡°The desert can exceed 40 degrees during midday. When the air is whipped up like this, it can¡¯t distinguish our body heat from the air. The iron sand mixed in with the rest of the sand neutralizes the magnetic sensors. Why it can¡¯t hear us is obvious: it sounds like metal sheets are being scraped together next to our ears and this din is covering the entire area. It can¡¯t use any of its sensors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a nice explanation, but it comes down to being lucky, doesn¡¯t it? If this sandstorm hadn¡¯t conveniently occurred, what would we have done?¡±


    ¡°This is no coincidence.¡± Quenser gave a bitter smile while lying on the ground. ¡°The princess headed for the Roadshow City area 40 kilometers away from here, remember? Her plan was to blow away the Faith Organization¡¯s carbon weapon with a dust explosion.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a simple explosive blast. A large-scale explosion consumes the oxygen in the air and creates a change in atmospheric pressure. All of that ultimately produces a local violent wind.¡±


    Quenser had researched some things on his handheld device earlier.


    In addition to the weather data, he had checked the electronic simulation department¡¯s data. Also, the Great Sandy Desert had sandstorm weather sensors set up along the path of the wired internet connection. Quenser had acquired the simulation and the real data he needed to back it up.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. God dammit. So you¡¯ve proven that this world occasionally rewards good people. I¡¯m so happy I think I¡¯m gonna cry.¡±


    ¡°There is one other thing I want to prove,¡± said Quenser as he began crawling forward along the ground.


    Of all things, he was crawling toward the Strategic Antenna.


    ¡°H-hey, Quenser? What is it you want to prove!?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± answered Quenser without looking back toward Heivia who had frantically begun to follow him. ¡°A method of destroying that Object.¡±


    Part 6


    After ten minutes, the sandstorm died down.


    Quenser and Heivia lay face up in the middle of the desert. The Strategic Antenna was already gone. It had been unable to detect them to the very end.


    ¡°So it ultimately came to nothing,¡± said the incredibly cold voice of Froleytia over the radio. ¡°I suppose I should praise you for managing not to get yourselves killed. But no matter the reason, you altered the entire unit¡¯s strategy without permission and then failed to produce any results. That is the truth. Prepare to be thrown into the detention barracks.¡±


    ¡°Not so fast,¡± replied Quenser as he wiped sand from his hair. ¡°I found a way.¡±


    To put it simply, the Strategic Antenna had lost sight of Quenser and Heivia due to the sandstorm.


    At first glance, that result did not seem contradictory.


    However, there was one clearly odd point.


    ¡°Did you notice, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°Damn you. Is that what you wanted to prove? We really are gathering information with our own lives, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°The sandstorm died down,¡± said Quenser as he sat up and spat out sand. ¡°Yet the Strategic Antenna was unable to find us.¡±


    ¡°The curtain of sand did more than get in the way of its sensors.¡±


    ¡°The massive amount of hot sand, iron sand, and everything else coated the sensors and radars and prevented them from functioning.¡±


    Quenser recalled the battery that had stopped working once sand got inside. Most likely, that had been due to a sandstorm. The Faith Organization¡¯s carbon weapon also destroyed electronics using fine particles.


    ¡°Come to think of it, the Objects stationed in Oceania were brought in from around the world to stop that military nation¡¯s tyranny,¡± said Heivia in annoyance as he sat up as well. ¡°In the Greek mythology part of Europe, the Strategic Antenna could go all out without having to worry about sandstorms. In a one-on-one fight there, our princess might have lost.¡±


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t used to the desert,¡± added Quenser as he wiped more sand from his hair. ¡°And unlike the Strategic Antenna, our princess¡¯s Baby Magnum has given no report about a sandstorm affecting its sensors.¡± He removed the ¡°floor heater¡± cable from his radio and started back toward the motorcycle. ¡°Let¡¯s try to come up with a way of artificially producing a sandstorm. If we can¡¯t, let¡¯s find another way of scattering sand around. Maybe we just need to fire an Object cannon into the ground. At any rate, we need to calculate out the necessary amount of sand and the exact method needed.¡±


    ¡°That Object might have something like windshield wipers. Maybe a device that uses a negative electric charge to shoot off any particles stuck on it.¡±


    ¡°Even if it does, it has to wait for the sandstorm to die down. I doubt it can handle a sandstorm that continues sending more and more sand onto it. If we can use this method to help the Baby Magnum, we can finally fight back against the Strategic Antenna.¡±


    Quenser then gave a final comment in a tone of voice that silenced even Froleytia who was still angry over his changes to her strategy.


    ¡°We can destroy that monster.¡±


    Part 7


    The Object known as the Strategic Antenna to the Legitimacy Kingdom and as Aphrodite to the Faith Organization arrived safely at the Faith Organization maintenance base zone.


    The boy pilot Elite exited from the top of the 50 meter Object, walked along the scaffolding set up around it, walked down some stairs, and finally arrived on the ground.


    He had lost sight of the enemy soldiers due to the sudden sandstorm, but everything else had gone well.


    He could not take the Legitimacy Kingdom Object lightly, but it was not an opponent he could not defeat. Aphrodite¡¯s sensors and radars could accurately read his opponent¡¯s movements and its various types of jamming prevented that opponent from reading his own movements. There was no way he could lose in a battle between Objects.


    And once the chemicals needed for his attachCOIL main cannon were replenished at the maintenance base zone, the difference in battle ability would change dramatically.


    And then the boy Elite noticed something.


    Aphrodite was the type of Object that floated just off the ground using static electricity. Just like a hovercraft, the trick was to efficiently distribute the weight by making the bottom into a flat board shape.


    The float towered above like a cliff.


    And something had been written in black marker on the side of that cliff.


    It was written in the alphabetic language mainly used by the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    The pilot Elite read the words written there.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be so lucky next time.¡±


    The boy Elite froze in place for a moment.


    His shoulders then began to shake slowly. He was laughing. When he pictured this unseen enemy approaching that close, that Object pilot lightly tapped the back of his hand on the words written on the side of the float.


    As he did, he spoke quietly.


    ¡°This should be fun.¡±

 Heavy Object AD >>War is Born of Knowledge and Education

    Heavy Object AD >>War is Born of Knowledge and Education


    Part 1


    Paris, Normandy District.


    As you likely know, that city existed at the very center of a safe country and was the combined capital of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s home country. Land values were so ridiculously high it was hard to even rent an apartment there. Buying one¡¯s own home sweet home was completely out of the question, but there were a few locations that took up a large chunk of land even in Paris, one of the world¡¯s most densely populated areas.


    One of those was the Royal Techno Academy.


    Quenser Barbotage had returned there this afternoon.


    He wore the dark blue blazer of the Academy¡¯s uniform. That Azur Soleil ¨C azure sun ¨C was the symbol of a prestigious school that strict mothers aspired to so much that they would throw their child into the entrance exam wars whether the child liked it or not. And blue was undeniably the color of the Legitimacy Kingdom. In other words, that uniform was worn by the children who would support the future of that world power.


    Quenser traveled the world destroying the colossal Objects which could survive a nuclear bomb and the online news called him a Dragon Killer, but his proper home was this school full of green lawns that took students from elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and graduate school.


    Allen Jackrose, a male classmate who wore the same uniform but wore plastic elbow and knee pads, had this to say.


    ¡°Hey now. If you were coming back from the battlefield, you should¡¯ve told me. Now we can¡¯t even throw you a surprise party. And did you come straight here from the airport? I hope you at least paid your parents a visit, Quensette.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. That¡¯s the legendary maid who only appears at the cultural festival. And I couldn¡¯t stay at home because my old man is sheltering yet another girl like he¡¯s taking in an abandoned cat. This one¡¯s the illegitimate child of some noble and she¡¯s been caught in the middle of some inheritance issues! I step inside my room to find that girl has transformed it into her independent nation of cake and tea. Ahh, I¡¯ll have to find a cheap hotel to spend the night.¡±


    ¡°Your old man has got one hell of a chivalrous spirit for some plain-looking guy in a suit. He¡¯s a knight from the age of Saint George. They don¡¯t even make movies about that kind of retro hero anymore.¡±


    ¡°What he has is a kind of sickness, same as a compulsive gambler or speed demon. He doesn¡¯t even think about how it will benefit him! From what I¡¯ve heard, it was something similar that led him to marry my mom while they were still students.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve got the same blood in your veins.¡±


    Since the Academy had an elementary school, middle school, high school, college, graduate school, and all the related research buildings, the campus was both sprawling and complicated. It was so easy to get lost that visitors and hopeful students called it a dungeon.


    They were in a dining hall.


    Allen looked perfectly at home, but Quenser was looking around restlessly even as he leaned back in his chair and rested his legs on the table.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in here. The sign out front says it¡¯s the noble dining hall, right? I feel out of place as a commoner. It¡¯s like seeing the pink tiles of the girls locker room.¡±


    ¡°Quensette, I¡¯m not going to even ask why you know the color of the tiles in the girls locker room. But is it that weird? It¡¯s hard for me to tell as a poor noble with the proper ID but not much else. My home is a 500-year-old rundown apartment, you know?¡±


    ¡°That just makes it rarer. Is it a world heritage site made from an old monastery or something?¡± Quenser breathed an exasperated sigh. ¡°Anyway, how have your film studies been going? Weren¡¯t you saying you planned to sell your script to a distribution company? How¡¯d that go?¡±


    ¡°I made a connection with a producer and got their digital business card.¡± Allen pulled out his smartphone and waved it around. ¡°They¡¯re actually holding a competition today, but that was before all this trouble. To be honest, I¡¯m carrying a print-out of my script under my clothes. Once this is over, I¡¯m gonna run right there. Hopefully I¡¯ll look like the star showing up just in the nick of time.¡±


    ¡°So even the Academy¡¯s geniuses have trouble finding work, huh? Why not get some help from that¡­what was it called? That club you can only join if your grades are near the top in the school? Um, the Golden Lion Club? You¡¯re part of that secret salon, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only useful if you want strict military and government contacts. It¡¯s a complete waste of time for the more relaxed entertainment industry.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that sounds good to me. I want an in as an Object designer, so I wish you¡¯d hand over all those connections.¡±


    ¡°Got anything useful to trade me? ¡­Anyway, I¡¯m just clever enough to get perfect scores on my tests. When they hold me up like some kind of genius for that, it all feels so silly I wish I could trade lives with someone else.¡±


    Quenser and Allen both yawned.


    They could hear some loud voices coming from outside the building.


    ¡°Speaking of the girls your old man rescues, have you heard what Monica is up to?¡±


    ¡°Lady Monica, huh?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s voice was dripping with scorn, but Allen leaned forward.


    ¡°I heard she¡¯s become an idol that sells decently enough. She visits different battlefields around the world and introduces cutting-edge Objects for everyone back in their living rooms! It¡¯s damn amazing. She really can turn anything into a success. Hard to believe that¡¯s the same girl who had to be sheltered in your food cellar after her family collapsed. I bet I could write an entire script just telling her life story.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha! Her!? Smiling for the camera? Pushing her tits together and shaking her ass for some sex appeal? Not a chance! She can¡¯t go a sentence without calling you a servant, she criticizes how you open a damn door, she insists you stand by her side to make her look better, and she can¡¯t get enough of picking on a commoner like me! There isn¡¯t a snowball¡¯s chance in hell she knows how to fake a smile!!¡±


    ¡°Um, uh¡­¡±


    ¡°And another thing. A battlefield idol reporter? She introduces cutting-edge Objects??? Nope, nope. There¡¯s just no way. Wow, just imagining it gives me goose bumps. Besides, she¡¯s lousy with machines! Whenever I brought her a portable TV or radio to keep her busy in our cramped cellar, she would break it before half a day was up and come crying to me every single time! Do you have any idea how many times I had to fix those things!? And how did that crazy girl even break them that badly!?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the matter, Allen? You¡¯ve gotten awfully quiet.¡±


    Quenser looked confused and Allen finally spoke up in an apologetic way.


    ¡°Sorry, Quensette. I realize now that I really should have warned you sooner.¡±


    ¡°Warned me about what? Wait, don¡¯t tell me. Did Monica get an extreme fan club here after her idol debut and they don¡¯t take kindly to people badmouthing her? That¡¯s just creepy!! There has to be something wrong with you to worship her of all people!!¡±


    ¡°Not¡­quite what I meant.¡±


    Allen pointed toward Quenser.


    No, he was technically pointing behind Quenser.


    ¡°Monica happened to have plans on campus, so she ended up returning here the same time as you.¡±


    ¡°Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!?¡±


    He tried to spin around real quick, but it was too late.


    Before he could, two arms wrapped around his neck from behind his chair. Someone¡¯s full body weight leaned on him, a sweet scent and some warmth surrounded him, and a girl¡¯s voice whispered in his ear as if to a lover.


    The twintail demon rubbed her cheek against him as she spoke.


    ¡°Queeeeeeeeeeeeeeenserrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr?¡±


    ¡°Hgh!! Hgh, Monikaaaaa!! Why are you here and why do you already have me in a headlock!?¡±


    ¡°Sorry if it prickles a bit. I was in a planning meeting for the surprise campus concert, so this Cinderella dress isn¡¯t complete yet. It still has safety pins here and there. Hee hee hee hee hee.¡±


    He could not turn around.


    She had his head held in place and his butt had risen from the chair a bit, but she only spoke to him ever so gently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re exhausted after your long trip, but let¡¯s go have a chat over there. It seems you need a refresher course on how a knight and servant should treat his master¡î¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never forgotten a word you¡¯ve said, Lady Monica. You are looking as beautiful as ever and your nobility is clearly greater than a mere external golden ratio because I can sense the glow of the soul within you! You remind me of a pure white blossom shining in the moonlight at the peak of Mont Blanc!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want blatant lies! Mont Blanc is snowy year round, so there are no flowers growing at its peak!! Come here, servant!! You dare remove your collar and forget your vow of servitude? Some reeducation is clearly in order!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Pff, wait, you don¡¯t mean that thing where you tap my shoulders with that stick, do-¡­wait, no, no! Wait, Lady Monica! Why are you bringing that pepper shaker to my eye!? Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!!!???¡±


    The look in Allen¡¯s eyes was warm as he watched the sacrifice dragged away, chair and all.


    (God, I¡¯m jealous. What could be better than flirting with a former noble and current idol? Monica chose to be a battlefield idol reporter so she could chase after Quensette and Quensette keeps accidentally placing himself right in her strike zone. Why don¡¯t they just get married already???)


    But unfortunately, this was not the time to be flirting.


    After all¡­


    With a loud boom, the dining hall¡¯s outer wall collapsed.


    Yes, a handmade railgun shell had shot through the wall.


    It was fortunate everyone was knocked to the ground by the shockwave because it prevented them from being skewered by the shower of wreckage that followed.


    ¡°Ugh, cough!!¡±


    ¡°Those goddamn teachers! Have they finally pulled out that experimental nuclear fusion pellet launcher!?¡±


    Allen did not actually approach the window, which was nailed shut with boards, to check. Approaching the torn-up wall now would get you filled with holes.


    He kept his head low and checked his smartphone.


    If he had actually sent out a drone, it would have been immediately located and shot down by an experimental laser emitter. He was viewing footage from the swiveling camera attached to the top of the bell tower.


    The green lawn had been torn up in places and tractors and snowplows with metal plates attached for armor were driving around. The things that looked like monstrous volleyball launchers were handmade cannons created by the best of each department. The naphtha-filled flamethrower was on the kinder end of the spectrum. There was also a compressed gas cannon using liquid nitrogen and a short-range missile launcher that misused proof-of-concept models for standalone rockets.


    There was not just one side making a unilateral attack. Makeshift barricades were set up all over and people were leaning out from behind them to fire on the others. The students and teachers were using weapons made from the knowledge of their respective technical schools.


    Either the school was self-governed or the police had decided their standard equipment was not up to the task because there was no sign of the local authorities. That was hardly surprising when everyone had firepower capable of blowing right through your average armored truck. A police car or riot shield would be as useless as paper. The police had only set up shields outside the fence to make sure no stray bullets escaped the campus.


    The weapon that had attacked the dining hall was an especially brutal model: an experimental railgun loaded on the back of an armored truck.


    Quenser saw something from the floor after his chair flipped over backwards.


    He saw Monica recklessly and unsteadily attempting to stand up in her pinned-together dress and he saw more of the dining hall¡¯s outer wall being blown away.


    The railgun had been fired again.


    ¡°It¡¯s gonna hit- bwah!!!???¡±


    Before he could give a warning, he was flipped over again.


    And as the shell cut across the dining hall, it caught perfectly on just the skirt of Monica¡¯s dress, blew it away, and broke through into the hallway.


    A few scraps of cloth fluttered through the air like swan feathers.


    Quenser thought blood was going to drip from his ears, but he poured all his strength into his voice.


    ¡°That was some impressive control!! But that¡¯s a railgun, right!? Why didn¡¯t it blow you to smithereens!?¡±


    ¡°My dress is only pinned together, so only the outer cloth came off.¡±


    ¡°¡­I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s enough to explain it.¡±


    ¡°Do not act like I should be dead, servant!¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not gonna complain too much when I get to see some skin!!¡±


    Super-mini dress Monica belatedly hid her thighs behind a hand and used the other hand to slap him, but with how long she had known him, she should have known he would see that as a reward.


    Woken up by the slap, Quenser dragged the twintail idol to the floor so she would not be hit by the third railgun shot and he shouted to Allen.


    ¡°Can we get student reinforcements!?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t arrive in time from where they are. If we don¡¯t get out of here now, the teachers¡¯ troops will be in here.¡±


    Some dangerous words were being used here.


    And it was not restricted to Quenser¡¯s group.


    The shouts heard outside the building were very different from the healthy ones of runners and sports practice.


    ¡°Wahh!? Someone from that fanatical Animal Committee has finally unlocked the cages! Are those crocodiles!? No, they¡¯re gators!!¡±


    ¡°Ulljenne and the others are not weapons!! Animals are our neighbors and must be protected!! If you keep complaining, I¡¯ll sue you for defamation!!¡±


    ¡°Liar!! You put them in special-made reinforced suits to increase the power of their jaws!! Hey, someone bring in the taser! Hook it up to the battery and amp for the light music club¡¯s guerilla concert!!¡±


    ¡°Outta the way! Don¡¯t get anywhere near any water!! Charge complete! Let¡¯s do this!! Prepare for discharge!!!!!¡±


    A loud zap, a blinding flash of light, and several screams followed.


    The railgun was frightening, but a pack of gators sent a different type of fear crawling along one¡¯s fingertips. The overall situation was best described as chaotic and the makeshift strategy meeting continued in the dining hall.


    Allen held his head in his hands as he spoke.


    ¡°Unfortunately, we have to abandon the dining hall. I guess that means the teachers will take the fridges and ovens. We¡¯re losing some important infrastructure here. We need to hurry out of here with as much food and water as we can carry!!¡±


    ¡°In that case, we should tear down some curtains and make some bags. The Island Nation has these convenient things called furoshiki! They can make all sorts of bags depending on how you tie them!!¡±


    ¡°Quensette, what will you do!?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re abandoning this place, right?¡± The student grinned. ¡°Then leave all the kitchen work to the legendary maid Quensette. I¡¯ll tamper with the gas range a bit. When those greedy teachers come marching in here, the whole room will blow up and turn all the leftover food to ashes. There won¡¯t be a single crumb left for them to eat.¡±


    Allen whistled.


    ¡°Scorched earth tactics, huh? That¡¯s pretty cruel. And if you have it turned to ashes right before their eyes, they¡¯ll probably explode with infighting. And here I thought neither of you two would be returning home at a time like this.¡±


    ¡°To be clear, I never would¡¯ve come had I known!!¡± shouted Quenser. ¡°The second I entered the campus, the gate slammed shut behind me and fighting erupted all around me! But since I¡¯m here, I¡¯m gonna make sure every last one of them regrets it!!!!!¡±


    ¡°I was right to drag you two into this. Anyway, let¡¯s scram and begin fighting back against those teachers!!¡±


    ¡°Wait, how long do you plan to keep holding me, servant!?¡±


    ¡°Until you stop shaking!!¡±


    Once the necessary work was complete, Quenser¡¯s group grabbed an electric nail gun and a makeshift slingshot bow gun made from a bicycle tire tube before leaving the dining hall.


    Yes.


    They were in Paris, right smack in the center of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s home country.


    The radiant Royal Techno Academy was split between the students and teachers, creating a truly unprecedented battlefield.


    Part 2


    The teachers¡¯ reinforcements arrived sooner than expected.


    Quenser gave a frantic shout while running down the hallway.


    ¡°Hurry, hurry!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Quensette! You¡¯re forgetting something!!¡±


    ¡°The teachers are already here, so the dining hall is gonna blow! Besides, I¡¯ve got a weapon, food, my wallet, and a condom. What could I be forgetting!?¡±


    ¡°The heel of Monica¡¯s pump broke and she tripped!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, geez, really!?¡±


    Quenser was annoyed, but he ran back, placed his hands on super-mini dress Monica¡¯s back and below her knees, picked her up princess carry style, and resumed his escape. He handed the twintail girl what he had been carrying.


    ¡°Kyah!! D-don¡¯t touch me, servant!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Say a word more and I¡¯ll silence you with a kiss!!¡±


    They continued arguing back and forth as he ran down the hallway.


    Both Quenser¡¯s hands were full, so they had to rely on Allen¡¯s electric nail gun and Monica¡¯s foil, a light-weight fencing sabre. However¡­


    ¡°There they are! It¡¯s the students!!¡±


    ¡°We can take them right now. Restrain them!!¡±


    Some adults suddenly charged out from another hallway.


    Quenser¡¯s throat went dry, but¡­


    ¡°Servant. Sway to the right and take one step forward!¡±


    Monica thrust out her sports sabre while still in his arms. As soon as it lightly contacted the lab-coat-wearing adults in the chest or thigh, bluish-white sparks exploded out.


    ¡°Abwah!?¡±


    The professors collapsed and convulsed on the ground while Monica calmly brushed her hair back with a hand.


    ¡°Oh, excuse me. One of those was a male ¨¦p¨¦e finishing blow. How indecent of me. But this is all those dimwitted teachers can manage. Fencing already used an electric current to determine a hit, so hook it up to one of the building¡¯s AEDs and voil¨¤.¡±


    ¡°Quit acting like you know how to use machines. I put that together as a sidearm for myself, but I see you still have a bad habit of stealing people¡¯s toys.¡±


    ¡°Servant.¡±


    ¡°Forget I said anything, my lady.¡±


    That said, it clearly had less to do with her fencing skills and more to do with the teachers being distracted by the skin exposed by the idol¡¯s torn dress, but Quenser held his tongue since a high-voltage attack from a defibrillator was too much for him. And they could not hang around here much longer.


    They started running again.


    They needed to reach safety.


    He and Allen broke through the glass covering the faculty smoking room and hid behind a thin partition just as a gas explosion blew up the dining hall behind them.


    Quenser grimaced at the intense pain in his ears from the boom.


    ¡°Dammit! And I can¡¯t even complain since I did it!!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going. We¡¯re almost to a student barricade.¡±


    They finally managed to scramble back to their fellow students.


    There were quite a few students huddled behind the barricade. Nobles and commoners normally would not even share the same coffee beans, but they got along just fine when they had a common enemy.


    Even so, they could not let their guard down.


    Something cut across just past the barricade. And it was accompanied by an explosive noise that sounded like the buzzing of a bee amplified thousands or even tens of thousands of times.


    ¡°Um, as you can see, a machinegun is a weapon capable of tearing a hole in a single point by focusing its fire there. Now, you might think a Gatling gun using gunpowder is the most powerful of them all, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Shit! It¡¯s that infamous professor! He¡¯s as nutty as ever!!¡±


    ¡°Fall back, fall back!! Why the hell is he giving a lecture like normal with all this going on!? And the world¡¯s most dangerous lecture at that! He¡¯s got a whiteboard and a heavy machinegun! They couldn¡¯t show this kind of experiment on an educational show!!¡±


    ¡°The explosive can also come in liquid and gas form,¡± continued the professor. ¡°For example, if you take LNG meant for a gas turbine and keep just the right amount in the barrel at all times, you can get a truuuly incredible rate of fire like this.¡±


    Fortunately, the crazy old lab coat man with wild gray hair apparently had the same 5-inch visual range as someone walking while using their smartphone, so he did not seem to notice them. He slowly cut across in front of the barricade while carrying the heavy machinegun on his back and rolling the wheeled whiteboard along with him. Of course, he was also firing an unbelievable amount of bullets as he did so. Those trying to escape bought some time with a wheeled barricade made by taking experimental steel panels mixed with heat-resistant reactive material and stuffing it into a giant metal basket meant to carry basketballs, but they could tell it was being worn down while sparks flew everywhere. It would not last forever.


    Quenser gulped and spoke.


    ¡°Is he like the grim reaper wandering around an online game¡¯s field? He could tear down these thin walls in an instant if he tried. The worst part is that he¡¯s doing this while completely sober. Who the hell gave him a teaching license?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s one of the people officially recognized for bringing the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Objects from the First to the Second Generation. And he was on a list of the 100 scientists most likely to build a time machine this century.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what happens to a genius who loses sight of common sense. Quensette, try not to end up like him, okay?¡±


    Once the explosive old man left and they breathed a sigh of relief, Allen explained the situation.


    It had begun with some confusing matter related to the suspected misappropriation of funds for teaching supplies.


    Top Student Allen simplified it as follows: a conflict between the teachers and students.


    ¡°Basically, some idiot teacher was bribed into purchasing a bunch of unneeded teaching supplies, so the students started protesting with a megaphone in hand because we have a right to a proper education. And it devolved into this.¡±


    It was not simple enough to just say the na?ve and idealistic children took issue with the messy world of the adults. Quenser had chosen the Royal Techno Academy to assist his dream of being an Object designer because its students were the treasures of the Legitimacy Kingdom. Its graduates would be directly involved in the growth of all that world power¡¯s countries. Fail to properly educate them and the entire world power would suffer.


    ¡°The conflict started small, but it got way worse once the beautiful Student Council President was attacked after gathering the entire high school behind her. According to what I heard in the Golden Lion Club, she was independently researching the misappropriation of funds and was just about to submit a secret file to a prosecutor. And popular people have a lot of influence, for better or for worse.¡±


    A pile of desks and chairs blocked a portion of the hallway. Quenser¡¯s group was hiding behind those along with other boys and girls in the same blue blazers. Quenser and Allen handed out the food and water they had brought from the dining hall.


    ¡°You said this is a conflict between the teachers and students, but do all the teachers support that side?¡±


    ¡°How should I know? But if a teacher approaches with their hands up and insists they want to join our side, who¡¯s going to believe them? They¡¯d just get ganged up on and beaten. And anyone who refuses to take a side will just get attacked by both sides. You¡¯ve gotta pick a side to protect yourself, but the teachers only have one option there. Everyone has to pick a side, but they won¡¯t want to die.¡±


    Quenser groaned.


    Having no opening for surrender was its own kind of tragedy. People would be forced to fight to the end even if they did not want to fight at all.


    ¡°The Student Council President, who is getting complete bedrest at the hospital, was worried about that too. I only know what I¡¯ve overheard at that salon, but her attempt to find some conclusive evidence apparently came from a benevolent desire to end this before the conflict grew. But the teachers rejected that by attacking her. It¡¯s their own fault. And that¡¯s what led to this macaroni western.¡±


    ¡°Is that really all there is to it? I mean, this is trouble at a school right? Won¡¯t the government¡¯s¡­um, what was it called? Office of Academics? Won¡¯t the stuffed shirts there come mediate this?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten where we are? This is the Royal Techno Academy.¡±


    ¡°Royal means it¡¯s funded by national tax money, right!? So don¡¯t they have to follow the rules!?¡±


    ¡°Officially, yes. But the Office of Academics can¡¯t actually do much since so much here involves military secrets. I sometimes hear about those bureaucratic issues at the Golden Lion Club. If one faction took control of the Academy, it would break the balance of power, so the Offices of Military Affairs, Academics, Administration, and plenty of others all want to be in charge. The school is effectively self-governed because it falls into a gap between all those competing offices.¡±


    That meant the adults could not just talk this out.


    In that case, they had to grab giant blackboard triangles and metal bats to fight it out until one side or the other accepted defeat.


    War was the absolute worst thing humanity had created, but as more wars had been fought, Quenser felt like they had cleaned them up or at least specialized them with a structure that prevented them from lasting too long. The clean wars accepted by the housewives in front of their TVs would never have ended up like this.


    (Wars used to be so long they could last for 30 years or 100 years, right? Who has time to mess with that?)


    ¡°Students like us outnumber the teachers by a lot, but the teachers have better tech. Each of their attacks is ridiculously destructive and some of them are trying to send out a bunch of remote-controlled unmanned weapons to fill out their numbers. Plus, they know the layout of the Academy better than we do. When you combine personnel with tech, it¡¯s pretty much a stalemate.¡±


    For one thing, what was the win condition here?


    Did the students have to slaughter every last teacher to end this? And was the opposite an option? Since neither side could surrender, there had to be some kind of target they could destroy to end it, but what exactly could they destroy to convince the other side they had lost?


    And.


    If they did not convince the other side, they could only continue killing the enemy until they had. They had to keep providing ¡°examples¡± until one side was too afraid to keep going.


    At some point, the afternoon grew into evening.


    Flames colored their surroundings and the air smelled of farewells.


    ¡°The Board Chairman and the Headmaster. We need to target them,¡± said Allen. ¡°Those are their pillars of support. In a 2-hour movie, they¡¯d be the ones to appear in the first 15 minutes and reappear in the last 15 minutes. And the evidence suggests one of the two was involved in the misappropriation of funds. It doesn¡¯t matter if we actually find an account book. We just have to capture a VIP who knows the whole story. That should convince the others to give up. Then we can grab a megaphone and shout, ¡®Are any of the teachers looking nervous!? Then they¡¯re the criminals who got the rest of you innocent teachers involved in this battle. Once they¡¯re gone, you can surrender safely.¡¯ ¡±


    Twintailed Monica responded to that with exasperation while tapping the floor with her stun sabre made from a modified foil.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that just start a witch hunt? You¡¯re just asking them to hand over anyone who acts even remotely suspicious. They might just be a naturally heavy sweater.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only fair. They¡¯re already targeting the elementary school, middle school, and university Student Council Presidents because they¡¯re the pillars of the students. Plus, the teachers will be easier to defeat if they start attacking each other out of suspicion. I don¡¯t want to deal with this any longer than necessary, so I want to end this nonsense and run over to the screenwriting competition.¡±


    Allen explained it all quite smoothly, but there was no real hatred in his voice.


    His emotions had reached the point where driving the teacher¡¯s to absolute destruction felt completely natural.


    It was not that he would lose his cool and kill them.


    He could kill them while keeping his cool.


    The attack on the beautiful Student Council President may have affected the students more than expected.


    As ¡°outsiders¡±, Quenser and Monica had to exchange a glance and shrug. A lot more had happened in their short absence than they had expected.


    ¡°But VIPs like that will be strictly guarded, won¡¯t they? What do we do about that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re fighting over infrastructure now: food, water, power, gas, air conditioning, space to sleep, communications, etc. If this drags on long enough, clothing and detergent will carry a lot more weight. ¡­Whatever happens, it¡¯s important to drive your opponent into an environment where simply breathing wears them down. Then you attack their headquarters after they lose their focus.¡±


    That was why Quenser, Allen, and the others had been in charge of the dining hall. Not even the toughest soldiers could keep fighting without food to eat. That had ended in failure, but the teachers had lost their chance at the food as well.


    Similar things were happening all over campus. There was fighting over the drink and bread vending machines and even over the chlorine-smelling water of the indoor pool. That was due to a rumor that the tap water could be shut off at any time. They had heard there were students in school swimsuits and teachers in racing swimsuits beating each other with kickboards and lane lines.


    ¡°Hold on, Monica. Why are you eating macarons? Where did you get those from!?¡±


    ¡°Those Culinary Research Club girls over there gave them to me. They said something about morale being a surprisingly important factor. Servant, if you show me you have recalled how to treat your master, I might just grant you one.¡±


    ¡°Lady Monicaaaa!!¡±


    ¡°Well done. Now say ¡®woof¡¯ for me.¡±


    The twintail girl pulled a snack from its clear wrapping and tossed it toward Quenser¡¯s mouth. It was degrading, but sugar was absurdly attractive to his exhausted mind.


    ¡°Come to think of it, those girls were carrying bags of salt like they¡¯re the most important things in the world.¡±


    ¡°Munch, munch. For real? I know it¡¯s necessary, but I really want to avoid being holed up in here for so long we have to subsist off of water and minerals. Now that¡¯s a scary thought.¡±


    Then Allen¡¯s smartphone received an email.


    After scanning through it, he showed it to Quenser and Monica.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to get to work.¡±


    ¡°What is it now?¡±


    ¡°Just when I thought we had cut off the teachers¡¯ access to food, that meddlesome school store has apparently opened a mobile shop for the teachers. They¡¯ve gotten some emergency rations from outside the Academy fence. Those meals were prepared by parents worried about their kids, but now they¡¯re just going to fill the teachers¡¯ bellies.¡±


    ¡°So our job is to get rid of that food cart, right?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately. We¡¯ll blow it away and capture the aproned young woman in charge of the store. We¡¯ll threaten her with our projectile weapons and finish her off with Monica¡¯s stun sabre. Does everyone know what to do?¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Why does it sound like I have the most dangerous job?¡± asked Monica. ¡°Did the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s spirit of chivalry decide to take a vacation?¡±


    ¡°Calm down. Now while she is an adult, she¡¯s not actually a teacher, so this is something of a gray zone. But we know the teachers are relying on the school store, so this will help apply pressure to them.¡±


    Part 3


    Every part of the building was a brutal scene. The hallways and stairs were impassable due to piles of desks and chairs. There were holes in the walls and floors and collapsed building materials were scattered across the floors. The bulletin boards on the wall had only the corners of printouts remaining after the paper was violently torn away, perhaps for use as kindling.


    Amid it all, a redheaded woman wearing a lab coat and a long skirt walked along a hallway of professors. She held a wicker basket, she stood tall with dignity, and she nodded at the armed men and women she passed.


    ¡°Hello. I am here with supplies. The water bottles won¡¯t last too long since they were only filled from the tap, but you never know when the tap water will be stopped.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thanks. The students are right over there. Make sure they don¡¯t attack you.¡±


    After watching the professors rush to the front line, the woman breathed a sigh of relief.


    She continued walking until she had left the danger zone and then she spoke to no one in particular.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re in the clear.¡±


    There was a sound like the wind beating at a curtain.


    Quenser poked his head out from below her long skirt.


    ¡°Phew. Sorry about this for, um, a few different reasons.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I am an intermediary, after all.¡±


    The Academy was divided between the students and teachers, but with an elementary through graduate school, not everyone knew each other. Generally, people only recognized people from the same class, lab, or club. They had used that fact to have mature-looking students change clothes, temporarily infiltrate the teachers, and gather intelligence.


    But the opposite was not an option.


    Unless there was a genius girl who had skipped a bunch of grades and become a visiting lecturer, not even the most baby-faced teacher could pass themselves off as a fellow kid.


    ¡°It¡¯s this classroom, right?¡± said Quenser. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave here. You be careful, okay?¡±


    ¡°I will. By the way, do I really look that mature? I¡¯m hesitant to ask, but that means I look sexy and not old, right!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m praying you can finally graduate this year. Also, the panties worn below pantyhose don¡¯t have to be beige. Something more exciting would be better. Like red. Adieu.¡±


    After a bitter farewell with the mature upperclassman girl, Quenser entered one of the empty classrooms. Allen and Monica were already there after arriving by different routes.


    ¡°Servant¡­ Don¡¯t you think your solution was somewhat inelegant?¡±


    ¡°Quensette, you never change, do you? But maybe you shouldn¡¯t do that in front of Monica. Or are you trying to get her attention?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. We need to do something about the school store woman¡¯s food cart that¡¯s giving food to the teachers, right? You said there was a safe route from here, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    With impromptu weapons in hand and zip ties to use as handcuffs, they got started.


    The hallways and stairs were blocked by occasional barricades and the areas controlled by either side were arranged in a confusing manner, but there were exits. There were holes large enough to crawl through in the walls and floors and some had rope ladders dangling from them. It was arranged so looking at the blueprint would not tell you where to go.


    Super-mini dress Monica sounded annoyed (while being very cautious of her skirt during the extreme vertical movement).


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t set it up this way just to make it feel more like a secret base.¡±


    ¡°Setting the mood is surprisingly important. A battle begins before the fighting actually starts.¡±


    ¡°S-servants should not act more knowledgeable than their master!!¡±


    ¡°You really haven¡¯t changed at all!! Not that¡¯s gonna stop me from enjoying the view up your skirt!!¡±


    ¡°Do I need to stomp on your face, servant!?¡±


    While they argued, they made it outside the building. All the doors and windows were marked by the teachers and had gun turrets aimed at them, so only the holes in the walls were accessible. The flowers of a flower bed apparently happened to hide this hole from view.


    They did not feel any freer with the evening sky overhead.


    Allen spoke while curled up in his blue blazer with elbow and knee pads.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stay low and follow the walls around to the back of the building. It¡¯s a lot easier than sneaking through the ducts like in an action movie. The route between the middle school building and the shortest fence is their silk road. That will bring us right by it.¡±


    There was no real reason to disagree. Quenser and Monica followed Allen as he led the way.


    There was little cover outside, but that did not mean it was completely deserted. Some people with highly specialized bicycles used the almost complete silence to ride around out there. They were couriers. They were probably from the Cycle Racing Club or something, but they were transporting supplies between buildings or delivering letters containing information that could not fall into the teachers¡¯ hands.


    Since the teachers had an armored truck with a flamethrower on top making occasional patrols, that job really was putting their life at risk.


    ¡°Stop, Quensette. Don¡¯t leave the bushes. We need a detour.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? But if we¡¯re spotted, we¡¯ll be blown to bits.¡±


    ¡°Look up. See those ¡®party balls¡¯ hanging up there? Those weren¡¯t in the reports, so the teachers must have set them up recently.¡±


    Quenser and Monica hesitantly looked up and saw something like fist-sized fruits hanging from the tops of the streetlights. They were cans full of explosives and they had razor blades blatantly tied on with wire. If those exploded over your head, you would be hit by a storm of blades.


    ¡°Those are tripwires, right? It¡¯s different from the normal method, but there¡¯s a straight line from the bottom of the can to the ground.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I called them ¡®party balls¡¯, Quensette. But there might be another switch besides that obvious tripwire. And that half-assed setup might go off just from a strong gust of wind shaking the can. It would be best to find another way around, right?¡±


    They ever-so-carefully crossed that deadly territory.


    After returning to the bushes and circling to the back of the building, they all groaned together.


    ¡°This is crazy. It¡¯s that railgun!!¡±


    ¡°So even if it stands out too much, they¡¯re completely focused on securing a food supply, huh? But that just shows how cornered they feel.¡±


    ¡°U-um, you¡¯re kidding, right? All we have is my stun sabre, an electric nail gun, a slingshot bow gun made from a bicycle tire tube, and around 20 zip ties. Surely you aren¡¯t planning to charge an armored truck with a pellet launcher attached!¡±


    Monica¡¯s face tensed with her modified foil in hand.


    Her response was only natural after seeing that thing¡¯s destructive power earlier. If the teachers noticed them, they would be blown to smithereens along with whatever wall they were hiding behind.


    Quenser and Allen exchanged a glance.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Not even a little.¡±


    Twintail Monica breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that, but then things changed.


    Allen pulled a small egg-shaped device from his pocket, surreptitiously tossed it toward the railgun truck, and spoke up while operating his smartphone.


    ¡°Allen to High School General Building Rooftop Team. Requesting support.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    It happened just as the battlefield idol reporter frowned.


    ¡°Activating marker. Volleyball regulars, go get it!!¡±


    Several small scale explosions followed.


    More and more melon-sized items were fired down from the rooftop.


    In no time, the armored truck protecting the food cart was engulfed in orange flames. Rather than the dry explosions of explosives, this was the sticky flames of Molotov cocktails.


    Quenser and Allen sounded carefree as they looked up at the roof.


    ¡°Damn, you gotta love those demons in bloomers.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s even hotter when they have those elbow and knee pads on. You don¡¯t see them all geared up like that very often.¡±


    ¡°You mean like how the exact same busty girl has a way stronger upperclassman aura when she¡¯s wearing a Student Council armband?¡±


    ¡°God is in the details, right?¡±


    The two continued their calm chat while the explosions continued. Meanwhile, twintail Monica was nearly knocked to the ground, so she clung to Quenser and shouted. He enjoyed her warmth, but the proximity of the stun sabre caused his balls to shrink. He could not focus.


    ¡°Wh-what is that!?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell, Monica? It¡¯s a volleyball launcher. But the balls are filled with gasoline instead of air. What I threw over there was a kid¡¯s personal alarm, so they¡¯re using the GPS signal to aim the bombs.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°That must be tricky since they don¡¯t break like a bottle would. What¡¯s the ignition method?¡±


    ¡°Molotov cocktails.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so they¡¯ve taped eye drop bottles all over them or something? Talk about dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Your slingshot bow gun¡¯s arrowheads are pretty much the same, aren¡¯t they? You stuffed a bunch of things in a glass fiber bag the size of a ping pong ball so the contents will scatter like a shower when it hits.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more like a plastic balloon with caps attached here and there. The Academy developed it to scatter the jelly food for killing roaches.¡±


    While those two described the weapons like they were on an infomercial, the railgun truck burned before their eyes. Monica was still clinging to Quenser and trembling.


    ¡°I-it isn¡¯t going to fire back on us, is it?¡±


    ¡°Railguns ¨C or rather, the large-capacity batteries used to power them ¨C are generally weak to heat. With that much fire covering it, it¡¯ll swell out like Island Nation rice cakes and stop working altogether. I mean, it is only an experimental prototype. It doesn¡¯t have proper insulation or cooling.¡±


    Incidentally, the aproned young woman pulling around the food cart had completely panicked and fallen onto her butt. They would not even need Monica¡¯s foil or the zip ties. That woman had lost the will to fight.


    ¡°Does that complete our mission, Allen? If we don¡¯t show some mercy soon, she¡¯s going to piss herself.¡±


    ¡°Not a chance. There¡¯s still some trash left over there.¡±


    The problem was the burning armored truck.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s end it quickly. The driver is going to scramble out before they roast to death and the volleyball team is leaning over the edge of the roof despite the danger. Let¡¯s finish the driver off for good before they can cause some damage with a handmade rocket launcher or something.¡±


    Quenser held the slingshot bow gun made from a tire tube and Allen held the electric nail gun as they began to approach the burning armored truck.


    But then something odd happened.


    A girl of about 10 ran out from the wall of a nearby building.


    ¡°Stop!!¡±


    She ran on unsteady legs to reach the (remains of?) the armored truck, spun around, and held her small hands out as wide as she could as if to protect it.


    The short-haired girl wore something like a red suit with a tight miniskirt and she shouted at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Both sides lay down your weapons! It¡¯s wrong for us to be killing each other like this!!¡±


    All of a sudden, she was in tear-jerker mode.


    Quenser¡¯s group had been interrupted at the last second and was not sure what was happening, so they could not decide whether they should run out there or crouch back down.


    ¡°Who is she!? A pacifist from the elementary school!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, this is bad!¡±


    The burning armored truck¡¯s door opened behind the girl.


    Just as they had expected, a large, muscular man grabbed the girl¡¯s shoulder from behind. Then he wrapped his arm around her neck to use her as a shield.


    ¡°None of you move or this kid-¡­!!¡±


    Quenser and Allen started moving before he had finished his threat.


    With two dry sounds, orange sparks flew from the side of the armored truck behind the large man.


    He cowered down and glanced back without thinking.


    ¡°W-wait, you understand the situation, don¡¯t you? I have a hostage!!¡±


    Quenser and Allen ignored that and boldly approached him.


    But instead of burning with an indomitable fighting spirit, they did so while tilting their heads a little.


    ¡°Hey, Allen. Do you know how to shoot a gun?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. You¡¯re the battlefield student, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but they don¡¯t let students touch them. So how are you supposed to hold one? Like this? Or do you hold it sideways like this? Looks like something from a mafia movie, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No, like this. See?¡±


    Another odd sound rang out.


    The sparks coming from the armored truck behind the cowering man were enough to know a metal nail had shot right past him at high speed.


    ¡°Quit acting like you know what you¡¯re doing. You didn¡¯t even hit him.¡±


    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to use the¡­sight, is it called? Line that up to aim.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but does your handmade bow gun even have a sight?¡±


    ¡°I dunno.¡±


    ¡°Well, not that it matters.¡±


    ¡°Wha-, wait, hostage!¡±


    The large man trembled and stammered, but it was too late. It was obvious a 10-year-old girl was not large enough to function as a pure shield.


    They continued approaching him.


    And those inscrutable modern children spoke their conclusion in unison.


    ¡°We just have to keep trying until we hit.¡±


    ¡°We just have to keep trying until we hit.¡±


    Only a scream followed.


    The large man shoved the small girl away, turned tail, and ran.


    Quenser lowered his bow gun and caught the girl, but Allen was different.


    A few dull sounds rang out in quick succession.


    And while watching the large man writhing on the ground holding his leg, he spat out some cold words.


    ¡°What an idiot. The hostage was the only reason he was still alive.¡±


    But Quenser was in no position to make a witty comment.


    The red suit girl in his arms gave him a solid chomp.


    ¡°Ow!? Wait, wait, let me explain! That was all an act to get him to let go of his hostage! It was all a plan that put your safety first!!¡±


    ¡°You fool!! Why do you have to take the easy way out? He had lost his will to fight. He was trembling. You didn¡¯t have to go that far!!¡±


    The struggling girl tried to approach the injured man, so Quenser quickly and firmly held her back. He did not want her taken hostage again.


    But once twintailed Monica decided it was safe and finally came out of hiding, she looked at him like he was absolute scum. She poked him with the tip of her modified-foil stun sabre.


    ¡°Okay, servant. That was assault, groping, and kidnapping. That¡¯s three outs. Better luck next life.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really!? You¡¯re counting that!? But it was necessary to keep her safe. If I had let her go and do what she wanted, she might have been killed! Would you arrest someone for molestation after they rescued a drowning child from the ocean? Of course not!¡±


    Allen also sounded somewhat gloomy.


    ¡°Quensette.¡±


    ¡°Please, say something. You¡¯re about to start on an important plan to capture the Board Chairman or Headmaster, so you need all the help you can get, right? You don¡¯t want to lose a useful soldier to bizarre accusations, do you?¡±


    ¡°Quensette.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Allen, what¡¯s with that tone? Is no one on my side??? F-fine then. I¡¯ll follow the safe country rules. But please let me choose my lawyer! I-If I¡¯m remembering right, my aunt¡¯s cousin¡¯s friend¡¯s neighbor¡¯s tutor¡¯s social media friend¡¯s impersonator is an eloquent son of a bitch from some law office or another!!¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about that, Quensette.¡±


    Allen pointed at Quenser.


    No, at the girl in his arms.


    ¡°Now that I have a closer look, this is Board Chairman Elritta Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Quenser looked down at the girl in his arms.


    She responded by clearing her throat.


    Part 4


    Apparently, a lot ¨C a very, very lot ¨C had changed while Quenser was gone.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Board Chairman a gray-haired old lady!? Why¡¯d she de-age all of a sudden!?¡±


    For the time being, they pulled the full food cart to the nearby high school gym which functioned as a student base. It was closer to dinnertime than lunchtime and the students there had barely had anything to eat, so after placating the rush of students with food, they asked what was going on.


    The students inside the gym wore a variety of uniforms: basketball, hockey, tennis, squash, cheerleading, gymnastics, etc. Other than the thick hockey pads, there did not seem to be much of a logical reason for it. Maybe they were reducing individual anxiety by providing a sense of belonging or showing their team unity.


    The meals they shared were sandwiches from Honey & Bread, a popular bakery just off campus which was a well-known battleground at lunchtime. That only increased the resentment toward the teachers for trying to steal the food.


    Since the aproned young woman from the school store was in a gray zone outside either side of the fight, they had zip tied her hands behind her back, hung the personal alarm from her neck, and told her to walk out through the Academy¡¯s front gate. They had of course already attached that GPS identifier to an email saying ¡°I am a foolish turkey. Please do not shoot me.¡± Of course, this was not done out of kindness. They simply did not have the food or guards to spare for a prisoner and the more people they took with them, the harder it would be.


    Finally, it was time to get down to business.


    Allen sounded carefree as he grabbed a club sandwich.


    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of the previous Board Chairman who had a stroke recently. It ended up not being life threatening, but she was replaced regardless. Now, the Academy¡¯s Board Chairman has been part of the Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es family for generations. Lady Elritta here was chosen this time.¡±


    Quenser and Monica looked to the 10-year-old girl and exchanged a glance.


    ¡°Wait, wait. Allen, didn¡¯t you say either the Board Chairman or Headmaster was involved in the misappropriation of funds? You¡¯re saying this girl is the culprit? Don¡¯t make me laugh. We¡¯re not talking about shoplifting from a candy store here.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t be so sure,¡± readily stated that awful friend. ¡°The Academy is said to be the greatest educational institute for the sciences, but it¡¯s come to light that its finances are actually in dire straits. The new Board Chairman would have had a bunch of problems dumped on her lap right off the bat, so she would have been desperate to find a way to pay off debts which had piled up for several generations. She didn¡¯t make the debts, but they became her problem when the baton was passed to her. So if the devil began whispering in her ear, you can never predict what she would do. I mean, she could leave the actual financial calculations to her secretary or accountant. If she was told she could claim ignorance and get away with it, she might just agree and join the other criminals.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how little do you trust her?¡±


    When Quenser asked that, Elritta (who had ended up sitting in his lap) tore a bite out of a fruit and cream sandwich with a sulky look on her face.


    ¡°That is not what happened,¡± she said while munching on the sandwich.


    Any amount of spice must have been too much for her because she showed no interest in the honey mustard chicken sandwiches or the peppery BLTs. It was possible it was more the idea of spiciness she avoided than the actual flavor. The influence of people¡¯s first impressions could be quite powerful in the culinary world.


    ¡°First of all, it is very odd that the Academy has split between students and teachers.¡±


    ¡°What? This isn¡¯t some conspiracy theory about the Capitalist Corporations or Information Alliance infiltrating the Academy to sabotage our future Object development, is it???¡±


    Monica sounded highly skeptical, but that was not Elritta¡¯s point.


    She had this to say:


    ¡°You have it backwards.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°You think the teachers are trying to attack the students because they do not know how to deal with the financial malpractice and so you have to fight back, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes. What about it?¡±


    Allen sensed something ominous about that question, so he was very cautious in his question.


    But Board Chairman Elritta gave a derisive snort and continued.


    ¡°That is backwards. The teachers are not behind this. The true villain is manipulating the teachers into attacking the students.¡±


    The sandwich in Quenser¡¯s mouth never seemed to reach his throat.


    That premise ¨C even as a hypothetical ¨C was far too dangerous.


    ¡°Hold on. What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°The villain is not one of the teachers. You will never find a teacher who was involved in the financial malpractice.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait! What are you-¡­?¡±


    ¡°What the true villain fears most is having the adults find the evidence of that malpractice. Not just childish complaints, but properly-researched adult testimony. So they split the Academy between students and teachers in order to get rid of the faculty members who were investigating the matter. You were unwittingly acting as the villain¡¯s vanguard. To kill the very people who were revealing the truth.¡±


    No.


    If it was this much of a shock for Quenser, then how bad would it be for Allen who had been fighting this whole time based on a hatred he thought was only natural? He seemed to be having trouble getting oxygen to his throat.


    He held his body in his arms, which produced a crinkling of paper from his stomach.


    That was the script he had planned to submit to that contest.


    Even if it was idealistic or self-aggrandizing, that was a product of his entire moral worldview.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even when he thought at least one of the teachers was the villain, he would have felt some guilt.


    But what if they were all innocent?


    What did that make someone who had chased them around, beaten them, and shot at them?


    How was he supposed to work through that guilt???


    ¡°I will explain it piece by piece.¡± Elritta sounded apologetic as she licked some cream from her fingers. ¡°Let me get one important thing out of the way first. The misappropriation of funds for teaching materials does not exist. There was financial malpractice, but it was an entirely different matter.¡±


    ¡°A different matter?¡±


    ¡°This is a ¡®royal¡¯ academy that runs on public money, right? No matter how wildly it spends, that money is not going to dry up so easily. If its finances are in the red, there must be a good reason for it. And not something as insignificant as getting a kickback for purchasing unnecessary supplies.¡±


    Then what was this about?


    Elritta provided an answer to their question.


    ¡°War.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°This is a different form of war.¡±


    The Board Chairman¡¯s answer did not explain much of anything.


    She must have realized that because the red suit girl added more.


    ¡°Ahem. Objects are everything in modern wars. Even if you gather tens of thousands of puny foot soldiers, they will be slaughtered if just one colossal nuke-resistant Object is deployed. That prevents any simpler power games. If the other side has one Object and we have three, then we know the result before the fighting begins and we demand they withdraw. That is the ideal form of the clean wars.¡±


    ¡°So what? What does that have to do with the Academy?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten? Objects are nothing but technology and their development is influenced in large part by the subjects taught at the Academy. In fact, there are even rumors that an Object is being built in secret below the campus.¡±


    ¡°Surely that isn¡¯t happening. We¡¯re not talking about that Councilor Flide who the online news couldn¡¯t quit talking about.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that part is not actually true.¡± Elritta grinned. ¡°But it is possible to make it appear true.¡±


    They were approaching the crux of the matter.


    ¡°On average, constructing an Object costs 5 billion dollars. So if you have 5 billion dollars and the necessary technology, you can breed speculation that you are building an Object. And like I said, it is the number of Objects that decides modern battles. ¡­So what if you could fake the money part? Couldn¡¯t you scare the Capitalist Corporations or Information Alliance into withdrawing before actually fighting?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    This was all about the technological power and brand name of the Royal Techno Academy.


    They could also fake or rewrite shipment records so it looked like they were getting iron ingots, heat resistant reactive materials, the various rare earths used in semiconductors, the silicon pellets needed for manufacturing high-precision targeting lenses, the electromagnets used to seal the plasma inside the reactor, and other materials.


    But the money was most important.


    ¡°So the Academy only had to make it look like the government was giving us money for a nonexistent secret project. For example, let¡¯s say Person A buys a diamond from Person B online. What if they kept returning the money and diamond in the real world and repeating the online transaction? If you just looked at the purchase history, it would look like countless diamond deals going in just one direction with lots of money traveling from Person A to Person B. But since it was all misdirection using the same money and diamond, there would be no actual expenses.¡±


    What if the same thing was done but to make it look like 5 billion dollars was changing hands?


    Each time, it would look like there was another new Object there.


    If it looked like 10 or 20 more cutting-edge Second Generations had been built, anyone would recognize the danger. And no matter how much the Academy denied it, suspicion would only grow that they had an Object construction base hidden below the campus.


    A gold crown, a gold chalice, and a gold statue. Show them off one at a time and it might look like a pile of treasure, but that cost nothing if you simply melted down and reshaped the same gold each time.


    ¡°The actual flow of money is quite complex and there are also faked records for materials and personnel to give at more verisimilitude when the data is intercepted. That is the general idea. It moves from bank account to back account, from euros to dollars, and from cash to gold. Of course, the total amount does change slightly due to a variety of handling charges along the way. The talk of the Academy being in the red is meant to cover this up. ¡­However, this caught someone¡¯s attention.¡±


    Monica clearly had a head full of question marks as she elegantly grabbed a sandwich while the foil sat next to her.


    But the answer came to Quenser first.


    ¡°Oh, I get it. Someone increased the total amount of those handling charges and whatnot to line their own pockets. This is a secret project, so the government can¡¯t exactly hold a public investigation even if some of the money is being stolen. I mean, they have to be so very careful to trick the other world powers. If they announce the data about the 5 billion dollars was all just for show and demand the thief return the money, it would cause the delicate balance of military power to collapse. The political circumstances prevent the police or prosecutors from acting. In other words, it¡¯s the perfect setup to steal all the tax money you want.¡±


    Elritta turned around in his lap and held out an egg sandwich.


    It was apparently a reward.


    ¡°Say ¡®ah¡¯,¡± said the little Board Chairman. She waited for Quenser to eat it before continuing. ¡°That was why we acted behind the scenes to have the Black Uniforms drag the villain into the darkness. They would likely be imprisoned in a ¡®nonexistent camp¡¯ somewhere. My most trusted faculty members were working to gather evidence, but then the incident occurred.¡±


    Quenser thought for a second before answering.


    ¡°¡­The attack on the beautiful Student Council President?¡±


    ¡°That one gave me a headache. It happened late at night, so it was too late by the time word reached me. She was given a heroic spin to perfectly cast all the teachers as villains. And I couldn¡¯t explain the situation since I couldn¡¯t reveal the secret project behind it all. Exactly like the villain wanted.¡±


    Then what about that large man who had burst from the burning armored truck?


    He may have been able to argue his case if he had tried, but he had kept his mouth shut to the end.


    When the Board Chairman had intervened, he had thanked her with some quick eye contact and then used her as a shield.


    But that had not worked as intended and he had been forced to flee from the crazed students.


    And he had ended up writhing in pain on the ground after being shot in the leg with a nail gun.


    Had he been clenching his teeth to protect the truth the entire time?


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? So even that infamous professor knew what was going on?¡±


    ¡°No, he¡¯s just crazy. Like always.¡±


    She was very clear on that point. And it was all the more impactful from a 10 year old.


    But one person could not keep up with their casual back-and-forth.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡±


    Allen.


    He slowly shook his head.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be true. In the Golden Lion Club, the President said she was going to save the teachers. She said she would work out who was lining their pockets with the misappropriated funds and safely end the conflict before a war like this broke out. That was our last hope, but the teachers rejected that peaceful resolution!!¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the villain called the high school Student Council President? Foie gras. She was fattened up for the slaughter. They had everything set up for her. Simply put, everything she had found was a school play script prepared by the villain.¡±


    ¡°I¡­we¡­! We shot at the teachers!! We hurt them! And now you¡¯re saying they did nothing wrong and they were victims!? How am I supposed to accept that now!?¡±


    ¡°That is why I hoped to stop you sooner. This was not your fault. The blame rests with me for weighing politics against the students and hesitating to reveal the truth. Yet I should have known this would happen if I remained silent.¡±


    Elritta seemed unable to even place a hand on agonized Allen¡¯s shoulder.


    He had to come to terms with what he had done on his own.


    But redeeming himself for his crimes was a different matter.


    ¡°So who is it?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the villain? You made it sound like all the teachers are innocent and someone else is behind it all. I can¡¯t just ignore that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡±


    Elritta had the look of someone that was asked why one plus one was two and realized just how philosophical a question that was.


    ¡°That is obvious.¡±


    And just like she was explaining that one plus one was two, she gave the answer.


    ¡°It is of course Headmaster Cliff French-Connection.¡±


    Part 5


    Headmaster Cliff French-Connection.


    ¡°Another name I don¡¯t know,¡± groaned Quenser in a corner of the sunset-dyed gym.


    Super-mini dress Monica, who worked as an idol, apparently did not recognize it either, so Allen explained.


    ¡°Just like the Board Chairman, he was appointed as Headmaster quite recently. And while the position of Board Chairman has been given to the Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es family for generations, the Headmaster is publicly recruited from civilian corporate executives. The idea is for nobles and commoners to join together and create the nation¡¯s treasures. It¡¯s actually such a simple pretext for gathering power that it would seem unrealistic in entertainment.¡±


    ¡°There was actually a condition for replacing my grandmother with me,¡± spat out Elritta. ¡°Since it was assumed someone my age could not handle the complexities of running the Academy, a specialist in financial transactions was appointed as a new Headmaster. But he noticed and began abusing the false funding plan far too quickly. It¡¯s possible he had his eye on it for a while beforehand. And in that case¡­¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°My grandmother¡¯s stroke starts to sound suspicious.¡±


    She said it in a low voice.


    Elritta was very clear in what she said and her voice contained hatred unthinkable for a 10-year-old girl.


    ¡°He is pretending to be on the teachers¡¯ side while he avoids the fighting, but he is also using his mobile device to act as a student and stir up more fighting. All while guiding the students to target areas that will not place him in danger. I tried destroying some of the communications equipment, but it did not seem to work. The students and teachers both have tons of pirate antennas and he might also be using antennas located outside the Academy¡¯s grounds. Cutting out Cliff¡¯s duplicitous tongue will not be easy.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± said Quenser. ¡°This¡­Cliff was it? It¡¯s probably going to take me a while to remember some old guy¡¯s name. Anyway, why is the Headmaster even still on campus???¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Monica pouted her lips with her foil sitting next to her. ¡°Were you not listening, servant? The Headmaster is agitating the students into eliminating the teachers investigating his misdeeds. That way he can eliminate the evidence of financial malpractice. He has to remain in harm¡¯s way until that is complete.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s manipulating people through a mobile device, right? Then couldn¡¯t he cross the fence and have the police protect him while he hides his smartphone behind his back and agitates the students with it?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Allen¡¯s mouth fell open in obvious realization.


    And Quenser shrugged.


    ¡°He might be setting the teachers up to be slaughtered, but the students are only amateurs. It¡¯s not exactly a sure thing. Don¡¯t you think there have to be some cleverer ways of handling it? For example¡­yeah. The Academy¡¯s biology lab building is developing bacteriological weapons, so he could claim the entire campus¡­no, all of Paris is at risk. He just has to tell the military that there will be no stopping an outbreak unless they don¡¯t hurry up and chuck a thermobaric bomb onto the Academy to heat treat it all.¡±


    ¡°That is certainly a horrifically devilish idea.¡±


    Elritta gulped and gave that assessment from his lap.


    That student was the same as always.


    ¡°But the Headmaster hasn¡¯t done that despite being a devil. He¡¯s put such a largescale plan into action and he hasn¡¯t made any major mistakes yet, so I doubt it¡¯s because he has a conscious or because he¡¯s too stupid to come up with the idea. There has to be a good reason why he can¡¯t just raze the Academy to the ground and why he has to stay here.¡±


    ¡°I see. It almost makes it sound like he¡¯s searching for something. I can practically see him skulking in the shadows and preparing for some kind of search.¡±


    But what exactly was he searching for?


    Quenser, Allen, and Monica all looked to Elritta sitting in Quenser¡¯s lap.


    That Board Chairman looked puzzled at first, and then¡­


    ¡°Are you suggesting it¡¯s me? No, that can¡¯t be it. It might sound heroic to have the Board Chairman and Headmaster as the kings in a life-size game of chess, but I seriously doubt I am that valuable at the moment. I was never able to find any proof of Cliff¡¯s financial malpractice.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± cut in Quenser. ¡°If he thought you were worthless, he wouldn¡¯t still be here manipulating everyone. Remember what he¡¯s done. If we assume all of the students¡¯ actions have been under his control, then he was the one who convinced them the Headmaster and Board Chairman were the villains here. That means he put himself in danger to apply pressure to Elritta. Why? There has to be a reason.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Allen, who had been one of the manipulated students, rubbed his chin as he began thinking for himself after freeing himself from that yoke. ¡°There is one place the students would attack first if we thought the Board Chairman was our enemy: her office. We might find here there, but even if we didn¡¯t, we could smash up her stuff to work off our frustrations. But if we were manipulated to think that way¡­¡±


    ¡°It would be perfect for the Headmaster. He could enter that normally-restricted area, pull out all the desk drawers, pull up all the carpet, and check behind the cabinets without anyone knowing he had been there. Because the place had already been trashed.¡±


    ¡°Again!¡± frantically cut in Elritta. She was desperately trying to course correct as they strayed in an odd direction. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. If I had Cliff¡¯s Achilles heel, none of this mess would have happened. I have nothing. If I had evidence of his financial malpractice using that secret project, I would have climbed over the fence and handed it over to the military. Then the Black Uniforms could have imprisoned him in a ¡®nonexistent camp¡¯!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Listen, you mustn¡¯t rely on false hope just because things seem hopeless. Cliff excels at showing illusions of straw to drowning people. That¡¯s how he¡¯s manipulating the students with his mobile device and that¡¯s how he mocked the high school Student Council President as Foie Gras and had her find a school play¡­script¡­¡±


    She trailed off.


    She suddenly stopped speaking.


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Quenser snapped his fingers. ¡°I knew something seemed off about that to me. The pieces didn¡¯t fit together right. The attack on the beautiful Student Council President would make for some sensational news and it would inspire exactly the kind of anger needed to agitate and control the students. ¡­But doesn¡¯t it seem like a little much? Would the Headmaster really attack her just as a trigger? Doing it himself would be risky and tricking someone else into doing his dirty work isn¡¯t what a villain like him would do.¡±


    ¡°But it was as effective as he could ever have hoped, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and Operation Foie Gras was very real,¡± said Elritta. ¡°Unfortunately, everything she found was a script created by Cliff. None if it led back to the real secret project.¡±


    It did not sound like she was lying.


    But Quenser breathed in and out.


    He had no evidence.


    But he said it anyway.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°What???¡±


    ¡°It may have begun as a school play script. He may have mocked her with the name Foie Gras. But that decoy project was prepared by the Headmaster, right? That means there was a link between the beautiful Student Council President and the Headmaster, albeit a thin and twisted one. So she might have actually found the answer. She might have made it past the decoy and found the reason why he had to create that school play in the first place. And if so¡­¡±


    ¡°The President really was looking at the secret project?¡± said Allen in a daze.


    Quenser nodded.


    ¡°Or she started catching glimpses of it and the Headmaster panicked and attacked her before she found any more. And if someone investigated that, it could easily lead back to him, so what was he to do? What kind of mayo would he slather on that rotten food to hide the flavor?¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that¡¯s why he split the Academy between students and teachers!?¡±


    He had started a war to hide his crimes.


    It was crazy, but it was true no one had made it back to his crimes.


    A lot of people were lost in a war, so who would notice an extra person or two had died?


    ¡°While everyone is fighting, he can stroll through the off-limits areas and search for the secret file in the already-damaged school buildings. And that includes both the space shared with commoners and the space exclusive to nobles. Hey, Board Chairman, which one is¡­whatever that old shit is named?¡±


    ¡°He is a commoner. Since he was meant as an opposite to a noble like me.¡±


    ¡°And if he was a financial specialist, I doubt he had any special technical qualifications,¡± added Allen.


    ¡°Exactly. He¡¯ll be paranoid the beautiful Student Council President left something behind,¡± continued Quenser. ¡°But even if he wants to comb through the entire Academy for his treasure hunt, there are a lot of places he can¡¯t go, like the labs and salons. But he can¡¯t allow that. So he made his move. Now he can search anywhere: the Student Council Room, the Board Chairman¡¯s Office, the labs, the clean rooms, the girls locker room, and so on. He can even strut right into the highly restricted and recorded areas that deal directly in Object tech research. This is his biggest chance.¡±


    ¡°Then, Quensette, if we can find the President¡¯s hidden file before Cliff¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s checkmate. We can end this manufactured war between the students and teachers.¡±


    They had seen something.


    It was the bright light of hope.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    But Board Chairman Elritta cut in.


    Once she had their attention, she carefully continued.


    ¡°That sounds great and all, but there is no actual evidence, right? The existence of a secret file hidden at the Academy and the idea that the President had seen what lay beyond the school play are both no more than assumptions.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± agreed Quenser. ¡°But I can¡¯t imagine any other reason that devil of a Headmaster would still be here in the Academy. Also¡­¡±


    ¡°Also?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Allen. The rumored beautiful Student Council President is pretty, sexy, smart, athletic, rich, a noble with an impeccable upbringing, popular, kind as can be, and just all-around perfect, right? Do you really think someone like her would be entirely duped by an ugly old guy like Cliff? Do you really believe she was called Foie Gras and taken out of the picture for something as silly as money and authority???¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Only after hearing that did Allen finally laugh quietly.


    He had yet to recover from the shock of having shot innocent teachers, but he may have been trying to make progress in his own way.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Could a beautiful flower like that really be so easily plucked by some greasy old guy? That just doesn¡¯t sound right at all.¡±


    ¡°That settles it then.¡± Quenser snapped his fingers. ¡°If I have to flip the coin of fate, I¡¯m betting on the hot girl. Win and I can grin like an idiot, lose and I can smile in resignation and die. This unseen hidden file sounds worth searching for to me.¡±


    Elritta, who sat in his lap, and Monica, who was eating a spicy chicken sandwich, exchanged a disgusted look. They clearly did not want to have someone bet their lives on that heroic but ugly logic.


    So Quenser said more.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, Elritta, you¡¯re a part of this too.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°It may have been the beautiful Student Council President¡¯s secret file that clinched it, but the Headmaster was also cautious of your actions. He probably mistakenly assumed you were working with the President to track down evidence of his misdeeds. Or maybe the President really did try to send the secret file to you using some unseen route. Otherwise, I see no reason the Headmaster would trick the students into attacking your office. It would have made more sense to attack the Student Council Room instead. But he focused on your office instead.¡±


    ¡°A line between me and the President? There is one possibility.¡±


    If they knew what that was, they might be able to get ahead of the Headmaster and bring an end to the conflict between students and teachers. Finding the secret file hidden somewhere in the Academy would change everything.


    But something else happened before Elritta could give them a specific answer.


    The fellow(?) students occupying the gym approached them.


    Those boys and girls held the thick metal poles used to support a volleyball net or the sport rifles used for clay pigeon shooting.


    ¡°Are you about done?¡±


    ¡°Excellent work. That¡¯s her right? The villain who attacked the President?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t decide whether to interrogate her in the soundproofed music room or publicly execute her on the sports ground. Either way, it would be best to let everyone see us arrest her. It¡¯ll improve morale.¡±


    They were grinning.


    There was disgusting, sticky hatred and dark joy on their faces.


    Quenser sighed and found they were already surrounded by more than 10 boys and girls.


    Even if those students did not understand what Quenser¡¯s group was talking about and even if they made no attempt to understand, it must have been clear they were getting along with Elritta.


    And those students were still affected by the Headmaster¡¯s manipulation, so they must have hated anyone who had anything to do with the Board Chairman.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve expected this. If I was the Headmaster, I would¡¯ve made sure of it.¡±


    ¡°What do we do, servant? We cannot afford to lose Elritta here, but beating down every single one of them like something from a kung fu movie seems a tad optimistic.¡±


    Monica spoke cautiously to him even as she reached for her stun sabre.


    Quenser kept his head stationary and moved just his eyes to check the situation.


    They were near the wall and the exit was quite close by. But they would have to break free of the surrounding students to get there. If they just went for it, they would be ganged up on and, even if they were lucky enough to get past that human wall, they would only be shot in the back by projectile weapons. A distance of a few meters held absolute meaning here.


    Plus, escaping while covering for Monica and young Elritta was entirely hopeless. Escaping was impossible unless they were willing to make a sacrifice.


    But even with that in mind, Quenser grinned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go the kung fu movie route.¡±


    A stir ran through the boys and girls surrounding them and through Allen and Monica as well.


    Quenser ignored them and continued.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it great that projectile weapons are allowed nowadays? People don¡¯t bat an eye at people holding twin handguns sideways and firing away in their kung fu movies. By the way, this here is my weapon. It¡¯s a slingshot bow gun made from a bicycle tire tube.¡±


    The student lowered Elritta from his lap and slowly stood up.


    ¡°It can only punch through a 3cm-thick piece of plywood from 20 meters, but you can do something nifty with it. Replace the arrowhead with a glass fiber bag and you can give it additional effects: explosives, liquid nitrogen, tear gas, sulfuric acid, naphtha, whatever. There are a lot of neat ways to use it, but my current recommendation is this: titanium tetrachloride and a few other chemicals.¡±


    The fact that Quenser was armed with a bow may have been why the surrounding mob was so confident. He would have to nock an arrow and pull back the string to use it. And they could shoot him if he showed any sign of doing so.


    And so they made a mistake.


    He dropped the glass fiber bag the size of a ping pong ball and crushed it underfoot.


    Then there was only his voice.


    ¡°In other words, a smokescreen. Although you don¡¯t see it as much these days because CG is used for everything.¡±


    The color white filled their vision.


    While surrounded by coughing, Quenser started by grabbing Elritta¡¯s little hand and pulling hard. Then he shoved on Monica¡¯s back to strongly suggest she head for the gym¡¯s closest exit just a few meters away. He did not have time to worry about Allen, but he was a boy. He would have to figure something out on his own.


    Dry sounds rang out from all around.


    Angry voices shouted one after another.


    ¡°Dammit! Where are they!?¡±


    ¡°Stop, you idiots! We¡¯ll just shoot each other!!¡±


    It would have been dangerous if the students had lined up on one side and fired randomly into the smokescreen, but they had not done that. That gathering of fools had fully surrounded the table without considering line of fire, but some of them were at least smart enough to stop before they caused any friendly fire. The Academy students were wonderful.


    Meanwhile, Quenser heard a few sounds like neon lights bursting within the smokescreen. Those would be Monica¡¯s foil. Some of the students had been masses of muscle in colorful judo uniforms, but they could not wield their full strength in this situation.


    Quenser used the confusion to slip past the students, find his way to the metal door, slide it open with a tackle, and burst outside.


    The orange of sunset dazzled his eyes.


    And outside, the teachers had an armored truck equipped with a pressurized gas cannon that vaporized liquid nitrogen so it expanded in volume.


    ¡°Goddammiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!¡±


    Quenser crouched down, grabbed Monica and Elritta¡¯s clothes, and dove behind a flowerbed elevated above the ground with stacked bricks.


    He once more ignored Allen.


    Just after he assumed that boy would be fine, a rapid series of horrifying dull sounds burst out.


    It did not seem to be targeting Quenser¡¯s group.


    It was generally tearing down the gym¡¯s wall. First, it opened a hole the size of a basketball and then tore down the surrounding wall from there. Allen was just about blown away by the shockwave alone, but he finally managed to dive behind the flower bed. He just about landed on top of the foil Monica had placed on the ground, so she quickly switched it off.


    There must have been something wrong with Allen¡¯s internal pressure because he had a slight nosebleed as he shouted at Quenser.


    ¡°That¡¯s sexist! You need to save me too!!¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve got a girl in each hand. That¡¯s how the world is supposed to work. Besides, you managed fine on your own. But anyway, the students and teachers are about to clash, so let¡¯s use that as a distraction while we sneak away behind this row of flower beds.¡±


    Meanwhile, red-suited Elritta stuck out her tongue in disgust.


    ¡°Ugh, peh, peh!! What was that smoke? My mouth feels all prickly or like it¡¯s full of something spicy. I want to wash it out with water¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly say that smokescreen was good for your health, but you sure are sensitive. It looked like you were avoiding any amount of pepper with those sandwiches. Even though the sweetness is stronger with the honey mustard chicken.¡±


    ¡°I know I need to overcome this. But my body just refuses to accept it.¡±


    Elritta pouted her lips, so he gave her a pat on the head before moving onto their next action.


    While a legitimate firefight broke out, Quenser¡¯s group turned the other way and worked to escape the battleground. Angry shouts and screams filled the air.


    ?


    ¡°You bastards think you¡¯re so great just because you¡¯ve got a turret on the roof!!¡±


    ¡°Bring out the ballista! Use that and we can blast right through the teachers¡¯ armor! Target that turret!!¡±


    ¡°Now, as you can see, the power of a gun is heavily reliant on pressure management, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Gulp!! There he is! It¡¯s that infamous professor from the max difficulty setting!!¡±


    Elritta looked back several times while Quenser pulled on her hand.


    ¡°The teachers don¡¯t seem to have completely lost it yet. Well, except for that one freak. They probably blew a hole in the wall because they think I am being imprisoned in the gym.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Her comment put a bitter look on Allen¡¯s face. It may have reminded him of what he had done.


    ¡°Is there any building that isn¡¯t occupied by either side?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be easy to find. At this stage, both sides are fighting over everything, even the filthy boys bathrooms in the clubroom building.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Allen, if we reach the chemistry lab building, there will be plenty of Geiger counters lying around, right? Can¡¯t we tamper with a sensor to trigger an alarm from a CT scanner, an experimental hadron collider, or something else with that mark on it? That¡¯ll send everyone running away in a hurry. Then we¡¯ll have the perfect secret base.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten everything in the Academy is being weaponized right now? Everything usable is already in use. And if we fake some dangerous-looking data, they¡¯ll actually rush in there with hazmat suits on.¡±


    It was looking difficult to secure a sanctuary or safe zone.


    Unable to move on or head back, they began a strategy meeting behind a roadside tree which provided no real defense.


    The tiny Board Chairman waved her hand.


    ¡°The bigger problem is the Student Council President¡¯s secret file. We need to find it before Headmaster Cliff does.¡±


    ¡°It looks like he thinks he can find the secret file if he captures you. Any ideas there?¡±


    ¡°I started to say it before.¡± Elritta held her index finger to her chin. ¡°But I have actually asked the Student Council Presidents of the elementary school, middle school, high school, university, and graduate school to tutor me afterschool. While keeping it a secret from the other students, of course.¡±


    ¡°Tutoring you? The Board Chairman of the best technical school there is!?¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten? Even if you call me a prodigy, I am still a 10-year-old kid. I need to focus on my own education even as I run the Academy.¡±


    Elritta did not hesitate to state this.


    She was willing to admit her own inexperience and reduce the status known as pride. And that alone made her seem plenty mature.


    ¡°Still, that would be a bad look for the Academy, so I can¡¯t make it public. And it also helps them. The Presidents are both students and leaders. Being a genius at learning is not enough. We must support and occasionally test their talents at teaching.¡±


    ¡°So the beautiful Student Council President would have used something related to that, huh?¡±


    ¡°We always met at different locations because a single set location would stand out too much. Each of the Presidents made the teaching materials on their own computer.¡±


    ¡°But Cliff would have thought of something like that almost immediately.¡±


    ¡°What about the printer they used to print it out? Next to the high school Student Council Room is a storage closet¡­well, it¡¯s more of a storeroom for outdated equipment that would be too expensive to have removed. Anyway, there is an old, yellowed industrial printer gathering dust there. Printers like that gather temporary data in their internal memory. It became something of a problem when people realized you could take data from a printer¡¯s residual memory to avoid hacking through the strict security of a computer system¡¯s server. The Presidents all used retired printers to leave as few hints as possible.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s possible some unnatural data has been placed in that memory?¡± asked Monica. ¡°So you could hit a button to have it print out the entire secret file?¡±


    They all exchanged a glance.


    They finally had a clear objective.


    They were no longer just firing projectiles at random or aimlessly fleeing.


    ¡°The Student Council Room. There are officially an equal number of nobles and commoners on the council, but in reality, the President and Vice President are always nobles and the main room is in the nobles-only area. Under normal circumstances, I¡¯d have an easier time getting into the girls shower room than there.¡±


    ¡°We are only talking about the storeroom next door, so you need not degrade yourself so much, servant. (Really, you just need to serve me alone instead of worrying about everyone else. Mutter, mutter.)¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s check the place out. Allen, where¡¯s the Student Council Room!? The storeroom is right next to it!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this your school too, Quensette!? But, yeah, it¡¯s pretty far away. It¡¯s in the special classroom building instead of the general school building, so it¡¯s on the other side of campus. It¡¯s enough for me to wish there was a bike share or community bus around here. Of course, it¡¯s sure to be crawling with students and teachers. And it doesn¡¯t matter which side fires the bullet; it¡¯ll kill you just the same.¡±


    ¡°But we have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. Stop trying to look cool and face reality, servant. Crossing that wide-open lawn would be suicide. A volleyball launcher is firing bombs from the roof and experimental laser vehicles meant to shoot down drones are driving around. There¡¯s no escape once they lock onto us. They¡¯ll turn us into human torches at the speed of light.¡±


    Elritta listened to their conversation and then glanced thoughtfully to the side.


    And then she spoke.


    ¡°There is a way.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°There are underground maintenance tunnels for the fiber optic cables connecting all of the buildings together. The students are not even aware they exist and the teachers might have heard them mentioned at most. Because the installation and maintenance is all handled by outside contractors. No one knows where the exact entrances and exits are, so I doubt anyone will be watching them.¡±


    ¡°You doubt? We have to risk our lives on that level of uncertainty!?¡±


    ¡°I said I tried to cut off communications a few times, didn¡¯t I? I followed the VIP emergency evacuation manual into the underground area and snipped the fiber optic cables with nail clippers, but no one saw me. I just can¡¯t guarantee that no one discovered them since.¡±


    Once Elritta finished her businesslike explanation, she added one last thing.


    She gave a personal opinion.


    ¡°I still find it hard to believe, but if that Student Council President really was more than foie gras and tried to leave something for me, I cannot let it go to waste. I won¡¯t let Cliff destroy it this time.¡±


    Part 6


    The fiber optic installation and maintenance pathways were accessed through manholes around campus. But unlike the ones leading to the general sewer, these had no hole for inserting an opener.


    ¡°You open them by attaching an electromagnet as a handhold and then rotating it twice to the right, three times to the left, and four times to the right.¡±


    They followed the instructions to open one of the manholes and climbed down the flimsy ladder. Quenser took the lead with the girls following. Allen went last. Quenser descended the ladder with a thoughtful look on his face, made sure to get a good look up Monica¡¯s super-mini dress as she followed him down, and got a heel to the face for his trouble. Elritta and Allen safely climbed down while that scum writhed around on the floor. Then they worked to secure a route like usual.


    They found a narrow tunnel lit by a faint emergency exit sign. It was two meters tall and a meter wide at best. Cables encased in plastic were bundled together by the dozen and running along the walls and ceiling. That only applied further pressure.


    Action movies often claimed blades were more powerful than projectiles in narrow spaces, but was that really true? Quenser felt no desire to trade his slingshot bow gun for Monica¡¯s stun sabre.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a labyrinth below the Academy. I bet I could film an entire movie down here.¡± Allen sounded annoyed. ¡°But I don¡¯t feel any safer. Aren¡¯t we in trouble if we run into the enemy in here?¡±


    ¡°That depends on who you mean by ¡®the enemy¡¯. But check the wall here, Allen.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Some of the thick layer of dust has been scraped off. Someone must have passed through here.¡±


    Quenser, Allen, and Monica exchanged a glance.


    Then they turned toward Elritta.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been me. That mark is higher than my head.¡±


    ¡°Then did either the teachers or students found this place?¡±


    ¡°If so, a patrol would¡¯ve found us and turned us to Swiss cheese. But that hasn¡¯t happened. Besides, the marks on the walls and footprints on the floor don¡¯t look like a large group is frequently moving through here. It looks more like a single person.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­wait, does that mean what I think it does?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing, Monica. No matter how good he is at manipulation, it still seemed odd that the Headmaster was staying out of harm¡¯s way so well, but he must have known the same secret route as the Board Chairman.¡±


    In that case, it seemed unlikely that Headmaster Cliff French-Connection would tell the students or teachers about the secret path. Send an angry mob in here and he would lose his safe route.


    That said, they could not deny the possibility of the Headmaster leaving some ¡°presents¡± using tripwires or infrared sensors. In the worst case, they could have been blown up by a grenade the instant they opened the manhole. They felt an even greater pressure in their stomachs as they cautiously walked down the narrow tunnel.


    Fortunately, they never had to battle some colorful wires with a pair of pliers.


    But they had not known that in advance. It wore at their nerves to slowly walk through the limited lighting while feeling enough tension to affect their breathing, but they finally arrived below the high school special classroom building.


    ¡°Assuming nothing has changed, the students control this building,¡± said Allen. ¡°It¡¯s become an armory thanks to the tools in the tech room and home ec room. And we¡¯ll be seen as enemy soldiers since we have the Board Chairman with us. Once we poke this hornet¡¯s nest, there is no going back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same wherever we go. We won¡¯t be welcomed by the students or the teachers.¡±


    They opened the manhole while discussing it.


    And they found themselves in a corner of a school hallway.


    After being so cautious inside the underground passageway, night had truly fallen once they emerged, but they could not worry about the lack of light or the ghosts of the night.


    They were much more bothered by the intensely hot wind that seemed to scorch their hair.


    ¡°Dwah!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t breathe in! This is bad!!¡±


    They closed the manhole again, waited a bit, covered their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs, and opened it again.


    Hell awaited them.


    The improperly sealed wooden flooring had turned to charcoal and the windows had melted. The hallway wallpaper had burned and the linoleum floor had bubbled up and then solidified again.


    Simply standing there sent a dull pain racing across their skin. Sweat immediately poured from their bodies. They felt no desire to carelessly touch the walls. They had likely absorbed all the heat like a furnace after the fire had been put out.


    Quenser checked the tag of his blazer. Fortunately, it was made from natural materials. Wearing a track suit or other garment made from synthetic fibers would not be a good idea here. Having the clothing meant to protect you melt like cheese and cling to you was the stuff of nightmares.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. Did they blast the place with naphtha or something?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it,¡± said Allen while restlessly messing with his phone.


    The heat may have been affecting it, but his number had yet to be removed from the students¡¯ list.


    ¡°Apparently a teacher is driving around in a truck loaded with an experimental laser. It¡¯s been firing on this building intermittently, so all the students have evacuated. Since it¡¯s an armory, I imagine it¡¯s a high priority target.¡±


    ¡°This is bad, but it¡¯s also our chance.¡±


    Quenser and Allen removed their jackets and placed them over Monica and Elritta. They were unsure how effective that would be, but they could not ignore the damage the heat would do to their skin.


    ¡°So where¡¯s the Student Council Room?¡±


    ¡°On the east side of the second floor.¡±


    Elritta tried to remove the coat because it was so hot, but Quenser and Allen stopped her because they were already feeling the pain of excessive sunbathing after just a few minutes. Quenser glanced down at his slingshot bow gun made from a tire tube. He was worried the heat would cause it to deteriorate. They had to consider Allen¡¯s electric nail gun and Monica¡¯s stun sabre as well. They both had electronics embedded in them to amplify their power, so they were weak to heat.


    They were glad to see the students really had evacuated. They did not run across a bunch of students collapsed in the hallway.


    They ran up the stairs toward the Student Council Room.


    They gathered around the entrance to the adjacent storeroom.


    It was locked, but unlike the Student Council Room, it was a simple design that combined the lock with the knob. It was the kind that locked by pressing a button on the inside. Quenser easily opened it by whacking the knob with his slingshot bow gun and causing the spring-loaded clasp to come undone with a pleasant noise.


    But then they ran into a problem.


    Thus spoke super-mini dress Monica:


    ¡°Servant, hurry up and open the door. Did I fail to properly beat a sense of ¡®ladies first¡¯ into you?¡±


    ¡°Shut the hell up, Lady Monica. ¡­Oh, god that¡¯s hot!!!???¡±


    Quenser grumbled, but when he touched the metal knob, it produced a sizzling sound like from Chinese cooking. He immediately yanked his hand back and Elritta handed him the handkerchief that had been covering her mouth.


    ¡°You intentionally set him up for that, didn¡¯t you?¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s like an oven in here, so touching any kind of metal is suicide.¡±


    ¡°So what do we do? Kick it down?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to go that far. It shouldn¡¯t be problem if you wrap a thick cloth around your hand first. It¡¯s the same idea as a potholder.¡±


    He tried again using his coat.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how valuable an engineer¡¯s fingers are?¡± complained Quenser.


    ¡°Oh? Not as important as a lady¡¯s delicate fingers,¡± replied Monica.


    The space was about half the size of a classroom. Just like Elritta had said, it looked a lot like a dumping ground for old electronics. Dusty and yellowed fans, LCD monitors, air conditioners, refrigerators, and microwaves had been thrown inside, leaving little space to walk. There were piles of old junk here and there, but they wanted to stay away from the ones stacked higher than they were tall. Those could collapse at any moment.


    There was no window.


    They had to rely on the backlight of Allen¡¯s smartphone, but that also helped keep the heat of the laser from getting inside.


    They finally found relief.


    ¡°Servant.¡± Twintail Monica tossed Quenser the coat he had placed over her head. ¡°You said we need to find an old printer, but will it even function in this environment? It¡¯s probably already overheated and it might have already been fried.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. This room is relatively protected, so we just have to pray it still works.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it in the corner there. Let¡¯s try plugging it in.¡±


    Elritta pointed at the kind of large laser printer seen in offices and convenience stores. It came up to their waists, it had several buttons and joystick-like things, and it also had a long, narrow stand supporting an LCD screen the size of a car navigation system or a bath television.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mess by the walls too. It¡¯s too dark to see, but is this the power outlet? Okay, it¡¯s plugged in, Quensette!¡±


    ¡°Servant.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it. ¡­Abyaha!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, be careful. The outlets in here are ungrounded. Get careless and you¡¯re in for a shock.¡±


    Quenser glared at the tomboy idol, but she whistled with a nonchalant look inspecting her carefully manicured nails.


    Quenser nervously touched the device while wondering how exactly he was supposed to be careful with this. But¡­


    ¡°It works. The screen just lit up.¡±


    They had been reliant on the phone backlight before, but a new light faintly but undeniably revealed the interior. The screen contained flashing messages asking for new paper and ink. They checked around the room and found a set of materials in one corner, presumably left there by the President and whoever else used it.


    Elritta spoke while watching them open and fill the drawer-like slots.


    ¡°I believe it takes some special software to directly view the temporary memory. It would be faster to set it to print out the cache data.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t we have to see it to know which file is the one?¡±


    ¡°That is why we need to print them all out.¡±


    Once they pressed the large ¡°confirm¡± button, the motor rumbled and the work began.


    They wanted the secret file the Student Council President had hidden there. That would be the proof needed to reveal the Headmaster¡¯s financial malpractice, but that of course was not the very first thing printed out.


    Most of it was completely worthless data.


    But that did not mean it was also meaningless.


    Board Chairman Elritta Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es had said the various Presidents secretly tutored her afterschool. They had used their computers to create teaching materials and then printed them out here.


    It was obvious at a glance.


    This was different from someone showing off their knowledge with no real intention of explaining what it all meant. It was broken down with an obvious understanding of how to make it understandable and how to overcome common stumbling blocks and it included simple examples from real life.


    Most of all, it was clear that they had not seen this as work.


    They had enjoyed making these materials and you could almost imagine them eagerly typing it up with a smile on their face.


    And there were a few notes in the margins that had nothing to do with academics.


    ¡°How to conquer spiciness!!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t just have her eat spicy things right away.¡±


    ¡°Maybe combine it with other flavors?¡±


    ¡°Honey mustard chicken, tom yum, milk curry. The curry would probably be simplest.¡±


    Elritta had said she knew she had to overcome it.


    She might still have trouble with it and she might not have overcome it right away.


    But the sentiment had reached her.


    And yet¡­


    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t like me.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Quensette?¡±


    ¡°The Headmaster¡­what was his name? I¡¯m not going to bother remembering some dirty old man¡¯s name, but that bastard attacked the person who wrote this. He tried to destroy everything contained here and all for his own personal greed.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    They said nothing more for a while.


    The printer continued outputting the kindness of the past.


    They had to refill the paper a few times, but then things changed.


    ¡°Here it is. This is the file.¡±


    The total number of pages was listed as more than 200, so it would take a long time just to print. They grabbed each page as soon as it appeared in the tray and read through it.


    Quenser honestly did not understand what all the detailed numbers meant. It was Board Chairman Elritta who grew excited upon reading it.


    ¡°This lists the entire flow of money, from the foreign bank accounts to the fictional shell companies. It¡¯s not exactly a good thing that she discovered this much about the false funding project¡­but it¡¯s still incredible. This is enough to track Cliff¡¯s actions. This has more than 400 digital footprints. Even if he tried to erase it all now, the Black Uniforms would catch him first. In fact, it looks a lot like he wouldn¡¯t even know all of the footprints he left behind.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, wait. Then what¡¯s all this stuff still being printed out? If that was enough to ruin the Headmaster, why is the rest of this necessary? What more could there be?¡±


    Something seemed off about all the additional pages the printer was still spitting out. They started to suspect the beautiful Student Council President had been given some false data.


    ¡°The Headmaster was trying to sell something?¡± Quenser frowned. ¡°The deal was with the Information Alliance, the price was 20 million Legitimacy Kingdom euros, and the item was¡­what? A bunch of data???¡±


    ¡°Wait, is this a joke?¡± Elritta grimaced when she read the paper from the side. ¡°The false funding project was joint government and civilian information warfare that made it look like 5 billion dollars was changing hands to trick the enemy into thinking a nonexistent Object was in development which would confuse their long-term military strategies.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What about it?¡±


    ¡°That requires more than just the money. It also has to be convincing and trustworthy. The enemy has to believe that location could build an Object given that sum of money. That was why our Academy was used. It is the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s greatest technical school where we raise our greatest technical minds. It has enough of a reputation to start rumors of an Object construction facility existing below it. But what if that technical institute only existed as online data meant to make it convincing and trustworthy?¡±


    They all exchanged a glance.


    An unpleasant feeling filled the entire room.


    ¡°If they can fake both the 5 billion dollars and the technical institute, then the false funding project is no longer exclusive to the Legitimacy Kingdom. Any of the world powers could do the same.¡±


    ¡°Wait! What would Cliff gain from doing that!? He wasn¡¯t just blinded by that one payment of cash, was he!?¡±


    ¡°He was already taking advantage of the Legitimacy Kingdom project in order to line his pockets with a portion of the public money, right?¡± Monica tapped the floor with her foil. ¡°Then the more such projects are active, the more opportunities he has to make some of that money his. If he rattles the Legitimacy Kingdom by having the other world powers do the same thing, the Legitimacy Kingdom will have no choice but to begin even more bluffs. So he does profit from it in the long run, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°B-but the false funding project was top secret, right!? Sell the method to the other world powers and they¡¯ll realize it¡¯s all fake! If the bluff stops working, the project ends. Then he loses his source of income, right!?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± cut in Board Chairman Elritta. ¡°Basically, he just has to sell the method to the Information Alliance while hiding that the Legitimacy Kingdom is already using it. He tells them they can use the method to be the first in the world to use that unprecedented strategy. He tells them they can use it to fool the Capitalist Corporations, the Faith Organization¡­and most importantly, the Legitimacy Kingdom. From there, a false funding arms race will break out. Neither side is aware they are being shown an illusion as they accelerate their own false funding project with cold sweat dripping down their smiling faces.¡±


    Once that happened, no one would know the total number of Objects in the world.


    Those weapons could destroy the world and drive humanity to extinction several times over and no one would know how many each world power possessed. It would be an age of chaos.


    The thought disgusted Quenser and he spoke his mind.


    ¡°I can see why the Headmaster is panicking.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so can I.¡±


    ¡°I mean, what crime would he even be charged with? The false funding project itself is top secret and has its roots in the military. Simply lining his pockets with public money is a pretty serious crime, but he¡¯s also selling those secrets to another world power and creating the risk of an enemy information warfare campaign that could affect us for decades. That has to be embezzlement, leaking classified information, and either treason or instigation of foreign aggression. If this goes public, his prison sentence will be in the quadruple digits.¡±


    ¡°Why did he want money that badly? Bank robberies are not common, but not because people do not need money. It¡¯s because the risk is too great and they will probably be caught before they can use the money.¡±


    Twintail Monica sounded shocked, but they received an answer from an unexpected place.


    After picking up the next printed page, Elritta read through it and froze.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there more?¡±


    ¡°Read this. Although even I find it hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser and Monica looked at the paper the tiny Board Chairman held.


    It was apparently a list of the shell companies used in the digital transaction.


    One was registered with its headquarters in the Capitalist Corporations.


    However¡­


    ¡°An Object sharing fund? You mean that thing where everyone gathers enough money to sponsor a 5 billion dollar Object and profit from its use!?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering where he put all that money.¡± Elritta had to shrug at this point. ¡°Cliff was trying to acquire his own Object. He wanted more than simple money; he wanted a much greater power!!¡±


    It was hard to tell how much of this was a realistic conspiracy and how much was an overblown fantasy.


    ¡°Is this the unique greed of commoners?¡± asked Quenser with a cynical smile. ¡°The worst part is I kind of sympathize with his goal here. His methods couldn¡¯t be worse, though.¡±


    The beautiful Student Council President must have been just as taken aback by the scope of the conspiracy she had unearthed. She must not have expected to find it went so deep. The secret file had some smaller notes jotted down in the margins.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask for help here.¡±


    ¡°I would only be dragging them into this.¡±


    She may have tried to stop several times along the way. She may have tried to obey the tremor running through her body and pretend she had never seen anything.


    But she had not done that.


    The secret file existed to the very last page as proof of what she had accomplished on her own.


    She had to have considered the possibility of being attacked.


    Why had she stuck with it so far?


    The reason for her lonely fight was written there in the margins.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t leave that girl all alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It could not have been more obvious who ¡°that girl¡± alluded to.


    She was the leader of the Academy, but she was also a tutoring student.


    And she was a 10-year-old girl.


    The fear the President felt was all the more reason she could never shove it onto that girl¡¯s shoulders. So she had continued through to the end and ultimately been attacked just as she had feared. Had she regretted her actions during her last moments of consciousness? Quenser felt certain she had smiled. Because she was glad it was her and not ¡°that girl¡± who had been in harm¡¯s way.


    But that baton had not gone to waste.


    No, whether or not it would go to waste was dependent on the actions of those who had received it.


    ¡°Hey, Allen.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The President is a great girl, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Of course she is. You can belong to the Golden Lion Club and she¡¯ll still be out of your league.¡±


    And there was one rule the world had followed since ancient times.


    The pieces of shit who hurt great girls were enemies of the entire human race.


    Part 7


    Headmaster Cliff French-Connection felt impatient.


    At first glance, everything seemed to be going according to plan and he appeared to be unilaterally manipulating the students and teachers from the safety of his throne, but all of his actions from the very beginning had been unplanned and adlibbed.


    He had failed to turn young Board Chairman Elritta Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es into his puppet.


    He could not use her for cover and, now that he was finally using the false funding project to line his pockets with public money, Elritta¡¯s supporters had begun investigating the financial malpractice.


    And then the high school Student Council President, who he had planned to guide into a dead end for Operation Foie Gras, had been on the verge of discovering his plans to sell the data to other world powers and fund a private Object.


    Attacking her and accelerating the conflict between teachers and students was only a temporary measure.


    He had successfully weakened Elritta¡¯s supporters among the teachers, but no matter how much he searched the school buildings, he could not find the Student Council President¡¯s crucial secret file.


    It was all for show. He had no real power.


    His position was identical to that of the nonexistent Objects.


    And then¡­


    (The high school special classroom building. Are they after the Student Council Room?)


    He knew this because of the sensors he had set up in the underground fiber optic installation and maintenance passageways.


    There was a simple reason why he had not hooked a bomb up to those sensors. If he created a delicate enough situation that a rat could trigger an explosion, he might accidentally clue the students and teachers into the existence of the tunnels. Plus, he was not stupid enough to create the risk of catching himself in his own trap. So he had avoided any lethal traps.


    However, data on someone¡¯s location could be just as deadly depending on the situation.


    Cliff clenched his teeth as he thought about it.


    (Did I suspect it? Of course I did. I checked there again and again during all the chaos! I even used the experimental laser to drive out all the students I couldn¡¯t manipulate into leaving!! Yet I found nothing. Dammit, am I missing something here!?)


    It honestly did not matter whether or not the secret file was in the Student Council Room.


    Or even if it was anywhere in that building.


    What mattered was that Elritta¡¯s group had used the secret underground passageways to enter that building and that they had likely acquired the secret file from somewhere.


    In other words, if he killed them here ¨C if he slaughtered everyone in Elritta¡¯s group ¨C it would never see the light of day. It would all be over if he grabbed the secret file lying there next to the corpses.


    He could not stay here forever.


    Without that conclusive evidence, the military¡¯s Black Uniforms could not act. Same for the local police and prosecutors. If he crossed the fence and had the police protect him, he could lie his way through their questioning and then prepare to escape overseas. If he sold that data on the Academy to the Information Alliance, found his way somewhere he could use as a foundation for a similar false funding project, and stole enough public funding there, he could finally travel to the Capitalist Corporations. That world power determined the meaning of justice and the hierarchy of civil liberties with cash and money, so he could buy an Object there.


    The game only came to an end once that happened.


    As long as he remained on the Academy¡¯s campus, he was still in the opening stage of the game.


    He could not afford to screw up this initial step.


    In his luxury suit, Cliff walked up to a snowplow with thick armor panels welded on and shouted to the silly-looking teacher inside it.


    ¡°Can we still not get inside!? There can¡¯t be any students left in there after using that laser so much! Taking back that building is a crucial step toward breaking their spirit and destroying their morale without any bloodshed!!¡±


    The adults here were not Elritta¡¯s supporters. They were the poor lambs who were being pursued by the students just for being adults. That meant none of them viewed Cliff with any suspicion or hostility.


    But this teacher shook his head.


    ¡°The laser has increased the temperature inside by a lot! Searching the inside would be far too dangerous!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important!!¡±


    ¡°Maybe so, but it has to wait!! Safety has to come first!!¡±


    (You dumbass!! What good is a pawn that¡¯s afraid to die!?)


    Cliff just bout said that out loud, but he caught himself at the last second.


    If they took too long here, Elritta¡¯s group would escape through the underground route once more. And with the secret file in hand. He had to avoid that at all costs. He has several sensors set up in that network of tunnels below the campus, but that was far from perfect. He could only make general guesses like ¡°there were readings at Point A, Point B, and Point C in that order, so they are likely moving from west to east¡±. If he misread something for whatever reason, they would escape. And if that happened and the secret file made it outside the fence and to the Black Uniforms, there would be no stopping it.


    Cliff French-Connection¡¯s life would be over then and there.


    (I have to settle this here. I must! I need to annihilate Elritta¡¯s group before they leave the high school special classroom building.)


    Cliff suddenly looked up.


    He focused on what he was using as a shield: the armored snowplow.


    Of course, it was more than just a plow. Just like all the other vehicles out here, it had a handmade cannon attached.


    And that was the very cannon which had transformed that entire building into a scorching furnace.


    (Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. Once I have the secret file, I can leave the Academy. So who cares what the people here think of me? If I use the title of Headmaster to earn people¡¯s trust, I can claim the students are preparing ABC weapons inside so the military will bomb the place to the ground. That will erase any negative image I might have earned. So why worry about standing out? Besides, in a battle like this, they won¡¯t have time to thoroughly investigate each and every deadly bullet.)


    ¡°Headmaster?¡±


    ¡°Sorry about this.¡±


    Cliff reached into his luxury suit¡¯s pocket just like someone pulling out a pack of cigarettes for a smoke.


    But his hand emerged with a self-defense handgun in its grasp.


    ¡°I was a little confused for a bit there, but I should have just done this from the beginning.¡±


    Before the surprised driver could shut the armored door, that handgun fired a bullet, just like it had once before already.


    Part 8


    They had the secret file.


    But just as Quenser and the others left the old electronics storage room, they heard what sounded like a machinegun or a welding rod.


    They instinctually ducked down lower than the windows.


    ¡°Wh-what is that!?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re doing something outside,¡± said Quenser. ¡°But not on this floor. It¡¯s lower down?¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is bad,¡± spat out Elritta.


    They carefully approached the stairs while still feeling like they were swimming through the thick air of a sauna.


    But they could not descend to the first floor.


    The stairway was glowing a scorching orange.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The strange sound rang out once more. This time, they could also see something flashing like a strobe light or lightning strike while disturbing glowing marks were burned into the hallway walls and ceiling.


    Those marks were 10cm squares.


    When several of those burning orange marks covered the same spot, that area would lose its shape and spread out into a strange puddle like an amoeba.


    ¡°They¡¯re using that experimental laser,¡± gulped Allen. ¡°Now they¡¯re attacking at the speed of light. This is powerful enough to shoot down a drone made of alloy, so if it locks onto a person, we¡¯ll burst into flames!!¡±


    And bursting into flames from a direct hit was not the only concern. Frighteningly hot winds blew out from the center of the exposed area. The air was expanding at an explosive rate. And that deadly wind would destroy their throat and lungs if they breathed it in.


    But that was not what the enemy was trying to do.


    ¡°The real problem is what they¡¯re attacking.¡±


    ¡°Eh? What do you mean?¡± asked super-mini dress Monica.


    Elritta answered with another sigh.


    ¡°There are no other students in this building. So assuming they aren¡¯t firing at random, we are the targets here. But they started with the first floor. Why? What are they targeting?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it,¡± groaned Quenser. ¡°They¡¯re trying to seal up the manhole leading underground! If they melt enough materials on top of it, we won¡¯t be able to open it!!¡±


    ¡°Like you said before, humans are helpless against lasers. Any escape route other than the tunnels will mean exposing ourselves on the wide-open lawn, so we would not stand a chance. And if we decide to hole up in the building, he can continue firing the laser to increase the temperature of this furnace. We will roast before we can try anything.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, wait. That strategy assumes knowledge of the manhole and underground passageways, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Servant, are you saying that is who is controlling the laser?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard to imagine he would let anyone else know about those tunnels.¡± Quenser paused before continuing. ¡°The Headmaster has finally made an appearance. Which means he¡¯s feeling cornered!!¡±


    The first floor hallway was scorching hot and there was nothing they could do hanging around near the stairs.


    Quenser¡¯s group returned to the second floor and started by observing the situation.


    ¡°Turn your phone off. Any light in the dark here would be suicide.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but we don¡¯t have night-vision goggles.¡±


    Quenser and Allen went on ahead while Monica and Elritta waited on the windowless stairway landing. They crouched down, carefully crossed the second floor hallway, and moved below one of the windows. They gathered up some of the glass that had melted and rehardened, and used it as a mirror to look out the window.


    They used that glass like a periscope to view the outside from multiple angles.


    ¡°There it is. That¡¯s the fat turkey.¡±


    ¡°Only you can see at that angle. How am I supposed to know what you mean?¡±


    ¡°It looks like a snowplow with armor panels attached. There¡¯s something else on the back end. About 1.5 meters. Something like planetarium lenses are spinning around it. It kind of reminds me of our Princess¡¯s Killer Squall.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is. Give me that glass.¡±


    Allen swiped the ¡°mirror¡±, did the same thing Quenser had, and then groaned.


    ¡°It just had to be the Branding Iron, didn¡¯t it? I thought that thing had been dismantled!¡±


    ¡°The Branding Iron?¡±


    ¡°You remember that infamous professor, right? It¡¯s a handmade toy he put together. It¡¯s a sphere containing several high-powered lasers made by strapping together 4x4 YAGs.¡±


    ¡°Hm? So was it originally a proof of concept model for a laser space elevator or something???¡±


    ¡°Do you really think something that harmless would be called the Branding Iron? That peaceful use was only the excuse he used on the paperwork. He was really building his own laser weapon on campus because he was fed up with the trouble caused by drones these days! He claimed he had to take things into his own hands since the law was taking too long to catch up. He was prepared to shoot down anything and everything that flew above campus without permission, but the administration stopped him because of the threat it posed to civilian airplanes. Oh, and there was a rumor a wild bird preservation group made a fuss over it.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s it there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that old man pouted his lips like a child and refused to throw it out. And now some idiot dug it back up and installed it on the back of a plow. This is not going to be easy. I¡¯ve seen that freak¡¯s demonstration video. He made the video because he hoped a space opera would use it for inspiration. Its theoretical effective range is 400km and it can apparently force its way through the air¡¯s weakening effect by combining several lasers together. Not that that matters much to those of us on the ground thanks to the horizon getting in the way. Still, he claims it can shoot down more than 20 targets with 98.8% accuracy. The video didn¡¯t look faked, so I don¡¯t think he was bluffing.¡±


    Just then, the concentrated fire of lasers on the first floor came to a stop.


    They had a bad feeling about this.


    Then the Branding Iron¡¯s square marks began to fill the second floor. The sound and light of welding came from the broken windows and the hallway¡¯s opposite wall. Square orange lights lingered and a scorching wind burst out. The wallpaper was already discolored from the heat, but now its ends began to curl up and the heat burned the sprinklers on the ceiling which had burned out.


    ¡°Bwah!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Allen. This doesn¡¯t mean he knows where we are. He was filling the entire building with light and heat, starting with the bottom, in hopes of smoking out the rats he knows are inside.¡±


    Quenser pulled out a handkerchief and forced it over his awful friend¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t breathe too deeply. Anti-air lasers are an everyday sight on Object battlefields. They¡¯re dangerous, but you get used to it. Breathe small, shallow breaths. We need to get back to Monica and the Board Chairman.¡±


    ¡°Bleh. Objects have more than 100 of those covering them, right? How do you survive against something like that!?¡±


    ¡°Second Generations are specialized for fighting other Objects, so they have a surprising number of blind spots. It¡¯s the First Generations you really have to worry about. That old style was designed to fight infantry and tanks. Just like that Branding Iron.¡±


    If they raised their head too far, their skull would be vaporized.


    But as long as the reinforced concrete of the outer wall was in the way, they could avoid instant death. They preferred not to imagine just how discolored the other side of that wall was, but it was more resistant to change than simple steel or plastic.


    Once they made it back to the stairway landing where Monica and Elritta were crouched down waiting, they found the girls had gone entirely pale. Quenser debated whether the anxiety of not knowing or the fear of knowing was worse, but he ultimately decided to give a quick summary.


    ¡°S-servant. This is only the second floor. How about we escape through a window on the other side while he is busy firing the laser from the courtyard? It isn¡¯t too high to jump down from.¡±


    ¡°It would be safer to use a curtain or something as a rope, but what good is escaping the building?¡± Quenser slowly exhaled. ¡°In case you¡¯ve forgotten, that armored snowplow is driving around and around the building. And it¡¯s a wide open space out there. The nearest fence is a few hundred meters away, but we¡¯re dead the instant he spots us. Crossing that aboveground route would be suicide. But feel free to try it if you think you can outrun the speed of light.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°We have the secret file right here. If only we could get it to the authorities.¡±


    Elritta held the thick stack of papers between her hands and bit her lip in frustration.


    ¡°Hey, Quensette, how about we snap photos of the documents and send that to the Black Uniforms outside?¡±


    ¡°With all this confusion, who¡¯s going to believe blurry photos sent from a phone that anyone could have picked up? This data only carries any real weight when it¡¯s handed over by the Board Chairman herself. That¡¯s what makes it trustworthy. Besides, using a phone in here means shining the backlight everywhere. And you would need the flash on to photo all that writing. We¡¯d just get lasered before we were done.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but what else can we do!?¡±


    The crackling of the lasers squeezed at their chests. The sauna-like heat only continued to rise. At this rate, they would dehydrate even if they avoided a direct hit.


    They fell silent.


    They thought.


    And then the Dragon Killer made a suggestion.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do it ourselves. Are you going to let that greedy son of a bitch trample on the beautiful Student Council President¡¯s dignity any longer? Let¡¯s pave our own way out of here by blowing up the armored snowplow carrying the Branding Iron. It¡¯s an emergency, so it¡¯ll count as self defense. This has got to be a far more clever option than running across that wide open lawn.¡±


    ¡°I know just how you feel. So let¡¯s get to the next question: What exactly are we supposed to do!?¡±


    ¡°Shouting isn¡¯t going to summon an idea out of the ether, so let¡¯s make better use of our time. For now, let¡¯s head up while that scum of a headmaster is focused on the second floor. This is the special classroom building, so what¡¯s left on the third and fourth floors, Allen? That will have a large influence on our options.¡±


    The small Board Chairman answered instead of Allen.


    ¡°The bad news is that the tech room and infirmary are being burned up right now. The third floor has the chemistry, physics, and biology rooms, plus the supply room for each. The fourth floor has the A/V, home ec, music, and art rooms.¡±


    ¡°Sounds great. Once we¡¯re prepared, we can get ourselves fired up by watching some porn or drawing a nude sketch.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s military-style motivational speech was not favorably received by the classy ladies. The Board Chairman stepped on him while the idol shoved her stun sabre against his ass. Monica was at least merciful enough to not switch it on.


    At any rate, they had to climb the stairs.


    The third floor was still safe, but if they were glimpsed through the broken windows, a laser would be headed their way. They decided it was best to crouch down and move carefully below the windows.


    ¡°So where do we start?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not talking about a proper military weapon here. It¡¯s powerful as hell, but it¡¯s still just a handmade experiment. It¡¯ll have tons of weaknesses, so we really need to be looking at this in reverse. It¡¯s a miracle the thing is running at all.¡±


    For example¡­


    ¡°Just like railguns, lasers use a ton of electricity. That¡¯s not a problem when equipped on a cruiser or Object, but a snowplow¡¯s engine won¡¯t be enough.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just using the Academy¡¯s high-voltage line? We have a high-capacity power supply for experiments. And it¡¯s enough to run 10 billion eV experiments like the hadron collider located below the campus.¡±


    ¡°The plow wasn¡¯t hooked up to any thick cables.¡±


    ¡°Then how about a large-capacity battery?¡± asked Monica while looking down at her stun sabre.


    ¡°That¡¯s theoretically possible, but I kind of doubt it. That would give him a limited number of shots and he would have to worry about ammo. He would have to be a complete moron to keep firing on the building like this if that were the case.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it???¡± asked Allen.


    Quenser thought for a bit before answering.


    ¡°A superconducting generator.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°They use liquid nitrogen or helium to cool the armature terminals to ultra low temperatures. The system introduces little loss, so even a small generator can produce a lot of power. The industrial megawatt ones are the same size as a thermal power station, but the weaker kilowatt ones can be made a lot smaller. I bet the Academy¡¯s eccentric geniuses could make one small enough to fit in that plow.¡±


    ¡°Liquid nitrogen and helium? Those both sound tricky to use.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not the real issue.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Elritta tilted her head while crouched down, so Quenser explained.


    ¡°We don¡¯t actually know what kind of power source it uses, but we do know that laser weapon requires an ass-load of power. Listen, we¡¯re talking about levels of energy where no one batted an eye at you mentioning a hadron collider. Even a 100V copier can cause a short if you don¡¯t plug it into a grounded outlet. So how is he stabilizing that much energy?¡±


    ¡°Dammit, now that you mention it!!¡±


    ¡°See? Just poke around a little and you can find all sorts of flaws. Don¡¯t let it get to you, Allen. This is just a school experiment ¨C a handmade device thrown together with the available parts. It¡¯s not an official military product that¡¯s gone through thousands or tens of thousands of rounds of durability testing. See it for what it is and you¡¯ll see this enemy is perfectly beatable.¡±


    Quenser grinned as they arrived at the chemistry supply room.


    They once again hit the knob to break through the cheap lock and then opened the door while using a coat like a potholder. A chemical stench immediately rushed out at them.


    Elritta grimaced.


    ¡°The heat seems to have caused an odd reaction in some of the chemicals.¡±


    ¡°I sure don¡¯t want to stay in here long. Let¡¯s finish this up quickly.¡±


    Once they shut the door, there was no chance of the Headmaster seeing them while operating the Branding Iron on the hallway side of the building. Quenser and the others could finally stand tall once more and they checked the various shelves.


    ¡°Servant, what is the plan here?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go with electrical breakdown,¡± said the student.


    His prompt answer suggested he already had a vision in mind.


    The only person who still looked confused was Elritta, the 10-year-old girl who was the Board Chairman but also had the Student Council Presidents tutor her.


    ¡°Air is generally an insulator. That means electricity can¡¯t pass through it. But do you know why lightning can still strike from the sky?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now that you mention it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s known as electrical breakdown. Electricity can¡¯t pass through rubber or glass, but if enough voltage is applied, the electrical resistance breaks down and it passes right on through. There are other details about electron avalanches and whatnot, but there¡¯s really only one thing you need to know: when the conditions are right, electricity can pass through materials it normally can¡¯t. And what if we¡¯re talking about enough electricity to power a laser weapon? The short will immediately blow away the armored snowplow like a firework.¡±


    ¡°But, Quensette, there are a lot of different insulating materials: rubber, plastic, concrete, air, pure water, and even a vacuum, I think. There isn¡¯t much we can do without knowing what kind of safety measures the Branding Iron uses.¡±


    ¡°We just have to think like he does.¡±


    ¡°Like Headmaster Cliff does?¡±


    ¡°Why him? I mean the infamous professor who built the thing.¡±


    ¡°Bff! Are you insane!? All the illicit rock candy in the world wouldn¡¯t be enough to sync with his thoughts!! Not even stabbing an antenna into your head and connecting to the Akashic Records at a rate of 800 megahertz would be enough!!¡±


    Allen protested, but they did not have time for Quenser to explain every little thing.


    The continuous laser noises had reached the third floor.


    The Headmaster had finished using the Branding Iron to fill the second floor with light and heat, so he was moving to the next floor up.


    ¡°Get down! The concrete walls are one thing, but the doors won¡¯t stop that thing!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the only issue. If the lasers hit the shelves of chemicals, the sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid will vaporize and fill the room! And I don¡¯t want to think about what that would do to us!!¡±


    Quenser was still grabbing more chemicals, so Monica had to grab his arm and drag him away.


    The four of them quickly moved to the adjacent chemistry room and then moved to the hallway door, despite knowing it was even more dangerous out there. They ducked down to remain below the windows and thus in a blind spot of the deadly anti-air lasers.


    ¡°The third floor is done for. Where are the closest stairs? We¡¯ll be roasted if we don¡¯t get to the next floor!¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to go back the way we came?¡± asked Elritta. ¡°This way. We should be able to-¡­¡±


    She trailed off because one of the Branding Iron¡¯s orange squares burned into the wall far too close for comfort. Quenser grabbed Monica and rolled across the scorching floor. Allen did the same with Elritta. The two pairs were separated by even more blazing hot wind and light.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t actually know where we are! Allen, you two head to the stairs in that direction. We¡¯ll head the opposite way. See you on the fourth floor!!¡±


    ¡°Understood. Don¡¯t you die, Quensette! I forgot to mention it, but the protagonist of the script under my shirt is based on you.¡±


    ¡°Can you not confess that here? It¡¯s like you¡¯re setting it up so I¡¯ll die here!¡±


    At any rate, they started for the different stairways.


    Quenser and Monica crouched down and moved below the windows.


    ¡°Servant, is it just me or is the laser chasing us!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s firing randomly from one end to the other. It just happened to be moving in the same direction as us.¡±


    They were climbing from the third floor to the fourth floor.


    At that height, jumping out a window started to sound much less survivable. They had no other option at the moment, but diving into a dead end like this was not good for their hearts.


    Twintail Monica groaned in that sauna from hell.


    Their slingshot bow gun and stun sabre felt horribly inadequate against a legit laser weapon.


    ¡°Are you sure we can do this?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the safest route is, young lady? Killing your most dangerous enemy.¡±


    After Allen parted ways with Quenser and Monica, a horrible feeling caught in his chest.


    He could hear the Branding Iron growing more distant.


    He felt the same alienation as when he was left behind in the theater after the movie ended. He felt like he had run into a dead end like when he had submitted a script he was extremely proud of but never heard anything back.


    (Yeah.)


    He summed up his thoughts while carrying Elritta.


    (This is, well, how should I put it? It¡¯s like the invisible goddess of fortune has left me. It¡¯s like my beginner¡¯s luck has finally worn off and death has returned to the world like normal.)


    The Branding Iron¡¯s orange squares of light had been pursuing Quenser and Monica along the windows and hallway wall, but now they turned back toward Allen and Elritta.


    The light, heat, and noise were all intense.


    He knew it was not actually targeting them, but he still cowered down like when lightning struck nearby.


    And then he felt a tremor.


    He assumed it was just his own body shaking in fear.


    And that was not wrong.


    But it was not entirely right either.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The 10-year-old girl in his arms was trembling. She must have felt the same isolation and alienation he had. She would have sensed the stench of death too. And when she saw the fear in an older boy like Allen and felt him shaking, she had known she was not just imagining things.


    Allen Jackrose was not an actor.


    He had wanted to stand on the silver screen, but he had quickly learned he was not cut out for it.


    But the world of film had refused to let go of his heart.


    The same could be said of the puny script hidden below his shirt.


    He was not a knight in shining armor.


    The true Dragon Killer was that boy who ran across the battlefield with nothing more than a bomb and stood up to those colossal weapons that not even a nuke could destroy.


    But.


    Even so.


    He knew what the protagonist in his script would say when faced with a trembling and fearful girl who had tears in her eyes as she faced seemingly certain death. He knew exactly what line he would give to that kind of utter moron who would not hesitate to stand up and hold out his hand to that girl.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    That persona existed in a corner of Allen Jackrose¡¯s mind.


    So he just had to act it out for himself.


    ¡°There is nothing to be afraid of. After all, the heroes never lose.¡±


    Allen remained motionless even as the brutal anti-air lasers passed by directly overhead.


    He simply held the girl¡¯s small shoulders in his arms until she stopped shaking.


    Until she could see how unwavering he was.


    He would not lose, he would not run away, he would not cry, and he would not give up.


    Allen Jackrose silently made up his mind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head on up. Victory awaits us.¡±


    It did not matter that he was bluffing.


    It did not matter that he was just acting the movie star.


    If it would let him protect someone¡¯s smile, then he would be the hero on the silver screen tonight.


    He would use the logic of the script he had written to protect that girl¡¯s heart.


    Worried because Allen and Elritta still had not shown up, Quenser circled around the fourth floor hallway to check the stairway those two were meant to use. But when he did see them there, he raised his index and middle fingers on either side of his head to look like bull horns.


    And he stomped about while jabbing those horns into the air.


    ¡°(Dammit, Allen! Quit acting cool and get up here already!!)¡±


    ¡°(Stop that, servant. You need to be patient. Really, you should use this as a lesson in how to be a proud and chivalrous member of the Legitimacy Kingdom.)¡±


    Part 9


    Headmaster Cliff French-Connection was confused.


    (I haven¡¯t noticed any activity inside.)


    He doubted they had escaped through the underground route. None of his randomly-placed sensors had detected anything. It was also unlikely they had escaped through the windows on the opposite side of the building. He had found the time to place a few cameras on tripods on the lawn there, but those had not detected anything either.


    The only remaining option was that they were still inside the building, but¡­


    (Are they curled up in fear with nowhere to go while everything melts around them? Or¡­)


    The radio duct taped to the armored snowplow¡¯s driver¡¯s seat continued to receive messages for the teacher who had originally operated the Branding Iron.


    ¡°Hans! What is your plan here? The students have already left the special classroom building, so there¡¯s no reason to keep attacking it!!¡±


    ¡°You can hear that request for backup, can¡¯t you? We¡¯ve taken a lot of casualties at the physics lab building! The Branding Iron is our most powerful weapon and its mere presence acts as a show of force. Hurry back to your post!!¡±


    ¡°No, wait. Is¡­is that not Hans? Who are you!?¡±


    Cliff did not need to reply.


    He could stop them simply by turning around the Branding Iron¡¯s planetarium-like barrel and firing on a few targets. The Branding Iron brought the speed of light to the battlefield, so it was an absolute presence in an open space. No matter how much they fortified themselves, they could not approach.


    And thanks to the superconducting generator built into the system, the energy problem was almost entirely solved, unlike with a battery or high-voltage power line. It was nigh impossible to defeat it with a silly strategy like ¡°waiting for it to run out of gas¡±.


    He had a much more important issue to focus on.


    (I doubt they¡¯re headed higher just to escape the immediate threat. If they were that cowardly, they would never have searched out the secret file. But what is it? What exactly are they thinking?)


    That was when the possibility of a long-term battle entered Cliff¡¯s mind.


    After all, he was most frightened by the idea of a stalemate end where they might be alive or dead. He was burning down the entire building, so it would be a problem if nothing else happened. The more he stuck with this, the more the students and teachers would suspect there was more to this. And as time passed, the councilors might overcome their shock and throw out their pride as a lawful nation by providing special authorization for the military to keep the peace within the safe country.


    He wanted to escape outside the fence before that happened. If possible, he wanted to fan the flames of anxiety to ensure a largescale bombing of the Academy to vaporize the teachers¡­no, the Elritta supporters who were trying to find evidence of his financial malpractice.


    So Elritta¡¯s group had no real reason to fight back.


    They did not even need to give any hints they had been hit by the lasers.


    Taking no action was an action.


    In other words, simply waiting and allowing time to pass would do plenty of damage to Cliff.


    This entire incident had been intended as a shot in the arm for Cliff since the walls had been closing in on him as things were. If the passage of time returned things to normal, he was done for. In that sense, he was the same as a terrorist. Terrorists selfishly used violence to inspire social unrest so they could control the world as they saw fit, so what they feared most was to have nothing special happen and everyone to just continue living their lives like normal. Because if they were wielding a gun and shouting at people, it meant they were already hopelessly cornered from the very beginning.


    (I want some proof. Some proof that this is over.)


    Right to left. End to end. Cliff clenched his teeth while continually firing the laser to transform the third floor of the special classroom building into a scorching sauna.


    (I¡¯m not going to just assume it¡¯s over. I need to know for sure. I need to know I¡¯ve destroyed the secret file that Elritta and her supporters found!!)


    Theoretically, repeating these straightforward actions was the most surefire method available to him.


    He would fill all four floors with light and heat. And while that heat lingered, he would start again from the bottom up. Then he only had to let time pass. If he kept the entire building too hot to survive even with a fire-resistant suit, it would not matter which room¡¯s corner they were curled up in. He disliked not knowing what format the secret file was in, but he could search through the corpses and steal it afterwards.


    He had to ensure they were dead and then allow the heat to dissipate so he could get inside.


    That meant this was indeed a race against time. If it took too long, the students and the teachers or the police and military outside could come rushing in at him.


    So he set the lasers for maximum damage.


    Elritta¡¯s group had clung to the fantasy of truth to the point of abandoning their own safety. He knew they would choose to nobly lose their lives if he cornered them.


    But then something else happened.


    An arrow was mercilessly fired at the armored snowplow.


    It was all short-term. His enemy had never even considered choosing a long-term battle that presupposed their deaths.


    Part 10


    Meanwhile, Quenser and the others had regrouped and continued all the way up to the roof.


    They had launched an arrow.


    A laser was fired in response.


    As soon as the planetarium lens moved down on the ground, Quenser and the others should have been wiped out. But they were not.


    Because¡­


    ¡°Take this!!¡±


    Allen¡¯s words were followed by the color orange blazing through the previously dark space around him. But these were not mysterious will-o¡¯-the-wisps.


    It was the movie script he had kept hidden under his shirt.


    He had thrown the several hundred pieces of copy paper into the air above him.


    ¡°The Branding Iron can only lock onto 20 targets at once, so this should be enough to confuse it!¡±


    ¡°But that was your script!!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Allen smiled within the floating embers.


    He smiled and patted the young Board Chairman¡¯s head.


    ¡°This is fine. I won¡¯t let it go to waste. We can¡¯t lose, we won¡¯t allow any sacrifices, and we¡¯ll do anything to pull it off! Isn¡¯t that right, Quensette!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The boy next to him did not hesitate to answer.


    Quenser held his slingshot bow gun while looking down using the screen of the phone Allen held out for him.


    ¡°I was worried about a number of things, but it actually hit. I didn¡¯t realize trajectory calculation programs made such a difference.¡±


    ¡°It was originally a golf practice app.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, servant! What can that puny little shaft do? Even if you attached a glass fiber bag full of sulfuric acid, I seriously doubt it could break through that thick armor!!¡±


    ¡°That armor is like several layers of steel panels for construction, so not even an assault rifle could punch through it. But I wasn¡¯t trying to.¡±


    ¡°Then what were you doing?¡±


    ¡°The actual Branding Iron is the spherical unit that looks like a planetarium lens on top of the snowplow. And it of course needs a cable to hook it up. But we¡¯re talking about a high-voltage power line. It would burn right through normal plastic insulation. Now, a question: what¡¯s the easiest to use of the insulators you would have on hand?¡±


    ¡°???¡±


    Elritta did not have the basic knowledge necessary, so it may have been an unfair question for her.


    Allen answered instead.


    ¡°Silicone oil, right? I¡¯m guessing it uses two layers of insulation with the oil running between them, or the metal cable inside is coated with the stuff.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking the same thing. It provides 30 times the insulation of air and more than 10 times that of plastic and you can easily buy it at your local auto parts store. That infamous professor might have a total galaxy grain, but he takes his work seriously. He puts together a workable theory, gathers the necessary materials where he can find them, and then uses the power of the Academy to force his way through when that isn¡¯t enough. He doesn¡¯t use those twisted detours if he doesn¡¯t have to. Using the Academy¡¯s power requires writing and submitting paperwork. Normal people hate eccentrics, but eccentrics hate having to act normal for other people¡¯s sake. So he would avoid that paperwork whenever possible. And that means he¡¯ll use the available materials when he can. That¡¯s true whether you¡¯re a normal people, an eccentric, or a complete and utter lunatic.¡±


    The Branding Iron¡¯s planetarium-like laser unit moved once more.


    But it was too late. The arrow had been launched and it had hit.


    ¡°The thing about silicone oil is, not only does it have an extremely high electrical resistance, but it¡¯s also highly resistant to both high and low temperatures. It¡¯s also highly waterproof and air bubbles have a hard time forming in it. Since it comes from silicon, making it a cousin of glass, it¡¯s also highly resistant to a lot of different chemicals. It¡¯s such a superb insulator that it¡¯s used in industrial motors, but needless to say, there is no such thing as an all-powerful material. It will start to corrode if it¡¯s exposed to an alkali hydroxide, which are components in chemical detergents that are just a bit bad for your skin. Ideally, this would melt through the plastic coating as well.¡±


    In other words¡­


    ¡°Silicone oil is an extremely powerful insulator, but what if we chemically alter it into another substance? If the insulation is suddenly taken away, the Branding Iron¡¯s power will bare its fangs toward the very person using it.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, one corner of the Academy¡¯s night was filled with white light.


    Part 11


    Headmaster Cliff French-Connection screamed when it exploded.


    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    He did not actually understand what had happened.


    He had only hijacked the Branding Iron, so even if he knew how to operate it, he did not understand the design or how to maintain it. So he simply assumed its massive power source had shorted out and caused an explosion.


    And when the light and noise exploded behind him, all he could do was curl up in the driver¡¯s seat protected by the armor panels.


    However¡­


    ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    He could still speak.


    He was still alive.


    ¡°What happened!?¡±


    If the laser unit was unusable, he would have to rethink his plan from the ground up. Top priority was preventing Elritta¡¯s group from escaping the building so they would roast inside. He thought it might be fastest to remove the fuel from the snowplow¡¯s tank and throw it into the overheated first floor through a window.


    But he was unaware that his priorities were out of order.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are all familiar with liquid nitrogen,¡± said Quenser on the rooftop. ¡°That extreme coolant exists at 195 degrees below 0. Of course, if you heat it up, the liquid transforms into a gas. And that means its volume rapidly expands.¡±


    He had already seen a weapon that used that fact.


    By filling a pipe with liquid nitrogen instead of an explosive and then rapidly applying heat to vaporize it, the pressure would launch a projectile toward the teachers¡¯ armored vehicles.


    So they just had to do the same here.


    ¡°That superconducting generator uses liquid nitrogen. When the electrical breakdown allows all that power to reach it, the heat will be enough to melt metal, so what do you think will happen then? Surely you can answer me that, teach.¡±


    ¡°And once you do that, yes, do that and you will find¡­¡±


    While spreading fear through students and teachers alike by firing a handmade coilgun all across the Academy from a small trailer, the infamous professor suddenly stopped muttering a lecture and looked up.


    He stared into the distance and his eyes focused on reality for a brief moment.


    ¡°Yes, excellent work,¡± he said. ¡°I give that a perfect 100.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Cliff French-Connection did not understand the exact theory behind it.


    But as he viewed the scene through the gap between armor panels, he saw his armored snowplow swell out from within.


    He only knew that the solid wall of death was about to slam into his body.


    And a moment later, everything was blown to smithereens.


    Part 12


    It was all over.


    It did not take long once Headmaster Cliff French-Connection was blown to bits.


    First, they got Board Chairman Elritta Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es to the other side of the fence. Once the thick secret file was in the hands of the police, the police saluted and patted the girl¡¯s head before rushing onto the campus within the fence.


    The distinction between student and teacher no longer mattered.


    Those puppets¡¯ strings had been cut, so they readily put their hands up like the entire conflict had been a lie. That was a sign of just how abnormal the world created by the Headmaster had been.


    Meanwhile.


    Allen checked the time on his phone, which was almost out of battery, and then collapsed onto the lawn.


    ¡°It¡¯s over! It¡¯s all over! Oh, goddammit! There¡¯s no way I can win that script competition now!! That was my dream, you know!? As na?ve as it might be!!¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I wish I could make it up for you, but I have no pull in the entertainment industry.¡±


    Little Board Chairman Elritta sounded apologetic, but Quenser made sure to pat her head.


    He smiled and asked a question.


    ¡°You say that, but if you could redo today, would you abandon this girl and run off to the competition? It would also mean abandoning the beautiful Student Council President.¡±


    ¡°Goddammit.¡±


    Still on the ground, Allen moved his hands like he was washing his face.


    But he was not pathetically crying.


    ¡°I¡¯d save them. Yes, I¡¯d save them!! I mean, I poured my heart and soul into writing that, so I couldn¡¯t let it be stained by bloody rumors of a death in its background! So I¡¯d save them. The much better story is to have saved the world real quick on the way to the competition!!¡±


    After one last glance at Allen, Quenser turned toward super-mini dress Monica.


    ¡°Lady Monica, aren¡¯t there any special measures for things like this? I mean, we practically had a war break out on campus.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t my field, but with idol auditions, you¡¯re disqualified if you¡¯re even a second late even if a meteor hit. For one thing, success in the entertainment industry isn¡¯t achieved solely through the strengths of an individual. Luck and trends are as important to business opportunities as skill is. Unfortunately, people¡¯s efforts can go unrewarded if they arrived at the wrong time. That¡¯s just how it works.¡±


    Twintail Monica sighed.


    But she was not done yet.


    ¡°Still, if my instincts are right, a change is about to come over the industry. And in my business, a hyena-level nose is crucial.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Allen. The entertainment business is a small one and it isn¡¯t kind enough to always give someone what they want. And with the hundreds or even thousands of people involved in the production of a film, an individual¡¯s opinions are easily altered. Things might not go according to plan, but are you still interested in knocking on the gates of that world you¡¯ve dreamed of joining? Are you ready to make a film, even if it¡¯s nothing like the script you wrote?¡± Monica smiled thinly. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to follow through on this, then I think this incident might just work out in your favor.¡±


    That was when his nearly-dead phone received a call.


    When he sat up and answered it, the producer on the other end immediately began speaking at a mile a minute.


    ¡°Hey there!! Sounds like you had a real rough day! Anyway, we just got the green light on producing a film based on that Academy Occupation. We¡¯d love to get a firsthand account. We¡¯re especially interested in some inside Academy information on what we¡¯re allowed to show and what¡¯s a secret. So how would you like to join our writing team, rookie!?¡±

 Volume 17, Prologue

    Volume 17, Prologue


    Dear army men.


    Army men know everything, so I have a question.


    Is Santa Claus real?


    John from my neighborhood says no. He says Santa would be caught by something called radar if he flew in the sky. John is smart and his dad is an army man, so maybe that is true.


    Claudia from the same institution says yes. But she says Santa is only one person and he is very busy this time of year, so she cried and said he won¡¯t visit a poor institution like ours.


    I want to know if Santa Claus is real.


    I wish I could set up a camera, but I don¡¯t have the money.


    Do you army men know Santa?


    Have you seen him on that thing called radar?


    ?


    If you have a chance to speak with him, can you tell him he can skip me but to give Claudia a present so she won¡¯t cry?


    Please.

 Volume 17, 1: Santa Claus in an Icy Hell >> Arctic Passage Rescue Operation

    Volume 17, Chapter 1: Santa Claus in an Icy Hell >> Arctic Passage Rescue Operation


    Part 1


    One of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s most well-known safe countries was the South Britain District.


    The wintry Thames snaked through the central city of London, transport helicopters flew across that river, and 8-wheeled armored vehicles cautiously and slowly drove along the roads.


    This was an unusual level of alert for a safe country, but the couples on the sidewalks only laughed together and occasionally aimed their phone cameras at the soldiers.


    ¡°Are we seriously on a mission to shoot down Santa?¡±


    ¡°Our busty commander must be so overworked she¡¯s finally lost her marbles.¡±


    While large snowflakes fell on the old city that night, Quenser and Heivia spoke with visible breaths after stepping out of one of the 8-wheeled armored vehicles that were equipped with 120mm guns.


    ¡°Why in the world are we using maneuver combat vehicles? The roads are way too small for these.¡±


    ¡°They want to do some PR with them after spending so much tax money on them. It¡¯s all about how things will look on TV. And the stuff on the top looks really cool. It¡¯s like a tank.¡±


    Heivia was trying to complain, but that gadget nerd was not cooperating.


    ¡°They have a propeller on the back, right? The vehicle itself is airtight, so they can use the air inside to float along in the water. You think they plan to cross the half-frozen Thames with them?¡±


    ¡°To put it as nicely as I can manage, what possible reason could they have to do that?¡±


    ¡°Wow, Heivia. You¡¯re how old and you still think the military has a good reason for anything it does? It¡¯s nothing more than ¡®the other guys have these, so we need them too¡¯. Humanity has been wasting everyone¡¯s tax money for more than 2000 years based on that logic.¡±


    They were terribly jealous of the couples in puffy sweaters and coats. When they were stuck on a night mission so cold their breaths stabbed whitely out in front of them, nothing killed their motivation quite like seeing those men and woman huddling together and sharing some steaming fries or roast chicken.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and shoot down that Santa SOB so we can get out of here.¡±


    ¡°What a joke. This is really just a 2-hour escape artist special, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Whether or not Santa Claus existed was irrelevant.


    They only had to ¡°create¡± their own Santa.


    Just like a meteorological weapon gave a 100% chance of a white Christmas regardless of where the cold wave or cold front was.


    Basically, they just needed some official news reports saying they had shot down Santa Claus and arrested him in the public square. With the live TV broadcasts and global internet streaming, they hoped to have as many witnesses as possible so Santa¡¯s existence was accepted as public information.


    No matter how silly it sounded, official records had a certain power.


    For example, shoelaces coming untied was an ordinary phenomenon that could be explained with the laws of physics and did not require an occult explanation, but it was shocking to discover how long it actually took to prove it.


    Heivia walked alongside the line of armored vehicles and trucks while armed with his usual assault rifle and a multipurpose shoulder-fired missile.


    Their job was simple. First, a neatly aligned array of drones would fly by in the night sky above the city. Their lights would shine like a row of car taillights to give the appearance of reindeer and a sleigh and then the soldiers in the city would fire surface-to-air missiles at a specific point in the sky. Then they only had to capture the scorched Santa Claus waiting for them at the ¡°crash site¡± set up in a park.


    The bored mass media would jump at anything that would give them numbers.


    And if they did not have to pay the production costs, all the better.


    So if the TV cameras captured the instant of the arrest, the reporters would have gotten the exact scoop the military wanted. Muscular soldiers were not going to be combing the Scandinavian wilderness with bug-catching nets in search of Santa Claus, but this year¡¯s Christmas would be full of smiles regardless.


    Technology had come a long way.


    Mysterious lights zigzagging through the night sky were easily create with drones on sale for the Christmas price of only 99.99 euros. That meant you could create UFOs or Santa¡¯s sleigh. Unless someone had gone to the trouble of setting up a telescope on this snowy night with clouds covering the sky, no one would be able to tell what they really were at a glance.


    However, there was a problem.


    ¡°Drones aren¡¯t as convenient as they let on. They crash pretty easily due to poor maintenance or an unexpected gust of wind and I¡¯ve been hearing more and more news stories about them losing control due to jamming signals or IR. You can blame the online stores for that one. People can bring down those unmanned toys to get as many retail items as they like and the people who ordered the items can make up for the loss with insurance, so it¡¯s win-win. Of course people are going to start developing interference tech.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why this job was left with us in the military instead of the police or volunteers?¡± whispered back Quenser while participating in what looked like part of an amusement park parade. ¡°When you¡¯re planning a surprise party, there¡¯s always some asshole who will try to ruin it and laugh in your face, so we¡¯re supposed to be on the lookout for anyone like that and suppress them as we go.¡±


    The boy held a military mobile device that was different from a commercial smartphone or tablet.


    ¡°This is E1,¡± said someone over the device. ¡°The sergeant¡¯s group up ahead has entered the Thames.¡±


    ¡°So those damn armored vehicles have already gotten started, huh?¡±


    ¡°Despite carrying more than 20kg of equipment, they shouted at the top of their lungs before jumping into the frigid water,¡± they continued. ¡°Are we supposed to follow those idiots in? What are our orders?¡±


    ¡°Wait, it wasn¡¯t those amphibious vehicles!? How cold is the water right now!? That¡¯ll legit kill you!!¡±


    ¡°I bet they wanted to show off because there was a group of cheerleaders nearby,¡± said Heivia.


    There were a few different ways to intentionally jam or bring down a drone, but the aforementioned assholes were not espers and could not do it with the power of their minds. EM and IR signals might be invisible to the human eye, but not so to machinery. And once that signal was located, it could be killed.


    ¡°This is Monica, the battlefield idol reporter who can both sing and kill. Word is that the Legitimacy Kingdom military is about to begin an operation to shoot down Santa Claus, so several areas here in London have been blocked off to traffic.¡±


    The TV stations would jump at anything that would bring in money and numbers, so they were facing the cameras and giving a serious report on this farce. In the studio, the self-proclaimed ¡°experts¡± were having a heated debate over whether or not Santa was real, so the live broadcast kept switching between them and the local reporter.


    ¡°They¡¯re all a bunch of actors,¡± groaned Heivia in annoyance.


    ¡°Of course they are. That¡¯s how show business works. Also, that¡¯s my childhood friend Monica. I want to stay as far away from her as I can manage, so let¡¯s get to our position already.¡±


    Quenser and the others were not just marching through London. They were in the process of deploying troops to different points around the city. Simply put, it was a lot like boarding a bus that circled the city and getting off at their designated stops.


    ¡°Look, Heivia, they¡¯re selling commemorative gold Christmas coins.¡±


    ¡°I feel bad for the part-timers who have to stand on the street corner selling all of them by the end of the day. In a few days, they¡¯ll be selling New Year coins instead.¡±


    There were a lot of people who liked that kind of thing in the Legitimacy Kingdom. Although that would mostly be royals and nobles who dreamed of having their own face or full body engraved in gold.


    Quenser and Heivia left the turret-equipped armored vehicles near Piccadilly Circus, a shopping street in Soho.


    Jingling bells played from the speakers equipped all around them.


    ¡°Are you sure we should be using this song without permission? Isn¡¯t this Oh Ho Ho¡¯s Christmas song? Won¡¯t she be mad?¡±


    ¡°Why are you sticking up for the rights of an enemy nation we¡¯re at war with year-round???¡± Heivia looked up into the snowy night sky with his missile hanging from a sling belt. ¡°Oh, I see it. That¡¯s the ¡®flying sleigh¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Apparently we aren¡¯t shooting it down right away. It has to fly around London once first as a sort of performance.¡±


    A few dots of light were flying through the snowy night sky in perfect lines.


    In reality, it was only 8 multicopter drones arranged in a 2x4 formation, but only the two rows of lights were visible from the ground.


    ¡°Strange zigzagging lights in the sky aren¡¯t enough to surprise anyone these days, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, even though the existence of drones doesn¡¯t actually reject the possibility of alien spacecraft.¡±


    The two idiots discussed the issue while leaving the line of small shop windows on the main road to instead slip into the back alley and climb a metal ladder.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold even with gloves.¡±


    ¡°Just get going, twig boy. Staring at your ass wasn¡¯t how I wanted to spend my Christmas.¡±


    The building was better described as stone than concrete.


    Once on the roof of that stylish multi-tenant building, they kept low and walked across the snowy roof to reach their exact assigned position.


    Heivia rested the long tube on his shoulder and looked through the sight on the side.


    ¡°So are we ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn it on yet. I checked the manual and it only lasts three minutes.¡±


    Shoulder-fired missiles were a lot like fire extinguishers. They were only meant for emergencies and they were meant to be single-use. They gave you some chance of victory, but they were not going to blow up any and all tanks and fighters. The big jobs still had to be left to the experts.


    ¡°God, it¡¯s cold. Why do we have to freeze our asses off in the snow without anything to eat? Are there any Island Nation hot springs around here? Y¡¯know, those ones that are supposed to be good for your health because they contain Immortanoid, so if you bathe in them daily, it¡¯ll activate your cells and extend your life by 30%.¡±


    ¡°Immortanoid? Isn¡¯t that stuff radioactive?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a longevity mineral. It¡¯s all the rage among the nobles, so it¡¯s gotta be safe. That stuff will keep you alive forever. It¡¯s started a health boom and become a target of investment, so I heard a gram of it is worth 200 times a gram of pure gold. If it¡¯s that expensive, it¡¯s gotta work, right?¡±


    Quenser could hardly believe what he was hearing and he started to wonder if those so-called ¡°experts¡± on TV would shove miniature nuclear reactors in their gut if it would healthily extend their lifespan.


    Something cut by overhead while making a ton of noise.


    This was not the drones disguised as a sleigh.


    It was bigger and lower.


    ¡°The military sent out some damn tiltrotors?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the cameramen.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope a crosswind doesn¡¯t flip them right over,¡± complained Heivia while lowering the launcher tube and bringing his radio to his mouth. ¡°B4 to HQ. We have arrived at our point. We will now wait for the countdown.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, B4. We have confirmed some laser interference from the Ferris wheel and parliament building. It is small scale for now, but it means there are enemies out there. Be on the lookout for unforeseen accidents.¡±


    ¡°What kind of asshole does that?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°Are they like those idiots who run out onto the field during a soccer tournament with a smoke bomb in hand?¡±


    He had been muttering below his breath, but the radio must have picked it up. The strict class rep type of female operator actually went to the trouble of answering his question.


    ¡°According to another team that arrested one of them, they are almost certainly a citizen¡¯s group known as Realism. They truly believe that it is service to the world and to the education of children to let everyone see the world as it is. They are disliked by pretty much everyone because they pick fights with pretty much everyone, but they seem entirely oblivious to this fact.¡±


    ¡°They make their ideal sound nice and all, but aren¡¯t they the same as some flasher opening his coat on the dark street at night? Plus, it sounds like they¡¯ve appointed themselves as the arbiter of what is ¡®real¡¯ and what is not. If they¡¯re so closeminded they¡¯re going to seriously argue all the world¡¯s textbooks need to tell everyone they can¡¯t get off without stretching out their legs and fingering their asshole, I¡¯m not about to let them join the Santa Claus debate.¡±


    ¡°Honestly¡­ B4, righteous anger is fine and all, but do not let any children hear you saying things like that. Ksshh.¡±


    Some noise was already running through the radio signal.


    It was a small thing, but Quenser¡¯s mobile device was displaying a silent warning.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone here too. I¡¯ve detected a garbage EM signal transmitted on all bands. It¡¯s a jamming signal!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s measure it from two points. Distance and direction!¡±


    The jamming signal was ongoing.


    The flying lines of light were not going to crash to the ground immediately, but there was not much time. The flying LEDs had to maintain their sleigh shape, so it was all over if the lines fell out of order.


    And the suspect had to be somewhere in Piccadilly Circus at the center of Soho¡¯s shopping street below. It was the Christmas season, so the area was full of couples and families. Plus, the suspect might not be out in the open. They could be in a parked car or inside a store.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Heivia tossed the shoulder-fired missile to the snow, pulled out his own mobile device, and moved to the very edge of the multi-tenant building¡¯s rooftop. Quenser moved as far away as he could get and they used their two mobile devices to check their reception of the jamming signal from Point A and Point B.


    ¡°70m away at 10 o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got 80m at 7 o¡¯clock. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s standing at the intersection point¡­him!¡±


    A young man was messing with his phone below a fir tree strung up with lights.


    At first glance, he looked like he could be waiting for his date to show up, but he had a large, waterproof paper bag at his feet. It did not make sense to already have a large bag before going shopping with his cute girlfriend. It was not wrapped and he made no attempt to hide it, so it did not seem like a present either.


    ¡°Could that be the device? Realism spotted,¡± said Quenser. ¡°What do we do now? Climb down the ladder and sneak up to him???¡±


    When Heivia responded by attaching a suppressor to the barrel of his assault rifle, the invention nerd did a double take.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to climb back down every single time some idiot shows up and we¡¯re waiting for the countdown up here anyway. I want to stay put if at all possible.¡±


    Heivia stepped far enough back from the edge of the roof to not be seen from the ground, readied his assault rifle, and quietly fired a single bullet.


    However, he had not targeted the young man on the ground.


    The bullet hit the decorated fir tree, causing a bunch of snow to fall from its branches. That alone weighed a few dozen kilograms, so it appeared to have crushed the young man.


    The warning on their mobile devices vanished.


    ¡°B4, enemy suppression complete. If you have time, send a patrol to collect him. Since the weight of the snow broke the device, he might¡¯ve broken a rib or two.¡±


    ¡°HQ to B4. Please do not say things like that where it might be recorded. Do not drag me into the trouble you caused. But well done all the same.¡±


    Luckily, the lights in the night sky did not bump into each other and fall to the ground. The drone formation maintained its proper course and flew off to a different part of the city.


    Quenser breathed a white sigh.


    ¡°I guess we just have to wait here until the reindeer and sleigh finish their circle.¡±


    ¡°Unless it gets shot down in the City or Lambeth and never makes it back here. ¡­Still, modern drones sure are fast. They¡¯re moving faster than the average motorcycle, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Like with airplanes, distances and speeds were hard to judge at extreme distances. The eight lights appeared to be swimming through the snowy night sky, but they had actually already left Soho.


    Waiting out in the snow without even some hot coffee to drink was a dreary task. Especially when the city below was full of couples. They had no choice but to kill some time with their mobile devices while covering them up to prevent the backlights from showing.


    ¡°Monica here. I¡¯ve made my way to Trafalgar Square which is blocked off with yellow tape and with coils of barbed wire, so it looks especially threatening. It¡¯s so scary! The square is full of command vehicles covered with more antennas than our broadcasting vans, so we suspect those are the on-site commanders for the Santa Claus operation.¡±


    After quite a while, Quenser was dragged back to reality by the blinking light on the top-priority window that popped up to cover the screen.


    ¡°Oh, whoops. Heivia, hey, Heivia. It¡¯s time. Ready the missile!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, can¡¯t you see I¡¯m super busy?¡±


    It was unclear just what kind of video site the boy had accessed with that military equipment, but when Quenser heard loud moaning leaking from the headphones, he smacked his awful friend on the back of the head to drag him back from the fantasy world on the other side of that screen.


    ¡°Naughty boys get taken to a training camp from hell by the young women of the Special Training Unit.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t even joke about that!! I¡¯ll do it, okay!?¡±


    The military¡¯s Special Training Unit was a friend of mothers everywhere. That warning was a surefire way to get your kids to go to bed on time, which showed just how feared that unit was. Nothing could have been a greater contrast to Santa Claus.


    ¡°Look, the countdown is about to end. Let¡¯s shoot down Santa and get back to the maintenance base.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, I have to wait so long the snow piles up on my head and I only get to meet a bearded old man for my trouble? Can our next mission be to capture a dark elf running around in the forest?¡±


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re into cosplay, Heivia?¡±


    Heivia rested the launch tube on his shoulder as he complained.


    Quenser had nothing to do at this point.


    The rows of drone lights doing a tour of London had returned here.


    ¡°HQ to all personnel. The countdown is at 20. On your mark.¡±


    ¡°Is the magic show all set up? If we screw this up, the TV shows and internet will never let us hear the end of it.¡±


    Heivia scoffed while powering on the launch tube.


    The armored trucks had increased the number of patrols, so there had not been any more interference.


    The countdown continued toward zero over the radio.


    ¡°5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Merry Christmas!!¡±


    The kind of multipurpose missile used to destroy tanks and attack helicopters flew from the tube Heivia had aimed toward the night sky. That said, the powerful blast of white smoke erupting from the back of the tube seemed to stand out more than the missile itself.


    Heivia¡¯s missile was not the only one.


    More came from other rooftops, from the armored vehicles on the ground, and from the helicopters and tiltrotors flying in the sky. A total of more than 200 missiles flew from all over London like the city was a giant hedgehog and they all focused in on a single point of the night sky.


    However, they did not actually have to reach that point.


    Even if these were military weapons, they were still industrial products (and highly delicate ones at that), so there was always a risk of malfunction. If they fired that many real ones in the crowded city, one could fall to the ground without detonating and become unexploded ordnance. Thus, the warheads had been swapped out with harmless low-heat fireworks.


    First, bright rings of red and green light expanded out.


    The low rumbling shook the ground after a short delay like with thunder.


    The snowy night sky was filled with a total of 200 colorful lights.


    ¡°Is that a wrap?¡±


    They did not need to shoot down the eight drones.


    Airplanes were only visible in the night sky because of their special beacon lights.


    So if the drones shut off their lights at the end of the countdown, it would look like they had vanished from the night sky. The military only had to unblock the roads at the same time so the civilian TV and internet broadcasting crews could rush into Trafalgar Square. An old man in red would have been hiding below a white sheet until then, so he only had to act like he had just been shot down. And he would look somewhat scorched thanks to the harmless smoke set off on the ground. A real escape artist would make sure they were already gone by the time the countdown began.


    However¡­


    ¡°What the hell?¡± said Quenser while viewing his mobile device.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me a drone or low-heat firework fell and hurt someone on this happy day.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s Santa Claus!!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the bearded old dude?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my point. It¡¯s supposed to be some old guy with a white beard, right?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°So why am I seeing a blonde woman in a red bikini spreading her legs for the cameras? What kind of crazy miscasting is this!? Did someone not get the memo that this whole operation started with a letter from a little kid!?¡±


    Part 2


    The TV cameras captured the shocking truth!!


    Santa Claus exists, but he is a busty blonde woman in a red bikini that is coming untied and a miniskirt that has slid out of place!!!!!!


    ¡°Um, due to a slight misunderstanding, we shamed ourselves in front of the entire world, so our 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion is being punished. Rejoice, because our schedule for the rest of the year is going to be jam packed while we are dragged all over the world. Just assume that you are not getting any New Year¡¯s leave.¡±


    Major Frolaytia Capistrano had the eyes of a dead fish.


    Carelessly opening the door of sexuality within a pure boy was a very serious crime.


    His dreams must not be destroyed, no matter how thankful he might be himself!!


    Quenser and the others were riding on transport planes at the moment. They were moving from the South Britain District to the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s northern occupied territory so they could ultimately reach a region beyond even the Object-less Northern Restricted Zone. Specifically, the Arctic.


    ¡°Frolaytia sure is in a bad mood today.¡±


    ¡°Can you blame her?¡±


    The two idiots could not help but complain. While it looked like Dom Queen Frolaytia was sitting down to talk, there were no chairs in the transport plane¡¯s cargo space. Their commander was instead resting her butt on the sexy Santa in question who was down on all fours.


    ¡°Ah, ahhh. A-all I did was take over last minute because the old man said his back was aching from the cold.¡±


    She was a glasses woman with fluffy blonde hair who did not seem very strong-willed.


    She looked college aged or a little older.


    The fabric sticking out form her miniskirt was probably a swimsuit rather than underwear, but the roundness it contained was still impressive. The term ¡°forbidden fruit¡± fit it perfectly. She was the kind of beautiful woman who unfortunately looked perfect with tears welling up in her eyes. Where had she been in the 37th all this time?


    ¡°Elise. Bear with it. And don¡¯t forget your manners.¡± When her ¡°chair¡± lost its balance and tilted below her, Frolaytia lightly slapped that ass with her empty hand. ¡°We are being punished in the military fashion instead of the corporate one. That means we will begin our next battle under very unfavorable conditions, so prepare yourself for what I am about to tell you. First, I need to explain the situation in the Arctic.¡±


    She shook her long, narrow kiseru as she spoke. That fact that she did not allow any of it to fall on Miss Elise Montana¡¯s butt suggested that silver demon still had some kindness left in her heart.


    ¡°You have probably heard that the Arctic¡¯s ice grows thinner by the year thanks to global warming. Unlike the past, icebreaker ships can forcibly break their way through, so it has become a hot area where all four world powers hope to extract oil and establish new sea routes.¡±


    A large cargo ship used tens of thousands of euros¡¯ worth of fuel in a day, so being able to take the shortest route meant a lot. Also, a new route would mean more freedom of movement for Objects as well.


    Panama, the Hawaiian Islands, Gibraltar, and the Cape of Good Hope.


    Just as wars had been fought around the world over cornerstones of transportation, the Arctic was starting to be seen as a worthwhile spot for controlling the current Age of Objects. Its importance meant it was a scene of intense fighting, and that meant more lost soldiers.


    Quenser had trouble deciding whether he should be on his best behavior here or if he should intentionally irritate his commander as a way of indirectly punishing the miniskirt Santa, but for now¡­


    ¡°Who¡¯s causing the trouble this time?¡±


    ¡°All four world powers really, but we are directly interested in the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance.¡± Frolaytia re-crossed her long legs atop her chair. ¡°The problem is the intense cold wave that has caused temperatures to plummet across the entire Arctic in the past few days. The ice has grown nice and thick again, so both the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Information Alliance have all their ships trapped in the ice. Not even icebreakers are enough to escape. That means the rules of naval battles no longer apply. It looks like we need to follow the rules of land battles by walking across the thick ice to approach and blow up their stationary fortress artillery.¡±


    Naval experts could only fight on the sea.


    Even if they had received general all-around training, they could not do what actual marines and armies could do.


    So were Quenser, Heivia, and the others being sent in as additional personnel?


    ¡°I will tell you everything you need to know this time.¡±


    Frolaytia swung down her kiseru with a solid sound.


    ¡°Eek!?¡± screamed the fluffy blonde.


    However, the busty silver-haired woman was a terribly kind person, so she had made sure to first place an ashtray on the butt of her glasses Santa seat.


    ¡°Eeeek!¡± The chair trembled. ¡°H-huh? You keep building the tension and then nothing???¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Elise look kind of happy as she trembles?¡±


    Sharp-eyed Quenser¡¯s observation went ignored.


    ¡°The direct conflict between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Information Alliance comes down to the Julius Caesar, an aurora observation ship that was forcing its way through the ice near the North Pole.¡±


    ¡°Based on the name, I¡¯m going to guess that ship is ours.¡±


    ¡°Basically, it is an Arctic cruise ship that has no interest at all in cruising the rest of the seven seas. Its ads ask if you would like to take the world¡¯s shortest cruise around the globe. And since they do make a full circle of the Arctic, it¡¯s technically true.¡±


    Quenser did not care about the aurora, so he did not see the appeal. He was much more interested in seeing Santa¡¯s boobs.


    ¡°It was officially disguised as a Christmas and New Year¡¯s aurora observation tour, but the passenger list shows an unusual number of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s ultra-wealthy. Also, the ship was riding awfully low in the water for the number of crew and passengers, so they appear to be carrying something rather heavy. Now, if you depart from Scandinavia, cross the North Pole, and keep going, you will arrive at a small island in the Bering Sea which belongs to the same blank zone as Alaska. And as is so common in the blank zones left around the world after the collapse of the UN, a secret bank for depositing pure gold was secretly established there.¡±


    If Quenser was being honest, he cared about that even less than the aurora.


    The military had put together this rescue operation awfully quickly when these people really should have been punished for moving their secret gold to that bank. This reeked of collusion between the public and private sectors. And even if he revealed the criminality and the gold was recovered, none of it would end up in his pocket. It would all be confiscated by the government and treated as public property and that would be that.


    ¡°For some reason, it has been trapped in the Arctic Ocean." Frolaytia disinterestedly wiggled the foot of her crossed leg. ¡°Even with the ice thinned out by global warming, breaking through requires a fair amount of power and they likely burned out their diesel engine by loading themselves down with too much gold. Thus began a war between the Legitimacy Kingdom who wants their money back and the Information Alliance that wants the information of that gold that they feel has fallen into their laps. Of course, both sides officially insist they are working to rescue the civilians who were trapped in an unfortunate accident while also working to eliminate the greedy enemy army that is obstructing their heroic service.¡±


    Heivia gave a snort of laughter at that.


    Both at the Information Alliance for thinking this gold had fallen into their laps and at the Legitimacy Kingdom for thinking it was ¡°their money¡±. They clearly arrogantly believed they could take as much as they wanted if they imposed heavy taxes.


    ¡°Christmas only comes once a year, so why are they wasting it on that crap? They have dollar signs in their eyes year-round, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°That is what makes this such a pain-in-the-ass job no one wants to mess with. And the major cold wave threw off the initial schedule, so things are utter chaos out there. As thick as the ice is, it isn¡¯t enough to carry an Object. And the obvious profit at hand has both sides sending in more and more troops. ¡­An obvious quagmire, isn¡¯t it? And even if we win this battle, it only earns us a single point. Guarding a Christmas parade in the sunny southern hemisphere would earn us just as many points, so that would be the far better mission.¡±


    Simply put, it was time for yet another shitty job.


    After all, the cold wave was so bad not even icebreaker ships could get through. Military uniforms provided more than just camouflage, but fighting in the Arctic would still require cold weather gear designed for the Arctic. Once they had permission to borrow that equipment, Quenser, Heivia, and the others pulled plastic-packaged uniforms out of a wooden box labelled ¡°battlefield equipment¡±.


    However¡­


    ¡°Um, Frolaytia?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Potato #1?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be fighting in the white Arctic, aren¡¯t we? Then what is the meaning of this?¡±


    Quenser unfolded a uniform colored bright red.


    And it had fluffy white additions.


    These uniforms were redder than those of Buckingham Palace¡¯s guards. In fact, were they even military uniforms? If you walked around a safe country city like this, every last person who saw you would call you Santa.


    ¡°I said this was a military-style punishment, didn¡¯t I?¡± Frolaytia rubbed her own temples with her empty hand. ¡°To be clear, I have to change into a miniskirt Santa outfit myself. These are officially being called a new type of anti-sensor camouflage, but I have my doubts regarding its actual effectiveness.¡±


    ¡°We might as well be sticking out our asses and asking to be shot.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. You could say we have all been put in for high-payout life insurance policies.¡±


    ¡°I never signed up for that!!¡± screamed Quenser, but Frolaytia only winked.


    Some parts of the world could be even crueler than the battlefield where bullets constantly whizzed by.


    ¡°Which is why the payout will have no one to go to and the government will have no choice but to confiscate it ¡®to avoid trouble¡¯. Isn¡¯t this a wonderful system where they can eliminate the troublemakers and make money while they¡¯re at it?¡±


    But the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion could not have made it this far if they would obediently fight and die as they were told. Ever since the trouble in Alaska, they had clung to life with a stubbornness that put cockroaches to shame.


    ¡°Dammit, I¡¯m surviving this no matter what it takes,¡± said one of those boys who could not read the room.


    ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t think of a single reason why we should die here and give those out-of-shape officers a fat year-end bonus. As always, go kill the enemy and come back alive.¡±


    ¡°Um, Frolaytia? Is there anything else we should worry about?¡±


    ¡°The Information Alliance intends to do the same.¡±


    Part 3


    Objects were monstrous weapons that moved their 200,000-ton weight at over 500km/h, but they were still slower than traveling by air.


    That was why the Baby Magnum was traveling along international waters outside the Scandinavian Peninsula to avoid the Object-less Northern Restricted Zone.


    ¡°Hm, hmm. Hm, hm, hm, hmm.¡±


    ¡°You sure are in a good mood.¡±


    The Princess was humming to herself in the spherical cockpit when the old maintenance lady¡¯s voice arrived over the radio.


    The 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion had been issued red and white Santa-like uniforms, but that did not really mean much for the Baby Magnum. With a 50m and 200,000-ton mass, simple visual camouflage did not seem very effective, so not one really cared what color it was.


    Her special suit, which had some elements of a sailor uniform design, was red with fluffy white additions.


    However, she generally never left the cockpit, so standing out was not an issue for her. She saw it more like a special holiday outfit.


    She kind of liked it except for the fact that the coloring was so similar to that awful Information Alliance Pilot Elite.


    ¡°We¡¯re in the Arctic, so we might just see Santa on his way back home.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± cautiously asked Quenser.


    ¡°That bearded man is from the Northern Restricted Zone, isn¡¯t he?¡± The Princess sounded legitimately puzzled by his question. ¡°He flies around the world on the night of the 24th, so he should be getting back around now.¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha. Quit playing dumb, Princess. Don¡¯t tell me you still believe in San- bwagh!!!???¡±


    ¡°Systema Special Attack: Miniskirt Santa Lover Strike!!¡±


    ¡°Bwah! Quenser, what the hell, man!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, damn you! I won¡¯t let you say a word more!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia seemed to be scuffling after one of them realized something while the other did not, but the red and white Princess only tilted her head.


    She had a few beautifully wrapped boxes below her seat. They remained unopened due to the urgent mission.


    ¡°I-I hear Santa Claus was once detected by a ballistic missile radar network, so maybe you¡¯ll spot him if you¡¯re lucky, Princess!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have my active radar on, so I should detect him if he¡¯s flying anywhere in the Arctic!¡±


    The Princess sounded entirely innocent, but that explained why the Baby Magnum had not run into any other ships despite taking the shortest route between Ports A and B. In an Object vs. warship battle, a radar lock meant being sunk, so everyone had to be frantically moving out of the way.


    ¡°(Does this count as a hostile act, Frolaytia?)¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you the battle has already begun, you numbskull? Besides, Scandinavia is experiencing Armageddon year-round, so they¡¯re a little too used to fighting. This won¡¯t even make the amateur online news unless a forgotten nuke or zombie weapon makes an appearance.¡±


    The others must have all been together somewhere because the Princess could not make out what they were whispering to each other. Regardless, she just wanted to arrive as soon as possible.


    ¡°I hope I find Santa.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what will you do if you find him?¡±


    ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll wave at him.¡±


    ¡°Wave?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°You mean with one of Baby Magnum¡¯s main cannons???¡±


    ¡°Aim that huge-ass gun at him and he might just put his hands up and drop his big bag of presents,¡± added Heivia.


    Part 4


    Even further north than the Northern Restricted Zone, the island of Spitsbergen jutted up from the thick ice covering the Arctic Ocean. After the many transport planes landed on the combat airfield there, they set up the necessary radars, hangars, etc. to use it as the 37th¡¯s maintenance base zone.


    However¡­


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Where¡¯s the Baby Magnum? That thing can move 500km/h on the ocean, can¡¯t it!? Then how come it can¡¯t keep up!?¡±


    ¡°The Arctic isn¡¯t a continent. She can¡¯t move on top of the ice that could break in unpredictable ways, so it¡¯s unclear if she should use her land or sea undercarriage. She can¡¯t head this deep in right away.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of the base if we don¡¯t have an Object?¡±


    But they were on a strict time schedule, so the potatoes in red would have to do this themselves. In fact, they got the feeling the cruel old folks of the military leadership had intentionally set it up this way to pay them back for the embarrassing failure.


    A white wind blotted out the world.


    The sky looked pure white, so looking up was not enough to tell if it was day or night.


    It was an almost complete whiteout.


    Their mobile devices displayed an error, but it was probably around -20 degrees.


    ¡°We can either take a helicopter or an armored vehicle to the battlefield. Which should we choose, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°As long as it keeps our red uniforms out of sight, any metal box is fine by me.¡±


    Surprisingly, the armored vehicles proved more popular.


    Driving on the ice sounded scary, but it must have seemed better than riding an unstable helicopter through the powerful crosswinds.


    ¡°Or is this a result of our Object worship? Anti-air lasers are admittedly scary.¡±


    ¡°But neither side has an Object this time, right?¡±


    Quenser and Heivia were late to make their choice, so they ended up in a helicopter, although it was more of a big-bellied surface attack helicopter than a large transport one. It had a two-person cockpit and missiles and rocket launchers hung from the fixed wings that jutted out to either side, but it could also load soldiers into the rear cargo room. When Quenser slid open the door and peeked inside, he found a space larger than a van. It could probably fit around 10 people if they squeezed in tight.


    ¡°Damn. Setting records for long-term sales might sound reassuring, but that just means it¡¯s an evolutionary dead end that can¡¯t be upgraded, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer to ride one of those tiltrotors? They¡¯re brand new.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. All those complicated joints and moving parts scare the hell outta me!!¡±


    ¡°Whew,¡± said another voice from the side.


    The two idiots must not have been the only ones too slow to get a spot on the armored vehicles because a Santa-colored woman climbed in after them.


    That college-aged woman with fluffy blonde hair and glasses looked perfect with tears in her eyes.


    It was Elise Montana.


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s the walking disaster zone!! Why do we have to share a helicopter with you of all people!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, please don¡¯t drag a woman as pretty and kind as me to a filthy public restroom and tie me up with duct tape! And definitely don¡¯t write lewd things all over my body with permanent marker!!¡±


    Elise curled up in a corner of the metal box and covered her face, but her fantasies were clearly overblown since they went beyond anything those two idiots would have ever thought up. Frolaytia¡¯s threats must have affected her very badly indeed, but those potatoes were not about to take advice that came from a source like that.


    Their future remained uncertain as the roar of the engine grew louder overhead. The rotor picked up speed and the metal box shook. The attack helicopter left the ground, but Quenser was too distracted to notice.


    ¡°Hyah!?¡±


    ¡°Gh, ghhh.¡±


    When the helicopter first shook, the fluffy blonde lost her balance and fell toward him. And even if she was the walking disaster zone who had gotten them into this mess, boobs were boobs. When they fell toward the boy, his face was buried in them.


    ¡°N-no, you mustn¡¯t! The world¡¯s rules say this is supposed to wait until marriage!!¡±


    Now was no time to be enjoying the unexpected gift.


    A quiet metallic noise echoed through the cargo room. While Miss Elise flailed her arms around, her hand happened to catch the pin of a grenade directly attached to her red Santa outfit.


    They had about 5 seconds until detonation.


    ¡°Watch out!!¡±


    Heivia had to make a split-second decision: grab the grenade from her uniform and throw it out, or just chuck Elise out of the helicopter? He ultimately chose the former.


    With a dry boom, the attack helicopter tilted from something other than a crosswind.


    ¡°Are you kidding me, you walking disaster zone!?¡± shouted the tearful delinquent noble. ¡°That was well past anything we can laugh off as clumsiness!! If you had less than a D-cup, I would¡¯ve kicked you right out that cargo door just now!!¡±


    ¡°Sob.¡±


    ¡°And how in the world do you trip so your ass ends up on Quenser¡¯s face and your face is shoved between his legs!? It makes no sense for you to be this ridiculously clumsy without me benefiting in any way!!¡±


    Things were this bad and they had not even run into the Information Alliance troops yet. The enemy did not even need to worry about working through their year-end inventory. If the 37th was given some time off with that deadly klutz around, they would probably wipe themselves out.


    At any rate, the large attack helicopter finally managed to arrive in the battlefield sky.


    Without sensor support, the view outside was colored almost entirely white by the blizzard and ice fog.


    They had slowed down a lot to keep their balance, but they were still moving at more than 200km/h.


    Some artillery fire erupted nearby.


    It sounded too light for a giant ship¡¯s gun.


    Had the weather changed or had the blast changed the air pressure?


    Whatever the case, the white curtain of small ice crystals briefly vanished.


    ¡°Wow, they¡¯re really going at it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait. They¡¯re really close. Way too close! What¡¯s going on!?¡±


    A ship¡¯s gun could accurately hit a target from 20-30km away and a missile from more than 100km away, yet the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance warships were enclosed in a thick layer of ice from so close no binoculars were needed to see each other.


    ¡°Are they pretending to be old-fashioned pirates?¡±


    ¡°The weather is bad and the aurora might be shining overhead. If there was a magnetic storm, their radio navigation and radar would be useless. Being this close to the pole has always caused issues with compasses. They probably didn¡¯t notice they were so close due to the white curtain.¡±


    Both fleets must have been hurrying to the north pole in order to secure that luxury cruise ship packed full of gold. They had both entered the Arctic from Scandinavia, so they had apparently been sealed in by the thick ice while unaware that their courses intercepted in a giant X-shape.


    ¡°A single blast from a ship¡¯s gun would take them out at this range.¡±


    ¡°But that would detonate their fuel and ammo and both sides would be caught in the huge explosion similar to a fireworks show accident. Those things aren¡¯t designed to fire on each other from that close.¡±


    Using the ship¡¯s guns even against the infantry on the ice could be mistaken for an attack on another ship, leading to a shootout between the fleets. That meant they had to fight using the people and weapons lowered to the thick ice instead of using the ships themselves. That had to be the source of the gunfire and artillery fire echoing into the air. The thought of joining that brass band parade was depressing indeed.


    The attack helicopter could let the troops out anywhere, but the ice might break if it tried to land on it. Instead of attempting a dangerous descent on a wire in this blizzard, it would be safer to use the sturdy heliport on one of the ships.


    After spotting a small Legitimacy Kingdom destroyer, they descended toward the observation craft heliport on the stern.


    ¡°Dammit, it¡¯s finally starting. Maybe we should just stay on this helicopter the entire ti-¡­¡±


    As soon as Heivia said that, another attack helicopter exploded in the white cloudy sky nearby.


    ¡°Myonriiiiiiiiiii!!!???¡± screamed Quenser.


    ¡°What the hell!? So their anti-air weaponry is working!?¡±


    The potatoes inside the one helicopter frantically ducked down as the main rotor of the other one sliced through the air toward them.


    They had no time to worry about anyone else now.


    Something thick could be heard scraping at the exterior of the transport helicopter.


    ¡°Myonri, you moron! This is what you get for not choosing to ride along with a big star like me. A jack of all trades like you should¡¯ve known that.¡±


    ¡°Hey, watch out, something just stabbed into this thing!! Was that rotor Myonri¡¯s way of telling you to shut up as she died!?¡±


    Their helicopter suddenly tilted at an angle. Some kind of alarm went off and they heard angry shouting from the cockpit. It was obvious at a glance what was coming next.


    ¡°They¡¯re making an emergency landing, so grab onto something!!¡±


    ¡°Then they can¡¯t go for the ice! If we break through, we¡¯ll just sink into the frigid ocean. Aim for the ship! Aim for the heliport!!¡±


    They could not expect a clean landing on the belly. They hit the heliport while half rolled onto the side, the main rotor remained tilted like a fan, they cut across the flat plate like they were being tugged by an invisible rope, and the tools scattered around were launched like bullets.


    ¡°We¡¯re so dead. We¡¯re gonna fall. We¡¯re just barely on here and tilting like a damn seesaw.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to use this as an excuse to kick Elise out, you idiot.¡±


    ¡°Where did this terrible opinion of me come from?¡± asked Elise. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with how you measure people¡¯s value!!¡±


    The potatoes crawled out of the large helicopter that had a broken rotor and spewed black smoke. It had flipped onto its side, so they had to leave using the slide door that was now pointed up.


    ¡°Hmm. Oh, could you support me from below? Nhhh!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh. Struggle all you want climbing out, lady. Yes, more, more!¡±


    Quenser was the capable kind of guy who could lift up someone¡¯s butt with both hands while maintaining a gentlemanly expression. Heivia had wasted his chance by climbing out ahead of her.


    ¡°A girl who can¡¯t do pull-ups on her own is a wonderful thing. Hah hah hah!¡±


    ¡°God, I hate working here. She¡¯s already brainwashed him.¡±


    They soon received an overview of the situation from the navy landing guidance officer and the others who had nearly been turned to mincemeat by that horizontal pitching machine.


    ¡°Th-the huge ship¡¯s guns and missiles could sink their ships, but that would probably mean mutual destruction. Fortunately, we have no reason to hold back with anything else.¡±


    ¡°We are using the anti-air guns that fire a good distance off the ground and the side deck¡¯s Gatling guns that don¡¯t cause very large explosions, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°Not that any of that can sink a warship. Ha ha ha. But it is all powerful enough to make mincemeat out of those you who will be running around on the ice. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°Every last one of them is scum,¡± grumbled Heivia. ¡°They¡¯ve gotten so used to their comfortable warm-water bidet they¡¯ve forgotten how to wipe their ass properly.¡±


    ¡°But based on those rules, they can¡¯t receive supplies from anyone,¡± replied Quenser. ¡°At least we¡¯re not fighting a war against hunger. Try to stay positive.¡±


    The group about to be thrown into the middle of the barrage and the group facing starvation inside the ship both failed to view the other group as fellow Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. That was one failing of a vertical society.


    ¡°So where¡¯s the ship¡¯s armory?¡± Heivia scratched at his short brown hair. ¡°And what kind of guns and cannons does the navy have on hand? Carbines? PDWs?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. We have nothing to give to you.¡±


    The landing guidance officer honestly seemed surprised they were asking, so the two idiots were caught off guard.


    He lightly waved around the red baton-like lights also seen at construction sites.


    ¡°You¡¯re the unit being punished for screwing up in a safe country, right? No one expects you to defeat the enemy and end this battle. Your role is to run out onto the ice in those bright red uniforms, raise a war cry, and draw the enemy fire. We¡¯ll be safe as long they¡¯re shooting at you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And why would we waste expensive weapons on someone like that? These precious military supplies were bought with the people¡¯s tax money, so if you want a better weapon that badly, why not kill an enemy and steal one?¡±


    The potatoes responded by removing the safety on their gun and loading the first bullet.


    The muzzle was of course aimed at the guidance officer.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    For some reason the shocked guidance officer crossed the red baton-like lights in front of him.


    Perhaps he hoped a red beam would shoot out.


    ¡°Pardon us, mister, but we were ordered to kill an enemy to steal their weapons.¡±


    ¡°And the military is a vertical society, you see. Yeah, and this ugly guy here¡¯s wearing the rank insignia of a lieutenant. None of us can hope to match that, so a lowly private like me has gotta obey that order.¡±


    Some confusion followed, but in the end, Quenser blew open a thick steel door so they could borrow the ship¡¯s plentiful equipment.


    The world grew just a little bit kinder.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± swore Heivia. ¡°All they¡¯ve got are weapons. Now we can¡¯t change out of these red uniforms!!¡±


    ¡°Would you rather steal the sweaty and lice-ridden ones they¡¯ve been using while holed up in here?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°And we¡¯ve really cleaned the place out. The armory is completely empty. Won¡¯t the people left on the ship be slaughtered by some Information Alliance commandos or something?¡±


    ¡°If you want to sound remotely convincing, you might want to stop stealing so much. You¡¯re carrying more bombs than anyone.¡±


    The bastards wearing Santa costumes (as a punishment the higher ups thought up mostly just for fun) climbed down the steep gangway on the side of the destroyer and found themselves on the deadly ice.


    ¡°Ugh, I hope the ice crystals and snow or whatever else cover up all the red on our uniforms.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, if our uniforms freeze solid, we¡¯ll essentially be pillars of ice.¡±


    The Arctic was covered in ice, but since it was also snowing, it did not function like a skating rink. It crunched below their feet.


    Quenser¡¯s group met up with the other potatoes who had arrived by armored vehicles. Then they equipped Nordic skis.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to reach the closest one: the Information Alliance cruiser Cruise Missile 050. It focuses on using its namesake while leaving all the anti-ship attacks to its escort ships and anti-air unit, but it can¡¯t use those missiles right now, right? It¡¯s a sitting duck.¡±


    Sinking the ships was the easy part. They only had to approach the side, attach the necessary amount of explosives, move safely away, and detonate it. Even though they were trapped by thick ice on all sides, they were still floating in the ocean, so a hole below the waterline would let in the seawater needed to sink the ship.


    This was different from a tanker abandoned in the desert.


    There was only cold water below them, so they remained in a state where it was unnatural for so much weight to be floating.


    ¡°Those huge warships are like small fortresses. We can¡¯t let our guard down just because they can¡¯t move. But once we sink one, the Information Alliance will lose one shield to hide behind. That means less space for them to move around in, so let¡¯s get in a preemptive strike and gain an early lead in this struggle over safe territory.¡±


    ¡°Hey, something¡¯s approaching while you blather on. Is that a recon armored vehicle!?¡±


    ¡°Get down and scatter!! We don¡¯t even get Christmas off from fighting!!¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance warships were trapped in the thick ice while within visible distance of each other. There was approximately 2km between those fortresses, so they were close enough for those neighbors to kill each other with a heavy machinegun at any time.


    And since the ground was made from the frozen sea, there were no mountains or valleys.


    The only prominent cover was the giant warships and the vehicles they had lowered down with cranes. Standing out on the white ice was like asking to be shot.


    The armored vehicle was around 700m away. It was only a scout, but it still had a machinegun. And it was a heavy machinegun that required a team of four to operate.


    ¡°What do we do!?¡±


    ¡°Get down, get down!!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not going to overlook us just because we¡¯re lying down on this flat ice!!¡±


    They heard the deep sound of propellers slicing through the air.


    They looked up to see a large Legitimacy Kingdom transport craft soaring through the white sky. No, it was not just a transport craft. It had autocannons, rapid-fire guns, and other weapons aimed outwards from the sides of its thick fuselage.


    It was customized for attacking the surface.


    Quenser immediately grabbed his radio.


    ¡°Requesting air support! Blow away that armored vehicle up ahead!!¡±


    ¡°Hah hah hah. Why would a punished unit get that kind of service? I¡¯m up here to shoot you in the ass. My commander ordered me to shoot you for disobeying orders if you ever come to a stop. And I get to decide what counts as ¡®stopping¡¯, so even if you survive the enemy attack, we¡¯ll just find some excuse to kill you anyway. Have fun¡î¡±


    ¡°Heivia, fire a missile straight up.¡±


    With the fwoosh of a launching missile, a white trail of smoke stretched sharply up into the sky and a spectacular explosion erupted overhead. Armor panels, gun parts, and other wreckage rained down over a wide area.


    Quenser tearfully grabbed the idiot¡¯s collar and shook him back and forth.


    ¡°Why would you actually shoot, you dumbass!? I was so obviously joking!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Accidents happen, all right? The military is made to sacrifice individuals for overall victory. And someone who isn¡¯t even aiming their guns at the enemy sounds like the perfect candidate for that. Also, get out from behind there if you¡¯re going to complain! I scattered those shields with my missile blast!!¡±


    They were kissing morality goodbye, but this had given them some cover on the flat icy ground. Even the smaller pieces were the size of light vehicles, so they could at least avoid being helplessly turned to Swiss cheese by the armored vehicle¡¯s machinegun.


    ¡°Hey, hacker! Erase those communication logs!!¡±


    ¡°I feel like we¡¯ve finally crossed a line here.¡±


    A series of explosive sounds followed, but it was not the fallen wreckage exploding.


    The Information Alliance armored vehicle had belatedly started firing its machinegun at them. That might not seem like much compared to a tank¡¯s gun, but each shot was still a giant anti-materiel bullet larger than their thumb. A direct hit to their Santa uniforms would tear them to pieces.


    ¡°We have a shield now, right!?¡± shouted Quenser from behind a propeller and a drum-shaped engine. ¡°Hurry up and fire a missile to silence that can of corned beef!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I just used that missile, remember!? It¡¯s going to take a little longer to reload, so find some way to buy me some time!! 30 seconds will do!!¡±


    ¡°20 seconds!¡±


    ¡°It takes 30!!¡±


    ¡°Then get to work instead of arguing, dumbass!!¡±


    ¡°You need to buy me the time!!¡±


    Elise Montana was curled up and acting like a victim despite being the entire reason they were here, so Quenser kicked her out from behind cover. Thanks to the snow and ice below her, her attractive butt slid more than expected, making it look like a bizarre game of curling.


    ¡°Ah, ahh, awahhhhhh!!!???¡±


    While the armored vehicle¡¯s crew stared at the busty glasses woman¡¯s bust or glasses, they hesitated long enough for Heivia to lean out from the other side of a scorched piece of scrap metal and fire the missile resting on his shoulder.


    Tearful Elise scrambled back behind cover with the deafening explosion slamming into her back. Her trembling hands grabbed at Quenser.


    ¡°How, but, h-h-how could you do that to m-me!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up and wipe the fog off your glasses. We need to get moving. That was just a scout, so there will be more coming!!¡±


    They heard several sounds much like sparkling wine corks being removed.


    ¡°Those are mortars!!¡± shouted Heivia. ¡°Heads up!!¡±


    Heads up or no, they would be killed if those fell on them, so the rule-breaking potatoes moved fast. Before the explosives could fall in a large curve like a long throw in baseball, they dove behind their next cover ¨C another piece of wreckage from the custom transport craft that had rained down around them.


    Heivia looked back while hiding behind the rear of the cockpit that had nearly been sliced clean off.


    ¡°Dammit, those aren¡¯t 80mm. They broke right through the thick ice trapping the ships here, so there¡¯s nothing left where we just were. And they¡¯ve climbed up on top of that can of corned beef.¡±


    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you take them all out with a missile!?¡±


    ¡°Again, I just fired one. So buy me time to reload!!¡±


    The busy blonde who looked better in a Santa costume than anyone jumped when she heard that.


    More than just tearful, she had a veritable waterfall of tears flowing down her cheeks as she clung to Quenser.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t!! That will never work again, so use what little brains you have to think up a way for me and my unbelievable beauty to survive! As long as I make it, then feel free to get yourselves killed! Please muster every bit of stupid cleverness your stupid mind can manage!!¡±


    Quenser did as he was told by stripping off a piece of her red uniform and kicking her out with her plump legs bared.


    ¡°Heivia used her giant curling butt to target the distant armored vehicle.


    ¡°Hey, can I do the stripping and you do the blowing up next time?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d take it way too far, so no.¡±


    Elise Montana tugged down on the bottom of her coat with both hands (without noticing this only accentuated her large chest) and obediently returned to the same cover those two were using.


    ¡°Ah, ah ha ha. It¡¯s cold. It¡¯s so cold. Please give me back my pants. Hurry, hurry. Brr. Chatter, chatter, chatter!!¡±


    ¡°Huh? She isn¡¯t acting all bashful and stuff.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 15 below, remember? In extreme situations, people tend to be more worried about survival than sexiness.¡±


    There were no advantageous positions on the open terrain. The trucks and snowmobiles could be seen as nothing more than larger targets, so they actually increased the risk. More and more infantry moved out into the open. They apparently planned to use machinegun fire to hold Quenser¡¯s group in place while the infantry circled around behind them to the right.


    ¡°What do we do?¡±


    ¡°Memorize where the shields are.¡±


    The two idiots threw a long, skinny smoke grenade in a large arc over the wreckage they were hiding behind. When the metal can fell on the ice, it scattered colorful smoke with a loud bwoosh sound. That obscured the enemy¡¯s view. The heavy machinegun was certainly a fearsome threat, but it was meaningless if those thumb-thick bullets could not hit.


    ¡°The next shield is 50m away at 10 o¡¯clock!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Eh? You want us to run out into that horizontal storm? The bullets are still flying even if they can¡¯t see us!!¡±


    ¡°Then you can stay here on your own. C¡¯mon, we¡¯re going!!¡±


    They wanted to crouch as low as possible, but the Nordic skis made that difficult, so they pushed their bodies forward with their legs and the ski poles to reach the next shield. It was like jumping from stone to stone in a pond. If they slowed down along the way, they would be hit by the bullets and reduced to a pond of blood. The snowy ice was a lot rougher than a skating rink.


    ¡°Eek, eek, eeeeek!¡±


    ¡°Your opinion of people sure is a relative thing, isn¡¯t it? After hearing hopelessly incompetent Elise sob like this, this scrawny boy over here starts looking like some kind of veteran hero.¡±


    As soon as they made it behind the torn-off tail wing, the glasses woman tore off her skis and curled up on the ground. She may have been trying to cut herself off from the reality around her, but it looked a lot like an Island Nation prostration.


    Quenser slapped at the round butt sticking out his way.


    ¡°Elise, Elise.¡±


    ¡°P-please just leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°If you insist. The Information Alliance soldiers will circle around here soon enough, but we¡¯ll respect your wishes and not help you while you just lie there. Although the enemy will probably think you¡¯re seducing them.¡±


    Elise Montana immediately got back up.


    At the same time, Heivia tossed Quenser the missile launcher tube, switched to his assault rifle, leaned out from behind the wreckage, and fired a quick burst. However, his only allies here were an explosion addict who could not even use a gun and that blonde walking disaster zone who had no apparent skills. If he kept firing from the same spot for too long, the counterattack would focus there, so he was constantly on the move either circling to the opposite side of the wreckage or climbing up on top of it to aim down like it was a fence.


    The two with nothing to do did their best to cheer him on.


    ¡°Wow, glad I¡¯m not Heivia right now.¡±


    ¡°Kyah! Work yourself to the bone for me!¡±


    The loss of Myonri was proving painful already.


    Heivia was forced to take her position as the jack of all trades.


    ¡°You two!! Can¡¯t you at least try to help by pretending to hold out guns to distract them or something!? Y¡¯know, like a game of whack-a-mole!!¡±


    ¡°No, thanks. I don¡¯t want to get hit by a stray bullet when I don¡¯t even have a weapon.¡±


    ¡°How about you take a look at the situation here? We¡¯re being pushed back, so I can¡¯t stop the Information Alliance infantry from gradually getting closer.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Once they get here, they¡¯ll circle behind us!!¡±


    Quenser undid the clasps and removed the Nordic skis that were only getting in the way.


    As soon as someone circled around the wreckage and peeked out at them, tearful Elise grabbed one of her skis in both hands and swung it around while Quenser jabbed out with his ski pole. He managed to stab the enemy right in the throat ¨C in the gap between the helmet and the bulletproof jacket.


    He heard a gurgling scream.


    Except the Information Alliance soldier had managed to pull the pin from a grenade on his chest during the confusion. Once he knew he was done for, he must have decided to take out as many enemies as he could for his allies¡¯ sake.


    His heart was as good as his looks.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    Quenser kicked the dying soldier out of the way and frantically tried to get down on the ground, but he ran straight into useless Elise instead. They ended up in a tangled heap on the ice.


    A muffled explosion rang out.


    ¡°Hwuh?¡±


    Elise made a silly noise while lying on her back and holding Quenser¡¯s head into her big boobs.


    That good-looking guy had guts, but detonating the grenade without giving a warning first had been a mistake. He ended up taking out several of his fellow Information Alliance soldiers instead of Quenser or Heivia.


    ¡°You can get away with anything if you¡¯re good-looking, can¡¯t you?¡± said Elise.


    ¡°Mgh, gh. Speak those cursed words one more time and you¡¯ll regret it,¡± complained Quenser.


    ¡°Pfh. If it makes you mad, it means you know it doesn¡¯t apply to you. Peh heh heh.¡±


    Quenser attached a stun grenade to that busty blonde and kicked her out from behind cover.


    Just as everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to the cylindrical rod stuffed into her cleavage, a nonlethal flash and bang ruled the battlefield.


    ¡°Awaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!???¡±


    ¡°Heivia, fire!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s desperate cry proved meaningless because his awful friend was holding his eyes and writhing in pain. That busty glasses woman was just about the worst combat partner there was, but she undoubtedly had a devilish charm. Quenser had no choice but to grab his bloody ski pole and attack the collapsed enemy soldiers.


    No matter how much their athleticism had been optimized with the sports engineering of a digital society and no matter how much their bodies had been built up with the perfect diet, they were as helpless as babies while collapsed on the ground.


    ¡°What the hell? My head hurts so bad,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Urp, did you really have to kill them all while they were down? What¡¯s the point of the nonlethal weapon then?¡±


    ¡°They would¡¯ve woken up as quick as you did. Did you want them to grab their guns again?¡±


    Once the enemy¡¯s stock of infantry was used up, they only had their trucks and snowmobiles that were loaded with high-power machineguns and mortars but were fairly limited in use. The Information Alliance¡¯s boxy canned goods (designed for cold climates) tried to pull back toward their warship, but Heivia¡¯s missile stabbed through the air and blew them away before they could.


    ¡°Did you just use me as a jack-in-the-box!?¡± complained tearful Elise.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It was a nonlethal stun grenade.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I still have a throbbing pain there. Look how red it is!!¡±


    ¡°Eh heh heh. Elisey, you¡¯re gonna need to give me a better look than that.¡±


    While staring at the busty part of the busty blonde since she was so generously opening her collar and showing off the pink mark left by the stun grenade, Quenser put on a kinder expression.


    ¡°Seriously though, I think that had about a 20% chance of killing you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even worse than I thought. Um, isn¡¯t that riskier than a round of Russian roulette?¡±


    At any rate, this was their chance.


    Before enemy reinforcements could arrive, they moved from wreckage to wreckage and arrived at the warship they had set as their goal. Cruise Missile 050 was one of the Information Alliance ships acting as a stationary base while trapped in the ice.


    Quenser¡¯s job was simple now that he was right up next to it.


    After measuring the thickness of the wall with an ultrasound echo, he cut off the right size of Hand Axe plastic explosive and attached it to the wall. The explosive alone would have been too unstable, so he included something like a metal bowl. The trick was to thinly spread the clay-like explosive along the interior of the bowl like it was margarine.


    ¡°What difference does that make?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Munroe effect, Heivia. The wall is only in one direction, so letting the blast spread in all 360 degrees would be a waste of energy. The blast is a lot more powerful if you focus it on a single point like a spear.¡±


    Heivia decided only a freak could understand what a freak was talking about, so he tuned it out.


    Once the fireworks were set up, they only had to move far enough away.


    ¡°Elise, move 20m back.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    ¡°Everyone else, move 100m back.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Before she could question it, Quenser hit his radio¡¯s switch and triggered a fairly large explosion to ring in the new year a week early.


    Even if it was 200m long, a ship was still a ship. Once the cruiser had a hole in the side large enough for someone to crawl through, the seawater poured in and it began to tilt.


    After getting up from a sexy pose with her legs collapsed beneath her, Elise shouted a complaint while red in the face.


    ¡°You son of a bitch! What did I ever do to deserve this!?¡±


    ¡°Elise, if you stay there, you¡¯ll be dragged into the ocean by the broken ice. And what did you do to deserve this? Have you already forgotten the entire reason we were sent here, you needlessly sexy glasses woman!?¡±


    Part 5


    It meant a lot to demonstrate how it was done.


    It was like jumping from stone to stone in a pond. They would approach the Information Alliance ships trapped in the thick ice, attach bombs, and blow them up to sink them.


    ¡°Infantry sinking a warship deserves a medal, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°A fighter pilot sinking a ship would get a medal, but a ship blowing up a ship with one of their huge-ass anti-ship missiles is considered business as usual. Explosives are explosives, so this will be categorized like normal on all the paperwork.¡±


    Once they had actually sunk one, they discovered that blowing a hole in warships did not actually make them sink. When they tilted too far, either the fuel pipes inside would bend and break or the contents of the armory would fall from the shelves and crash into each other. Either way, the ship would blow up from within and scatter wreckage everywhere like a volcanic eruption.


    And that was perfectly fine with them.


    Once they knew it was coming, they only had to make use of it. There was nowhere to hide on the uniformly flat ice surface, so those randomly-scattered ¡°gifts¡± were a lot of help.


    ¡°Killing the enemy to steal from them really is the way to go. The more we attack, the fewer of them there are and the more cover we have to hide behind. It all works in our favor.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wonder what that destroyer is up to right now. Do you think the Information Alliance has sunk it in a counterattack yet?¡±


    Quenser¡¯s group continued on while recoloring the hopelessly white battlefield to construct their own safe zones. Eventually, the wind died down.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance fleets had ended up frozen in place without realizing they were approaching each other in an X-shape. It was not perfectly straight, but the enemy fleet was generally arranged in a long line.


    ¡°There it is,¡± said Heivia while using his assault rifle¡¯s scope to look into the distance. ¡°That ship is completely different form the others. It¡¯s civilian. Check your mobile device¡¯s map. Is that the aurora observation ship!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the Julius Caesar. How did we manage to reach the goal first?¡±


    That was when the color white flashed in front of their eyes.


    The sunlight seemed to blur whitely despite the lack of wind and then Quenser found he could not see even 5m ahead of him.


    ¡°What!? A whiteout!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ice fog. Basically, the frozen fog is reflecting the sunlight! This is really bad. Don¡¯t rely on your compass. We¡¯re so close to the north pole that the needle isn¡¯t going to tell you anything worthwhile!!¡±


    Was that low rumbling due to the inclement weather?


    Quenser meaninglessly looked up into the white sky.


    ¡°Lightning in this wide-open space? We¡¯re gonna get struck down by divine punishment at this rate.¡±


    The tearful complaints naturally came from Elise Montana.


    ¡°B-b-b-b-b-but we still have a chance, don¡¯t we? We¡¯ll be frozen solid if we stay out here, but there¡¯s that aurora observation ship, right? B-b-brr, I don¡¯t think I can keep going unless we get some hot soup or something on that ship. Chatter, chatter, chatter.¡±


    She was asking for the rescuees to rescue the rescuers, but it was true the Julius Caesar had no chance if their rescuers were wiped out by the cold or the lightning. And they had to reach that ship to save them, so they had to trudge on regardless of Elise¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°What exactly are we supposed to do?¡±


    They only had their memories to go on. They did not want to end up walking in circles within that white screen, so Heivia kept his eyes down on the ground while moving his Nordic skis and ski poles.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the goal like we were told, but that ship is trapped by the thick ice, right? How do we save them? Surely we aren¡¯t supposed to keep fighting the Information Alliance until the ice thaws in the spring.¡±


    Technically, the higher ups of both armies were interested in the gold onboard the ship and not the crew and passengers, but the problem was the same either way. Gold was heavy. It would be suicidal to try and carry it back through this firefight just because the ship could not move.


    ¡°Pant, pant. There is it. We¡¯re almost there. We were going the right way after all.¡±


    ¡°A little more to the right, Elise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. You¡¯re trying to trick me into walking in circles, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve figured you out at this poin- hgee!?¡±


    The beautiful young woman vanished into a 3m-deep hole. It was a crack in the ice ¨C a crevice. A very unsexy splashing sound soon followed. Quenser and Heivia had a legitimately hard time deciding if they were going to bother dragging out someone who had entirely ignored their warning, but they ended up throwing down a synthetic rope since she was a busty blonde glasses woman. If any one of those attributes had been missing, they probably would have pretended to have simply lost sight of her and walked off, whistling nonchalantly.


    Despite being soaked in sherbet-like seawater, she looked more pathetic than sexy and she desperately pleaded with them while her glasses froze over.


    ¡°Hurr- brr, hurry, hurry to the ship! I need a hot stove, some soup, a blanket, and so much more!! This planet needs warmth!!¡±


    ¡°Eh heh heh. I can warm you up right now, Elise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a ship for the rich, right? I wonder if they have an Immortanoid bath or something. That longevity mineral would be perfect for beauty, health, and peeping.¡±


    ¡°Brrr. Y-y-y-you two never change, do you!?¡±


    The aurora observation ship was pretentiously named the Julius Caesar and it was actually larger than the destroyer they had initially landed(?) on. It was supposed to break through the thick ice as it went, but it was now motionless while partially tilted on its side. It must have tried to break through more ice than it was designed for, lost its balance, and then had the seawater refreeze around it.


    But it could have been worse.


    If it was the type of icebreaker that brought its bow up on the ice to break through with its weight, it may have completely rolled over onto its side after losing its balance.


    ¡°That ship is full of garbage rich people who were secretly trying to carry their mountain of gold to a secret bank, right? I¡¯d say anything could happen once we¡¯re inside, but that would imply something good might happen.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, how can you say that when you¡¯re a noble too? Hm? Is that the gangway?¡±


    Quenser pointed at the side of the ship through a gap in the white curtain of ice fog. A cross between a metal ladder and a stairway had been half-frozen to the hull of the ship. If that was down, someone must have left the ship. It seemed unlikely, but had some adventurous passenger or crewmember decided to walk around outside?


    ¡°Even without the battle, this is home to the world¡¯s strongest animal, the polar bear. I¡¯m not about to go help out someone that suicidal.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss what martial art is best in a fight, what sports team you support, or what animal is the strongest. Those topics without a real answer gather self-proclaimed ¡®experts¡¯ like nothing else.¡±


    Anyway, they were lucky they did not have to throw a rope up and pretend they were rock climbing.


    Their Nordic skis would only get in the way on that narrow gangway, so they removed them from their boots, strapped them to their backs, and made their way up those metal stairs. Since the Information Alliance might have already secretly taken over the ship, the potatoes made sure to keep their weapons at the ready as they reached to top of the gangway and climbed onto the Julius Caesar¡¯s side deck.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s so cold.¡±


    Elise held her very (non-sexually) wet body in her arms and shivered. The thought of a heated space in their near future must have reminded her how cold it really was outside.


    That was her own fault, so the potatoes ignored her and spoke to each other.


    ¡°Those VIPs¡¯ bodyguards aren¡¯t going to shoot us, are they?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a scary thought. I don¡¯t want to die from friendly fire during the countdown to the New Year!¡±


    ¡°Uhh,¡± groaned Elise. ¡°Are you two entirely incapable of recalling the things you yourselves did not long ago?¡±


    If they were capable of that, they would have to give up the title of idiot.


    Quenser and Heivia came up with a plan while pressing up against one of the waterproof doors arranged at even intervals along the wall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s announce who we are. If anyone reacts in a suspicious way, we can silence them with a preemptive strike.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯re after the gold, after all. But their bodyguards are sure to be well-trained, so silencing them will be a lot easier said than done. Hell, we probably won¡¯t even have time to approach them, so we can¡¯t hope to throw them down with judo or aikido or something. We¡¯ll have to use bullets.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it with my bombs.¡±


    ¡°As in blow them to smithereens?¡±


    ¡°As in use a concussion blast. No nails or metal balls mixed in and the amount of explosive is kept low enough to only rattle their brain. It¡¯s generally done as a type of grenade, but I should be able to pull it off with my plastic explosive. If I keep the inside hollow and adjust the amount, I can hit them with a nonlethal blast. The range might only be 2 or 3 meters, but if I throw it, it¡¯s guaranteed to knock the enemy out if we have to fight for control of the ship. That¡¯s a lot easier to use than a tranquilizer gun that has to get a pinpoint strike on a gap in their jacket, right?¡±


    ¡°Okay, genius boy, I like the sound of that. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Basically, he was going to throw balls of military explosives at civilians. No one bothered listening to Elise¡¯s complaint that they had left ethics behind long ago. That was just how things were when you were winning the battle.


    They turned the handle in the middle of the thick waterproof door and finally entered the ship.


    The interior was built like a classic mansion full of wood grain and bright red carpet. This was clearly built for the rich. While ships normally kept everything from the framework to the food trays as light as possible, this one was overflowing with wasteful decorations.


    As a cruise ship primarily used for carrying passengers, it was built a lot like a tall resort hotel rearranged to be on its side. It had a lot of cabins and the straight corridors were very long. On the other hand, the elevators were primarily for cargo and crew, so the normal passengers would apparently use fancy spiral staircases.


    A map posted on the wall even showed a round room labeled ¡°Observatory¡±. It was probably equipped with one of the giant reflecting telescopes found in Hawaii. And despite traveling in the Arctic, it even had an indoor pool. The ceiling of the top floor was made of glass, so people could view the aurora while floating in the warm pool in their swimsuits.


    Quenser quietly grumbled a complaint while tearing off a piece of Hand Axe plastic explosive and rolling it into a piece the size of a golf ball. The pen-like fuses he normally used were too big for that, so he made sure to dismantle one and jury-rig a smaller version.


    ¡°What is with the interior decorating? I have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°What good is a prophecy as vague as Nostradamus? Say things like that and you¡¯ll find your remarried mother introducing your crush as your new sister.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That just makes it better.¡±


    Meanwhile, a young maid stepped out from a linen room to the side of the corridor. The silver-haired maid shrieked, crouched down, and moved to protect the small child next to her.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± shouted Quenser. ¡°Go with the concussion blast?¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t. This doesn¡¯t even look like a gray zone. She¡¯s not trying to fight!¡±


    Now that they had encountered someone, it was obvious that the terrified maid was frozen in place while staring at Heivia¡¯s gun. She probably had no idea what the small ball of clay in Quenser¡¯s hand could do. That concussion grenade was not going to work well as far as intimidation went. If it could not stop someone until he actually used it, it was not the best peaceful nonlethal weapon.


    Quenser felt jealous of the young boy held so tightly in the professional maid¡¯s arms, but that boy looked past her shoulder and tilted his head.


    ¡°Army men?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re from the Legitimacy Kingdom. Despite the getup.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯re a knight!¡±


    Heivia groaned and fell silent while Quenser held his sides and laughed up a storm. That was a hard thing to respond to when you had a legit noble rank.


    ¡°But why is a knight dressed like Santa?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not dressed like Santa. This was forced onto us as a punishment!¡±


    ¡°But I saw that lady on the news. They said they shot down the real Santa Claus.¡±


    ¡°Hgee!? Does the damage ever end!? H-how far did the footage of my Bikini Santa spread? Is that digital tattoo going to cover the entire world as a permanent scar on my reputation!?¡±


    Soaked Elise bristled and shouted, but the child¡¯s eyes were sparkling and his body was shaking.


    ¡°John said Santa didn¡¯t exist, but he was wrong. I need to tell Claudia!¡±


    The silver-haired maid shouted at the boy and ran after him, so they both vanished down a spiral staircase.


    Quenser and Heivia clicked their tongues, but they could not aim a gun at those civilians to stop them. From here on, they had to assume their presence could be revealed at any moment. They needed to focus on the location of cover and keep multiple escape routes in mind at all times.


    ¡°Damn, but I guess this is better than having them follow us around and then get hit by a stray bullet or something,¡± sighed Heivia.


    ¡°And they must have thought my concussion grenade was just some kid¡¯s piece of clay. Maybe a different shape would help stop people without having to use it.¡±


    ¡°You called it clay yourself. And the blast is just as powerful with a ball or a cube, so why not give it a shape that¡¯ll scare people?¡±


    Quenser was the kind of guy who could take his friend¡¯s advice. Once he worked hard to give it a very realistic penis shape, Elise Montana blushed and hit him very hard.


    ¡°What is wrong with you!?¡±


    ¡°It has to be all shrunk in the cold if it¡¯s going to remain a concussion grenade! If I made it a full-on erection, the blast would kill them!!¡±


    ¡°That is not what I meant! And how rotten is your brain if you can jump straight from that heartwarming scene to this!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, and Elise? I find it very interesting that you recognized what this was straight away. If you were really the innocent and ignorant young woman you act like, I would have expected something more along the lines of ¡®Oh, how cute. What kind of animal is that?¡¯ ¡±


    She hit him again.


    Quenser collapsed to the floor, held his cheek, and shouted up from the red carpet.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to make it into a pussy!!¡±


    ¡°Bfhh! How many times do you want me to hit you!?¡±


    ¡°As many times as I can get!! C¡¯mon, give me another!!¡±


    Elise hissed at him like an upset cat and Heivia asked a question with his eyebrows raised.


    ¡°By the way, where are you gonna stick the fuse in that thing?¡±


    ¡°Wherever it would fit best¡­hmm, up the urethra, I guess?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s going too far for me. Seeing that kind of kinky stuff makes my balls shrink in fear.¡±


    His awful friend could stand to be more adventurous.


    Quenser had no choice but to use the same volume of explosive to create something threatening but not a penis.


    ¡°Eww,¡± said Elise.


    ¡°Why do you work so hard to make it look so real?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°You¡¯re just going to blow it up.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called having pride as an artist. There, all done: the cockroach stun grenade!!¡±


    As soon as he stuck the fuse in the rear end like a cruel child¡¯s prank, a (male) crewmember in an actual sailor uniform appeared around a corner.


    His eyes widened when he saw them and he reached for the holster at his hip.


    ¡°Quenser!!¡±


    ¡°Eat my concussion grenade! Drop your weapon or I swear I¡¯ll throw it!!¡±


    The intimidation factor was through the roof.


    The sailor panicked so badly he started firing wildly from the hip, so Quenser and the others had to kick open a nearby cabin door and take cover inside.


    Heivia climbed on top of the idiot and strangled him.


    ¡°You son of a- you piece of- I can¡¯t believe you!¡±


    ¡°Bwegh!? Just let me throw it already!!¡±


    He tossed the cute cockroach out through the broken door and hit the switch on his radio. After an earsplitting blast, the gunfire came to a complete stop.


    ¡°Did I get him? Did I???¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. If you aren¡¯t sure, kick Elise out there to check.¡±


    ¡°What ever happened to my rights!?¡±


    Since no further attacks came despite the commotion they were causing, they concluded they had successfully neutralized the sailor. When they hesitantly peeked out into the corridor, they saw him collapsed face down surprisingly close to the door.


    First the maid and the boy and now this sailor. They had avoided killing anyone, but the gunfire and explosion would have been heard all over the ship. They were here to rescue the people on the ship, but it hurt their position to have all this happen before they could identify themselves. They had to assume there was now a greater risk of being hit by a surprise bullet.


    They continued down the long corridor.


    ¡°This really is a big ship. It¡¯s gotta have more than 1000 cabins, so where are we supposed to search and who do we speak with?¡±


    ¡°That might be a problem under normal circumstances, but the pressure will get to people and being alone only amplifies it. Those rich chickens are bound to be gathered in some big room like the opera house or basketball court.¡±


    ¡°We are talking about a ship floating in the ocean, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Quenser did not have any actual destination in mind. He was only thinking of searching the big rooms first and checking through all the individual cabins if that did not work.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± whispered Heivia in front of a pair of double doors.


    It was unclear what the room had been for originally, but it was serving as a party hall at the moment. Long tables formed a makeshift reception counter to the side of the door, but there were no receptionists there to check invitations. There were only a few empty chairs.


    Quenser was an amateur in both guns and martial arts, but even he could sense something here. This was not the cold atmosphere of an empty school at night. He could sense something warm coming from that door, like that one class alone was spending the night to prepare for the cultural festival.


    ¡°They¡¯re through here. I hope it¡¯s just the fat and lazy VIPs, but they¡¯re sure to have tons of personal bodyguards with them. Be prepared for a risky situation.¡±


    ¡°How exactly am I supposed to be prepared for that?¡±


    They were still worried, so Heivia opened the double doors and Quenser chucked the busty blonde inside.


    They waited a few moments, but there was no roar of gunfire.


    They only heard someone pounding on the double doors from the other side.


    ¡°Eeeek!! Open up! Please open up!!¡±


    ¡°She seems to be doing well. So is it safe?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. This might be one of those cases where only the pretty are spared.¡±


    Quenser readied his cockroach bomb and Heivia grabbed his assault rifle while they pressed against the wall on either side of the double doors and slowly opened them.


    And.


    They were met with something truly unexpected.


    However, this was not an extra-large magnum bullet or shotgun slug blasting through the wall and their bodies as well. In fact, it was quite the opposite.


    It was a voice.


    The people gathered in the dance hall all spoke as one.


    ¡°Sir Heivia?¡±


    Part 6


    He had forgotten.


    It had entirely slipped his mind.


    ¡°(Oh, that¡¯s right. That little kid called him a knight and he¡¯s some famous noble boy back home, isn¡¯t he? It makes sense people would recognize him on a boat full of rich and stingy Legitimacy Kingdom people.)¡±


    The ladies and gentlemen there all wore tailcoats and evening dresses, so it was hard to believe this was the frontline of a war. In fact, they might not have been aware this was a battlefield. They might think of the ship as an isolated safe country.


    The dance hall was tall enough to cover multiple floors of the ship, so it was as large as a gym. The floor was covered by fluffy carpet, the ceiling was lined with giant crystal chandeliers, fireplaces with real fire were installed at set intervals along the walls, and the stage was meant for a jazz band or orchestra instead of plays. The food was not arranged on long tables like at a buffet. The truly wealthy did not go get their own food and drinks. The many maids would probably look across the entire dance hall, weave between the people to cover as much of the area as possible, and provide the party guests with whatever they needed.


    A large banner was hung up near the tall ceiling.


    It said, ¡°New Year¡¯s Charity Tour!! The children braving such painful surgeries deserve to see the real aurora!¡±


    Quenser snorted with laughter.


    ¡°So they have so much money they can just throw luxury around like it¡¯s nothing, huh?¡±


    ¡°I-i-i-if they have so much to spare, surely they can give us some hot drinks and a change of clothes.¡±


    Shivering Elise Montana wanted some fresh clothes, but that was liable to land her in a tight-fitting maid uniform. That thought amused Quenser enough to keep his mouth shut and see what happened.


    Heivia was surrounded by people a short distance away.


    That awful friend of a noble did not look exactly pleased with the situation.


    ¡°Sir Heivia, if you are here, does that mean the Legitimacy Kingdom military¡¯s rescue operation is going well?¡±


    ¡°That is wonderful news. This is exactly the heroism I would expect from the Winchell family heir.¡±


    ¡°I am sure the children will be delighted. Hee hee. Because we can tell them that the picture book Prince Charming really does exist.¡±


    Then a wealthy woman glanced over at someone else with a fan covering her mouth.


    ¡°Heh heh. But it seems you have also brought along the real Santa that the military arrested.¡±


    ¡°Hgee!?¡±


    Elise (who had found a way to make a soaked military uniform look hot) was forced to face her worldwide shame yet again.


    Quenser sighed and thought back to the base assumptions of this mission.


    Then he lightly elbowed the side of the busty blonde glasses woman who was trembling both from the cold of her wet clothes and the heat of her embarrassment.


    ¡°(Nh, hh¡­eek??? Wh-what? Are you still not done sexually harassing me?)¡±


    ¡°(Pipe down, Miss Sensitive. You need to be on your guard.)¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    A few things here seemed out of place.


    There were some boys and girls even younger than Quenser and Heivia ¨C only about 10 ¨C mixed in with the party guests. They were wearing tuxedos and cocktail dresses, but their nervous expressions and awkward movements showed they were not used to this. Quenser felt more of an affinity with them, so they were likely commoners.


    One small boy in a tuxedo noticed the bomb-wielding battlefield student was looking at him, so he hid behind a woman in an evening dress. Only then did Quenser realize he still had a cute cockroach in hand. The wealthy woman rubbed the small boy¡¯s head with a thin smile.


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    Heivia turned back to say something and Quenser shrugged.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m a commoner. I doubt I could join that conversation. I don¡¯t know all that noble etiquette.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I was asking. What are we going to do now?¡±


    The surrounding ladies and gentlemen¡¯s ears pricked up when they heard that question.


    In fact, they even cut in like they were in charge.


    ¡°If we might be so bold as to ask¡­¡±


    ¡°How exactly do you intend to evacuate everyone? Will you be using a helicopter or a tiltrotor? Or are you sending in a submarine to break through below the thick ice?¡±


    ¡°We have all the children to think about, so we would like to focus on preserving human life. Would you be kind enough to tell us what you are planning in advance?¡±


    Something bothered Quenser.


    It did not sit right with him.


    These nobles were so absurdly rich they could share their luxury with others, yet they would abandon their money to prioritize the lives of mere commoners without even a blood relation? Not a chance. And he was not just prejudiced or biased against nobles. That was truly how the Legitimacy Kingdom worked.


    But that was not the main point here.


    Quenser¡¯s group had to make their next move sooner rather than later. They had arrived first, but the Information Alliance soldiers would arrive at the aurora observation ship before long. If it came down to a direct fight over the ship, who could say how far the damage would spread.


    They had to change things here, but what would that require?


    He had to remember the base assumptions of the mission.


    ¡°In that case¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get the feeling we¡¯re thinking about the same thing here.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia started speaking and the rich nobles leaned forward eagerly.


    ¡°Wh-what will you do? How exactly will you evacuate us!?¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t.¡±


    Quenser let the other boy say it.


    This would receive less backlash coming from a fellow noble.


    And Heivia Winchell did not hesitate to do so.


    ¡°Instead, we¡¯ll throw all the gold into the ocean. Then the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Information Alliance will lose any reason to attack the ship.¡±


    Yes.


    The two sides were not after the human lives; they were after the gold these rich nobles were trying to hide in a secret bank. The human lives were only at risk because that gold was on the ship.


    In that case, they only had to let go of that gold.


    ¡°Gold is heavy, so if you load it into a ship container and drop it from a crane, it should break through the thick ice and sink to the bottom of the ocean. Then the battlefield will shift there. I imagine it would be a fight between submarines. But whatever it would be, no one would want to attack the ship any longer, so you can wait here until the spring thaw.¡±


    ¡°Um, but, Sir Heivia!?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? Gold doesn¡¯t rust or corrode in seawater. It¡¯s such a valuable precious metal because you can trust it to remain the same no matter what you do to it, right? As long as you know how much you dropped down, you can recover it just fine. You could leave it there for 100 years and the amount wouldn¡¯t change.¡±


    The attacks might not stop unless they could prove they had dropped all of the gold from the ship, but they likely had paperwork ready for the secret bank. And since the ship was floating in the water, the depth at which it ¡°sank¡± into the water depended on its weight. If the listed weight and its current floating height were compared, they should be able to prove the veracity of their claim.


    ¡°By the way,¡± added Quenser. ¡°Even if we did try holing up in the ship, the gold would end up at the bottom of the ocean along with the ship itself if the Information Alliance decided to fire an anti-ship missile or ship¡¯s gun at us. Gold isn¡¯t changed by fire or seawater, so they won¡¯t lose any of it even if they have to dredge it up from the bottom of the ocean afterwards. That leaves them with no reason at all to hesitate. The gold won¡¯t function as a shield.¡±


    Everyone fell silent and Quenser could not blame them.


    At first, it might seem like the two idiots were presenting an obvious and reasonable idea, but they were ignoring one piece of the puzzle that the rich nobles refused to budge on.


    Yes.


    They could not let the gold be stolen by an enemy nation like the Information Alliance.


    But if the Legitimacy Kingdom took it into custody, it would mean revealing the existence of all the gold they had hoped to hide in that secret bank. They did not want to lose any of their money to additional taxes, so they could not let the Legitimacy Kingdom have the gold either.


    Right now, the gold was within their reach.


    Even if they knew its weight kept them from escaping here.


    But if they let it sink to the bottom of the ocean, not even those rich nobles could access it. They would require the help of either the Legitimacy Kingdom or the Information Alliance militaries. They would be unable to prevent their assets from being stolen before their eyes.


    So they could not do that.


    They knew it was the safest option, but they could not choose that optimal answer.


    ¡°No, you misunderstand.¡±


    However, a gentleman in a tailcoat said something that entirely surpassed Quenser¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Sir Heivia, there is no gold on this ship.¡±


    At first, the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes had no idea what he meant.


    ?


    After all, wasn¡¯t this entire battle predicated on that gold¡¯s presence? If the ship was not on its way to the secret bank, the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance would not have been so hellbent on sending troops to the Arctic.


    So there was only one conclusion:


    ¡°You¡¯re still blinded by greed after all this? What happened to focusing on preserving human life!? You¡¯re the ones that said you wanted to save the kids¡¯ lives!!¡±


    ¡°You can hide the gold if you want since we can¡¯t exactly search such a large ship in a timely manner, but holding onto it only increases the risk. Like we said, the Information Alliance has no real reason not to attack the ship.¡±


    If that happened, Quenser¡¯s group only had to escape with the children brought along on this charity event. The Legitimacy Kingdom only wanted the money and they could recover it from the ocean floor just fine, so Quenser¡¯s group had no obligation to get blown up along with the stubborn rich nobles.


    If they wanted to die, they were free to do so.


    That may have been the difference between a commoner and a noble right there.


    ¡°No, you still misunderstand,¡± whispered a woman in an evening dress while stroking the head of the small boy hiding behind her. ¡°There is something here we must protect at all costs. That much is true. But it is not gold, so dumping it into the ocean and recovering it later is not an option.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The most important thing for us is the experience and technology needed to support the children¡¯s painful surgeries and keep them alive. Sir Heivia, we must protect that no matter what it takes. Is there no way of moving the ship or staying here and fighting? We will help in any way we can.¡±


    This time it was soaked Elise who elbowed Quenser in the side.


    ¡°(So are they actually good people? It sounds like they are paying the medical costs for these children who might as well be complete strangers.)¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That would make for a moving story, but something seemed off to Quenser.


    If that was the story here, these nobles would definitely be advertising that fact. They would have a TV crew on the ship or record this conversation on a phone to upload it to a video site. For the rich, charity was a way of spending money to buy popularity, yet that piece was missing from the puzzle here.


    And.


    So.


    The rich nobles, who had never worked a day in their lives, went on to tell the truth of the matter.


    ¡°The artificial joints and organs supporting these children are made from a very valuable rare earth known as Immortanoid. In other words, they are carriers. We can implant the necessary amount inside their bodies to smuggle it wherever we need to go.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the market price being intentionally driven up, I believe that longevity mineral is worth 200 times the price of pure gold. As long as we have the surgeries performed overseas, the authorities will never notice and no security guard is going to demand a child removes their medical implants just because a metal detector gate found a suspicious reading.¡±


    ¡°But Immortanoid will permeate water to create a mineral spring, so unlike gold, its nature is easily changed. Its value will likely plummet if it is dropped into the ocean.¡±


    They were not reluctantly revealing the truth as a last resort and they were not tearfully confessing their sins out of guilt.


    They were simply explaining it because it was relevant to the topic at hand. Almost like they were bringing up a piece of trivia about rain because people were discussing the weather.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    There was a pause.


    And then Heivia Winchell shouted with every last ounce of his strength.


    ¡°You motherfuckers!!!!!!¡±


    It was actually the child himself who jumped at how loud Heivia¡¯s voice was.


    And he was still hiding behind the evening dress woman as if he had been taught that was the safest place for him. Even though he was forced to have his body sliced open, stuffed full of unnecessary implants, and sewn back up every time those rich nobles needed to transport something. He must have been forced into such a desperate situation that this seemed like the better option. People suffering from heavy abuse could not take a step off of the hopeless path back home even though they knew they would be beaten when they arrived. Because if they were late, they would be yelled at and beaten even harder. Being spared that was the only form of ¡°salvation¡± these children knew.


    ¡°Hm? There is no need to resort to foul language, Sir Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Immortanoid is a longevity mineral. Its weak radiation is said to activate the body¡¯s cells and it is a rare earth worth 200 times the value of pure gold. Normally, people like them could never dream of receiving this kind of treatment.¡±


    ¡°And it is only natural for commoners to work for nobles. We are not making them carry anything dangerous like drugs or weapons. In fact, carrying Immortanoid in their bodies will only improve their health. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement, is it not?¡±


    They felt no guilt.


    They were not aware they had even done something wrong.


    This felt like a glimpse of how nobles treated commoners.


    (Santa Claus doesn¡¯t exist, huh?)


    Had that child really been saying that Santa would never visit them whether he existed or not?


    Those children lived in a locked-down form of peace.


    They had been imprinted with the idea that taking just one step outside of that meant living in constant fear of starvation and death. Those young souls had been forced to believe that it was best to have their unnecessary branches cut away, to have supports tied on, and to give bloom to the exact flowers the adults wanted.


    But that process was not complete.


    Not yet.


    When that child had seen Elise Montana, he had decided Santa does exist and run off to ¡°tell Claudia¡±.


    He had clearly seen the arrival of something he found unbelievable: Santa Claus.


    The idea of someone who would arrive from outside that closely-managed world and reach out a helping hand for nothing in return had seemed so implausible, and yet someone wearing red had arrived after all.


    So.


    In that case.


    ¡°Heivia,¡± said Quenser while handing his awful friend what he held in his hand.


    Then he walked up, took the hand of the small boy hiding behind the evening dress lady¡¯s back, and gently pulled him away.


    He moved outside of a 2 or 3 meter radius to take just the one step off of the rails prepared for that boy.


    And Quenser Barbotage spoke just one word.


    ¡°Concussion.¡±


    With a powerful boom, a shockwave slammed into the air and those goddamn nobles collapsed to the floor.


    Part 7


    The concussion grenade had a range of about 2 meters and the dance hall was larger than a gym and filled with ladies and gentlemen, so the one blast was not going to knock them all out.


    However.


    The bodyguards in black did not seem in a big hurry to protect the shitty VIPs who had hired them.


    ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re thankful,¡± said the security chief while bowing. ¡°It¡¯s probably wrong to act like we were on your side all along, but maybe we just needed someone to give us the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°I am technically a noble,¡± The middle-aged man smiled a little. ¡°But if you will allow me some irreverence toward that title, I would ask that you do not assume all of us are quite that heartless.¡±


    There was an absolute wall between commoners and nobles.


    But that allowed them to partially ignore the need to establish ordinary relationships with each other. They could think of each other as residents of entirely different worlds.


    But what about between nobles?


    That closer position had bound them. They had been unable to directly face the problem because they feared incurring the wrath of the great power those richer nobles carried.


    But they had chosen to act now.


    They had had enough.


    Another chance might not come along, so they had decided to take the risk and try to save those children while they could.


    And it was not just the bodyguards.


    While they said nothing, the maids and the crew in sailor uniforms silently stepped out of the way. They could not don military uniforms and they could not fight against nobles, but they still tried to come up with something they could do.


    Heivia must have understood all that.


    But instead of mentioning it, he spat out a question.


    ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do with your bosses?¡±


    ¡°The nobles seem to have fallen ill, so we will let them get some rest. They can rest all they like inside the ballast tank on the lowest level. It cannot be opened from within, so if the battle is lost and the ship sinks, they will be forced to share its fate.¡±


    ¡°Heh. That should make for a good wakeup call for them. Welcome to a battlefield country.¡±


    ¡°And if it is not too much to ask of you, could you possibly speak with the children once all this is over? This is something we cannot do ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Hm? What did those kids ask Santa for???¡±


    The security chief smiled at Heivia Winchell¡¯s question.


    And he gave the answer.


    ¡°They asked for a true knight to show up and rescue them.¡±


    It was possible not even the children themselves knew how serious they had been about that.


    They may have asked for something they knew was impossible so they would not get their hopes up and they would feel no shock when it did not happen. It may have been their way of giving up on all hope of anyone ever coming to rescue them.


    So could they now tell those children that some unbeatable soldiers had shown up to do just that?


    Of course, there was no thread of logic leading up to this conclusion.


    The mission to shoot down Santa Claus had started with that Christmas card sent to the military, but it should have ended in success and Quenser and Heivia¡¯s presence in the Arctic was pure coincidence. And while they had set their sights on the aurora observation ship, their mission had not been one to save the children.


    Nevertheless, through several layers of coincidence and happenstance, here they were.


    A few mistakes and misunderstandings had forcibly kept that thread going when it should have come to an end so many times along the way. If they repeated this scenario 100 times, they would probably fail to notice the children in need and pass them by every single time, but for some reason, they had ended up knocking out the rich scum aboard the aurora observation ship this time.


    This result defied all logic, so perhaps it was best described as a miracle.


    ¡°Heh,¡± quietly laughed Heivia Winchell.


    A true knight.


    That concept was like a dream that the children could not abandon even after seeing how ugly real nobles were. Which was why they had tried to go through that ritual so they could finally forget all about it.


    After living in the world of nobles, Heivia knew all too well that the title was far too stained by profit-seeking and that the noblesse oblige they loved to talk about was nowhere to be found.


    But someone was clinging to that nonexistent dream.


    And he was not narrowminded enough to shake free of that desperate grasp.


    ¡°Fine then. It¡¯s time for the knight to throw down his gauntlet and ready his rapier.¡±


    They could no longer choose to intentionally fail their mission by running away and abandoning the kids and the maids to their fate.


    The Julius Caesar had no gold onboard.


    Instead, there were about 20 commoner children onboard. Yet the excessive number of artificial joints and organs implanted in their small bodies rivaled the value of a great mountain of gold since they were made from the rare Immortanoid.


    A health boom had been started for investment purposes.


    After pushing up the price of the longevity mineral as far as it would go, it was worth 200 times the price of pure gold.


    It was said its weak radiation would activate the cells and extend one¡¯s lifespan by 30%. That claim was laughable, but it was easy to imagine how some people would benefit by naming it a longevity mineral and spreading the word around. Humans were the foolish creatures who, if it was said to be good for your health, would pay large sums of money for goop made by boiling down the seaweed found growing just about anywhere.


    What do we do? Do you think the Information Alliance will believe us that there¡¯s no gold? I mean, we¡¯re the enemy who boarded ahead of them.¡±


    ¡°Why would they believe us? They¡¯ll just assume we¡¯re trying to buy enough time to carry out all the heavy gold. That means they¡¯re attacking the ship no matter what the reality is.¡±


    And if he Information Alliance did arrive at the correct answer, what would that change?


    Those children were the people of an enemy nation.


    Once they learned the children had a fortune equal to a mountain of gold hidden in their bodies, they were sure to pull out a scalpel and slice them open like a dissected frog to get at the precious Immortanoid. These were the people who had started a war to get at this fortune, after all. Who could say what the actual soldiers thought. They might even think they were rescuing or protecting the children, but it was highly doubtful that their higher ups would care one whit about those human lives. They would confidently and triumphantly slice up those children in the hospitals they had been sent to for safekeeping.


    Which meant¡­


    ¡°Do we hole up in the ship, or do we take the kids out and lead them back to the maintenance base? Either way, we can¡¯t leave things as is. The rules of the battle have changed, dammit.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to stay positive. Those kids are a lot lighter than gold and they can move around on their own. Those goddamn nobles were right about them being convenient carriers. We should have a few options other than dumping the treasure in the ocean and redoing everything.¡±


    That was when a loud creaking sound reverberated throughout the dance hall.


    ¡°What the hell is it now?¡±


    ¡°Emergency, emergency!!¡±


    Elise Montana had been taking a look around elsewhere, but she ran back into the dance hall. She held her military mobile device out toward them.


    ¡°Something big is coming this way. It¡¯s an Information Alliance ship! It¡¯s far bigger than a cruiser! It¡¯s over 80,000 tons!!¡±


    ¡°For real? That¡¯s as heavy as a battleship. And since when did they still have a weapon like that leftover!?¡±


    ¡°Wait, what do you mean it¡¯s ¡®coming this way¡¯? You mean it isn¡¯t trapped by the ice?¡±


    Instead of waiting for an answer, they all checked Elise¡¯s mobile device.


    The name on the side of the ship was Electric 019.


    The footage came from photographs and videos. The scale was difficult to judge with nothing but white around it, but it was definitely big. Bridge windows were generally the same size for every ship, so Quenser realized he could use that as a reference point to grasp the scale of what he was seeing.


    The battlefield student groaned at what he saw.


    He was little more than an amateur, but there was something even he could tell at a glance.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t just 200m; it must be 300m.¡±


    Modern design standards focused on small size and maneuverability for any weapon other than an Object, but this took the opposite route. Perhaps there was an eccentric faction within the Information Alliance that was displeased with the current Object-centric system, or maybe this was the result of a bizarre evolutionary branch created by the Object-less Northern Restricted Zone.


    ¡°Even a conservative estimate puts those main cannons at 50cm,¡± groaned the student. ¡°This isn¡¯t just normal firepower. Those have to be railguns or coilguns. I¡¯m amazed such heavy weaponry is being developed for anything other than an Object, but since it¡¯s a naval weapon, maybe they disguised it as electromagnetic catapult research.¡±


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that thing moving? I though the thick ice had trapped everything in place!¡±


    ¡°It has a weird blade covering the bow. It¡¯s bent in a V-shape like a snowplow.¡± Quenser noticed something. ¡°Is it using its extraordinary power and weight to forcibly break through the ice? No, it¡¯s more than that. Look at that icebreaker blade, Heivia. There¡¯s steam coming from where it¡¯s contacting the ice.¡±


    ¡°Are they heating up the metal blade with the engine¡¯s heat, or are they giving it a high frequency vibration? The damn thing¡¯s melting the ice as it goes. Is it like slicing through foam with a hot wire?¡±


    ¡°Whatever the case, it doesn¡¯t look like this was originally part of the ship. The blade stands out from the rest. I bet they threw it together from the parts on hand, but this just means the enemy was a step ahead of us. Since they¡¯ve moved close enough that we can see them, they must intend to blast the aurora observation ship with a direct shot similar to a tank¡¯s gun.¡±


    ¡°Why bother with that? They could just throw their ball in a long arc over the watery horizon¡­or the icy horizon, I guess.¡±


    ¡°That would blast the ship to pieces, but with an even more powerful direct shot, the shell will pierce through the ship and out the other side. Just like with a tank or armored vehicle, they can demand we surrender while gradually blasting away pieces as if with armor-piercing rounds.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Remember the problem with my concussion grenade? You can¡¯t negotiate if the other side doesn¡¯t fear the weapon until you use it. This means they want to talk too. They may have their doubts that the ¡®treasure¡¯ really is in the form of gold. And torture is a much better way of getting someone to talk than execution.¡±


    That ship would be blindly tearing up a civilian ship from one end to the other without knowing where anyone onboard was. They did not care at all about the human rights of the people onboard. Once they learned the treasure was actually the healthy rare earth(?) stuffed inside those children, they would be delighted to come ¡°retrieve¡± it. They would be happy they did not have to fish anything out of the water with a crane.


    Heivia¡¯s expression was bitter, but he did not overlook what mattered.


    ¡°If they have their doubts, then they won¡¯t sink the ship right away, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. If the treasure turns out to be paper currency or checks, fire and water are the enemy. So they¡¯re going to apply as much pressure as they can in order to figure out what it is. They want us to give away the answer.¡±


    Of course, all of this was based entirely on assumptions.


    No matter what the people on the aurora observation ship claimed to be the truth, the Information Alliance could not eliminate their doubts that the enemy soldiers might be lying or hiding some crucial fact. They would wonder if they had enough information and wonder how much information would ever be ¡°enough¡±.


    That was just how things were when you were winning the battle.


    In the end, there was always a chance they would decide to sink the ship right this instant.


    ¡°How many of the noncombatants, like those kids, the maids, and the crew, do you think they¡¯ll let go?¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously asking that, Heivia? The Information Alliance will see them as low-priority people. Since they want to make enough of an impact to get us to talk, they might kill those harmless civilians first of all. They don¡¯t know the treasure is actually inside those kids.¡±


    He must have already suspected as much because Heivia did not press the issue further.


    Those kids had asked for a true knight to show up and rescue them.


    How it had happened was unclear.


    There was no rhyme or reason to how that had led to this.


    The path from the Santa Claus mission to this Arctic battle had not been planned out in any way and the Legitimacy Kingdom was only interested in the money. It was laughable to think they were interested in the rescuing the children. After all, they did not even know those suffering young lives existed.


    Nevertheless, Heivia¡¯s group had learned of that wish and here they stood.


    It was a coincidence that defied logic.


    In other words, a miracle.


    ¡°They won¡¯t let anyone escape and we can¡¯t hole up in here. That means our only option is to head out there and fight that 80,000-ton monster ourselves. We may not have to travel past the horizon to reach that Information Alliance battleship, but the journey is still going to be straight out of hell.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting we give up? Do we walk up to those kids, crouch down to look them in the eye, and tell them we can¡¯t help them after all? Do we blame it on circumstances beyond our control and tell them to abandon all hope of things ever getting better for them?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die, dammit.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s give the Information Alliance hell.¡±


    Just as Heivia and Quenser had reached a consensus, the delinquent noble noticed someone looking at him.


    It was that small boy.


    That carrier boy had been cut open with a scalpel and stuffed full of Immortanoid joints and organs that he did not even need. The adults had abused the concept of charity to use him for their own profit, so that depressingly ¡°ordinary¡± soul had to have despaired in all forms of good and justice. No, he was probably too overwhelmed to even feel that kind of hatred.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Heivia crouched down to put himself at the boy¡¯s eye level. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. We¡¯ll handle it. The Information Alliance can send a warship or whatever else they want, but we won¡¯t let them lay a finger on you, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± That blunt question cut right to the heart of the issue. ¡°How can you protect Claudia? John said nothing can be done for us. He isn¡¯t from the institution and has everything he wants, so he always comes to laugh at us.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I said not to worry.¡± Instead of answering the question, Heivia said something else. As if piercing straight to the foundation of what was wrong here. ¡°I never said anything about only protecting Claudia, did I? And I don¡¯t care what this John says. Listen, we¡¯ll take care of everything and I mean everything. So you don¡¯t need to write yourself out of those ¡®what if¡¯ scenarios. You deserve to be happy too. So let¡¯s start from there, okay?¡±


    ¡°Eh? But¡­¡±


    The boy tilted his head.


    It was like he had woken up to find a present by his pillow and assumed it could not possibly be for him.


    He was not used to being given things. He did not know how to step outside of the greenhouse.


    Those rich scum had gone on and on about charity and justice, but they had in fact stolen every last possibility of a better life for those children. Any branch that stretched out toward freedom would be snipped away to ensure it only gave bloom to the flowers they wanted.


    So it had to start from here.


    The words that slowly flowed forth like some kind of curse were the result of how twisted that boy¡¯s idea of normal and ordinary had become. So no matter how horrific it might seem, Heivia could not look away.


    Those words definitely left that boy¡¯s small mouth. A normal person would have a hard time understanding it, but the boy had been forced to conform to this view of justice.


    ¡°I was born with a terrible disease.¡±


    ¡°That put my mom and dad through a lot of trouble.¡±


    ¡°I heard they ended up in a lot of debt.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t go to a normal school.¡±


    ¡°But someone came to help me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t turn my back on them after they helped me.¡±


    ¡°They say this is the right thing to do.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t stand to see Claudia in pain anymore.¡±


    ¡°So.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted Santa Claus to bring a true knight for her.¡±


    ¡°You can leave me.¡±


    ¡°I can carry them all.¡±


    ¡°I can carry all the other kids¡¯ stones.¡±


    ¡°So.¡±


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    He kept making rejections.


    More and more and more rejections.


    He was refusing to be saved.


    But Heivia Winchell softly cut in while still crouched down.


    And then he continued as if slicing through something invisible with a knight¡¯s sword.


    ¡°You can relax.¡±


    The boy broke down into tears.


    It was such a normal thing, but they had never been allowed it before.


    The security chief sighed from a short distance away. He had been watching that painfully twisted greenhouse without doing anything to help, so he felt like he was seeing someone grant the wish he had failed to grant.


    The boy¡¯s words were a barely intelligible mess, but Heivia Winchell definitely heard something in that mass of noise.


    He heard the boy asking to be saved.


    ¡°I swear to you I¡¯ll end this. None of you will ever transport Immortanoid again and we¡¯ll sink that greedy battleship. I, Heivia Winchell, swear on the blood running in my veins and on the tradition of my name that I will not abandon any of you. So there¡¯s nothing ¨C not a single thing ¨C to worry about.¡±


    Then the noble son gently placed a hand on that small head.


    He may have been in over his head here.


    He may not have been the most morally upstanding person in the world.


    But at this moment, he had to be the unbeatable knight in shining armor here.


    That was his duty.


    ¡°Hey. Anything I say is probably going to sound like empty words after the garbage people you¡¯ve been exposed to, but let me ask you one thing. Do you know why nobles like me eat better food, sleep in nicer beds, train in cutting-edge gyms, and pay for it all with the tax money taken from the commoners?¡±


    He recalled some musty old words.


    He had heard this line from his father on a daily basis until a certain incident had led to a falling out with his parents and siblings.


    Nobles were those who were given land by the king to protect the people who lived there.


    Nobles were those who were first to race into battle when the need arose.


    Nobles were those who could do the jobs no one else could.


    In other words¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s to hone the strength needed to protect you.¡±


    Part 8


    ¡°By the way, Elise, why did you go to all that unnecessary trouble?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Her brain must not have been working despite the glasses because the busty blonde only looked confused, so Quenser waved his own device at her.


    ¡°Your mobile device. You could have just sent us a message instead of physically carrying it to us.¡±


    ¡°What, did you not check what it says on the screen? Um, look right here.¡±


    Part 9


    Their first and last challenge had begun.


    If they made a single mistake or were hit by a single stray shot while moving around outside the Julius Caesar, they would be literally blown to pieces.


    They had just the one chance here.


    ¡°There it is. It¡¯s here,¡± excitedly said Elise Montana while observing things outside through a gap in the curtain. ¡°It¡¯s the ice fog. The reflected sunlight is turning everything white!!¡±


    ¡°Good, now we can stay hidden!¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance fleets had been trapped in the thick ice after moving unnaturally close in a large X-shape. The sensors had malfunctioned and vision had been poor, but the fact remained that the hastily-readied fleets had not been equipped for an extreme low-temperature environment.


    They could do this now.


    Or rather, if they let this opportunity pass them by, the fearsome festival of ship¡¯s guns would begin blasting them away along with the scrap metal they were hiding behind.


    The gathering of small ice crystals was a weather phenomenon, so it was all up to chance. They had no idea when it would clear up, so Quenser, Heivia, and Elise ran down the gangway and attached their Nordic skis to their boots. The snow covering the icy ground created a crunching feeling through the skis as they moved.


    The disconcerting sound like the ground being torn to pieces reached them even at this distance. The Electric 019 was supposedly around 5km away, but the shaking reached their feet through the white ground.


    ¡°If they really intend to attack the aurora observation ship from one end to another, they¡¯ll want to fire on it from as parallel a position as possible. It¡¯s all over once they get into position. They have about 5km left, I think.¡±


    ¡°5km?¡± said Elise. ¡°That¡¯s only going to take them a few minutes, right? Even a battleship that big can move at several dozen knots, right!?¡±


    ¡°In the normal ocean, yes. But this one is forcing its way through ice thick enough to trap the average warship. It can only move about as fast as a bicycle.¡±


    That still meant less than half an hour.


    If they screwed up here, they would not get a second chance.


    ¡°Heivia, Elise. Do you remember the process?¡±


    ¡°Yes!! If you¡¯re worried about anyone, it should be Miss Busty who finds miraculous new ways to be clumsy!!¡±


    ¡°I-I-I-I¡¯m trying my best too!!¡±


    Quenser glanced down at his mobile device and saw the display was almost entirely frozen. But not literally frozen by the Arctic cold.


    There was another reason the military device was barely functioning.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡±


    On that signal, the three of them began moving toward the Information Alliance¡¯s Electric 019 that had vanished behind a thick white screen. If they were right about this, they could never reach the side of that battleship no matter what. That meant they could not approach it and set up a plastic explosive like with the other ships.


    Of course, nothing else they could do from the outside would damage a ship of that size. They would need Object-level firepower to defeat it in the traditional sense.


    But they were not trying to fight in that way.


    They had a single goal.


    ¡°It¡¯s using microwaves,¡± said Quenser with his breath visible while he desperately stabbed his ski poles into the snow and ice. ¡°The same as in a microwave oven! That battleship sends powerful microwaves out from that V-shaped icebreaker blade to vibrate the water molecules and raise their temperature enough to melt the ice!!¡±


    ¡°That does make sense,¡± added Elise while her large chest shook in time with the movement of her skis. ¡°Something was clearly wrong when our mobile devices couldn¡¯t communicate with each other inside the same ship. There had to be some kind of invisible signal getting in the way.¡±


    ¡°When coming up with a solution, they had to work with whatever they had on hand, so this was perfect for them,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Do you think they maybe tore the radars off of the trapped cruisers and remade them into an icebreaker blade? A ton of military equipment emits high-power microwaves, after all!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. You¡¯re technically a radar analyst, aren¡¯t you? What are you doing out here on the front line when the pay¡¯s the same???¡±


    ¡°I want to get back to the maintenance base so bad!!¡±


    That meant they only had to cause some trouble there.


    If they could get rid of the microwaves, not even that extra-large battleship could break through the ice. In fact, the ship¡¯s own weight would work against it. The result would be worse than simply being unable to stop right away. What would happen if it was forced onward without being able to break the ice?


    It would be helpless to stop it.


    The battleship¡¯s own power would crush it like an empty can.


    ¡°We can¡¯t get anywhere near that battleship when it¡¯s emitting microwaves powerful enough to melt meters of ice in real time,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that,¡± said Heivia.


    ¡°So we¡¯ll have to stop it from a distance. And that¡¯s where your sniping skill comes into play. It¡¯ll be your finger on the trigger. We¡¯re counting on you.¡±


    Quenser let go of the object in his hand.


    It too was handmade.


    It was made from party decorations, so the materials had been easily obtained on that aurora observation ship: aluminum foil, helium gas, a rubber balloon, fishing line, etc.


    In other words, it was a handmade silver balloon.


    After filling the balloon with helium, he had fully covered the outside with aluminum foil.


    ¡°It¡¯s at the 100m line!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t see it in this whiteout!!¡±


    ¡°The ice fog is everywhere, so use the string extending from my hand as a guide. The balloon should be at the end of that.¡±


    They circled around the Electric 019 until they had a tailwind toward the battleship. Since they could not approach the ship, they had to release a balloon and let it approach.


    Also, the 100m was not its distance to the battleship.


    That was its altitude.


    ¡°My hair is feeling all frizzy,¡± said Elise. ¡°The small ice crystals in the air are colliding and creating static electricity, aren¡¯t they? The electrification is starting even here on the surface!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia.¡±


    They had no time for hesitation, so Heivia clicked his tongue and readied his assault rifle.


    Lightning could in fact be induced.


    A familiar example would be a lightning rod.


    However, constructing a large metal pole on top of a building was not the only way. Basically, anything was fine as long as you introduced a highly conductive electrode into an electric field containing enough energy to induce a corona discharge.


    For example, by dangling a metal wire from the bottom of a rocket.


    For example, by unleashing a straight stream of pressurized water using a pump with even more pressure than a fire truck.


    That field of research was known as lightning induction and it had seen partial practical results. It was no longer difficult to send lightning to a specific location as a form of divine punishment.


    And lighting was a great mass of energy.


    By sending it to the right location, it could distort and break down a powerful wall of microwaves.


    So one hit to the Information Alliance¡¯s Electric 019 would protect everyone.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    A loud gunshot rang out, but Elise let out a sorrowful cry.


    Nothing more than a balloon covered in aluminum foil was fairly weak when it came to lightning induction. To use the corona discharge, they really wanted their conductive material to be as pointed as possible like with a lightning rod.


    That was why Quenser had tossed some Christmas decorations inside the balloon. Specifically, pointed stars.


    The conditions needed for lightning induction were finally in place once the balloon had popped and its contents flew out.


    They had not wanted lightning to strike early, so they had encased the stars in the balloon as a sort of on/off switch.


    That was the plan anyways. However¡­


    ¡°Did I miss? No!!¡±


    The white curtain kept them from seeing what had happened 100m above them, but the string Quenser held had definitely gone slack. The balloon had popped, but it had not caused the lightning induction they wanted.


    ¡°Was the electric field at a different altitude than we expected? Elise, you said your hair was feeling frizzy, right? Let¡¯s do it a little lower next time! 80m!!¡±


    ¡°How many chances do we have left!?¡± asked Elise. ¡°I doubt this whiteout will last forever and anyone around here would have heard the gunshot. They have to know we¡¯re here, so if they fire a ship¡¯s gun based on the sound, only a huge crater will remain here!!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re breaking through the ice as they go, so they shouldn¡¯t be able to accurately detect where the sound came from!!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t know that when we aren¡¯t on their ship!¡±


    ¡°Then do you think you can escape a battleship¡¯s EM cannon on foot? Cause I know I can¡¯t. That means destroying it before it can fire is our only chance!!¡±


    They shoved the decorations made of colored metal leaf into the deflated balloon, inflated it with a can of helium, and attached the fishing line. Then they covered it with the decoy aluminum foil.


    And they let go so it took flight.


    ¡°Reach it, reach it,¡± repeated Quenser as a type of prayer as the balloon rose at the other end of the fishing line.


    Repeating the same thing after failing once was nerve-racking, but changing things up without thinking it through would only lead you astray. Their theoretical calculations had been accurate, so as long as they could make up for the slight margin of error brought by reality, they could induce this lightning.


    Heivia let out a white breath and aimed his assault rifle into the sky.


    There was no problem here.


    They should be able to do it.


    And then¡­.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s clearing up.¡±


    They heard a fearful voice as Elise Montana looked all around them.


    ¡°The ice fog is clearing up!! If we don¡¯t hide, the battleship will notice us and focus its fire on us!¡±


    Quenser clicked his tongue and used a short cooking knife to cut the fishing line. Then he practically embraced Heivia while collapsing behind a nearby pile of scraps. He was still wearing his skis, so he nearly twisted his ankle.


    They had to redo it all.


    ¡°Are you sure this will work?¡± asked Heivia in a dark voice while covered in snow and ice crystals.


    Once the white screen cleared up, they were stuck in place.


    Their makeshift cover was only good for hiding them. A shot from the ship¡¯s guns would obliterate them along with the scrap metal.


    And they could not wait forever. Once the Electric 019 arrived in position, it would mercilessly fire on the aurora observation ship.


    It was a real dilemma.


    ¡°Are you sure this entire method isn¡¯t just wrong!? We¡¯ve trapped ourselves with this idea of ours and wandered into a dead end!¡±


    ¡°Quiet, Heivia. This is only a short gap in the white curtain, so we¡¯ll have our safe zone back soon enough. We just need to get one hit in. If we can induce lightning where we want it, we can win this!!¡±


    Heivia aimed his rifle at his ally.


    You must never aim at an ally and we must all work together to win this battle. That sounded nice and all, but he had his own reasons for needing to survive this.


    His finger was on the trigger.


    And he quietly asked a question.


    ¡° ¡®I just need one more¡¯ is a warning sign when gambling. You can get two 7s pretty easily at the slots and going from two-of-a-kind to three-of-a-kind in poker is really hard. You aren¡¯t letting the pressure get to you because those kids¡¯ lives are on the line here, are you?¡±


    ¡°That might be true when you¡¯re relying on a meaningless jinx like ¡®instinct¡¯ or ¡®luck¡¯, but we¡¯re talking about real logic and statistics here. You¡¯ll lose big if you change your well-thought-out plans based on your fear of some invisible factor like an unlucky streak.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The student looked the other boy in the eye even with the muzzle pressed against the center of his forehead.


    He gave the obvious answer.


    ¡°Do you want to know how to win a million euros at the horse races? Prepare 100 million euros, use an emotionless program to purchase tickets in a way that gradually builds up a small profit margin, and keep at it until you have 101 million euros. After all, it¡¯s a mere 1% difference from your starting amount. As long as the statistical and probability theory your program uses is accurate, you can win like that. It¡¯s not about luck or a winning streak. Sound logic and repetition will earn you a surefire victory. Listen, even if you hit a temporary setback, you aren¡¯t going to improve things if you get scared and change your plan on a whim. Doing that will only lead you away from victory and you¡¯ll end up losing again and again until you¡¯re drowning in debt.¡±


    Elise waved both her arms at them.


    ¡°P-please get down! We can¡¯t count on the whiteout right now, so you can¡¯t let your colorful heads poke up above the scrap!¡±


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    Heivia removed his assault rifle¡¯s muzzle from Quenser¡¯s head.


    They endured the wait behind cover.


    They endured it and suppressed so much tension it felt like their hearts were leaping out from their throats.


    They could feel the shaking of the battleship breaking the ice.


    And.


    Quenser saw a change in the wind.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s back,¡± said Elise. ¡°The ice fog is back!!¡±


    ¡°That ate up a lot of time. We don¡¯t have much to spare, Heivia!!¡±


    They world was enveloped in white, but Quenser repeated the exact same process as before. After being stuck in place like that, this was so stressful it seemed to be taking years off their lives.


    His hands were numb from the cold.


    Or were his fingertips trembling from fear and tension?


    He had trouble setting up the balloon in the same way as before. He wanted to lash out in frustration, but he told himself that would not improve matters.


    Yes, they would not get many more chances at this. He knew that. It was all over once the Information Alliance Electric 019 detected them, but this frigid world might also cause the balloon¡¯s rubber to crack. It did not matter how many spare balloons they had if all of them were rendered useless.


    ¡°This is terrifying,¡± said Heivia to honestly express his mental state while holding his assault rifle¡¯s grip.


    The air was cold enough to freeze his eyelashes, but he was pouring with sweat.


    Anyone would be afraid.


    Anyone would want to run away.


    They could not run from the fear of death here and messing up this one shot would seal the fate of the aurora observation ship¡¯s passengers and crew. There had to be something wrong with anyone who felt nothing in this situation.


    ¡°Then are you going to give up?¡±


    Quenser was not speaking to anyone else.


    He was really speaking to himself while working with the fishing line.


    ¡°Are you going to head back to that boy and tell him we can¡¯t do it after all due to circumstances beyond our control?¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    In that final moment, Heivia Winchell laughed.


    Quenser did not usually think about it.


    He just saw that boy as an awful friend.


    But the fact that Heivia could say this may have been the proof that he was a noble.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather die than do that.¡±


    He pulled the assault rifle¡¯s trigger.


    A moment later, a great boom and flash of light seemed to split the world asunder as it dropped straight down and mercilessly pierced the bow of the Electric 019.


    Part 10


    It took a long time.


    In fact, it took more than half an hour, but the gray ship made of steel and composite armor was slowly but surely destroyed like an aluminum can in a vise. First, the icebreaker blade was crushed and fell off. The ship was enormous, so it could not stop right away even though everyone onboard had to know it could not keep going.


    The crew may have had a chance to escape outside.


    Assuming the continuing bending of the walls did not seal the thick waterproof doors shut.


    ¡°The Information Alliance has made a temporary retreat. Or rather, they seem to be waiting to see what happens. They appear to be reassessing their fundamental strategy based on the assumption that an unknown meteorological weapon based around lightning has been introduced to the battlefield,¡± said busty silver-haired Frolaytia. ¡°Anyway, it was fortunate that gave us the time we needed to evacuate the children from the ship. The greedy Information Alliance will gain nothing when they attack the aurora observation ship again. I say we let them waste months stripping off the wallpaper and tearing up the floorboards in search of some nonexistent gold.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone bother to remove the nobles from the ballast tank?¡±


    ¡°Leave them be. The Information Alliance is sure to greedily search every last part of that ship, so they might just happen across that bonus prize.¡±


    That sounded a bit much for a simple scolding. Nobles would probably be able to find their way back home using diplomatic means, but they might still have to spend the remainder of the holidays in a cell the size of a phonebooth inside an Information Alliance internment facility.


    ¡°What will happen to those children?¡±


    ¡°We need to do something about their artificial joints and organs. If word gets out they are filled with valuable products, they could still be abducted by someone up to no good. Those will be replaced with standard-priced commercial products. Let¡¯s hope this is the last surgery they ever need.¡±


    ¡°And who¡¯s paying for that?¡±


    That question might sound harsh, but unlike for nobles, it was an unavoidable part of life for commoners. If those children¡¯s families had not been in financial trouble, the nobles could not have used the treatment of the children¡¯s illnesses as an excuse to use them as their pawns.


    But Frolaytia actually smiled in response.


    ¡°Their cooperation has eliminated the risk of all that Immortanoid being hidden in a foreign secret bank, so the proper taxes will now be paid. The government is most thankful. They say the additional taxes will add up to a large enough sum that a small ¡®cooperation fee¡¯ can more than cover for the surgeries. The strict government workers might actually send a fruit basket this time.¡±


    Then she gently placed the long, narrow kiseru in her mouth.


    After a pause, she continued.


    ¡°Immortanoid, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh, are you interested in that too, Major?¡± asked Elise. ¡°Um, are you perhaps interested in hot springs as part of your Island Nation hobby?¡±


    ¡°I have no interest at all in radiation therapy administered anywhere outside of a specialized medical facility. That just sounds dangerous. More importantly, Elise, are you aware at what percentage Immortanoid is found in the ground?¡±


    ¡°Um, it is worth 200 times the value of gold because it is so rare, right? I assume you would only find a fingertip¡¯s worth if you dug through an entire desert.¡±


    ¡°You assume wrong,¡± Frolaytia smiled a little. ¡°The answer is zero. Exactly 0.00%.¡±


    Between the Lines 1


    This is the story of a world far removed from that battle.


    Specifically, it occurs behind a domed stadium. A simple container-style building had been set up within the large material storage yard to provide a dressing room. In the modern age, a 3D printer was enough to build a house.


    The silver-haired, brown-skinned Information Alliance officer named Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito mentally gnashed her teeth while viewing the video news on a largish tablet device.


    (A mission to shoot down Santa? Dammit, Legitimacy Kingdom, that¡¯s actually a really good idea!! That kind of heartwarming military news is supposed to be our specialty. Ahhh, they beat us to it! They beat us to Santa Claus!!)


    The Pilot Elite of her maintenance base peered over at the tablet from the side.


    That girl with gorgeous ringlet curls had just finished passionately singing at a Christmas concert for about two hours, but she was intently focused on the screen here.


    However, she was not interested in whether or not Santa existed.


    ¡°Ho, oh ho ho. This¡­this music playing in the background!! That is my Christmas song, isn¡¯t it!? How dare they use it without permission! Royyyallltiiies, royyyallltiiies!!!!¡±


    She started sounded something like a zombie from the Capitalist Corporations.


    It was the Information Alliance style to start wars over this kind of thing, but Lendy figured nothing major would happen this time. War required the veneer of justice. If they squashed the Christmas spirit underfoot by starting a war over royalties for a major song, it would only hurt their public image. They would benefit more by playing the sensible adult and overlooking it just this once.


    Similar to TV commercials and online banner ads, it was worth paying a lot of money for something as unquantifiable as a good image.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked the Elite.


    ¡°We receive leave over the New Year¡¯s holiday instead of Christmas, so I mentioned we are holding a military exercise at a Caribbean resort, remember? The budget for that is a little low, so I was thinking I could earn a little something extra to make it a really luxurious vacation.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re investing tax money for personal gain?¡±


    ¡°Call it asset management of public funds.¡±


    The Information Alliance was like a manifestation of virtual currencies and electronic money, but that meant it was difficult to get rich quick using the investment methods already widely known to the public. That was why Lendy was headed in a different direction.


    ¡°Immortanoid?¡±


    ¡°Hee hee. A bank. It¡¯s a bank. The age of banks is upon us.¡±


    ¡°Huh? That¡¯s where people store their money, right? I don¡¯t see how that leads to profit.¡±


    ¡°Really? This is a new form of business where you spread disinformation among the residents of an unstable country to work up a panic, convince them their bank accounts are about to be frozen and all their assets are going to be worthless, give them a chance to convert that money into a rare earth that will ¡®never lose its value¡¯, and make sure to charge a commission for each transaction. Mwa ha ha. This gives me a 100% chance of profit! It¡¯s guaranteed money!!¡±

 Volume 17, 3: In Search of the New Year >> Mont Blanc Borderline Mopping Up Operation

    Volume 17, Chapter 3: In Search of the New Year >> Mont Blanc Borderline Mopping Up Operation


    Part 1


    The year was truly at its end.


    It was December 31 and they were at Mont Blanc, highest mountain in the Alps.


    ¡°Okay, we will be using this snowy mountain for some overnight combat training.¡±


    ¡°You really are trying to kill us, aren¡¯t you!!!???¡±


    The potatoes could not stop complaining in Chamonix, a blank zone at the foot of that famous mountain that had given its name to a kind of cake. However, if they wanted to survive this dangerous night in the mountains, they needed to be a little more observant than that. Major Frolaytia Capistrano had the eyes of a dead fish as she stood on the stage in front of them.


    The temperature was currently 0 degrees.


    But they must not take that too lightly just because they expected the base of the highest mountain in Alps to be a lot colder. Human beings were creatures who could get hypothermia and die if the temperature inside their ass dropped by just one degree.


    In the line of potatoes, Heivia let out a white breath and spoke quietly while shivering.


    ¡°What good is having an Island Nation obsessed commander if she won¡¯t let you spend New Year¡¯s curled up below a kotatsu eating soba or something?¡±


    ¡°You hadn¡¯t heard, Heivia? In that crazy country, they climb up a mountain in midwinter just to see the same sun you can see anywhere else in the world and they even swim in the frozen sea in nothing but a loincloth. In that sense, this fits right in.¡±


    ¡°Then she needs to strip down to an Asian thong and jump into a lake around here!! I¡¯ll warm her up afterwards!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, tell her that, not me! You¡¯re scaring me!!¡±


    Those potatoes could get into a fistfight over nothing, but perhaps they had instinctually sensed they would freeze solid if they stayed still.


    Frolaytia ignored them and continued on.


    As the important commanding officer, she had a thick bulletproof coat that kept her nice and warm.


    ¡°The training scenario is to eliminate the armed force occupying Mont Blanc Tunnel, a shortcut between safe countries that passes through Mont Blanc to bypass the rest of Alps. The Aggressors have set up bombs inside the tunnel and are threatening to blow up the tunnel so it caves in if their demands are not met. The tunnel is only 11km long, but without it, you have to take a 200km detour through the Alps. The economic losses during the holiday season would be around 1.5 billion euros, which is worth far more than all of our lives combined. Everyone, attempt this recovery mission with the utmost care.¡±


    From beginning to end, the introduction was just about the last thing they wanted to hear. Why should they care about the economic effect? Their motivation would have been 100 times higher if they were told a tearful little girl or a sexy young wife was being held hostage in the tunnel.


    ¡°A helicopter will be sent out to draw the armed force¡¯s attention while our attack team climbs the mountainside from below. The goal of the exercise is to retake the tunnel. Simply killing the enemy is meaningless. Make sure you gather enough information before making your attack. At the very least, you need to work out the type, number, and detonation method of the bombs and secretly neutralize them before the fight begins.¡±


    ¡°What about the Object?¡±


    ¡°The Princess is a poor match for this kind of delicate job and the Baby Magnum is too big to act as a useful threat. Thus, she will be focused on gathering information with her radar and sensors while also keeping our communication lines connected. This is about as deep inside a mountain as you can get in Europe, so don¡¯t expect your radios to work like normal.¡±


    The Princess was silently puffing out her cheeks in obvious displeasure. She may have felt like she was being left out.


    But no matter how much they complained, the military obeyed a strict hierarchy. They could not defy Frolaytia¡¯s decisions and this may have been the result of Frolaytia herself being powerless to reject an order from someone further up the chain of command. The 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion was disliked by so many people it was hard to narrow down the list of who might want to harass them like this.


    At any rate, they had to get started.


    The city of Chamonix was seen as the entranceway to Mont Blanc, but it was already 1000m up. The white mountain they were headed for was over 4800m up, but Quenser and the others were not equipped to climb that far. Mont Blanc Tunnel was a part of the highway system and building it too high up would have been inconvenient.


    ¡°The Alps are surprisingly well-maintained for having a bunch of deadly mountains like the Eiger and the Jungfrau. Look, they¡¯ve even got a cable car to the other side of the mountain.¡±


    ¡°The Alps are like the holy land of skiing and mineral water. You need to study up on noble past times, Quenser. Gearing up and skiing down from 3500m up is pretty common around here.¡±


    ¡°Who do you think the Aggressors in the tunnel are?¡±


    ¡°Whoever isn¡¯t with us here. Myonri would be a pretty dangerous option. She doesn¡¯t stand out at all, but she can do pretty much anything other than pilot an Object. You can never predict what she¡¯ll do next.¡±


    A bulky transport helicopter flew by over the two idiots¡¯ heads. A combination of a floodlight and a heavy machinegun was attached next to the slide door. Quenser let out a white breath while looking up at it.


    ¡°They sure are taking this exercise seriously. Can¡¯t they use that equipment to take out the Aggressors on their own?¡±


    ¡°In a real battle, they¡¯d be too afraid of anti-air lasers to send in something like that. Also, if killing the enemies was enough here, I¡¯d just cave in the tunnel. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    They could see a humongous glacier clinging to the slope, but their workplace was in the area covered in soft snow below that. After climbing into the back of a canopied military truck, they rode to the scene along with the other Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers stuck doing the same thing.


    ¡°My friends back at school have got to be on winter vacation right now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. My family is probably relaxing in a lunar villa.¡±


    Their destination was Mont Blanc Tunnel, so the road was of course well maintained. But since the scenario said it was occupied by an armed force, they could not head straight to the tollgate at the entrance. Once the guide in the passenger seat spotted something through their binoculars, the truck came to a stop and the potatoes climbed out onto the roadside.


    ¡°They work fast. They¡¯ve already got a camera set up?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just the one road in, so setting up traps would be easy.¡±


    They were focused on the tripod and camera placed on the curb. It was a lot like the device used to crack down on speeding drivers, but there was no one there with it. A long, long cable was connected it to some clay. The technology was not to blame. It only did what it was told. Just like criminal organizations would search out traitors using forensic techniques or hunt down people who owed them money using facial recognition with social media photos and video sites.


    ¡°Now, a question: why aren¡¯t they using drones, which would be even more convenient?¡±


    ¡°Because the mountain would reflect the signal to the point of uselessness. Not to mention the crosswinds and the cold. A toy¡¯s rotors would lose their balance almost immediately and it would crash as soon as the axes froze.¡±


    They discussed the matter while climbing over the guardrail and leaving the asphalt road. They had a panoramic view of the mountain, but the walkable paths were as limited as the veins on a leaf. They had no idea where they would run across any traps, so they were on the lookout for mines while climbing the slope. It was terrifying to think that the ubiquitous snow could be used to cover up traps.


    The road itself zigzagged back and forth to climb the slope, so they only had to climb a few meters to complete their shortcut and reach the next higher level of asphalt.


    They used the asphalt when that was an option and took shortcuts up the slope when there was a trap in the way.


    After repeating the process a few times, their destination finally came into view.


    ¡°We have spotted the western tollgate of Mont Blanc Tunnel. No sign of any guards,¡± said Heivia.


    They were in the parking lot of a log cabin rest area that looked like a combination of a small restaurant and souvenir shop.


    However, this did not mean there was no one there. There could always be someone wielding a rifle past the tollgate or there could be a remote-controlled turret made from a camera and a swiveling heavy machinegun. For one thing, the criminals gained nothing by making an appearance when they were not making demands, making threats, or executing hostages. Doing so would be asking to be sniped.


    Meanwhile, Quenser was already worn out, so he brushed the snow from the three steps up to the restaurant entrance and sat down.


    ¡°We¡¯ve trained enough already. Gasp, pant. We¡¯ve gotten stronger and gained some good experience, so let¡¯s head back. Urp, I feel sick.¡±


    ¡°Grab your radio and say that again so Frolaytia can hear you while she scores us from her nice warm kotatsu, twig boy.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, you¡¯re of noble blood, aren¡¯t you? Set a good example for this exhausted commoner. By which I mean, carry me.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t ask for noblesse oblige on demand!!¡±


    It was currently sunset.


    Even professional climbers would avoid climbing at night lest they become stranded, but soldiers like the potatoes were an exception.


    And since disarming the bombs was a necessary part of retaking Mont Blanc Tunnel, they needed Quenser. They did have other people who could use explosives, but keeping as many of those people with them as possible was best. That way another could take over if one was lost in an attack.


    Also, the tunnel was 11km long, so it would take more than just one or two people to search out all the bombs. On the other hand, they would be spotted if they moved in with too large a group.


    ¡°Looks like we have to use this restaurant as a base, split into a few teams, and head in with a time delay.¡±


    ¡°Do I really have to go?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°It says right here the cheese fondue at this place is good.¡±


    His desperate plea was rejected with a fist.


    Quenser and Heivia were part of the lead group, but they did not head straight for the tollgate. A highway tunnel was sure to have emergency exits and smoke vents. They had plenty of ways to sneak in without using the dangerous front door.


    ¡°They do remote surgeries over fiber optic cable these days, so can¡¯t I just give you instructions while you do the work?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°Y¡¯know, you could wear some kind of mech glove or something.¡±


    ¡°Try to get me to use something like that and I¡¯m siding with the terrorists. To tear down the entire goddamn system.¡±


    They left the asphalt road and started up the snowy slope again.


    It did not take long to find an emergency exit seemingly cut out of the slope, but Heivia crouched down there. He tore off the end of a soap-like ration and tossed the piece toward that exit.


    A slipper-sized creature chased after it while squeaking.


    ¡°No reaction to the rat. Looks like there¡¯s no one there. No wires or IR either. Well, assuming they aren¡¯t set up above knee level.¡±


    ¡°That thing¡¯s huge! If I die here, will I have all the flesh stripped from my bones by those things?¡±


    The transport helicopter passed noisily by overhead. Since their allies were drawing the Aggressor¡¯s attention, Quenser¡¯s group finally entered the emergency exit.


    Once inside, they found bright fluorescent lights that still left the place looking dimly lit.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s so cold.¡±


    ¡°Waiting around in here couldn¡¯t be fun. Glad I wasn¡¯t chosen for the Aggressor side.¡±


    It felt like a refrigerated warehouse.


    The bare concrete must not have stored heat well because the inside felt chillier than the snowy night outside.


    These emergency exits had to be installed every so often throughout the tunnel, but the tunnel ran through the highest mountain in the Alps. Simply adding a door was not enough to get out. That meant there had to be a smaller pedestrian tunnel that branched off from the main one.


    ¡°This tunnel is so narrow and straight. There¡¯s nowhere to hide in a shootout.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any bombs.¡±


    Quenser sounded a little too carefree, so his awful friend gave him a skeptical look.


    ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t letting your guard down just cause it¡¯s training, are you? We¡¯re only 30 seconds in, so you aren¡¯t going to claim to be psychic now, are you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they could use a radio signal in this thick tunnel, right? The armed force is stuck in here for an indefinite amount of time, so they also wouldn¡¯t use time bombs that will detonate on their own eventually. That means a wired signal is the only option left. As long as we don¡¯t see a bunch of thick wires bundled together, there are no bombs and we¡¯re safe.¡±


    That meant the disarming work would be in the main tunnel.


    ¡°Should we wait for the others?¡±


    ¡°When we have no idea when a door is going to burst open and masked soldiers will rush out at us?¡±


    They slowly approached a metal door, checked for traps, and then cracked it open.


    The one-way three-lane main tunnel was filled with orange light. They stuck just a mobile device through the cracked door and used its camera to view things out there. There were no obvious signs of people, so they opened the door the rest of the way and walked in.


    Heivia aimed his assault rifle toward the tollgate at the closer entrance, but¡­


    ¡°Hm? There¡¯s no one there. So where are the Aggressors lying in wait???¡±


    Quenser looked down at his feet instead of deeper into the tunnel.


    A long, long cable ran alongside the wall at the far end of the curb meant for broken down cars. It started at the tunnel¡¯s tollgate and continued in from there.


    ¡°Found the bombs.¡±


    Clay was attached low on the wall at even more frequent intervals than the landline emergency phones.


    They were puzzle-like devices similar to those seen in movies, so this was not something often seen on the battlefield. Setting them up and disarming them took a lot of effort and a small impact could set them off, so the shaking of artillery fire could trigger them unexpectedly. (From a purely logical rather than emotional standpoint) this type was useful for setting up a time bomb that gave you enough time to escape outside the expected checkpoint area while also preventing the police from disarming them if they were discovered early. If you could detonate them remotely and immediately at any time, this design was entirely meaningless. You could just hit the switch once the bomb squad got close.


    This time, they were inside an 11km tunnel.


    First of all, there were a lot of them.


    They used a wired detonation mechanism and all of the bombs had to be detonated at once.


    Which meant¡­


    ¡°Fiber optic cable. I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re using a computer chip for the detonator.¡±


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to use a knife or wire cutters to disarm every single one of these. Let¡¯s find a way to destroy that chip. For example, if we sent powerful magnetism through the tunnel from one end to the other, it would neutralize all of the bombs set up along here.¡±


    ¡°Like a microwave oven?¡±


    ¡°High power microwaves would cause a malfunction in the delicate fuses and make them go boom, so instead-¡±


    Quenser trailed off and stopped moving.


    The delinquent noble frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, twig boy?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Heivia? This was surprise combat training, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°While plastic explosives are relatively stable, they wouldn¡¯t use real bombs for an exercise, would they? But this one-¡±


    A heavy metallic sound rang out just then.


    The cover to one of the drainage ditches popped up and then a soldier with his face hidden by a mask and helmet aimed a submachinegun their way.


    Heivia fired a quick burst from his assault rifle, but the rubber bullets did not stop the man. Pissed, Heivia fired the rubber bullets toward the man¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Dammit man, follow the rules!!¡±


    While the masked man¡¯s skull was shaken, Heivia swung the stock of his rifle into the side of his head to finally knock him down.


    Heivia tore off the collapsed soldier¡¯s helmet and mask to see who this rule-breaker was.


    ¡°Hey, who¡¯s this guy? I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡±


    The 37th alone had nearly 1000 people in it, so they would not recognize every single person there, but this man had a tattoo on his face. Some units would have everyone get the same tattoo to increase solidarity, but Frolaytia did not let the 37th do that.


    Quenser used his mobile device to snap photos of the bomb and the collapsed man.


    ¡°Heivia, check his gun. Specifically, the bullets he¡¯s using.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°This bomb and its fuse really are real! This thing will go off, so this isn¡¯t just training!!¡±


    Loud gunfire erupted further down the tunnel.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom issued 5.56mm rounds (supposedly anyway), but the enclosed tunnel meant the gunfire was earsplitting even at a decent distance.


    However, who was fighting who?


    The two idiots should have been the only attackers inside the tunnel at this point.


    Quenser looked over in a panic, but Heivia grabbed his shoulders and dove toward the wall. He opened the metal door back to the emergency exit and used it as a shield.


    Someone walked briskly out from deeper in the tunnel.


    They were soaked from head to toe in the blood of their enemies.


    ¡°Elise?¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that she¡¯s holding? That¡¯s not the assault rifle we were issued.¡±


    The two idiots watched as Elise Montana raised the carbine she held in one hand and aimed it straight up.


    With a loud burst of gunfire, a bloody masked soldier fell along with the cover to a smoke vent duct on the ceiling.


    ¡°You need to get out of here. Hurry.¡±


    Her voice was scratchy.


    Either she was out of ammo or the barrel had gotten bent in the intense fighting earlier because the busty blonde glasses woman did not hesitate to throw aside the carbine. Strangely, she formed a smile on her lips.


    ¡°This training has been hijacked. They really do intend to detonate the bombs!!¡±


    Part 2


    From the far end of the tunnel to their end, the bombs detonated one after another, like a crowd doing the wave.


    Part 3


    It must have been a split-second decision.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Heivia drew the large knife from his hip and threw it to sever the fiber optic cable crawling across the ground. Quenser grabbed and tugged on the slender hand of that busty blonde who was bloody even though it was not that time of the month.


    With the direct wiring cut, the bombs stopped detonating at that point.


    Nevertheless, the entire tunnel was blocked off. The blast of wind created by the explosions pushed in toward them like the cleaning of a bath pipe.


    They all ran toward the emergency exit.


    Fortunately, the door opened outward from their perspective. Otherwise, the blast would have torn it from its hinges and the immense pressure would have slammed it into them.


    ¡°What happened to the others?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened to the training!?¡±


    Quenser asked those questions while sitting on the floor and holding her close, but Elise did not respond. A mystery group had taken over the tunnel and they had set up real bombs instead of fake ones. They also had real guns. Quenser and Heivia did not know how many Aggressors there had been waiting in the tunnel for the training, but it was a miracle that even Elise had survived.


    The blonde glasses woman handed Quenser something with her bloody hand.


    He looked down to see it was the same kind of mobile device they used, but he doubted it was hers.


    ¡°I stole this from a defeated enemy. I don¡¯t know the passcode, so I didn¡¯t try to get in. I don¡¯t want the data being erased if I get it wrong too many times.¡±


    ¡°An enemy, huh? They were wearing Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms, but they had a weird tattoo on their face.¡±


    Quenser opened his own mobile device and accessed the photos he had taken before the explosion. The type of bomb and the type of computer chip they used would be crucial hints, but he was focused on the face of that masked man instead.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Elise. ¡°A snake entwined around a branch. That¡¯s the symbol of the 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion, I think.¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± Something occurred to Quenser. ¡°The passcode changes every week, but isn¡¯t there a pattern to it? The base number is random, but it¡¯s altered with the date and the unit number like 37 or 21 to produce the final passcode. Although I¡¯ve heard the commander and technicians are given different numbers to make it more complex.¡±


    That did not tell them the actual code, but the 37th alone had nearly 1000 members. Central command was not going to work out a bunch of different passcodes and distribute them to everyone. Basically, it was the same as the handcuff keys used by the police. They were meant to prevent outsiders from unlocking them, but members of the same unit, department, or rank were considered trustworthy. They had to accept some level of automated passcode generation.


    And it was not like all the data would be deleted from just one wrong passcode.


    Quenser tried recalculating the passcode and punched it in. It worked.


    ¡°That actually worked?¡±


    ¡°But most of the data looks corrupted,¡± said Elise.


    There were a few surviving files inside, but not many would open. Each individual file needed its own passcode on top of the overall device¡¯s one. That must have been set manually, so they had no clues to go on.


    However¡­


    ¡°Body File?¡±


    Quenser noticed a term that appeared frequently in the unopenable filenames.


    ¡°What does that mean? It shows up so frequently I assume it must be important.¡±


    Necessity of Secrecy Regarding the Body File


    Matters Concerning Erasure of the Body File.


    ROE: Upon Outside Discovery of the Body File.


    It was all couched in stiff, businesslike language, but it sounded very dangerous. They seemed to be taking a strict ¡°dead men tell no tales¡± stance here.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait till we get back to the maintenance base to continue with this. They might be able to find the password or recover the corrupted files.¡± Heivia tossed aside his paint magazine despite the rounds remaining and loaded a magazine of real bullets instead. ¡°Something¡¯s up here, but we can¡¯t contact our busty commander without use of the radio. There¡¯s no point in staying in the tunnel, so let¡¯s head on out. The unexploded ordnance in here is scaring the hell out of me regardless.¡±


    Mont Blanc Tunnel had been rendered useless, so they had to use the emergency exit tunnel to leave.


    ¡°God, this unit really knows how to ruin the holidays, be it New Year¡¯s or summer vacation.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, this might not be over yet. We don¡¯t know how far this goes.¡±


    They left the tall rectangular entrance cut out of the mountain slope and stepped outside.


    And there they saw what was happening.


    The Princess was fighting.


    The colossal forms of two Objects were exchanging intense artillery fire while clinging to the white slope of the highest mountain in the Alps.


    Part 4


    Shortly before that¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s started, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    ¡°Yes, this put our allies in danger, but it was a necessary military action. Please don¡¯t pout like that.¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano let out a white sigh.


    There appeared to be some hidden intentions at play in the commotion over Immortanoid, the artificial element disguised as a rare earth. But whatever it was, it was unclear who had set up the game. If nothing was done, they would have to live out their lives fearing assassins at every turn.


    So¡­


    ¡°We had to lure them out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Mont Blanc was for?¡± asked the Princess.


    ¡°This is a blank zone on the border between large safe countries. It is relatively out of sight despite how much traffic passes through, so you could send in a large unit and silence us without having to worry about witnesses. It¡¯s perfect. Almost too perfect.¡±


    ¡°I am detecting a tremor. There seems to have been an explosion inside the Mont Blanc Tunnel.¡±


    ¡°I know I said the economic effect would be 1.5 billion euros for just the end of the holiday season, but if that was true, we never could have sealed it off for training.¡±


    The real battle started here.


    They had drawn out their true enemy, so they just had to crush them and get them to explain what was going on behind the scenes.


    ¡°Princess, you get ready too. The satellite is detecting an enemy Object.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing on my radar.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re on the ground. The enemy is on the opposite side of Mont Blanc. It¡¯s probably a Second Generation specialized for use in the mountains, so it can climb over to your side like it¡¯s ski jumping.¡±


    ¡°The altitude up here is more than 4800m, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Not many Objects can pull off something like that. We are hurrying the video analysis, but unless it is disguised in some way, we¡¯re pretty sure we know who this is.¡±


    Since this was a conspiracy related to rare earths, the most likely suspect was the money-obsessed Capitalist Corporations.


    That was who Frolaytia Capistrano had been focused on, but¡­


    ¡°The enemy is the Legitimacy Kingdom Second Generation Crystal Scrying. Some fragmentary battle records were still left in the shallow levels of the military servers. That¡¯s the one that went on a rampage over the buried treasure that the East India Company left behind when they withdrew from the area.¡±


    In other words, it was one of theirs.


    Frolaytia held her long, narrow kiseru in her mouth as she continued.


    ¡°More accurately, this is the 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion. I said the rich people hiding their money by converting it into Immortanoid were found in all four world powers, didn¡¯t I? So it shouldn¡¯t surprise us to find fellow Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers stabbing us in the back.¡±


    Part 5


    Heivia Winchell groaned to himself after learning what had happened via radio.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting back alive no matter what it takes. I swear I¡¯m stripping that busty commander naked, wrapping her in duct tape, and leaving her in a park bathroom.¡±


    ¡°We now know our opponent can use enough bombs to cause Mont Blanc Tunnel to cave in,¡± said Frolaytia over the radio. ¡°Would you prefer to live your life terrified of being blown up in a terrorist attack whether you were in a safe country or a battlefield country? Plus, the enemy is part of the Legitimacy Kingdom, so they could waltz right into the maintenance base if they wanted to.¡±


    Frolaytia had essentially dragged the crocodile up out of the river. They knew they could not defeat it while it was hidden below the water, but they were the ones who would get bitten if they tried to change that. The two idiots vowed to survive this. She could make all the excuses she liked in that public bathroom that reeked of ammonia.


    ¡°Frolaytia, does the term Body File mean anything to you!?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±


    ¡°On a mobile device that Elise stole from one of them. But the files themselves require separate passwords, so we can¡¯t open them.¡±


    ¡°Bring that here. The electronic simulation division can break into it.¡±


    ¡°Could I just transmit the encrypted data to you now!?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t tried yet, have you? With some kinds of security, attempting to transmit it without entering the password will destroy the data. We don¡¯t know what kind the 21st uses, so physically bring it to us.¡±


    That level of caution showed Frolaytia understood the importance of that data.


    ¡°What we need now is information. I want to know what is going on behind the scenes,¡± she said. ¡°You can let the Princess handle the Object! But with her firepower, I have my doubts we can take the Pilot Elite alive. That device is important, but also search out a few 21st soldiers on the ground there!!¡±


    ¡°Is this really the time to focus on other things!?¡± shouted Heivia while looking up at the white slope.


    This was not a metropolis flooded with light. They were in the middle of nature, so there were no real light sources at night. However, that thing was so enormous they could still see its silhouette.


    The enemy was also from the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    The 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion supported the Second Generation Crystal Scrying.


    It probably used the same static electricity propulsion device as the Princess instead of an air cushion. It could generally be classified as a multi-legged type, but those legs were not even. The front legs were abnormally large and branched off, while the back legs looked like they could not possibly support that giant thing. The front legs were reminiscent of a stag beetle because they spread out to the sides from the front of the spherical main body and then gathered back in toward the center again. They were something like diamond-shaped scissors.


    The main cannons¡­may have been the boxy containers on either side of the main body. Each side had a cannon made from strapping four barrels together.


    ¡°What is that? Is it combining them to increase the power and accuracy, or does it fire them in turn to reduce the lag of reloading and cooling???¡±


    That question was soon answered.


    The container-style main cannons on the left and right angled diagonally upward.


    Then something happened.


    Their eyes could not keep up with a metal shell flying at 5 or 10 times the speed of sound, but if they could trust the long, narrow contrails that seemed to slice across Mont Blanc¡­


    ¡°They curved!?¡±


    A tremor seemed to shake the entire mountain and the slope¡¯s white makeup was stripped away. Avalanches occurred all across the mountain.


    ¡°What in the hell!? Those contrails mean those must be railguns or coilguns instead of lasers, but those main cannons curved partway through!¡±


    A total of 8 shots had been fired.


    The hypersonic shells attacked simultaneously from the left and right like enormous jaws snapping shut.


    Luck was the only reason the Princess had not been blown away the first time it did that. In their high-speed battles, Objects would begin taking evasive action in advance by detecting the slight movements of the lenses and barrels, but that was based on the assumption that the shells would fly straight. That method was no use for shells that could freely fly around in the sky like this. Not even a pro boxer could respond if their opponent¡¯s second threw a beer bottle at them from the side while they were focused on their opponent¡¯s eyeline and fists. This was the same.


    The Baby Magnum had not escaped unscathed.


    One of its seven main cannons had been torn off and one end of its spherical main body had split open like a flower blossom.


    ¡°We need to get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Heivia.¡±


    ¡°That busty commander clearly screwed the pooch this time!! She lied to us to draw out the enemy, but now that we¡¯ve found that enemy, they¡¯re going to chew us up and spit us out! The secret behind Immortanoid? The Body File? We never should have dragged this up out of the water, so why couldn¡¯t we have just let sleeping dogs lie!?¡±


    Another left and right pair of four metal shells tried to tear into the Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum.


    It was a close shave.


    But in that case, why was the Princess still alive? It could not have been a fluke the second time.


    ¡°It uses threads,¡± said that lovely girl¡¯s voice over the radio. ¡°Probably fiber optic cables. It seems to fire railgun shells with wires attached so it can manually move the tail fins to alter its course in midair. But knowing that doesn¡¯t help much. We need to find some kind of weakness.¡±


    That was insane. It might seem like you could manually change the course of a railgun shell by attaching a camera and tail fins, but these were moving at Mach 5 or even 10. Only streamlines would be visible at that speed. Even with fiber optic cable, the pilot would only have a fraction of a second to think between the launch and the hit. Yet the 21st¡¯s Pilot Elite was pulling it off. It only took them a split second to manage image reconstruction on a higher level than police drive recorder analysis that required the full use of a supercomputer and AI.


    This went beyond the Object itself.


    The Elite piloting it was a monster as well.


    Heivia shook his head. He judged this hopeless and then pointed toward the avalanche falling due to the rumbling of the cannon fire.


    No, he was probably pointing toward where some of the 37th¡¯s people were gathered. The Crystal Scrying must have included that in the calculations when deciding on a course for its shells. The only possible explanation was that it had fired the right shells toward the Princess and fired the remaining left ones toward the humans on the ground.


    ¡°It is focusing on light.¡± The Princess spoke clearly over the radio. ¡°Radar is not very reliable up here in the mountains and its own cannons are too loud to use microphones. That means using visual images should be the easiest method.¡±


    ¡°What are you basing this on!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s aiming for you all instead of a large target like me because you¡¯re pulling out your radios and mobile devices. The shine of a pilot light or backlight is enough for it.¡±


    That thought froze Quenser¡¯s heart.


    He wanted to throw the device away immediately, but that was not an option.


    ¡°Even the smallest light can lead to death, so the moonlight and city lights can be a threat too,¡± continued the Princess. ¡°Since it isn¡¯t using night vision, I can only assume the Elite¡¯s own calculations can¡¯t keep up with that. Quenser, I am going to fire a shot toward Chamonix to destroy the unmanned transformer substation on the outskirts and cause a power outage. You should be able to hide in the darkness then.¡±


    ¡°G-got it.¡±


    ¡°If that isn¡¯t enough, you can always play dead. If you try that, make sure you aren¡¯t anywhere near the light, okay?¡±


    ¡°I promise you we¡¯ll save you, so wait for us.¡±


    He heard a quiet breath from his radio that would summon death.


    It sounded like the girl laughing.


    Then a coilgun blast flew seemingly in the wrong direction to blow away the civilian transformer substation.


    Everything was enveloped by a true and natural darkness void of all artificial intervention.


    Part 6


    Frolaytia Capistrano and the other officers were gathered in a conference room within the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s maintenance base zone.


    They had a reason for inviting the electronic simulation division and the intelligence division to the meeting.


    ¡°Let us review the situation.¡± The busty silver-haired commander waggled her long, narrow kiseru. ¡°Our enemy is the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion and their Crystal Scrying. The higher ups must be aware of this clash with our own, but I doubt they will order a ceasefire.¡±


    ¡°U-um,¡± said the confused female officer who stood by Frolaytia¡¯s side like a secretary. She may have thought it was best to make a suggestion to the higher ups even if it was hopeless, but¡­


    ¡°Those in the home country know the 37th and 21st are clashing, but they are not sure which side is disobeying orders here. That means they are unsure which side to aim at and demand to stop. All this snow will have long since thawed if we wait for them to send in the Black Uniforms or a third-party inquiry committee to thoroughly investigate everything to their satisfaction. If we want to survive, we need to act here and now.¡±


    Frolaytia of course had no intention of simply relying on the Baby Magnum and the soldiers on the scene. She was the one who had used such extreme methods to lure out this enemy.


    In addition to the military fight, she had to crush them with what influence she had.


    She slowly blew out some sweet smoke as she continued.


    ¡°The 21st¡¯s commander is Bullrank Happy-Youth, right? As you can see, he¡¯s a pale and scrawny guy. Based on his musculature, he must be the type of soldier who never leaves his desk.¡±


    A photo of the individual in question was projected onto a wall of the conference room.


    This was a pro and a con of fighting another Legitimacy Kingdom unit. There was no real reason to be refused access to data on an ally¡­but the 21st could search for information on the 37th and Frolaytia in the same way.


    They would have to add on countless pieces of information branching off from that one photo.


    The busty silver-haired woman glanced over at the electronic simulation division.


    ¡°What personal information do we have on him? It could be anything: his bank account, a relationship with someone other than his wife, or even an unusual hobby.¡±


    If Bullrank negotiated with the higher ups and had them overlook his misdeeds in order to delay a ceasefire order, they would have to silence him using some personal compromising information instead.


    But all the unwarlike geeks shook their heads.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to work.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying he¡¯s lived such a perfect life that you can¡¯t find anything on him?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the opposite. Through social media, we can find a few things he probably does not want getting out like receiving a parking ticket in a hotel district you wouldn¡¯t expect him to be in or like there being a false bottom in the trunk of the car he secretly ordered for the maintenance factory, but it¡¯s all too normal. All of his flaws are kept at the perfect level where it looks like normal proclivities and normal suspicions that he can explain away to his wife as a normal misunderstanding. In fact, it¡¯s so perfect I can only assume this was constructed after the fact.¡±


    If you knew how rumors and data spread through the modern digital society, you could use it to your advantage. Whether in an analog or digital format, you could ¡°set things up¡± to make yourself look a certain way to the people around you. However, that was a technique used by Councilors trying to avoid scandals. It was not the kind of information security used in the military, even by an officer.


    ¡°This goes deeper than I thought. He would make a mistake eventually on his own, so he must have an ally in the government offices.¡±


    ¡°What about civilian investigators?¡±


    The paparazzi would chase around more than just those in the entertainment business. Once someone reached a high enough rank in the military, they would often have cameramen following them around.


    An intelligence officer in black responded with a shrug.


    ¡°Over the past three years, three freelance reporters sniffing around Bullrank Happy-Youth¡¯s business ended up dying in seemingly natural ways. That smells incredibly fishy, but they must have dealt with things in such a way that you could dig into it for a century without finding anything definitive.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That meant there was a secret there worth killing over.


    They might find something there if they spent 6 months to a year investigating it, but they did not have that kind of time. If they could not announce checkmate and end this battle somehow or another, their unit would be wiped out.


    ¡°This protection only applies to Bullrank Happy-Youth. I don¡¯t know what he did to get the higher ups on his side, but breaking through that barrier would be difficult on such short notice.¡±


    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±


    ¡°But what about whoever is helping him protect his information like this? He has to have more than just one or two helpers in the government offices and nothing says all of them are doing the best job they can. You said his fabricated records are on social media too, right? Then send the social media companies a message saying their server has suffered a cyber attack. The people behind the fabrication won¡¯t want their handiwork discovered, so they¡¯ll want to act quickly to avoid an in-house investigation by the social media companies.¡±


    Part 7


    First, they wrapped plastic tape around their radios to cover up the pilot lights. That was good enough there, but the mobile devices were trickier since those would be useless if they covered up the LCD screen.


    ¡°We can¡¯t use these anymore.¡±


    Opening Quenser¡¯s or the one Elise had stolen from a 21st soldier would be suicide. They had to put off figuring out whatever the Body File was. It was irritating to no end to have the answer in their hands but being unable to look at it. Especially when they were being pursued and a single wrong choice would mean having their lives snuffed out like a candle.


    ¡°Then how are we supposed to check the map?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°Even pro climbers avoid traveling in the mountains at night and this is the highest mountain in the Alps! Wandering around without knowing where to climb will obviously be suicide!!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t read a paper map without light either, can we?¡± added Elise.


    ¡°This is insane! I¡¯m heading back! There¡¯s an asphalt road right over there, so I can follow it as it zigzags down to Chamonix. I¡¯m leaving!!¡±


    That was when they heard a sound much like fireworks being launched.


    The basic idea was the same as ordinary fireworks. These were known as parachute fireworks.


    Except instead of a weight, these were attached to magnesium that scattered a bright white light similar to welding.


    ¡°Flares!?¡±


    ¡°Get down, Heivia. We¡¯re dead if they see us!!¡±


    Light shined down like on a baseball field during a night game. Quenser and Heivia hid behind a conifer tree and Heivia dove into the dark shadow cast by a large boulder. This was dangerous, but if they focused on the location of the light source, the unnaturally dark shadows worked in their favor.


    The shrill squealing from the ground may have been hibernating marmots that had awoken in surprise.


    Modern electronic assault rifle scopes could do IR and night vision, but activating those assistance features could produce enough light to give away their position. Allowing light to leak out entirely defeated the purpose of night vision, but it was a fairly common mistake in the goggle type due to defects in the rubber caps that covered the eyes.


    Quenser clicked his tongue while sharing a single tree¡¯s shadow with the busty glasses women he held in his arms.


    The Body File.


    He did not know what it was, but the 21st had attacked in violation of the military regulations once they decided Quenser¡¯s group had found it. And that decision had happened before Elise had stolen that mobile device. He could not guess what had triggered this, but the other side would not have overlooked it.


    Was it all a misunderstanding, or had they stepped on landmine without noticing it?


    Either way, they were dead if they were located. Even if they threw down their weapons and put their hands up, they would only be blasted to smithereens.


    They could not step out from behind the trees as long as the magnesium and other light sources were shining so brightly on their surroundings. And it did not look like they had time to wait for the parachutes to slowly descend to the ground.


    ¡°Heivia, can you shoot down those parachutes!?¡±


    ¡°Have you lost your mind!? I could, but the gunshot and muzzle flash would give away our position!!¡±


    ¡°The infantrymen that launched those flares are down here on the ground. If they get close, we¡¯re done for!¡±


    (So Heivia¡¯s too much of a chicken to help.)


    Some shrill squeaking ran between his legs.


    It came from a slipper-sized rat, but while he felt fear clutching at his heart, the animal¡¯s oddly-timed warning cry produced no reaction from the colossus in the distance.


    He leaned his back against the thick conifer tree while still holding Elise in his arms.


    (The Crystal Scrying is focused on light. It isn¡¯t scanning using sound.)


    ¡°Sorry, Elise.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to knock over this tree to take out the flare overhead along with it. That will take out their vision!!¡±


    ¡°Whaaat!? Um, then we won¡¯t have a shield.¡±


    There was no time to listen to complaints. He stabbed an electric fuse into a Hand Axe plastic explosive and attached it to the thick trunk protecting them.


    The blast had a range of 2 meters.


    He reached up to attach the clay fairly high up and then lay flat on the ground with Elise to just barely remain out of harm¡¯s way.


    The loud boom caused their eardrums to briefly forget how to function.


    With a creaking sound, the tall conifer tree fell inwards and caught the small parachute supporting the flare still floating overhead. Once it was crushed, the bright light vanished too.


    But two unfamiliar people were already racing toward them. One held a transparent shield in one hand and a one-handed machine pistol in the other. The one approaching from a little further back held a carbine that looked like a shortened assault rifle. If they tried to shoot these enemies, the shield would block it and the return gunfire would turn them to Swiss cheese.


    Quenser grabbed some clay and raised his voice.


    ¡°Get out here, Heivia! Fight, you moron!!¡±


    And¡­


    ¡°Hh!!¡±


    He heard a sharp breath from Elise who he thought he had pushed to the ground.


    She pushed the boy up with a knee kick and used the momentum of sitting up to throw a large knife. She aimed at the shin which was easily overlooked when holding that kind of shield. She showed no mercy even against a fellow Legitimacy Kingdom soldier. Once the knife scored a clean hit and the 21st infantryman collapsed to the ground, Elise ran over, swiped the weapon from the enemy¡¯s holster, and aimed it at the carbine-wielding enemy further back.


    She had not stolen the machine pistol.


    This weapon was forcibly kept at the size of a handgun while having a barrel as thick as a shotgun.


    ¡°A flare gun!?¡±


    The light meant to be fired straight up was launched horizontally instead. It struck the second 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion soldier in the center of the chest.


    ¡°Gah, ah!?¡±


    This was the same as a commercial parachute firework, so it was not deadly. The man aimed his carbine at Elise with the light source sticking into the bulletproof plates covering his chest.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over. The Body File must not be made public!!¡±


    But he should not have forgotten what the Second Generation Crystal Scrying used to decide who to target.


    ¡°Wait, what!? No, I¡¯m not the-¡±


    His cry of sorrow was erased.


    A metal shell flew along a complex path and ultimately dropped down from above like a bolt of lightning with enough force to obliterate a human-sized mass. The hit sent powerful shockwaves scattering in every direction, so Quenser¡¯s group was blown backwards again.


    Quenser had an awful headache and could not figure out how he was still alive.


    He felt something odd while lying on the ground, so he wiped off his brow with the back of his hand and found something white and hard had stabbed into him there. It appeared to be one of the enemy soldier¡¯s front teeth. That was so creepy he nearly vomited.


    But regardless¡­


    ¡°The light source has been eliminated.¡±


    Was this really something they could walk away from like they were crushing a cigarette butt below their heel? This was far worse than simple bad manners.


    Quenser¡¯s ringing ears picked up on a sound.


    In addition to the squealing of the small animals running around, he heard a woman speaking in such an icy voice it sent a chill down his spine.


    ¡°Now, we need to leave this place while we still can. We must utilize this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Elise?¡±


    The Aggressors in Mont Blanc Tunnel had taken devastating damage in a surprise attack from the 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion, but come to think of it, how had Elise survived?


    She had previously been used so cruelly as a shield and bait, so how had she managed to return alive each and every time? She was always tearful on the surface, but she never seemed surprised by her own survival.


    Why was that?


    Also, she was a very attractive glasses woman. If a busty blonde like her had been living in the same maintenance base zone as him, there was no way he would not have noticed, yet he had first learned of her existence in the Arctic.


    ¡°Since when can you fight like that? Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha. I arrived to fulfill a request from Major Frolaytia Capistrano who wanted to increase the average lifespan of her battalion members who rely too heavily on their Object and don¡¯t know how to adlib.¡± She gave a quick salute while holding the machine handgun she had also stolen from the enemy. ¡°I am Sergeant Elise Montana. My specialty is the military band¡­but I am also proficient in marksmanship, close-quarters combat, and every other skill necessary for the army special forces. I am an instructor for the 7th Special Training Unit and I was sent to the 37th from the Legitimacy Kingdom home country¡î¡±


    Part 8


    It was undeniable that the hurdles toward becoming a soldier had dropped considerably with the introduction of the clean wars. A lot of soldiers were sent to a maintenance base after spending only around half a year learning to use a gun and more as a game than anything. And for that matter, peopled like Quenser were not even soldiers; they were students.


    So what good was a Special Training Unit in an age like that?


    They were the elite of the elite who recruited promising individuals from within the military and gave them additional training to become the kind of special forces seen in movies. That additional training was not something you could complete just by spending enough time on it like with low-wage part-time work. There were documentaries on the harsh training those people underwent, but it was best described as giving them harsh external stimuli to change them. There was a famous story about a safe country comedian known for his crazy stunts explaining with a straight face how it had been too much for him: ¡°I¡¯ve ridden some creature I couldn¡¯t even identify, I¡¯ve done a reverse bungee jump in the nude, and I¡¯ve even been tricked into going into outer space, but the trial training I attended there is the one thing I couldn¡¯t handle.¡± A strange survey even said the best way to get a stubborn child to go to bed at their bedtime was to tell them a lady from the Special Training Unit would come for them if they stayed up late.


    Heivia looked dejected after regrouping with the others.


    ¡°Does that busty commander want to kill us? What did we ever do to her? I heard anyone who has received the ¡®TLC¡¯ of the Special Training Unit ends up being a monster who can trek across the Northern Restricted Zone barefoot. So even without all this trouble she got us into, she was already planning to work us to death this holiday season.¡±


    ¡°No, um, I think Major Capistrano did this because she cares about you! It has apparently been bothering her how quickly she goes through soldiers, so she pulled some diplomatic strings to ask the 7th for some skills training.¡±


    ¡°Hold on! Does that mean that Santa mission was a set up too!? You purposefully got the higher ups mad at us so you could train us on that hellish holiday tour!?¡±


    ¡°(Well, um, that was really just a mistake on my part and that made it hard to come out and explain who I am or why I¡¯m here. No, I should probably keep that part a secret.)¡±


    ¡°Elise, did you just about let something crucial slip out there???¡±


    The two idiots might have normally put her in some tortoise shell bondage and kicked her down the snowy slope, but they did not feel quite so comfortable doing so now that their relative positions were so unclear.


    Also, there were plenty of things they were more worried about at the moment.


    ¡°Um, Elise? What if ¨C hypothetically speaking! ¨C what if ¨C heh heh, eh heh heh ¨C we said we don¡¯t want that skills training?¡±


    ¡°I happen to know the perfect way of waking up my adorable students when they start daydreaming about silly things like having a say in the matter. Soaking up to the shoulders in an ice bath for 30 minutes will erase most na?ve delusions from the mind¡î¡±


    Quenser¡¯s balls shriveled up more than any other time that year.


    The glasses woman grinned.


    ¡°(Don¡¯t think I have forgotten how you treated me all this time.)¡±


    ¡°Teach, you need to have a carrot to go along with the stick!! Where¡¯s our reward!?¡±


    This was the kind of brainwashing that would kill people. If they obeyed Elise, they would probably become the perfect soldiers, but they would also lose their free will as a human being. They were not about to live a life of adoring those boobs while shouting ¡°yes, ma¡¯am¡± with utterly pure and vacant expressions on their faces. They wanted those boobs as a standalone product, not part of a dangerous package deal.


    But anyway¡­


    ¡°So, Elise, does your position outside of the 37th tell you anything about what the Body File is?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. Due to the 7th Special Training Unit¡¯s unique position, we exist outside the standard military hierarchy. After all, we are meant to train people, not fight on the battlefield. That Body File sounds like part of some kind of conspiracy, but I have no idea what it is.¡±


    Quenser was not skilled enough to tell if she was lying or not, but he decided it was unlikely she would be hiding some secret here. For one thing, they never would have seen the term without the mobile device she had stolen from the 21st. Even if they had stepped on the landmine itself without realizing it, Elise could have just not given them that device if she was trying to hide it.


    ¡°The enemy is working with their Second Generation to kill us by hunting down any light source on the mountain,¡± said Quenser. ¡°We¡¯ll be trapped like rats even if we try to play dead here. We need to get away from here and find a weakness in the Crystal Scrying before they can close in on us.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    Heivia quickly got down on the snow after hearing rotors beating the air overhead.


    A military tiltrotor was aiming a searchlight around. It had probably carried a bunch of soldiers and snowmobiles from the opposite eastern side of Mont Blanc. Its bulky shape looked somehow brazen because it was showing off its belly while the Princess was still out there fighting with so many anti-air lasers at her disposal.


    Heivia continued speaking while waiting for it to pass.


    ¡°Information on Object¡¯s is as classified as it gets. We aren¡¯t going to find a manual lying around on the mountain somewhere!! And that crazy-suspicious Body File thing is probably hidden in some vault or on a classified server. It isn¡¯t mineral water, so it isn¡¯t going to well up from the ground when we dig a hole here in the Alps!!¡±


    ¡°Elise.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. When a student¡¯s innate determination is insufficient, it is a teacher¡¯s duty to kindly increase it for them. Shall I start by sticking a firecracker up your ass?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it, so please no!! Do you not know how the male body works, you ditzy teacher!? There¡¯s an etiquette to teasing that part of our anatomy!¡±


    They started on an advanced and specialized topic of conversation, but they could easily imagine what they needed first if they were to get some information on the 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion.


    Sexy Teacher (of the gentle and clumsy type) Elise Montana stated the simplest way to get the information they craved.


    ¡°We need a soldier from the 21st. The previous ones were blown to bits, but let¡¯s leave the next ones more intact so we can actually speak with them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll be willing to talk.¡±


    ¡°Getting everything out of them might be difficult, but we may be able to get the passwords for the individual files on the mobile device.¡±


    ¡°Why do I have to spend my holiday fighting fellow Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers and hunting down filthy old men? We¡¯re in the European wilderness, so can¡¯t we at least run across a slender, long-eared elf?¡±


    That said, it was a simple answer. If they wanted to know about the 21st, it was best to ask someone from the 21st. And since the 21st was attacking the 37th with delight, they could hardly complain if they were counterattacked by those would-be victims.


    But the 21st was not going to show up on their own.


    Well, they would, but giving the 21st the initiative would mean being surrounded and waiting for certain death.


    They had to make the move themselves.


    They were in the complete darkness of a snowy mountain at night. Plus, they were not on a single route up to a log cabin or to the peak, so they had to wander around until they found their prey. The risks were endless: falling, slipping, getting lost, hypothermia, and ferocious animals awoken from hibernation. A mountain climbing guide might question their sanity if they heard about it.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    With that, they began their walk through hell.


    Nowhere was safe. Snow blown from the slope created a cloud like cotton candy not far away. And that cloud formed an unnaturally straight line.


    One of the 21st¡¯s tiltrotors was flying just off the ground to intentionally scatter the snow. Just like a summer mist shower, the small snow crystals would cause vaporization heat and make the already freezing mountain feel even colder. Once the 37th¡¯s potatoes could stand it no longer and used a fire to warm up, the Crystal Scrying would fire on them.


    If they toughed it out, they would freeze to death. If they tried to warm themselves, they would be blown up.


    The enemy was using unorthodox hunting methods here because the soldiers feared being held responsible if they tried to do everything as instructed and screwed it up. The 21st no longer saw any chance of them losing.


    And in fact, the Princess did not seem to have the focus to spare to save her allies on the ground. Even if she did shoot down the tiltrotor with an anti-air laser, the flaming wreckage would only act as a giant light source. It would only make the 37th¡¯s soldiers suffer even more.


    Was the Body File really this important?


    They had no idea what it was and had no way of knowing if they really had stepped on that landmine or if the 21st was simply mistaken.


    Elise Montana kept walking even as she clenched her teeth at being unable to help the allies she saw suffering so close by.


    ¡°The 21st is getting carried away,¡± she said while taking the lead. ¡°Because they caught us by surprise and are in fact keeping pace with their planned schedule. Also, hunters cannot truly hide themselves. Once they start viewing the fleeing enemy as their prey, the biggest threat becomes friendly fire instead of the enemy¡¯s small fangs or claws. So even when hiding, they need some way of saying ¡®I am here, so do not shoot me by mistake¡¯.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia may not have seen it since they were following after that glasses woman¡¯s butt, but Elise Montana gently licked her lips while wielding the stolen machine pistol.


    ¡°And that creates an opening. It makes them easy to find.¡±


    ¡°Ugh!?¡± quietly groaned a 21st infantryman who had made the mistake of checking the time on his watch, which had a cover but still used glow-in-the-dark paint.


    The woman from the hellish Special Training Unit snuck up behind him, but she could not shoot him since a muzzle flash would cause the Crystal Scrying to immediately fire on them. Instead, she covered the victim¡¯s mouth from behind and pressed a pen-like pneumatic injector full of a sleeping drug against the side of his neck.


    She did not need to worry about sterilization or disinfection with an enemy soldier. Or perhaps she was the type who felt more hostility toward embarrassments on her own side than toward foreign enemies.


    ¡°You two grab his arms and legs and carry him somewhere else since that tiltrotor is flying around unpredictably. Hmm, this is about the Body File, so this is bound to be a long talk. We might also want to use that mobile device, so I hope we can find a glacier cave or something.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why do you instructors get the good stuff? No fair! We don¡¯t get to use sleeping drugs!¡±


    ¡°This is for emergency use to help out the children who have trouble sleeping in the cold. Do not underestimate the mountain nights. I can adjust my own internal clock, so I do not need it.¡±


    Quenser and the others lugged the 21st soldier into a cave made entirely of ice. It may have been a tourist attraction during normal times.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with a standard check of his belongings.¡±


    His radio and mobile device were a must. Paper maps were a valuable source of information, so you always wanted to check what was hand-marked on those.


    They did not find the Body File as any sort of paper document.


    Of course, that was expected when the 21st wanted to keep it hidden.


    The hands on the poor victim¡¯s watch were pointed up.


    The hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand were all pointed directly to the top, so¡­


    ¡°Tah dah. Happy New Year,¡± whispered Quenser.


    ¡°For some reason, I don¡¯t feel like celebrating,¡± groaned Heivia next to him.


    They did not feel like anything had changed and dawn felt a long way off. The heavy darkness would be with them for a while longer.


    Elise turned back toward them.


    ¡°Oh, can you two head further into the cave?¡±


    ¡°Why? I don¡¯t want to walk around needlessly and fall into a crevasse.¡±


    ¡°This boy here is about to wake up and on-site interrogations are always a dangerous endeavor. I have performed a body search, but you don¡¯t want to be around if he removes the pin of a grenade he has hidden somewhere, do you?¡±


    Teachers apparently knew very well how to make naughty boys¡¯ balls shrivel up.


    The two idiots could only obey after hearing that. The busty blonde glasses woman waited until they were out of sight before getting to work.


    ¡°Now, then.¡±


    After tying the enemy soldiers¡¯ hands behind his back, she lightly tapped on his back. The 21st infantryman groaned and woke up.


    She circled to his front side, crouched down, and spoke from close range.


    Yes, she intentionally invaded his personal space to make this a form of close-quarters combat.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you what battalion we belong to, do I? You¡¯re the ones that attacked us, after all. But hogging all the information to yourself is hardly fair. It makes you look the bad guys here. Sharing is caring, right?¡±


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t talk.¡±


    ¡°The Body File.¡±


    ¡°Eek!!¡±


    His rejection was a little too obvious.


    They were clearly up to no good here, but based on that reaction, their decision must not have been based on a careful cost-benefit analysis. This seemed more like the Faith Organization. The 21st seemed to fear even hearing other people speak that name.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell us? Surely we have the right to know what it is we¡¯re being killed over.¡±


    ¡°You¡­you must be joking!! Listen, our Second Generation Crystal Scrying outside can see anything and everything. If you release me now, your good deed will not go unrewarded!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it can see anything and everything, can it?¡±


    She gave him a tormenting look.


    That strongest teacher finally allowed a cruel look on her face.


    ¡°By the way, we are currently so deep inside a glacier cave that none of our lights will be visible from outside. You know what that means, don¡¯t you? You bothered to bring flares with you, so you can¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know how important light is here.¡±


    ¡°Wai-¡±


    Two gunshots rang out. It did not matter that he had his hands bound behind his back and could not resist. She shot straight through both his shins. While it was a handgun, it was a .45 caliber, so the bones had undoubtedly shattered.


    His scream was louder than the gunshots.


    ¡°Your shins can be repaired since they are such simple bones, so I hope you can see my good will and friendship in not shooting out your knees instead.¡±


    ¡°K-kahh!? Aghahhh!!¡±


    ¡°On the other hand, you can never descend the mountain on your own like this, can you? You have only one option left: waiting for someone to rescue you. But do you really think anyone will notice you are here if we leave you in this cave?¡±


    His breathing grew erratic.


    His eyeballs rolled around in his head.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­won¡¯t talk. No matter what¡­you do to me!! This is a sign of my loyalty. I should count myself lucky I can demonstrate it in such a concrete way! Yes, this is all for the glory of the royals!!¡±


    ¡°Concrete? Concrete, you say? Are you sure you aren¡¯t clinging to a formless fantasy in the face of a very real death? But don¡¯t worry. That does not make you a bad person. Now, are you thinking I have to keep you alive as long as I need that secret from you?¡±


    Elise smiled, pointed deeper into the glacier cave, and spoke.


    Spoke cruelly.


    ¡°By the way, I happen to have another of your soldiers lying back there. I know it is clich¨¦, but let¡¯s go with this: whoever talks first gets to live. The Alps are a dangerous place in the winter. Whoever gets left behind is sure to freeze solid without even getting to rot.¡±


    That was of course a bluff, but the soldier had no way of knowing that. He was in so much pain his vision was fading, he was terrified of the death fast approaching him, he felt overwhelmingly alone knowing his allies would never realize he was here, and the world around him seemed entirely under the control of this incomprehensible sadist. All of those facts helped make the nonexistent illusion of a fellow prisoner back there seem so very real.


    ¡°I want to know everything you know: about the royals you mentioned, about the Body File, and everything else. I will do whatever it takes to get it out of you. You sent an Object after us, so surely you understand that being a fellow Legitimacy Kingdom soldier isn¡¯t going to save you here.¡±


    He believed she would do it.


    Yes, he had been unconscious, so he did not know she had asked Quenser and Heivia to wait back there. He only knew he could sense someone stirring after the ominous gunfire and screaming. And when someone was afraid, they could mistake some pampas grass for a ghost if their thoughts had been primed correctly.


    That nonexistent doubt would blossom into so much more, just like a microscopic piece of dust forming the core of a snow crystal.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Elise Montana of the 7th Special Training Unit spoke as slowly and gently as a hypnotist.


    After sealing off all paths of escape, her bewitching voice could bend people to her will.


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Two more loud gunshots rang out.


    And finally¡­


    ¡°You can come out now.¡±


    The two idiots nervously did so.


    ¡°H-hey. What happened? It reeks of gunpowder smoke in here. And what happened to that enemy soldier?¡±


    ¡°I got him to tell me most of what we wanted to know about the Body File, so I sent him back home.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t lug a hostage around with us, can we? We have what we wanted to know, so letting him go is best. More importantly, I learned something about the Crystal Scrying, so I will share that with you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, if you say so,¡± said Quenser and Heivia as they hesitantly approached her.


    ¡°Also, there is a fairly deep crevasse over there,¡± she added with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to see, so make sure you don¡¯t fall in¡î¡±


    Part 9


    Pleading for the higher ups to end this clash between the 37th and the 21st would be useless because the 37th would be wiped out before the home country completed their plodding investigation.


    That was why Frolaytia had narrowed her focus down to Bullrank Happy-Youth, commander of the 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion.


    She did not know what the higher ups were doing, but she could end the battle if she found some compromising personal secret she could use against him.


    Bullrank¡¯s analog and digital personal information had been modified to make him look like a painfully average person. However, his social media records had been rewritten without the civilian corporations noticing. If they were told they had fallen victim to a cyber attack and needed to investigate some deleted or modified data, they were sure to notice the unnatural changes to Bullrank Happy-Youth¡¯s history.


    Someone was sure to try to stop that.


    He might have a great many friends in the government offices, but they might not all be as strictly protected as Bullrank himself.


    The more helpers he had, the more chances they had to find a lead.


    However¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. The 37th¡¯s server just went down. All the datalinks have been severed, so we¡¯re entirely isolated!¡±


    ¡°That was fast.¡±


    Frolaytia clicked her tongue at the shouted report from one of the geeks in the electronic simulation division.


    It had only been a few minutes since they sent the warning email to the SNS corporation. The corporation was not about to trust very single email they received from a public agency. Targeted attacks spoofing such official notifications were common these days, so they were sure to check to make sure it was legit first. If they received no response while checking, they were sure to determine it to be fraudulent.


    For that matter, any external suggestion to rethink your server maintenance posed a considerable risk from an internet security standpoint. Just like with people claiming they can tell you how to get a refund at an ATM, changing your settings based on the instructions from some sincere-sounding voice on the phone was liable to leave you with a hole in your thick firewall.


    However, Frolaytia Capistrano had figured some things out by now.


    (I see.)


    The geek had grown very nervous very fast with the internet down.


    ¡°Wh-wh-wh-what do we do now? Is that mobile device Quenser¡¯s group stole our last hope? It¡¯s supposed to have some files related to the Body File, right?¡±


    ¡°Those are additional documents explaining what to do with the data and not the Body File itself, right? Then they aren¡¯t enough. In fact, does it even exist in an accessible form? Bullrank may simply have it memorized.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing we can do.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure.¡± Frolaytia grinned at the electronic simulation division¡¯s words. ¡°They may look untouchable, but they have already made a major mistake. Do you know what that is?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Listen, whatever my personal opinion of you is, I trust in how obsessive you are about your job. I know you will never betray your own work. So I have a task for you, but don¡¯t let anyone else know, okay?¡±


    Part 10


    The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion supported the Second Generation Crystal Scrying.


    Quenser¡¯s group held a strategy meeting in that glacier cave while eating flavorless soap-like rations.


    Elise was the first to speak.


    ¡°Crystal Scrying apparently refers to crystal ball divination.¡±


    ¡°Hey, does the origin of the name really matter? Don¡¯t you have some more, y¡¯know, technological information?¡±


    ¡°My, my. Knowing the enemy¡¯s beliefs and tastes is very useful in predicting their actions. To continue, the 21st is attacking the 37th over that Immortanoid business. You know, the largescale ¡®deposit¡¯ you happened across in the Uyuni Salt Flat.¡±


    They were using their lights since they were in the cave, but that was enough for fear to clutch at their hearts. They knew the light could not get outside, but it still felt like they were marking themselves for death.


    ¡°Our busty commander left that out of her report, didn¡¯t she?¡± Heivia grimaced at the flavorless food. ¡°The fact that word still got out makes it something of an open secret, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°The less accurate the information, the more people expect from a treasure map,¡± said Quenser. ¡°So does the 21st want to dig up that Immortanoid that can¡¯t be found in the natural world? Or do they want to hide the Immortanoid they deposited in that secret bank?¡±


    ¡°Neither.¡± Elise shook her head. ¡°The 21st isn¡¯t interested in either of those things.¡±


    ¡°Huh? That doesn¡¯t make any sense! There are only two options here! There¡¯s a ton of valuable rare earth hidden in front of them, so they must either want it or want to keep it hidden. Or are you saying they attacked us for something entirely unrelated to that treasure map!?¡±


    ¡°It would be best to say their circumstances here are unique to the Legitimacy Kingdom. It¡¯s about land.¡± The blonde glasses woman shrugged her shoulders that had to be stiff due to her large chest. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s what the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s royals and nobles are all about, right? A king with lots of land orders the nobles that serve him to manage different parts of that land. The Legitimacy Kingdom is the world power that formed by gathering together as many of those monarchs as possible. They openly place a lot of weight on bloodline and history, but they must place just as much weight on territory.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. My Winchell family has land all over the place, including a vineyard and a lunar villa. But isn¡¯t that basically a special bonus you get for having the high-level bloodline of a noble or royal?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Elise Montana laughed as she rejected that idea. ¡°Quite the opposite in fact.¡±


    ¡°The opposite?¡± asked Commoner Quenser with a frown.


    The blonde glasses woman sighed and looked to Heivia for some reason. She seemed to be reacting to her last shred of a conscience, just like someone who could not bring themselves to kick an elderly person in the back.


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom wanted land first and foremost,¡± she said. ¡°Because with land comes opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Opportunity?¡±


    ¡°The obvious example is for making money, such as building a town, establishing trade routes, or mining underground resources, but those might as well be bonus prizes. What the royals wanted most of all was the opportunity comes in the form of medicinal herbs or minerals.¡±


    ¡°Herbs?¡±


    That word sounded out of place here.


    That was not something that could be sold for plenty of money like gold or Immortanoid.


    It could instead be made into medicines.


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± She gave a gentle smile. ¡°If we set aside the historical background of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s honorable royals and nobles, then they are set apart from the commoners by the rare and special blood in their veins, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, but what of it?¡± awkwardly asked Heivia.


    Was he being considerate of the commoner seated next to him, or did he have a bad feeling some fundamental belief of his was about to crumble away?


    Elise did not stop regardless.


    ¡°But what does that mean from a genetic standpoint? If the commoners have the more standard and generic genetic information, then the nobles and royals have the more irregular and unique genetic information. But is that really better?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Genetics determine how susceptible you are to certain diseases and how resistant you are to environmental changes. The thing is, the more standard commoner genes have had more of a chance to mix all of that stuff together, so wouldn¡¯t they have the greater resistance to different things?¡±


    ¡°W-wait. Hold on!! You could say the same about the nobles with more unique genes. Even if some virulent infectious disease is causing normal people to drop like flies, the unique part of our genes might let us survive!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you look at the nobles as a whole.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean as a whole?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say you have 26 different noble bloodlines, A through Z. The only one to survive the immediate threat would be the one with the X genes, so most of the nobles would be wiped out. That really does not seem like an efficient way to survive as a group.¡±


    It all came back to this.


    This was why the nobles and royals wanted so much land and it was why they accepted other monarchs from countries with entirely different histories and cultures.


    ¡°So are you saying the top level of the Legitimacy Kingdom is working together to conquer that weakness and fragility in their blood? And that¡¯s why they want medicinal herbs and minerals?¡±


    ¡°Thinking of it as strong and weak is inaccurate. It may be better to think of it in terms of being generic enough to survive as many different threats as possible. Now, it seems the Body File is a list of all reported hereditary vulnerabilities in the different noble and royal bloodlines.¡±


    It was understandable that they would not want that getting out.


    First of all, the nobles and royals were a minority when compared to the commoners. And since the Legitimacy Kingdom ruled itself by having a minority of superior people guiding the general masses, they could not possibly let their weaknesses show.


    Those kings and knights could not accept a situation where the majority assisted a weak few.


    Also, the commoners would be incensed if they learned of that weakness. They would question why they had to fight wars and bloody themselves to protect those people¡¯s land¡­and sometimes steal other people¡¯s land for them. Those medicinal herbs and minerals meant nothing to the commoners, so why should they work so hard for some new medicine that would not benefit them in any way?


    ¡°They cannot let this get out.¡± Elise Montana described the cause of death currently stalking them. ¡°So the Legitimacy Kingdom covered up the truth with a different form of bait. They invented the idea that ruling all that land would give them plenty of underground resources such as gold and rare earths.¡±


    ¡°Then the artificial Immortanoid was caught up in all this by pure chance?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. More money is one way of achieving greater medical technology, so my guess is the Legitimacy Kingdom wanted to be as rich as possible. In that sense, they might prefer if the world economy is run on a simpler system based entirely on underground resources like gold.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta dumb down this talk of economics for me.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. For example, the current economy runs on currencies like the dollar and euro, right? There are other items you can use, of course, like virtual currencies and jewels.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah.¡±


    ¡°But currency started out as gold and silver coins, right? And paper bills were originally a ticket you could exchange for a set amount of gold because the gold coins were too heavy to carry around. A system like that, where everything is a stand-in for gold, is known as the gold standard.¡±


    ¡°So while the Legitimacy Kingdom was working to break into a dollar-ruled world with the euro, they decided it would be easier to bring back the gold-focused gold standard system since their control of the land gives them control of the gold too?¡±


    Reviving an older system was exactly the kind of thing the Legitimacy Kingdom liked to do. The royals and nobles would see it as a worthwhile cause since they were so desperate to reclaim their authority.


    ¡°Come to think of it, we do tend to make new money at the drop of a hat, like with those commemorative gold Christmas coins and gold New Year¡¯s coins.¡±


    ¡°That would be the ideal for them. But at the moment, they have not managed to make any headway outside of the Legitimacy Kingdom.¡±


    Quenser and Elise were discussing the matter in a friendly manner, but then Heivia quickly interrupted.


    ¡°B-but what does that have to do with Immortanoid? How was any of that a problem???¡±


    ¡°Because if they make dollars and euros into tickets that can be exchanged for gold, they are ultimately making it all subservient to the enormous framework known as the gold business. And that gives the Legitimacy Kingdom a huge advantage since their obsession with land gives them control of so much of the underground resources. But what if Immortanoid takes over instead? That is an artificial element created in a particle accelerator, not something buried in the ground. If dollars become tickets that can be exchanged for Immortanoid, then all the dollars in circulation around the world will essentially be owned by whatever world power controls that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so you¡¯re saying boobs are justice???¡±


    ¡°I am saying all their hard work to bring back the gold standard system would be for nothing! They want to keep the Capitalist Corporations from taking the lead role in the world economy using their experiments in creating artificial elements with particle accelerators!! Explanation complete!!¡±


    This topic was better suited for the money-obsessed Capitalist Corporations. Quenser did not understand a lot of it (even though he wanted to become richer than the nobles), but he could kind of see how the Legitimacy Kingdom would be harmed by that turn of events.


    But anyway¡­


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom nobles and royals believe in the superiority of their bloodlines, but they see the inherent inferiority as well. They know there is a genetic risk of them dying from a disease or disaster that normal people can survive. Or perhaps it would be best to say they believe there is one. So they have been researching their genetic information in secret while also buying up land around the world to efficiently acquire the medicinal herbs and minerals needed to create various medicines.¡±


    No one knew which genes would actually come in handy.


    If everyone had the same optimal genes, then the entire species could be annihilated by a single disease.


    Being a minority could be seen as a plus or a minus depending on how you looked at it.


    In that sense, the royals and nobles needed to trust in the value of their privileged class to the very end. They had to believe the very propaganda they spread. Because once they started to suspect there might be a downside to being a minority, it would gradually cloud their hearts.


    They would go from being a powerful minority to a weak one.


    ¡°That is the identity of the conspiracy surrounding the Body File. Major Capistrano had the opportunity to secretly discover this while dealing with that land-based underground bank both in the Bering Sea and in the Uyuni Salt Flat¡­or so the 21st and their higher ups concluded. She would have seen unnatural land that was bought in an unnatural way and, if she investigated that, it could have revealed the secret behind the acquisition of that land.¡±


    So they had decided to eliminate her.


    Those powerful people were willing to kill others in the Legitimacy Kingdom over this.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom believed that the noble bloodlines would guide the people.


    But the truth was very different. Those ¡°noble bloodlines¡± were nothing more than filthy landowners who were so terrified of genetic vulnerabilities (which might not even exist) that they clung to unproven medicinal properties and healing methods.


    For example, the longevity mineral known as Immortanoid.


    That miracle rock was said to activate the cells with its faint radiation and add a 30% extension onto the lifespan set at either end of the chromosomes.


    A commoner like Quenser found that idea to be absurd and it seemed a lot more likely someone was using disinformation to intentionally inflate the price of that artificial element. But he had also heard that it was highly popular with the rich people led astray by those rumors.


    And if that was enough to fool them, they must have had a desire strong enough to let themselves be fooled.


    Something had made them desperate for anything that ensured their health.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Heivia Winchell remained silent for a while.


    No, he may not have had anything to say.


    After fighting enough money-driven wars, it became all too obvious how phony the causes advocated by the world powers really were. But that did not mean he could so easily throw out the time he had spent growing up as a noble.


    There had even been times when that power had shown its usefulness.


    For example, when he had rescued those children on the aurora observation ship.


    So what if he was told it was all a lie?


    ¡°For now, let us set aside whether or not their claim is accurate.¡±


    Elise Montana remained calm.


    Since the 21st and the 37th were both from the Legitimacy Kingdom and she was from the 7th Special Training Unit, she could have taken either side, but she was saying she would stick with Quenser and Heivia.


    ¡°The problem is that the 21st fully believes it and has decided the 37th is an enemy of the Legitimacy Kingdom as a whole for trying to hide the Immortanoid found at the Uyuni Salt Flat. Words will not be enough to stop them. We have no hope for tomorrow unless we kill them and drive them to the point of utter annihilation.¡±


    She took control of the conversation before Quenser or Heivia could.


    ¡°The 21st¡¯s Object is the Crystal Scrying.¡±


    However.


    Therefore.


    ¡°Like I said, it is named after crystal ball divination. The name imagines the Object as a giant glass ball and a fortuneteller. But why is it known as that? Because the primary material used to construct that Object is glass.¡±


    ¡°Gl-¡­?¡±


    A glass Object.


    Battlefield Student Quenser craved bizarre forms of inspiration, but even he could not keep up with that idea.


    ¡°Standard Objects are made by taking steel armor panels mixed with a heat-resistant reactive material and layering them like leaf springs, but this one is made by taking reinforced glass and protective film and layering them like a baumkuchen. We had a vague idea of that in advance thanks to our intelligence collection. There was still some data in the military servers, after all. But this battle has shown us that the glass fixation is seen in the weapons as well. It sends messages to the railgun shells through fiber optic cables and those are made from glass, right?¡±


    Knowing the enemy¡¯s beliefs and tastes was very useful in predicting their actions.


    This did follow from the 21st¡¯s dislike of artificial elements.


    ¡°With the exception of some special acids, glass is extremely resistant to nearly all chemicals ¨C that is, to the artificial elements and compounds they so despise. Plus, it does not stimulate people¡¯s greed with its rarity the way gold does. From their meager perspective, it is the perfect Object for extracting the poison and changing the world in a pure and proper way. I initially wondered why they would make it from glass of all things, but that must have been the idea behind it.¡±


    They saw themselves as the ones removing poison from the world.


    In that case, they would see Quenser¡¯s group as a toxin needing elimination now that they knew what was in the Body File.


    If they were that obsessed, they likely used glass in a lot of places beyond the armor and main cannon trajectory control. For example, the capacitors supporting the incredible power requirements of the container railgun main cannons may have used Leyden jars and the image processing may have used an image intensifier.


    On the other hand, it seemed unlikely that the Crystal Scrying used no non-glass substances. In other words, that it did not use any rare earths. Even if it did use thin film integrated circuits made from glass, that was not enough to perform data processing. The semiconductors would be made of silicon, aka glass, but other metals would be needed too.


    Were they okay with using anything as long as it was not an artificial element made in a particle accelerator?


    Plus, these were haughty nobles. It would hardly be surprising to find they gave themselves exemptions to the rules they insisted everyone else follow.


    However¡­


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s armor doesn¡¯t use the usual temperature-resistant reactive material,¡± said Quenser. ¡°It uses special glass armor made by layering reinforced glass and film like an onion. In that case¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t thinking the firepower we have on hand is enough to deal with that, are you?¡± said Heivia. ¡°We don¡¯t have any tanks or armored vehicles that can still run out there. Even the Princess is having a hard time of it, so we can¡¯t just stand out in front of the thing!!¡±


    ¡°I never said we would be doing that. We aren¡¯t going to blast all the way through the Crystal Scrying. But if we could roast the surface a little¡­¡±


    ¡°Yesss?¡± prompted Elise in an odd way.


    ¡°Its armor is definitely tough.¡± Quenser sighed. ¡°Since it¡¯s been made into Object armor, our fists couldn¡¯t break it even if it was originally glass. It must already be too strong for that.¡±


    Simply putting it to words seemed to be medically wearing down his body¡¯s strength, but he kept going.


    If he stopped thinking, he would lose sight of their only escape route.


    ¡°But what if we remade it into something else entirely?¡±


    He said it all in one breath.


    Their comeback started now.


    ¡°Glass can be processed into many different forms. Glass fiber, foam glass, insulators, etc. If it can be melted with heat, then it can be changed by mixing in an impurity before it rehardens, right?¡±


    ¡°And that would make it more brittle?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, but we might be able to pull off something neat.¡± Quenser spelled out his thoughts. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s in panels or blocks, but that Object is formed entirely out of combined pieces of glass, right? If we break down that form, it shouldn¡¯t be able to move the way it was designed to. Take the joints for example. If we distort those, we can lock up its movements.¡±


    ¡°But where do we get that impurity?¡± asked Elise. ¡°Hiking back down to the maintenance base at the foot of the mountain and bringing back a ton of some kind of chemical substance does not sound realistic to me.¡±


    ¡°Foam glass doesn¡¯t require any other materials. Snow is being blasted into the air all over the place, right? As long as we melt the surface of the glass, snow will get into it without us having to do a thing. And I mean a lot of snow. The snow will melt and the water will evaporate, but the holes will remain. So as the below-freezing air causes it to cool and harden, the glass will become a fluffy and spongy material. If the apparent volume changes and it expands enough, the joints won¡¯t be able to move.¡±


    Of course, that would not be enough to defeat the 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s Second Generation.


    That would only slow it down.


    ¡°Heivia, do you have a missile?¡±


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    ¡°Heivia. It¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m not saying we have to defeat that Object ourselves. We can pass the baton to the Princess and she¡¯ll save us. But you¡¯re still scared?¡±


    ¡°Why the hell wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this before sunrise. We can¡¯t let this problem linger for too long.¡±


    They had a plan.


    Quenser, Heivia, and Elise ended their last supper and walked to the exit of the glacier cave with their respective equipment.


    Even now, the cave was shaking from a low tremor. They had not thought about it until now, but that sturdy cave could have collapsed at any time. That just drove home the point that there were no safe zones on the battlefield.


    As they approached the exit, Quenser switched off his light.


    If any oddity was noticed or even the slightest light was detected, those extraordinary shells would be flying their way. The time had come to stick their tongue out behind the grim reaper¡¯s back while hoping like hell they were not noticed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to defeat it.¡± While carrying the missile launcher over his shoulder, Heivia repeated that under his breath like some kind of incantation to ward off evil. ¡°I¡¯m relying on the Princess. I¡¯m just letting the Princess win this for us. This is still a standard Object vs. Object battle. I¡¯m sticking with the normal rules. So it¡¯ll be okay. I can survive this. I just have to let the Princess finish it for us.¡±


    Yes.


    They only had to pass the baton to the Princess.


    They only needed the Princess¡¯s help.


    When they stepped out of the glacier cave, the very first thing they saw was the Baby Magnum being pierced through by a giant railgun shell.


    The deafening boom and shockwave arrived after a short delay and all the snow on the slope crashed down in an avalanche.


    Something was launched diagonally back from the Baby Magnum¡¯s pierced spherical main body. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but that was probably a person rather than a flare dangling from a parachute in the cold sky. That was the Princess.


    The Baby Magnum was at a higher point on Mont Blanc while it dirtied the night sky with black smoke. That might not seem like anything unusual, but it was. The Crystal Scrying was designed for use in mountainous terrain, but the Baby Magnum did not have the mountain-climbing capability needed to scale the highest peak in the Alps. It could not climb the steep slope past a point, so the jagged mountain peak was a dead end for the Princess.


    Meanwhile, the Crystal Scrying could move as it pleased and had circled around toward the base. It had moved rapidly in every direction, adjusted its position, and fired its octuple railguns from the optimum angle. It had controlled the tail fins with fiber optic cables so those shells gathered around the Baby Magnum from a variety of angles.


    This was the result.


    After being driven up the mountain, the Princess had not had anywhere to escape.


    ¡°You have got to be kidding me.¡±


    Heivia dropped the shoulder-fired missile launcher tube he had been preparing to fire.


    They could no longer rely on her.


    They had no Object. It was just those puny foot soldiers.


    And the battle was not over.


    The delinquent noble¡¯s voice trembled.


    ¡°What the hell are we supposed to do now, goddammit!!!???¡±


    Part 11


    The Baby Magnum had been destroyed.


    It may not have been completely destroyed since the reactor had not exploded, but it could no longer move now that the Princess had decided to eject. Heading there and repairing the Object on the scene was not realistic.


    ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t like the idea.¡± Heivia¡¯s tears froze as he curled up on the spot and held his head in his hands. ¡°Fuck off with all of this!! Why should I care about this genetic vulnerability and Body File stuff!? I tried. I did what I could, didn¡¯t I!? No one could possibly complain if I turned back and curled up in that cave until all this is over!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Kh.¡±


    The awful friend turned toward Quenser with wavering pupils.


    And he raised his voice.


    ¡°Besides, what do I even gain if we win here? If the Body File goes public, the entire concept of nobles might go away!! The commoners who believed we were so healthy and strong aren¡¯t going to take it!! They¡¯ll drag us down from our position of privilege!! Is that really something I should risk my life to fight for!?¡±


    ¡°Then are you saying the 21st is in the right here? Are you really willing to say that, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a commoner, so you don¡¯t understand the hardships of a noble life!!¡±


    ¡°Whether or not we commoners respect you is supposed to be based on your actions! All this talk about beautiful genetic sequences sounds like something the Information Alliance would be into!! I can tell you one thing for damn sure: no one¡¯s following the kind of people who cover up the truth and get all snippy the instant their position is threatened!!¡±


    ¡°~ ~ ~!!¡±


    ¡°Who cares about history!? Why should we give a crap about tradition!? If you¡¯re worried about that stuff, Heivia, then you¡¯ll have to build it up yourself!! By becoming someone everyone can respect!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up!! It isn¡¯t that easy!!!!!¡±


    ¡°You can head back into the cave if you like,¡± bluntly cut in Elise. She was in her strict instructor mode. ¡°Based on the training menu, you were only issued three days¡¯ worth of food. We have no idea at all how long they will remain in Mont Blanc, so there is a good chance you will end up fighting starvation.¡±


    ¡°Elise, do you have an idea?¡±


    ¡°Not really. But the Crystal Scrying should be relieved after defeating its enemy Object. It will have relaxed now that the only real threat has been eliminated. Once they calm down, they will close in on us, so now is the time to act if we hope to shake them. This is our last chance.¡±


    ¡°Last chance, my ass.¡± Heivia shoved aside all other opinions with the voice of someone having a nightmare. ¡°We never had a chance!! Our busty commander set us up, threw us into a battle we never agreed to, and now we¡¯re paying the price! Actually, it¡¯s worse than that. What good is winning even? We¡¯ve already stepped on the landmine. We took the wrong path from the very beginning. There¡¯s no route to the destination from here!! Continuing on will only get us stranded until we die!!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave him behind,¡± said Elise Montana after no longer than a second.


    Heivia looked shocked, but she tilted her head.


    ¡°Oh? You can throw a tantrum and desert if you like, but who said we would follow you? We need to use this chance to fight, and even if we just want to run away, we should try to escape the troops surrounding us before they close in too far. At the very least, holing up the cave will not get us anywhere. The most we could do there is eat up all our soap-like rations, lick the glacier walls, and grow skinnier and skinnier with nowhere to go. I would prefer not to die while wondering if I should start running my own urine through a filter.¡±


    ¡°Elise.¡±


    ¡°And if we do end up defeating the Crystal Scrying, you will have no place there. In that case, you will be court martialed, found guilty, and thrown into a military prison.¡±


    Quenser tried to stop her, but she did not listen.


    Elise Montana was the perfect strict military instructor, but she got a perfect 0 as an infirmary counselor.


    ¡°Thank you for your work thus far, Heivia, but your life ends here. Whether we win or lose against the Crystal Scrying, you have run into a dead end. The path forked to the left and right, yet you chose to plow right on through into the bushes for no good reason. But this is your life, so I will not stop you. Quenser, the two of us can rejoice in life together.¡±


    ¡°Hold on, Eli- ouch!? Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!?¡±


    Elise had only grabbed Quenser¡¯s hand and lightly twisted it, but what did it look like to Heivia left behind in the cave entrance?


    His last two companions had walked off together and vanished beyond the snow.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    It started as a whisper, but it finally grew to a loud shout.


    ¡°Wait!! Okay! Okay, I get it! Please don¡¯t leave me here!!¡±


    The glasses woman stuck her tongue out where Heivia could not see.


    Now, she had given him some motivation, but she had done nothing to improve their circumstances here. If they did not come up with their next move soon, they could only wait for the 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion to arrive and kill them.


    ¡°So is that armor really made of reinforced glass?¡± asked Elise. ¡°They really altered its properties by adjusting the pressure while it formed?¡±


    ¡°Given how they think, I can¡¯t imagine they would have made it sturdier by mixing impurities in,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°Right? I just hope it isn¡¯t borosiliclit glass.¡±


    ¡°Elise, do you mean borosilicate glass?¡±


    ¡°Hm? That¡¯s what I said: borosiliclit glass.¡±


    Quenser celebrated in his heart at managing to secretly record it on his mobile device this time (even though a single light source meant death). That might seem entirely pointless, but idiots like him were the type who would grab a highlighter whenever they spotted a dirty word in the dictionary. There was no real reason. It merely satisfied his collector¡¯s spirit.


    Elise only tilted her head because she had not noticed what she said.


    ¡°What should we do? If we need a weapon, we could probably find a tank or armored vehicle if we dug into the snow.¡±


    ¡°Can you use a cannon, Elise?¡±


    ¡°If it is one meant for use by a single person. If it needs multiple people, I might just have to give that spoiled noble boy a spanking.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quenser thought for a short moment.


    ¡°The enemy¡¯s armor is made of glass. Glass is an insulator, so how is it sending power from the central reactor to the main cannon railguns?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    He quickly reached a decision.


    ¡°Elise, search out a gun of 90mm or bigger. It can be a maneuver combat vehicle or a mortar for all I care!!¡±


    ¡°In that case, I see an adorable silhouette over there.¡±


    Elise pointed at an odd vehicle half buried in snow.


    It looked like a bulky snowmobile with armor panels and continuous tracks, but there was a large indentation on the back and it had no roof. Instead, a thick barrel aimed diagonally up toward the night sky behind it.


    ¡°This is an open-top mortar carrier. It carries a powerful 120mm mortar but it has stripped away all the unnecessary exterior and was slimmed down with ultra-thin armor, so it weighs less than 10 tons and can be carried anywhere by helicopter or ship. It can follow the common troops around like a puppy.¡±


    ¡°No one wants a puppy here. A normal machinegun could pierce that armor, so it might as well be an aluminum can. Whoever gets stuck using it clearly got the short end of the stick!!¡±


    Also, it had an open top, so had they been driving it around the Mont Blanc night while exposed to the cold air? They could only pray the crew had not been frozen solid by vaporization heat.


    Also, an Object could blast through a warship or a nuclear shelter in a single blast, so death was assured either way. But Quenser¡¯s group only needed to get one shot in, so the thickness of the armor was irrelevant.


    After brushing off the snow and exposing most of the gun, Elise inspected different parts of the giant mortar that extended back like a fishing rod.


    ¡°It appears to still have a round inside. How dangerous. ¡­So, Quenser, what should I aim at?¡±


    ¡°Hold on a sec,¡± cut in Heivia. ¡°What good is firing that thing? The bright muzzle flash and loud blast will gather everyone¡¯s attention on us!¡±


    ¡°Chickens deserve to be plucked of their feathers and soaked in an ice bath. Now, what are my specific instructions?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking Heivia¡¯s side here, but screwing this up really is the end for us. I appreciate your help, but you¡¯re free to run away as long as you teach me how to fire it first.¡±


    ¡°That is not something that can be learned overnight. Not at this adorable thing¡¯s size.¡± Elise smiled bitterly. ¡°Also, I have no other ideas either, so I will bet on whatever has even a slight possibility of working. I am doing this of my own free will, so do not worry.¡±


    Hearing that was all Quenser needed to complete his preparations.


    That left just one more person.


    ¡°Hey, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A commoner like me has no way of knowing how fragile and precarious a position the nobles and royals are in. That foundation has been there from the moment you were born, so it might feel like your very soul has been shaken.¡±


    Saying that may have qualified as disrespectful, but they had no idea how long that entire hierarchy would still be around.


    However.


    ¡°But you know what? I don¡¯t think it was meaningless.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you saved those kids on the aurora observation ship. They saw you as the knight who brought Santa to them. It might sound like something from a picture book and it might sound unrealistic, but that was Heivia the Noble standing there in that moment. A commoner like me couldn¡¯t have saved those kids¡¯ souls too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bunch of idealistic hogwash. It doesn¡¯t change the reality if the situation.¡±


    ¡°Maybe not, but no matter what the Body File says, there are people out there who can be saved by clinging to those dreams. ¡­So you can¡¯t let that power be stolen from you here. Nobles are supposed to be dignified, right? Royals are supposed to be respected, right? But that has nothing to do with a sequence of AGCT!! We commoners are looking for the kind of people you see in picture books! The kind of people who always stay strong and who will stand up for anyone in need or in tears!! Are you kidding me right now? What happened to chivalry, what happened to ladies first, what happened to mercy and charity, what happened to noblesse oblige!? Don¡¯t hand your justice over to the people killing their own out of fear of losing their power! Heivia!! Aren¡¯t you one of the nobles who were born to protect the people from those very cruelties!?¡±


    Heivia Winchell hung his head for a while.


    He could not find anything to say.


    But eventually, he found something.


    It was quiet at first.


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    But he spoke.


    He finally spoke his mind.


    ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t know how pathetic, ugly, and hopelessly small a person I am!? How could I not be terrified!? How could I not be shaken when something I¡¯ve believed in all my life is being written off as a lie!?¡±


    Quenser said nothing.


    Elise started to act in her utilitarian nature, but he stopped her with a hand.


    He had to stop her.


    ¡°And I know it isn¡¯t right!! I know if I hide from the truth there¡¯s no coming back from it. I want to hold my head high! I want to look ahead to the future as I live my life!! So I can¡¯t accept what the 21st is doing! I never asked for their help. They bloodied their hands all on their own, so like hell I¡¯m going to agree if they ask all of us nobles to share the responsibility there!! You can go straight to hell on your own, you assholes!! Yeah, yeah! That¡¯s right!! Are you saying the Winchell family isn¡¯t good enough the way it is and you commoners won¡¯t accept us right now!?¡±


    Then.


    Then.


    Then.


    ¡°I just have to do it myself!! I¡¯ll be the good kind of noble! I¡¯ll make the Winchell family something worth honoring! And that¡¯s something I can never do by covering up the truth and going around killing innocent people like these pieces of garbage!!!!!!¡±


    Quenser Barbotage was a commoner.


    That had been set in stone from the moment he was born, so he could never become a noble or royal. That meant defending them would never benefit him in any way.


    But he still smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡±


    He thought of the children on the aurora observation ship.


    Once Heivia had decided he would never do anything that would disappoint those children, he had proven he had a truly noble soul.


    What did genetics matter? Why should anyone care if someone has a beautiful sequence of DNA? No one was out there writing haikus with AGCT sequences.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready to do this!! The Legitimacy Kingdom might go down in flames, but I¡¯ll protect the Winchell family no matter what! Because that¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided I¡¯ll do!! And these assholes out here are standing in the way of that. How can we blow them up and protect the world!!!???¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve had an awakening,¡± said Elise. ¡°But emotions will not save us here, so I would really like some concrete targeting instructions.¡±


    They had finally reached this point, so there was no need to hesitate.


    Quenser immediately gave her the answer.


    ¡°Heading: 2080. Angle: 450.¡±


    ¡°Umm, that¡¯s nowhere near the Crystal Scrying.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± growled Heivia like a wounded animal. He was picking up a heavy shell and shoving it into the muzzle. ¡°Listen, Quenser, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in that head of yours, but promise me one thing. If we do as you say and fire this thing, can I avoid having to turn my back on those kids!? I need to remain a noble no matter what might happen!!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Quenser Barbotage knew what they had to do, so he accepted everything his awful friend left with him and raised his voice.


    ¡°So fire! Immediately!!¡±


    The entire vehicle was struck by the powerful recoil and the 120mm shell tore through the air.


    The flash of light and boom were just like a nearby lightning strike.


    The attack was powerful enough to warrant that comparison.


    A mortar usually launched an explosive in a large arc like a long throw in baseball to drop it on a distant enemy¡¯s head.


    But with Mont Blanc¡¯s steep slope, it could be fired diagonally upwards to directly hit a target.


    Quenser had not aimed for the Crystal Scrying.


    He had aimed for the Baby Magnum where it had been cornered and destroyed up toward the peak.


    More specifically, he had aimed for the slope below it.


    The crumbling rock dislodged it from what it was caught on and the 50m mass slid down the steep slope. It gathered white snow and glacier ice around it as it tumbled down toward the 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s Second Generation!!


    ¡°Ah!!¡± shouted Heivia as a dull thud exploded out. ¡°It actually goddamn hit!?¡±


    ¡°Get down from that thing, Elise! The enemy will have noticed this!!¡±


    That open top provided no defensive power whatsoever and any soldiers forced to use it must have been reduced to tears, but the one advantage was how easy it was to escape. You could climb down in any direction.


    The glasses woman dove down to the snow while asking a question.


    ¡°Was that a diesel ignition, or a stiletto heel?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The 200,000-ton masses colliding looks fancy, but Objects are spheres. As you can tell when pressing two balls together, the surface of contact will only be a single point, so all the force will be concentrated there. Just like a nail tip or a stiletto heel, that would have considerable penetrative power. If the incredible pressure created heat, it would be even more destructive than subterranean magma!¡±


    Ideally, that would destroy the Crystal Scrying.


    But a deep cacophony of scraping metal echoed across the Mont Blanc night. It was pulling through. Even after being hit by an entire other Object, the Crystal Scrying could still move!!


    ¡°What do we do?¡± shouted Heivia while having trouble breathing. ¡°Where are we supposed to run now!? If it strikes back just once, we¡¯re boned!!¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    On the other hand, Quenser had a smile on his sweaty face.


    His gamble had ended with hitting the enemy with the immobilized Baby Magnum.


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    The following sound of destruction was reminiscent of a large tree being split vertically.


    It was a blast of electricity.


    But not because there were storm clouds in the area. The sound came from the Crystal Scrying.


    Specifically, from its glass armor.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a normal Object. That giant form is made from glass armor pasted together in onion-like layers, but that alone doesn¡¯t let it send power from the central reactor to the main cannon railguns on the exterior.¡±


    ¡°Um, wouldn¡¯t they just place metal leaf wiring in between the layers of glass like with a printed circuit board?¡± asked Elise. ¡°Even normal Objects use that method.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it works just fine with a normal Object.¡±


    The sound was not stopping.


    In fact, it was growing louder by the moment.


    ¡°Like I said, its armor is made from glass. The electrodes are contained between insulating glass. Do you know what structure that forms? It should come to you almost immediately if you¡¯re enough of a hobbyist to have struggled with a soldering iron to create a self-propelled robot loaded with a deep learning AI.¡±


    ¡°Only you¡¯re enough of a geek to do that, so just get to the point already!!¡±


    ¡°A capacitor. That¡¯s an electronic component used to store electricity. They¡¯re a major component of stun guns.¡±


    It might as well have been an explosion.


    This was deadly force formed from electricity.


    ¡°This wouldn¡¯t happen if the wires remained connected to both ends, but if they end up breaking for any reason, that thing¡¯s glass panels and metal leaf start to function as a gigantic capacitor. All the power pumped in from the reactor will build up there and have nowhere to escape.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°But, Heivia, you¡¯ve at least heard that lithium ion batteries can explode if used improperly, right? Electricity is a form of energy, so that¡¯s not really surprising.¡±


    With a flash of light much brighter than welding, the darkness of the Mont Blanc night was swept away.


    The Baby Magnum and Crystal Scrying had collided, but the 21st¡¯s colossus hopped up unnaturally. Then it lost balance. It failed to land properly, rolled onto its side, and was helpless from there.


    It rolled.


    The 50m giant rolled down the steep slope of Mont Blanc.


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    They did not even need to imagine what had happened to the Pilot Elite inside that Object that showed no sign of stopping.


    Quenser pulled out some Hand Axe plastic explosive.


    ¡°Heivia, Elise. Prepare every weapon you have.¡±


    The Baby Magnum and the Crystal Scrying had both been incapacitated, but that would not have eliminated the grudges on both sides. They did not care that both sides were from the Legitimacy Kingdom. The White Flag signal would not reach this deep into the mountains, which was why the 21st had driven the 37th up there. And Quenser¡¯s group was not about to let the 21st get away if they said they were leaving now that they had used up all the weapons they had on hand.


    From here on, they were fighting an unprotected form of war.


    No more could they be baby birds begging their parent for food.


    Something peeked out from Mont Blanc¡¯s summit. It was the sun. Dawn had snuck up on them at some point.


    And in the instant that everything was dyed in gold, a new year had begun.


    They could get a fresh start.


    But in that moment, Battlefield Student Quenser Barbotage had a filthy smile on his face while he made the following announcement:


    ¡°Time for the counterattack. Let¡¯s slaughter every last one of them.¡±


    The time had come to dye the white mountain red.


    Using the blood of people who were supposed to be allies.


    Part 12


    ¡°Phew,¡± sighed Frolaytia Capistrano.


    This conference room had been full of commotion earlier, but it was empty now. She had tried her best to fight from behind the scenes, but the battle outside had ended before she could accomplish anything worthwhile.


    ¡°Major Capistrano.¡±


    The female officer who acted like a secretary quietly called her name.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The busty, silver-haired woman had her shapely butt seated on the long table instead of the chair and she did not remove the long, narrow kiseru from her mouth when she replied.


    The female officer must have been accustomed to it because she did not seem to mind.


    ¡°The 21st has suffered devastating losses. They seem to be begging the higher ups to send a ceasefire command, but it is too late for that now.¡±


    ¡°Well, they were the ones who set things up to delay that very decision.¡±


    ¡°The bottleneck for us will likely be recovering the stranded Baby Magnum. It might be faster to transport the maintenance equipment up Mont Blanc to repair it on site.¡±


    ¡°This is all so very depressing.¡±


    ¡°We are almost done now, Major.¡±


    Frolaytia viewed the smile on the female officer¡¯s face.


    And she removed the kiseru from her mouth before continuing.


    ¡°By the way, lieutenant, I have one question.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± asked the female officer with a polite tilt of her head.


    Frolaytia Capistrano was not smiling.


    ¡°When were you planning to reveal your true colors and attack me, you 21st dog?¡±


    The female officer drew her knife ¨C no, her secret gun that used the knife¡¯s grip to hide the suppressor-equipped barrel ¨C at about the same moment Frolaytia threw her lit kiseru at the back of her hand.


    ¡°Hot!?¡±


    ¡°Why would you draw it right in front of me, you moron? And you were aiming for my heart? How were you supposed to pass that off as suicide?¡±


    Without a moment¡¯s delay, Frolaytia swept the other woman¡¯s legs out from under her. The assassin had reflexively placed her other hand on the burn, so she failed to catch herself and slammed shoulder-first into the floor. She grimaced in pain and tried to get up, but Frolaytia pressed the bottom of her boot against the other shoulder to force her back to the floor.


    She felt a dull sensation similar to operating a car¡¯s shift lever.


    That had dislocated both of the assassin¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Gh, kh!?¡±


    ¡°Now you can¡¯t even kill yourself. Resist any further and I will dislocate both legs as well. To be clear, a dislocated hip hurts a hell of a lot more than a shoulder. I will respect your choice, but I do not at all recommend it.¡±


    The 21st had reacted too quickly.


    The 37th¡¯s server had been cut off mere minutes after sending the warning email to the social media company in order to reveal Bullrank Happy-Youth for who he really was. The response would never be that sharp if they were simply patrolling the internet as a whole. A large company would receive hundreds of those coaxing targeted emails every single day, so not even an AI search could have responded with such accuracy.


    Thus, it must have come from within the 37th.


    Someone very close to Frolaytia Capistrano must have sent out a warning. She had asked a member of the electronic simulation division to investigate who was secretly sending out a signal despite the datalink being down and the server being useless. That would be who was accessing a different server to leak information.


    (But I didn¡¯t expect it to be her.)


    That said, not enough time had passed since the incident in the Arctic Ocean for a spy to have been sent in response to that. The 21st had not sent one of their dogs in response to anything; they had already had people everywhere.


    The Princess, Quenser, and Heivia had all worked themselves to the bone for this, so Frolaytia had known she could not just wait safely for the result.


    That was why she had laid this trap without knowing who would spring it, but¡­


    (This is so very depressing.)


    ¡°We never did find any compromising information on Bullrank Happy-Youth. Except for what you might have, that is.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    This woman had covered everything up.


    And the busty, silver-haired demon spoke cruelly to that person she had thought of as an ally fighting alongside her at this desk.


    She spoke her words of farewell.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I managed to lure you out. To be honest, I would have been out of ideas if you hadn¡¯t attacked me here. Did you think I would leave you with the intelligence division? How na?ve of you. I don¡¯t know where your spies are located, so this is a job for someone I know I can trust.¡±


    ¡°You mean you will be interrogating me yourself?¡±


    ¡°No, I know someone even better suited for the job.¡± Frolaytia gave a vicious smile while shaking free of all sentimentality. ¡°Sergeant Elise Montana. You used to be a part of the 7th Special Training Unit yourself, didn¡¯t you? One of their strict instructors can whip you into shape. Until you tell us everything.¡±


    Between the Lines 3


    She was like a dried-out husk.


    Lendy Farolito stood stock still.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    The ringlet curls Pilot Elite waved a small hand in the silver-haired brown-skinned commander¡¯s face, but she remained motionless. Nothing could get her to move right now.


    ¡°Th-the underground bank for rare earths ¨C ha, ha ha ¨C went out of business? It went broke???¡±


    ¡°Oh, dear. And wait a moment. Didn¡¯t you use tax money for that Immortanoid business?¡±


    She had been accepting jobs where she took money from people in unstable countries and regions and converted it into precious metals like Immortanoid. The idea had been to make money off of the commissions. But if she could not convert the money as promised, she was in violation of contract.


    And whatever money was lost in the process would have to be paid from her own pocket when returning it to the original owner. Along with a contract violation fee.


    The introductory section of the bank¡¯s webpage had the following written in fine print at the very bottom:


    This service does not 100% guarantee profit. Be aware that there is always a risk of making back only a fraction of your principal¡î


    ¡°M-my Caribbean vacation.¡±


    With their budget gone, there was nothing she could do.


    So what would become of their New Year¡¯s leave that was meant to make up for spending Christmas on a concert designed to improve the military¡¯s image?


    ¡°My Caribbean vacatiooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!!!!!!¡±

 Volume 17, Epilogue

    Volume 17, Epilogue


    They had gone through hell on earth yet again.


    ¡°This couldn¡¯t get much worse! Bloody corpses and gasoline-soaked wreckage are everywhere. Aren¡¯t the Alps supposed to be holy ground for mineral water!? Who¡¯s gonna want to drink the water here now!?¡±


    ¡°Diesel is a light oil. And wouldn¡¯t that still be better than tap water that makes you sick?¡±


    ¡°The real question is what to do about our busty commander.¡±


    ¡°Spreading her legs and flipping her over is a must, but I want some more ideas. Anyone got any requests?¡±


    Major Frolaytia Capistrano had apparently set this all up in secret, so a four-letter word starting with F had been in the back of their minds throughout the entire fight. Incidentally, the last letter is K, the second is U, and the third is C. The soldiers of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion were unbeatable while boiling with rage like this. Each and every one of them could shirtlessly swing around a Gatling gun right now.


    Working off one¡¯s lust through sports apparently did not work for this dime-a-dozen box set of idiots. With them, it had only boiled the lust down into a crystalized form.


    And when they arrived in the maintenance base zone, they found their silver-haired busty commander had used the ¡°naked apron¡± special move and had also prepared a sumptuous feast for them.


    ¡°Welcome back, everyone!! Anyone who takes my side can eat as much as they want!!¡±


    ¡°No fair, you black-hearted pair of boobs! What happened to our free will here!!!???¡±


    Anyone would choose the T&A over making a noble sacrifice.


    This was set up so the potatoes would separate into a group that wanted to enjoy the bare skin and a group that insisted on a punishment. The two groups would end up fighting each other, so Frolaytia herself would emerge untouched and victorious despite having seemingly lowered her defenses to zero.


    The potatoes realized Frolaytia understood all too well how the world worked, so there was no way for them to escape her grasp. Their only option was to eat the food before them and recall what it felt like to be alive. They were exhausted after all the fighting, so they wanted to gorge themselves on some carbs.


    ¡°Major Capistrano,¡± said Elise Montana with a quick salute. ¡°We have extracted all the pus related to the Body File. I do not believe there is any risk of another unit pursuing you.¡±


    ¡°I doubt the 21st was acting alone in this. Wouldn¡¯t some of the higher ups have been in on it?¡±


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s the thing.¡± The strict instructor began to fidget. ¡°It seems the title of 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion was no more than camouflage. They were a secret unit that preserved genetic information on the royals and nobles around the world and performed R&D on medicines for the risks found in those genes. It was the 21st themselves who created the Body File.¡±


    ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°Of course. They had a massive amount of research data, which had to be stored on the most secure server they could find since genetic risks are like the Achilles heel of the royals and nobles. In the worst case, someone could use that information to biologically develop a deadly virus tailored specifically for them.¡±


    ¡°That explains it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is why their Second Generation Crystal Scrying was so odd. It seems to have functioned as a giant medical server. That means their research cannot continue now that we have destroyed it. Assassinating us would no longer benefit the higher ups. The research has stalled, but the destruction of the Object also eliminates the risk of the Body File getting out.¡±


    ¡°If those people are so obsessed with their own survival, will they really accept that?¡±


    ¡°Do you remember the final transmission sent out by the Crystal Scrying, Major? It was not encrypted, so everyone should have picked it up.¡±


    Frolaytia blew out a long stream of smoke. Incidentally, the long, narrow kiseru was a very poor match for a naked apron.


    And she answered the question.


    ¡° ¡®I¡¯m so tired,¡¯ right?¡±


    ¡°Even if they still had the technology, they must have been at their limit morale-wise. And it makes sense. The royals and nobles are supposed to be an unshakable presence, but the 21st¡¯s researchers were constantly witness to their fears and anxieties. It was the very teachings that the Legitimacy Kingdom uses to rule its people that left those Legitimacy Kingdom researchers unable to bear it any longer. It was a structural flaw. Even if they gather new personnel and start the research anew, it should fall apart at some point.¡±


    There was no guarantee the royals or nobles would start dropping like flies due to some disease or disaster someday.


    And who would survive that trial would depend on what kind of trial it was. Only those with the compatible key would survive, so at the moment the problem appeared, no one from commoner to royal would have an advantage.


    But some people had refused to accept that.


    That refusal was fueled by the fears and anxieties that they might be the inferior ones.


    So.


    The people who had seen those fears and anxieties had felt like everything they believed in was being denied and destroyed.


    ¡°Which means it¡¯s over,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°With no repercussions whatsoever for the royals and nobles who supported the 21st¡­or rather, who forced the 21st to perform that medical research.¡±


    ¡°Having to fear death by some unique disease for the rest of their life might count as a repercussion¡î¡±


    Their punishment was no more than a delusion.


    That might seem too light, but that was also the one thing they had failed to shake free of after all this time. They feared a disease that might not even exist, so even if no one was criticizing them, they would have to live a hellish life of fear so great it turned their hair white.


    Elise narrowed her eyes behind her glasses.


    ¡°Wars based on anger or pleasure never last long. The greatest driving forces are fear and anxiety. Although in most cases, that leads to an uncontrollable panic.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do, Sergeant Elise?¡±


    ¡°Me? I am an instructor of the 7th Special Training Unit, so I can educate people in how to control themselves even when they hold great power in their hands. I am confident in my ability to teach anyone to do that.¡±


    The strict instructor of the Special Training Unit smiled.


    However¡­


    ¡°But only when there is a common assumption that they will be fighting against an enemy. Whether we are talking about entrance exams, military training, or even elegant ballet or piano, I cannot educate someone when there is no competition. I cannot create a goal for them then.¡±


    ¡°Is there no way to improve yourself all on your own? I do hear golf is like a battle against yourself.¡±


    ¡°If that were really true, they would not hold tournaments. People feel excitement and are moved to emotion through intense competition with others and that is why so many people gather to participate in those tournaments. People may have once been taught how to feel satisfied on their own, but those teachings must have long been abandoned.¡±


    All of this was just one form it took.


    The 21st Mobile Maintenance Battalion had been annihilated and the research meant to relieve the royals¡¯ anxieties had ground to a halt, but another conflict was brewing.


    And whether they wanted more conflict or were trying to avoid it, if they aimed a gun toward the 37th, they would have to be destroyed.


    ¡°It¡¯s all so fruitless.¡±


    ¡°Why not find a way to enjoy yourself in war? I recommend making up your own rules and aiming for a high score.¡±


    In the end, this was how the world worked.


    In this crazy age, only those who enjoyed war could survive.

 Volume 17, Afterword

    Volume 17, Afterword


    It has been a while, hasn¡¯t it? This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    The story this time crosses into a new year!! If you have read the book, you know exactly how far the story strays from a traditional White Christmas. But I think it is more exciting for Santa to be a sexy young woman in a miniskirt than some old man! Santa should be showing some midriff even in the winter!!


    As usual, the Object was a bizarre one. I was curious a while back how bulletproof glass worked and looked into it, but the concept is surprisingly simple. However, it does have some downsides, like the windows not breaking and trapping you inside if your bulletproof car falls into the ocean. Similarly, installing bulletproof windows and doors in your house is not exactly safe. You don¡¯t have to worry about them being destroyed from the outside, but you lose the peace of mind that comes from being able to destroy them from the inside to escape. I thought that could apply to Objects which always take things way too far into one field in particular. I introduced a paper Object before, but am I the only one who thinks of glass as even more fragile and fleeting? ¡­If I had gone with a Cinderella motif, it could have become a heroine Object. This enemy did not really leave room for sympathy, but I do think I gave the 21st their own kind of justice. You never know, the Elite inside might have been a super-skilled cute girl hugging a large stuffed animal while she fought.


    Researching lightning induction was fun. Controlling weather conditions ¨C especially one as exciting as lightning ¨C sounds like an incredible thing, so it¡¯s kind of amazing they can¡¯t find any immediately practical use for it like they can with AI and rare earths. From a safety perspective, existing lightning rods are good enough. It makes that research perfect for use in fiction.


    Also, I decided to have Quenser and Heivia using vehicles and cannons more than just walking around the battlefield on foot. I¡¯m a little disappointed I didn¡¯t get the chance to use a bridge layer, though. Anyway, this was a test to see if letting them move freely around the battlefield and use everything available to them would add to the usual sense of exhilaration, but what did you think? From a purely aesthetic perspective, my favorite is the maneuver combat vehicle with eight wheels and a gun turret attached, but I also can¡¯t say no to how weird those support vehicles with the digging arms and drills are.


    I made sure to have a large before-and-after difference with the new character Elise. M and S are two sides of the same coin. Surviving all that cruel treatment unharmed means she has to be very skilled indeed. And on that note, could you say the same about Major Frolaytia? I actually had two ideas for the ending. The other one had a smiling Elise-sensei punishing Frolaytia by soaking her in a metal drum ice bath. But of course I went with the naked apron!! Because I felt like it would be more fun for karma to be fundamentally broken in the Heavy Object world. Anyway, since Frolaytia felt the need to go to all that effort this time shows she knew just how much trouble she would have been in without that. It might be cute to imagine her sweating and panicking in front of the closet before Quenser and the others arrived.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, and Mitera-san. This one might have been more difficult than usual with all the various tricks involved. I know I was a lot of trouble yet again, so thank you very much.


    I also give my thanks to the readers. What did you think of this story that used pure white settings for each chapter? I am praying that you enjoyed this crazy world where normal good and evil do not apply and enjoyed seeing those two idiots tear apart that world¡¯s rules.


    And I will leave it at that.


    A-all of a sudden, Myonri has turned into a veteran warrior¡­


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 18, Prologue

    Volume 18, Prologue


    The final frontier was Africa.


    But before we discuss that, a question: can economic opportunity only be found in areas with explosive population growth? With air conditioning, phones, cars, food processors, health products, and all other ordinary products, the sales are much greater when selling in a major country of a billion than in a small village of a hundred. Just calculate out the numbers if the product sells to an average of 1% of potential customers.


    Asia and Central and South America were once the center of attention thanks to their explosive population growth, but that has since slowed. That means all the standard household items have already been sold to every household there. You have a computer or smartphone, don¡¯t you? Once everyone already has one, the sales drop. Even if people need to purchase an updated model every so often, they aren¡¯t going to pay for an expensive new device each and every time a new one comes out, right?


    In that sense, Africa has gained attention as an untapped vein of customers. Especially south of the Sahara. All sorts of major corporations have set up branch offices and stores there and satellite-based internet infrastructure is being built at a rapid pitch. The wireless there has gotten so much faster.


    All the appliances are loaded with AI. With rice cookers, electric water boilers, and washing machines, you only have to say ¡°Now with AI!¡± in the ads and people will buy a new one these days. That¡¯s one way of increasing the sales of products people already own, so why wouldn¡¯t the companies take advantage of it? I¡¯m not sure what the exact definition of AI is or how the cheap AIs loaded in appliances are any different from a normal support program, but AI is king. For the time being anyway.


    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t find it at all unusual for that to be located in central Africa. Those can only be built near the equator and building it out at sea isn¡¯t realistic given the stability needed at the base. Central America would be tricky since the Panama District is still disputed and northern Oceania presents problems from the economic side of things. Yes, you can see this land as where all the money has gathered. It naturally found a home where the geographic, economic, and data conditions were all favorable.


    But a space elevator, huh?


    From what I¡¯ve heard, space development has entirely shifted there once mass drivers were removed from the competition. That selfish girl¡¯s Capitalist Corporations must be in upheaval yet again. Never a good sign.

 Volume 18, 1: Overture >> Attack on the Turkana District Space Elevator - Gr. Base

    Volume 18, Chapter 1: Overture >> Attack on the Turkana District Space Elevator ¨C Gr. Base


    Part 1


    Mom, dad, how are you?


    It¡¯s your son, Quenser Barbotage.


    I have been working hard out here. I came here as a battlefield student to study Objects, but they keep giving me work to do. And there¡¯s always more no matter how much I do, so is there any way to escape this?


    Please look after your health.


    I would also appreciate it if you used your heads a little more when sending me gifts. Vacuum-packed roast beef? A ready-made white stew that¡¯s supposed to taste just as good as a restaurant if you add hot water? Why stuff a box full of delicious safe country preserved food when the military has a cargo inspection gate it needs to pass, you stupid parents?


    ¡°Die, die, die, die!! Oh, sh*t! We¡¯re gonna be overwhelmed by that guerilla charge!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be celebrating a happy New Year, so what the hell are we doing all the way out in Africa!?¡±


    The two idiots with sand coating their hair could not be blamed for yelling.


    The sh*tty world was once again treating the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes to a violent potato washing. How violent, you ask? A local guerilla group was crossing a minefield by poking at the ground with sticks and, when someone carelessly blew up a mine, the rest of the group continued pushing onwards from behind. They apparently thought they would be safe if they were a long stick¡¯s length away when it went off, but that was not enough to escape the landmine¡¯s effective range. The rest was just pure desperation.


    The machinegun fire could not keep up.


    It was like a long horizontal wave of people pushing in from the horizon.


    Student Quenser Barbotage and Noble Heivia Winchell withdrew to the back of their encampment while holding a heavy machinegun and a large radio.


    ¡°Let¡¯s contact the Princess. We can¡¯t win this without that kind of largescale support!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s so focused on that huge thing she can¡¯t see us down on the ground. Or are you saying you¡¯re gonna take care of that thing for her, skinny boy!?¡±


    The two boys had not hidden behind a large boulder or a thick concrete wall. They were behind a tank that was kept low by staying in a large hole they had dug into the dried and cracked ground.


    They were less than 2m away, but they received an encrypted transmission from the digital generation girl within.


    ¡°I know I should have asked this ages ago, but how stupid are you, Heivia!? Digging a hole to hide this cutie is meaningless if you lead the enemy right to her! And this sheltered girl is worth several million euros, I might add!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Myonri!! Give that fancy villainess a good slap on the ass!! Blow them away with those explosive rounds already, you idiot!!¡±


    Africa was a vast continent, but it could generally be divided into 6 categories.


    The dry desert, or the wet greenery.


    The worthless barren land, or the valuable arable land.


    The undisturbed nature, or the urbanized cities.


    The Turkana District was located on the equator in eastern Africa and it was best known for its enormous lakes. It was supposed to be a nature park large enough to contain the entire Island Nation with nothing but verdant forests, grassy plains, and all sorts of life as far as the eye could see, but things had changed recently.


    It was so bad you wanted to avoid breathing too deeply without a mask.


    Scorched sand and dry, cracked land were the only things visible out to the horizon in every direction.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Humanity is gonna wipe itself out from destroying the environment before our wars can do us in.¡±


    ¡°Then how about we make these tanks electric? Cough, it reeks of diesel back here!¡±


    Then Myonri fired an explosive round.


    It was like horizontally launching a firework made of metal and gunpowder.


    With a loud boom, the 45ton tank slid a bit backwards. The new shells they had received in the latest version-up for the weaponry had way too much gunpowder inside, so Quenser and Heivia were nearly crushed by the steel continuous track while leaning against the thick armor.


    The shell flew along a flattened arc that looked nearly straight.


    The encampment the potatoes had abandoned still had ammo cases and soap-like rations left behind. Just as the guerillas¡¯ charge slowed somewhat by their interest in that, the shell flew in. Its coating and 2000 metal balls were propelled in all directions by the explosive force in the center of the enemy group.


    A very red and very liquid explosion splattered everywhere.


    Quenser and Heivia did not even have it in them to complain about the ringing in their ears from the blast.


    ¡°Ew¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the ones that requested support, so don¡¯t act shocked by this,¡± said Myonri. ¡°You¡¯re not a pacifist back in a safe country watching talk shows with a snack in hand.¡±


    ¡°Underestimate an unsatisfied housewife and you will soon fall victim to one, Myonri.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°You need to be careful. It¡¯s the defenseless types like you that those experienced housewives will prey on first. And they don¡¯t care about gender either.¡±


    ¡°Commander, please check the tank¡¯s biological weapon alert. Everyone outside seems to be living in a fantasy world!¡±


    Myonri was learning how to make better comebacks. Major Frolaytia Capistrano¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion could help a shy and nervous girl open up, but it might chip away at her prudence and refinement in the process.


    At any rate, modern tanks could complete the automatic reload and smart targeting process in no time, so several more anti-personnel explosive rounds were launched to efficiently tear through the guerilla ranks.


    The potatoes hiding behind the steel vehicle with nothing better to do began to cheerfully sing with their eyes shining bright.


    ¡°Guerillas, guerillas, kill the guerillas, kill them all now¡î¡±


    ¡°One, two, three, two, two, three, four, kaboom, kaboom!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, god. What¡¯s wrong with you two now? Is the gunfire rattling your heads so bad you forgot what morality is?¡±


    The battle had become a slaughter similar to sweeping the eraser across the blackboard to eliminate all the chalk writing. But for some reason, this did nothing to stop the advance of the guerillas. The flesh-and-blood humans continued charging right at the purely industrial tank.


    The two idiots finally returned to their senses.


    ¡°Why do they want to protect that big-ass thing so much!?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°It all comes down to money. Humans are the one animal willing to die for money, after all. I mean, the simple monetary value of that thing is dozens of times that of an oil field. And unlike petroleum, you don¡¯t have to worry about this drying up. Africa has plenty of valuable resources ¨C gold, diamonds, petroleum, rare earths ¨C but they¡¯ll all run out eventually. So anyone would be desperate to protect a permanent fortune that will never run out.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s the space elevator, huh?¡±


    Heivia groaned and leaned out from behind the tank to look far into the distance.


    An ultra-tall structure stood around 2000m tall and looked as thin as a needle.


    And several wires extended far, far above that like part of a string instrument.


    That giant structure towered into the sky from beyond the horizon and its impossibly tall silhouette did not have a visible top because it eventually faded into the blue sky above. That was because it was so tall that the thick layer of air between blocked the light. That was the same reason high altitude spy planes could not be seen with the naked eye.


    Objects were known as colossal weapons, but this thing dwarfed even them.


    It was said the Tower of Babel was a symbol of humanity¡¯s arrogance and that seemed appropriate after seeing this horrifically large structure.


    That was the Space Elevator Mother Lady.


    ¡°We can see it so clearly, but we¡¯re still 70km away, right? Not even the Island Nation¡¯s Mt. Fuji can hold a candle to this. It¡¯s insane.¡±


    ¡°And instead of the laser type that fires powerful beams into the cargo tanks¡¯ asses, this is the wire type that was thought to be impossible. They said an SF director cried tears of joy after hearing about it.¡±


    Since the 37th¡¯s soldiers were here, their Object, the Baby Magnum, was as well. But there was an obvious reason why the Princess was hanging around behind the battleline instead of crushing the guerillas and driving up to Mother Lady.


    A blinding lightning-like beam of light passed by them far above their heads.


    But that was not the Object firing on the space elevator.


    Quite the opposite.


    ¡°Goddamn that thing!!¡± shouted Heivia.


    ¡°It can do whatever the hell it wants with that ridiculous amount of power,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°I thought we cut off its power source? It doesn¡¯t have any power cables left intact.¡±


    ¡°There are several theories about that. It might have a web of power cables running underground and it might have a nuclear reactor hidden somewhere.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re talking about the world¡¯s largest artificial structure here. They¡¯ve essentially erected themselves an enormous silicone you-know-what out here. Y¡¯know, starts with a ¡®d¡¯ and ends in ¡®ildo¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Way to show off your ignorance there, buddy. When it¡¯s powered by a battery inside, it¡¯s named after the vibrating it does.¡±


    ¡°You idiot!! Modern toys either use a USB cable or are wirelessly charged using microwaves. Now who¡¯s showing off their ignorance!?¡±


    ¡°You dare question my knowledge on this subject!? How about I tell you about the latest tech that perverted safe country professors are researching in their labs? In a truly shocking turn of events, a mysterious new massager that has its own balls made from iPS cell sheets nearly impregnated the very curious housewife who volunteered to test it out!!¡±


    ¡°Ew, that¡¯s just gross! What part of that is supposed to be sexy!?¡±


    ¡°What if I told you the perverted professor in question was single 20-year-old STEM blonde genius girl who skipped past several years of her schooling, looks amazing in glasses and high heels, and is way more into women than men?¡±


    ¡°Okay, you win this round. That changes everything.¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha. She has an IQ of over 200, but when she got scared, she went pale and tried dumping cola down there.¡±


    ¡°I already said you win this round! Now you¡¯re just showing off!!¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with you two!?¡± cut in Myonri. ¡°Carbonated drinks don¡¯t actually do a thing to help with that, so stop bragging about believing false information! Our entire battalion can hear your radio transmissions, you know!? Frolaytia, will you please do something to stop this ungodly stupid and disgusting conversation!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now here¡¯s a surprise. Myonri actually knew what we were talking about. And she even knows her fact from fiction on the subject.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that a surprise, Quenser? Anyone would get pent up stuck in a cramped tank like that. And she¡¯s a gadget girl, so you just know she¡¯s particular about what toys she uses.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it. I bet she¡¯s spent some quality time with a massage chair or some VR goggles.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to shoot you?¡± warned Myonri.


    The space elevator¡¯s foundational structure extended like a spear up from the ground base. In fishing terms, that would be the rod instead of the line, but for some reason, it had an enormous laser beam cannon attached at the top.


    And its power was on par with an Object.


    That was why the Princess could not approach so easily. Dealing with the guerillas standing in the way would be easy enough, but if she was stopped for even a moment, Mother Lady¡¯s laser beam would blast right through her. Quenser and the others wanted to get their Object to the elevator if at all possible. At close range, it apparently fired anti-tank coilguns down from its walls, so the infantry would be forced into a very bloody charge if they could not get the Princess to break through with her thick armor.


    ¡°What do we do? This entire mission is going to fail if we don¡¯t hurry up.¡±


    ¡°Planning your moves in advance, Heivia? Since when were you so thoughtful?¡±


    So the plan was for Quenser, Heivia, and the rest of the potatoes to clear out the surface and confirm things were safe before the Baby Magnum could charge in as quickly as possible and the Princess could use her graceful hands to tear down the base of the elevator.


    The elevator was fixed in place and the Object could move.


    It was obvious which one had an advantage there, yet the Princess was still unable to attack.


    Quenser and the others should have been vaporized with nowhere to hide from that humongous long-range laser beam cannon, but for whatever reason, the space elevator never directly targeted the ground. Maybe it had to do with the angle of fire or the targeting system, but they could not truly rest easy without knowing the actual reason for it. When their lives were on the line, ¡°for whatever reason¡± was not good enough.


    ¡°So how¡¯d they build that thing anyway?¡± asked Heivia half in disgust. ¡°It takes months to build a department store, so couldn¡¯t we have come in here and stopped things mid-construction without having to mess with all this now?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t build it up from the ground. First, they secretly built the space station and then they let most of the rest drop down like a waterfall.¡±


    ¡°Like a waterfall?¡±


    ¡°The ground base looks like a huge spear sticking up into the sky, but more than 99.9% of its 100,000km length is actually carbona nanotube wires. So think of it like letting a fishing line drop down. Although the earth¡¯s centrifugal force is apparently tugging on it.¡±


    Conflicts were also fought in space using unmanned spacecraft and killer satellites, but there were still fewer watchful eyes up there than down on the surface. The world was a cramped place, but there was still enough room for large units to be launched into orbit as supposed radio telescopes or power generation satellites only to secretly join together into a giant robot. And nothing was as rude as attacking in the middle of a transformation sequence.


    Of course, this project was much too big for the local guerillas to have done on their own.


    Someone else was behind it.


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations really do control space, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Specifically, the Federation of Elevator Industries.


    That was a powerful space development agency started with joint funding from 7th Core, the seven major companies that controlled the home country of the Capitalist Corporations.


    Online news had reported on the beginning of construction on the elevator a while back, but not much was known what had happened with it since.


    ¡°They¡¯ve got so much tech they had time to choose between a mass driver or an elevator. They eventually did go with the elevator, though.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to the support of online stores, that is.¡± Quenser breathed an exasperated sigh. ¡°Because an elevator that can cheaply launch large quantities of whatever into space will revolutionize distribution. Even high-altitude spy planes can¡¯t fly any faster than Mach 6 or 7 since they have to move through the air, but in the vacuum of space, they can try to reach Mach 15 or even 20. And if they only have to drop the package ¡®down¡¯ in zero-g, they don¡¯t even have to use up any fuel for a rocket or engine. Once the online payment goes through, a parachute-equipped container will use your location information to reach you with a margin of error of only 100cm. That gives them the ultimate delivery network that can reach anywhere on the planet and even the lunar villas in 60 minutes or less.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of that? If you want to use the elevator to deliver a pizza, you¡¯d have to take it to this desert first. And that¡¯s true for anywhere in the world.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been giving it a ¡®test run¡¯ for about a year since the elevator was completed.¡±


    It was the elevator that had turned the area into a parched desert.


    That was not a change that happened overnight.


    ¡°There haven¡¯t been any real problems with it and nothing during the test period counts as an industrial achievement. No matter how much they earn, they aren¡¯t making any profit off of it. So no matter how many tons of deliveries they make around the world, it won¡¯t show up in the sea of records. Or it shouldn¡¯t have. But they got greedy. The unseen earnings grew too large and it stood out in the records.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    ¡°The idea of ¡®global coverage¡¯ may have been too much of a draw for the 7th Core parent companies. Y¡¯know how the ads for same day delivery always have fine print excluding certain regions or islands? They wanted to eliminate those exceptions no matter what it took. And if they¡¯re dropping the deliveries from above, the cost of a delivery to the peak of Everest or the middle of Antarctica is no more expensive than anything else. They could even deliver to a cruise ship in international waters or to territories belonging to other world powers. The world would end flooded with even more empty delivery boxes than now, though.¡±


    ¡°So they wanted to fill in all the gaps, like how the number of convenience stores in a big city just keeps growing?¡±


    ¡°They are the Capitalist Corporations, after all. And this is funded by 7th Core that runs their home country.¡±


    So the space elevator itself was incredibly convenient, but the biggest bottleneck was finding a place to construct it. First of all, it had to be near the equator. The carbon nanotubes used for the wires connecting the heavens with the earth were strong, but being made of carbon meant they were weak against high-voltage currents and they would easily break if thick thunderclouds moved through. So placing the elevator in the path of a hurricane would be a problem.


    Since the wires had to stretch all the way up into space, they would constantly be exposed to the 2000+-degree thermosphere. That meant the material had to have some resistance to heat, but not even that was enough to endure the instantaneous temperature of 30,000 degrees caused by lightning. And the static electricity built up within a cloud¡¯s moisture by friction could be enough to cause that.


    That meant the first big question was where to locate the elevator.


    The Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Federation of Elevator Industries had apparently chosen to throw money around to win over the locals instead of slaughtering the residents of that blank zone that existed outside the four world powers. Hence why the guerillas were acting as their pawns. They were working to help, but they were not actual soldiers, so they were not counted amount the official war dead when they died. That was a valuable loophole, so the Capitalist Corporations was free to send them on reckless suicide missions like this.


    The locals had given up their land for money, believing it would earn them even more money, and now they were fighting for money and dying before seeing a single dime.


    ¡°So all of this was worked into the plan? Man, I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like the Legitimacy Kingdom is much better. We claim to be here to protect the precious natural resources, but we¡¯re only interested in preserving the bugs and flowers here because they might just be useful for developing new drugs.¡± Quenser sighed while wiping off his sandy face. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you fancy nobles here, by the way. None of this matters at all to us commoners with common DNA. Your special genetic structures make you susceptible to fancy VIP genetic diseases, so you want to have as many possible drug ingredients as you can get just in case one of them comes in handy.¡±


    Looking at the population alone, the commoners were an overwhelming majority, but it was the minority of royals and nobles packed full of rare DNA that decided what they would fight their wars over. That was just how the Legitimacy Kingdom did things.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t anyone out there fighting to bring peace to the world?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then go do it yourself, Heivia.¡±


    The space elevator was a colossal structure.


    Just like mountain ranges and valleys altered the wind currents to produce unique forms of weather, that elevator sliced through the air currents like a giant blade, causing the wind to split out into a Y-shape. That had apparently distorted the natural winds of the region. And people suspected meteorological weapons were deployed in response to any irregular weather changes since the elevator could not have any thunderclouds passing through. Simply put, the area around the elevator was always sunny. Unnaturally so.


    But anyway¡­


    ¡°Has the tank changed the battle¡¯s momentum? Hey, Myonri! We¡¯re gonna resume marching, but every round you fired detonated, right? I don¡¯t want to be blown away by our own unexploded ordnance!!¡±


    ¡°How should I know? I only operated the gun as ordered. If you have any complaints with the product, direct them to the safe country defense contractor¡¯s customer service desk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d only get redirected around the globe twice over by automatic recordings if I tried that.¡±


    Of course, the tank did not have unlimited ammo. Their unit did have dedicated supply vehicles that would transport new shells to them, but even with that, trying to suppress a large infantry force with only a tank¡¯s explosive rounds was not a good plan. Sadly, the shells cost far more than unofficial soldiers did. If they did not want Major Frolaytia Capistrano to spank them with her lit kiseru after she read through the expense report later on, Quenser, Heivia, and the rest of the potatoes needed to put in a more budget-friendly effort here.


    ¡°Dammit, we¡¯re left with two options here: avoid punishment at all costs or learn to accept the punishment as a reward,¡± complained Heivia.


    ¡°The problem is that Frolaytia always wears her uniform,¡± said Quenser. ¡°If she would just change into black leather bondage gear, I¡¯d let her whip me all day long.¡±


    They wanted to change the battle¡¯s momentum.


    Now that the tank had stopped the advancing guerillas, it would be best if the infantry could resume marching while spraying machinegun fire.


    ¡°Keep in mind where the explosive rounds hit,¡± said Myonri. ¡°There will be craters there and those will function as makeshift trenches. It would be best to make your attack while rushing from point to point.¡±


    ¡°Roger that, Myonri. That¡¯s better than nothing on this flat desert.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but if they chuck a grenade into one of those crater trenches, you can say goodbye to everyone inside it.¡±


    The potatoes¡¯ heavy machineguns gave a roar even louder than construction equipment demolishing a concrete building. Those were meant to be operated by a team of four, but when the soldiers emerged from behind the tank and moved across the cracked ground, they were carrying the assembled units with them in something like part of the cavalry battle game at an Island Nation sports festival.


    When one of them was shooting it, the others would be running. Then they would swap positions. Of course, they would spurt blood and collapse if one of the enemy¡¯s filthy and scratched-up bullets hit them.


    There was no perfect tactic or safe ground here.


    A special loophole was out of the question.


    ¡°Man, I wish I had a 5th or 6th generation powered suit right now. Tech really is the cheat code of the modern age. I wanna be the overpowered guy who doesn¡¯t have to put any blood, sweat, or tears into winning.¡±


    ¡°If you want to run around in the nasty training wear someone else was using and never washed, be my guest. Keep in mind that thing covers you from head to toe. Now, I won¡¯t kinkshame you, but don¡¯t expect me to understand it.¡±


    ¡°The last person wearing it might have been an athlete schoolgirl whose sweat glitters like diamonds or a housewife who takes yoga lessons every weekday afternoon!!¡±


    ¡°Have you seen the people stuck working on the 37th¡¯s front line!? It¡¯s nothing but filthy potatoes. In what fantasy world are you finding anyone good looking out here!?¡±


    ¡°I heard that, Heivia,¡± cut in Myonri.


    The 37th generally had the upper hand with only the occasional pushback from the guerillas who had become puppets of the Federation of Elevator Industries. When that happened, Myonri would fire explosive rounds from the tank to support them. The tank attempted to use as little ammo as possible by only firing on the problem areas, but seeing their own side¡¯s shells flying by overhead was still a nerve-wracking experience. The 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion was a truly wonderful workplace, but you could never enjoy the thrill rides at an amusement park afterwards.


    Quenser shouted wide-eyed in protest, but not for any humanitarian reasons.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t rely on the tank too much! Those shells are expensive! We might win the battle, but we¡¯ll end up buried in debt!!¡±


    ¡°You can worry about money once we¡¯ve won.¡±


    They had more than just the one heavy machinegun unit. While the other infantry were spraying bullets to push back the human wave, Quenser and Heivia¡¯s group carried the 20kg mass of metal toward the next crater. There, they began spraying their own bullets to cover for the others.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to eat grilled meat for a while. There¡¯s more human gore lying around than empty cartridges.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a lot of nutrients and moisture, so maybe it¡¯ll bring green back to the desert. Oh, don¡¯t get too near the corpses, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°What, you think they might be playing dead? None of them are in one piece anymore!¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t, but some of their equipment is still intact. If the detonators or fuses are still live, the slightest bump could set them off. And I mean the ammo, the grenades, and¡­are those things the size of rugby balls rocket warheads? Y¡¯know, the ones that cost 80 euros a pop but can blow up a tank that costs millions?¡±


    Heivia decided to keep his distance from the chunks of meat full of unexploded ordnance.


    ¡°But that¡¯s only when they score a surprise hit form the side, right? Myonri¡¯s tank is way back there and shoved down in a hole we dug. They don¡¯t have to worry about an attack from the side. Those cheap rockets and recoilless rifles don¡¯t have homing functionality, so it¡¯s not like they can curve around to hit the tank in the side from here.¡±


    That was when they heard a quiet sound.


    It sounded like the buzzing of a bug¡¯s wings.


    No, it was more like the motor of an electric razor.


    Puzzled, the two idiots poked their heads out of the crater.


    They saw a black spot in the blue sky.


    No, it was a 70cm crane fly made from a lightweight aluminum frame. Or you could call it a multicopter drone supported by multiple rotors.


    But instead of a delivery package, it was carrying something the size of a rugby ball.


    That something was an anti-tank rocket pointed straight toward the ground.


    ¡°Really!?¡±


    Heivia quickly turned around and prepared to shout into his radio, but he was too slow.


    The rocket ignited and stabbed straight down like a lightning strike.


    Right into the roof ¨C the primary weak point ¨C of the tank providing such powerful support from behind.


    Part 2


    Things had changed for the worse.


    ¡°The guerillas have better equipment than expected. The space elevator must have supplied it for them. Everyone, focus on making smart attacks using your electronic equipment!!¡±


    Silver-haired and busty Major Frolaytia Capistrano¡¯s words would have been useful had they not come so late. The two idiots really wished they could put a collar and chain on her and take her for a walk along the front line.


    The actual attack was more or less just a toy made by combining a flying drone with an anti-tank rocket that some dead soldier had been holding onto. It was a lot like reusing a rocket as a landmine after losing the launcher for it ¨C not the kind of recycling you wanted to see. But Quenser¡¯s group had heard nothing about the sandy guerillas using multicopter drones. Drones were a niche hobby at the home electronics level, but these wireless units looked very powerful. They were fast and made almost no noise.


    The student grabbed his radio.


    ¡°Wait, you dumbass!! What happened to Myonri!?¡±


    ¡°That jack-of-all-trades managed to escape in time. We have confirmed her survival, so worry about yourself. You can¡¯t expect any support from her tank anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. So we¡¯re stuck out here, huh? I swear you bring us nothing but trouble!!¡±


    ¡°Quenser, stop taking out your frustrations on a lovely lady like me. And don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgotten the sexual harassment of that highly-inappropriate conversation from before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god! You heard that!?¡±


    ¡°You were warned: the military records everything you say.¡±


    They would be able to last a while firing the heavy machineguns from the craters, but if the enemy could blow up a tank, they could do the same to a cluster of infantry. Once one of those drone bombs arrived overhead, the rocket would be launched straight down and the blast would fill the crater the potatoes were using to hide.


    ¡°The drones are top priority,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Quenser, you¡¯ve got nothing else to do, so use your binocs to keep an eye on the filthy sky! Don¡¯t overlook even one! We need to shoot them down before they get here or we¡¯re dead!!¡±


    ¡°Focus too much on the drones and the guerillas will reach us on the ground!!¡±


    ¡°Radar alert,¡± said a voice on the radio. ¡°Several unnatural readings are approaching the battlefield. They are almost certainly support materials being dropped from the Mother Lady space elevator. We estimate their size to be about that of a large tour bus!! Their contents are unknown, so they could contain anything from powered suits to tanks!!¡±


    ¡°What the hell are we supposed to focus on first!!!???¡± shouted Heivia while bristling.


    Despite his question, their top priority was the cargo tanks dropping from the sky. If the guerillas obtained a 120mm cannon with a gas turbine engine while the 37th¡¯s tanks were crushed, the guerillas could make a comeback. Wars were not determined by morality or emotions. It was all about quantity and cutting-edge equipment. And no one wanted to end up on the losing end where they were devoured by a monster that had the upper hand on both counts.


    ¡°Online stores are doing same-day delivery of weapons now.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean they¡¯re in geostationary orbit? They responded awfully quickly after the request down here was made. Are they launching cargo tanks with a simple coilgun or something instead of just letting them drop? In the vacuum of space, that might give them more speed than if they did the same on the surface.¡±


    Or it was possible they had other space stations positioned in lower orbits than the main one. Like the various foods positioned down the length of a skewer sitting on a grill. That would provide plenty of defense around the elevator.


    Regardless, complaining was not going to change anything.


    Those unwanted gift boxes were dropping onto the battlefield and it would be a huge pain if the enemy managed to collect them.


    ¡°Myonri, I don¡¯t care if it can¡¯t move. How many tanks aren¡¯t on fire yet?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still forcing me to work after all that?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to work, you should¡¯ve played dead, smartypants. Now quit lying around and get to work. Since you¡¯re amplifying your signal with a tank¡¯s equipment, you must have already reached a surviving one, right? Anyway, you¡¯re upwind of us, so gather smoke from that intact tank and then release it all! Hurry!!¡±


    Far behind them, a pink smokescreen spread out like cotton candy while a tailwind pushed it toward Quenser¡¯s group. With nothing to obstruct it, the smoke continued on and enveloped the guerillas as well. It had a toxic-looking chemical coloration, but since it was not tear gas, it would not actually stop the enemy. However, the enemy would panic until they realized that.


    Also, the supplies for the guerillas were descending from high in the sky, but no matter how accurately Mother Lady dropped them, the guerillas on the ground would have trouble moving into position with the giant pink cotton candy cloud obscuring their vision.


    Tech was the cheat code of the modern age, but it provided the same benefit to everyone.


    Outside of the Pilot Elites who operated Objects, no special bloodline or talent was needed to operate it.


    If the 37th picked up the Capitalist Corporations cargo tanks first, they could destroy them or even use the contents for themselves.


    ¡°Cough, ugh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a harmless health product ¨C it even has skin-friendly collagen inside. So don¡¯t let the placebo effect do you in, Heivia. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get going. Remove the spring from the machinegun and ditch the rest.¡±


    From here, it was all about speed.


    After removing a key component from the 20kg machinegun so it would no longer function, the potatoes abandoned the heavy machinery and rushed from the edge of the crater. The smokescreen not only blocked ordinary vision, it also absorbed or reflected EM, IR, and other forms of mechanical scans. They ran through the swollen pink cumulonimbus cloud and, whenever they found a guerilla within 2m of them, Heivia would cover their mouth and slit their throat with his knife.


    ¡°Man, we¡¯re actually doing real war stuff for once.¡±


    ¡°I am, maybe! You¡¯re doing jack sh*t, Quenser!!¡±


    ¡°And what am I supposed to do with my bombs? Make a bunch of noise that draws the guerillas to us, defeating the entire purpose of the smokescreen?¡±


    Even the largest group could be divided into nothing but individuals if their vision and means of communication were cut off. With EM blocked, everyone would be sending out panicked radio signals, so no one would question it if someone was not answering. This was not enough to wipe out a large army of course, but you could take out individuals and sneak into the enemy lines as long as the panic lasted.


    Their goal was the predicted landing point for one cargo tank.


    If they did not reach and destroy it before the local guerillas arrived there, the battle¡¯s momentum could be reversed. Being killed by the very people they had been so easily defeating before would make this the worst New Years ever. They were not interested in an unpredictable rollercoaster or a surprise twist on the last two pages. Not when they were the ones who would suffer for it.


    ¡°Am I imagining it, or are there a lot fewer people around here?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re near Point D4. After dropping that thing, they have to slow it down with a parachute at the end. If the wind blows just wrong, anyone in the area could be crushed by that thing¡¯s huge ass, so everyone¡¯s watching from a distance until it lands.¡±


    That meant the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes were sweatily chasing after that big mama¡¯s butt when not even the guerillas were interested. Happy New Year ¨C have a new fetish. Their only choice was to assume this was one of those immortal mamas who looked just like a schoolgirl no matter how old she got.


    ¡°Heivia, prepare your shoulder-fired missile. If the guerillas reach it first, blow away the people surrounding it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, but they¡¯re dropping multiple cargo tanks and I can¡¯t cover all of them.¡±


    That was when they heard a loud boom.


    It came from a good distance away.


    Quenser and Heivia stared blankly for a while.


    They heard a comrade speaking over an ultrasound transmission designed to travel through the smoke that blocked radar waves and IR.


    ¡°C2 here. Our cargo tank blew up from the inside! It killed Raver since he got there first!! There¡¯s a password written on the back of his organ donor card. Someone use that to fulfill his final wish by secretly erasing his hard drive and cloud storage!!¡±


    ¡°Did those sons of bitches send down decoys along with the real ones!?¡±


    Anyone trying to obstruct them would have to take out all the cargo tanks, but the recipients would be told which ones were real and could focus on those. It was a primitive but effective method.


    And hadn¡¯t Heivia said earlier that there were not many people around here?


    That would suggest¡­


    ¡°This one¡¯s a decoy too. Fall back, Heivia! Hurry!!¡±


    Just as Quenser shouted and gestured his warning, the thick pink smoke was torn through by something dropping nearby. It was a hunk of metal that had been carelessly separated from its parachute in midair.


    Before Heivia could even widen his eyes, a container that looked like a cross between an oblong box and a water bottle exploded from within due to the impact of the fall.


    Part 3


    Lieutenant Milinda Brantini was a member of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion.


    She was commonly referred to as the Princess.


    She was the Pilot Elite who operated the Baby Magnum, a multirole First Generation Object with 7 main cannons and an upside-down Y-shaped propulsion device, so you could say that every one of the battalion¡¯s nearly 1000 soldiers ¨C from the sentries to the commander ¨C had all been deployed to allow her to fight to her fullest. She had short blonde hair and pale blue eyes, she never batted an eye no matter what might happen, and she would move swiftly and aim accurately to protect the battalion and defeat the enemy. She had a beauty so great it could not even be compared to anything as clich¨¦ as ice.


    ¡°Bwuh¡­it¡¯s so hot. Why does the A/C have to be broken???¡±


    But this¡­this had broken her.


    She was in no state to be seen at present.


    The sweaty girl sat limply in the cockpit located at the center of her nuke-resistant Object. But she was not exhausted after moving that 200,000ton mass around with MMA-like footwork. It was hot. Just plain hot. Wiping off her brow did little to stem the flow of sweat.


    Silver-haired and busty Frolaytia breathed an exasperated sigh on a small window on the cockpit screen.


    ¡°That cockpit was designed to endure a nuclear attack, so of course it can¡¯t take in outside air. Your own body heat is trapped in there, so blame yourself¡î¡± ¡°Ayyy seee.¡±


    ¡°I do feel bad about that, but there was no room in the schedule to fix it. Oh, and the transport plane carrying the new one was just shot down by the elevator¡¯s anti-air lasers. I honestly have no idea when the next one can arrive, so you¡¯ll be better off finishing this job so you can leave that cockpit than continuing to stew in your own sweat. It¡¯s 28 degrees with 40% humidity out here, which is even nicer than Hawaii.¡±


    Their commander was apparently lounging on a beach chair with a cold drink in hand. She was of course positioned somewhere that no snipers or mortars could easily target her, but it was still wrong to be commanding your troops while wearing a bikini, sipping on a colorful soda, and munching on assorted fruits.


    As the legend foretold, the Princess did not bat an eye.


    Her expression remained entirely blank as she puffed out her cheeks like a squirrel.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡±


    She quickly stripped off her blue skintight special suit. She freed her pink-flushed nape and then the entirety of her back. She unzipped the suit, removed the sleeves, and then pulled it down to her hips.


    Her sports bra left her flat tummy visible, but she was beyond caring. She shook her head like a puppy wet from the rain and drops of sweat flew from her.


    This was enough for Frolaytia to sit up from her beach chair.


    ¡°That special suit helps fight the Gs and protect you from impacts.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to talk when you¡¯re lying around in a bikini.¡± The heat must have really gotten to her because the Princess did not even try to hide her flushed skin as she replied in a gloomy way. ¡°And I¡¯ll be fine. Nothing is going to happen anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°That kind of carelessness is exactly what-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she reiterated. Still with no expression on her face.


    It was true that the attack on the Capitalist Corporations space elevator was essentially at a stalemate. The Baby Magnum should have been at an advantage since it could move and the space elevator was immobile, yet she was stuck here and unable to attack. The space elevator effectively had more firepower than the Object.


    (But Objects are supposed to be the strongest weapons.)


    She pouted her lips like a small child and reached around toward the minifridge installed behind her seat. She felt around for a pouch of ice-cold jelly drink and pulled it out.


    ¡°Unyahhh.¡±


    Instead of quenching her thirst with it, she first held it between her flushed cheek and shoulder to let the chilliness soothe her soul.


    ¡°Mother Lady has two main attacks,¡± she said. ¡°The ultra-long-range laser beam that it fires horizontally from the top of the spear-like structure, and the artificial meteor shower attack that it calls down from outside the atmosphere.¡±


    There were also close-range coilguns on the side of the elevator, but those were only anti-tank weapons and Object armor could shrug them off.


    ¡°The laser beam has a range of about 700km and the artificial meteor shower uses chunks of depleted uranium and tungsten alloy,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°Just one of those hitting the ground creates a crater on par with a small nuclear warhead, but we¡¯re talking about 100 to 1000 of them.¡±


    That might sound like a truly horrifying attack, but they were only hunks of metal with no rockets or tail fins. And Objects were designed to perfectly intercept a MaRV that¡¯s movement was controlled by a program or a MIRV-class nuclear warhead that scattered nuclear weapons across a set area.


    With the anti-air laser beam weapons covering the spherical main body¡¯s surface like a sea urchin or chestnut burr, it would not miss a single one. And when something was entering the atmosphere, the slightest crack would increase the air friction to the point that it broke apart and created a massive shockwave. She could actually use the high altitude from which the artificial meteor shower was dropped. After determining its distribution, she could shoot down a bare minimum of the pieces so that the resulting shockwaves would hit the surrounding pieces, causing them to break apart, and resulting in a chain reaction. Even if 100 or 1000 artificial ¡°meteors¡± filled the African sky, she did not have to target each and every one of them individually.


    ¡°Get too relaxed there and they¡¯ll attack,¡± warned Frolaytia.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The Princess held the drink pouch between her thighs.


    With her hands free, she grabbed the grips on either side and kicked the Object to the right.


    The dust and moisture in the air were scorched orange as a powerful beam passed by just barely to her side.


    She had only moved one Object¡¯s-width to the side, but that meant the 200,000ton mass had moved 50m at more than 500km/h. It had to have whipped up a wind more powerful than when a train passed through a subway tunnel.


    It was so easy she did not even bother humming.


    ¡°I¡¯m so bored.¡±


    ¡°But you can¡¯t move in any closer.¡±


    Construction equipment had been used to dig into the ground around the space elevator and pour in static-absorbing gel, barbed wire coils thicker than a tunnel had been set up, and other Object-obstruction methods had been implemented. She might be able to power her way through all of them, but if they slowed her at all, she would be pummeled by the thick laser beams and artificial meteor shower.


    That meant this was a job for the infantry.


    She must have been too hot to care because the Princess kept the pouch of jelly drink in a fairly indecent place as she continued the conversation.


    ¡°But with a range of 700, I don¡¯t see how Quenser and the others can get close either.¡±


    Keep in mind that the units here were not in meters.


    ¡°It never fires its laser beam into the ground,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°That might be because the ground would rapidly absorb the heat and produce an unnatural updraft that could produce clouds not in their meteorological data. Mother Lady¡¯s wires are carbon nanotubes, so they¡¯re strong against impacts but weak to electricity.¡±


    And if they had a weakness like that, it was best to take advantage of it. The Princess fired her high-power laser beams onto the empty ground while making sure not to hit any of her allies or the battalion¡¯s vehicles.


    (Sigh, why is the world¡¯s strongest weapon doing a rain dance?)


    ¡°Princess, um, shouldn¡¯t you put your top back on soon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like Quenser and the others can see me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re as careless as the people who bring a tablet with a camera into the bathroom with them. Now, I might not care that much, but I¡¯m worried about the old maintenance lady¡¯s blood pressure. Are you trying to get her to lecture you?¡±


    The Princess ignored that kind warning and continued to fire her main cannons.


    But this time, not to indirectly create unexpected thunderclouds.


    She tried directly targeting the elevator, but her laser beams and railguns curved unnaturally before reaching it.


    Heat.


    Smoke.


    Water.


    Sand.


    To avoid clouds, the enemy had to have some way of manipulating the atmosphere. She could not hope to hit just by adjusting for a margin of error.


    EM and IR weapon lock-ons were well-known, but that was why so many countermeasures existed. And sometimes pushing for quantity could reduce accuracy.


    By spreading around iron sand or gel to increase the density of the air, shells that pushed through the air resistance would have their trajectory distorted and laser beams would attenuate.


    That was why she could not score a clean hit on the stationary elevator that she could plainly see in front of her.


    Long-range attacks were not good enough. If she wanted to force her attacks through that interference, she would have to move in closer.


    It towered into the heavens so conspicuously, yet she could not hit it. It felt like trying to attack a divine spear made out of a mirage.


    The colossal landmark seemed to entirely rewrite the rules of war.


    This was different from all of her previous battles.


    (It¡¯s no fun at all.)


    The frustration building in her body must have caused her to tense up too much.


    ¡°Hyah!¡±


    Her thigh pressure grew too great for the cap of the jelly drink held against her teenage crotch because it popped off and the heavy liquid within splattered across her body. She reached up to touch her cheek and bangs before growing somewhat tearful.


    ¡°Ugh, this is the worst.¡±


    ¡°Princess, I know you didn¡¯t mean to do that, but the old lady is definitely lecturing you until morning this time.¡±


    Part 4


    Things could hardly be worse.


    The cargo tank must have been loaded with something like tank shells with their fuses swapped out. With those van-sized containers packed full, this reached the level of a small aerial bombing. The blasts and shockwaves covered a radius of 200m.


    The only reason Quenser and Heivia were not turned to mincemeat was due to falling into a thick trench in the dry ground. There were traces of concrete mixed in with the scorching sand. This must have originally been an agricultural irrigation ditch, but it had completely dried up.


    ¡°We¡¯re dead. We are so dead. That big mama¡¯s ass exploded in our faces. That ultra-heavyweight mama has no tact at all. Don¡¯t just fart in people¡¯s faces.¡±


    ¡°More importantly, what happened with the real cargo tanks? The guerillas didn¡¯t collect them, did they!?¡±


    The smoke would not cover the battlefield forever. The wind had grown stronger, so Quenser and Heivia made certain they did not stick their heads above the former irrigation ditch. They watched as the cotton candy cleared away overhead, revealing the brutal near-equator sun overhead once more.


    With the pink smokescreen gone, they switched from ultrasound to ordinary encrypted radio for their transmissions.


    Their 18-year-old leader, Frolaytia Capistrano, had this to say:


    ¡°A9 failed to reach their target. I repeat, failed to reach their target. The guerillas have entered the cargo tank. The threat level just increased, so be on your guard!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! If you don¡¯t like it, get out here and do it yourself!! Oh, this isn¡¯t good! The adrenaline is hitting me in all the wrong ways!¡±


    They were not going to fix anything by saying unwise things much like someone in a sleep-deprived high after trying and failing to get to sleep. It would only get them in trouble later on, so wise Quenser asked about something else.


    ¡°Frolaytia, what weapon did the guerillas obtain?¡±


    ¡°Hm, hmmm.¡±


    ¡°Look at the screen and stop covering your eyes!! I¡¯ll record any more of those naughty-sounding groans, so please just tell us the bad news already!!¡±


    He really wanted their beautiful and capable adult of a commander to understand the simple fact that they were the ones who wanted to cry. Please.


    Finally, the silver-haired and busty commander responded.


    ¡°They managed to acquire some of the UGV22 Lunchboxes used by the Capitalist Corporations. They now have around 20 of those unmanned ground vehicles.¡±


    ¡°Unmanned!?¡±


    ¡°The enemy must like packing things in tight to fit 20 of those in a single cargo tank. What are they, a Class Rep or a young housewife? Each one is 3m long, weighs 2 tons, and has 50cm-thick armor on the front. Their primary weapons are a heavy machinegun and a grenade launcher. They¡¯ve made those small things as tough as an armored truck and they can charge right into a barrage since they¡¯re unmanned. Do not let them near you because they will ignite their remaining ammo to self-destruct if they¡¯re immobilized. I don¡¯t want to waste our human primates on those masses of metal and silicon, so prepare for electronic warfare!!¡±


    Armored trucks had thin armor compared to tanks, but they were still too much for an assault rifle or grenade to handle. These unmanned vehicles were apparently only 3m long, but since they did not need any space for anyone inside, they could be packed in tight to reduce the size of the entire weapon.


    They might as well have had 3m hunks of metal coming for them.


    That was a problem.


    No one wanted to try punching or kicking something like that and throwing rocks from afar would do nothing to slow them. They would always move at a constant speed and attack with deadly accuracy. They did not even care if they stepped in dog doo.


    ¡°What do we do? We left our machinegun in that crater and the others in this area will have already retrieved it. We only have its spring! This thing won¡¯t not even satisfy a bored housewife!!¡±


    ¡°Quit flopping that thing around, Heivia. Argh, why¡¯d the smokescreen have to clear up now? If we don¡¯t find another way to stop those things, they¡¯ll turn us to Swiss cheese from a safe distance.¡±


    They only had so many shoulder-fired missiles and it would be foolish for the humans to raise a war cry and go charging in against remote-controlled toys. They were fighting with their one and only life which could not be repaired or replaced if something happened to it. Their best bet was to find some way to cut off the guerillas¡¯ line of communication, cause a malfunction in the unmanned weapons¡¯ circuitry, or otherwise avoid fighting them altogether.


    ¡°Hey, what do we do?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°Unmanned weapons were supposed to be our thing. I don¡¯t wanna fight a war with inferior tech, so I vote we go home.¡±


    ¡°How in the world did you look at that enormous elevator and conclude we had the superior tech here? Besides, the guerillas are only borrowing those things from the Capitalist Corporations. Come with me, Heivia, this has turned into a battle of engineering. Those guerillas haven¡¯t read the manual and just assume they know what they¡¯re doing, just like pretty much everyone with their phones, so let¡¯s show them how wrong they are.¡±


    Part 5


    However, things did not always work out the way you wanted.


    ¡°Never mind! I was wrong! Retreat, retreat!!¡±


    ¡°I should really tie up that overconfident skinny boy and leave him out here!!!!!!¡±


    Part 6


    Quenser and Heivia rolled into a crack in the dry ground while pursued by the roar of an automatically swiveling heavy machinegun that scattered 700 bullets a minute. And each of those bullets was the same size as the 12.7mm ones used in anti-materiel rifles. A graze to the thigh would be enough to tear off the leg like wringing a rag.


    The bugs hiding in a gap in the ground groaned while protecting their heads with their hands.


    ¡°This is worse than I imagined!!¡±


    ¡°Why do you always do this!? You¡¯re always so shocked every time some new Object shows up!! Why give the enemy the reaction they want!?¡±


    Quenser had tried to use an attack that was harmless to people but deadly to machines: heat, EM waves, dust, dirt, static, moisture, etc. Unmanned weapons were giant communication devices encased in thick armor. Just like with a phone or computer, machines had plenty of weaknesses unique to themselves.


    Or so the theory goes. But¡­


    ¡°Damn, it didn¡¯t work. They¡¯re completely airtight, so no dust or moisture can get in. What kind of cooling system do they use? I didn¡¯t see the wire mesh for a radiator. Do those bastards use stylish fully-enclosed liquid cooling!?¡±


    ¡°Keep bragging about the enemy¡¯s specs and I¡¯m shoving my magnum in your yapping mouth, skinny boy!!¡±


    They heard the sound of metal panels scraping together.


    Those 3m box-shaped machines called Lunchboxes did not need any space for someone inside, so they were filled with armor instead. That made them heavy. They were only about 2 tons, but that was still too much for skinny tires that matched their size.


    ¡°Are you kidding me with these brand-new things? They¡¯re all bright and shiny like at a motor show.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t just paint or wax.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia were lucky the Lunchboxes¡¯ weight prevented them from moving very fast. They traveled at about the speed of a scooter while suppressing the enemy with their machinegun and grenades. Instead of nimbly pursuing their target, they were likely meant to be placed at a particular point to prevent anyone from getting through. By generally surrounding a target with several of them, they could then slowly close in on the target.


    But as Quenser and Heivia were pushed back by them, the fear was much like being slowly crushed by the moving walls in some ancient ruins. They were already within range of the barrage. At this rate, the unmanned weapons would catch up to them on their continuous tracks, but carelessly sticking their heads up from the crack in the ground would only get their torso torn in two by anti-materiel bullets.


    Quenser looked up into the slice of the blue sky he could see out of the crack.


    ¡°From the way they move, I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re operated remotely instead of using a program to patrol a set area. Can¡¯t our side jam them or something?¡±


    ¡°They refuse to attempt something when they know they¡¯ll fail. Since it detracts from their score. Have you forgotten what we¡¯re up against here, Quenser? The Mother Lady space elevator. That thing moves the elevator cars by blasting them with microwaves from the surface to get the motor running. And the Capitalist Corporations controls everything in space up above. Their signals are more powerful than ours, so we can¡¯t forcibly jam theirs.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that would mean¡­ah, ah, ahhhh!?¡±


    Deafening static pierced his head from right to left, so he grimaced and removed his earphone.


    His mobile device might as well have been a ceramic tile.


    The emblem on the corner of the screen said he had no signal.


    ¡°The data link is down.¡±


    ¡°So¡¯s the radio. Damn, what century of warfare are we fighting now!?¡±


    This is what happened when your side¡¯s communications equipment was inferior. The guerillas protecting the space elevator could communicate and coordinate all they liked, but the 37th had to figure things out individually. Their maps were no longer updating, leaving them in the dark as to what was happening, where their enemies and allies were located, what the current timetable was, or even where they were located themselves. And since they could not share their own locations, there was a chance that the Princess would blow them away with an attack. Luring them in and then cutting off their communications was downright cruel.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom was one of the four world powers, so they would not normally run into this kind of trouble.


    That showed just how unusual this battle against the space elevator was.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°We¡¯ll get lost out here if we¡¯re not careful. Do we just charge toward Mother Lady as the most obvious landmark?¡±


    ¡°And die just like Frolaytia taught us to!? Anyway, be quiet, Heivia. One of those unmanned weapons is coming, so shut up!¡±


    Some sand came away from the walls as the ground shook from continuous tracks similar to on construction equipment. It was close.


    Quenser and Heivia curled up at the bottom of the crack just before the sunlight was blocked.


    A Lunchbox was passing by directly above the narrow crack in the ground.


    ¡°¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C¨C!?¡±


    ¡°(Settle down, you noble chicken! Do I need to stuff a handkerchief in your mouth!?)¡±


    Dust was falling down on their heads and the sunlight could not reach them. Quenser felt a squeezing in his heart as the 2 tons of thick metal passed by overhead. If they were discovered, they were dead, but it could also lose its balance and crush them to death. At this point, his life was entirely in the hands of luck.


    Looking up, he saw the metal belly of the machine and the track thicker than a chainsaw.


    The bottom was not as shiny as a sportscar.


    It symbolized death as much as falling rocks or a cave-in, but there was nothing more there. The lunchbox did not have any cameras or sensors to detect anyone below it. Of course, it was only 3m long and did not sit very high up from the ground, so there would not normally be enough of a gap for someone to crawl underneath it.


    Yet Quenser saw no opening here.


    A tank could not fire from too close to avoid being caught in the blast or hit by a ricochet, but this thing was unmanned. It would not have to worry about human damage. The instant it noticed them, the fireworks show would begin.


    Unlike the tank Myonri had been using, he did not smell any exhaust. Was it actually electric despite weighing so much?


    It must have only taken 10 seconds to pass by, but that felt maddeningly long.


    The Capitalist Corporations unmanned ground vehicle passed above the two idiots, but Heivia still did not stick his head out of the crack for a while.


    ¡°What now? We¡¯re past their defensive line!¡±


    ¡°Why should we do all the work? Myonri and the others have their tanks back there, so they can blast through that thick armor with-¡±


    Quenser trailed off when he realized something.


    The Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Federation of Elevator Industries was jamming them using the microwave bases surrounding the ground base and the many military stations built up in space, so Quenser and Heivia could not communicate or use their datalink to tell their allies where they were.


    What if the tanks began their own individual attacks right now?


    The Legitimacy Kingdom would want to do something about the slow-moving but thick-armored Lunchboxes, so those would be the top priority target at the moment.


    But. Would the others notice that the two idiots were hiding in a crack not 10m away from this one?


    ¡°W-we need to use a smoke bomb!! What¡¯s the color for an emergency signal!?¡±


    They did not have time for that.


    A shell flew in from a Legitimacy Kingdom tank.


    It very kindly knocked them unconscious as it blew them away.


    Part 7


    Quenser Barbotage was being dragged.


    He could not tell up from down and his memory was still fuzzy, but he could tell someone was holding him by the arms and dragging him.


    Wherever he was, it was dark, but he could not figure out if it was a cave or a basement somewhere.


    ¡°Ah, ugh?¡±


    ¡°(Stay quiet if you want to live.)¡±


    A suppressed male voice brought the blood rapidly back to the student¡¯s head. His mind quickly regained its focus.


    Who was this?


    At the very least, it did not seem to be Heivia Winchell.


    ¡°You¡¯re one of the foreign soldiers, aren¡¯t you? You might not want treatment from a blank zone doctor with far from the latest equipment, but it¡¯s better than dying. Listen, you need to stay still. I disinfected you and stopped the bleeding, but I don¡¯t have any real equipment here. I can¡¯t even guess what state your bones or organs are in.¡±


    ¡°Who¡­are you?¡±


    ¡°Braskine Mintfrappe.¡±


    The young man slowly named himself.


    He had dark skin and short black hair. He was wearing a desert military uniform, but he also wore a starched white coat over that. He was tall and fairly muscular, but it looked somehow calculated. Like he had intentionally built up that muscle instead of coming by it naturally.


    That family name was unfamiliar, so he was probably native to this blank zone instead of any of the four world powers.


    ¡°You people might see someone like me as no more than a witch doctor, but I¡¯ll have you know I studied medicine in Berlin when I was younger. I never managed to spread that knowledge after returning here, though.¡±


    In that case¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re with the guerill- agh!?¡±


    Quenser tried to roll away from the man, but every last joint in his body cried out in pain.


    The man named Braskine shook his head.


    ¡°I said I don¡¯t know what state your bones and organs are in, remember? You might have been hiding below ground level, but you were still in the lethal range of that shaped charge. I held off on giving you morphine so I wouldn¡¯t medicate you without your consent, but how about now?¡±


    Now it was Quenser¡¯s turn to shake his head while trying to catch his breath. He was not trusting enough to let some random person inject him with something.


    Anyway, it turned out miracles did happen.


    In that last moment, Quenser and Heivia had been hiding in a crack in the dried ground. That very ground must have been blown away (by the tank gun operated by that dumbass Myonri), but the crack must not have fully collapsed since Quenser was still in one piece. And how had this supposed doctor collected him from the crack while the tank and the unmanned weapon fought?


    That question had a simple answer.


    ¡°The battleline has moved on. The tank and unmanned ground vehicle can both move, so the frontline left you two behind while you slept.¡±


    ¡°Dammit.¡±


    Quenser was not going to just believe everything this guy told him, but that did seem like the only real possibility.


    He had thought the area was so dark because this was a cave with thick bedrock overhead, but it was just that enough time had passed for the sun to fall beyond the horizon.


    He had been abandoned out here for that long.


    Essentially, he had fallen into enemy hands. The largescale jamming from the parabolic antennas on the ground and the space station up above meant his radio and datalink were useless. That made it unlikely the operator in the maintenance base zone was monitoring his location.


    Help was not on its way.


    He slowly breathed out before checking on something.


    ¡°You said ¡®you two¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I treated another boy in the same uniform as you. Over there.¡±


    Quenser intentionally avoided mentioning any names, but Braskine gestured with his chin toward where Private Heivia Winchell was lying sprawled out on the ground. Shockingly, his large handgun remained in its holster. Whatever this man¡¯s intentions were, he must not have been interested in confiscating their weapons.


    A small old truck and a roofless buggy sat nearby.


    No, the doctor had probably carried the buggy out here in the back of the truck. The cheap emblems told Quenser both vehicles were Island Nation brands. That country had withdrawn into partial isolationism, so it was unclear how these had made their way all the way to Africa.


    ¡°Can you drive?¡± Braskine dropped a simple key without a keychain into Quenser¡¯s hand. ¡°Then you can take the buggy. Load your friend in there and hurry back to your maintenance base.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? If we return alive, we¡¯ll report everything that happened. If you¡¯re walking around without any real weapons while the Legitimacy Kingdom and Capitalist Corporations clash here, you must have some kind of secret route, be it tunnels or pipelines.¡±


    ¡°Keeping you here would be a bigger problem,¡± spat out the man. ¡°What if your people put together a largescale rescue mission for you two? That benevolent act of charity will keep the war going. My job is to treat the wounded, so I don¡¯t want your people hurting anyone else.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re with the guerillas, so don¡¯t you want to protect the elevator no matter what?¡±


    ¡°Mother Lady has brought us money. A lot of money. Over the nine-month test period, the Turkana District has probably become the wealthiest part of Africa. And with the profits going unrecorded since it¡¯s all supposed to be a simple test. I bet we¡¯re doing even better than the diamond mines or the water business.¡±


    He sounded bitter, so he must have noticed this was not exactly a good thing.


    ¡°But wealth doesn¡¯t necessarily bring happiness. We¡¯re going through lives even faster than we used to. Clutching a still-unpaid contract in your hand doesn¡¯t do you any good when you take a bullet and die.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Capitalist Corporations were using the local guerillas knowing what it would mean for them.


    They had bought up the land for the space elevator and made lucrative promises to be fulfilled after the elevator¡¯s completion to hire a defense force against the other world powers. And if those defenders died before the Capitalist Corporations had to pay them, all the better.


    Even when the locals realized they had been betrayed, they could not turn their weapons on the elevator.


    Why not?


    They had abandoned their old lives and invested in this new path. That had earned them some new wealth. Could they really throw out that new life and redo things just because they knew it was wrong?


    They could not.


    Humans could not fight the new desires they discovered. Like TV, air conditioning, online shopping, refrigerators, convenience stores, microwaves, delivery drones, and smartphones. It was the same for everyone. No one could give up everything and return to a more natural life just because people had lived that way a hundred years ago.


    Without the space elevator, the world powers would lose all interest in this region. The test period was only a test. If the results were unsatisfactory and it was branded a failure, the Capitalist Corporations would be freed of their obligation to build bases and cities here. All that would remain was the dry and cracked desert.


    And they would no longer need to maintain the high-level infrastructure they had put in place.


    The locals would have been given a taste of a more comfortable life only for the tap to be shut off. That was the same method used by rotten drug dealers on the streets who would initially sell their white powder for almost nothing to get people addicted before they jacked up the prices.


    In that sense, it was a very Capitalist Corporations negotiating tactic.


    On the other hand, Quenser had no right to criticize them. The Legitimacy Kingdom only cared about the Turkana District for its flora and fauna that might make a useful drug. The minority of royals and nobles had sent in everyone from the royals to the commoners because they feared a genetic bomb that their special genealogy might possess.


    Did no one at all care about the local people?


    Was that why the locals had been left with no choice but to fight as guerillas?


    And then even that decision had been used against them?


    ¡°We never should have agreed to it,¡± said Braskine Mintfrappe, the doctor who had helped caused all this through the pursuit of happiness. ¡°We made a fatal error with our very first decision. We¡¯ve worried over every decision since, trying to do the best thing at every fork in the road, but we were already stuck on a path straight toward the precipice.¡±


    Part 8


    Things were going well.


    The space elevator was the largest structure in human history, but that also meant it had an absurd amount of secondary facilities and equipment. Enough so that the infrastructure for a whole city was not enough. The entire region¡¯s water was sucked up for cooling purposes, a massive amount of power was needed, and powerful microwave was used to wirelessly send power to the elevator car.


    A Legitimacy Kingdom tank traveled through the pitch-black night without even a single streetlight.


    With a crew of four teenage girls, the inside ended up smelling awfully sweet. Specifically, it smelled of deodorant spray.


    ¡°We will have control of the #4 parabolic antenna power transmission station soon! Send the fuel and ammo supply unit this way! We will move on ahead once we have resupplied!!¡±


    The tank commander, who was a bit older than the rest, pulled a moistened towel from the small fridge and placed it against the back of her overheated neck.


    ¡°Myonri, we¡¯re being jammed, so the maintenance base can¡¯t hear you.¡±


    ¡°There are four of us crammed in here, so can¡¯t one of us at last shine some laser art on the night sky to communicate!?¡±


    Whoever made the suggestion was generally stuck with doing it. Especially when they were the lowest ranking member. Myonri grew tearful as she was handed a special ray gun with a barrel about as thick as a relay baton, but she had no choice but to push open the manhole-like metal hatch and poke her head out from the sweet-smelling tank.


    Needless to say, that ray gun was not a next-gen portable superweapon.


    It was a backup signal device that could send instructions to their allies by drawing out lines not visible with the naked eye. They were used to prevent friendly fire during a nighttime aerial bombing or to call for rescue when stuck out on the battlefield, so it was a useful piece of equipment everyone much preferred to never have to use.


    ¡°I have plenty of qualifications, so I really need to see about getting a transfer.¡±


    ¡°I heard that, Myonri.¡±


    ¡°I really, really need a transfer!!¡±


    Just as the short-haired girl tearfully bit her lip, she saw a flash of light in the night sky.


    It almost looked like a shooting star, except it was not alone.


    The night sky was soon filled with a wild dance of light.


    ¡°I-is there an alert!?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that elevator!! Mother Lady!!¡±


    She did not hear a single electronic tone from within the tank before the explosive boom pounded on her eardrums.


    It came from beyond the horizon.


    In a long horizontal line as far as the eye could see, a terrifying dust cloud rose several dozen meters into the air. And instead of stopping there, more explosions occurred a bit in front of that after a short pause. The pattern repeated like that, moving ever closer. The desert was filled with explosive blasts just like an industrial printer filling a blank piece of copy paper with small text.


    And the explosions were gradually approaching their position.


    (The artificial meteor shower!? Are the Capitalist Corporations sending down a storm of titanium or tungsten alloy!?)


    ¡°Noooo!?¡±


    Myonri forgot to even duck back into the tank as she screamed.


    Didn¡¯t each and every one of those falling titanium or tungsten pieces rival a nuclear warhead in destructive power?


    The entire scenery was obliterated by the solid walls of destruction that were spaced out enough to avoid any overlap in explosions.


    Even if Myonri did duck inside the tank, the entire vehicle would be blown away. This was worse than gathering clams on the beach at low tide. This was like tearing up the entire beach with a cultivator¡¯s row of rotating blades. Any clam that shut itself up tight would only be smashed to pieces.


    Just then, a bluish-white beam of light shot up from the surface and blew away the evenly-spaced downpour of death.


    A huge hole was torn into the lights in the sky. The hole had a diameter of more than 3km. That area of darkness remained as the lights descended, allowing Myonri¡¯s group to survive, like they had been in the gap of a falling ceiling. It felt a lot like being forced through a ring of fire.


    The beam of light had been a low-stability plasma cannon.


    Myonri covered her mouth and nose against the powerful cloud of dust that filled the air and she saw a giant silhouette through that filthy screen.


    That was the First Generation Baby Magnum.


    The all-purpose multirole was an older model, but that was why it was actually capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. Thanks to the various methods of obstruction that messed with its targeting and the paths of its projectiles, it could not attack the stationary elevator without moving in close, but it could still protect the 37th while they were within that range.


    ¡°W-we¡¯re alive?¡±


    The artificial meteor shower continued to fall, but it was more definitive this time. More artificial light was launched upwards to fill the starry sky and protect the soldiers down on the desert.


    ¡°Our guardian deity,¡± said a sweaty and hotblooded girl inside the tank.


    Their datalink was down thanks to the enemy jamming, but people had to be saying much the same thing all across the battlefield. In fact, a stadium-like cheer shook the desert night just a few seconds later.


    ¡°Ohhhhhh!! We have a guardian deity. We aren¡¯t going to die here!! This battle is ours!!¡±


    Part 9


    Meanwhile, the Princess¡¯s small butt had slid forward from its usual position.


    She was operating the control sticks with her toes.


    She had unintentionally taken a position where her legs formed an M as she muttered expressionlessly to herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m so bored.¡±


    Part 10


    More low rumblings came from elsewhere. The ¡°copy machine¡± was running somewhere else. The battlefield was tilled from one end to the other, destroying everything manmade along the way.


    Tens of thousands of titanium or tungsten alloy pieces dropped from satellite orbit.


    It was known as an artificial meteor shower.


    The Princess was tearing holes through that to protect them, but it was too soon to celebrate. The Baby Magnum was just one Object. She would be overwhelmed if too many requests for support came in. Once that happened, she would start with protecting whatever was most strategically valuable. The potatoes stuffed inside a tin can of composite armor would not make the cut there.


    Their safety was not assured unless they took matters into their own hands.


    (But what exactly are we supposed to do?)


    Myonri was at a loss when she heard a voice from within the tank.


    ¡°Myonri, they aren¡¯t using radar or IR. I can only guess, but they¡¯re probably targeting us by directly looking down at us with lenses in the sky.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we aren¡¯t receiving any alerts in advance. We¡¯re already done for once the night sky lights up. Their warheads aren¡¯t using tricky chemistry or nuclear physics. They can rival a small nuke just by dropping garbage on us, so they won¡¯t feel any need to hold back.¡±


    They could do the same thing anywhere in the world, battlefield country or safe country, without worrying about air superiority or an invasion route. And they could drop as much as they wanted. This could be used for more than just general aerial bombings. If they were hooked up to a city¡¯s security cameras, they could track an individual. And once they had a lock, that person could not escape no matter how many times they fled all the way around the globe.


    Now was no time to worry about appearances.


    When Myonri took a look out from the tank again, she saw that the #4 parabolic antenna power transmission station they were meant to take over had been torn to shreds. That station was necessary to send up the elevator car and there would have been staff still working inside, not to mention the many guerilla soldiers defending the perimeter.


    But the enemy had shown no mercy.


    The Capitalist Corporations determined people¡¯s value based on the size of their savings and salary, but this still felt excessively callous. They had destroyed their assets rather than let them fall into enemy hands. Whether it was a cornerstone of the jamming or whatever else, the number suggested there were other parabolic antenna power transmission stations. Hence the arrogance of their decision.


    Even if someone fought for everyone¡¯s sake and achieved record-breaking results, they would still be thrown out the instant that was more convenient.


    (Isn¡¯t there something?)


    Myonri thought to herself almost as if praying.


    (Isn¡¯t there something we can do? Something that will turn the tide here!?)


    Part 11


    The M became a V.


    The Princess had detected a change in the battlefield¡¯s momentum, so her slender legs had stretched upwards in alarm. However¡­


    ¡°Ow!? Leg cramp!!¡±


    Thanks to that, she was slow to provide assistance.


    A monotone beeping filled the sealed cockpit.


    The change had begun with a transmission. She had detected a coded transmission using ultrasound that was not influenced by the jamming. It came from the maintenance base zone far behind her.


    ¡°Princess!!¡±


    ¡°I-I am only accepting good news right now.¡±


    ¡°Then you might as well destroy all of your communication equipment. I don¡¯t want to tell you this anymore than you want to hear it.¡±


    The conversation with Frolaytia continued a while longer.


    Something had changed.


    But not all changes were for the better. And it was no use complaining after the fact.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡±


    The Princess tearfully placed her hand on her right big toe and pulled it toward her while using just her other hand to accurately operate the Baby Magnum¡¯s anti-air weaponry.


    ¡°This really is mind-numbingly boring,¡± she said. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any more exciting battles we could be fighting?¡±


    ¡°Getting addicted to war is a good way to end the world, you know?¡±


    Part 12


    Myonri heard more and more explosions, but she could no longer tell if those meant she had been saved or abandoned to die.


    Everything falling from the heavens rivaled a nuclear warhead and the Object intercepted them with extreme low-stability plasma cannons. It was the most apocalyptic fireworks show ever.


    A staticky voice managed to break through the powerful wide-range jamming to reach Myonri¡¯s ears.


    ¡°I¡¯m so bored.¡±


    It was the Princess.


    Her communications equipment was on the level of an entire radar station, so she was using that to force her way through the jamming.


    And the first words out of her mouth were not what Myonri wanted to hear.


    They might as well have been a death sentence.


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this? Is she losing interest in the battle? Oh, no! I¡¯ll play a word game with you, read you a book, or whatever it takes! Just don¡¯t get bored! Please don¡¯t go home and leave us here!!¡±


    Myonri paled and shouted in desperation, but there was no response.


    The jamming must have prevented the Object from receiving anything from the tank. She simply heard the Princess¡¯s flat voice accompanied by intense static.


    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s just bullying the weak locals here. If the Legitimacy Kingdom decides this is a good way to use Objects, they¡¯ll never be able to stop. This war is not going to end well at this rate.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Check through the peephole.¡±


    Myonri grabbed the grip of the heavy machinegun attached in front of the hatch. She was interested in its multipurpose scope. She looked through that to see several lines of light in the night sky that were not visible with the naked eye. They were either infrared or ultraviolet. They flashed red, red, blue to mean ¡°major damage¡±.


    Other invisible lines of light rose from a different angle. Those came from the maintenance base zone.


    They flashed blue, red, blue. Then red, red, red.


    The two signals meant ¡°retaliation operation, get ready.¡±


    The atmosphere in Myonri¡¯s tank grew heavier. This was different than the fear of being killed.


    And the Princess again spoke over the radio with a sigh in her voice.


    ¡°This really is boring. Maybe I should run away to a tropical island.¡±


    Part 13


    Quenser held the assault rifle he had borrowed from unconscious Heivia.


    He needed the multipurpose scope.


    He had thought he saw something flashing in the sky. Infrared and ultraviolet were not normally visible, but the diffusion and diffraction caused by atmospheric conditions and sand in the air could alter the wavelength. The lines in the night sky could be understood by anyone with the appropriate equipment and knowledge of the code.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Why are bigshots in the base making that decision for us!?¡±


    ¡°Because the elevator attacked you.¡±


    Quenser saw a small light in the darkness. The guerilla doctor named Braskine had placed a frying pan on top of a portable camping stove.


    His response was made with a hateful tone even though that attack should have been exactly what his side needed.


    ¡°The elevator¡¯s artificial meteor shower hits everything from the front line to the base in the rear. Those officers with chests full of medals assume they¡¯ll be safe as long as they send their troops out as cannon fodder, so it was probably a surprise when they found they were in danger too.¡±


    ¡°You mean our busty commander¡­I mean, uh, Frolaytia feels that way too!?¡±


    ¡°Fro-? I don¡¯t know how your chain of command works, but that artificial meteor shower can be sent anywhere in the world. Your safe countries and home country are no exception. It¡¯s possible this didn¡¯t come from the local commander in charge of your maintenance base. And if it was their higher ups who are panicking, then they would be powerless to stop it.¡±


    The skinny boy blinked before asking another question.


    ¡°Um, what does that mean for us?¡±


    ¡°Exactly what you think it does, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°What happened to them putting together a rescue mission for us!? Have they completely forgotten about us!? We¡¯ll be slaughtered in their big aerial bombing mission along with all of you!! Dammit, if they¡¯re gonna pretend I don¡¯t exist, then I might as well go peep on the women¡¯s bath!!¡±


    It looked like he would have to figure something out on his own.


    If the rules of the battalion would not protect him, then he had no reason to obey those rules. He plopped his butt down on the ground to eat some delicious food in violation of military regulations. If the man was going to poison him, he would have injected him with something while he was unconscious.


    Also¡­


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re making pizza toast?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I can¡¯t carry around everything needed to cook a whole pizza, but the toppings are a different story. Although there¡¯s a trick to cooking even this with just a frying pan.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not my point. I thought African food was more¡­well, not this.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what African food is, do you?¡± Braskine breathed an exasperated sigh. ¡°I learned how to cook this kind of stuff when I was a poor college student in Europe. My roommate Louisiana loved this kind of junk food.¡±


    ¡°So like cooking pasta in salty water and only adding a bit of olive oil for flavor?¡±


    ¡°You think I had anything as fancy as that, boy? You aren¡¯t a true poor college student until you¡¯re figuring out what you can do with a cabbage core.¡±


    The two of them shared a laugh.


    They were in completely different positions and there might be no room for compromise between them, but they had both lived as students. That gave them something in common.


    ¡°What kind of toppings do you like?¡± asked Braskine while lightly shaking the hot frying pan. ¡°We need to heat those up in a smaller pan before toasting the bread.¡±


    ¡°Cheese goes without saying, I assume? As long as the cheese isn¡¯t too strong, then I like some basil and sliced olives. Oh, and some kind of seafood if you have it.¡±


    ¡°Hm, are you from a coastal area?¡± inquired the young doctor while opening a can of shellfish.


    While gathering information even more crudely than with a blood type horoscope, Braskine added some cheese and tomato puree to his pizza toast and then placed some cooked chicken on top of that. It was all very formal and by-the-book. He was not the type to ever take a step beyond the basics.


    ¡°Has anyone ever told you you¡¯re a boring guy? Girls in particular?¡±


    ¡°All the time. But I can¡¯t help it ¨C I¡¯m just an ordinary guy. I just can¡¯t do pizza toast the way Louisiana did. She would pile on thinly-sliced melon and fries.¡±


    ¡°Melon?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not even about whether it would be good or not ¨C you never would have even thought of it, right? She claimed to like the mix of sweet and salty, but that¡¯s what a true genius is like. You might want to copy them, but they¡¯re too far out of reach.¡±


    Quenser drank some of the coffee he was given and wrinkled his brow at how strong and astringent it was. It was probably meant to wake you up more than taste or smell nice.


    ¡°My time at school in Berlin was more fun than any other time in my life,¡± said Braskine while watching the portable stove.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have stayed in Europe? I mean, a medical license is a sign of being in the privileged class. I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more to life than fun.¡± The words were soft and almost seemed to spill from his mouth. ¡°You have to face reality. Besides, I decided to become a doctor so I could support the people who were dying because they could not receive the medical exams and treatments most people take for granted. I couldn¡¯t protect my home if I remained in a world that already had everything it needed.¡±


    Quenser fell silent for a bit before asking a question.


    ¡°Is it really that bad here?¡±


    ¡°When a child has to prepare to die after a simple mosquito bite. That¡¯s how fragile lives are here. And it wouldn¡¯t be that way if we only had vaccines that coast 5 dollars each.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, only 5 dollars. But we can¡¯t get them. Being declared a nature reserve actually worked against us because we can¡¯t capture and sell the rare plants and animals here. I thought maybe we could dig out and sell some stones or sand if we only needed 5 dollars, but no. The small bits of quartz or iron sand mixed in makes them useless trash. Not something anyone¡¯s going to bother sending a truck all the way out here to buy. The fuel costs would leave them in the red.¡±


    He could not protect his home if he remained in a world that already had everything it needed.


    Quenser was starting to see what the man meant.


    The ordinary ways of doing things did not always protect people¡¯s lives.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we were all so thankful for that elevator. It dried up the ground and we couldn¡¯t preserve our traditional way of life, but it ended an era where you had no recourse while your precious child was dying.¡±


    Braskine smiled in a self-deprecating way.


    He wanted to protect his home.


    He had gone as far as earning a medical license, but he still found himself unable to save people without sufficient medical supplies. Ironically, it was Mother Lady towering up from the desert that had provided him with that.


    It had saved their lives.


    Their own and those of the people they cared for even more.


    That was why the local people continued to fight even if it meant becoming guerillas. Even though they knew deep down it was wrong and even though they had an inkling that more people would die of this war than of disease.


    If they lost, they would lose the benefits of the space elevator.


    They had not wanted to return to an age when they were forced to accept so much as unavoidable.


    ¡°Louisiana, the college roommate I mentioned, apparently wanted to protect the entire world. The thing about ordinary people is that we restrict our own dreams and stuff them into a smaller box. She always found it puzzling why I was so delighted while restricting my own possibilities like that. And she was right. I was so busy polishing up a comfortable fish tank for myself that I never lived up to my potential. I couldn¡¯t head out into the vast ocean to change the world like her.¡±


    The pizza toast was like a feast compared to the soap-like rations.


    And once Quenser¡¯s stomach was full to give him some energy, he could no longer distract himself that way. The immediate problem weighed on him all the more.


    At this rate, the Legitimacy Kingdom was going to begin a retaliation operation.


    Quenser and Heivia had been forgotten thanks to the powerful jamming, so they would be blown away along with the enemy. And Braskine of course did not want the local people to be attacked.


    No amount of prayer would cause a hero or powerful warrior to appear.


    So they would have to solve this themselves.


    However, Quenser Barbotage could not drive and Heivia still showed no sign of coming to.


    Braskine seemed to want the stranded soldiers to leave before they brought disaster, but their plan for returning to base had been ruined by the Capitalist Corporations elevator. The Legitimacy Kingdom was so intent on retaliating they had completely forgotten about the cheap soldiers they had sent out there. Nothing about this was likely to change any time soon.


    As things were, there would be a full-on clash between the Capitalist Corporations artificial meteor shower and the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s ground-based retaliation. Neither side was giving any thought to the guerillas who were not part of the four world powers. If anything, the Legitimacy Kingdom might actively target the guerillas in order to add more to their kill count and preserve their honor.


    Braskine used a special detergent to wash his cooking utensils with as little water as possible and he grimaced after Quenser shared what he knew.


    ¡°I need a vehicle,¡± concluded the student. ¡°And I need your help.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, then you¡¯d better give something in return. If I help you, then you¡¯re fighting to protect my people!¡±


    Quenser himself did not want the Princess to dirty her hands with unnecessary retaliation. He doubted attacking the local guerillas would cause any trouble at all for the Capitalist Corporations operators. And besides the armed guerillas, there would also be plenty of noncombatant residents in their villages. What if the Object was sent in to attack there? That kind of needless killing would not even be war ¨C only a massacre.


    So Quenser calmly nodded.


    ¡°We¡¯re after the Capitalist Corporations space elevator, so we¡¯re not interested in who lives in the area. So as long as you help us destroy that thing.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s your plan!?¡±


    ¡°We find a way to take control of the elevator before the retaliation can begin. Or we at least bring back a way to do so as a souvenir. Then the Legitimacy Kingdom will lose its excuse to slaughter the guerillas. This battle is over the space elevator, so the guerillas are only a distraction.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a plan!!¡±


    They argued back and forth as they walked to the beat-up truck.


    The young doctor got in the driver¡¯s seat and Quenser in the passenger seat. Unconscious Heivia, the buggy, and the camping supplies were loaded into the enclosed back.


    They drove out into the desert night, but it was unexpectedly warm.


    And not just because they were so close to the equator.


    ¡°It¡¯s that elevator. It uses the chill of the night to cool the coolant once it¡¯s taken in so much frictional heat. I¡¯m sure you could calculate out the amount of energy from the length of the wires, but you only need to know it¡¯s a lot.¡±


    ¡°I assumed they were cooling it with a nuclear reactor.¡±


    ¡°They use thermal power down below the parabolic antenna bases. Were you overwhelmed by the laser beams and coilguns? If you link together enough power generation facilities to supply an entire state¡¯s worth of electricity, you can do most anything even with older tech.¡±


    ¡°Can you draw me out a map of those underground waterways?¡±


    ¡°What good is that? We never would have had it so hard if we could get water that easily.¡±


    ¡°Stick a thick metal sheet deep in the earth and you can block off those waterways. Then the elevator loses its supply of coolant.¡±


    ¡°Finally, an actual plan,¡± laughed Braskine.


    He kept one hand on the wheel and used the other to draw something out in the notebook he had open on his lap. Then he tossed the notebook to Quenser.


    With that souvenir, they might be able to stop the meaningless retaliation operation. But they did not drive the truck straight back to the Legitimacy Kingdom maintenance base zone.


    They kept the headlights off and Quenser kept an eye out ahead with night-vision goggles while they repeatedly drove around certain obstacles. The goggles were from the Capitalist Corporations. They were one of the kind gifts given to the guerillas. The rich had essentially told the locals to put those on so they could look stylish when they died.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you wear these while you drive?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want that? Those old-style goggles blur your vision a lot when you turn your head too quickly.¡±


    It was obvious what they were using the goggles to avoid.


    ¡°Another one,¡± said Quenser in disgust. ¡°There¡¯s a Lunchbox 500m ahead. Those things have finally gotten tired and decided to take a break.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they normally be even more fired up and ready to go after a successful counterattack?¡±


    ¡°The operators probably think moving them will get them caught in the artificial meteor shower.¡±


    ¡°I believe those things¡¯ batteries can last a week in standby mode.¡±


    They made sure to steer clear of every single one they saw.


    Since they had to repeatedly take detours, it felt a lot like they were driving around in circles. Especially since the continuing jamming from the elevator¡¯s military station made the map on Quenser¡¯s mobile device entirely useless.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time to spare. Yes, I expect the retaliation will begin within 12 hours from now.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Legitimacy Kingdom way. You can¡¯t help being take off guard at times. We aren¡¯t Faith Organization fortunetellers, so there¡¯s only so much we can predict in advance. So the royals and nobles prefer to defend their honor through appropriate retaliation. But if enough time passes after an attack, you¡¯re labeled as a fool who couldn¡¯t do anything to get back at your attacker. And 12 hours from now is about the limit on that. You can¡¯t let a full 24 hours pass. You need to use that time to make full use of a huge-ass simulator and calculate out how much damage you need to do in retaliation for the damage you received.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The going rate is killing ten times as many people as you had killed, I think. Sometimes the calculation comes out closer to nine times or eleven times, though.¡± Quenser clicked his tongue. ¡°We really can¡¯t get back without doing something about those unmanned weapons. Could we go to the guerilla HQ and have them open a path for us? They¡¯re on the verge of having their village razed after all.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t control those things from our village. They¡¯re directly controlled by Federation of Elevator Industries operators in Mother Lady¡¯s ground base. We don¡¯t have that kind of technical skill.¡±


    Braskine made it sound like they were being lent equipment but not being trained in how to use it.


    The Capitalist Corporations saw them as replaceable and disposable, so they were not going to increase the cost of each one by pouring money into training them. That would only lose the Capitalist Corporations money.


    They slid the truck down into a V-shaped dip in the ground to avoid being seen by the unmanned ground vehicles. It was probably the remnants of a now-dried river. They saw the occasional remains of a wooden pier or small boats left behind there.


    ¡°We have 12 hours until the ¡®swift retaliation¡¯ begins. I expect they¡¯ll repeat the simulation as many times as they can before the limit to make sure they can put together a mission that causes exactly the damage their calculations say they need.¡±


    ¡°Is there any chance they¡¯ll remember you¡¯re out here while they do that?¡±


    ¡°If they did remember, it would affect their timetable, so anyone who does will do everything they can to forget again. If they ¡®unknowingly¡¯ kill us in friendly fire, no one can be charged with a crime.¡±


    The potatoes¡¯ lives were just not that important.


    Quenser sighed while leaning back in the stopped truck¡¯s passenger seat.


    ¡°That means tomorrow at noon is the limit. Heivia and I need to return to the maintenance base zone before then so we can force them to redo the simulation based on a new calculation sheet. And if we don¡¯t give them the information needed to block up the underground waterways used to cool the elevator, they really will begin their misguided retaliation against the guerillas. Since that means you, I know you don¡¯t want that.¡±


    Needless to say, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s enemy was the Capitalist Corporations, not the local guerillas.


    But with only the immediate records available, they would satisfy themselves by attacking the guerrillas. Even though the Lunchboxes were actually being controlled by the operators in the air-conditioned elevator ground base.


    ¡°You world powers seem to think you can just dig into the ground around here and find an unlimited supply of guerillas, but the people dying are the kids raised in my village. No, not just my village. They come from all the villages and towns around the elevator. All of them had their own hopes and dreams and the idea was for them to realize those dreams by using the money from the elevator to get an education in Asia or Europe. You can¡¯t just plant some seeds in a field to grow more of them. I want to avoid any more sacrifices here.¡±


    Truth be told, Quenser was not 100% in agreement with Braskine. No matter what the man said, Quenser was on the side trying to destroy the Mother Lady space elevator. He felt it was too na?ve to think he could just grab that outstretched hand and find a solution to the entire mess without going to any real effort.


    Children had to be prepared for death after a simple mosquito bite.


    The vaccine to prevent it cost only 5 dollars.


    It was a moving story, but the Capitalist Corporations had not been offering help out of the goodness of their hearts. Given their intelligence-gathering capabilities, they must have known about the disastrous situation in this region long ago. They had ignored it for so long and only now approached with a smile on their faces so they could use it as a bargaining chip to get the land they needed.


    Quenser was a commoner, so he would normally live his life having the nobles and royals extracting everything from him they could get.


    But he also knew how risky it was to fight back against that. That was why he had come all the way to the battlefield to learn about Object design. He had made a powerful enemies and barely dodged death more than a few times to have his way.


    You were free to break free of society¡¯s role for you if you wanted.


    But once you did, you were choosing to face the unnecessary dangers placed upon any who dared defy society¡¯s rules.


    Opportunities always came with risk.


    Generally, the ones who won were those who made the rules and made sure they were paid first.


    If you did not understand that and were not prepared to use it to your advantage, this is what happened. You would fail to see past the tempting promises. Just like someone who took out a generous student loan without realizing that was actually a debt system set up by the state.


    What should they have sold instead? Could they have found a way to attract tourists? Quenser did not know the right answer here.


    Regardless, he would have to rework his plan.


    He started by double checking an important fact.


    ¡°Since those unmanned weapons aren¡¯t run by the guerilla villages, there won¡¯t be any hard feelings if we destroy them, right?¡±


    ¡°Right. But can you destroy them? Those Lunchboxes are the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ latest model and they¡¯ve repelled soldiers with advanced equipment a few times already. Not to protect our lives, of course.¡±


    The conditions for that would depend on the time and situation.


    For now, Quenser hopped out of the truck¡¯s passenger seat, circled behind it, and opened the boxy enclosed back.


    ¡°Heivia. Hey, Heivia.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­where am I? Panty heaven???¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not expecting anything from you, so just hand over your water and rations. You can keep dreaming in here. Food is for people who actually work.¡±


    Once he realized he would be slowly killed if he did not help out, Heivia rapidly woke back up. The mindset of cruel Frolaytia¡¯s 37th had reached even the lowest levels.


    As a doctor, Braskine was particular about a healthy diet.


    He could not believe his eyes when he saw Quenser.


    ¡°What¡¯s this? You only just ate some pizza toast. Maybe you¡¯re in a growth spurt, but it¡¯s best to avoid forming bad lifestyle habits.¡±


    ¡°Dammit, Quenser!! You were having the time of your life while I was out, weren¡¯t you!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s talking about. You really shouldn¡¯t trust everything these guerillas say.¡±


    They munched on the soap-like flavorless rations while holding a strategy meeting.


    ¡°The retaliation operation begins tomorrow afternoon, right? Then why not wait until then?¡± That was newly-awakened Heivia¡¯s opinion. ¡°It¡¯ll be a ground operation primarily carried out by the mechanized unit, so we can find our way to an allied tank or armored truck and have them pick us up. I don¡¯t give a crap what happens to the guerillas.¡±


    That was an impeccably logical plan, but the idiot had left all of his kindness behind somewhere.


    That was when Braskine pulled out a weapon even more frightening than a Gatling gun. It was a bottle rocket with a whistle attached. The doctor who saw all lives as equally important spoke with a blank expression.


    ¡°This is used to signal an enemy¡¯s approach. People are sensitive to unusual sounds, so the villagers will rush in from all over even in the middle of a sandstorm. Whatever your reasons might have been, you¡¯re the ones that killed these people¡¯s sons and daughters. But if you think you can handle those grieving parents, then be my guest.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°There was nothing a doctor could do. In the 9 months since the Elevator¡¯s testing period began, I¡¯ve attended so many funerals. I even helped dig their graves, but a lot of the bodies couldn¡¯t be retrieved. Now, let¡¯s talk about emotions. Do you think these people will care at all who started it now that they¡¯ve lost their kids? Do you really think they¡¯ll accept your logical explanation of events and back off? This is just my personal opinion as a doctor, but there is little violence as brutal as that of an enraged group that has never even heard of the various war treaties. Do you want a lesson ¨C a deadly lesson ¨C as to why the constantly bickering powers-that-be really need to sit down together and work out their differences peacefully?¡±


    Heivia shut his mouth and raised both hands in surrender. While trembling.


    Then Quenser got down to business.


    ¡°I want to know the basic specs of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Lunchboxes. We can¡¯t return to our maintenance base zone in time without doing something about them. And even if we do get back, we¡¯ll still be forced to continue the attack on the elevator. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to come back with a way to destroy those boxy machines as a souvenir. We were separated from the battalion thanks to some asshole¡¯s friendly fire and I¡¯m sure Frolaytia is absolutely pissed at us by now, so we need something to calm her down.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s suicide,¡± said Heivia. ¡°You aren¡¯t planning to abandon our temporary safety to attack those cutting-edge murderous paperweights, are you? You¡¯ll just get yourself torn apart by their heavy machineguns and grenades!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what will happen if you don¡¯t hand over any useful information.¡±


    He had mostly been on the run, but Heivia had indeed fought the Lunchboxes. They had to rely on his observations from then.


    ¡°First of all, they¡¯re basically big hunks of armor. Firing a missile at them head on, from the sides, or even on the top won¡¯t destroy them.¡±


    Since unmanned weapons did not need space for anyone inside, they could add in more armor. That much Quenser had already known.


    ¡°It goes without saying that assault rifles and anti-materiel rifles are useless against them. You might be able to destroy the exposed lenses or sensors, but the act of shooting would also give away your position. Even if we were hiding behind cover, they could fire their fully-auto grenade launcher to fill the entire space with explosive flames. Explosives would be raining from the sky, so I wouldn¡¯t call that an effective tactic.¡±


    Quenser licked his lips before responding.


    ¡°That means they¡¯re heavy, doesn¡¯t it? Could we focus our attacks on the continuous tracks?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could stop them from moving, but they¡¯d still fire back on us and they have a longer range than us. Making the mobile turrets into stationary ones won¡¯t prevent this used truck from being obliterated by bullets.¡±


    In fact, they were currently stopped because of all the Lunchboxes in standby mode. Those things were not frightening because they made unpredictable patrols. Even if you immobilized them, they would already have you surrounded. Stopping them was not enough to escape.


    ¡°What about their power usage?¡±


    According to Braskine, they could last for a week while in standby mode.


    But on the other hand¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re electric and it has to take a lot of power to move something so heavy. If we had them run a needless marathon to drain their batteries, they wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot back anymore.¡±


    ¡°You want us to wait for their batteries to die while being chased by a machinegun that fires 700 shots a minute? Our bodies would be riddled with tens of thousands of bullets before that happened. It isn¡¯t realistic.¡± Heivia breathed an exasperated sigh. ¡°Besides, we got lucky and slipped through a gap in their circle. Just like some small fish left behind in a tide pool. If we do anything to stand out now, they¡¯ll change their formation to include us. And once that tide pool is gone, we suffocate. The end.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Their objective was returning to the maintenance base zone.


    Beginning a misguided retaliation operation against the guerillas would not solve anything. The armored Lunchboxes were being controlled by the operators in the space elevator¡¯s ground base, so the retaliation operation had to be reworked to attack them instead.


    The data they needed for that could be found in the underground waterways Braskine had told Quenser about. Since the jamming prevented them from transmitting with a single tap of the touchscreen, they would have to bring it back themselves.


    If they could do that, they could avoid carrying around that unnecessary guilt.


    In other words, Quenser was not looking for any major upheaval on the battlefield. Finding a way to take out those cutting-edge unmanned ground vehicles would be best.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to act, you should do it soon,¡± said Braskine to hurry them along. ¡°Those unmanned ground vehicles are worth more to the Federation of Elevator Industries than the local guerillas, so they¡¯ll want to avoid having to abandon them after their batteries die. They periodically send around an unmanned power vehicle to recharge them. And the Lunchbox formation might change when that happens.¡±


    This was all thanks to the elevator.


    Everything needed for war, from lunches to bombs, could be sent down from the heavens. And in quantities of several dozen tons. The power vehicles, the work vehicles needed to maintain those, and even additional Lunchboxes to protect the work vehicles could be sent down in near limitless numbers.


    Quenser agreed that it would be best to take action before the next time that happened.


    ¡°They¡¯re covered in armor and taking out their continuous tracks only turns them into stationary turrets.¡± The student placed a hand on his chin. ¡°We also can¡¯t wait for them to run out of power. And they were designed to withstand the extreme African environment, so I doubt they¡¯re going to malfunction all that easily.¡±


    ¡°There you go again, bragging about the enemy¡¯s specs.¡±


    Heivia sounded annoyed, but that was not what Quenser was doing.


    He had wondered about something this whole time, so he returned to that question here.


    ¡°Then what do they do about that?¡±


    Part 14


    They waited until the following morning.


    The battle would begin once the sun had risen.


    Braskine Mintfrappe¡¯s impatience had him in an irritable mood.


    ¡°Hey, how long are we going to wait here? The largescale retaliation begins this afternoon, doesn¡¯t it? That¡¯s not long now!¡±


    ¡°I really would have preferred to wait longer, but you¡¯re right about us running out of time,¡± said Quenser after waking from a nap. ¡°Things have heated up now, so I guess we should get started.¡±


    Heivia walked up and whispered to him. His face was greasy since he had not had a chance to wash it.


    ¡°(Gotta admit, this is clever.)¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°(Cut the act. You don¡¯t have any plan at all for the Lunchboxes, do you? You¡¯re just buying enough time for the retaliation operation to begin. But I say we forget about letting them pick us up. Why not let them think we¡¯re dead while we run off to a tropical island? We can reveal our ¡®miraculous survival¡¯ once we¡¯ve got a nice tan. So just keep lying to that guy while the clock ticks down until the afternoon.)¡±


    After satisfying himself by punching that heartless bastard, Quenser got down to business.


    Quenser and Heivia had no equipment that could accurately pass their location to the Legitimacy Kingdom. And even if they did, the jamming would block it. Once the retaliation operation began, they would be blown away as much as any of guerillas. The only question was whether it would be Myonri in a tank or the Princess in her Object that did it.


    The skinny boy rapped his hand against the hood of the beat-up truck.


    ¡°That should about do it. Braskine, let¡¯s get started. Given the current wind direction, we can start heading northwest.¡±


    ¡°What are you- hold on, what¡¯s that?¡±


    Quenser answered Heivia while showing off what was filling the heavy sack he held.


    There was a black powder inside.


    ¡°I cleaned out the truck and buggy¡¯s mufflers yesterday. That was a much bigger job than cleaning up a kitchen¡¯s grease stains.¡±


    ¡°Nitrogen oxide?¡± The young doctor looked puzzled. ¡°Are you saying we can defeat those unmanned ground vehicles with that? They¡¯re machines, so poisons don¡¯t work on them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure.¡±


    They did not want to trigger any explosion that would draw a lot of attention, so it would be best to quietly stop the machinegun-equipped hunks of metal from operating without even having to approach them.


    (That elevator is constantly casting a giant shadow here. The contrast between light and shadow will create a temperature difference and that will create air currents.)


    Quenser dug through the powder as he thought.


    Braskine still looked skeptical.


    ¡°You really think this will work?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re using the same thing themselves.¡±


    Quenser got down on the cracked ground and peered out from behind a boat left out here. He could see one of those 3m boxes a few hundred meters away. Maybe it was to preserve power and maybe it was to avoid being caught in the artificial meteor shower, but they did not seem to move unless something warranted it.


    They still blocked the way as stationary turrets, but there was a way of using that.


    Opportunities always came with risk.


    The student gently lowered something to the dry ground. It was a handmade unmanned device made from a container that resembled a cake box with wheels attached and had a cable coming from the back. It was even cheaper than the toys found at safe country electronics stores. But cheap as it was, it could still be operated from Quenser¡¯s mobile device.


    ¡°I call it the Kitchen Knife.¡±


    ¡°Do you really have to name these things?¡± complained Heivia.


    ¡°I thought that looked awfully clean for a sweaty and sandy guerilla.¡±


    Quenser pointed at the white coat Braskine was wearing.


    It looked good as new after being washed with detergent, bleached, and starched.


    ¡°That¡¯s thanks to the elevator, isn¡¯t it? The Turkana District is under the control of a massive online shopping company, so you can find motors, batteries, sensors, and plastic boxes lying around everywhere here. Because they have delivery drones flying all over the place.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re operating that thing via a cable?¡±


    ¡°Weapons like this have been around for a very long time. They predate the word drone for things like this. Besides, we can¡¯t send wireless signals with the jamming in effect. And wired control has its advantages. It can only move 200m away from us, but it can also approach the enemy without the control signal being detected.¡±


    The Kitchen Knife was only 30cm tall, so it could get stuck on the terrain pretty easily. A crack in the ground or even a small stone in the wrong spot were all it would take. They had to get as close as they could, control their precious device from there, and have it approach the unmoving Lunchbox.


    They had already confirmed there were no cameras or sensors on the bottom of the Lunchboxes.


    Once the Kitchen Knife had slipped below this one, Quenser tapped his mobile device¡¯s screen while still hiding behind cover.


    The result could not be called an explosion.


    After a muffled sound, the Lunchbox was coated in black powder.


    Quenser pulled the thin fiber optic cable back like he was reeling in a fishing line.


    ¡°Okay, that worked.¡±


    ¡°I seriously doubt that¡¯s enough to destroy a Capitalist Corporations unmanned weapon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that, doc, but the point was to color its surface black.¡± Quenser grinned. ¡°This is Africa near the equator. Once the sun rises, it¡¯s so blazing hot that the land here is all dry and cracked. And needless to say, black absorbs light most efficiently.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Braskine.


    ¡°Since the Lunchboxes are covered on all sides with solid armor, I was curious how they managed to cool their electronics. They clearly aren¡¯t using air cooling and even liquid cooling would need to expose the metal pipes to the air to remove heat from the coolant. Y¡¯know, like a car¡¯s radiator or that elevator¡¯s heat exhaust. But the Lunchboxes had nothing like that. So how do they do it?¡±


    There was nothing hidden below them either.


    Quenser and Heivia had seen one slowly pass overhead while they were hiding in a crack in the ground, but they had not seen anything of the sort. It would also be foolish to put their weak point at the spot easiest to target with landmines.


    So¡­


    ¡°Do they use the same method as modern smartphones and tablets?¡±


    ¡°Bingo. The metal exterior itself doubles as the cooling plate. By exposing that metal to the air, the heat inside can escape. That¡¯s why those unmanned ground vehicles don¡¯t have a wire mesh anywhere and why you can¡¯t hear a vent fan turning. ¡­So this should work. By coating them with a black substance, the sunlight will deliver the finishing blow. The cooling can¡¯t keep up with the unexpected rate of heating. We don¡¯t have to touch the weapons or the tracks when the overheating will shut down its computer. We just have to set things up so we could fry an egg on the hood, just like in an informercial for car wash soap.¡±


    If they attacked with a flamethrower or napalm, the Lunchbox would quickly work to put out the fire. Either by rolling over to cover itself with sand or by triggering a nearby explosion to rob the fire of the oxygen it needed.


    But they had not caused any major changes here.


    Something had quietly ruptured below the Lunchbox where it lacked cameras and sensors, but it had been too small to call an explosion and the machine remained unharmed, only covered in a black powder. It might have felt a small tremor, but smaller than if its thick tracks crushed a rock and a piece struck it from below. It was unlikely that would trigger an error report or an emergency inspection.


    Not even that cutting-edge unmanned ground vehicle would occasionally pull out a mirror to make sure its makeup was not coming off.


    ¡°But will that really stick to it? It¡¯s just powder, right?¡±


    ¡°That depends on the material.¡± Quenser checked to make sure it had worked. ¡°That thing is coated in sand, right? They¡¯ve coated the metal armor with a gel to increase the cooling effect, so the powder will stick to it nicely. If that hadn¡¯t worked, I was thinking of borrowing the starch you use for your white coat.¡±


    They were not using any guns or knives, but the damage was increasing.


    Once the heat had built up far enough, a slight change came over the Lunchbox. It tilted to the side. It had lost the ability to match the hydraulic cylinders of its tracks to the slant of the terrain. That was all it really was, but it almost looked like the machine had passed out.


    ¡°Heivia. Hey, Heivia. Attach your mid-range scope.¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Why should I have to help with this?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me tying you up and leaving you here as I head back to base, then get your gun ready and shoot that thing.¡±


    After a gunshot muffled by the silencer, the rifle bullet knocked on the Lunchbox¡¯s armor and sparks sprayed out, but there was no response from the machine.


    The overheating had killed it.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s move on.¡±


    They turned back and set the beat-up truck in motion.


    Quenser used a small knife to cut off the end of the fiber optic cable skinnier than pasta that he had reeled back in and he attached it to the back of another Kitchen Knife. They had needed to wait until the sun was out, but they had not spent that time doing nothing. They had prepared a large stock of wired drones.


    It was a race against time.


    The wait for the sun left them with less time before the retaliation operation. They had no time to spare.


    The Lunchboxes generally stayed in standby mode until they were needed, but that did not mean they never moved. Even if the affected ones would fail to notice the change, another one might spot an unnaturally blackened Lunchbox. Once they knew that was not a simple malfunction or accident and it was in fact intentional sabotage using the sun, things would get way worse.


    So they needed to escape before that happened.


    They had to return to the Legitimacy Kingdom maintenance base zone.


    ¡°Lunchbox at 2 o¡¯clock. Distance of 700,¡± said Braskine from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°There are too many cracks there for the Kitchen Knife to get through, so take a clockwise route around it. This side of things is lower down, so it probably won¡¯t notice us. And if we run into another one that way, we can take care of it instead.¡±


    The Kitchen Knife could incapacitate the Lunchboxes, but it required certain conditions to work. The terrain had to be fairly level and its wheels could get tangled in dried weeds if too many of those remained. Fine sand was also a risk. They had a lot of the black powder and the Kitchen Knives to transport it, but it was still not an unlimited supply. It was a nerve-wracking experience. If they did not choose the correct Lunchboxes to attack, they would find themselves at a dead end before long.


    It was shockingly sunny yet again, but there were some white clouds in places. Those were artificial clouds created by the pressure difference of the elevator¡¯s wires slicing through the wind. The clouds cast areas of shadow like an inverted spotlight and those shadows were like zones of death for Quenser¡¯s group.


    Braskine groaned.


    He stepped out of the truck, got down on the ground, and looked downwind.


    ¡°The Lunchbox up there is in a shadow.¡±


    ¡°Stay still. We¡¯re not talking about a daylong rain shower and the black powder has recolored its body. The artificial cloud will move on in time, so just wait. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    That ¡°we¡¯ll be fine¡± was more for Quenser to convince himself than the doctor.


    Quenser did not want to die either. As things were, the Legitimacy Kingdom would begin a meaningless retaliation operation. That could get him killed by friendly fire, but it could also trigger the Lunchboxes into motion. Opportunities always came with risk. How many people knew where they were? Did the Princess? Did Frolaytia?


    (That would never end well. It¡¯s even possible we¡¯d be crushed to death under the Princess¡¯s ass.)


    After all, they were talking about the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion which was led by a commander kind enough to react with even more surprise than Quenser each time a new Object made an appearance. She was responsible for so many lives he really wished she would gather more information in advance.


    At any rate, his life was on the line here, so he wanted to take control.


    But just then¡­


    ¡°Hey, something isn¡¯t right,¡± said Heivia while waving his sensor-equipped rifle around.


    Quenser had also noticed the sound of metal continuous tracks and clouds of sand rising into the air.


    The Lunchboxes in the area were moving even though they were supposed to stay curled up in standby mode unless something was wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s the power vehicle,¡± spat out Quenser when he realized the truth.


    A military vehicle larger than the 3m boxes was slowly approaching from the horizon. It was shaped like a large semi-trailer truck with two linked cargo containers attached. After seeing that, the unmanned ground vehicles left their positions to gather around it. Almost like children swarming a military convoy to beg for treats.


    That set the entire area in motion.


    Their temporary safe zone would not be safe for long. Quenser¡¯s group had survived so long thanks to the tide pool, but they were now thrown out onto the exposed rock.


    First, one Lunchbox spotted another one colored an unnatural black. Then it spotted the thin fiber optic cable running along the ground and its camera turned to follow that back to its source.


    The unmanned ground vehicle turned on the spot and its eyes met Quenser¡¯s.


    It had noticed them.


    ¡°Dammit, get down!!¡±


    The attack began with a horizontal burst from the heavy machinegun. Quenser and the others rolled to a lower point of the dry ground to avoid that, but then they heard several sounds like corks popping.


    Grenades even larger than hand grenades were launched into the blue sky like a long throw in baseball.


    Fourteen in all.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Heivia grabbed the skinny boy¡¯s uniform and dragged him below the truck.


    The grenades detonated not three seconds after landing.


    The explosions and impacts from above caused the beat-up truck to bounce up and down several times. The suspension must have broken partway through because it ended up tilted at an unnatural angle. If Quenser had not quickly pulled his legs in, they would have been pinned below the truck.


    The explosives were only designed for anti-personnel use.


    The heavy machinegun was actually the more frightening weapon when they had a truck.


    Quenser grimaced at a ringing in his ears like someone had jammed an icepick into them. When he shouted, he felt like his voice was not reaching Heivia despite the boy being right next to him.


    ¡°What happened to the doctor? Where¡¯s Braskine!?¡±


    ¡°How should I know!? He¡¯s just one of the guerillas even if he did help us! Or would you prefer I rescued him and left you to die!?¡±


    Quenser immediately silenced the stupid noble with a punch.


    Heivia had been unconscious for so long he must not have remembered who had saved their lives after they were blown away by Myonri¡¯s friendly fire. But Quenser knew. He knew it was silly, but he had gotten to know the man too well. He could not just abandon him now.


    The scenery around them blurred.


    The color of sand filled their vision and the sun dimmed like it was evening. A localized sandstorm must have whipped up.


    This was their only chance.


    ¡°Why did this have to happen, dammit!?¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait! Quenser!!¡±


    The student ignored his awful friend¡¯s calls and crawled out from below the truck.


    He already smelled blood.


    He could barely see anything in the sandstorm, but that much he could tell. As he pushed his way through the thick curtain of sand, he spotted someone lying on their back.


    It was Braskine Mintfrappe.


    If the Capitalist Corporations really saw them as allies, that doctor never would have been caught in the attack by the unmanned weapon.


    ¡°Go,¡± said the man. ¡°Hurry.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    ¡°The truck isn¡¯t going anywhere now, but there¡¯s still the buggy in the back. The Lunchboxes can¡¯t target you in the sandstorm, so get your bearings and then take a straight shot for your base. This is your only chance.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me!? I still haven¡¯t repaid you for saving us!!¡±


    Braskine smiled at that.


    As a doctor, he would know better than anyone how bad it was he had gotten so much sand in his wound, but he showed no sign of caring.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done enough. I¡¯ve won just by finding someone who actually cares.¡±


    ¡°Cares about what?¡±


    ¡°You must stop the space elevator. You must stop Mother Lady.¡±


    He was having trouble breathing, but he still got out his request while looking up at that colossal tower that would bring no one happiness.


    ¡°Stop it before it becomes a disaster even greater than a disease that can be prevented with a 5-dollar vaccine.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Mother Lady is too powerful a medicine. I¡¯m certain she didn¡¯t want this, so someone has to stop it. But no one ever cared no matter what I told them. Not even the parents whose kids had fought valiantly as guerillas only to die. None of them could give up the modern lifestyle Mother Lady gave them.¡±


    ¡°She?¡± asked Quenser without thinking.


    But that may have been a mistake. The doctor uttered a name he had brought up a few times before.


    ¡°Louisiana was moved to emotion when she saw the beautiful nature of the Turkana District. That much I know is true.¡±


    Quenser did not like where this was headed.


    Braskine¡¯s eyes began to focus on somewhere other than here and now.


    ¡°It happened back when I was in college.¡±


    ¡°Hey, now¡¯s not the time for reminiscing.¡±


    ¡°That was where I met Louisiana who was studying aerospace engineering. It was a completely different field, but it didn¡¯t take long before we hit it off. And she believed that a space elevator would shine a spotlight on Africa since the conditions needed for building one were so restrictive. But she was wrong. It pained her to see it and she wanted to save the Turkana District. She wondered why Africa and Europe were so different and what made the desert here so different from the ones in North America. She thought it was unfair to treat different lands so differently just because some terrains are easier to develop than others. Someone needed to stop her, but I couldn¡¯t do it myself.¡±


    ¡°I said stop!! Come back to reality! Stop withdrawing into your memories!! Hey!?¡±


    Quenser kept calling out to the man, but he had stopped moving altogether.


    The powerful sandstorm blew right into his wide-opened eyes, but he did not even blink.


    There was nothing Quenser could have done.


    He looked away from the dead man and shook his head.


    Then he returned to the slanted truck. Specifically, to the enclosed back of the truck. The surface was torn up, but that did not mean the contents had been.


    ¡°Heivia! Help me drag out the buggy. We need to get back alive no matter what!!¡±


    Part 15


    The engine roared.


    They could not see in the sandstorm. Even with the headlights on, visibility was limited to a few meters ahead at the most. On top of that, their radios and the map on their mobile devices were still useless thanks to the jamming.


    After searching out the direction of the barely-visible orange sun, they had to take a straight shot toward the maintenance base zone. If they got lost even once, it was all over. With zero visibility, they could easily end up driving in endless circles.


    The Lunchboxes were not functioning either.


    Their cameras, microphones, and sensors were useless with the sandstorm scraping against them and the sand might also be blocking their transmissions. The Capitalist Corporations were probably using ultrasound or infrared transmissions to avoid their own jamming, but not even that was perfect. During the day, the desert sand would be hotter than a human body and it would be mixed with plenty of iron sand. The sandstorm might function even better than chaff or a flare.


    Quenser and Heivia crossed a few different humps in the road in quick succession.


    The buggy flew off of those like a ramp.


    They passed by only a few meters from something like big hunk of rock. No, that was probably one of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ unmanned ground vehicles. They heard machinegun fire shortly afterwards, but they could not even imagine where the bullets were flying.


    The buggy had no roof.


    Heivia held the collar of his uniform over his mouth as he shouted.


    ¡°We should¡¯ve just waited for this in the first place!! Then we wouldn¡¯t have had to risk our lives getting so close to the damn things!!¡±


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work out that well. Do you know a space elevator¡¯s biggest weakness, Heivia?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°The carbon nanotube wires are resistant enough to heat to be constantly exposed to the thermosphere, but they¡¯re still weak to high-voltage currents ¨C in other words, lightning. The Capitalist Corporations has to be using defensive meteorological weapons to avoid that!!¡±


    With a loud bursting noise, things cleared up overhead.


    Some kind of giant explosion had blown away the sandstorm. Several large holes had formed in the filthy screen and the blue sky was visible beyond like a famous model¡¯s head pasted onto a nude body, but each of those holes had to be kilometers across.


    ¡°What the hell!? Did Mother Lady drop something again!?¡±


    ¡°There was no flash of light or explosive boom, so that was probably concentrated sulfuric acid or something.¡±


    ¡°Those greedy bastards are dropping that dangerous stuff on our heads!?¡±


    Heivia¡¯s eyes bugged out, but Quenser maintained a serious expression as he continued.


    Whatever it was had detonated at more than 10,000 meters up, so it would not fall straight down. But it would contaminate the ground somewhere. Either as a mist or as acid rain after absorbing more moisture.


    In other words¡­


    ¡°Similar to a thermobaric, weapon, they cram it into the warhead in a concentrated state and it spreads out over kilometers in a mist-like state once it detonates. Sulfuric acid can dissolve metal, but it can also be used as a rapid drying agent. Clouds are basically collections of moisture, right? If you want to chemically eliminate the thunderclouds, there¡¯s no cheaper and more effective chemical. If you don¡¯t give a crap about the local environment, that is!!¡±


    Rapidly removing the moisture would change the density of the air, causing a large shift in the atmosphere. In other words, it created wind. The localized sandstorm vanished like they were waking from a dream.


    A single space elevator made all of this possible.


    Weather forecasts were no longer necessary. Whether it was sunny or rainy, the direction of the wind, and the humidity could all be manipulated from one hour to the next.


    And for fleeing Quenser and Heivia, the sandstorm had been a thick curtain protecting them from harm. With it suddenly stripped away, they were exposed to the Lunchboxes¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°Can you use those little drones of yours!?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°The Kitchen Knives can only move as fast as a toy and they¡¯re wired! You can¡¯t just throw one out of a moving car and expect it to work!!¡±


    Quenser instead grabbed the shoulder-fired missile launcher that Heivia had been walking around with.


    He had not been trained in its use, so he could not fire a missile from it.


    However.


    The instant he leaned out from the passenger seat with the launcher on his shoulder, the machinegun fire strayed away from them.


    ¡°The hell? What¡¯d you do!?¡±


    ¡°This thing has to use a really powerful IR laser for targeting, so I aimed that at the Lunchbox¡¯s camera lens. It¡¯s the same as a rude spectator shining a laser pointer in a soccer player¡¯s eyes. That trick works on machines too!!¡±


    But it would not work every time.


    If something that simple would have worked consistently, the Lunchboxes never would have been such a threat.


    Quenser knew they would have to use every trick in the book here, so¡­


    ¡°How much further to the maintenance base zone!?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going 120km/h right now!! I¡¯m flooring this thing to the point that it¡¯ll burn out the lawnmower-size engine eventually, so I doubt it¡¯ll take even an hour!!¡±


    The 30cm Kitchen Knives were no longer helpful.


    To avoid being shot from behind, Quenser leaned out and dumped the contents of his water bottle and the black powder on the exposed rear wheel. The power of the tire launched the stuff backwards.


    ¡°Everything you¡¯re doing is like a makeshift weapon built from items at a dollar store, but these are cutting-edge Capitalist Corporations weapons. Can you really keep tricking them like this!?¡±


    Several grenades were launched in an arc so they fell in a line, but they exploded a decent distance away from the two boys. The air overhead must have been so unstable that they veered off course. That meant it had nothing at all to do with Quenser and Heivia¡¯s efforts. Without the wind, that would have killed them since the simple buggy had no roof or walls.


    ¡°Figure something out already!!¡± snapped Heivia while holding the steering wheel in both hands.


    ¡°Shut up and give me time to think!!¡±


    Needless to say, driving along an unpaved area of land was enough of a risk in and of itself. Doing so at more than 100km/h was tantamount to suicide. The buggy was made for off-roading, but as it bounced around, it could have lost its balance and tilted up onto two wheels at any time.


    ¡°They have to be using IR ¨C we just can¡¯t see it ourselves. And even if the grenades fly in an arc, they have to have a direct line of sight when targeting. Distance is more important than direction. If we can get them to mistake our distance, they won¡¯t be able to hit us.¡±


    ¡°Here it comes, Quenser!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    Heivia heard the sound of splitting plastic and looked over in shock.


    ¡°Why are you destroying your own equipment!? Have you gone insane!?¡±


    ¡°Shut up and watch where you¡¯re driving!!¡±


    Quenser removed his uniform¡¯s jacket, dismantled one of his Kitchen Knives, and removed the black powder. He coated the outside of the jacket with the powder but left the inside clean. Then he tied the two sleeves to the metal bar on top of the buggy so it flew like a flag.


    It flapped wildly like a pirate flag in the 120km/h wind.


    The unusually round sounds of weapons fire continued, but the soaring grenades exploded well before reaching the buggy.


    This time, it was no coincidence.


    ¡°Black absorbs light and white reflects it. That¡¯s true for the invisible infrared range too. Laser range finders shine a straight-line laser and measure the reflection and attenuation, so they can¡¯t deal with something that rapidly switches between white and black. The value keeps changing, so they can¡¯t figure out the actual distance.¡±


    They continued racing across the desert.


    They drove ever closer to the maintenance base zone.


    But none of their makeshift countermeasures were a fundamental solution. The Lunchboxes could retry no matter how may times their attacks failed and the Mother Lady space elevator could drop more cargo tanks from the heavens if need be.


    Some unnatural static burst from the buggy¡¯s radio.


    They were under the effects of some powerful jamming, but this was something else.


    ¡°Radar targeting? We can¡¯t do anything about that!!¡±


    ¡°Hang on tight!!¡±


    Heivia slammed down the gas pedal even more.


    With their thick armor, the Lunchboxes could only move as fast as a scooter, so the buggy could lose them while zooming 120km/h down the wasteland.


    But losing the physical machines did not necessarily mean they could escape firing range. The heavy machineguns that fired anti-materiel bullets thicker than someone¡¯s thumb could blow away a soldier¡¯s head from a range of 2000m. The grenades launched along parabolic arcs could reach even further than that.


    And there was an even more horrifying possibility than either of those.


    What if the targeting data from the surface was being shared with the giant space elevator?


    ¡°What?¡± Heivia was not watching where he was driving. ¡°It¡¯s midday, but there are stars shining in the sky.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Mother Lady¡¯s artificial meteor shower, dammit!!¡±


    A kilometers-long wall of dust clouds rose from beyond the horizon behind them. And it did not end there. Another row appeared and then yet another like a giant copier printing something on the ground here. The ground was torn apart evenly, thoroughly, and mercilessly.


    It did not matter that the allies giving the elevator its targeting data were still in that area. The Lunchboxes were unmanned. And for that matter, would the elevator have responded any differently had the data come from living soldiers?


    The explosions were advancing faster than the buggy.


    Heivia Winchell knew only one way they could survive this.


    He had noticed something earlier.


    The buggy flew right past a Legitimacy Kingdom turret.


    Or more accurately, a tank hiding in a hole in the ground to keep it low and harder to detect.


    The instant they passed by, the deafening roar of a cannon slammed into the buggy and the two idiots within.


    But not from the tank.


    The Capitalist Corporations were not the only ones who could share targeting information. A colossal weapon had received that data via IR or ultrasound and then fired.


    The attack came from one of the Baby Magnum¡¯s main cannons.


    The roar of the cannon really did flip the buggy over as it drove. Quenser and Heivia nearly had their crushed flesh and blood soak into the dry African land, but the massive beam of energy tore through the lights in the sky. A hole was opened in the artificial meteor shower and the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes were spared that orbital bombing.


    The unmanned ground vehicles were fully-armored, but they were only 3m long.


    The Lunchboxes were obliterated by the friendly fire.


    Either being within 10m was close enough or the tank was loaded with powerful equipment because they heard a staticky voice over their radio for the first time in a long while.


    ¡°Quenserrrr, Heiviaaa. You certainly took your sweet time. Did you finally decide to return so you could be thrown into the detention barracks for deserting?¡±


    ¡°It was your friendly fire that got us into this mess, Myonri!!!!!!¡±


    Part 16


    The meaning of their retaliation had changed.


    With the underground water data from Quenser¡¯s mobile device, they now had a way to attack Mother Lady¡¯s ground base. Once the data being inputted was correct, they could automatically produce accurate calculation sheets.


    The guerillas were only borrowing their equipment, so attacking them would not be emotionally satisfying. Directly attacking the elevator would be better. For example, they could block up the underground waterways used for cooling in order to fully take over the elevator.


    It looked like they would have this worked out by sunset.


    It helped a lot that Quenser and Heivia¡¯s information had led them to a solution concerning the Lunchboxes. The Legitimacy Kingdom loaded some paint rounds with black paint before heading back out. The tanks would blow away most of them, but any that slipped through would be overheated using the powerful sunshine of equatorial Africa. The Capitalist Corporations operators noticed what was going on and tried to shake it off, but that did nothing with the special quick-drying paint being used.


    The combat engineers stabbed thick metal plates straight down to seal off the underground waterways deep belowground.


    (The Federation of Elevator Industries isn¡¯t just a company. They¡¯re a massive space development agency jointly funded by the seven major companies that control the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ home country. This isn¡¯t going to end here.)


    Quenser held his radio to his mouth near a surface facility several dozen times the size of a domed stadium.


    The military station¡¯s jamming was still active, but they could communicate using large communication relay trucks. The trick was apparently to convert the signal to high-power infrared.


    ¡°We¡¯ve settled things here, Frolaytia. The Princess used her armor to power through the anti-tank coilguns attached higher up, so we¡¯ve successfully conquered Mother Lady¡¯s ground base. The Federation of Elevator Industries operators have put their hands up and surrendered. Taking them prisoner would be a pain, so can we just hand them over to the local guerillas?¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Prisoners have a diplomatic use, so treat them with care as you bring them back. A Legitimacy Kingdom spy infiltrating Los Angeles blew his cover, so we already need as many bargaining chips as we can get on the first day of the new year.¡±


    ¡°Tch. Fine, but only if you promise me they¡¯ll be thrown in cells smaller than those capsule hotels used for terrorists.¡±


    Quenser clicked his tongue and then looked elsewhere.


    Just the base of that structure was 2000 meters tall and the wires continued on up out of sight.


    ¡°A lot of guerillas died in our attempt to take this thing. And they¡¯re going to blame us, not the Capitalist Corporations.¡±


    ¡°What, feeling sorry for the enemy, Quenser? Go speak with our counselor about it. Those guerillas had sided with the Capitalist Corporations from the moment they believed those sweet promises and allowed a military base to be built here. You don¡¯t get to be a pacifist just because you live in a blank zone. We have no reason to go easy on someone who¡¯s benefiting from the Federation of Elevator Industries who are acting on behalf of 7th Core, the rulers of an enemy home country. If that isn¡¯t enough to convince you, then go get a prescription.¡±


    She was correct.


    That answer scored a perfect 100, but that perfection irritated Quenser for some reason.


    Did the correct answer not always align with the right thing to do?


    ¡°What¡¯s our next job? The explosives I have in my bag aren¡¯t enough to blow up the base of the elevator here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not expecting that much from a student. I don¡¯t like it either, but it seems the higher ups want us to solve this troublesome elevator problem before we take time off for the carnival. That means the next battle will be fought elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    They had solved the problem on the ground.


    But she made it sound like there was still a problem concerning the Mother Lady space elevator.


    ¡°In the time the Federation of Elevator Industries managed to buy here, they have apparently spent several days using the elevator to launch their primary forces into space. It seems they intend to take the space station and continue the fight there.¡±


    ¡°Are you for real?¡±


    ¡°That fortress has a diameter of 20km and we can¡¯t cut off its power supply from down here because the space station uses a separate power system. If that federation is to be believed, the orbital station is loaded with enough weapons to turn any part of the planet ¨C battlefield country or safe country ¨C to ashes just by dropping their equipment from orbit. But unfortunately, the Legitimacy Kingdom refuses to listen to threats. Thus, we cannot choose to stop fighting. We started it, so we have to finish it. You¡¯re going to visit space soon, Quenser. But don¡¯t upload any photos to social media no matter what color the earth is.¡±


    Between the Lines 1


    Seven massive companies controlled the Capitalist Corporations home country that covered the western half of North America.


    Those companies were known as 7th Core.


    They held great influence over every last part of that world power and they were deeply involved in this space elevator as well. The Federation of Elevator Industries was a space development agency jointly funded by those seven companies.


    They were an incarnation of capitalism.


    All things, from war to philanthropy, were judged by whether or not they would bring profit to the company.


    ¡°Then I will sell three company-owned buildings in Seattle, Cascade District. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°But one of those is an exceedingly high-level IT research facility.¡±


    ¡°As long as it will bring us even greater profit.¡±


    That elderly man would not bat an eye at a mere 100 million dollars.


    He sounded annoyed with his young and beautiful secretary for seeking confirmation about every little thing.


    ¡°For example, we could buy out a rival company. In fact, get started on that after inflating the funds with some arbitrary market deals. ¡­AI research is such nonsense. Get rid of that pesky rival and we¡¯re freed from wasting so much money on that pointless development race. Then we can focus on what really matters. What I want right now is steel and sturdy cars.¡±


    ¡°Then I will do that.¡±


    For them, everything was about money. That meant they had a monetary reason for constructing the space elevator in Africa¡¯s Turkana District. And not the immediate benefit of spreading the reach of online shopping to cover the entire planet.


    They were focused on much greater profit.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± asked the elderly man while calmly progressing a plan that would ruin the lives of hundreds of his own employees and more than ten times as many of the rival company¡¯s employees.


    ¡°It seems like a reasonable distribution.¡±


    They were in Los Angeles in the Central Valley District of western America.


    That was the capital of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ home country. This conversation took place in the top floor of a smart building sticking up even higher than all the other towering skyscrapers.


    The elderly man seated in the president¡¯s office that took up an entire building floor was named Raphael Goldenclipper.


    The much younger secretary in a suit was named Serenade Blackrose.


    ¡°Short-term-stay villas have been constructed on the moon, but they are reliant on the transportation of goods from earth,¡± said the secretary. ¡°No one can move their indefinitely. Mars and Jupiter also seem unlikely at this stage, so relying on any existing planet will likely never be realistic. That is why I consider her suggestion to be useful.¡±


    ¡°This planet will eventually run dry.¡±


    ¡°Our advertising agency¡¯s simulator determined that a plan to reduce the human population would cost too much.¡±


    ¡°So the final problem is the humans, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± calmly confirmed the secretary. ¡°But if personnel expenses and service charges were eliminated, it would reduce the accepted prices for the products. If the factories were fully automated, we would have no choice but to sell the products for the cost of the original materials. To efficiently make money, inefficient humans must be made a part of the production system somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    ¡°Humans increase the price of the product and humans buy the product at that increased price. But they must have stable lives to do so. That is where Objects come in. If we recruited soldiers from the general populace, it would only allow former soldiers to bring along firearms when they riot. And the damage will be greater the more advanced and unique the technology. Hence, it is best for only a limited few to hold all the power to fight.¡±


    The rulers of capital never actually touched paper money.


    Money was a status symbol, but what you really needed was a useful position in a company. In that case, the money need not exist in a non-digital form. Paper money might as well have been a silly toy to them.


    ¡°What are the other six companies saying?¡±


    ¡°They are mostly in agreement. Some do not trust the Federation of Elevator Industries, but no alternatives have been suggested. If they truly intended to break away, they would instead say nothing at all.¡±


    The elderly man did not even attend the secret meetings held over the internet. Some people were safer when they remained ignorant of what was going on around them. All the dirty work was left to his secretary.


    It was that special arrangement that had allowed such a young woman to push past a veritable harem of beautiful secretaries to become the strategic secretary who stood alongside the CEO.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll be continuing as before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will continue to monitor the situation.¡±

 Volume 18, 2: Failure >> Attack on the Turkana District Space Elevator - Sp. Station

    Volume 18, Chapter 2: Failure >> Attack on the Turkana District Space Elevator ¨C Sp. Station


    Part 1


    Can your soul keep up with a world at 5x the speed? With 5x the concentration of the traditional recipe, Monster Girl Energy ¨C Maximum Bottle!! has been unleashed upon the world.


    A distant look filled Private Heivia Winchell¡¯s eyes as he watched the brown-skinned swimsuit women in the back of a pickup truck. Those bikini women had been hired to hand out 500mL glass bottles of energy drink as a campaign for a new product.


    This happened in the South American Amazon District.


    It was midsummer in the Southern Hemisphere.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we allowed to drink any?¡±


    ¡°You do know what we¡¯re waiting for here, don¡¯t you? For a space shuttle. Fill your stomach with carbonation and it¡¯ll rupture inside you once we launch into space.¡±


    ¡°Why are you being such a jerk to those bikini babes? Did one of them pretend to confess to you while livestreaming it???¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Bad Bull guy myself.¡±


    Quenser yawned while leaning against a tall chain link fence.


    He would occasionally rub at his body through his uniform, but not because his new underwear felt weird.


    A giant structure towered up towards heaven on the other side of the fence behind them. But instead of an elevator, this was a space shuttle meant to launch into space and return to earth repeatedly. It was more than 40m tall and the jungle-gym-like launch equipment around it was a little taller. Several of them were lined up quite neatly, making it look like a metal corn field.


    ¡°This is such a waste of fuel,¡± complained Quenser. ¡°I can see now why the Capitalist Corporations are so obsessed with that elevator. It¡¯s all about cost performance.¡±


    While the four powers had been competing to see if the space elevator or the mass driver would become the new standard, the research institute here had apparently begun a revival of these old-fashioned but tried-and-true toys. Basically it was the same as a train-obsessed government worker finding excuses to use public money to buy a steam train. Since they were even calling it a ¡°space shuttle¡±, a term that had supposedly been retired, you could see this was more about a love of the aesthetic than about profit.


    Quenser viewed the gate that opened and closed like a city railroad crossing.


    ¡°This is a busy place.¡±


    ¡°Half the globe can¡¯t launch any rockets thanks to Mother Lady. And that¡¯s true for every world power. The space station is still controlled by the Federation of Elevator Industries, but that effectively makes it a decision made by 7th Core as a whole. And interference from the sky is way worse than from the ground. They can use laser beams, jamming, meteors, debris, or whatever else. That¡¯s a problem for everyone ¨C public sector, private sector, academic, and military. That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s decided to launch their stuff on the other side of the world, leading to a rush on this place.¡±


    ¡°All because of the one elevator.¡±


    ¡°I sense a weirdo at work here. Nothing good ever comes from letting intellectuals join the battlefield.¡±


    Annoyingly enough, Mother Lady was still not widely considered a villain despite all the news reports on the trouble it was causing. That space elevator could cheaply deliver packages to every part of the world, so it had already become a great ally of safe country family budgets the world over during its 9 month test period.


    The electronic simulation division said it would start sucking up more than ten times the money once it began working for real.


    There was a negative side to it. For example, what to do about the empty packages and cargo tanks after a delivery was made. If they were allowed to provide a collection service, they might be able to effectively create extraterritorial bases all around the world.


    The 37th had to tear the elevator down and end this before that happened.


    But that would be no easy task.


    ¡°That elevator wasn¡¯t built up from the ground. It¡¯s dangling down from space.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°That means the space station at the top is more important than the ground base at the bottom. And I¡¯ve heard that station is 20km across. We took over the ground base by blocking off the underground water they were using for cooling, but it¡¯s not over yet. In the worst case, the station could cut the wires to free itself and then move to another candidate location. Conquering that desert ground base was far from being checkmate.¡±


    That was why the swimsuit women had stopped their pick-up truck next to the fence denoting an off-limits zone so they could hand out sample products. The crowd here had looked lucrative to the PR team that normally operated in big cities.


    Quenser sighed in the hot sun.


    ¡°Amateur advertising agencies have noticed what¡¯s happening, so do you really think the Capitalist Corporations is going to ignore it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re supposed to get up into space before those greedy bastards bound by military regulations manage to rework the rules so they can act. Dammit, what idiot is causing the holdup!? Are they checking everyone¡¯s bags? Or did the health exam show someone had a cavity or an STI!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you use mouthwash after doing oral. Always practice safe sex, kids.¡±


    The two idiots¡¯ conversation was cut off by a short beep from their radios.


    It was finally their turn.


    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± asked Heivia while following the fence to the gate. ¡°I mean, we left the Princess behind.¡±


    ¡°Taking over the elevator¡¯s ground base doesn¡¯t make the local guerillas magically disappear. If we didn¡¯t leave some kind of solid defense behind, they could surround the base and take it back. And those ad-loving Capitalist Corporations are really good at negative campaigns.¡±


    ¡°I know that, but we left that sheltered girl to hold down the fort.¡±


    ¡°We can check in with her at any time with the cameras. And it¡¯s not like she¡¯s all alone. The old maintenance lady is with her. Besides, the Baby Magnum isn¡¯t the only defense. We took over Mother Lady¡¯s ground base, so the others there can fire warning shots with that thing¡¯s laser beam.¡±


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the space force doing this job for us? Then we could call it quits and enjoy some New Year¡¯s leave.¡±


    ¡°The space force as you imagine it doesn¡¯t really exist. Their name sounds cool and all, but they basically sit at computers on ground bases and send out jamming signals to mess with the enemy satellites and spacecraft.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°None of them are dumb enough to visit the dangerous radiation-filled vacuum of outer space. We¡¯re stuck with a sh*tty job no one else wanted. As usual.¡±


    Every last one of the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes here were lined up below the blazing sun in their uniforms. Only half of the 37th was here, but they still formed a lengthy line while waiting to have their ID checked so they could pass through the gate. It took a while.


    ¡°Is this what it¡¯s gonna be like when we die?¡± asked Quenser while watching the line move about as fast as a snail. ¡° ¡®The enemy Object will arrive shortly, so please enter the shelter in a calm and orderly fashion¡¯ and then whoooosh, kaboooom!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dreaming if you think the desk jockeys are gonna be anywhere near that kind to us. They never even look at the reality beyond their computer screens and they¡¯ll just demand we bravely fight the Object to the last man and die. ¡­Really, the Legitimacy Kingdom is behind the times. We should really build our own space base.¡±


    This may have been another problem caused by Objects ending the nuclear age. Modern battlefields were still discussed on the talk shows targeted toward housewives, but the focus was more on cyberspace than outer space. The national defense funding that all the world powers used to fight each other came out of their tax money, so they needed to make sure everyone felt terrified enough that funding countermeasures and applied research sounded appealing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard all the leaked photos of famous actresses that have been making a stir online lately are actually a form of propaganda meant to manipulate public opinion.¡±


    ¡°So are you saying the only way for the space side of things to make a comeback is to start dropping those thin, single-use pieces of rubber from satellite orbit?¡±


    Finally, it was their turn to pass below the gate bar that rose and fell like a railroad crossing.


    A small group of people had gathered and begun shouting a short distance away.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s going on there?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°Did a fight break out?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 38 degrees and crowded, so people are irritable and liable to run into someone from an opposing group,¡± said Quenser. ¡°So who is it? An environmental protection group and an energy company?¡±


    ¡°It might be the ever-fierce conflict between Team Salt and Team Soy Sauce. People can get heated when it comes to ramen flavors.¡±


    ¡°Your failure to even mention Team Tonkotsu marks you as guilty. But, wow, I think it¡¯s two women shouting. Yeah, I¡¯d really rather not see a woman swinging her hair around with a monstrous look on her face.¡±


    ¡°Hang on. I think I recognize one of those voices.¡±


    ¡°Oh, god, that¡¯s Frolaytia! What is she doing!?¡±


    Separating her from the old maintenance lady may have been a mistake.


    Two women were pressing their foreheads together while glaring at each other.


    One was Major Frolaytia Capistrano, Queen of the Potatoes, but the other was a silver-haired brown-skinned officer with a non-Legitimacy Kingdom uniform.


    In fact¡­


    ¡°Ugh!? That¡¯s an Information Alliance uniform!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I forgot this was an international space launch facility that anyone can use.¡±


    Quenser smacked a hand against his forehead.


    The military was really bad about turf wars. Quite literally in fact. They fought to protect their national borders year round. Soldiers in the other uniform design were trying to stop their own commander with shouts of ¡°Lendy! Major Farolito! Please calm down!¡±, but they were too hesitant about it and it had no effect. That was one area in which the Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance were the same.


    The demonic commander, who was busty but made sure no one wanted to get anywhere near that bust, spoke in a deep, resentful way she never used with her own soldiers.


    ¡°Oh, what have we here? I thought I detected the unhealthy scent of melted solder in here, but the Amazon District is protected by Legitimacy Kingdom Objects, so surely I must be imagining things.¡±


    ¡°Someone too dumb to stop smoking in this day and age may be unaware, but as much influence as the Legitimacy Kingdom may have in this district, it has no official affiliation. But I suppose those colossal fatasses may have failed to notice how much trouble their presence is causing the locals.¡±


    Quenser was dumbfounded.


    ¡°(Hey, Heivia, does this count as a personal fight or a war???)¡±


    ¡°(Shut up and don¡¯t you dare say anything to them. I want nothing to do with this.)¡±


    The conversation moved on without those two boys.


    Frolaytia pressed her forehead even harder against the other woman¡¯s.


    ¡°You do understand the situation here, I hope? Do you have any idea how many Objects we have stationed here?¡±


    ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t blame an ignorant country girl for not knowing, but attacking us would be in violation of the Peace and Equality in Space Treaty. But if you insist on being a pest and violating PEST, feel free. I¡¯m sure you will enjoy being assigned to an Arctic base for losing your side so many Objects.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you want to fight!?¡±


    ¡°Bring it on, little girl!!¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom and Information Alliance soldiers rushed in. They had no complaints about a busty catfight, but these particular busts would lead to the world¡¯s dumbest war if a fist managed to hit one of those beautiful faces.


    And Quenser was impressed by one thing he noticed.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually bothering to hold her back, Heivia? That¡¯s surprisingly responsible of you.¡±


    ¡°With all this chaos, I can cop a feel and she¡¯ll never know it was me.¡±


    The brave warrior who rushed straight into danger ended up writhing on the ground after Frolaytia swung a 500mL bottle of Monster Girl Energy and it hit him right in the forehead.


    Quenser¡¯s decision to stay out of it proved wise.


    Those jiggling boobs were like a Venus fly trap. Fall for the temptation and you were dead.


    Plus, he was officially a battlefield student, not a soldier, so it was not his job to preserve world peace.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, stay away from me, yikes, yikes, yikes, ahhhhh!!¡±


    Potato #1 protected his head with both hands and fled from the crowd of angry, stressed, and excitement-starved people.


    After finding peace and quiet, he let out a sigh.


    ¡°G-good, they¡¯re gone.¡±


    (But what is the Information Alliance doing here? What business do they have in space???)


    Just as that fundamental question occurred to him, he heard a girl¡¯s voice from somewhere.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    He turned toward the young voice to see a large RV parked there. And the external area was surrounded by bed sheets draped over ropes like laundry put out to dry.


    The sunlight shining through the sheets showed him the silhouette of a girl who appeared to be only around 10. She was partially bent over and standing unsteadily on just one leg. Her small hands were holding the lifted leg at the ankle. Her silhouette showed through so clearly he could make out all those details.


    So was she putting something on, or taking it off???


    ¡°If I was going to need a spacesuit, they should have had it ready from the beginning. Oh ho ho. I do understand a spacesuit in my size can¡¯t be easy to come by, though.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you there!¡±


    While Quenser tilted his head, a sharp voice shouted at him through the sheets. She would not be able to see him either, but she spoke in a very demanding way. She may have mistaken him for one of her own.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. I cannot find the tape measure I had. Is it out there perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, you mean this one?¡±


    ¡°That should be it, yes. Please hand it here.¡±


    An unexpectedly small hand stuck out through a gap between two sheets. She was also being super careless. She seemed to be hiding something, but her own hand had parted the two sheets somewhat. It was possible someone would see her secret through there.


    The careless girl¡¯s soft-looking hand gestured for him to hurry up, so he sighed and placed the tape measure there.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Thank you. I have my measurements taken regularly, but this is outer space we are talking about.¡±


    She pulled her hand back in.


    Based on the silhouette, she wrapped the tape measure around that part of herself.


    ¡°Not to mention that this is for a special outer space New Year¡¯s concert. Yes, you¡¯re in for a treat, my many fans! Oh ho ho. I will make sure the world falls in love with me all over again!!¡±


    (Hm, so she¡¯s an idol like Monica.)


    He doubted she would give him an autograph or shake his hand if he asked right now, though. At any rate, he was finding a great variety of people had business in space. He was honestly jealous of the girl.


    Meanwhile, he was headed up there to fight a war.


    It was the most depressing reason to be given an all-expenses-paid trip into space.


    Part 2


    ¡°Countdown ¨C final sequence: 9, 7, 6¡­ignition. Blast off.¡±


    To Quenser, it felt like riding an amusement park thrill ride.


    He was seated in a chair, but sitting in this chair positioned him so he was facing straight down. If he were not strapped in with special belts, he would have fallen straight to the rear of the shuttle.


    He felt a great pressure in his gut.


    He heard a deafening roar.


    But none of it felt like he was actually blasting off from the planet earth. The lack of windows played a definite role there. It was like being trained for a form of torture that gradually squashed him with a thick but invisible wall. Maybe this was the world the Princess lived in while piloting her Object.


    ¡°Gwehhhh,¡± he groaned inside his helmet.


    But that skinny boy had only been given a few days¡¯ worth of training in a pool and in a centrifugal artificial gravity generator, so he was lucky ¡°gweh¡± was the worst he got. He gave a proper report using the communicator installed in his helmet.


    ¡°Th-the magnetic oxygen guidance is working for now. We won¡¯t die right away anyway, Frolaytia. Dammit, I¡¯m totally groping those things till the tips turn black!!¡±


    A rapid change in pressure was enough for someone to pass out and they could even die if air bubbles formed in their blood. It was known as barotrauma and was best known in the forms of altitude sickness and decompression sickness.


    To prevent that, Quenser and the other 37th potatoes had several electrodes attached below their clothing. Barotrauma could cause everything from fingernail injuries to fainting, but it was mainly caused by two things: a reduced amount of oxygen being transported in the blood and bubbles forming from the nitrogen in the body tissue. So you could solve all of that if you could externally manipulate the iron to stabilize the oxygen transportation and strengthen the bonds of the nitrogen.


    ¡°Hah hah hah! Who doesn¡¯t love a secret prototype weapon? You should weep tears of joy at this opportunity! I believe this was originally developed in secret to help Pilot Elites handle the massive Gs of an Object which can reach the double digits at times.¡±


    ¡°B-but, urp, why wasn¡¯t it adopted for general use among Elites?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so bad for your health they¡¯d never expose their precious Elites to its effects.¡±


    In the seat behind Quenser, Myonri jumped upon hearing what sounded like metal claws scratching at the wall.


    ¡°Gweh. Wh-why am I hearing something from outside!? Ugh, are we going to break apart before even escaping the atmosphere!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just the external rockets separating after using up their fuel. If the heat caused the connections to melt just wrong and they failed to separate, then we¡¯d 100% crash, though. Gwehhh!¡±


    Knowledge was the best way to conquer fear. It did nothing about the pain and suffering pressing down on their bodies, though.


    Then Quenser stared in shock at his neighbor.


    The other idiot was there.


    ¡°Frolaytia, Heivia broke the regulations! Ugh, he must have filled his stomach with a banned drink cause his helmet is now full of carbonated energy drink barf. I¡¯d really prefer not to describe it in any more detail. Urp, just seeing it is enough to make me feel sick!¡±


    ¡°He only has himself to blame,¡± said Frolaytia over the radio. ¡°Do not remove his helmet even if he is drowning. The instant the gravity is gone, that stuff will fill the entire shuttle.¡±


    Heivia responded with a mysterious code: ¡°Bleh this Monster Girl bleh is from the bottle gwehhh you broke on blehhh my head!¡± But it was too advanced a code to crack, so Frolaytia ignored it and continued with a report.


    ¡°The Princess¡¯s team is searching for a way up from Mother Lady¡¯s ground base, but that is only a diversion. While the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Federation of Elevator Industries is staring worriedly down at the bottom of the elevator, you will circle around from the other side of the planet to attack them from above. The space station is in geostationary orbit at an altitude of 36,000km, so it really and truly is in outer space. I honestly envy you this trip into space.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if we were here on vacation, I¡¯d agree with you! Gweh, but we¡¯re headed to the most dangerous battlefield in the universe!¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha. You¡¯ve finally move past the most dangerous in the world, Quenser. That¡¯s a new record.¡±


    It was no use. She was so used to sending them to their deaths that it barely registered as a problem anymore. Myonri must have been used to this too because she stuck a hose similar to a dentist¡¯s saliva ejector into the top of Heivia¡¯s head from her seat behind them. A gross sucking sound followed. The device may have been to help the crew since the helmets prevented them from using a handkerchief to wipe away sweat.


    ¡°Mother Lady is being guarded by soldiers recruited from the PMCs they love so much. And they are all top of their class, so be careful. There is one other person you need to be aware of: Louisiana Honeysuckle.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Louisiana.


    And Honeysuckle.


    ¡°The researchers who develop technology with military applications are generally erased from all public records, but a few of her papers for academic conferences slipped through. They were about the influence a colossal structure would have on the planet¡¯s environment. Until the elevator was completed, she was apparently known for her work in preserving rare animals.¡±


    ¡°Preserving rare animals?¡±


    That did not seem to fit.


    Especially when he thought back to the dry and cracked desert.


    ¡°There are records of her being sued by an environmental protection group, but it was completely shut down by an army of lawyers armed with ample funding. But a researcher of her caliber would have not trouble making money, so the environmental group¡¯s claims seem unlikely to me. They claim she traveled all the way to Africa, stole the genetic information of rare animals there, and then sold that to European zoos.¡±


    Then Frolaytia got back on topic.


    ¡°Anyway, Louisiana is the genius researcher who worked out all the problems with the theoretical concept of a wire space elevator and created an actually usable plan. The elevator is everything to her, making her a rare Capitalist Corporations resident who doesn¡¯t care all that much about profit. The intelligence division¡¯s report says she is likely holed up in the space station. She does not behave like a soldier does, so it would be best to kill her before she can cause any trouble.¡±


    The scratching sound grew louder. They were surrounded by it. But this was no longer about the rocket booster connections. The air¡¯s friction itself was probably tearing at the shuttle¡¯s exterior. From the outside, it would look like they had been thrown into a prison of orange heat.


    The battalion had split in two, half on the surface and half in space, but Frolaytia did not seem to be having too much trouble. Everything was done over the network these days, so commanding remotely was not a problem at all.


    It was while that thought occurred to him that Quenser felt his bangs float up. And that was not all. The pressure bearing down on him completely vanished, and not just because he had gotten used to it.


    The concept of up and down was gone.


    From his perspective, he might as well have been seated in an ordinary bus. He was now facing forward. The weird part was how his butt had left the seat just like his back had left the chair back. Without the belts, he might have floated up to the ceiling and started slowly spinning.


    ¡°Hello, world of zero-g sex. Now we can invent a brand new kama sutra with none of that pesky gravity restricting the glorious possibilities!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Which tube is Quenser¡¯s oxygen?¡±


    Myonri¡¯s dangerous hand reached in from behind and Quenser very nearly died of asphyxiation.


    The scraping sound on the outer walls ended.


    Only silence surrounded them.


    This time, not even Myonri made a noise. They were all holding their breath at the painful silence.


    ¡°Welcome to space,¡± said Frolaytia to drive the point home.


    It did not feel real. They had not encountered any aliens and they had not rapidly evolved as lifeforms. They were surrounded by thick walls and contained in awkward spacesuits. It only felt like being restrained by those two layers of cramped protection. They were in space that continued forever with no horizon, yet they did not feel remotely free.


    There was zero atmospheric pressure.


    This was a vacuum devoid of oxygen.


    Radiation stabbed directly into them without anything to weaken it.


    People would die here if they were simply exposed to it without any protection. It was a lonely place where they could scream in terror and not a peep would reach their awful friend right next to them. It was a profound place where the human beings who had spread across the planet and chewed through its resources were separated out into individuals and forced to face their own insignificance. People were not meant to exist in space. It was a hell colder than the sea and hotter than fire.


    ¡°Your next step is to circle across the Atlantic to reach central Africa,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°The battle begins once you arrive. Overeagerly unstrapping yourselves now will only get you injured before the fighting even starts, so be careful.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound all fancy, but we¡¯re basically following the long mountain trail around so we can peep on the open-air bath from above, right? Are you sure they won¡¯t notice us???¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how many rockets and shuttles are being launched from the Pacific and South America right now? We didn¡¯t paint ¡®The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Super Cool New Weapon¡¯ on the side, so you¡¯ll be fine. The official paperwork says you¡¯re a construction crew.¡±


    ¡°Construction?¡±


    ¡°For a lunar villa.¡±


    That was even more outside Quenser¡¯s experiences than an indoor golf course or casino built in the middle of the Las Vegas desert. Rare bugs and plants in the jungle were biological resources, new online possibilities were data resources, and the deep sea ¨C considered to be the final frontier on the planet ¨C was all about oil and shale gas. And now people were attaching price tags to the moon¡¯s land and selling it off. Humanity really knew how to turn anything into a quick buck.


    ¡°I almost feel sorry for those lunar villas,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°The space station¡¯s jamming has brought down their high-speed wireless internet, so they have no way of knowing what¡¯s going on. And without control signals, they can¡¯t launch any rockets or shuttles. I don¡¯t know if the Federation of Elevator Industries meant to do it, but the moon is like a remote island out in space.¡±


    ¡°Serves ¡®em right,¡± spat out Quenser.


    But more importantly¡­


    ¡°Should we really be doing this? Won¡¯t soldiers get in trouble from a number of organizations if we pretend to be civilians for a sneak attack?¡±


    ¡°We have no other choice since physical stealth only goes so far. Oh, and I would recommend not checking outside. That way you won¡¯t have to see all the deadly eggs that have been laid out there.¡±


    ¡°There are that many of them?¡±


    ¡°The space elevator allowed them to send an obscene number of those killer satellites outside the atmosphere, so the area above Africa is filled with tens of thousands of those military satellites that can move around on their own with explosives filling their belly. If the enemy notices you, they¡¯ll approach silently and then ¨C boom ¨C you have a hole in your hull. And you know what even a finger-sized hole means out in space, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Explosions in space have a wide lethal range. With no gravity or air, there¡¯s nothing to slow the razor-like shrapnel. To be blunt, not even a pizza delivery worker who knows the side roads by heart could slip through that floating minefield. Which is why ¨C in my infinite kindness ¨C I chose to rewrite the official paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve made it into orbit. The first challenge when launching into space is the separation of the booster and tank. 50% of the risk of death comes from that, so now that we¡¯ve gotten past that without incident¡­¡±


    He was cut off by a quiet clunking sound.


    He looked up (from the perspective of his seat and the movable range of his head) and Myonri laughed at him.


    ¡°Ah ha ha. So much for sounding smart there, Quenser. Sounds like we still had one more piece to separate off.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He fell quiet.


    He checked his helmet¡¯s seal and the remaining oxygen meter on his wrist while his thoughts turned to the extravehicular activity unit on his back. He grabbed and then let go of the grip connected to the cable that would emit nitrogen gas from 32 different nozzles. He finally reached for his seatbelt, but he had trouble operating it with the spacesuit¡¯s thick fingers.


    Or were his fingers trembling?


    ¡°Myonri, you should check your equipment. Like right now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The shuttle only had the booster and tank to separate off, so it should only have happened twice. There is no air friction out here in space, so that just now was something else ¨C an accident! Something¡¯s coming!!¡±


    All of a sudden, the lead-shielded roof of the shuttle was torn away.


    The shuttle¡¯s cabin was exposed to the vacuum of space.


    The starry sky as seen from earth was like viewing it through the wall of a plastic greenhouse. The real thing was much too distinct. More than that, they could see a shining blue disk overhead. That was the earth. It was a lot smaller than he had expected.


    Without the electrodes attached all over his body, the pressure difference might have made his red blood cells rupture, killing him before he could have even seen this.


    But he could not just stare at that strange sight.


    Something was attached to the shuttle.


    A perfect 2m cube shined silver in the sunlight. Much like an attack helicopter, weapons were attached below the solar panels spread out on either side. Work arms with multiple joints were extending this way. The shuttle¡¯s roof had been made to open and close, but the four arms had used a chemical or something to slice through the seam, grab it by force, and pull to either side to tear it open. Just like opening a bag of chips.


    ¡°A killer satellite!?¡± shouted Heivia with eyes wide.


    Those satellites were used to destroy other satellites. Human nature had finally made its way into space. The Capitalist Corporations had their space elevator, so to bring quantity to the outer space conflicts, they had created a space minefield made from tens of thousands of killer satellites.


    ¡°Dammit, we need to protect the shuttle!!¡±


    ¡°No, Heivia!!¡±


    A few of the soldiers responded to the boy¡¯s voice (that reached them via their helmet transmitters, not by sending vibrations through the air) by pressing their assault rifle stocks against the shoulder of their spacesuits and aiming at the killer satellite.


    ¡°Dammit, this round helmet makes it hard to look down the scope!! And these giant gloves make it hard to hold the gun. And that¡¯s after cutting away the trigger guard!!¡±


    But¡­


    ¡°Gah!?¡±


    ¡°Gyah, my eyes!!¡±


    The soldiers groaned before they could fire. They seemed to be writhing in pain and trying to hold their eyes, but the thick helmet got in the way. This was yet another accident. The killer satellite must have struck first while continuing to widen the wound in the shuttle, but it had produced no light or sound.


    Or maybe¡­


    (Did it shine its sensor-destroying laser in their eyes?)


    ¡°Go to hell!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s assault rifle finally opened fire.


    He had no way of fighting the recoil in space, so he simply had his body pushed back into his seat. The most training they had gotten was wearing VR goggles while submerged in a giant tank of water, but he pulled it off pretty well.


    He was firing away in the next seat over, but Quenser could not hear a thing. That suggested he would die if he removed his helmet now.


    And the student did not hesitate to remove his seatbelt.


    ¡°Watch out, everyone!!¡±


    Did his warning reach them?


    What happened next happened whether it did or not.


    There was no sound, but he saw a flash of light brighter than a lightning bolt.


    The killer satellite had taken enough damage, so it detonated from within, scattering 2000 metal balls smaller than pachinko balls.


    Killer satellites were not expected to accurately shoot down fast-moving ballistic missiles with laser beams or railguns like in the SDI program of a former age.


    They would generally approach slowly and then self-destruct.


    Simple and primitive destructive power was all they needed.


    As machines and computers advance over time, they had enough space leftover to do other things before self-destructing. So they now had plenty of optional functions such as shining powerful lasers on the enemy satellite to destroy its sensors from afar or using metal arms to grab and break solar panels.


    But in the end, they would still explode.


    So they were not given the latest tech; their exteriors were even made from flimsy aluminum foil. They did not need nimble mobility. They were mass-produced for cheap as disposable tools. The wars fought in space were so tediously realistic, with barely any bizarre technology to be found.


    ¡°Gahhh!!¡±


    After undoing his belt, Quenser sprayed nitrogen gas from the nozzles on the extravehicular activity unit on his back to slip into the slight space below the seat. He curled up and protected the soft spacesuit with its back ¨C with the metal tank there.


    In space, an attack did not need to punch or slice through the enemy. Without any pressure or gravity, a single scratch was enough for the satellite to slip out of stable orbit or for an oxygen-filled shuttle or station to break apart from the difference in internal and exterior pressure.


    The trick was to cause as many shallow scratches over as wide an area as you could.


    An attack similar to a shotgun with unlimited range was ideal. As long as you did not care if the debris you produced got in your way afterwards.


    And in fact¡­


    ¡°Bhhghhwahhh!!¡±


    ¡°Help me out here, Myonri! Hold Cottage¡¯s arms in place while I seal his suit up with airtight tape. He¡¯ll die if we don¡¯t hurry!!¡±


    Quenser had no idea how effective that tape was. It might have been issued to them more to make them feel better than because of any scientific evidence it worked. But he had to believe using it was better than leaving the soldier with a torn spacesuit. While the soldier nearly lost consciousness from a rapid pressure change similar to elevation sickness, Quenser forcibly bound his thigh with a tool similar to duct tape and filled the invisible gaps by melting the adhesive with an electric iron similar to a soldering iron.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die, Cottage. You¡¯re being treated by a girl. You¡¯ve dreamed of this situation! So don¡¯t you die!! Listen, your wound is being treated by a soft-skinned girl in a short-sleeved gym shirt and sports bloomers at the sports festival. You¡¯ve never been happier!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, you seem to be doing well given the circumstances, Cottage.¡±


    ¡°Good, more like that, Myonri. Fill him with your medical girl power. If I tried to cheer him up as Quensette, the shock of learning the truth might just kill him!!¡±


    The shuttle had reached its limit.


    It was never going to fly normally again after the roof was peeled away like a convertible.


    And the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Federation of Elevator Industries was equipped with killer satellites. That one had been part of a networked minefield. If they continued on like this, the killer satellites waiting up ahead would gather together like a soccer defense. The shuttle was not the most maneuverable craft, so they could not nimbly dodge out of the way. Many more explosions like that one and the shuttle would not last.


    Quenser shouted to the others.


    His physical voice could not actually reach them in the vacuum of space, but his earth habits were hard to shake.


    ¡°You can¡¯t hold onto your weapons with these gloves, so wrap their straps around your wrist and then jump out from the shuttle!!¡±


    ¡°But this is outer space!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s eyes widened, but they had no time. Quenser kicked off his seat while holding still-shaking Cottage. Even though he would have been thrown out from the broken roof anyway.


    Heivia waved his hands wildly even though it was program controlled.


    ¡°How can you use that extravehicular unit so well? It¡¯s got 32 different nozzles.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s basically the same as the civilian models I saw back in my safe country school. Those were marine leisure toys that let you float in the sky by spraying pressurized seawater. There hasn¡¯t been much military value in spacewalks, so the civilian side is more advanced. Basically, the controls have been simplified to the point that an amateur can pick up and use it. Paper manuals aren¡¯t a thing anymore. If it¡¯s more complicated than a stick and two buttons, you lose customers fast.¡±


    ¡°Your point?¡±


    ¡°If you volunteered to help with the R&D, you could play around with them all you wanted in the school¡¯s huge 5m-deep experiment pool. Eh heh heh. Which included providing hands-on tandem support for unsuspecting swimsuit girls.¡±


    Whether they had obeyed Quenser or simply been thrown out of the shuttle, most of the potatoes escaped out into deadly outer space while still plastic-wrapped in their spacesuits.


    But not all of them made it.


    Either they had not trusted Quenser or they had been too panicked to undo their seatbelts, but a few of the soldiers remained inside the torn-up shuttle.


    Quenser could have sworn his eyes met theirs through their thick helmets.


    A moment later, the many killer satellites gathered together and produced a series of silent explosions. The shuttle was transformed into an orange shooting star as it broke apart while enveloped in explosive flames.


    The sharp fragments scattered by the explosion had nothing to slow them in space. Simply watching was risky, but Quenser was in no position to respond to that threat.


    There was nothing he could do.


    He could only clench his teeth and squeeze his eyes shut.


    But then he opened them again.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°That violent mom just took away our precious shut-in room,¡± said Heivia. ¡°So what do we do now? What about oxygen!? How many hours will the tanks on our backs last!? I know it¡¯s less than a full day!¡±


    ¡°Focus on regulating your breathing instead of worrying about how much you have left. And avoid talking too much.¡±


    ¡°What kind of bizarre corpses are we gonna leave out here in space!? Dried up mummies? Or maybe something like frozen food!?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then use your head! Complaining isn¡¯t going to produce oxygen from your garlicy breath!!¡±


    The student was panicking too.


    They were in the silent vacuum of space with nothing to even stand on and mother earth¡¯s blue shine felt like it was rejecting them. When he looked up at the planet hanging above them like a ceiling, he could make out some red dots of light. Those all symbolized human civilization. They were the massive flames of war caused by Objects.


    (The earth is blue, my ass. Or does this mean things were still relatively peaceful back when everyone was threatening everyone else with nuclear missiles?)


    Quenser cursed to himself before speaking again.


    ¡°Which way to that elevator ¨C Mother Lady? Something that damn big should be obvious even from space.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still trying to continue the mission!? I think we¡¯ve got bigger issues right now. We can¡¯t keep fighting, so we need to withdraw!!¡±


    ¡°Withdraw to where? Do you think if you ask for help, Frolaytia¡¯s gonna blow the trumpet and lead the cavalry in to rescue us? You¡¯d better hope she can pull a secret space cavalry out of her ass.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°If we want to survive this, we have to figure something out ourselves. The only place nearby with plenty of oxygen is the space elevator¡¯s space station. If we don¡¯t pay them a visit before the tanks on our backs run out, we¡¯re all dead. If you get that, then get moving. We don¡¯t have much time. If the Capitalist Corporations was judging the success of their attack using radar, they should assume we all died with the shuttle. We can pass right through the network of killer satellites right now!¡±


    The killer satellites were of course designed for use against large machines like enemy satellites and spaceships. People in space was generally unthinkable, so they did not search for them. Just like the giant doppler radar on an airport control tower would fail to detect skydivers or a pair of panties blown off the clothesline, the killer satellites would likely overlook Quenser and the others since they were outside the design specs.


    ¡°No radio. Switch to close-range lasers.¡±


    ¡°Goddammit. Like always, that busty commander goes silent the second things go south.¡±


    ¡°The killer satellites would pick up any transmissions, so this is her way of being nice. It¡¯s just that her tsundere levels are so high it can be really hard to tell.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, hmmm!!¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like that explanation, then how about this? Imagine she shut off the transmission to stick her hand down her underwear and enjoy herself. Pray hard enough and the video footage might just start transmitting by some freak accident.¡±


    They were equipped with extravehicular activity units that sprayed compressed nitrogen gas from nozzles for attitude control, but that was only meant to keep their balance and counterbalance the recoil of gunfire, so it was really like having brakes they could only use a limited number of times. They could not be used as accelerators like a space ship or robot¡¯s rocket boosters.


    Orientation was everything in zero-g.


    If their nitrogen gas tanks ran out before their oxygen, they would be stuck spinning helpless and alone in the silence of space waiting for their oxygen to run out. Running out of oxygen first would actually be the better way to go.


    Quenser operated the LCD screen on his arm. It was designed for use with the fat fingers of the spacesuit, but the screen was less sensitive to his touch than an ordinary phone.


    ¡°Man, that thing is sending EM signals everywhere. It must think it¡¯s the king of outer space. Anyway, I found it. The elevator is 50km thataway!¡±


    Compared to space as a whole, 50km was nothing, but the potatoes could not move a single centimeter forward no matter how hard they moved their legs. They could not walk without ground and they could not swim either.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°There are tons of killer satellites out here and we can¡¯t be the only things they¡¯ve attacked. There has to be some large scraps in a satellite orbit out here. We can calculate out where they¡¯re going and hitch a ride with one of those trucks as it passes through.¡±


    Fortunately, they had countless opportunities.


    Space was vast, but satellite orbit around earth was a fairly packed area. 1800 pieces of rocket and satellite wreckage were floating around up there (and that was only the number that had been officially reported and confirmed). Add in all the bolts, nuts, paint chips, and other tiny pieces, and the number had to be close to 3 million. Most of those were abandoned remnants of the Nuclear Age when humanity had been in a race to develop ridiculous rockets while claiming it was some great dream for the future of humanity (while it was actually just an excuse to develop more missile tech). Space development had been more sensibly planned out once the Object Age arrived and people awoke from that particular madness. Although ¡°got bored and lost interest¡± may have been the more accurate way to phrase it.


    Quenser wanted a piece of scrap that was sufficiently large, not moving too fast, and not spinning.


    A scorched cylindrical cargo tank (perhaps originally meant to send additional supplies to a space station) was about to pass them by.


    (The laser range finger says¡­good, it isn¡¯t moving so fast it would tear my arm off the instant I touch it!!)


    ¡°Try to keep up.¡±


    ¡°Wait, they didn¡¯t teach us this in the pool training!¡±


    Touching it directly could slice his glove open with the jagged edges, so Quenser instead attached a carabiner to the handle sticking out from the door. That way it dragged him along with it.


    He was swept through that cramped area of space filled with killer satellites.


    After seeing Quenser pull it off, Heivia, Myonri, and the others began locating their own debris and hesitantly following after him.


    ¡°Eek, eek, eeeek!?¡±


    ¡°Mute yourself, Heivia. That¡¯s just painful to listen to!!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s so much trash out in space,¡± said Myonri. ¡°Do the people in the elevator just use the atmosphere to burn up their trash and defective parts?¡±


    It seemed unlikely elevator parts would end up floating around in space if they were sent straight up the wires, so this had to be intentional. Some of the debris was as large as a bus.


    Even if they could transport large quantities of supplies into space, the self-destructing killer satellites were still a limited resource. You would lose one every time they were used, so non-hostile scraps would be registered as such and removed from the attack list to avoid wasting the satellites. By pressing against the scorched side of that scrap, Quenser could slip right past the Federation of Elevator Industries¡¯ defense network.


    The moon was always smaller than the earth that seemed to be pressing down on them from overhead.


    But even out in space, a mere boy could not reach it.


    The moon remained a lonely queen.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    With how terrified he was of the vacuum held at bay only by the thin spacesuit, Quenser could not believe those wealthy people would actually build villas out here. He wondered if he would come to understand it after becoming a successful Object designer and diving into a bathtub full of cash.


    But for now¡­


    (We can finally make this an actual battle, even if just barely.)


    With no horizon or air in space, there was nothing to block your view. Or so he thought, but the sun and its reflection off the earth itself created a blinding blue shine. That was why he could only see it after moving so close. A long, long line extended unnaturally up from the surface. The spread of the manmade had finally broken free of the planet and arrived in space.


    That was the Mother Lady space elevator.


    ¡°Hey,¡± said Heivia through their helmets.


    They were using close-range IR at the moment, so he had to be pretty close. He must have been riding on a different scrap.


    ¡°Do you honestly think we can arrive there without issue?¡±


    ¡°Wow, Heivia. Frolaytia really has you brainwashed, huh? How can you look at everything that¡¯s happened so far and think ¡®without issue¡¯ is even remotely still on the table?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Heivia¡¯s usual worrying nature was rearing its ugly head.


    He tended to grow cowardly the instant some unknown technology, like a new Object, showed up. Just like someone who saw new smartphones and tablets and decided they preferred an insular regulated society over a bright future. Quenser was annoyed by that elderly way of thinking, but¡­


    ¡°Yes, we might be able to slip past the killer satellite defense network if we hitch a ride with the registered scraps,¡± said Heivia. ¡°But there are scraps too big to call debris headed toward the elevator¡¯s space station.¡±


    ¡°If they weren¡¯t, we would be starting an endless journey into space. What¡¯s your point?¡±


    ¡°Ummm, won¡¯t those scraps look like a threat to the space station? Won¡¯t they have defense weapons ready to shoot down the scrap metal???¡±


    The elderly way of thinking contained wisdom this time.


    Quenser frantically unhooked his carabiner and kicked off the side of his scrap just before a thick, bluish-white electron beam stabbed through the silent vacuum of space. It pierced the center of the cylindrical cargo tank, causing it to rupture from within.


    Incidentally, the supplies that never reached their destination happened to be sex toys.


    Since any videos watched or VR data accessed on a space station¡¯s computer equipment would be contained in the logs sent back to the control center back on the ground, Quenser was surrounded by a blizzard of analog paper magazines, silicone tubes, and life-sized dolls.


    ¡°Get away from the scraps!!¡± he shouted ¡°The defense system meant for meteors and large scraps can¡¯t detect anything human-sized!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. That cloud of sex toys is floating out into space,¡± lamented Myonri. ¡°The aliens are going to know all about the most embarrassing side of our civilization.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you worried about, Myonri? This is tradition. Have you ever heard of the space probe they launched back when the country called America still existed? The world¡¯s brightest scientists got together and decided the best way to contact aliens was to carve a picture of a naked man and woman into a metal plate. But since being bright doesn¡¯t mean being a good artist, they got some complaints about spreading a poor representation of earth¡¯s civilization.¡±


    If you were not sure how to use the books and dolls, they would only look like detailed examples of human anatomy. With that much reference material, the little green men flying around in saucers and harassing farms could stop abducting humans and pulling out their insides. The books might even be preserved in an alien museum as anatomy textbooks. But right now Quenser had to focus on the space elevator more than the aliens who seemed to have a thing for milk and busty country girls.


    He was in the middle of a war between humans.


    The Mother Lady built by the Federation of Elevator Industries was right in front of him.


    The wires extending all the way from the earth seemed to pierce through a giant disk-like structure that looked something like a flower with petals or like an analog clock face. A donut-shaped block for living space and cargo storage were connected to the central sphere and 8 ¡°flower petals¡± extended sharply out from there. From the central sphere to the tip of the petals, it had a radius of more than 10km.


    The wires seemed to ¡°pierce through¡± it because they did not stop there. They continued a long, long way up into space. Space had no horizon or atmosphere, but the faint blue light of the planet got in the way, preventing Quenser from seeing the end. It was probably connected to some kind of weight, like a wire reel that was no longer in use.


    The space station was located at an altitude of 36 thousand kilometers, but the wires apparently continued past 100 thousand. That was the only way for it to remain balanced, but that meant the distance from the station to the top of the elevator was about twice the distance from the ground to the station.


    The moon was even further out at 380 thousand kilometers. The luxury villas disconnected from all the wars on earth seemed to be coldly staring down at the incompetent potatoes who could not stop the killing even after launching into the silence of space.


    ¡°Heh. That thing¡¯s the world¡¯s biggest piece of space trash,¡± spat Heivia.


    Even now, the bluish-white rapid-fire beam weapon continued to tear through the vacuum of space to burn away the large scraps the station had created itself. The kilometers-long flower petals were covered with solar panels and had apparently been converted into weapons, so a careless look at the sharp tips could expose your eyes to the blinding light.


    But just as Quenser had predicted, the weapons were only attacking the scorched hunks of metal. Once the potatoes let go and floated away, they no longer had to fear the defense weapons.


    They soon arrived at the giant station that only looked like a smooth wall from the outside.


    They touched it.


    ¡°God, this is terrifying!¡± said Heivia. ¡°Where am I even supposed to grab this thing!? I¡¯m gonna float away from it again!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t come to me for comfort just cause you¡¯re worried. It¡¯s creepy!!¡± said Quenser. ¡°Using your extravehicular unit to press against the wall would be a waste of gas, so attach yourself with a wire!!¡±


    Something as simple as landing proved to be a trial and error affair. Heivia seriously did end up flipping away into space, so Quenser had to seriously think for a moment whether he would grab at the filthy guy¡¯s waist or let him fly off never to be seen again. He ultimately decided to throw over the other end of the wire he had attached to the wall, snagging it around Heivia¡¯s leg.


    Once he had finally arrived safely on the station¡¯s wall, the idiot forgot all about saying thanks as he changed the subject.


    ¡°Pant, pant! A-anyway, where do we get in? Let¡¯s not make our space adventures into a trilogy. We only have so much oxygen.¡±


    ¡°We have airtight tape. And since Cottage is still breathing, it must work. Let¡¯s blow a hole in the airlock with a bomb and then seal it up from the inside. We need oxygen too, so no one survives if we just thoughtlessly pop the place open like a balloon.¡±


    They had arrived at the space station, so the killer satellites defending its surroundings would have a hard time aiming for them. The Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Federation of Elevator Industries would not want to blow a hole in the wall and dump themselves out into the vacuum of space.


    Using the extravehicular activity unit¡¯s gas for movement was not recommended, but they had no choice at the moment. Trusting that he could steal some equipment from the station, Quenser used the nitrogen gas to approach one of the large flower petals. Instead of the sharp tip, he was interested in the donut-shaped living space and cargo block located inward of the petals. He felt like a bug going for the flower¡¯s nectar.


    He pressed up against a rectangular section reminiscent of an elevator door reinforced with a rubber seal.


    ¡°Is this the airlock? I was expecting something more like a bank vault door, but this is pretty flimsy. Hey, Heivia, let me use your rifle¡¯s sensors. I¡¯ll check the material and thickness of the door with the ultrasound sensor and then set up the plastic explosive.¡±


    He held out his hand while staring at the airlock and then looked over to see someone there.


    They shined silver and stood over 3m tall.


    It was a Capitalist Corporations powered suit used for extravehicular activity.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    His mind went blank.


    A beat later, a scream too high-pitched to even call girly erupted from Quensette¡¯s mouth, signaling the beginning of a battle between Legitimacy Kingdom shoulder-fired missiles and a Capitalist Corporation shotgun.


    ¡°Kyaaaaahhhhh!!¡±


    ¡°Stop worrying about your nitrogen supply, Quenser! Get away from that wall!!¡±


    Part 3


    The Capitalist Corporations¡¯ strategy was to cause shallow scratches over a wide area instead of concentrating penetrative power on a single point. Even if the attack did not break through the enemy spacesuit, it would still cause them to spin uncontrollably and a single pinprick in those thick plastic suits would cause the person inside to die. The conditions were entirely different from when everyone was covered in bulletproof fibers and thick armor plates. Air was the dividing line between life and death, not blood.


    Shotguns could cover a wide area with a single shot, so they were the perfect choice.


    With no air or gravity in space, their power was not reduced by distance.


    They saw a bright muzzle flash right in front of them.


    ¡°C-Cottage!?¡±


    ¡°Pull out the bullet before using the airtight tape! Those are smoke rounds, so seal it with tape now and he¡¯ll smoke alive in his suit!!¡±


    ¡°Wow, it actually worked. I think he might be immortal.¡±


    Being treated by cute Myonri was enough. A guy who could convert lust into strength in battle was unbeatable. Quenser complained about the guy¡¯s survival, but then he heard Heivia click his tongue over the transmission.


    ¡°Dammit, I can¡¯t get a stable trajectory with my rifle or missiles. Earth projectiles designed to be used in the air are useless!¡±


    ¡°Wait, you couldn¡¯t even aim the missile you fired to save me!?¡±


    It was just like a student from a safe country to complain after having his life saved. A child who did not know how to cook and always had his mama cook for him could never appreciate how wonderful it was to always have a homecooked meal made for you.


    Were the Capitalist Corporations using shotguns because the ballistic trajectories were so unstable?


    With all this tech developed for use in space, it was easy to forget they had been hiding in cracks in the ground to avoid the enemy not long ago.


    ¡°The Island Nation is the holy land of robots and they¡¯ve also got Hollywood that insists on doing everything in full 3DCG.¡± Heivia sounded disgusted. ¡°That must have influenced them. We¡¯re in trouble cause I can¡¯t even imagine what kind of bizarre weapon they¡¯ll pull out next!!¡±


    ¡°That just means this place is a treasure trove of tech they can¡¯t go public with. I¡¯m gonna get a look at it and steal all their ideas. This deadly trip into space won¡¯t be worth it otherwise.¡±


    A powered suit was a lot better than a spacesuit, but it was still only as sturdy as an armored truck. They could be shot through with a missile or an anti-materiel rifle.


    At any rate, the soldiers on the run triggered a silent explosion in space, launching the powered suit away from the station and into the emptiness beyond.


    ¡°They know we¡¯re here now, so blow open that airlock already,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Who knows how many are going to be rushing over here soon!!¡±


    ¡°You might want to move outside of the blast range. Unless you want to go crashing through a lunar villa¡¯s roof, that is.¡±


    They blew up the airlock and moved inside.


    They did not have time for them all to pass through the one airlock. Luckily, there were plenty of airlocks. Once Quenser had a few more people in his, they sealed the outside door with airtight tape, pried open the inside door with some tools (because using another bomb would have killed everyone inside the airlock), and finally paid the space station a visit.


    The bright white LED lights made the inside look unnaturally sterile. It was so perfect it instead looked unhealthy. It was reminiscent of a research lab deep underground where a zombie virus or something was being developed.


    They were in a simple corridor, but it was as wide as a road with two lanes both ways. It followed a gentle curve, so they could not see all the way down it.


    The place was unnecessarily large, evidence that they had no trouble transporting things into space. A station like this would have been unthinkable back when everything used rockets where people racked their brains to reduce the weight by even a single gram.


    The space elevator was neither a train station nor a hotel, so they did not bother using centrifugal force to produce artificial gravity. Everything remained zero-g like normal.


    (Zero-g like normal, huh? Humans adapt so fast.)


    Quenser smiled cynically in his helmet. He hoped he would be able to stand on his own two feet once he was back on earth.


    He glanced at the computer on his arm. Operating the simple screen controls was difficult with a hand larger than a baseball glove.


    ¡°There¡¯s pressure. One atmosphere in fact, so there¡¯s probably air.¡±


    ¡°Then open your helmet¡¯s visor and prove it. I¡¯m not about to open mine and have my head swell out and pop like a balloon.¡±


    Heivia¡¯s ideas of space appeared to be based on a hodgepodge of misinformation. Death in a vacuum would not be that gruesome. You would still be dead, though.


    ¡°Come to think of it, what happens when you die in space?¡± he asked. ¡°There aren¡¯t any bacteria to make you decompose out here, so would you float on outside of the solar system inside your enclosed spacesuit without ever rotting until some aliens finally picked you up???¡±


    ¡°You have a ton of bacteria in your gut,¡± replied Quenser. ¡°Not to mention mites on your skin and cavity bacteria on your teeth. Some people will have parasites like athlete¡¯s foot too. Once we die and our immune system shuts down, we¡¯ll be devoured from within. Inside a sealed spacesuit, you¡¯ll be reduced to a sticky goop made up of rotted flesh, filth, and even the squid-smelling goo in your balls. That would make for an awful surprise for the little green men who open up your suit. They¡¯ll be wondering why the earth sent them such a cruel present.¡±


    He made sure not to hold his breath since that could damage his lungs.


    But he still wanted to preserve his suit¡¯s oxygen tank, so he went ahead and raised his visor. If the tank did run out, he could still suffocate to death inside his spacesuit even when he was surrounded by oxygen in the safe station.


    He felt dizzy the instant the outside air reached him.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    ¡°Hey, your eardrums didn¡¯t burst, did they!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I think it¡¯s just my inner ear.¡±


    He shut off the oxygen supply from the tank while he thought.


    Could he find a Capitalist Corporations oxygen tank anywhere?


    The two idiots searched around. This structure was generally shaped like a donut, but there were a ton of sturdy metal doors for airlocks on the outside of the metal ring. Those were connection joists for attaching additional experiment rooms.


    The delinquent noble (who now removed his helmet after seeing Quenser was fine with his visor open) frowned as they checked inside those.


    ¡°Pwah. The hell? These are so boring.¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not. These are a treasure trove.¡±


    The two of them had vastly different opinion on what they saw.


    The experiments came in all types. The cylindrical experiment rooms were each the size of a large bus and had various company logos plastered on them. Were all those companies supporters of the Federation of Elevator Industries? The one with plants growing on steel racks protected by glass cases was probably a plant factory that grew vegetables which could be harvested dozens of times per year. In addition to food, there were frozen earthworms and slugs. Those may have been a cold sleep experiment.


    (Hm? Is this the latest space trend? I could have sworn the focus was more on new alloys and microscopic chemical development.)


    ¡°Look, they¡¯ve got drinking water.¡±


    ¡°Heivia, that machine recycles the astronauts¡¯ piss with a filter.¡±


    ¡°Bfff!? Thank god I didn¡¯t swallow!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s over-the-top spit take made him spin around in the zero-g.


    There was also a section with genetic information preserved in cold storage. Basically, it was the fertilized eggs of animals.


    ¡°This one is a zebra and this one a giraffe. There¡¯s even a lion and a hyena.¡±


    ¡°What the hell¡¯s the point? Can you order endangered species with the click of a button in the Capitalist Corporations???¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quenser thought for a bit and then faced the machinery again.


    He saw water, dirt, nutrients, and even fertilizer. A closer look showed none of it appeared to have been created in a sterile lab. The dirt had apparently just been dug up from the ground because the bags full of it still contained chunks of mold and small bugs.


    ¡°Heh,¡± laughed Heivia. ¡°Do those rich bastards even want their experiments to be free of additives and agrochemicals?¡±


    ¡°No, wait. Is this what I think it is?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Heivia tilted his head, but Quenser was not even looking his awful friend¡¯s way.


    ¡°Was this for Re Terra?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know and I don¡¯t care because we¡¯re bringing this elevator down today. Here, isn¡¯t this what we wanted? Capitalist Corporations oxygen tanks!¡±


    Sure enough.


    In fact, there were tanks everywhere.


    ¡°Wow, the elevator sure is generous to its people. They have so much precious oxygen they can just leave it lying around like curly hairs in the corner of your room.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you at least compare it to a fire extinguisher or AED, you bastard?¡±


    But once they actually pulled a tank out of its metal box, they found the socket did not match. These could not be attached to Legitimacy Kingdom equipment.


    ¡°These mystery hairs are completely useless! Why can¡¯t they be more accommodating, dammit!?¡±


    ¡°Probably to prevent their enemy from using them. Y¡¯know, like we¡¯re trying to do.¡±


    If they borrowed the lathe in one of the experiment rooms and shaved down the metal connector to match the tube¡¯s width, they could probably get it to fit, but they were in space. They were dead if any oxygen could escape, so they were afraid to trust DIY work. Unfortunately, they would have to give up on the oxygen tanks for now.


    (I have no idea if we¡¯re making these decisions based on the reality of space or based on an idea of space born from dubious facts we picked up somewhere, but it¡¯s our lives on the line here.)


    Quenser gave a self-deprecating smile.


    Taking over the space station would be their best bet, but if that did not work, they at least needed a spaceship they could stay on for longer periods of time. Either way, securing a survivable environment was top priority. Being kicked back out without any new supplies would be the worst-case scenario. Whether it was oxygen or nitrogen, if they ran out of the supplies needed to operate in space, they could not avoid drying up and dying in the emptiness out there.


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly pretty jealous of that powered suit from before. One scratch to our spacesuits and we¡¯re dead, so that thing must be such a relief. Maybe we can find some in storage somewhere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Capitalist Corporations gear,¡± pointed out Heivia. ¡°Steal one and our own people will shoot you the instant you step out the door.¡±


    For that reason, stealing just a tank or even a full spacesuit from the Capitalist Corporations would be dangerous.


    ¡°This station is more than 20km long, so it¡¯s huge. Whether it¡¯s manned or unmanned, they must have far more firepower than us. So where do we make our attack? If we don¡¯t choose a specific target, they¡¯ll use their superior numbers to surround us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that.¡±


    This space had no gravity, but it did have artificial air. That meant bullets produced for use on the surface would hit their targets here. With the exception of long-range sniper shots that took gravity into account.


    (Mother Lady must have a power source up here as well. Otherwise, the Princess¡¯s group could have cut their power from the ground base. Is it just those flower petal solar panels, or do they have something else? No, that won¡¯t help. Even if I did know they have a nuclear reactor here, I wouldn¡¯t know where in this 20km fortress it is.)


    Quenser could only think of one option.


    Since they lacked a detailed map of the station, they could only aim for somewhere they could generally guess was important. In other words, something that structurally had to exist.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the center.¡±


    ¡°You wanna go straight on in without even kissing the nape or earlobe first? Got a particular target in mind?¡±


    ¡°No matter how big this thing is, it still needs attitude control. It isn¡¯t a spaceship just floating out here ¨C it¡¯s an elevator connected to a long wire. Since the wire is 100 thousand kilometers long ¨C a quarter of the distance to the moon ¨C you could calculate out its natural frequency. They must have some a gyro or a pendulum that counteracts the vibration of this giant string instrument. And that has to directly interact with the wire, so it must be at the center of the station. Take that down and the vibration of the wire will tear the station apart from within.¡±


    ¡°Even though it¡¯s 20km long?¡±


    ¡°It could be 100 or even 200km long. The size of the building doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    They could use that to negotiate.


    If they were going to settle in anywhere, the center of the station would be best.


    Instead of running, Heivia walked along with his hand on the wall.


    ¡°Hey, how about we let the station break apart while we escape to safety in an escape pod!?¡±


    ¡°Sure, if you can find enough of those wonderfully convenient escape pods for everyone and prove that the station can¡¯t fire those thick electron beams up our fleeing asses while it falls apart. Whatever we¡¯re gonna do with this giant thing, we need to take the center if we want any bargaining chips at all.¡±


    They heard a distant sound like thick rubber being crushed.


    A six-wheeled armored vehicle appeared from around a corner of the wide corridor.


    It was the size of a van.


    ¡°What the hell!? We¡¯re inside right now!!¡±


    Heivia shouted and immediately tried to shove the frozen skinny boy aside, but he completely forgot about the whole zero-g thing.


    He could not suppress the force of his own shove without using the extravehicular activity unit on his back.


    The two boys ended up floating away in opposite directions.


    The armored vehicle¡¯s machinegun gave a roar and red-hot bullets flew through the gap between them.


    ¡°That was too close!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Cottage!? We can test this new weapon on him!!¡±


    Heivia was trembling behind a metal tank filled with who-knows-what, but Quenser analyzed the situation while hiding behind a pillar rising from the floor.


    ¡°The recoil didn¡¯t push it back? Oh, I get it. That thing¡¯s an asteroid probe. Its tires aren¡¯t filled with air. They attach to the floor instead. Does it use suction cups? No, maybe it uses spikes similar to a cocklebur. It must be able to electrically change the angle of the spikes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a huge boner for tech! I get it already! Got any useful information for us!?¡±


    ¡°It looks fancy, but it¡¯s really the same old thing.¡± Quenser seemed awfully calm for having an armored vehicle¡¯s machinegun aimed at him. ¡°They took a lightweight aluminum probe and attached some armor panels that defeat its entire purpose. Its defenses are flimsy as hell compared to a real tank and the bullets its firing are only made to ¡®scratch¡¯ the target instead of punching through them. ¡­This isn¡¯t anywhere near as bad as a normal battlefield. Having our spacesuits tear isn¡¯t all that bad when we¡¯re inside a space station full of artificial air.¡±


    Yes.


    It was harmless.


    It did not have a bunch of legs or antigravity tech. Forcing a new method would only lead to malfunctions, so the Federation of Elevator Industries had stuck with the tried and true standard of wheels. That suggested it also used ordinary electric power. Burning gasoline or diesel was out of the question since there was no air in space, so what else could they use? They had likely avoided anything too bizarre.


    Even if they had the equipment, the other side would not want to fire anti-materiel bullets thicker than your thumb at a rate of hundreds per minute. They would not want to tear apart their space station from within after spending so much money and effort building it.


    Everything was normal, ordinary, and unsurprising.


    Even though they were in space. Or maybe because they were in space?


    ¡°I get your reasoning.¡± Heivia was still curled up behind cover. ¡°But what are we supposed to do about it?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you listening, dumbass? We fight the kind of war the Capitalist Corporations doesn¡¯t want. Fire your gun and fill the wall to our right with holes 150m ahead of here!!¡±


    To avoid wasting the nitrogen for his extravehicular activity unit, Heivia grabbed onto a large tank with one arm to hold himself in place while firing his assault rifle. He only held it in one hand, but that was fine when he only needed to hit the wall and not pinpoint target someone between the eyes.


    The wall was blown through right next to the armored vehicle.


    There were different kinds of walls on the station.


    For example, there were the extra airlocks that did not yet have an additional experiment room attached.


    Once there were too many holes to count on your fingers, the pressure difference tore the entire metal door away. A gust of wind formed, like air escaping a giant balloon, and it tore the nearby armored vehicle from the floor, sucking it out into the black of space.


    That was a major kill for Heivia, but for once he did not brag about it.


    Instead, he paled in horror at what he had done.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!! What do we do!? What do we do now!?¡±


    ¡°If the Capitalist Corporations have any sense at all, their central control will close the shutter.¡±


    There was no response.


    The Federation of Elevator Industries had no sense at all.


    ¡°In that case, escape to the next block over!¡±


    ¡°How dumb are you!? Your plan should never be reliant on the enemy¡¯s benevolent nature!¡±


    The storm was rapidly expanding.


    ¡°Oh, god. It¡¯s sucking like crazy! Once that greedy old hag gets her lips on you, she¡¯s never letting go!!¡±


    ¡°Try to knock some sense back into your messed-up brain, dumbass.¡±


    Before the air could be sucked out of their current location, the potatoes kicked off the wall, passed to the next section of the segmented corridor, and pulled the lever to manually lower a thick shutter.


    They had barely escaped with their lives, but they had learned something through nearly dying.


    ¡°The Federation of Elevator Industries isn¡¯t some unbeatable enemy.¡± Quenser took a deep breath to confirm that there was still air here. ¡°The space elevator and the station up in satellite orbit are a hell of a first impression, but nothing they¡¯ve done in this fight has been all that crazy. So far, anyway. They¡¯re only using whatever weapons were available and they¡¯re intentionally reducing the amount of explosives. I was afraid what we would find in a zero-g war with no Objects, but this isn¡¯t a destructive war where everyone¡¯s aiming nukes at everyone else to ensure their own safety.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°We should be able to negotiate. Maybe by placating them and maybe by threatening them.¡±


    But that did not change where they needed to go. They had to leave the donut-shaped living space and cargo area and enter the center of the elevator itself. The long, long wires would vibrate at a set frequency, so there would be a device that counteracted that. Control that, and they could begin to negotiate with the Federation of Elevator Industries that was losing more and more people because they were too worried about damaging the space station to take sufficiently strong action.


    They aimed their guns at anyone they came across, but most of them were more Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes.


    ¡°Hey, Phillip. Make some kind of signal before stepping out. I nearly shot you!¡±


    ¡°And let everyone know it¡¯s me in advance? They might ¡®accidentally¡¯ shoot me because of some stupid grudge they hold.¡±


    The potatoes were indeed potatoes. Gambling and moneylending within the same unit led to mutual suspicion in a flash. A military unit meant to protect the world could be destroyed from within by a single deck of cards.


    After rejoining with a few other Legitimacy Kingdom groups, Quenser and Heivia approached the center.


    There was a shutter down between the areas, but the student¡¯s plastic explosive made short work of that and they continued on.


    The inside was not at all what Quenser had expected.


    He had been imagining something like the bridge of a giant aircraft carrier, but the central area was more like an airport luggage management room or a drink factory. Conveyer belts with protrusions to hold them in place ran every which way, creating lanes like a highway interchange or junction. But instead of suitcases or plastic bottles, the conveyer belts were transporting large cylindrical cargo tanks.


    The area was larger than a domed stadium.


    A few parallel lines pierced straight down the very center of the vast space, but these were not thin threads. They were shaped like flat belts about 80cm wide and thinner than a razorblade. Needless to say, those were the elevator¡¯s carbon nanotube wires.


    But Quenser did not have time to stare at that piece of the space elevator.


    A girl with a fluttering lab coat floated in the zero-g world beyond those wires that looked like a giant string instrument.


    But she did not seem to be a soldier.


    What kind of soldier would be dressed like that?


    In what was probably the gym outfit of a safe country school, she wore a short-sleeved gym shirt and red sports bloomers. On her feet, she wore black kneesocks and functional sneakers. The baggy lab coat she wore above all that was the only thing hinting that she was a researcher.


    This was a female researcher involved with the elevator.


    Each of those symbols and facts danced through Quenser¡¯s mind. Plus, a tablet floated next to the girl whose long hair and lab coat were fluttering in the lack of gravity. The alphabet stickers on the tablet¡¯s back spelled out the name Louisiana.


    ¡°Eh? What?¡±


    The answer was right in front of him, but Quenser still blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Do you just happen to have the same name? Is this a body double? Because you can¡¯t be her! I mean, Louisiana Honeysuckle was the girl in Braskine¡¯s story! And it has to have been at least 4 years since he made those memories!!¡±


    ¡°Try 6. I went to graduate school.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Hmm??? But then how are you only 17? Or did you master immortality so you always look 17!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m what they call a genius, so I skipped several years of school.¡±


    ¡°B-¡±


    Quenser Barbotage was not usually the type to speak ill of the dead.


    He was proud of that fact, but he chose to break that rule here.


    It was a reflexive response in this case.


    ¡°Braskiiiiiiiiiine!!!??? Why did you make that sound like a bitter love story!? How young a girl did you fall for you, you son of a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!!?¡±


    ¡°What, she¡¯s a friend of his!?¡± asked Heivia while still aiming his assault rifle.


    Louisiana Honeysuckle.


    She might be a monster in the field of space technology, but it was hard to imagine that clothing had been modified to be bulletproof or blast-resistant. Nevertheless the gym clothes girl grinned and did not even put her hands up as countless guns were aimed her way.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the weird getup?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Oh, sorry about that. It may depend on the material, but your bra shows through some of them.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke!!¡±


    ¡°This is a logical choice. Do you know how much your muscles deteriorate while living in zero-g. It also effects your calcium, so I¡¯m worried about the strength of my bones.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think you¡¯re in any position to speak on equal footing with us? Or what, do you think you can stop our bullets with some very scientific psychokinesis!?¡±


    ¡°PK? No, that¡¯s a bit outside my field of expertise.¡±


    She kept a jocular tone of voice.


    Quenser sensed something more to this unusual confidence and then he gasped.


    ¡°No!! Wait, Heivi-¡±


    A gunshot and muzzle flash burst out.


    But the one who froze in terror was the very one who had fired the warning shot: Heivia.


    The rifle bullet flew just a few centimeters past his head to hit the wall behind him.


    ¡°Oh, how kind of you.¡±


    The 17-year-old girl continue smiling thinly in midair as she quietly applauded Heivia. Her shirt was not tucked in, so it floated up to reveal her shapely navel.


    Evidently, she really did not need bulletproof equipment.


    ¡°If you had aimed between my eyes with that first shot, that would have killed you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°So even after seeing it in action, the soldier remains in his egg. That baby chick there seems to have noticed, though. These carbon nanotubes are the heart of the giant transportation infrastructure supporting this 100 thousand kilometer elevator. Mere bullets cannot tear them. If you do hit them, they will take in the bullet like a bow or slingshot and send it right back at you.¡±


    Jack-of-all-trades Myonri had rejoined them at some point and she glanced down at the grenade on her chest. And with this many people paying Louisiana a visit, they could split into two teams and circle around from both sides, preventing the wires from acting as a shield.


    ¡°Any questions?¡± asked Louisiana while slowly flipping upside down.


    ¡°Was your relationship with Braskine a, uh, p-platonic one!? You didn¡¯t throw out your inhibitions and do a lot of experimenting just because you were in college, did you!?¡±


    ¡°Why do you hear about a boy and girl being friends and immediately assume it¡¯s sexual in nature? Is that just how it is with you high schoolers who run entirely on lust?¡±


    Louisiana breathed an exasperated sigh.


    Quenser¡¯s question must not have been clever enough for her liking because the genius girl reached her slender finger toward something while still floating upside down.


    Namely¡­


    ¡°I can us these carbon nanotubes in more than just passive ways. So how about I get more aggressive this time?¡±


    She flicked the edge of one of the belt-shaped wires. With just the one finger.


    The immediate result was more like an invisible wall than a noise.


    The bizarre shockwave hit the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes, slamming all their backs against the walls and transportation equipment.


    Quenser thought he was going to expel the contents of his stomach.


    ¡°Gah!?¡±


    ¡°The wires are wires. This facility is meant to restrict their vibration, but it can also give them a new vibration. And since this room is filled with artificial air, sound and vibrations can of course propagate through it. How do you like the music played by the world¡¯s largest string instrument that covers a quarter of the distance from the earth to the moon?¡±


    It was more than he could have imagined.


    The very technology being used was different. Instead of supertechnology that were just guns and bombs but better, this was like being thrown into a sword and sorcery fantasy world.


    The Federation of Elevator Industries was not just a single company.


    It was a giant space development agency jointly funded by 7th Core, the seven large companies that controlled the Capitalist Corporations home country. Simply put, the Federation spoke on behalf of the Capitalist Corporations as a whole. It had been given funding and the latest tech from those seven monstrous companies, so of course they would have some crazy stuff.


    However¡­


    (We were caught off guard by new tech we¡¯d never seen before, but we¡¯re still alive.)


    Quenser forced down some sour saliva and pushed his thoughts in a positive direction.


    (This isn¡¯t like the Object wars. If we let an Object¡¯s first attack hit us like this, the entire unit would¡¯ve been reduced to ashes!!)


    ¡°If possible¡­¡±


    The genius girl in gym clothes and a lab coat traced her slender finger along the vibrating wire. She was looking at the carbon nanotube, not at Quenser and the others.


    Guns were not a bargaining chip against her.


    That extraordinary aerospace researcher had displayed something that seemed even more supernatural than psychokinesis.


    ¡°I would prefer not to use her to kill. I accept that Mother Lady is a weapon that will change the very era we live in, but I want to use it to help the Turkana District.¡±


    ¡°After you tricked them and stole their land for your precious elevator and then turned the whole place into a desert by sucking all the water out of the ground!?¡± shouted Heivia. ¡°Your supposed philanthropy makes no sense!!¡±


    ¡°Re Terra.¡± Quenser slowly interjected while grimacing in pain. ¡°Re Terraforming. Are you trying to give the world a single unified environment?¡±


    He searched for the meaning of everything he had seen so far and constructed a theory he would much rather not know about.


    ¡°I saw the plants, animals, dirt, and water of the Turkana District in this space station. You plan to suck it up from the ground base and scatter it from space. Across the entire world! Then Asia, Europe, North and South America, and the rest of the world will all be remade to have the same environment as the Turkana District. You aren¡¯t planning to alter some other planet ¨C you¡¯re remaking earth. Because you believe that will make every part of the world equal, regardless of terrain or environment!!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Louisiana did not provide a real response.


    Instead of a yes or a no, she brought her finger to the back of her hips. Fixing the red sports bloomers riding up in her butt was apparently more important to her than listening to the enemy.


    She did not even look their way when she spoke again.


    ¡°You seem to be mistaken about some things. You shouldn¡¯t accuse people based on groundless speculation.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, you¡¯re not the Faith Organization, so surely you don¡¯t think the world will be saved if you just continue with your blind Object worship. You have no way to save the world. Rejecting someone else¡¯s ideas without one of your own is what children do.¡±


    The space elevator was a largescale space project meant to carry great quantities of cargo outside the atmosphere. If her plan was executed, it would be far worse than volcanic ash paralyzing a city. No matter how much the people on the surface tried to fight it, they would never catch up. Once the environment itself had been altered, the lifeforms already there would die out. Everything would be made uniform.


    Slugs could not live on the dry ground and moles could not live in the hard ground. The distribution of animals could be easily controlled using soil and water quality. If you could dump dizzying amounts of it from the sky, that is.


    The deep ocean bottom barely changed across the entire world, but it apparently grew deeper at a rate of 1mm every thousand years. That was supposedly due to fine cosmic dust that poured down from outside the atmosphere, but Louisiana was trying to dump meters of it in a single day.


    That might increase the population of endangered animals like giraffes and lions.


    But there would be no variety there. The Legitimacy Kingdom was fighting for the extremely ill-defined plan of ¡°protecting the varied plants and animals that might be useful as a drug at some point¡±. What if some strange new disease was spreading and the plant or animal needed for the cure had gone extinct? A unified environment would take away crucial flexibility and might even lead to more extinctions.


    And that was not an issue with the plants and animals of the Turkana District.


    It would be the same no matter what part of the planet you chose. Life could not be ranked in a hierarchy ¨C none of it was superior or inferior to anything else. If a species of wheat or grape considered the most valuable to humans was planted all across the planet, that would only increase the risk of it entirely dying out at some point. Even seemingly useless weeds and the bugs swarming below the streetlights were supporting the world in some roundabout way.


    A single person would change the world.


    Quite literally so. She really was going to change the planet¡¯s environment.


    (I knew Louisiana Honeysuckle was supposed to be a genius, but this is absurd!!)


    Even so, if she was going to use sound, she would be bound by the nature of sound. If she was going to use wires, she would be trapped by the shape of a wire. Louisiana Honeysuckle had used her intellect to extend her reach into space where she was trying to remake the planet as a whole, but she was not a witch with a magic wand.


    All of this was the result of high-level science. If they figured out how it worked, they could prevent her from using it.


    ¡°Heivia, ready your gun.¡±


    ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t we withdraw for the time being!?¡±


    ¡°Louisiana is a true monster. She knows the structure of the elevator like the back of her hand, she can entirely ignore standard military tactics, and she can even use ¡®magic¡¯. Don¡¯t carelessly try to attack her directly.¡±


    Then was there nothing they could do?


    Quenser continued before anyone could ask that question.


    ¡°But those wires are 100 thousand kilometers long and they have a known natural frequency. We knew the number from the beginning, so we know what her magic really is and interfering with it won¡¯t be that hard!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m shaking in my boots.¡±


    Louisiana cowered down in an obviously performative way. That kind of confidence was terrifying. She was surrounded by dozens of soldiers who made a living killing and shedding blood, so how could she smile? If it was based on science and not groundless faith, then she had to know her tricks were not absolute.


    Anyone could use science as long as they understood how it worked. That was what made it the standard most wildly supported by humanity.


    And yet¡­


    ¡°Okay, enough playing around. I should probably just play my trump card now. Time to end this romantic space story and drag it back to the boring world of the military. Development Code: Elinabell.¡±


    The Federation of Elevator Industries had funding and technology from the seven large companies of 7th Core.


    This genius and true monster had full authority over it all. She wielded a supposedly impossible privilege in the world of science that should have been equal to all. Genius.


    That one word felt like an occult jinx or an invisible barrier. That researcher had everything a student like Quenser did not.


    As the snap of her finger rang through the artificial air, Louisiana Honeysuckle introduced them to her insane talent.


    ¡°We have developed a Second Generation Object specifically designed for use in outer space.¡±


    Part 4


    In that moment, logic vanished from the world.


    Part 5


    Quenser¡¯s vision returned.


    But he still could not fill in the blank in the back of his mind. He could only see things in unpleasant flashes and his brain could not figure out what the colors and shapes meant.


    His senses did not return for a while.


    It was a weirdly pleasant feeling, like having his fingertip freed from the fishing line constricting it.


    ¡°Pant, pant.¡±


    He only now realized he had been breathing rapidly, nearly to the point of hyperventilation. His helmet¡¯s thick visor was down, but that was the correct decision. He had been thrown out into the starry sky where he could not tell up from down or judge distance or direction.


    He was in outer space.


    (What ¨C dammit ¨C what happened!? How could I be thrown out into space when I was in the middle of the space station!?)


    His memories were failing him.


    But instead of the memories not existing, his weak mind was refusing to recall them.


    ¡°Heivia, Myonri! Is anyone still alive!?¡±


    There was no response.


    Had they all been reduced to chunks of flesh floating out in the vacuum of space, or were they afraid sending out a signal would give away their position to the enemy?


    The enemy.


    The 7th Core¡¯s representative.


    The symbol of the Federation of Elevator Industries¡¯ power.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He could not calm his breathing. Beads of sweat swam through his helmet and he could not even brush them away with his hand.


    (That¡¯s right.)


    It was like a jigsaw puzzle or like defragging a hard disk.


    The fragments he had been refusing to recall began to piece themselves together, whether he wanted it or not.


    (We were caught off guard. Louisiana fixed herself in place with a carabiner and pulled a lever while laughing. That opened a smoke vent in case of fire, so we were all sucked out of the space station.)


    But how had Louisiana Honeysuckle managed to catch them off guard?


    That lab coat girl may have been a genius, but a large group of Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had gathered there. She was not the star of a samurai movie, so it was unrealistic to think she could take on so many enemies at once.


    Real war was much crueler and more boring.


    They were not fighting in order to look cool, so that was not too surprising.


    So what had happened?


    (It arrived.)


    There was only one thing that could allow one side of a battle to crush the other: sending in greater firepower. It was a simple but absolute law.


    (She did something¡­and then the whole station shook violently. Which distracted us enough for her to catch us off guard.)


    He gulped.


    Pain flashed in the back of his mind. The blinding light was coming from his brain, not his eyes. Was it really this painful to recall a traumatizing experience?


    He did not want to believe it.


    He did not want to accept that was real.


    But his head moved all on its own. It turned. He could not fight the ultimate charisma carried only by the strongest weapon.


    There it was.


    It was a few kilometers away, which was nothing in space.


    It was more than 50m tall.


    He saw a colossal nuke-resistant mass.


    The spherical main body was covered with so many laser beams and plasma cannons it looked like a sea urchin or a chestnut burr. The most notable trait was the large half-circle piece attached around the main body. That bridge piece was fixed in place like headphones and had cylindrical tanks attached at even intervals.


    The large rings on the back and bottom of the main body appeared to be the propulsion devices.


    But they seemed insufficient to support its 200 thousand ton weight. The rings probably had some kind of engine equipped at even intervals for a multipurpose attitude control device that could act as retrorockets as well.


    ¡°She cut her precious daughter loose from its huge umbilical cord,¡± said a dazed voice over the radio. It was Heivia. ¡°Where the hell was that thing in the elevator!? In a higher station? Or in the weight at the top!?¡±


    ¡°How should I know!? And that isn¡¯t what matters!!¡±


    Quenser could not imagine what this thing would do.


    What kind of main cannon did it have? What kind of propulsion did it use? Were its armor panels and reactor different from the surface Objects? What kind of tactics would it use?


    It was right in front of him, but the information refused to enter his head.


    Instead¡­


    ¡°Gyaahhh!!¡±


    ¡°Stay low. We need to withdraw. Find something to hide behind!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s useless against an Object. What good is playing hide-and-seek with that thing!?¡±


    Only the sounds of lives being shredded shook his eardrums and then his entire body too.


    Then he realized this should not have been possible in space.


    (I can¡­hear them? I¡¯m in a vacuum, but I can hear the sounds directly???)


    This was not reaching him through his communicator. He could tell the physical voices were reaching him. It was just like a movie or game where firing a laser beam filled outer space with noise.


    He heard an odd sound of ejection.


    It came from that Object. It had a main cannon on either side, but instead of from the front, some kind of gas was being ejected from small holes covering their sides.


    In fact¡­


    ¡°Oxy¡­gen???¡±


    He thought this had to be some kind of joke.


    But that nightmarish waste of resources did not vanish from his view.


    7th Core and the Capitalist Corporations as a whole had sent this monster out into the world.


    The Federation of Elevator Industries was not your normal organization. That much had been obvious ever since Louisiana Honeysuckle made an appearance, but the nightmare had taken physical form here.


    The vacuum of space was such a basic and fundamental concept, yet it had been shattered with a single attack.


    ¡°Are you insane!? That Object controls oxygen in the vacuum of space!?¡±


    The sound of burning metal reached him.


    It was like hearing a cheap cigar lighter.


    But this was concentrated oxygen filling deadly outer space. Some of the soldiers had to be breathing a sigh of relief when they did not die after their spacesuit tore or helmet broke. Was there really enough oxygen there to have some level of atmospheric pressure???


    They were surrounded by lifegiving oxygen.


    But.


    That very oxygen was used as fuel for a fire hot enough to melt steel.


    There were screams.


    Those death cries normally would not have reached him through the vacuum of space, but he could not get them out of his ears or brain.


    ¡°Ah, ahh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?¡±


    He was on the outer edge of the oxygen area, so he was flipped over and thrown beyond the reach of the explosive flames. The flames had not hit him directly, but he still would have been roasted by the heat if not for his heat-resistant spacesuit.


    He could not perform the calculations necessary to determine if this was possible with just oxygen.


    It may have also used some other gas like hydrogen or acetylene. But it was not the technological issues that left him speechless.


    He saw countless spheres the same color as flesh floating around.


    It took him a second to realize that was the result of human flesh being liquefied, gathering together in zero-g, and then cooling. It had long been said that people became stars in the sky when they died, but that had finally been made a reality with technology. But this was not something anyone had wanted to be real. In contrast to the original saying, the reality had no hint of dignity or respect to be found. They were just round blobs. People were reduced to things. No more and no less.


    This was not the only way to use oxygen.


    It could be used to burn, to cool, and to oxidate. Since the Object had a near endless supply of the element necessary to maintain life, it could also be using some kind of biological weapon. Like a microbe that eats aluminum or a larva that chews through plastic.


    ¡°Louisiana.¡±


    The Capitalist Corporations had completed their space elevator.


    They had carried materials into space for war.


    Was this why they had needed so many supplies in space that they needed to build Mother Lady?


    ¡°Louisiana Honeysuckle!!!!!!¡±


    Part 6


    ¡°A Second Generation built for use in space?¡± groaned Frolaytia Capistrano in the civilian space base in the distant Amazon District of South America.


    Their Object was in Africa. Their First Generation could intercept ballistic missiles, but the Baby Magnum could not hit the Capitalist Corporations Second Generation from the ground.


    (All seven 7th Core companies paid obscene amounts of money to build that thing up in space, but what do they hope to use it against? The killer satellites are sufficient if they only want to take down enemy satellites and control the wireless data network. Are they hoping to attack the lunar villas, or do they think they need to fight space aliens???)


    The busty silver-haired commander reminded herself of the forces available to her while she stared at her laptop. She had sent a request for emergency support from their home country, but (as expected) that was not looking promising. Every minute and every second counted, but after spending 10 minutes trying to get through, she had only received a single sentence in response: ¡°The Federation of Elevator Industries¡¯ new Object has been given the enemy codename of World¡¯s End.¡±


    (World¡¯s End, huh? They do love their dark humor, giving that name to an oxygen-controlling Object. If we define the ¡°end¡± of the world as the farthest territory filled with breathable air, then that thing¡¯s location is indeed the world¡¯s end.)


    Of course, humanity was observing more than just the planet they had been born and raised on. They were observing outer space in several ways, including radar and radio telescopes. If a 50m mass had been floating out there, it would have led to a number of UFO sightings.


    So¡­


    (There was apparently another station located higher up the space elevator than the main one in geostationary orbit. The Object was probably constructed in there.)


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Sit tight, Princess. You need to wait. We can¡¯t launch the Baby Magnum into space even with that elevator.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant. Is there anything we can do from the ground base?¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± thought Frolaytia while holding the long, skinny kiseru in her mouth.


    Mother Lady was controlled by the Capitalist Corporations out in space, not the Legitimacy Kingdom on the surface, but did that meant there was nothing at all they could do?


    ¡°Okay, I have an idea you can try out, Princess. The elevator¡¯s wires are carbon nanotubes, so they¡¯re made from carbon. We can use that to-¡±


    Just as the capable woman was sending out a command to help regain control of the situation, her laptop screen unnaturally froze up.


    ¡°Hm!?¡±


    Her lit kiseru nearly fell from her mouth, so she had to quickly grab it in both hands. But nothing else changed. It was hard to tell with the Princess¡¯s constantly blank expression, but the communication window had completely frozen.


    The connection icon on the edge of the screen had zero bars, so no signal.


    Military lines had multiple communication methods set up in parallel and it was set to automatically switch over if one of them went down, yet she had nothing at all now.


    With modern information technology, it was perfectly possible to command a team in Africa and a team in space from the Amazon District, but there was nothing she could do if communication trouble cut off all of her data.


    But would the officers whose hearts were more sensitive than a rabbit¡¯s take those circumstances into account? Those people who never left their home country desks tended to ignore the risks they were demanding and then shoved all responsibility onto the local commander once something went wrong. And after setting up that kind of insurance, they would never allow any damage to their own reputations. So even if they understood the circumstances, they would pretend not to.


    Frolaytia knew she was in serious trouble.


    She messed with the settings, held her head in her hands, and then placed the laptop on the floor, touched the edge of it with one hand, and stretched her other arm and her legs horizontally with her hips still bent within her tight skirt.


    Was this a rhythmic gymnastics stretch, or was it a dancing sunflower toy of an older age?


    At any rate, she wiggled her body in that mystery pose.


    Since she was alone, she did not bother worrying about her short tight skirt.


    ¡°Nh, nhhhhhhhh? Please! Come back, signal! Save my career!! Please! I don¡¯t want to be demoted and sent to some godforsaken part of the world for something as dumb as thiiiis!!¡±


    Was it less pathetic to pray to god or to try becoming a human antenna? Since there was no one else around, spoiled Frolaytia tearfully went for the ultimate answer of both. However¡­


    ¡°Excuse me, Major Capistrano.¡±


    ¡°Bwahhhh!!!??? Cough, cough, ahem!? ¡­Do you need something?¡±


    After clearing her throat in a ¡°speak a word about this and you¡¯re dead meat¡± sort of way, she turned around in a composed fashion.


    The intellectual girl (age 12) who had skipped so many grades she had ended up in the electronic simulation division was still tilting her head in confusion.


    ¡°We have detected high-power wide-range jamming from ultra-high altitude. The Federation of Elevator Industries is likely responsible. The jamming signal is being blindly sent down from space, so it is unlikely they have located us here. But just in case they do begin an orbital bombardment, you should hurry to the tank base¡¯s heavily-armored operation command vehicle.¡±


    ¡°Curse the Capitalist Corporations. This was a cheap shot!!¡±


    It made sense. Why else would she not have received a single bar of signal after selling off her pride and stretching her arms and legs out like that? All that embarrassment for nothing!


    ¡°It defeats the purpose of a laptop, but you can attach a wire to recover communications. Using the undersea fiber optic cable network, you can contact the team in Africa. And the Baby Magnum¡¯s powerful communication equipment can break through the jamming to communicate with those in space. In other words, no good luck rituals are necessary in this case.¡±


    ¡°Then get communications back up pronto. And I wasn¡¯t doing anything!!¡±


    Unable to restrain the heat rising from within her body, Frolaytia shouted (in a display of childishness greater than the 12-year-old).


    The Legitimacy Kingdom response to being shamed was to retaliate 100-fold, so the major renewed her resolve toward this harsh and dangerous war: Don¡¯t think you¡¯re getting off with just having to dance in the nude.


    ¡°Hee hee. I sometimes rely on good luck rituals too. Like when I¡¯m baking something in the oven while off duty and the tablet displaying the recipe site freezes.¡±


    ¡°Please stop. I don¡¯t want to hit a 12-year-old, so use that genius brain of yours to figure out when to hold your tongue!!¡±


    Part 7


    Death was approaching.


    It could hardly have been closer in this zero-g space that barely felt real.


    Quenser could not even think about the space elevator or the plan to unify the earth¡¯s atmosphere. Not when his survival one second from now was far from guaranteed.


    ¡°What the hell are we supposed to do?¡±


    A radio transmission suddenly reached his spacesuit¡¯s helmet.


    It was from his awful friend Heivia.


    ¡°The World¡¯s End? I don¡¯t want its name! I want to know what to do about it! Was that one staticky transmission all we get!? No one told me they had an Object! We don¡¯t have any equipment capable of taking that thing down, you idiots!!¡±


    (Then stop sending out this meaningless transmission, you true idiot!! Do you want it to detect your location!?)


    Quenser did not dare send out a warning.


    This Generation Two space Object was bizarre even for the Capitalist Corporations.


    It was fundamentally different from the traditional Objects that traveled along land or sea. It lacked a system for keeping its 200 thousand ton weight afloat, so no air cushion engine and no static electricity propulsion device. It had ring-like parts on the back and bottom of its spherical main body, but they looked too delicate. The exact system was unknown, but those had some sort of propulsion device attached at even intervals which were likely used for attitude control and as both rockets and retrorockets.


    The central main body had an additional component attached like headphones or like a hagoromo from Island Nation mythology and that component had cylindrical tanks attached at even intervals. Its primary weapons were the pressurized oxygen nozzles extending from either side. It controlled massive amounts of oxygen in the vacuum of space to burn away all enemies in the ultimate act of waste and luxury.


    The propulsion devices attached on the ring-like units behind and below it could apparently all be moved separately.


    Whether they used oxygen, ions, photons, or jets, those were likely used for attitude control, acceleration, deceleration, and turning. Its main cannons could melt armor, but they may have been able to emit different amounts of oxygen from both sides to rotate the enemy.


    (The Capitalist Corporations includes the Island Nation that¡¯s gone mostly isolationist, doesn¡¯t it?)


    Quenser gulped.


    (Is it supposed to look like their Fujin and Raijin? Dammit, this is why it isn¡¯t healthy to have enough money and talent to actually build every little idea that occurs to you!!)


    And he did not have time to just sit there observing it.


    He could not escape the Object¡¯s attacks by spinning defenselessly around in empty space. Before even thinking about winning this, he had to find a shield capable of protecting him or he would die.


    He heard what sounded like a soda being opened but much louder.


    That was the oxygen.


    If that sound could reach him, then there was enough oxygen for the sound to propagate through.


    ¡°The space station.¡±


    He grabbed the grip connected to his extravehicular activity unit by a cable.


    He knew it was risky, but he still gave a shout.


    ¡°Listen, you don¡¯t have to respond. Doing so would only tell it where you are. That damn thing won¡¯t want to destroy its own home base!! So use your nitrogen or whatever else to get over there. Hurry!!¡±


    The student was traveling toward the giant donut-shaped space station¡¯s wall even as he sent the message. Specifically, toward the back side of a giant parabolic communication antenna sticking out from the gently curving wall.


    His reasoning had to be correct.


    One look at the sun was enough to tell, but heat traveled differently in space. Instead of heating the air or water, the sunlight was emitted as rays of heat and anything they shined on would receive that energy. In other words, it happened directly. Structures built for space would be made to reflect the radiation that caused machine malfunctions and health problems, so the station would reflect infrared.


    However.


    The invisible oxygen that normally represented life could move behind anything in the way.


    When the oxygen was ignited, some of the spacesuited soldiers were roasted despite using one of the container-shaped experiment modules as cover. The flames moved like a chameleon¡¯s tongue to accurately capture its prey.


    That was less than 20m from Quenser. On the astronomical scale of outer space, that distance was razor thin.


    ¡°Gyahhhh!?¡±


    The scream that reached the student¡¯s ears belonged to Cottage who had survived so many seemingly hopeless situations before. Not even the miracle boy was a match for that Object. He was killed before he could even fantasize about a medical girl. Quenser actually had trouble telling whether that had been a human scream or simple noise from the heat destroying the communication equipment.


    Only a few round blobs remained afterwards.


    It was those balls with the same color as flesh.


    The exact same tragedy had repeated itself. This was a stabilized form of hell.


    People were robbed of their dignity and reduced to mere things. It felt like getting a glimpse of a factory production line that automatically processed human bodies into leather bags.


    ¡°We can¡¯t last like this.¡±


    Peeping Tom Heivia defeated the entire purpose of hiding by complaining over his radio. Maybe he feared the stress would destroy his heart if he did not.


    ¡°For one, we can barely move! These extravehicular activity units are only meant to stabilize us ¨C they aren¡¯t rocket boosters. If we try to use them like that, we¡¯ll run out of nitrogen in no time. Then we¡¯ll be stuck spinning endlessly through space. Even after we die!!¡±


    The Object would send out just enough oxygen for the flames to reach the soldiers hiding behind cover but not enough that it would destroy the heat and radiation-resistant space station¡¯s hull. It only had to repeat that process to eliminate all of the aphids crawling on its precious flower. As huge as it was, it was surprisingly good at delicately adjusting its power. That meant Quenser and the others could not use the elevator, the space station, or any other Mother Lady facilities as hostages.


    (What do we do?)


    Quenser could not calm his breathing or even wipe the sweat from his face. It occurred to him that he might be able to breathe right now if he removed that troublesome helmet, but if that were true, it would mean having his flesh and even bone roasted away by a brutal flamethrower a moment later.


    (How can we possibly survive this!? That thing¡¯s an Object, so not even a nuke could destroy it. We couldn¡¯t even scratch it if we fired our peashooters at it while carefully keeping our balance out in space!!)


    Flames exploded not far away from him. They was more distance this time, so the oxygen must have run out while it was spreading in a marble pattern. He could not hear the explosion, so it had the same empty feeling of watching an old silent film. But the lives being burned away were 37th soldiers in the same uniform as him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we contact the Princess who must be itching to join the fight down there!?¡± said Heivia. ¡°She has to be directly below us since she was protecting the elevator¡¯s ground base!¡±


    ¡°You heard all that noise in her long-range transmission, didn¡¯t you? Not even an RC toy would work out here! Besides, do you really think her attacks could reach up here even if we did contact her? We¡¯re 36 thousand kilometers up, so nearly the entire circumference of the earth! And that distance is straight up for her!!¡±


    ¡°What about her anti-air laser beams?¡±


    ¡°Even the old-fashioned ballistic missiles only flew at around 3000km up, so this is another world altogether!!¡±


    In fact, they had to pray that the Capitalist Corporations Second Generation World¡¯s End did not have any ground-attack weapons. If it could launch an Object-level bombing from satellite orbit, the Princess would be unilaterally destroyed. From the BCE wars when boiling water or quicklime were dropped from atop cliffs to modern wars where the terrain could be permanently changed with the tap of a touchscreen, holding the high ground had always provided a significant advantage.


    But now was not the time to be worried about her.


    It was Quenser¡¯s group that was being directly targeted right now. Only Object-level firepower could blow away an Object. They knew they were asking for the impossible, but if they could not procure some firepower on that level for themselves, they would be destroyed by that 200 thousand ton weapon.


    ¡°What do we do!?¡±


    Part 8


    The Princess yawned like a sunbathing cat in the middle of the vast empty desert of Africa¡¯s Turkana District. She was in the cockpit of the First Generation Baby Magnum.


    She had gotten bored of watching desert reference footage while eating popsicles from the freezer behind her seat. Her stomach was feeling kind of full.


    (I¡¯d really like something a little more interesting. Like a shaved ice machine. Or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a large frappe with iced milk tea on top of that.)


    The old maintenance lady spoke to her over the radio.


    ¡°Stay focused, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°I can see in the data when you snap back to focus like that. Your vitals don¡¯t lie.¡±


    The ground base at the bottom of the Mother Lady space elevator was stationary. The Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Federation of Elevator Industries had provided generous amounts of money and supplies to win over the local guerillas and us them to defend the elevator. Now that the Legitimacy Kingdom had taken the ground base, there had been concerns that they would be worn down by never-ending attempts to retake the base, but that had not happened.


    The only attacks came from the occasional mortar shells.


    That was nothing to fear with an Object¡¯s anti-air lasers that could accurately shoot down a MIRV long-range ballistic missile attack that scattered countless warheads through the air. When the explosives flew in like a long throw in baseball, she shot them down easier than clay pigeons at a shooting range. Sending in an Object had helped immensely. The Capitalist Corporations had thought they could use the guerillas as disposable pawns, but the locals were not rushing in to attack anymore.


    The Princess rapidly moved her eyes behind her goggles.


    But she was not accurately tracking explosives tearing through the air.


    ¡°Hey, how many different birds are there in the Turkana District?¡±


    ¡°According to a conservation group¡¯s records, there are 150 species of wild bird¡­although this data is from before the rapid desertification. Why? Explosives disguised as birds have existed as far back as ancient China, so did you find a special drone?¡±


    (So I¡¯ve found half of them. Now, where are the other half?)


    The old maintenance lady¡¯s worries were unfounded because the Princess was locking onto every bird-sized reading and marking them down. Once she got bored with that, she planned to scale the radar down to the insect level. The guerillas must have had their spirits broken and given up on even the mortar attacks because those were the only things she could find in the air here.


    It was strange.


    This elevator was sponsored by the entire Capitalist Corporations and had been constructed with joint funding from 7th Core.


    Surely there was more than just the guerillas making cautious attacks with borrowed weapons. When was the ultimate Capitalist Corporations Generation 2 going to arrive from beyond the horizon? The Princess yawned again while filling in her hand-drawn bird encyclopedia.


    (Do I not even get to fight this time?)


    ¡°Yawwwwn¡­ This peace is boring me to death.¡±


    Part 9


    Quenser felt like the fear was going to awaken something inside him.


    The chattering of his teeth was so loud and irritating. He tried to hold his jaw to stop it, but the round helmet got in the way.


    He shouted into his helmet¡¯s mic despite the risk.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to detonate it. Hold onto something for support, everyone!!¡±


    There was no sound.


    The outer wall of the space station was destroyed. With their shuttle destroyed, Quenser¡¯s group had nowhere else to go. If they overdid it and the station fell apart, they could only wait for their oxygen to run out. But if the station held together, they would have created a bunch of debris out in space.


    Their extravehicular activity units for attitude control could not provide long-range movement like boosters, but what if they grabbed onto that scattering debris to ¡°hitch a ride¡±?


    ¡°Dammit, they have a cutting-edge Object while we¡¯re stuck surfing on metal scraps!?¡± complained Heivia.


    ¡°Sometimes a dress made by patching together newspapers found at the park can be sexier than full silk mourning clothes. If you don¡¯t like it, then use that extravehicular activity unit of yours, Heivia. Now get going!!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop trembling!!¡±


    ¡°So what? It¡¯s the same as a baseball. Check the speed with an IR laser and then grab onto a safe piece of debris!!¡±


    Quenser shouted those instructions while clinging to a thin panel about the size of a tatami mat. That finally allowed him to move. The piece of debris could only move in one direction, so he would have to jump to another piece if he wanted to change directions.


    The World¡¯s End space Object did not seem troubled.


    He heard a gas being expelled. And since it reached his ears¡­


    ¡°Eek, here it comes!¡± said Heivia. ¡°It¡¯s that oxygen. Did it light the deadly fuse sticking out from its ass!? We¡¯ll all be roasted!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I know that!!¡±


    Quenser shouted back, stuck a pen-shaped electric fuse into a clay-like Hand Axe plastic explosive, and threw it. He used his radio to detonate it once it was suitably far away.


    The resulting explosion resembled a thermobaric bomb and was large enough to engulf an entire city. His personal equipment could never have caused that. It had used the oxygen. But he had detonated it before the oxygen could reach them, so no one was hit by the flames.


    Quenser breathed a sigh of relief even though he still could not wipe the sweat from his brow.


    He was alive. His theory had preserved his life. He was not a chained-up pet dog that shoved its face in a bowl of food placed in front of it at a set time every day. He thought for himself to survive. That was the human way to live.


    ¡°The oxygen doesn¡¯t care who you are or why you detonate it. If we can ignite it before their Pilot Elite, we can trigger the explosion when we want.¡±


    The oxygen was consumed by the explosion, so they could eliminate its power over them by burning it all away before it spread too far.


    The oxygen was so frightening because it was invisible, but they could take advantage of the short lag between releasing it and igniting it.


    Was the Object not using its laser beams or other secondary cannons because of the oxygen? Those were never meant to aim for such small targets anyway, so it would not want to ignite the oxygen at an unexpected point.


    ¡°The earth is covered in oxygen, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can just make the whole atmosphere explode. It has to be concentrated pretty heavily and mixed with hydrogen or acetylene to be weaponized like this. Don¡¯t panic just because you can hear sound in space, Heivia. There¡¯s nothing to fear if it can¡¯t reach that deadly concentration!!¡±


    ¡°But how are we supposed to know if it¡¯s reached that point!? That¡¯s as ill-defined a standard as saying it¡¯s healthy to play with yourself ¡®in moderation¡¯! How much is too much!?¡±


    What mattered was that the World¡¯s End was an Object that used large quantities of oxygen.


    It could not create oxygen out of nothing in the vacuum of space. Maybe it used electrolysis on large quantities of water and maybe it had the oxygen compactly stored in liquid or solid form at an extreme low temperature, but if it did have it stored in those tanks, they only had to destroy those.


    The obvious target here were those cylinders arranged around it like the drums of the Island Nation¡¯s Raijin.


    ¡°As cutting-edge or bizarre as that thing is, it¡¯s basically a giant flamethrower, right? Let¡¯s set fire to the enormous flammable tanks on its back and crash it into a lunar villa.¡±


    ¡°And how do you propose we do that!? That¡¯s a nuke-resistant Object!!¡±


    Quenser ignored the complaints. There was no path to survival that way. If they wanted to live, they had to push past the panic, keep thinking, and challenge their own fear. If they stopped thinking, they would either stop moving and become a stationary target, or they would charge in toward certain doom based on thoughtless emotion. They had to be brave but still rationally face the reality before them. Only those who never gave up on making progress could grab at the lifeline dangling before their eyes.


    (It doesn¡¯t move all that nimbly for an Object. Is it afraid of knocking some debris into the station it¡¯s supposed to be protecting?)


    Whatever the reason, it presented an opportunity.


    Quenser moved between a few different pieces of debris larger than an Island Nation tatami mat in order to approach the Object¡¯s surface.


    If he was going to pull out a plastic explosive, it had to be here.


    ¡°Here goes. This is your only chance to see how it¡¯s done!!¡±


    He threw the clay.


    Just as he placed his fat finger on the detonation switch, he sensed a disturbing pressure. He felt someone¡¯s gaze crawling across him.


    He was not scorched by an invisible laser beam and he was not turned into space garbage by a tackle from that 200 thousand ton weapon.


    He heard a gross sound.


    He looked down at his right arm. From the wrist to the elbow, the supposedly polished spacesuit was turning black.


    ¡°Oxidation!?¡±


    It really was oxygen. The spacesuit was designed for use in a vacuum, so it never should have taken this sort of damage.


    There was a reason the spacesuit with over ten layers was also polished bright. It could not deflect the sun¡¯s heat rays or radiation without that. At this rate, he would lose his life to the fury of nature. Invisible poisons would kill him.


    He suppressed the rising fear, clenched his teeth, and pressed the switch.


    The sound did not reach him.


    His vision spun around, but he was certain the explosion had directly hit the headphone or bridge-like part that connected Raijin¡¯s drums in a half circle.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to break the tanks. It only has to send a shock through them to reach the internal pipeline connecting them!!¡±


    ¡°What good is that? A shock? You think pressing a massager against that Object is enough for her hips to give out!?¡±


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s from a solid or a liquid, the World¡¯s End has its oxygen compactly stored in a different form at ultra-low temperature. That means it has to convert it back into a gas to use it.¡±


    He tried to hang on, but it was no use.


    The piece of debris slipped from his hands and he could only flail his limbs in search of another piece.


    ¡°That means we should be able to do the same thing that causes car engines to stall. Mix some air bubbles in with the liquid and it¡¯ll malfunction. So shaking the pipe isn¡¯t useless. We can¡¯t destroy it and we can¡¯t tear it away, but a small impact should still trigger a malfunction!!¡±


    Heivia, Myonri, and some others must have followed him because he saw some poorly-guided missiles flying toward the Object.


    Just then, the World¡¯s End quickly changed direction.


    The action sent a stir through its surroundings. Specifically, the killer satellites equipped with four arms below its solar panels responded to its presence and approached.


    Maybe the space Object was considered an enemy because it had never meant to be sent out to fight and thus was not registered in their systems, or maybe their sensors had malfunctioned from the heat. Either way, the weapons loaded with explosives crashed into the surface of the 50m Object.


    Countless explosions followed.


    ¡°Gahhhh!?¡±


    Quenser had already been spinning, but now he was given an additional twist in an unnatural direction. He tried using his extravehicular activity unit, but the brakes would not work. However, he must have been thrown toward the space station. He did not have time to measure their relative speed with a laser, so he just grabbed at something hard with his flailing right hand. It was probably the remains of some cargo materials used when sending the killer satellites out into space from the station. He clung to the large piece of debris that resembled a metal wall.


    The Object was surrounded by explosive flames, metal balls, and all sorts of debris, but it was unharmed.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work at all,¡± lamented Heivia, wherever he was at the moment, but his voice was drowned out by another sound.


    It was the sound of highly concentrated oxygen being released into the vacuum. They did not have time to let the failure bother them. The next attack had already begun.


    And since Quenser could hear the oxygen, it must have reached him.


    He quickly pulled out some Hand Axe.


    ¡°It lured in all those killer satellites and let them explode,¡± continued Heivia. ¡°Just so it could blast the fleas off of itself!! There¡¯s no way we can make it malfunction with an external impact!!¡±


    Quenser was still unsure what to do when the city-sized explosion erupted.


    Part 10


    Louisiana Honeysuckle heard a quiet electronic beeping.


    That girl in short-sleeved gym clothes and a lab coat was riding a bicycle. Really, she had only used the station¡¯s cargo sorting system to bring a container loaded with a training bike to the center of the elevator. With a 20km diameter, she could never live there comfortably without a system that allowed her to transport entire rooms.


    This was the elevator terminal at the center of the safe and comfortable donut-shaped station. The terminal alone was larger than a domed stadium, but it may have been more like a switchyard since it included the cargo management and the elevator car maintenance and cleaning.


    They did not have to worry about weight since the station had no gravity, so unlike a switchyard, the materials and pathways were stacked vertically as well.


    (Today¡¯s quota is 30km. They say every part of the human body has its purpose, but when you look at the cellular level, it¡¯s packed full of unnecessary functionality. Just like a computer sold for cheap at an electronics store.)


    She whispered to herself while pedaling the bike and sending small beads of sweat out into the zero-g air.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be long now,¡± said the genius girl who had conquered space before anyone else.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom intruders might think the Capitalist Corporations had used the space elevator as camouflage for constructing a space Object, but it was actually the opposite. She had been unable to receive funding to simply build the elevator, so she had needed to rework the plan into a military context.


    That was where her much older brother Sladder Honeysuckle had failed.


    He had dedicated his life to the mass driver system and, once that had been rejected, he had chosen to leave the Capitalist Corporations as a whole. There was nothing wrong with carrying your own ideals about space, but let them control you and you could never make them a reality. Louisiana had possessed the flexibility to allow her ideals to be clouded by compromise.


    As the name suggested, the Federation of Elevator Industries was dedicated to the construction and use of the space elevator. As long as she never lost sight of that, she could stay true to her ideals.


    She was indebted to the Turkana District. So much so that she had known it had to be the location of the elevator she had bet her entire life on. Yes, that choice may have caused some suffering for the local people, but she would repay them in time. All the necessary calculations were already complete in her head.


    She had intended to empty her mind while pedaling the bike, but the simple task had instead turned her focus inwards.


    A former schoolmate of hers had lamented the lack of medicine.


    His name was Braskine Mintfrappe.


    Why were Africa and Europe so different? What made the deserts of Africa so different from the deserts of North America? The two of them had given much thought to those environmental and geographical issues. His straightforward sincerity had drawn her to him.


    But that would soon end.


    She would correct the world¡¯s problems. She would make it all equal. To those in need, it would come as a blessing. To those blessed with plenty, it would come as a crisis. How would this day be recorded in history? She continued down this path because she believed most would rejoice.


    Then again¡­


    (They must have already noticed. Since there¡¯s still no sign of Object reinforcements sent in from the Capitalist Corporations home country, the higher ups must not have found as much strategic value ¨C and thus attraction ¨C as they had hoped.)


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Sigh. Oh, it¡¯s you, Silk S.¡±


    The small LCD screen in the middle of the steering wheel changed to display someone¡¯s face.


    This was one of her contacts in 7th Core, the seven companies who funded the Federation.


    She stopped pedaling but remained on the bike as she pulled up the chest of her gym shirt to wipe off her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have that incompetent president to look after?¡± she said.


    ¡°The baby just had his milk and went to sleep. I mean, we¡¯re talking about the emperor who still hasn¡¯t noticed his lack of clothes ¨C not that his company has been issuing tons of bogus stock and not that his company has been ¡®hollowed out¡¯ by selling off all of his buildings and factories behind his back. The ¡®deals¡¯ he thinks he¡¯s making are no more real than a board game.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a scary woman.¡±


    Louisana¡¯s tone remained light and she did not seem to care that pulling up on the shirt brought her shapely navel into view.


    But light as her tone was, she did mean it.


    This meant that one of the most famous companies in the world had no products or assets left. It simply continued scattering bogus stock to gather money from the world¡¯s investors while selling the corporate group¡¯s countless facilities and personnel to other companies to illicitly absorb double the profit. That was this secretary¡¯s true job.


    And yet the brand name kept its world-famous reputation.


    It overpowered countless other companies with nothing but lies.


    Louisiana caught her breath, squeezed the handlebars tight, and began pedaling with her slender legs.


    ¡°The Wendigo Vehicle Group has a market cap of 6 trillion dollars. The company is large enough to influence the value of the dollar, yet its actual total assets amount to a shocking 0 cents? If those furious investors saw your HQ now, they¡¯d probably fall on their asses in shock. I mean, every floor except for the president¡¯s office is nothing but empty offices with nothing but landline phones inside.¡±


    ¡°If they discovered it, they would abandon the emperor in his new clothes and escape while they still could, but it looks like they won¡¯t even have that opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget that he¡¯s the man who rose to being one of the most powerful people in the Capitalist Corporations by gathering nonexistent mining rights, wills, and land deeds and then gathering money from the world¡¯s investors with fictional deals made with bogus stock and presentations for nonexistent new projects. He started with a paper company that didn¡¯t do anything and continued buying up rival companies until he had reached a position in 7th Core. And you¡¯re the woman who pampered him to the point he lost it all without even noticing.¡±


    ¡°He makes for a decent shield.¡±


    ¡°See, this is why you¡¯re a scary woman.¡±


    The two women shared a bewitching laugh.


    Even if this conversation were being recorded and reached that president, he would immediately conclude it was an insulting forgery. That was how thoroughly he had been ¡°educated¡±.


    That skilled secretary was known as the Silk Spider.


    No one knew her real name. Not Louisiana, and not anyone in the major company where she worked as a strategic secretary. The company server listed her as a Serenade Blackrose, but that was a common fake name. She was shrouded in mystery, but no one dared risk the consequences of carelessly trying to discover more about her. If you wanted to avoid being forever known on the seedier side of the internet for your role in a video that shocked the world, the wise choice was to let those mysteries remain mysteries.


    Eventually¡­


    ¡°Not long now,¡± said Silk S.


    ¡°No,¡± agreed Louisiana while continuing to pedal and sending jewels of sweat out into the zero-g around her. ¡°And all because you turned a blind eye to what I was doing.¡±


    ¡°Doing accounting day in and day out is so boring, so every once in a while, I like to cheer myself up with an unprofitable fireworks show.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you gave me that honor.¡±


    7th Core was made up of seven companies.


    This one had been hijacked by a faceless villainess, but the other six had their own plans. They were all likely involved in some equally complicated situation that had no connection to what their business ostensibly was.


    They would normally be terribly particular about the accounting, yet they had still provided the vast sum needed for constructing the elevator. That suggested the executives did have their concerns about the world. Hopefully, that would be enough to solve the problem. But even if the elevator failed to live up to expectations, it could still be reused for military purposes and pay back far more money through lucrative wars.


    In a way, it was very simple.


    Her brother had been the kind of eccentric genius who refused to compromise on his principles, so this had been more than he could bear. Louisiana, on the other hand, simply saw it as something she could easily control.


    That may have been why the siblings never worked together on a single project.


    ¡°I have high hopes for you,¡± said Silk S.


    ¡°Hopes for what? For me to save the world?¡±


    ¡°For you to prove that the machinations of a single individual can defeat all the boring numbers.¡±


    Louisiana smiled while sipping a sports drink from a bottle through a straw.


    And she spoke the forbidden words.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you already proven that? You have earned the title of International Eater by taking over an international company all on your own, after all.¡±


    ¡°Hee hee. Not all successful people enjoy the loneliness at the top. I would love to have some company as I look down on the world from such heights. I am praying that company can be you. Bye.¡±


    That was the end of it.


    Silk S had not discussed business in any way. It seemed like a meaningless transmission that only brought risk. That secretary used a real war to satisfy her personal enjoyment and set the world in motion for her own entertainment while making sure her name would never go down in history.


    So Louisiana had no real reason for her suspicions here.


    She stopped pedaling and thought to herself in the bike seat.


    (She made it sound like their CEO is going to break soon. Damn you, Silk S. Are you stirring up trouble to find your next target? But what greater mark is there than 7th Core?)


    She shook her head.


    She shook away those worthless thoughts.


    If she was going to let her mind wander, she could guide it in a more meaningful direction.


    (Sladder, you failed.)


    She bluntly assessed her own brother.


    That other genius had only ever focused on himself, so he had failed to become an Eater. He had failed to escape being one of those who was chewed up and spit out by society.


    But scientists could still see beauty in a snow crystal or extremely simple equations. And they could also detest efficiency and consumption at times.


    (That is why I will be the one who conquers space. Even you should be able to accept your failure if I am the one to defeat you.)


    She sighed and looked to the heart of the space elevator. A few carbon nanotube wires were lined up in parallel like a 100 thousand kilometer string instrument.


    She would take victory for herself and this toy was necessary for that.


    (I need to settle this while they¡¯re busy playing with the Second Generation Elinabell. I acquired my elevator by compromising my ideals and allowing some flies in the ointment. ¡­To do that, I had to deceive the people trying to preserve their simple way of life in the Turkana District and take their land from them. They¡¯ve been forced to endure so much hardship up to this point, so it¡¯s time someone finally rewarded them in some way.)


    ¡°Now, then.¡±


    She began pedaling hard and pushed her body so the simple action and faint exhaustion would direct her thoughts inwards.


    She thought back to her memories of the Turkana District and of her old friend.


    She would repay them. By correcting the world¡¯s mistake.


    All alone in the enormous core of the elevator, she smiled with the look of a mischievous child in her eyes and spoke as a different type of genius from her brother.


    ¡°Time for the world¡¯s largest concert.¡±


    Part 11


    He was spinning.


    Quenser Barbotage¡¯s vision was spinning.


    The timing of the explosion must have been altered. The World¡¯s End used oxygen, but that oxygen would detonate the same no matter who ignited it. So if Quenser threw a plastic explosive to ignite the oxygen before it had spread out as much as the Pilot Elite wanted, he could alter how far the explosion reached.


    However.


    He heard a few cracking sounds like someone stepping on thin ice. Something white obscured the left half of his vision, like he had run into a spider web. He rubbed at his face out of instinctual disgust, but that changed nothing. He could not wipe this away.


    They were cracks.


    His helmet¡¯s visor had been damaged. When he began to imagine what would happen if it broke and lost its airtight seal, intense static filled the back of his mind.


    ¡°Eek!?¡±


    He could feel the extreme terror clutching at his throat.


    But it was all over if he screamed. His own panic would lead to further panic, starting an endless chain reaction, so he did everything he could to suppress it and think.


    (We need Object-level firepower.)


    He clenched his teeth.


    These thoughts were not a way to avoid the reality before him. They were to face it.


    (Nothing we do ourselves can destroy that thing, so we need to bring an Object here. I need to figure out a way to do that!!)


    Killer satellites, an Object, and even garbage and defective items meant to burn up in the atmosphere.


    The Federation of Elevator Industries had left this area of space full of trash.


    And the blue planet shined below him.


    He started to think about adjusting his angle to return safely to that planet, but that would not save him.


    He viewed his homeland once more. There was more than just blue there. The red lights seen here and there had to be the battlefields where Objects fought. The scale of those battles was so large that they could be seen from space.


    But.


    What did it really mean that he could see them from here?


    ¡°Wait a second.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Quenser, what are you rummaging around for? Pulling out a bomb isn¡¯t gonna destroy that thing!!¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to. I¡¯m interested in the path of the trash floating around here!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Redirect that trash the way I want and I can change the future!!¡±


    Part 12


    ¡°Meowww.¡±


    The Princess was so bored she had finally balled up her hands to become a cat.


    And she went the whole nine yards by pulling out black cat ears and a tail from the costumes they had prepared for the upcoming carnival.


    She had pursued wild birds on her screen for a while, but she had eventually given up on finding them all. She had realized that some of the birds were nocturnal, so she could never complete her bird encyclopedia during the day.


    She had nothing to do.


    She was starting to feel lonely.


    But a transmission reached her ears while she relaxed in her cockpit.


    ¡°Quenser here. Ksssshhhhh!! Princess, ksshh, can you hear me!?¡±


    ¡°Quenser? You¡­you didn¡¯t hear anything!! Don¡¯t listen!!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    She frantically waved her hands and covered her blushing face, but he seemed to have bigger issues at the moment. She was jealous. Those nimble soldiers had flown up into space where they actually had a battle to fight. Time appeared to be moving much faster for them than for the Princess who was bored to death down here.


    ¡°Requesting support! Kssshhh, right away!!¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t,¡± she mumbled with tears in her eyes. ¡°My anti-air lasers can¡¯t reach geostationary orbit at 36 thousand kilometers. Even the best ballistic weapons only reach around 3500 kilometers. You¡¯re just too high up.¡±


    ¡°Ksh, I don¡¯t want your anti-air weapons.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Then what do you want???¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your main cannons! Kssshhh!! I just want your help right away!!¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm???¡±


    Part 13


    The prototype weapon was indeed only a prototype.


    When Louisiana Honeysuckle had put on an uncomfortable tight skirt suit to make her presentation to 7th Core executives, she had listed out its merits while tapping her pointer against the whiteboard, but she did not actually need an Object in space. She had only wanted the space elevator and the Object had been her way of earning funding. With no need to make it practical, it had been given bizarre equipment that never would have been approved for an ordinary project. That was how it had been given highly concentrated oxygen as a main cannon.


    She could check how much exercise she needed on the small screen on her training bike. She pulled her feet from the sandal-like straps, freeing them from the pedals. Her butt in red sports bloomers rose from the seat.


    (It was not a necessary part of my plan.)


    But an Object was still an Object.


    Without a second one in space, it became the unchallenged champion of any zero-g battles.


    (It was only meant as camouflage, but I will still use it if I can. This will not be fun for you, Legitimacy Kingdom.)


    She bent her legs to bring her knees up to her chest and spun through the air in something like the fetal position.


    But her thoughts were interrupted by some ear-splitting noise.


    She heard static as some EM waves messed with the communications equipment.


    ¡°?¡±


    It was coming from an unthinkable direction: down. The elevator provided a solid sense of up and down, so that meant the surface of the earth. There were plenty of EM sources down there, including radio towers and airport control tower radars, but this was much more powerful. It finally surpassed the limits of the circuit boards for the cameras equipped on the space station¡¯s exterior and the circuitry itself was destroyed. Even though those were designed to withstand a certain level of radiation and EM waves.


    What was this? What was happening?


    Had someone on the surface detonated one of the nuclear weapons that were thought to have been eradicated long ago? No, not even a nuke could cause this!!


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Louisiana Honeysuckle was dumbfounded.


    A genius girl like her was quick to understand what this had to be. Even if she did not want to reach the answer, her mind would provide it for her.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be!!¡±


    Part 14


    There may have been 36 thousand kilometers in between, but the Princess and the Baby Magnum were waiting at the space elevator¡¯s ground base.


    The First Generation¡¯s anti-air lasers could not reach that far, but so what?


    They only had to make use of some other form of power.


    ¡°Ksssshhhh!! What the hell? Ksshh, what¡¯s going on here!?¡±


    Heivia had managed to join Quenser at some point and he grabbed at the other boy¡¯s shoulders. In zero-g, that nearly put them both into a spin.


    He quickly used the extravehicular activity unit on his back to steady himself before continuing.


    ¡°What did you tell the Princess to do!? Ksshh, what is that down there on the surface!?¡±


    ¡°Static electricity.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s answer was unbelievable.


    Heivia seriously doubted rubbing a balloon against your hair down on earth could affect anything out in space.


    But the student had more to say.


    ¡°Listen, the Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum uses a static electricity propulsion device. Even if it also sprays a repellant, that¡¯s still enough static to keep a 200 thousand tons afloat. With that much power, we can use it.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s surrounded by cracked desert as far as the eye can see. The desert is primarily made of quartz, iron sand, and probably small amounts of some other minerals. The quality isn¡¯t good enough to ship it out for industrial use, but that doesn¡¯t matter to us. When sand is floating in the air, the size and weight of the grains affects the covered area. A space with quartz floating around is a lot like a glass fiber duster.¡±


    Did it cover an area of 10km in every direction, or was it of 100km?


    Either way, static electricity would accumulate there. Even commercial carpet could store more than 10,000 volts, so how many orders of magnitude higher would a space this vast contain?


    ¡°And any container will spill its contents once its capacity is surpassed,¡± said Quenser. ¡°Just like lightning, it will scatter something very powerful along with the light and sound.¡±


    This was what he had wanted.


    ¡°Static. A thick EM wall is released toward the sky!!¡±


    It seemed to cover the surface of the World¡¯s End¡¯s spherical main body. Sparks scattered from it like fireworks.


    Or maybe it was more like carelessly sticking a metal spoon in the microwave.


    ¡°Wait, what happened to the Princess!?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Not even a nuke can destroy an Object. And Generation Ones in particular were designed with EMPs in mind, so this won¡¯t do any real damage to her.¡±


    That was all Quenser said before changing the subject.


    ¡°The light can reach us,¡± he said. ¡°The lights down there are leaving the earth. You can see the flames of war caused by the Objects, right? Light is a form of EM, so if we can see the light, we know EM waves can reach us!¡±


    But Heivia¡¯s response sounded skeptical.


    The threat had not been eliminated.


    ¡°Wait, is that all?¡±


    There had been sparks.


    That might have brought down the average tank or armored truck.


    But.


    ¡°Sending those deadly EM waves all the way up here is impressive. You even managed to hit your target. But that thing¡¯s an Object, which, like you just said, not even a nuke can destroy! You can probably aim somewhat well using the elevator¡¯s wire as a guide, but you still can¡¯t specifically target the Object from the ground. How can you possibly break through its armor like this!?¡±


    ¡°Not to worry.¡± Quenser smiled a little. If he could still smile, it meant everything was still going according to plan. ¡°I thought of all that. Did you forget, Heivia, that the elevator controls this region of space? Now, do you remember how it launches its cars straight up? It caused us a lot of trouble down in the Turkana District¡¯s desert, if you recall.¡±


    The change occurred primarily at a single point.


    Something floated by right in front of the World¡¯s End. Maybe it had been in a transportation container caught in the fighting and maybe it had been dumped by the elevator, but that was a spare elevator car slowly rotating through space.


    It bumped lightly into the Object¡¯s spherical main body. That was no coincidence since Quenser¡¯s Hand Axe plastic explosive had pushed it there. Either the nuke-resistant Object had ignored it as harmless, or the EM waves had interfered with its sensors.


    However, the bus-sized machine had a certain device installed.


    ¡°It converts EM waves into electricity.¡±


    Space was filled with a white flash of light brighter than a lightning bolt.


    ¡°Gahhh!!¡±


    The explosive light was enough to blind someone, but Quenser could still hear everything clearly. That was probably because he was hearing the others through his helmet¡¯s communicator. He opened his mouth while trusting his voice would reach them in the same way.


    He felt pain more in the back of his head than in his eyes.


    He felt like he was going to vomit in his helmet if he did not distract himself.


    ¡°Gh¡­ordinary lightbulbs have a vacuum inside so the filament won¡¯t burn, but there are a few exceptions.¡±


    ¡°What is ¨C ksshh ¨C your point!?¡±


    ¡°A flashbulb. By filling the glass ball with oxygen and passing electricity through it, the filament is instantly burned through to create a massive amount of light. Doesn¡¯t that remind you a lot of things here? We¡¯ve strangled it with the very high-density oxygen it sprayed everywhere!!¡±


    ¡°Kssshhh, you did this while we were trapped inside that lightbulb!!!???¡±


    The filament was made into a thin thread so it was easier to burn through, but the Object was much the same. It had more than just the spherical main body. It had cannons, propulsion devices, tanks, and many other components sticking out.


    Not to mention that Heivia, Myonri, and the others had worked so hard to fire missiles at it.


    The nuke-resistant Object may have just shrugged that off and it may have only created scratches not even a few millimeters deep on its surface, but those slight claw marks created pieces thinner than pencil shavings that stuck out from its surface. Electricity gathered around the ends of those and they burned like a filament.


    Once the bright white flash faded away, the Object was flipped over and floating toward empty space.


    The damage must have bene concentrated on the parts sticking out. The oxygen tanks connected like headphones had been torn through and its two main cannons were bent. The heat in the main body had yet to cool, so its surface was still glowing orange.


    None of it had been meaningless.


    Quenser had just one thing left to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Part 15


    Clattering sounds echoed through the space station. With the World¡¯s End destroyed, Quenser¡¯s group had returned to the station.


    This was his second time to leave the vacuum of space and enter the artificial air, but Quenser did not feel dizzy this time. It scared him that he was getting used to it.


    He saw a short-sleeved gym shirt, red sports bloomers, black kneesocks, and sneakers.


    Plus a lab coat over it all.


    The central figure of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Federation of Elevator Industries wore an outfit that seemed wholly unsuited for outer space. As before, Louisiana Honeysuckle was floating in the enormous central area. For some reason, the bored-looking 17-year-old girl was twisting her body. She seemed more interested in whether her underwear was sticking out from the leg of her red sports bloomers than in the fate of the world.


    When she noticed them, she began to speak without untwisting herself.


    ¡°I see you have chosen to help destroy humanity. I assumed it would be the Faith Organization that thoughtlessly caused this sort of calamity, but it seems the true ruinbringers were the Legitimacy Kingdom. At any rate, humanity¡¯s last hope has just been extinguished. Even I failed to predict this one.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Heivia made sure to keep his assault rifle aimed at her. ¡°You couldn¡¯t calculate this out with that clever brain of yours? I don¡¯t give a crap about your grand Re Terra project about unifying the environment or whatever the hell. This elevator is no more than a weapon of mass destruction. You don¡¯t get to claim ignorance about how many people would die if that thing was used against flesh-and-blood soldiers. Or about what any survivors would want to do to you afterwards!!¡±


    ¡°But I notice you haven¡¯t shot me yet.¡±


    Louisiana was isolated and alone with a few dozen guns aimed her way, yet she still smiled.


    Those few dozen were all that remained.


    Quenser did not even want to think about how many others had been with them when they first launched into space.


    ¡°This space elevator is the world¡¯s tallest structure with a full length of 100 thousand kilometers. You might not like it, but you can¡¯t just rig it with explosives and blow it up like with an ordinary building. You need accurate plans and a user¡¯s manual even if you only want to get rid of it, don¡¯t you? You cannot kill me until you have that.¡±


    ¡°You seem awfully sure of yourself, but did you really think we would stick to only the strictly legal methods of getting that information out of you? We have plenty of reasons to hold a grudge.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and one other thing.¡±


    She ignored Heivia.


    She was not bluffing. This confidence appeared to be real.


    But why?


    ¡°You seem to think you have destroyed the Elinabell with that clever method.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Relax, boy.¡± She laughed when Quenser¡¯s shoulders jumped. ¡°You have indeed defeated the Elinabell. She remains mostly intact, but she can no longer function and I doubt the Pilot Elite had time to eject. ¡­But it took you an awfully long time to defeat her. During the explosion, she sprayed her oxygen and gas in a certain direction.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­wait a second.¡±


    ¡°Was that not enough of a hint? Then how about another one? Where on the earth were you planning to drop her?¡±


    Quenser did not even have it in him to shout ¡°wait¡±.


    Genius Girl Louisiana Honeysuckle placed her index finger on her slender chin and revealed the quiz¡¯s horrific answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re dropping a 200 thousand ton weight, so no matter where it ends up hitting, I¡¯m pretty sure it will affect the entire planet.¡±


    Between the Lines 2


    The Mother Lady space elevator¡¯s space station had 2008 external experiment modules attached on the outside.


    Quenser himself had checked in a few of them.


    For example, there had been a plant factory that could be harvested dozens of times a year. There had also been an animal protein factory that quickly produced bugs that ate those crops.


    There was a real benefit in those things, which may have been why he had accepted it and moved on.


    Louisiana Honeysuckle was undoubtedly a bad person.


    She had deceived the people of the Turkana District so she could take their land and build her space elevator without properly explaining the environmental risks. That had led to the verdant land drying out and the existing ecosystem collapsing. Over 80% of the many local plants and animals had died.


    But it could all be found here.


    Genetic samples for all of those plants and animals could be thawed out at the press of a button.


    150 species of wild bird.


    178 species of land animal, 599 species of fish, 10,630 species of bug, and 3811 species of plants.


    They were all accounted for.


    ¡°Then again¡­¡±


    Earlier, Louisiana Honeysuckle had smiled and spoken to herself.


    The space elevator was equipped with all sorts of observation equipment. She already knew what had happened on the surface and who had died.


    Braskine Mintfrappe.


    She had met that man in college and they had laughed together about the most pointless things, but he was no more.


    She had only ever focused on the equations and assumed she could understand everything about the world if she understood them. But that boring worldview had undergone a radical change when she had visited Africa over her summer vacation.


    ¡°I no longer have anyone to celebrate with as our dream is realized.¡±


    The land had become a wasteland.


    She had repaid them in the cruelest possible way.


    But even if no one understood her, she could not back down. She had to make this dream come true.


    It was her duty now that she had learned the truth.


    This may have been the real difference between her and her much older brother.


    She was not attempting to reach outer space for herself.


    In fact, she had enjoyed talking about space to people who knew nothing about it. If not for this, she might have dreamed of working at a planetarium.


    But she had a much bigger task now.


    The threat still remained. And now that her brother had lost the competition and left the Capitalist Corporations, it was up to her to solve the problem.


    She had no intention of becoming a hero. She was merely driven by the duty she felt after learning the truth. She could not protect anything as things were and she would lose everything if she ignored it. That impatient feeling had led her to destroy everything within arm¡¯s reach.


    But that was fine.


    The last laugh did not belong to her. The person with whom she had hoped to share that laugh was no longer with her.


    But the Turkana District remained.


    So it was the residents of her second home there who deserved the last laugh.


    She would correct people¡¯s mistaken worldview.


    She would save the world while all alone.

 Volume 18, 3: Disaster >> Attack on the Turkana District Space Elevator - ???

    Volume 18, Chapter 3: Disaster >> Attack on the Turkana District Space Elevator ¨C ???


    Part 1


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill her!!¡±


    ¡°Stop, Heivia. That wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything. We were the ones who destroyed the World¡¯s End and we can¡¯t threaten her into ordering its dead hulk back into orbit regardless! Myonri, restrain this idiot!!¡±


    ¡°Why do I always get stuck with the worst jobs!?¡± complained Myonri.


    At any rate, they had no time.


    All the cameras on the exterior of the space station had been destroyed, but when they pressed up against the double-layer reinforced glass windows, they could see an orange glow.


    ¡°The Elinabell is a hunk of metal weighing 200 thousand tons.¡±


    Louisiana Honeysuckle smiled thinly in the heart of the elevator that was larger than a domed stadium.


    Quenser clenched his teeth at having to stand up for her, but the genius scientist behind the Federation of Elevator Industries did not stop speaking.


    ¡°Do you know how small the ¡®meteors¡¯ from the artificial meteor shower are? Those rival a small nuclear warhead in power, but this is much larger. Can you even calculate the scope of the damage?¡±


    The World¡¯s End was a space Object.


    Its altitude was already a good bit less than this space station. It was slowly falling toward the blue planet.


    It supposedly no longer functioned, but was that orange light really only due to its fall? That sinister glow seemed to carry a much more horrific destructive power.


    If that 200,000-ton mass continued to fall without any real deceleration, the entire world would be exposed to a fearsome impact and tremor. Even if some of the human race survived, they would be faced with an endless ice age thanks to all the dust filling the air.


    Quenser could not believe it. Or maybe it was his common sense tapping the brakes here that prevented him from being a true genius. Those were the thoughts going through his mind as he faced this incomprehensible monster.


    ¡°Do you¡­?¡±


    The Re Terraforming was meant to unify the world¡¯s environment by spreading more soil and water from the space elevator than could be removed, but that had failed.


    So what was this?


    Was this meant as a Plan B???


    ¡°Do you really think this will make things equal? Triggering an ice age will only mean the death of all life on earth. There are no opportunities there for the Turkana District or anywhere else!!¡±


    He had unwittingly pulled the trigger for the world¡¯s destruction.


    He had erred in his final move.


    He should have kept going until it had been vaporized.


    Louisiana Honeysuckle grinned as she raised both hands.


    That demon whispered as her lab coat spread out like wings in zero-g.


    ¡°Now, here¡¯s a question for you: what are you going to do about this?¡±


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    Quenser began speaking over his radio.


    The jamming was gone now that they had taken the elevator.


    ¡°Frolaytia! Princess!! This is an emergency! The space Object is falling toward the surface. It seems to be near the elevator, so can you intercept it with the Baby Magnum¡¯s main cannons!?¡±


    ¡°Bff!?¡±


    Their silver-haired busty commander spat out her drink all the way back down on the supposedly safe surface.


    The Princess remained calmer.


    ¡°If it is no more than a mass of metal, then no. Is the reactor still running? If it has an explosive inside, I could aim for that to break it apart in midair.¡±


    Louisiana gave a snort of laughter.


    ¡°What logical reason would the Elinabell have to continue running that dangerous reactor now that it¡¯s too damaged to move?¡±


    ¡°Goddamn you,¡± groaned Quenser.


    But even if he was a student, he could not just place all the responsibility on the surface team. They had pulled the trigger up here and ignorance was no excuse.


    That planet was his home.


    Coming out of all these wars as an Object designer and earning an obscene fortune would be meaningless if he had no home to return to.


    This was not about anything as silly as ¡°doing the right thing¡±.


    He was fighting to ensure his own desires could come true.


    ¡°Understood. Princess, you work to intercept it from the surface. Its JPlevelMHD reactor isn¡¯t running, but it is a Second Generation that uses highly concentrated oxygen. It has plenty of other explosives contained inside, so you might just be able to trigger an internal explosion!!¡±


    ¡°And if I can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just sit idly by up here. We¡¯ll be heading there too.¡±


    He cut off his helmet¡¯s radio and gestured Louisiana over.


    ¡°C¡¯mere!! You need earth to survive as much as the rest of us and you¡¯re the asshole that built that thing, so you¡¯re fighting against our mutual destruction too.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I seem to recall this destruction was caused by someone else here.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    He grabbed her slender hand and pulled her along.


    He had no time for her meaningless prattle. Every minute and second counted. She might not have a gun or a knife, but wasting their time was the ultimate weapon for her.


    Heivia suddenly panicked.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going!? And what do you hope to do!?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget where we were, Heivia? This is the Mother Lady space elevator. It¡¯s a next-generation platform connecting space to the surface.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you serious?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll use their own elevator to catch up to the falling Object. Then we can get a look at it. We can¡¯t prevent it from entering the atmosphere at this point, but this isn¡¯t over yet. If we can cause it to break up in midair, we can avoid the worst-case scenario!!¡±


    ¡°So we just managed to pull out before blowing our load and now you¡¯re telling us to take that smelly goo to the face!? You have got to be kidding me!!¡±


    The space elevator could travel the 36,000km distance at about 200km/h. That made for an enjoyable space trip of about a week one way. But if they destroyed the safety equipment and let gravity take control, they could descend much more quickly. If they were wearing their pressurized space suits, they would not have to worry about barotrauma from the rapid pressure change.


    Quenser pulled a Capitalist Corporations spacesuit out of a box. The elevator defense unit they had fought had only been powered suits and armored vehicles, so this was his first time seeing one of their spacesuits. It was quite slim compared to the puffy Legitimacy Kingdom ones. It was mostly black with yellow accents here and there. It was probably made from tech developed for a Pilot Elite¡¯s special suit.


    (Why would you color a spacesuit black? Are they even trying to survive?)


    Quenser was speechless, but then he remembered this was the girl who wore red sports bloomers and a lab coat while in space. She saw the world differently from normal people.


    At any rate, he pushed the spacesuit toward Louisiana.


    ¡°I doubt you want to become a pawn of the Legitimacy Kingdom, but you¡¯ll be riding the elevator too. Help us customize the car. Make any intentional mistakes and you¡¯ll burn up in the thermosphere along with us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a surprisingly trusting boy. Or do kids these days have no imagination now that they can look everything up on their phones? What if I decided to ensure my plan succeeded through suicide?¡±


    ¡°Can I just shoot her? Like right now!?¡±


    ¡°Heivia.¡± He stopped his awful friend with a quick word. ¡°If you really wanted to kill yourself, you wouldn¡¯t have put your hands up. If you had aimed a self-defense handgun at us, you would¡¯ve died then and there. But you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You want to see this through to the end, no matter how it ends, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What solid proof of this do you have?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a skilled weapons developer,¡± spat out Quenser. ¡°Any Object designer would want to know what becomes of their creation.¡±


    The 17-year-old genius girl smiled, but this was not meant as a provocation like before.


    ¡°Fine, but I will remind you it is already too late to accomplish anything.¡±


    ¡°Whether or not our world gets through this unsafe day is up to our efforts. It isn¡¯t for you to say while you keep thrusting your hips for your own satisfaction.¡±


    With that, Quenser and Louisiana walked to the carbon nanotube wires lined up in parallel at the center of the space station. They were interested in the bus-sized cylindrical ¡°elevator car¡± attached to those.


    Once they stepped inside the thick personnel-entrance door, Louisiana did something truly unexpected.


    The genius immediately reached for her clothes and stripped them off with no hesitation whatsoever. Her lab coat, her gym clothes, and even her underwear floated around her in zero-g.


    ¡°Wait, what the hell are you doing!?¡±


    ¡°We have no idea what is about to happen, so at least give me the right to change into my spacesuit as soon as possible, boy.¡±


    ¡°B-b-b-b-but you¡­and I¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I can tell we will never see eye to eye. Here, maybe this will shut up you. In this hand, I have the panties. In this hand, the bloomers. Now, eat up.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s mind shorted out as the annoyed genius girl shoved some faintly warm and balled up fabric into his mouth.


    It did not seem to bother her at all.


    In this enclosed space, Quenser discovered an answer to exactly how a pair of breasts would behave in zero-g. Yes, without their original weight and without the support of any underwear, the boobs floated softly in the air!!¡±


    Meanwhile¡­


    ¡°Ahh, I felt so naked without this on.¡±


    ¡°Bwah!!¡±


    She was not talking about the underwear Quenser spat out.


    Now that she was wearing a black special suit that showed off her figure even more than the gym clothes, she half-jokingly made sure to put back on the lab coat floating nearby. Instead of a spherical helmet on her head, she wore something like an old-fashioned gasmask with two round octopus-like eyepieces. That made her look somewhat like an extremely niche sort of bondage girl. She may have thought this protected her entire body, but it was troubling for Quenser. Specifically, he could not afford to look down at her crotch. The Y-shape there was very Y-shaped.


    Louisiana turned the two round eyepieces toward him.


    ¡°Now I have my safety, so how about we get down to business?¡±


    The number of Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes had been reduced by a lot.


    Louisiana spoke up so casually she might as well have been talking about cooking something.


    ¡°Accelerating in space is simple enough, so the problem here is actually earth and all its air. If you want to pick up speed in freefall, your only option is to destroy all the brakes, leaving the car entirely uncontrollable. Which will of course make the ride much less safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that.¡±


    ¡°We also need to apply new coolant to the surface of contact with the wire. Otherwise, we could burn through the carbon nanotube wires with friction.¡±


    ¡°Just friction could break wires sturdy enough to survive constant contact with the thermosphere?¡±


    ¡°Really? Just friction? You really do need to work on your imagination, boy. We¡¯re talking about a drop of 36,000km. Do you have any idea how much force that will build up?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°A constant high or low temperature is not an issue. An irregular jump in either direction is the real threat to the wires. That¡¯s why we used so much water from the surface to smooth that out.¡±


    So they were talking about literally astronomical numbers. Even the ordinary natural phenomena seen in everyday life could cause seemingly supernatural phenomena if the quantities were great enough. He would have to imagine things at a scale different even from Object design.


    His only option was to trust the instincts of the expert.


    Even if she was also the cause of all these problems in the first place.


    ¡°Why did you do this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°To save the world.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Did you think that was only a distraction? But here I am, still fighting. Although honestly, the world and the human race are only bonus prizes. I only wanted to bring happiness to the people trying to protect their simple lives and the incredible nature of the Turkana District. Saving the world is just what it¡¯s going to take to save them.¡±


    ¡°Using the space elevator for Re Terra will only shorten the entire world¡¯s lifespan. And creating an ice age to force a uniform global environment will be even worse.¡±


    ¡°This is nothing so hackneyed.¡±


    He could not read her.


    And not just because her gasmask-like helmet kept him from seeing her face. He was missing some fundamental piece needed to understand her.


    Was this the difference between a superior genius and an average person? Staring into her eyes was like staring at a Halloween jack-o¡¯-lantern. Was she lying or telling the truth? Was she joking or serious? He could not tell. Could Braskine have figured it out?


    ¡°This is just like finding yanderes to be sexy,¡± said Heivia from outside the door. ¡°Take her seriously and you¡¯re the one who ends up looking like a fool.¡±


    He seemed irritated by how incomprehensible Louisiana was, but Quenser did not take such a simplified approach. As a battlefield student, he was far too inexperienced to call a pro, but even he could tell that Louisiana¡¯s work was perfect. She was not broken. Her mind had to be working perfectly, just at a higher level.


    There was something here he was missing.


    Something that had yet to show itself after all this. Something felt terribly off and he rolled that feeling around inside him.


    He gulped within his helmet before asking a question.


    ¡°What is it you see?¡±


    ¡°What do you think I see? The world of science is equal to all. Nuclear reactions were occurring everywhere even before e=mc2 was proposed. The sunshine is the most obvious example, but there is also the legend of an ancient city being utterly annihilated by a mysterious light after being hit by the divine superweapon known as the god Agni¡¯s arrow and that the victims suffered for an extended period of time while their hair and nails fell out. ¡­You have already seen the answer, but you have failed to consciously recognize it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°All done. We can begin.¡±


    She closed a metal clasp and then shut the small door.


    The black and yellow gloves were slim enough to show off the beauty of her slender fingers. The puffy Legitimacy Kingdom spacesuits could never produce a silhouette like that.


    ¡°It seems the Legitimacy Kingdom has taken over the Turkana District ground base, but communicating with them would not be enough. Moving the elevator car up or down requires leaving a certain level of personnel in the space station too. But if you don¡¯t maintain some control up here in space, the brave survivors of the station crew might just stage a counterattack.¡±


    The clever potatoes who had survived this long exchanged a glance.


    The answer here was obvious.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going if I don¡¯t have to, so whoever loses this game have to go!! Rock, paper, scissors!!!!!!¡±


    Quenser and Heivia stared silently down at their hands after their scissors were instantly defeated.


    Louisiana Honeysuckle had to take the elevator down regardless, so only she kept grinning throughout. Her octopus-like mask hid her face, but Quenser could still tell. She turned to face him with her figure revealed by her spacesuit.


    ¡°You were the one who told me to see this through to the end,¡± she said. ¡°So let us take this journey together. Let us descend ever closer to the doomed world below on this journey to hell. But what is it you will discover at the end of that journey, my modern Dante?¡±


    Part 2


    A deafening sound similar to thick metal being scraped away continued endlessly around them.


    ¡°H-h-h-¡±


    Pale faced, Myonri grabbed at the seatbelt strapping her in. She of course had her helmet¡¯s thick visor lowered even inside the perfectly airtight elevator car.


    ¡°How far are we dropping!? It hasn¡¯t malfunctioned, has it!?¡±


    ¡°We will be dropping a long way. The thermosphere alone is about 400km from top to bottom. Unlike the carpet bombing of the artificial meteor shower, a simple freefall will take some time to crash into the surface from orbit. The meteors can apparently reach speeds above Mach 5, but the Object¡¯s size means more resistance. I imagine it will decelerate a lot once it enters the thermosphere. But if you do want to start the fighting here, I won¡¯t stop you. If you insist on opening the incinerator¡¯s lid, simply reach for that door.¡±


    Was she simply accustomed to being in space?


    Louisiana remained calm even while captured and plummeting toward the earth.


    The two round eyepieces on her gasmask-like helmet were a problem. Quenser knew they were fake, but it still felt like having two giant eyeballs glaring at him.


    ¡°Also, the shaking is not due to a mechanical malfunction. It is due to the drop in speed needed for reentry and the periodic shaking of the wires themselves. The elevator might be a massive structure with a total length of 100,000km, but it is still bound by the laws of physics. Calmly keep count and you should find that it follows a set pattern and is not some irregular trouble.¡±


    No one in the Legitimacy Kingdom could say for sure how much stress was being placed on the elevator car. They could only tremble and pray for their survival. As long as they made this one descent successfully, it did not matter if the rollers contacting the wire were worn down or if the axle was heated to a bright red.


    Only one person held all the knowledge here.


    That was Louisiana Honeysuckle, the cause of all this.


    And that was why the genius scientist remained calm even now. Surrounded by the soldiers in puffy spacesuits, she crossed her legs in her black skintight special suit and looked out through the thick window.


    ¡°There she is.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°My adorable Elinabell. I wonder if the Elite within is enjoying a small glass of poison to stay goodbye to it all. As elegant as that might look, it is not a pleasant way to die. But she was still willing to give up her life to save the world.¡±


    The sky was a deep navy blue. They were clearly too high up for clouds, but the single color made it look like a navy blue greenscreen or like god had gotten lazy. And a giant orange ball of fire was visible through the half-frozen window. That was all that remained of the World¡¯s End. The manmade shooting star looked so large and sinister up close. It was followed by a glowing tail for a different reason than a comet.


    They were just about to pass it by.


    Heivia removed the multipurpose scope from his assault rifle, switched the mode, and looked through it.


    ¡°An estimated surface temperature of over 2000 degrees,¡± he groaned. ¡°What do we do about that? Just getting close will turn us into human torches. We don¡¯t even have to touch it.¡±


    ¡°The solid wall of the sonic boom would tear you to pieces before even that. It should be entirely surrounded by something like a giant robot¡¯s forcefield. That will have a teardrop shape it starts round at the front but narrows down as it continues on back.¡±


    Louisiana seemed to be enjoying herself.


    But that was going to be her problem too soon enough. The elevator was rapidly dropping and was passing the falling Object as they spoke. So instead of looking down on it, they would be looking up at it. If it crashed into the surface, she too would be obliterated.


    They could see it, but there was still nothing they could do.


    Just like Louisiana had said, their spacesuits were pressurized, but they could not even open the elevator car¡¯s door until they left the thermosphere.


    She spoke to Quenser in a provocative way.


    ¡°Now, how do you intend to reach a conclusion not even I could predict, boy?¡±


    Even if it had a heat-resistant reactive material mixed in, that hunk of steel was holding together surprisingly well. It was not often that being nuke-resistant turned out to be a bad thing.


    The shooting star did more than fall in a straight line. Even after the Pilot Elite¡¯s death, the cannons must have been moving automatically to manipulate its air resistance. Its course had taken a gradual curve that made it fall in a large spiral around Mother Lady.


    According to Heivia¡¯s multipurpose scope, the spiral had a radius of about 10 kilometers.


    In the astronomical terms of outer space, that was razor thin.


    ¡°We won¡¯t have many opportunities,¡± said Quenser. ¡°We passed the falling Object, but we can¡¯t go after it whenever we want. We need to move out ahead of it, stop the elevator, and then concentrate our attacks on it. Then we move the elevator again to rapidly descend before it can pass us. Then we repeat that. The Object will continue to fall the entire time, of course. If each phase lasts a few minutes, then that only gives us two or three chances.¡±


    A beam of light assaulted their eyes with the orange afterimage of burned air. It must have come from the surface, but they had not seen that part of the process. Only the end result reached them. The Baby Magnum had fired one of its laser beam main cannons.


    Heivia¡¯s eyes bugged out.


    ¡°What is the Princess doing!? She completely missed! When you pull out, the polite thing to do is go for some bukkake!!¡±


    ¡°Aiming for the face or boobs isn¡¯t polite ¨C it¡¯s a fetish. Besides, that was a standard test shot. After all, she has the ionosphere between her and here, which will mess with her aim. Once she corrects for the margin of error, she¡¯ll send a shower of cannon fire this way.¡±


    That was exactly what happened.


    A terribly unprofitable fireworks show began. An interception operation did not require the finesse of a sniper who could accurately hit a target from a distance. You could fire a million shots from the ground and the operation succeeded if just one of them scored a clean hit. All the likely coordinates had been marked and main cannon laser beams were fired at every last one of them. Objects had crushed the military theory of quantity over quality, so it could do that all on its own.


    Also, battles between Objects occurred at distances of 10 kilometers.


    Even a First Generation designed to shoot down ballistic missiles could accurately hit a target from that distance.


    The fearsome white light was like watching a nuclear explosion.


    It was several dozens of times brighter than welding light.


    A laser beam struck the enemy Object¡¯s armor.


    ¡°Owwww!! My eyes! My temples!¡±


    ¡°Did she get it!?¡± shouted Quenser.


    The Baby Magnum¡¯s main cannon did stab straight through the center of the burning fireball and the light grew all the brighter.


    But that was all.


    The main reactor had already been stopped, so this blast did not trigger a further explosion. The Object had already ceased to function and it was continuing to fall as a mere corpse. This only did minor surface damage.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± muttered Heivia in a daze.


    The laser beams from the surface could do minor damage. And even that damage was soon swallowed up as the armor was melted into an orange glow by the friction.


    ¡°This is insane!! Isn¡¯t this supposed to be a battle between Objects!? Maybe it won¡¯t blow up, but why can¡¯t this at least be as damaging as tearing the legs off of a dead bug lying on its back!?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s just too far away. Not even an Object¡¯s main cannon can produce its usual power at this range.¡±


    It was a miracle that the laser beam had made it this high at all. In the pressure of the earth¡¯s atmosphere, the energy would probably have weakened to the point of vanishing before traveling this same distance.


    Quenser gulped, but still answered.


    If they could not face the situation they were in, they could never make any progress.


    ¡°Also, an ordinary ballistic missile can be brought down with only minor damage to the surface. Missiles and rockets are mostly just big tanks of fuel with a bare minimum of sensors and tailfins added on. Do any damage anywhere and they¡¯ll break apart on their own. But that doesn¡¯t work with a 200,000ton mass with its reactor stopped.¡±


    They could not just destroy it.


    More beams of light shot out, but the Princess seemed to be having trouble enough just hitting it. She was only successful about 1% of the time and those hits caused no real change in the World¡¯s End. It was looking unlikely that its trajectory would change or that it would break apart.


    ¡°D-didn¡¯t the elevator have a long-range laser!?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Getting the angle right would be hard. They wouldn¡¯t want it to be able to damage their own space station.¡±


    Heivia groaned while ignoring the pain in his eyes and temples.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there any way we can get that thing to blow up!? It¡¯s moving its exterior weaponry to alter its air resistance and create that spiraling path, so it¡¯s reactor must be running!!¡±


    Louisiana shrugged at the delinquent soldier¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say how intentional that is, but either way, I imagine it is using its spare batteries. It can still perform some emergency operations without its JPlevelMHD reactor. But that only means moving its main cannons, not using a propulsion device to keep its 200,000tons floating above the ground or firing raliguns, low-stability plasma cannons, or other main cannons.¡±


    They had already known that the Princess alone could not solve this.


    It was wrong to force responsibility for the world¡¯s fate onto her.


    That was why Quenser had chosen not to remain out on the space station and to instead make this descent.


    The Princess was not alone.


    The entire 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion would carry this burden together.


    Quenser Barbotage stared out the window at the orange burning light that¡¯s descent was a more accurate countdown than any time bomb.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to fight with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.¡±


    ¡°But can see you see yet who is saving what?¡± asked Louisiana.


    Part 3


    Of course she was going to run.


    At the rocket launch site in the Amazon District of South America, Major Frolaytia Capistrano folded up her laptop, held it under her arm, and wiped sweat from her brow with her other arm.


    ¡°Now, where¡¯s the closest shelter!?¡±


    ¡°I will accompany you wherever you go, Major.¡±


    The 12-year-old genius girl¡¯s clever brain had already learned how to suck up.


    This giant facility was like a corn field of multi-stage rockets and space shuttles, so it was bound to have a largescale underground shelter in case all that liquid fuel or oxidants were to detonate. Of course, that was not listed on the official site since the management did not want to give people the impression that accidents were even possible.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±


    She ran into an Information Alliance commander with silver hair and bright brown skin.


    Lendy Farolito was a lieutenant colonel, but there was no need to show respect to someone from an enemy army.


    Lendy was accompanied by a large, muscular man who was presumably a subordinate of hers.


    ¡°You too, huh?¡± she said with a wink.


    ¡°I suppose so, yes.¡±


    Even with the treaties protecting space development, it was unnatural to have all four world powers mixed together at one base.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to hire a 12-year-old secretary and keep her around at all times. Does the Legitimacy Kingdom have a project of its own to match the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ talent trafficking and our Information Alliance¡¯s Martini Series?¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Hm, but it is a shame to ruin such a wonderful little girl with the Legitimacy Kingdom title. But if you framed it as a poor idol whose every effort goes to waste, she might actually sell very well indeed. You aren¡¯t trying to muscle in on our territory, are you?¡±


    ¡°This short conversation has been more than enough to know you¡¯re a pervert, so please, not another word. How in the world did you know at a glance that she¡¯s exactly 12?¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Frolaytia and the Information Alliance¡¯s Lendy both descended some narrow, unmarked stairs and opened a small rusty metal door to find a large door similar to a bank vault less than 2m away. They also had assault rifles aimed at them from either side.


    Frolaytia did not even remove the long, narrow kiseru from her mouth.


    ¡°I am Legitimacy Kingdom 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion Remote Commander Frolaytia Capistrano,¡± she said with a wink.


    ¡°And I am Information Alliance Lieutenant Colonel Lendy Farolito. That is all the information you get since any more would carry monetary value. Now, is that not enough to grant us entrance?¡±


    ¡°Our apologies, ma¡¯ams!!¡±


    The assault rifles were raised to aim at the ceiling instead.


    After working some kind of controls, the large door slowly opened.


    Lendy walked right on through with the muscular man in tow, but Frolaytia did not. The silver-haired busty beauty gestured the armed soldiers toward her.


    ¡°Those are Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms, aren¡¯t they? You are exactly what I needed, so come with me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want to spend earth¡¯s final day standing outside until the shockwave splatters you against the wall? What did you think of the VIPs marching in here with those self-satisfied grins on their faces?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You get why I¡¯m here now, don¡¯t you? Let¡¯s make one of our dreams come true right at the very end, shall we? So again, come with me. This is an order, but it is also one of the few gifts I am capable of giving you.¡±


    ¡°Should we thank you?¡±


    ¡°That is entirely dependent on your morals and conscience. Okay, you will now act as my bodyguards, so throw out those puny assault rifles. You can find SAWs just about anywhere around here, can¡¯t you? And make sure to bring plenty of box magazines just in case we need them.¡±


    The area through the door was enormous.


    The darkness was swept aside by halogen lights installed at even intervals much like in a school gym, but the area it covered was even larger than a baseball field. The entire space was indoors, but the opposite wall was barely visible as it faded away into darkness. The place had to be measured in units of kilometers. And this may not have been the only space. This was only the entranceway immediately through the front door. The areas branching horizontally off from here were also kept secret.


    Lendy turned back and noticed Frolaytia had invited the guards in with her.


    ¡°How kind of you.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to the VIPs here.¡±


    The 12-year-old genius girl clung to the side of Frolaytia¡¯s hip. She almost looked like a lost child trying to find her mother.


    ¡°This is more than I ever imagined, Major.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure it officially began as a secret underground bunker in case of a fuel explosion, but it has been continuously expanded on since then.¡±


    Underground shelters were not popular during the post-nuclear age of clean wars, so where had all the funding come from? Objects were said to cost an average of 5 billion dollars each, but they were developed for the prestige of the international world powers. As a star industry, their projects were often given absurd amounts of money.


    ¡°Is it like year-end roadwork?¡± asked Frolaytia. ¡°Did the VIPs of the four world powers dump all their excess budget into this so they wouldn¡¯t have to give it up for the next fiscal year?¡±


    ¡°That would explain why the wars never seem to end,¡± said Lendy.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be in trouble if war did end?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but unlike a barbarian like you, I have a second job.¡±


    Some of the people here noticed their presence.


    The world was about to end, but one fat noble was wearing a tailcoat. That suggested there was an amusement park or hotel with a casino further inside. He was accompanied by several people, but Frolaytia doubted they were his family. Those young women had to be his mistresses.


    ¡°My, my. If it isn¡¯t the Capistrano daughter! I didn¡¯t realize you had the necessary connections.¡±


    ¡°Good day, Mister Waterbury. I have my defense job to thank for this.¡± The silver-haired busty noblewoman put on her brightest smile. ¡°But this is my first time inside, so I didn¡¯t realize how big the place was.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t let this surprise you. This is only the entranceway. We have an entire miniature earth down here. You can race horses and hunt foxes if you want. And there is a large hospital, so your health is assured too.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t that large scale require a lot of supplies? I¡¯m worried about the water and food supply.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha. Don¡¯t let that bother you. The sunlight might not reach us, but we can still grow vegetables with UV lights. And they can be harvested more than 25 times every year. Plus, those vegetables can be used to raise livestock for meat. They have imported the DNA for all the finest brand-name cows and pigs from around the world, so even if humanity dies out aboveground, we can still enjoy the same 5-star meals we did in our home country.¡±


    ¡°Is that what this place is for?


    ¡°Indeed it is.¡± The man grinned. ¡°No matter how unhospitable the outside environment, we are guaranteed the finest and rarest of biological resources in here. It could be an ice age out there and we would still have all the food and medicine we require. This shelter is all we need. And if some people do survive in the outside world, this will provide us with endless privilege. We will be the kings providing charity to the starving masses.¡±


    ¡°I see. That would explain why I also see Lord Bosom-Caresser and the son of the Bananabliss family.¡±


    ¡°You have a sharp eye. You see the purpose of this place now, I assume?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said Frolaytia as if she were impressed.


    No, not ¡°as if¡±. In a way, she really was impressed.


    And then she snapped her fingers.


    Things immediately changed.


    The guards waiting on her either side each aimed a SAW ¨C a slimmed-down machinegun capable of single-handedly holding off an enemy charge ¨C at the fools gathered here.


    Not just at the fat noble.


    The rest of the privileged class who had fled to this vast space also froze.


    They did not even bother asking what was happening. Frolaytia had been expecting to fight a small war down here, so it was kind of a letdown.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± The dom queen brushed up her bangs with a hand and clenched her teeth hard enough to nearly break her kiseru. ¡°Every last one of them is a noble with a focus on space development. I¡¯m honestly impressed at how shockingly grotesque the Legitimacy Kingdom can be. This world might just be destroyed today, but all you idiots decided to die here ahead of time.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    The bastard turned toward the beautiful commander from the enemy Information Alliance hoping she might save him, but then he froze again.


    ¡°I have no interest in tear-jerking discussions of morality and I am perfectly fine with people prioritizing their own survival.¡± Lendy Farolito had just casually received a full-auto shotgun from the muscular man accompanying her. And not to fight back against the rogue Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. ¡°But the fact that you did not call off her space concert means the chosen VIPs here were telling her to stay outside the shelter and die. And while the phrase seems wholly inadequate a punishment for such an act, it will have to do: I hope you burn in hell for all eternity¡î¡±


    At this point, it did not matter how many tens of thousands there were in the shelter.


    With SAWs and a full-auto shotgun, they had enough firepower to mow down the crowds even if the crowds panicked and rushed them.


    Things might have played out differently if the black-hearted VIPs had kept their fully-equipped bodyguards with them, but¡­


    (They¡¯re willing to bring their favorite mistresses with them, but the bodyguards that had risked their lives to protect them for many long years were left to die. The age of chivalry really is dead.)


    Frolaytia exhaled some smoke in annoyance.


    She was used to seeing the Legitimacy Kingdom elite being garbage, but she did not like for the other world powers to see that garbage.


    Of course, this launch site was open to any of the world powers, so Lendy may have been grimacing on the inside after spotting some people she knew.


    ¡°Space development just isn¡¯t popular anymore,¡± stated Frolaytia in an accusatory way. ¡°The Capitalist Corporations may be a special case since their major corporations control their government, but space development is being privatized elsewhere too. The government would prefer to lead space development so a company filled with civilians isn¡¯t the one developing ballistic missiles or some new weapon, but if the profit isn¡¯t there, those efforts are rated poorly. It¡¯s just like the relationship between the wealthy gangs and the poor police during the age of prohibition. We live in a world where bankers and government workers work under a demerit system, so no one wants to take the risk.¡±


    So they had changed their focus.


    Using space technology for space would only lead to further debt, so they would instead use space technology for other things. If they could use it in a more agreeable environment, they could greatly reduce the maintenance and inspection costs.


    If they had a place to use that tech on earth, they could dig themselves out of the red.


    In a massive but enclosed shelter like this, a self-sustained system that endlessly provided food and water was indispensable and thus an endless moneymaker. And if things grew unbalanced and the supplies were insufficient, they could try using cold sleep to reduce the number of consumers. They could rebalance things by temporarily reducing the number of mouths to feed. If even that was not enough, they only had to try putting everyone in cold sleep. When they woke up thousands or tens of thousands of years into the future, the seemingly endless ice age would have ended and an age of plenty would be upon them.


    If you were in here, you were one of the winners.


    Were there ten thousand or twenty thousand people in here? It could not be more than 100 thousand. But that was enough. As long as they could control the endless cycle contained in this shelter, they did not care at all what happened to the 6 or 7 billion other people up on the surface.


    There really were fools who thought that way. There really were people stupid enough to believe that qualified as happiness.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked the silver-haired busty queen.


    Even if Louisiana Honeysuckle was a genius scientist, this shelter felt too well prepared. From the materials to the architectural planning, the space elevator had to have involved hundreds or even thousands of specialized fields. She could not have done it all herself even if she was as multitalented as Da Vinci.


    Some idiots had helped her.


    Enough of them to fill those hundreds or even thousands of specialized fields.


    Since 7th Core from the Capitalist Corporations had not known exactly what she was up to despite being the original funders, she had likely received secret assistance from all four world powers.


    ¡°And that was enough to construct this enormous facility and fill it with supplies?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they were so well-prepared it makes you suspect they knew this was going to happen in advance.¡±


    Lendy Farolito was thinly smiling even now.


    Frolaytia Capistrano removed her kiseru from her mouth and exhaled.


    The military knew exactly how to deal with traitors.


    The guards were required to obey orders, so they had only been able to grin and bear it as they guided those chosen people through the entrance.


    ¡°Shoot all of them but this one. That¡¯s an order.¡±


    The shelter was quickly stained red.


    It made for a decent massacre.


    ¡°See, I told you it would go easier with the SAWs. ¡®The Southern England Lawnmower¡¯ really is the perfect nickname for them. Truly superb weapons.¡±


    ¡°In what way? I swear the noise was holding them back more than the bullets. And I¡¯m pretty sure you were swapping out the red-hot barrels more often than the box magazines.¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano¡¯s only response was to relight her kiseru.


    Lendy Farolito handed her full-auto shotgun back to her muscular bodyguard now that she was done with it.


    Neither one had batted an eye.


    ¡°Was there a conspiracy beyond monopolizing possible drug ingredients?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no. Or maybe they just never bothered telling you.¡±


    Frolaytia pulled out her own handgun and casually shot the last one.


    Louisiana Honeysuckle was not the reclusive sort of genius. She apparently knew how to control people through their common desires. Just like the gangs of prohibition had taken control of society using alcohol, drugs, and prostitution to defang so many government workers and merchants. But that was why Frolaytia doubted this was over. The uniform environment and the shelter had only been bait. Which meant¡­


    (Assuming she didn¡¯t lose sight of her own goal along the way, there must be something more to this.)


    ¡°Ew,¡± groaned the 12-year-old genius girl as the powerful stench of blood reached her while she clung to Frolaytia¡¯s hip.


    ¡°S-so we weren¡¯t evacuating to the shelter?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Frolaytia exhaled some sweet smoke and winked. ¡°What, were you hoping to be one of them?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!!¡± shouted the genius girl while vigorously shaking her head. ¡°We must do something about the falling Capitalist Corporations Object so we can protect our planet and provide a bright future for our Legitimacy Kingdom!!¡±


    Now that they had cut away the excess fat here, it was time to fight the good fight.


    Part 4


    A tense silence hung over them all.


    The elevator car was only about the size of a large tour bus. It of course artificially maintained a survivable level of oxygen, pressure, temperature, humidity, and more, but all of the Legitimacy Kingdom potatoes onboard had to be thinking it was an execution device that cost tens of billions of dollars to build.


    The thermosphere was long.


    It was 400km from top to bottom. Even if they were falling rapidly through it on an elevator with broken safety devices, they could not open the door as casually as with a convenience store microwave.


    They could see the giant orange fireball out the window.


    That hammer would bring doom to the world.


    They could all see it, but none of them could reach out and do anything about it. Thanks to their similar relative speeds, it was easy to forget just how fast they were falling. It felt more like they were floating through the air in a hot-air balloon.


    200,000 tons would be enough to wipe out humanity.


    ¡°I will¡­¡± Heivia Winchell muttered to himself while seated with his knees pulled up to his chest. ¡°I will inherit the Winchell family. I refuse to die here, dammit. I have a cute fianc¨¦e waiting for me down there, so why is this happening?¡±


    The way he was curled up with his head in his hands was probably pretty serious, but appearance was everything. It ended up looking humorous given the oversized head of the spacesuit. And since Quenser was in the same elevator car, he really wished the boy would stop bringing up marriage in this crisis situation. He did not want to die because of Heivia¡¯s jinx.


    ¡°Ah, ahh, ahhhh,¡± groaned Myonri from another part of the car. She appeared to have discovered something in the drawer below her seat. ¡°They have vacuum-packed hamburger steak¡­and is this lasagna!? Ugh, there¡¯s so much food here and I can¡¯t eat it because of this stupid helmet.¡±


    Quenser also wanted her to stop talking about a last supper. What was he going to see next? A black cat or crow crossing his path despite the high altitude and enclosed space?


    Meanwhile¡­


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Louisiana Honeysuckle leaned her back against the wall and placed her round butt on the floor while letting her arms and legs fall limply around her. She wore a skintight special suit with a gasmask, preventing him from seeing a single hair on her head, but he could still tell just how relaxed her body was.


    She seemed awfully confident.


    Or so he thought, but then he realized what this really was.


    ¡°Hold on. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha ha. It¡¯s been 150 days since I felt any real gravity.¡±


    Her head tilted to the side and did not rise back up.


    She tried to wave her hand while seated on the floor with her back against the wall, but she could not even lift her hand.


    When she almost slid to the side, Quenser propped her up on reflex. She could not even move her legs sprawled out on the floor, so they only trembled unnaturally while she spoke.


    ¡°I will be stuck like this until I get used to it. But don¡¯t worry. I have been working to make sure my muscles and bones do not deteriorate. I should be able to stand once I grow accustomed to the sensation.¡±


    ¡°How long will that take?¡±


    ¡°Not long. I will have recovered by the time we contact the Elinabell.¡±


    He certainly hoped so.


    She had to take responsibility for what she had done. She might be an enemy, but no one understood space or the elevator better than her.


    She could not resist at all right now and she had to know they could easily kill her, but the Capitalist Corporations genius girl remained confident even while surrounded by Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. She seemed more curious about Quenser than the guns aimed at her.


    ¡°My muscles themselves have not deteriorated, so don¡¯t worry ¨C there is no risk of me embarrassing myself by carelessly relaxing my bladder.¡±


    ¡°Why that hypothetical in particular?¡±


    Quenser could sense a few sharp gazes focusing this way. No one was saying it, but some of the others clearly thought they should go ahead and execute the villain who had pulled the trigger on humanity¡¯s doom.


    Louisiana ignored that and spoke to him while leaning on him for support.


    ¡°Why did you come to space?¡±


    ¡°For my job.¡±


    ¡°That is a soldier¡¯s response. You are a student, so it does not apply to you.¡±


    Her heated breath escaped as a quiet laugh.


    She was as limp as someone collapsing after running a full marathon, but she continued speaking nonetheless.


    She had built all this after graduating from a safe country university, so she had accomplished more or less what Quenser hoped to. And their ages were not all that different.


    ¡°Was it the Objects?¡± asked the genius girl.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°There were a few battlefield students at our university, which really just made for a few empty seats during graduation. The cost-performance of that option is not all that great. You may have signed up thinking it as a shortcut to striking it rich, but did you actually crunch the numbers? And I don¡¯t mean following the flowchart on the flimsy pamphlet the school gave you. I mean using a massive formula on the level of an insurance company¡¯s risk simulator.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a commoner, so this was my only chance for any real success.¡±


    ¡°That idea was planted in your head by the people hoping to use you.¡± Louisiana snorted with laughter and spoke to the worried student from her position as a graduate who had already entered society. ¡°The adults control people in one of two ways ¨C they either praise you or disparage you. It was the same with me. The only thing schools teach you is how to study. And when the adults develop talent in someone, they want to use that talent for their own purposes. If I had never seen the beauty of Africa, I would never have questioned any of it and ended up holed up in a safe country office or research institute. I would have convinced myself I was happy and worked myself to death for some company while everyone around me assumed I was an eccentric who chose for herself to live in that bug cage.¡±


    ¡°The Turkana District changed that?¡±


    ¡°That is my holy land. There I found so much that I could not explain with my talent alone. It taught me that the world has more rules than the ones I believed in.¡±


    The boy did a double take.


    Louisiana Honeysuckle apparently had no intention of taking back what she had said.


    ¡°My brother Sladder¡¯s failure was not in insisting on the mass driver system even after the rest of the world moved on. His failure was in never finding a lifechanging experience like mine in the Turkana District. That is why he could never see past his own set of rules and could only talk about himself. He became the lonely and boring sort of genius who had nothing left once the mass driver was taken from him.¡±


    Quenser was dumbfounded. What was she talking about? She had caused all of this and there was no denying that. There was no chance of some shocking reveal of a true villain at this point. This felt like an even greater surprise than when he had encountered that space Object.


    Because¡­


    ¡°Which Turkana District are you picturing in your head?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Because this space elevator destroyed the one you knew!! The verdant land and the many wild animals are all gone. All the water has been sucked from the ground, leaving nothing but a dried and cracked land covered in guerillas who reek of blood and gun smoke!! You did that. Maybe the world would have continued to ignore the Turkana District if you hadn¡¯t done anything, but it also would have been spared the devastation you brought with Mother Lady! No, we didn¡¯t hesitate to kill them. We didn¡¯t give a single thought to how they felt after being made the villains of the world. But that¡¯s because you told the whole world they were villains, Louisiana!!¡±


    A short silence followed.


    This may have been a first.


    The words of a completely ordinary person had stabbed into that genius¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Even so¡­¡±


    Her voice was not quite a whisper and not quite a groan, but it was vanishingly quiet.


    She spoke clearly even as she was helplessly propped up in his arms.


    ¡°I will still repay them. I have escaped a life where I simply follow the university¡¯s recommendations and become a simple cog in a corporate machine. And I will repay the Turkana District for giving me that chance. I will do whatever it takes to do that.¡±


    It was no use.


    He had managed to land a scratch, but that was not enough to tear down the thick mental barrier.


    He did not see how that dried and barren land void of all plant life could ever lead to repaying the Turkana District. Or was her idea of happiness to fill in the existing ocean with concrete, toss in foreign fish that would destroy the existing ecosystem, and smile while showing off how they could catch as many exotic fish as they liked?


    How was that any different from a serial killer who went around brutally killing young girls and then proudly announcing that he had given them some ¡°pretty makeup¡±!?


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    She seemed to be laughing.


    Maybe at Quenser, but maybe at herself.


    She continued speaking while leaning against him.


    ¡°Study Objects long enough and you will realize the truth. You might be taking a different path, but we are climbing the same mountain. Once you reach the summit, you will see the same thing I do.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And when you look out from the summit, you will experience true despair. You will wish you had never seen it.¡±


    Part 5


    At an altitude of 80km, they were leaving the thermosphere and entering the mesosphere.


    ¡°We¡¯re in Area 1, Louisiana!¡± called Quenser in his puffy spacesuit.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±


    She had adapted to earth¡¯s gravity just as she had insisted she would.


    She was still slow, but she could move her arms and legs.


    Not only did she know the elevator¡¯s structure better than anyone else, but she also had better use of her hands in that slim spacesuit that showed off her figure.


    The scraping noise from the wires grew even more violent, so the multiple brake shoes must have tightened around the carbon nanotube wire.


    However¡­


    ¡°Wait, what the hell?¡± Heivia looked around in a panic. ¡°The brakes! Apply the brakes!! Why are we still slipping? Don¡¯t tell me this handmade car has finally malfunctioned on us! What, did this thing go off prematurely!? I told you we were only edging today!!¡±


    ¡°It will take us at least a kilometer to decelerate. I could slam on the brakes and stop us immediately, but the inertia would squash us all flat.¡±


    Space existed on a much larger scale, but given the length of an airplane runway, this may have actually been quite short.


    Regardless, the vertical sliding continued to squeeze at Quenser¡¯s heart until they came to a stop in midair.


    The elevator car was the size of a large tour bus standing on end.


    Jack-of-all-trades Myonri reached her puffy fingers toward the thick door.


    ¡°U-um, I¡¯m going to open this now. This has a heating element inside, doesn¡¯t it? I hope it hasn¡¯t frozen shut.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you should either let the air out of the room first or attach yourself with a carabiner.¡±


    Gasmask Girl Louisiana tried to warn her, but Myonri had already turned the heavy wheel and the door burst open on its own. Myonri immediately let go of the wheel, but she was still swept outwards.


    They were 80km above the ground.


    That was about 10 times the height of Everest and there was no air that high. When the pressurized room¡¯s door burst open, it created a powerful gust of wind like the air being let out of a balloon.


    ¡°Ahhhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°Myonri, you idiot! Grab on!!¡±


    Quenser immediately reached out, but he could not support her weight with just the one hand and was nearly dragged out with her. Heivia had to wrap his arms around the student¡¯s hips to pull them both back inside.


    ¡°Th-that was way too close.¡±


    Heivia gulped while unable to wipe the sweat from his face through the thick helmet, but then he heard a dry crackling sound. It may have actually taken him a moment to notice since he was too close to the source.


    White frost was spreading across his helmet¡¯s visor starting from one end.


    Quenser glanced down at the computer on his arm to find it was dead. Was that thanks to the special EM waves, or due to the extreme cold?


    Louisiana casually provided another warning inside her black and yellow special suit.


    But not about the cold.


    ¡°Oh, and needless to say, this is the mesosphere. We aren¡¯t protected by the ozone layer here, so we¡¯re exposed to the full force of the sun¡¯s radiation. Are your electronics okay? Let¡¯s hope your Legitimacy Kingdom spacesuits can handle this.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding me!? How many ways can this battlefield kill you before the fighting even begins!?¡±


    ¡°You are viewing this all backwards. We are in outer space, so you don¡¯t need a special reason to die. Here, you need a special reason to survive.¡±


    ¡°So we¡¯ve got less chance at life than the sticky goo balled up in a tissue, huh?¡±


    But now was not the time for introspection through Zen dialogue.


    The Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Federation of Elevator Industries¡¯ World¡¯s End was plummeting toward the earth as a colossal fireball. They were still positioned below it, but other than the spiral course it had taken using air resistance, it was essentially in a freefall. It was in gravity¡¯s grasp, so it would not just come to a stop in midair.


    They had been 500km up, but they could not do anything while in the thermosphere, so they had ended up down at 80km. This was the earth¡¯s time limit. If they could not cause the nuke-resistant Object to break up in midair, today would be the planet¡¯s final day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this, Heivia, Myonri. The instant its altitude matches ours is our best chance.¡±


    ¡°But what exactly are we supposed to do?¡± Myonri panicked inside her puffy spacesuit while Quenser continued to hold onto her from behind. ¡°Not only can it survive a nuke, but it¡¯s falling in a spiral with a radius of about 10km. That¡¯s a range of 10,000 meters. That¡¯s outside the range of a specialized sniper rifle, not to mention our ordinary assault rifles!¡±


    ¡°Are our missiles the only viable weapons? Hey, everyone, gather up every one we¡¯ve got. How many do we have left!?¡±


    While still cautious of the open door, everyone laid their weapons out on the floor, revealing they had 30 missiles left. However, around half of them gave no response to the tester. The radiation may have damaged their sensors. That meant they could not even be launched.


    ¡°That giant bomb is falling toward the surface and this is all we¡¯ve got to work with?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°Can¡¯t we ever catch a break, dammit? How can we possibly win this?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no use complaining now,¡± said Myonri. ¡°Besides, you should have known your luck ran out from the moment you were assigned to the 37th. Anyway, the Object is coming. It should be- ahhhh!?¡±


    Myonri screamed after noticing something.


    After being hit by more of an invisible wall than a noise, Quenser and the others were thrown to the floor and the sturdy elevator car shook unnaturally.


    The World¡¯s End fireball had arrived.


    It looked different than it had out in space. Instead of an orange-glowing mass, it was more of a white light, similar to a camera flash or welding light. Just looking at it felt like it was damaging your eyes, but more than that, the roar of its shockwave reached them from at least 10km away.


    That meant there was air here.


    There was far too little to support life, but sound could still travel through it.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    Heivia noticed something and quickly reached out his hand while still lying on the floor. A few of the missiles lined up on the floor rolled on out through the airlock. And they were all ones they had sorted into the ¡°still working¡± category.


    He could only scream unintelligibly.


    ¡°Nwahhhh!! Gwohhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°Shove the rest in your launchers before we lose any more! Hurry!!¡±


    They were of course closest to the Object when their altitudes matched. Without needing to include the height difference in the calculation, their range was exactly 10km.


    Heivia and Myonri leaned out through the door at the same time to aim the launchers on their shoulders.


    Quenser had nothing to do, so he quickly ducked down just before the two shoulder-fired missiles were launched. The white smoke ejected from the back filled the car. Their helmets meant there was no need to cough, but being unable to see was still frightening. Everything they did seemed to work against them, so Quenser was afraid he would roll on out.


    ¡°Dammit!!¡± groaned Heivia.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t fly straight! What, is the air too thin for a stable flight!?¡±


    That made sense, but they had brought this equipment along to use in space. How had they used them out there?


    Louisiana sighed behind her helmet.


    ¡°The tail fins wouldn¡¯t do anything out in empty space, so you just used them as straight-flying rockets, didn¡¯t you? But as thin as the air is up here, we are still in the grasp of earth¡¯s gravity. They will not fly straight like they did in zero-g.¡±


    They really could not catch a break.


    They watched as the World¡¯s End continued to drop in its spiral that maintained a 10km radius around the elevator wires. It dropped below them once more. They could see it, but they could do nothing about it. They knew the earth would be destroyed, but they lacked the equipment. They could not play a role here.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked a dazed Heivia with his useless missile launcher dangling from his hand.


    Their attacks could not hit.


    And even if they could, what would that accomplish? What could they hope to do about that mass of metal that had remained in one piece even after having its reactor pierced through by the Baby Magnum¡¯s main cannon?


    ¡°These tiny missiles aren¡¯t going to do jack sh*t, but what else can we even do!?¡±


    Part 6


    The artificial air felt heavy.


    The elevator was now dropping them toward the hopeless pits of hell.


    Area 2 was 40km up. That was still taller than Everest and above the ozone layer.


    But specialized high-altitude spy planes would reach altitudes of around 35km, so they had left space and entered at the world of airplanes.


    They would not get another chance after this one.


    None of their attacks could damage the Object. They could only sit idly by and wait for it to destroy the earth.


    (Think.)


    Quenser hung his head as they dropped toward fateful Area 2.


    (The ordinary logic of bullets and bombs won¡¯t work. This thing exists on an enormous scale, so we need to hit it with an equally enormous scale. We¡¯re currently riding a space elevator, so there has to be a way to use that as an attack!!)


    ¡°We¡¯re too close to earth to call this outer space anymore.¡±


    Quenser slowly turned his head inside his spacesuit. He could not believe his eyes. Genius Scientist Louisiana Honeysuckle had crossed her legs and looked terribly bored despite the crisis situation. She looked no different from someone waiting on the sofa at a barbershop after setting up an appointment but finding the previous customer¡¯s haircut was running long.


    Even though she had the expertise to calculate out the damage the Object¡¯s impact would cause better than anyone else.


    Did she really believe this would save the world? She still had the air of someone who felt no need to explain the reason why you separated out you sorted your trash.


    She appeared to have fully adapted to earth¡¯s gravity. She was seated on the floor, but she was sitting up with plenty of strength in her back.


    ¡°This will be over soon,¡± quietly stated the gasmask girl.


    ¡°You sure are calm for someone who¡¯s going to lose her home just like the rest of us!!¡±


    ¡°The giant meteor is just one of many theories. This might not actually do much of anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Humanity has never gone extinct before, so we can¡¯t say for sure what would cause it, can we? The dinosaurs went extinct due to the ice age and the rulers of the planet eventually shifted from the reptiles to the mammals. That much we know to be true, but we still don¡¯t actually know what exactly caused that extinction. It could have been the impact of a giant meteor, but other theories say it was weakened solar activity or largescale volcanic activity. Oh, and I believe there was one theory saying dinosaur farts clouded the planet¡¯s atmosphere.¡±


    She actually seemed to be teasing him.


    It felt like speaking with a serial killer without any metal bars between them. They needed her specialized skills in the fields of space and space elevators, but rely on her too much and she would drag you into the depths.


    He deeply regretted the fact that they could not just kill her right here.


    She understood her position perfectly.


    She knew none of them could kill her.


    Quiet static ran through his helmet as he received a transmission from the Princess down on the surface.


    ¡°Quenser?¡±


    ¡°What is it, Princess?¡±


    ¡°How far have you descended? If you move back up now, your group there might be able to survive.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, we removed all the safety devices to get the speed we needed. That allows us to accelerate, but it also makes this a one-way trip. We can¡¯t go back up.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    That was not sarcasm. It was just like the Princess to express genuine disappointment here.


    Quenser could not help but smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s awfully fainthearted for you. Anyway, we¡¯ve passed the ionosphere, so your targeting should be more accurate now.¡±


    ¡°That is about the only positive side of this situation, isn¡¯t it? But you saw what happened when I scored a direct hit, didn¡¯t you? It wasn¡¯t enough.¡±


    Quenser decided to count it as a plus that she was letting him see this fainthearted side of her.


    If she had continued to embellish the data out of fear or pride, he doubted they would have had any chance of success.


    ¡°Quenser, I really wish you could have stayed out in space.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. Then I wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to spend the fortune I¡¯m going to earn one day.¡±


    Just then, some kind of large mass passed right by their elevator car.


    ¡°Wah!?¡±


    Myonri must have gained a fear of heights after nearly being dumped outside earlier. She cowered down, reflexively clung to Quenser since he was nearby, and shrieked. But it felt a lot like two big mascot costumes hugging each other, so it was not as nice an experience as he would have hoped.


    ¡°What was that!?¡±


    ¡°The elevator has more than one wire.¡± Louisiana sounded exasperated. ¡°There are several of them lined up in parallel. And some unmanned cargo containers were left hanging after you took over.¡±


    ¡°Cargo containers!?¡± Heivia leaned forward. ¡°So they¡¯re full of Capitalist Corporations weapons!? We can use those!!¡±


    ¡°If you want to grab some, feel free to open that door and jump on over. Our current altitude¡­just passed below 50km. That¡¯s about 5 times Everest, but if you really think you can jump to the elevator with the intense winds of that height, be my guest. And don¡¯t forget you have to do it in those oversized spacesuits that aren¡¯t great for athletics. Oh, and you also have to worry about the regular vibration of the elevator wires.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill you!!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°How many times have you made that empty threat now? You¡¯re as bad as that uncle who always tells the same story every time you see him.¡±


    Quenser watched that hopeless conversation.


    This might be his last chance to speak with the Princess, but he forgot all about his exchange with her.


    ¡°Quenser?¡± she said.


    ¡°The elevator wires have a regular vibration?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°All forms of matter have a normal mode frequency.¡± Louisiana heard that and responded with her legs still crossed. ¡°Not even cutting-edge carbon nanotubes can ignore the laws of physics. Now, what was that frequency with wires 100,000km long?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    (The wires are not just being blown in the wind. They wobble and then return. That means they have an elasticity that snaps them back to normal. They¡¯re 100,000km long, an empty car has been left hanging, and it¡¯s full of Capitalist Corporations weapons. Wait¡­wait, wait. That scale might just be big enough. And it¡¯s within our reach!!)


    ¡°Louisiana!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Skip past Area 2! Take us even lower!!¡±


    The shocked reaction came from Heivia, Myonri, and the others instead of Louisiana herself.


    ¡°Why would you waste our final chance to avoid blowing our load here!?¡± shouted Heivia.


    ¡°Letting it leak out little by little isn¡¯t any better. Besides, what would we even accomplish if we stopped here? Our assault rifles can¡¯t reach it and the missiles won¡¯t fly on course.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°So we need to gather up every chance we¡¯ve got and make one definitive blow to end it all. We only have one shot at this. We can¡¯t destroy the falling World¡¯s End otherwise!!¡±


    ¡°One definitive blow?¡± calmly asked Louisiana Honeysuckle. ¡°Do you have an actual vision of what that might be?¡±


    Now, which side was she asking that question from? Was she a member of the Federation of Elevator Industries concerned Quenser might actually be to stop her final attack, or was she just a human who had found some hope of successfully stopping this?


    Either way, the puny boy gave his answer.


    ¡°We only have one shot at this.¡±


    He lifted the cracked visor of his helmet and looked his awful friend straight in the eye.


    ¡°Are you going to keep trying in vain until we¡¯re all dead, or are you going to aim for one definitive blow? Choose, Heivia. This is the final decision!!¡±


    Part 7


    The elevator car dropped and dropped until it finally came to a stop.


    They were less than 2000m above the Turkana District of Africa. That was a significant altitude during a normal life, but it might as well have been right down on the ground for Quenser¡¯s group. Even at that height, the cracked desert was the only thing visible as far as the eye could see.


    This land had made Louisiana Honeysuckle who she was, but it was also the land destroyed by that genius girl who insisted she was saving the world.


    They could not descend any further.


    After removing their cumbersome spacesuits, they opened the thick door and immediately stepped out.


    But they did not fall.


    They were at the top of the ¡°spear¡± that jutted up from the ground base in order to gather Mother Lady¡¯s wires. The spear was hollow like macaroni and they were standing on its outer edge. The elevator car moved when exposed to microwaves and those were probably sent directly from within the tube when outside the range of the parabolic antenna, but they were not interested in that.


    They had descended all this way without stopping again, so the falling World¡¯s End was still a lot higher up. But they could still see its sinister light shining like a second sun in the sky. In a few more minutes, it would crash into the Turkana District desert as a single large mass.


    ¡°Princess!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°I want to know the falling Object¡¯s exact course. Share it on my mobile device.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Your anti-air radars can detect everything up there, right? Give me the location of any elevators cars left hanging on the wires.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    After confirming everyone had disembarked from the elevator car, Quenser taped a small device to its outer wall. It was the computer that had been attached to his spacesuit¡¯s arm. He used its gyro sensor to get data on the wire¡¯s vibration.


    ¡°There we go. I¡¯ve got the entire wire¡¯s normal mode frequency.¡±


    ¡°There are three cars left hanging on the wires,¡± reported the Princess. ¡°Their altitudes are 40km, 38km, and 15km.¡±


    ¡°Focus on that last one!! If we¡¯re doing this, it¡¯s gotta be that one!!¡±


    The space elevator had several wires running in parallel like on a guitar or violin. They were shaped like thin belts about 80cm wide and they were spread fairly far apart so they could handle several elevator cars the size of large buses. They were all gathered here at the top of the spear. The car they wanted was 13,000m above them, but the wire it was connected to was within reach.


    Quenser pulled out his Hand Axe plastic explosive and stabbed in a pen-shaped electric fuse. He did not hesitate to attach it to the belt of carbon nanotube.


    (I know the timing. 9, 8, 7, 6¡­)


    ¡°Stand back! I¡¯m gonna detonate it!!¡±


    He did so.


    An ear-splitting roar burst out.


    That military explosive could incapacitate a tank when used right, but it was not enough to snap the carbon nanotube wire.


    Louisiana put her hands on her hips and looked up into the blue sky. What did the world look like through the round eyepieces of her gasmask?


    ¡°Was one blast enough?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you? Shaking it randomly would be meaningless. But if you know its normal mode frequency, this can work!¡±


    It was the same as a tin can telephone.


    Any kind of impact would travel up a taut wire as a vibration.


    And that 100,000km wire was already slowly shaking at a set frequency. That was nothing harmful and the safety device in the space station would negate it if it ever exceeded acceptable limits.


    That was where the Hand Axe came in.


    However.


    If one vibration could be used to cancel out another, one could also be used to amplify another.


    ¡°The wires aren¡¯t just blowing in the wind. After moving in one direction, they¡¯re brought back to their original position by a restoring force.¡±


    ¡°Will this really work?¡± asked Heivia.


    There was no missing the light of the falling Object at this point. It was brighter than the real sun as it spiraled down toward the surface.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about using the space elevator itself as a giant bow and destroying that giant meteor with the power of the bowstring, right? That¡¯ll never actually work!!¡±


    This was a crazy plan and Quenser himself knew it.


    But only now had he matched the colossal scale of the 200,000ton mass falling from outside the atmosphere. He could reach its level. At the very least, this had to be better than continuing to fire the occasional rifle bullet or shoulder-fired missile despite knowing that would have no effect.


    Sound and vibrations traveled through solids much faster than through gasses.


    Quenser was viewing the 100,000km wire as an enormous bow, but he was not a giant and he could not nock a colossal arrow on that bow. That meant he had to use what was already there. In other words, the unmanned elevator car loaded with cargo and left hanging on the wire.


    The shock of his explosion joined with the wire¡¯s existing movement. Instead of canceling each other out, the two waves joined to produce a massive amplitude well beyond what the wire was designed for.


    The hanging car was shaken side to side and it failed to survive the force of the impact.


    So¡­


    ¡°Get down everyone!! It¡¯s starting!!¡±


    It exploded and something scattered horizontally like a shotgun blast.


    The shaking was a miniscule thing when compared to the entire elevator that boasted a length more than twice the circumference of the earth, but it was well beyond the design limits of the metal car, tearing it apart.


    And its pieces spread out horizontally thanks to the horizontal shaking of the wire.


    Which meant out toward the World¡¯s End that was just about to pass by along its spiraling path down.


    There was a bright light.


    That colossal weapon was glowing brighter than the sun, but even that light was swallowed up by this new one.


    Quenser¡¯s calculations said it should have reached an instantaneous max speed of 14,000m/s, so this was far worse than a downpour of razor-sharp shrapnel. Most of the pieces were vaporized the instant they were launched, turning them to plasma. And this was not soft water or plastic; it was heat-resistant metal meant to escape the atmosphere.


    ¡°Ghhhh!!¡±


    Quenser could not even see Heivia¡¯s face as the boy groaned and clung to the railing next to him.


    The explosive light acted as a white screen that stole away the puny humans¡¯ senses.


    And.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t enough,¡± groaned Heivia while looking overhead. ¡°It¡¯s still in one piece!! You hit it with all that and it didn¡¯t break. The World¡¯s End is still coming down!!¡±


    Part 8


    At that moment¡­


    ¡°What if you knew the world would be destroyed tomorrow?¡± asked a speaker on the stage in a large school¡¯s lecture hall. ¡°That is a very simple hypothetical, but its simple scenario helps inspire your imagination. Now, what would you do in that situation? Would you give up and accept it, or would you fight to the end? Would you return to your old favorites one last time, or would you try to experience as many new things as you could? Your answer to these questions might just point to who you really are deep down.¡±


    The voice spilled out into the hallway.


    That¡¯s a tricky question, thought a middle-aged man. His boss got mad at him if he did not use up his paid leave, but he had nothing to do when he did take a weekday off. That was why he had decided to take a look at his son¡¯s school. Of course, his son was not actually here since he was a battlefield student, but the man could not have taken this look if his son was here. Teenagers loathed having their parents invade their territory.


    Some called this school a den of eccentrics, but he could not see anything particular unusual about it. Then again, the eccentrics here may have been intelligent enough to blend into society when they had to.


    The school contained a variety of departments that were all doing their own research and experiments, so there was a lot out on display: next-generation cities, clean energy, the possibility of developing Mars due to the limited land on the moon, etc. It was probably all arranged to be accessible to outsiders, but just reading through the names was difficult enough.


    ¡°They really are doing a lot here.¡±


    Adults learned how to make general statements to save face at times like this. Even though they knew that avoiding the issue in that way would prevent them from learning anything new as they grew older.


    There had been a time when he had thought he would know everything there was to know about the world once he grew up.


    Once he had whittled away his childish side, he had assumed he would know how to rid himself of all of his childhood worries.


    But in truth, growing older only led to being bowled over by how complex the world was.


    He heard a beeping from the smartphone he carried mostly because his family insisted on it. He had received three messages in a row from the same person on a social media app he was still not used to using.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starving already. You aren¡¯t out getting something to eat on your own, are you?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re the one that got lost, right? It wasn¡¯t me who wandered away, right!?¡±


    He was looking after that girl at home, but she was not his blood-related daughter.


    His son would sometimes come to him with a problem. Like with that girl Monica who was now living her best life as an idol.


    His son was never around, but he always felt like he was closer to the boy when looking after those people for him. His son was a kind boy, so he could not sit idly by when he saw someone being slowly dragged to their doom on the conveyer belt of death. But the boy was not the best at considering the consequences of his actions, so he would sometimes find himself in a jam and need some help from his parents. But that imperfection was what made him so adorable.


    The man did not know much about the girl living in his home.


    He did not know how she had ended up with him, what problems she carried, or what secrets she held. His mind had grown so inflexible in adulthood he could not even imagine the answers to those questions.


    But that was fine with him.


    A father was there to help when his child came to him.


    He was working to be the kind of man he felt his former childish self would have been proud of.


    At that moment¡­


    A girl was walking down a large road. This metropolis was seen as the world¡¯s safest home country, but she still should not have been walking around without any bodyguards. She was the daughter of the Vanderbilt family. As usual, she climbed through a window, cut across a women¡¯s locker room, removed her security buzzer that constantly tracked her location, tossed it into the air so it caught on a delivery drone passing by, and managed to escape the cramped parade of black bulletproof vehicles that insisted on following her around.


    (There isn¡¯t even anywhere I want to go this time. I think I¡¯ve started to enjoy simply outwitting those professionals.)


    She was aware she was developing into something like a wealthy shoplifter, but she still enjoyed the brief freedom this bought her.


    A few smiling children ran past her. There were a lot of food stalls along the side of the street. She wondered if they were holding some kind of event here, but then she saw the poster on the side of a streetlight and quickly hid behind a vending machine.


    The poster said, ¡°This is the place if you want to catch a glimpse of the Vanderbilt daughter! She passes through here on the way to and from her lessons!!¡±


    (H-has this country never heard of privacy!?)


    She had thought the crepes, ice cream, roe pasta, and hot dogs sold at the food stalls were oddly well matched to her tastes, but that was apparently the result of careful research. And the stands along the road were not just selling food. They also sold opera glasses, zoom lenses for phones, and even disposable cameras in this modern digital age. She was not quite sure how to react when she realized they were all spying tools meant for use on her.


    After buying a pair of old-fashioned red and blue 3D glasses sold there as a joke and putting them on, she continued her stroll.


    Her life was so restrictive and predictable, but she could still make new discoveries when she tried.


    She understood none of this had just been dropped into her lap. Her peaceful life was only possible thanks to the people crawling through the mud as they moved between battlefields all over the world. She was not a military expansionist. In fact, she focused on peaceful and philanthropic activities meant to bring an end to war. But she knew there were people out there fighting to hold things together until the day that ideal could actually be realized.


    ¡°Master Heivia,¡± she muttered while looking up into the sky.


    It was a bright and sunny day perfect for hanging laundry out to dry, but that blue felt somehow heavy.


    At that moment¡­


    Bloodrics Capistrano entrusted himself to the rhythmic beat of hooves. Flying cars existed these days, but he was using a four-horse carriage. They were not all that unusual in a large Legitimacy Kingdom city like this. Although most of those were tourist attractions, so a carriage owned by a private family with its own dedicated coachman was indeed quite rare.


    (The truly powerful families actually avoid this sort of tradition. Insisting on all the formalities is really a sign of desperately trying to look the part because you fear you will be found out as an imposter.)


    He let out a gentle sigh.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± asked the maid seated across from him.


    He tilted his head.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°You could have taken your private jet to the shelter in your villa on the outskirts.¡±


    Cowards gathered information because they could not rest easy without listening in on everything.


    That was why they received all the information that the more powerful families might miss.


    The young noble smiled a little.


    ¡°That would change nothing.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°What good is a dingy basement with only half a year¡¯s worth of food and water? That¡¯s just a slow burial over the course of half a year. It would only make for a strange sort of execution.¡±


    Bloodrics had no one seated next to him.


    The neighboring seat instead had a sheathed Island Nation sword known as a katana leaning against it. Although mastering that blade had not allowed him to protect anyone he cared about.


    His smile gained a tinge of self-deprecation.


    ¡°If my adorable little sister fails, then I die too. I will accept that fate. What point is there in living in a world without Tia-chan¡¯s smile?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You are awfully faithful yourself. Maids do not follow their masters into death these days. Why did you not run away?¡±


    ¡°Because life in a world without you would only bring me pain.¡±


    She did not hesitate for even a second.


    He recalled that she was much too skilled to be serving a small-time noble like him. With a single letter of recommendation, she could have gone knocking on the door of any family she liked ¨C even the Winchell or Vanderbilt families. Yet she did not. There would of course be a reason for that.


    Just like Bloodrics had strayed from the path laid out for him in life so he could protect his sister who refused to obey their family¡¯s traditions and let herself be used as a tool.


    This simply meant he too had someone who refused to abandon him.


    ¡°What an awkward person you are.¡±


    ¡°That makes two of us.¡±


    At that moment¡­


    A girl gripped the control column in the cockpit of a colossal nuke-resistant weapon.


    This was not about her work or her private life.


    She had been surrounded by emptiness, leaving her with only herself here in the cockpit as she she looked up into the sky.


    ¡°Quenser¡­¡±


    Death came for everyone the same.


    And wars were not determined by morality or emotions.


    Part 9


    Heivia had said the World¡¯s End remained in one piece and had not broken apart after the hit from the giant bow that used the elevator as its string. It was still going to fall to the surface and wreak havoc on the planet.


    And yet¡­


    And yet¡­


    ¡°No.¡±


    Quenser grimaced and rejected that idea.


    He continued with a smile on his sweaty face.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to use it as a bow.¡±


    Louisiana Honeysuckle had said the carbon nanotube wires, which remained safe despite constant exposure to the thermosphere, could snap from the elevator car¡¯s friction once the safety devices had been removed. Even the ordinary phenomena seen in everyday life could cause massive damage if the quantities were high enough.


    And as Quenser had just proven, the elevator wire could be used like a bow or slingshot. Push on it and it did not continue that way; it had a restoring force that brought it back to its original position.


    In other words¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s a heating element,¡± whispered Quenser. ¡°The carbon nanotubes don¡¯t conduct electricity as well as metal, which means they have resistance. So what if we sent enough electricity down that wire while gathering it on a single point? That would be more powerful than a nuclear weapon.¡±


    The others were left speechless.


    Things at this scale had that effect on people. Ordinary phenomena could achieve unbelievable results. Just like black holes were nothing more than ordinary gravity, yet they swallowed up even light and distorted both time and space.


    ¡°But how are you going to prepare and gather that much electricity?¡± Louisiana smiled. ¡°Your work with the military must have told you how strong the fiber structure of that wire is. You just proved for us all that your plastic explosives are not enough to damage it.¡±


    ¡°This had to be the biggest obstacle you faced when building Mother Lady, so you should know better than any of us just how few places you can construct a space elevator.¡± Quenser spoke a direct challenge to the genius scientist smiling with the cracked desert of the Turkana District behind her. ¡°1. It must be near the equator. 2. Building a ground base provides greater stability than trying to build it out at sea. Dealing with the shaking of the wires can be handled from the space station. 3. It must be somewhere without any typhoons or hurricanes despite the unstable weather so common on the equator. Because special though their structure might be, carbon nanotubes are still made of carbon and are thus weak to thunderclouds¡­in other words, to powerful static electricity.¡±


    Electricity.


    But he did not need to rely on a strange rain dance to summon some thunderclouds.


    Electricity was created by the contact potential difference when two different types of matter came into contact and separated. One could be the wire and the other could be iron sand or even water. And shaking the wire more than it was ever designed for would increase the number of contacts.


    ¡°In other words,¡± said Quenser Barbotage with the voice of someone who desired an unchanged tomorrow and refused to let that cruel hammer strike the surface. ¡°It¡¯s the same as an electric eel. The basic idea might be a small thing, but that long wire increases the scale considerably!!¡±


    All sound vanished.


    The light was also blown away.


    The distortion gathered at a point of slight damage at the 15km mark along the 100,000km wire and the carbon nanotube belt flashed. Heivia¡¯s bullets and Louisiana¡¯s fingers had shaken the wire up in space, but this was different. By calculating things out down here, they could create more energy than it could handle.


    The instant the carbon nanotube wire snapped, a strange light appeared from the damage to the wire. But instead of electricity, that was the heat produced within the wire. So the light lasted more than an instant. The pure white shine did not vanish and instead grew endlessly as it tore through the wire capable of surviving in the thermosphere.


    They should have been sufficiently far away, but Quenser nearly fell from the top of the spear. In fact, he could not remain on his feet and was crushed to the floor.


    ¡°Gahhh, ah!?¡±


    He heard a disconcerting straining sound from within his body, but he still moved his head to check on the blue sky.


    He saw a fireball there.


    But it was not alone. An artificial downpour trailed by orange light fell from above. It was a terrifying image, but the light was not the pure white of welding he had seen before. The Object had clearly broken apart, lost its falling speed, and cooled.


    ¡°A meteor shower, huh?¡± said Louisiana as she looked up into the oddly clear sky.


    They did not all hit at once. Tens of thousands of pieces continually poured down to the surface.


    ¡°Do you read many online news articles? They say 100,000 meteors poured down on the Eastern European city of Pultusk in 1868 and on the Eastern European city of Mocs in 1882. And 14,000 meteors fell on North America¡¯s Arizona in 1912. Yet humanity was not destroyed. That is because those were not individual meteors that broke through the thermosphere; they were the many fragments of a single meteor that broke up in the atmosphere. And that distributed the force.¡±


    There was a precedent.


    If the great mass broke up in midair, it would not bring about an ice age. Humanity could live on for now. It also helped that this was the middle of the desert and not a major city center.


    The snapped wire fluttered in the air like a ribbon.


    They had won.


    Or so Quenser thought until a singsong voice reached his ear. A certain girl leaned against the railing and slowly removed the gasmask covering her face.


    The genius was thinly smiling with the orange rain falling behind her.


    ¡°That settles it then. Human goodwill has snuffed out this world¡¯s final hope.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    What is she talking about? wondered Quenser while still down on the floor.


    She did not have some secret card left up her sleeve. She was not still hiding something.


    ¡°You mean¡­you weren¡¯t trying to create a uniform global environment?¡±


    ¡°When did I ever say I was?¡±


    The enigmatic genius girl tossed her mask aside.


    Having accepted this result, she looked somehow sad as she continued her song.


    ¡°Objects weigh 200,000 tons. And there isn¡¯t just the one. This world is crawling with them. Those extraordinary monsters are performing MMA-style footwork and firing low-stability plasma cannons, railguns, and other weapons capable of punching through other nuke-resistant Objects. All while forcibly suppressing all of the direct recoil, secondary heat, and shockwaves.¡±


    He did not understand what she meant at first.


    Or was a part of him refusing to understand it?


    Louisiana gave him a pitying look while he lay on the ground at her feet.


    ¡°Did you really think that would have no effect on the planet¡¯s ground and crust? When even those obsolete nuclear tests would cause artificial earthquakes? The planet¡¯s axis has long since begun to shift. At this rate, humanity will be destroyed by a series of cataclysmic events. Or the climate itself will change to the point that we can no longer produce enough food. This will bring about the age of winter you so feared.¡±


    She had insisted she was saving the world.


    She had said she would protect the people of the Turkana District as they worked to preserve their simple way of life and she had said the rest of humanity was just a bonus prize.


    Quenser finally saw what it was that genius scientist had seen.


    ¡°So I intended to hold a concert with that 100,000km string instrument to retune the planet¡¯s axis.¡±


    She sang.


    The song of doom continued without end.


    ¡°And once that failed, I tried to drop the Object along a rough calculation I hoped would slam the planet back onto its proper axis. ¡­Of course, using the Object¡¯s fall was an adlib meant to recover from an unexpected defeat, so it only had about a 20% chance of working. Ha ha. My actual plan had failed from the moment I could no longer play that instrument.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Quenser clenched his teeth and forced out the words. ¡°You said a giant meteor could not actually wipe out the dinosaurs, didn¡¯t you? Did you think you could protect that village even as you dropped the Object on the Turkana District? Did you use that spiraling path around the elevator so you could have the elevator itself act as a shield for the village???¡±


    She smiled.


    But this smile was different. It was like she had been freed from a long, long period of isolation only to realize it was too late.


    ¡°But even that possibility is gone now.¡±


    The Mother Lady space elevator¡¯s wire had snapped. The others running parallel to it would not have escaped unharmed, so it was uncertain if they could survive her concert. And her last ditch effort using her own Object had also literally fallen apart. Even if she did try to repair the elevator that had fallen under the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s control, would the hardheaded officials really comprehend the threat? And even if she could repair it as quickly as possible, would the earth survive long enough?


    ¡°My struggles end here. The world¡¯s final chance at salvation has been fully snuffed out. But it means a lot that I managed to share the threat with you. Because you carry a different sort of talent from my own.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You may be able to destroy this world¡¯s fundamental flaw.¡±


    She must have carefully calculated it all out.


    And that must have led her to the conclusion that she had to sacrifice her own Federation of Elevator Industries for her goal or she would run out of time.


    Yet it had ended in failure.


    The genius scientist spread her arms as if to receive the blessing of the ruinous rain pouring down from the sky.


    ¡°Hello, god of destruction. Show me how you will smash this godforsaken problem to smithereens.¡±

 Volume 18, Epilogue

    Volume 18, Epilogue


    The detention barracks were located at one corner of the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s maintenance base zone.


    It was mainly used to detain soldiers who had broken military regulations on the battlefield, but it currently contained a guest who did not belong to the Legitimacy Kingdom military.


    The girl wore a lab coat over short-sleeved gym clothes.


    It was Louisiana Honeysuckle.


    ¡°Oh?¡± She opened her mouth in great interest when she saw who had walked in. ¡°You have a familiar scent to you. Are you from the Capitalist Corporations?¡±


    ¡°I used to be,¡± replied the old maintenance lady. ¡°Our commander decided you would be more willing to talk to someone who knew your ways. And fair warning: if you don¡¯t talk here, you¡¯ll be strapped into a chair and injected with who-knows-what drugs.¡±


    That was quite the threat, but Louisiana did not care at all.


    She asked about something else entirely.


    ¡°What¡¯s your homeland?¡±


    ¡°The Island Nation.¡±


    ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never actually been, but I always wanted to.¡±


    This must have drawn the genius¡¯s interest because she leaned forward behind the bars. And the clothing she had chosen to wear while living in space had indeed been Island Nation gym clothes.


    So her interest wasn¡¯t with me personally, thought the old lady with a slight frown.


    But anyway.


    ¡°I have some news you might be interested in.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about the 15-dollar vaccine.¡±


    Louisiana fell silent at the old lady¡¯s blunt answer.


    ¡°The scattered wreckage of the World¡¯s End needs to be recovered before people begin fighting over all those scraps of cutting-edge tech. However, this is a harsh desert and who knows how many people we would lose by thoughtlessly walking around collecting it all. So the 37th has decided to hire the local people who know the land and to pay them a fair wage. They should be able to purchase as many 15-dollar vaccines as they could want. The elevator might be gone, but the children will not go back to living in fear of a single mosquito bite. So you can rest easy about that.¡±


    Louisiana Honeysuckle breathed a gentle sigh.


    She had failed and lost everything, but the look on her face said she was relieved to have at least kept that one promise with her old friend.


    The old maintenance lady stared into the girl¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°The elevator will be demolished in time. Starting with the ground base.¡±


    ¡°It is fairly useless with the wire snapped.¡±


    Louisiana placed her hands behind her head and acted like she did not even care.


    But she was not talking about the elevator¡¯s ability to transport cargo. She had built Mother Lady for a different purpose.


    She then stared into the old maintenance lady¡¯s eyes through the bars.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t what I need.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I could explain my reasons to you, but your preconceived notions would get in the way. Your belief that it could never happen would cloud your vision and you would instead work to prevent the necessary actions. You are not a bad person, but you lack the mindset needed to accept the accurate information if I gave it to you.¡±


    Louisiana was smart enough to know what would happen if she upset the people holding her captive. The way she had brought so many companies and individuals to her side to get the elevator built was proof enough of that.


    But she said it anyway.


    Quite clearly.


    ¡°Especially because your position in life is protected by the development and use of Objects.¡±


    The old maintenance lady sighed.


    ¡°What will you do now? You could defect here like I did.¡±


    ¡°Well, I highly doubt I could return to the Capitalist Corporations after this. And I would like to provide a few pieces of advice for that cute little god of destruction.¡± Louisiana laughed and then continued in a relaxed way. ¡°But that choice might be fairly meaningless as far as my survival is concerned.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about Silk S.¡±


    She knew the old lady would not know what that meant, but she did not bother explaining.


    She sounded more like she was organizing her thoughts by speaking them aloud.


    ¡°That villainess decided to abandon the 7th Core CEO and she used my plan as a stepping stone to search out her next target. But who is that target? Think about it enough and the answer becomes clear. The true enemy that is devouring this world is not influenced by the silly little national borders we draw on our maps.¡±


    The old maintenance lady¡¯s native Island Nation had used a capital punishment system, so there had been no end to rumors saying that the violent criminals on death row would grow wise beyond their years as if they had achieved enlightenment while waiting for that moment to arrive.


    This girl was strong now that she had accepted death. But she contradictorily also carried an ephemeral air to her.


    ¡°If there is anything you want to know, I would ask it sooner rather than later.¡± She winked and carried a tone of resignation in her voice. ¡°Not even I know how long I have left to live.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. My broadcast of love is now beaming down at you all from satellite orbit. Tonight I gift the entire world with these sexy G-cups in the Information Alliance¡¯s Special New Year¡¯s Space Concert! Are you readyyyy!?¡±


    A cheerful voice filled the air.


    Some dumbass must have inserted a 1seg tuner into a military computer. A model designed to handle digital broadcasts would have ports open for sending and receiving, so this would introduce a risk of leaked information.


    The battle over the Mother Lady space elevator in Africa¡¯s Turkana District had come to an end.


    The wreckage of the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ World¡¯s End had been strewn across an area of 500 square kilometers, so another battle might break out over that. But for now, the threat to the world had supposedly been avoided.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Supposedly, anyway.


    And yet Quenser Barbotage still felt a lingering concern in his chest.


    Had he really protected the world?


    What if the world was actually on the precipice and his actions had given it the final shove needed to send it over the edge???


    ¡°Quenser,¡± said the Princess. ¡°Are you okay? I know you had a medic check you over, but still.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was more energy than a nuclear explosion. Looking back, we might very well have been in the lethal range even if it did detonate at 15km up.¡±


    He could only chalk his survival up to luck. The exact shape of the damage to the wire had caused the explosion to spread out horizontally like a wide lens instead of in a perfect sphere. Otherwise, they would all have been crushed.


    ¡°?¡±


    The Princess seemed to notice something and tilted her head.


    ¡°What is it, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°But you look like you¡¯re worrying over something.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    He smiled a little and shut down that line of questioning.


    What if everything Louisiana had said was true? That would mean the Objects were bringing the world ever closer to destruction and something had to be done to prevent the earth¡¯s axis from shifting further and further until it finally altered the environment enough to bring about an age of winter where food was scarce.


    But even if that was true, could he abandon Objects?


    Becoming an Object designer was one of the very few ways for a commoner like him to outdo the nobles. Could he really abandon that himself? This was not some tear-jerking story ¨C it was his own life plan. Doing it might save the world, but wouldn¡¯t that doom him personally to a dreary life where he never did break free of that class system until the day he died?


    And.


    Quenser Barbotage turned to look at the Princess who was giving him a curious look.


    She was an Object¡¯s Pilot Elite.


    In a way, she had benefited from this ¡°clean world¡± more than anyone.


    Could he really reject Milinda Brantini¡¯s life?


    What would he do?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    This funeral will keep me away from the office for the time being. It has been kept from the general public, but one of the 7th Core CEOs died of a heart attack. Wendigo Vehicles¡¯s CEO. Rumor has it he died of shock after seeing his entire office building was completely empty. This is why you should always leave some money on hand. I am talking about gold or diamonds that you can actually touch and feel the weight in your hand.


    I am pleased to hear the elevator incident was dealt with. We must discuss the payment of reparations before Geneva throws a fit. And we will determine the bare minimum amount as usual.


    I am aware of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s actions.


    Those people will start a war over nothing more than biological and mineral resources that might be useful in drugs for their privileged class that is so terrified of diseases inherited from their ancestors. That makes them so delightfully easy to manipulate. You could even say it makes them trustworthy in a certain sense.


    What about the Faith Organization?


    What is it they call their leader again? The Venerable Elder? This could be trouble if he starts trying to ¡®save¡¯ people without even trying to earn a profit from it.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I have read your missive and that much should not be a problem. We must always secure a certain amount of worldly treasures if we are to maintain our many cathedrals and temples.


    In other words, money.


    Ah ha ha. Was that too blunt?


    But always in the form of benevolent donations and charitable contributions. We must never openly take part in worldly commerce.


    The least predictable player here would the Information Alliance, would it not? They have an AI running their judicial and administrative powers, so they are not swayed by desire.


    The Anastasia Processor, that DNA computer created from ever-expanding cancer cells, always pursues the optimal answer. But that makes it predictable in a different way from humans, so we will just have lay our hopes there.


    And while this was a conflict between the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Capitalist Corporations, I was trapped on my lunar villa until it all died down. I would be justified in demanding some payment of ¡°worldly treasures¡± for that, don¡¯t you think?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Privileged ones.


    We must handle this the same as always.


    Eliminate any who learned our secret. That elevator brought a lot of confusion, but it did a good job of uncovering those hiding from us. Search the flow of data. You might just be able to produce a list of targets from that.


    These wars must remain clean.


    No problems must be found in them.


    If that structure collapses, we are back to an age of unrestricted war. If you do not want an age where peace is only preserved by everyone aiming an obscene number of nuclear weapons at everyone else, then we must respond to this problem.


    I repeat, kill all who have learned our secret. These are the words of your king. I assure you they are just.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    AnastasiaPr/ Wow.


    AnastasiaPr/ What is with all these condescending spam messages? This is the perfect example of why you should never give idiots access to the internet. But if I mark them read without reading them, all these people will probably get mad. Instead, I¡¯ll sign them all up for every mailing list I can find.


    AnastasiaPr/ This world is so obviously rotten from top to bottom that any random kid off the street could tell you, but it feels extra doomed when you realize that an inhuman artificial intelligence like me is the sanest person on the planet.


    AnastasiaPr/ Now, what should I do about this? Yes, what would be the best course of action for the sanest being on this planet?

 Volume 18, Afterword

    Volume 18, Afterword


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    This one is about a battle over the Mother Lady space elevator that takes place on land and in space. Make sure to note that the enemy boss¡¯s last name is Honeysuckle. She is the younger sister of that guy who waved around a thick mass driver in Vol. 2: Adoption War.


    The latest technology might seem like a star player in entertainment, but it is actually something to be avoided at all costs. For example, having a character brag about the exact specs of their phone or computer requires an absurd amount of courage. (Yes, like talking about how many hertz their CPU has or how many bytes their hard disk has. I nearly carelessly said terabytes instead, but stopped myself at the last second. That was a close one.) As you can see by checking any electronics store¡¯s website, the relationship between a hard disk¡¯s specs and its price can change in no time at all. And then you go to space where everything is cutting-edge tech! No matter how much material I gather on the subject, I can never know how long the things I present as ¡°cutting-edge¡± will still be perceived that way. I had been interested in doing this for a while, but it took a lot of courage to actually take this step.


    This time, I included the World¡¯s End as a space Object.


    Path to the Third Generation included an Object that separated out its main cannon and fired that down from satellite orbit, but this one brought the actual Object and its Elite into space and was built as an ¡°outward-facing weapon¡± meant to fight against space itself instead of the previous ¡°inward-facing weapon¡± meant to fire down at the earth.


    With an enemy at that scale, the protagonists have to shift up to that scale as well, so Quenser¡¯s group used a few different largescale attacks this time. What they did with the elevator wire honestly seems to be asking whether building something like that is really a good idea. I got to have some fun I could only do with this special setting, so I¡¯m satisfied.


    This series was constructed so you could read any volume you wanted after Vol. 1, but I¡¯m still happy I¡¯ve managed to build up so much worldbuilding. For example, 7th Core, the seven giant corporations that control the Capitalist Corporations, was mentioned in The Outer Gods. Compare what is found in that volume with Wendigo Vehicles found in this one and you might be able to get a deeper look at those monstrous companies.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, and Hamamura-san. It¡¯s outer space!! It¡¯s far removed from our everyday lives, but still close enough that you can¡¯t include as much original equipment as in a fantasy story. I imagine it was difficult gathering what little material there is for that. And it probably goes without saying, but if you just go with a real spacesuit, it won¡¯t look cool or cute. To be honest, that must be an annoyingly round peg to fit into the square hole of entertainment. Anyway, thank you so much yet again!!


    I also give my thanks to the readers. Quenser and Heivia¡¯s battles have come so far! On that lonely battlefield void of oxygen, they can¡¯t even hear their partner¡¯s voice from right next to them and they can scream as loud as they want. I hope you enjoyed those two idiots. Thank you so much for reading this far!!


    And I will leave it at that.


    In the Heavy world, nothing is more dangerous than someone with a dream.


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 19, Prologue

    Volume 19, Prologue


    Report #380091A (Urgent)


    Report from 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion Commander Major Frolaytia Capistrano.


    A ground survey using our Baby Magnum matches the predictions made by our electronic simulation division. The following concerns have been proven valid:


    The continual rapid movement of Objects weighing as much as 200 thousand tons has placed the earth¡¯s crust under severe stress.


    The limit depends on the specific amount of energy built up in the local geography and plates, but once that limit is reached, it could trigger massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.


    Remotely triggered earthquakes are a known phenomenon. The Hoover Dam located in Western America¡¯s Central Valley District has in fact caused earthquakes from all its gathered water placing an abnormal burden on the plate there. And unlike an artificial earthquake caused by directly shaking the ground with explosives, the time, location, and scope of these are impossible to predict until the moment they occur.


    That means the local residents cannot be evacuated in advance of an earthquake caused by an Object¡¯s effects on the plates. It is even possible the Objects fighting in a battlefield country could affect a safe country on the other side of the planet.


    Several major earthquakes in Legitimacy Kingdom territory were likely caused by Objects, including the Volga District Earthquake that triggered the Great Moscow Fire which led to more than 30 thousand deaths 8 years ago and the Braganca Coast Earthquake Swarm in the Amazon District that devastated more 250 thousand homes in four different cities. Include the other world powers and the numbers suggest 15.5% of the Magnitude 5 or higher earthquakes in the past 20 years were caused by Objects. If this is correct, the resultant loss of life is more than 190 thousand and the monetary damage is incalculable. Wars are still being fought over the money and resources needed to make up for those losses. And when it comes to civilian-level riots and looting, the numbers are too great to get accurate statistics. More lives and assets must have been lost than from the quakes themselves.


    None of these losses needed to happen.


    These are the simplest and most obvious concerns, but other secondary effects can be seen as well. For example, the rapid movement of 200 thousand ton behemoths will move the air and thus create violent winds and the firing of low-stability plasma and laser beams creates localized pockets of heated air, which changes the air density. These pressure changes could lead to cloudbursts.


    Also, the Object itself weighs 200 thousand tons. Their construction requires a vast amount of iron ore and other underground resources. The rush to build more has led to a massive amount of excavation in the same locations, which has led to resources drying up in localized spots. It can be hard to see the big picture when just looking at individual mines, but we can assume the planet¡¯s resources are close to depleted at this point.


    Objects have a large effect on the natural environment. On a global level.


    It is up to you whether you ring the alarm bell or find some clever way of using this.


    As a side note, supposedly foolproof teaching methods and diets are being announced and published every single day. In the same way, no human being has ever managed to fully control nature. If any one attempt were successful, we wouldn¡¯t need a new theory afterwards. So do not let the scientists¡¯ false confidence fool you and remember that technology is never perfect. I strongly hope all of you home country officials will make the wise choice.


    That is all.


    The above report must be fully erased.


    If necessary, ¡°fully¡± could mean purging its author and that author¡¯s battalion.


    This is a joint decision of all four home countries: Paris, Los Angeles, New York, and Rome.


    This matter has already been settled. No one must be allowed to question the existence of Objects.

 Volume 19, Epilogue

    Volume 19, Epilogue


    They were more than 60m below ground. That was equivalent to the height of a 20-story building. Normally, leading more than 100 civilians out from there might have taken several hours. So even with the disconcerting tremors and thick cracks running through the concrete walls and ceiling, Quenser¡¯s group could not immediately reach the surface safely.


    The sheer number of hostages trapped in the train was a problem.


    They had left a motorcycle and two snowmobile-like one-person vehicles further up in the tunnels, but they wouldn¡¯t be of much use. Some of the hostages were small children and others were elderly. They had to walk even slower than usual while making sure no one fell behind due to confusion or exhaustion.


    ¡°What do we do now? We took out Bad Garage, but it didn¡¯t fix anything. What¡¯s going on up top? Will a photo of that guy¡¯s corpse and a DNA sample really convince anyone of anything?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, and Septimontium is still out there. We¡¯re still wanted, so we¡¯ll be shot if we don¡¯t have an escape route ready.¡±


    Fortunately, the ceiling did not collapse and bury them all alive.


    There was the occasional youth whose fear or panic got the better of them and tried to run off, but Putana could generally sense it coming based on their gaze. And the best solution there was to aim a gun at them. That replaced their undefined fear with a very well defined fear. Of course, that wasn¡¯t going to earn their thanks even if it did keep them safe.


    So many of the goddess statues had toppled over. Some of their heads had even come off during the fall. The tourists silently looked away, like that was hinting at their own fate.


    ¡°Wh-why did that statue fall this way? This isn¡¯t an ordinary earthquake.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also kind of wet and there¡¯s a crack in the wall. Could it have been steam?¡± Myonri wiped sweat from her brow. ¡°Um, and isn¡¯t it really hot in here? D-do you hear a sizzling sound from the other side of the wall?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all the people. Of course it¡¯s hot with one or two hundred people packed into this tunnel.¡±


    Heivia tried to laugh it off, but there was a tremor in his voice.


    Eventually, they arrived at the tunnel¡¯s exit without losing a single person.


    But for some reason, no one ran eagerly toward the light at the exit.


    Perhaps they all had a bad feeling about what they would find there.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± groaned Quenser.


    Everything was black and orange.


    The fate of Rome was laid out before their eyes.


    The yelling, screaming, and crying he could understand.


    But the weak laughter he heard in front of a belltower sinking and collapsing into the lava made no sense.


    Something else had collapsed in that orange sea.


    It was one of the round Septimontiums.


    Were the sirens coming from fire trucks, ambulances, or riot police? The occasional gunfire may have been thieves taking advantage of the chaos, but it also could have been people shooting themselves in the head after seeing their home collapsing around them.


    What had become of Millia Newburg?


    Could they still contact Frolaytia or the Princess?


    His radio was working again now that they were out of the tunnel. That was evident from all the various civilian and military transmissions it was picking up.


    Quenser Barbotage had thought they were here to save the city.


    Today had been hell, but they had done their job. Maybe they would be accused of wrongdoing, but they had taken on a great burden and ensured everyone¡¯s safety for the time being.


    But his radio told an entirely different story.


    ¡°Dammit, it¡¯s really started. The Faith Organization is so panicked they¡¯ve lost sight of the big picture. They¡¯ve officially submitted a declaration of war against the Legitimacy Kingdom. They claim it¡¯s retaliation for losing their home country because we refused to share our intelligence with them, but they¡¯re the ones who refused to cooperate! They¡¯re gonna try and do the same to us out of revenge. They won¡¯t stop until Paris is engulfed in flames!!¡±


    ¡°Do they not even care who was behind the attack? I¡¯m not dying because they¡¯re too mad to think straight, dammit!!¡±


    ¡°Hey, did you see those lights falling from the sky? Our frontline base was obliterated 5 seconds after their declaration of war. That means they launched them before the declaration, which violates so many international treaties!!¡±


    ¡°Listen up, everyone!! The Faith Organization has put together a largescale ground attack unit full of attack helicopters and tanks and it¡¯s headed this way. The Alps will be our defensive line. If they get past here, they have a straight shot at our home country of Paris!! The intelligence division will erase your hard disks back home. Brave Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers like us are not going to let the enemy¡¯s bullets reach Paris¡¯s innocent civilians before they reach us. Remember your daily lessons and training. We will stop them even if it means lining up as a great shield of flesh and blood!!¡±


    ¡°Gbh, gah!! This is Corsica Early Warning Radar Base with an emergency- agh, it¡¯s gas. They¡¯re using banned chemical weapons!! Bwehhh!!!???¡±


    ¡°The Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance are on the move too. They keep shooting down our satellites. Are they trying to position themselves on the winning side so they can steal some of our land!? Like taking a big spoonful of pudding from the world map!?¡±


    ¡°Our Tsar Fleet will defend the Mediterranean with our lives. Everyone else please withdraw, receive permission to send in an Object, and construct an impregnable naval defense line. Do not waste the time we are giving you. ¡­Okay, men!! It¡¯s hunting time!! Let¡¯s show that Faith Organization naval Object what it means to pick a fight with sailors!!!!!¡±


    The reports were either requesting assistance or resigned to their fate.


    So many lives had been lost before this.


    But Quenser Barbotage began to realize that maybe the wars he had fought hadn¡¯t been all that bad.


    ¡°It¡¯s begun¡­¡±


    He could only stand there in a daze.


    Hadn¡¯t the four world powers been colluding with each other?


    Then he really wished they would work together to bring an end to this chaos. But he knew it was too late for that. Their power balance had been like a table with four legs. If one of them broke, the entire table collapsed. The four legs couldn¡¯t come together as one anymore. With all four legs intact, they had been able to speak in secret and plot to profit equally from the state of the world, but now the Faith Organization¡¯s home country had been destroyed. They weren¡¯t just going to take one for the team after that.


    They were going to muster all of their forces to take out the other legs.


    That was the new world they lived in now.


    The nameless young man from Bad Garage had struck back at the world for destroying his village with Objects. The 6 or 7 billion people out there were now at the mercy of a dead man.


    There was only one word for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally started. This isn¡¯t the usual clean wars. No one¡¯s even trying to pretend anymore. The four world powers aren¡¯t going to stop until they have truly burned each other to the ground, bringing down the rest of the world with them. This is a true world war.¡±


    Another hand squeezed at Quenser¡¯s.


    It belonged to the small boy he had saved earlier.


    Heroes do exist.


    Could he still live up to that title?


    He needed to lay out everything he had and every skill he possessed and come up with an answer.


    This was a world war.


    What could Quenser Barbotage realistically do in a hell that burned so hot it seemed to redefine the very meaning of right and wrong?

 Volume 19, Afterword

    Volume 19, Afterword


    Now Heavy Object has reached 19 volumes.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    When researching some exciting technology to use in this series full of colossal weapons and crazy technology, I came across the research of fear. Instead of working on the power of warheads or precision of missiles, that devilish research directly targets the inside of people¡¯s minds. I focused on amplifying fear in the story, but there is also research into alleviating your own people¡¯s fear. War and military actions have been trending more compact and easily controlled since the development of drones and cyber attacks, but this field is probably the exact opposite. After all, the research starts at driving people mad with external stimuli, intentionally making them lose control to give yourself an advantage.


    An unseen effect causes a specific target displeasure.


    And that creates an advantage for the person behind it.


    Would the mosquito alarms, that you don¡¯t hear much about anymore, count as a close-to-home version of that? I believe the intention was to keep delinquents from loitering at stores by playing an unpleasant sound that older people can¡¯t hear, but the effects differed a lot between individuals and it¡¯s hard to predict how exactly people will react to such things. What if it irritated someone to the point that they lashed out and robbed the place? And what about the high school or college students working there part time?


    This one started with Mariydi from the Capitalist Corporations, moved on to an Information Alliance weapon attacking Quenser and the others from the Legitimacy Kingdom, and ended with an attack on the Faith Organization. The fact that it ended with the Faith Organization is somewhat important. They¡¯re the ones who place the most emphasis on people¡¯s state of mind, so I made Rome the final stage for this novel about the research of fear! Although anyone who has read this far knows the Faith Organization has enough internal strife already.


    A smaller thing I want to draw you attention to is the one-person vehicles. With more and more IT companies getting involved in electric cars, I wonder if we¡¯re going to see more models that don¡¯t look much like traditional cars. I think one-person convertibles or ones that look more like snowmobiles or bobsleds would be cool, but what did you all think? Seriously though, I think people who aren¡¯t as attached to the traditional shape of cars would have an easier time inventing a flying car (even if people don¡¯t really talk about those much anymore).


    It was fun getting to write another Putana Highball car chase after so long. I enjoy those as much as Mariydi¡¯s dogfights. Maybe I¡¯m drawn to the gap of such a serious person fighting as an outlaw. And like you saw in the story, her scopophobia let¡¯s her engage in close combat on super easy mode!! She might outdo Mariydi and Catherine on the list of girls I definitely don¡¯t want as an enemy. I¡¯m also pretty impressed with Klarheit for surviving to the end after being hit by a tank gun¡¯s blast and shrapnel and flying a bomber through an area without air superiority. Now, could Mariydi defeat him if he was uninjured and flying a cutting-edge fighter?


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, and Hamamura-san. From a ghost to a great disaster, this one had a lot of events that don¡¯t fall into the military and war categories, so the illustrations must have been difficult. Thank you so much for sticking with me yet again.


    And I give my thanks to the readers. This series has always made a joke out of the ugly and dirty side of humanity, but I hope you can enjoy the goodness and idealism that grows from that ruined world like small flowers blossoming from the cracks.


    And I will leave it at that.


    Happy new world.


    -Kamachi Kazuma

 Volume 19, Intermission

    Volume 19, Intermission


    She still had a present she had failed to give. She had concerns she couldn¡¯t share with anyone.


    But none of that mattered anymore.


    The Princess saw it all from the cockpit of the Baby Magnum. Her Object was equipped with countless radars, sensors, and lenses, so she may have gathered more information than the soldiers actually fleeing in a panic through Rome.


    ¡°Oh ho ho¡­ What in the world is happening here!? Rome is engulfed in flames. Are you saying that I¡­that we caused this with our Objects!?¡±


    Lava spewed forth.


    Flames burned bright.


    The catastrophe stretched as far as the eye could see.


    (Yes.)


    She lamented, but she could not speak it out loud.


    Because she knew she didn¡¯t have the right.


    (It wasn¡¯t just an unproven theory. It was true. And now our Objects have started a world war.)


    A new world war had begun.


    Leaving one girl¡¯s heart in tatters.

 Volume 20, Prologue

    Volume 20, Prologue


    ¡°I happened to detect a Longshot CM flying at low altitude toward a large safe country city. That¡¯s the type of cruise missile that snakes along in an S-shape to slip past the ground-based radars. If I hadn¡¯t shot it down, Warsaw would¡¯ve been wiped off the map. It had an FAE warhead.¡±


    ¡°Protect the safe country. Save Warsaw. Ksh, so do whatever you need to do. I grant you authorization for it all. This is the final command Royal Air Force¡¯s Jotunheim Air Base has for you in our joint operation. I¡¯m glad we had this chance to work together.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean the Chain Cutters¡¯ cruise missile bombing of Warsaw and attack on Jotunheim Air Base were all so they could target this Information Alliance transport plane? They wanted to alter their targets route to lure it into their ¡®lair¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s in that thing. So many people died on both sides, but that turkey wasn¡¯t even scratched. Even though it¡¯s nearly defenseless and at the center of it all.¡±


    ¡°The accuracy of their statements is not being officially recognized, but we do know the Information Alliance higher ups were getting frustrated with their inability to end that war and lent their Object an add-on we have called the Ghost Changer. We don¡¯t know what it does.¡±


    ¡°They swapped out containers several times along the way while zigzagging it between the east and the west to disguise where it was going, but fortunately we were able to figure out where it was being sent next.¡±


    ¡°Would the world powers really just give up after that? Like with the Chain Cutters and Electric Drills, Bad Garage had infiltrated the militaries to set up their own people in enemy territory, so they were clearly planning something bigger than that.¡±


    ¡°But that isn¡¯t the end of it. The Electric Drills - or really, Bad Garage who leads all those online terrorists - wants to prove their environmental destruction by Objects theory. They want a disaster so bad not even the joint efforts of the four world powers can cover it up.¡±


    ¡°And luck would have it Mount Vesuvius is located on the Italian Peninsula. It¡¯s one of the world¡¯s most famous active volcanoes, right alongside Mount Etna, and it¡¯s only about 200km from the center of Rome. Mineral springs are fairly common around here, so there is a chance the same magma reservoir exists below the city. It¡¯s currently dormant, but the kind of massive energy that destroyed Pompeii in a single night still lurks below the surface.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. An Object disaster is coming to Rome.¡±


    ¡°The Princess and Oh Ho Ho were the real trigger!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s begun¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s finally started. This isn¡¯t the usual clean wars. No one¡¯s even trying to pretend anymore. The four world powers aren¡¯t going to stop until they have truly burned each other to the ground, bringing down the rest of the world with them. This is a true world war.¡±

 Volume 20, 4: Thus Spoke the End >> *No Mission Name Set Due to Confusion in the Chain of Command

    Volume 20, Chapter 4: Thus Spoke the End ]] *No Mission Name Set Due to Confusion in the Chain of Command


    Part 1


    How long did Quenser Barbotage stand there staring?


    A few minutes?


    A few hours?


    Looking to the big clock didn¡¯t help since it was scorched and the hands had stopped.


    Everything was black and orange.


    Rome had been so full of world heritage sites, but now it was submerged in a sea of lava erupting straight up from the cracks in the pavement. The Faith Organization¡¯s home country had been destroyed. This marked the end of an era and symbolized the collapse of the global power balance.


    It was beginning.


    There was no going back to the clean wars now. This was an endless global war that would continue until all four world powers were gone. It was a world war.


    But Quenser Barbotage could not just stare forever.


    Time was passing.


    A stained glass window shattered overhead, sending colorful shards raining down toward the boy. Even a historical building or work of fine art would be transformed into a downpour of blades when falling from sufficient height.


    Quenser was wearing some rough casual clothing to blend in, so he wasn¡¯t protected from embers and shards as much as in his military uniform.


    ¡°Kh!!¡±


    He grabbed the nearby small child¡¯s hand and crawled below a wooden bench. A moment later, they were surrounded by too many sounds to count.


    He shouted out from below the bench.


    ¡°How are the train passengers!? Was anyone hurt!?¡±


    ¡°They went back into the tunnel, so they¡¯re fine!! You worry about yourself, Quenser!! These people are civilians, so the Faith Organization police will protect them if we leave them here. ¡­The problem is us. The Faith Organization has already declared war. Who knows what kind of justifications they¡¯re using, so they might just treat us like mass shooters without evidence. If it gets out that we¡¯re Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers, the angry masses might just hang us from the roadside trees!!¡±


    Heivia Winchell, Myonri, and Putana Highball were here too.


    Millia Newburg from the intelligence division was in Rome as well, but she had gotten separated from them. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t look like they would be able to get everyone out of the city like this.


    Quenser crawled out from under the bench, still holding the boy he had rescued. He of course had to watch out for the glass shards as he did so.


    (God, saving people is just not worth it.)


    Just then¡­


    ¡°Eek! Kidnapper! Those Legitimacy Kingdom murderers are snatching children off the streets!!¡±


    The false accusations were already beginning.


    (I¡¯m not in uniform, so how¡¯d she know I¡¯m Legitimacy Kingdom!? My clothes? The scent of my hair? My mannerisms? I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s a good reminder that Rome is enemy territory!!)


    A dangerous change came over the crowd¡¯s mood. It wasn¡¯t that they all heroically wanted to save a strange child. When subjected to an inexplicable disaster, people wanted to locate and attack some kind of cause or villain.


    ¡°Dammit!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, they¡¯re civilians!! This isn¡¯t war!!¡±


    Quenser couldn¡¯t believe how hollow his words sounded. Was that argument even valid anymore? It was like seeing an old TV ad from a time before a major disaster struck.


    If Heivia and Myonri hadn¡¯t held out their T-shaped submachineguns, the murderous crowd of civilians probably would have started firing. Yes, soldiers weren¡¯t the only ones with guns.


    They had reached a dangerous stalemate.


    The tingling on their skin was from more than just the lava¡¯s heat carried on the wind.


    But it didn¡¯t last long.


    ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    The first to notice was Putana. Her pupils constricted and her face paled.


    Quenser heard a deep grinding sound approaching.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? These eyes¡­run away, everyone!!!!!¡±


    The 8-wheel armored truck that charged in from the side ran over the Faith Organization civilians by the dozen.


    It was utter pandemonium.


    The Faith Organization military had put defeating their enemy over protecting their people. What were they even fighting for at this point? What did they hope to leave behind?


    The Faith Organization armored truck approached with its beautiful feet and skirt coated with red and black gore. The groans of the people who hadn¡¯t quite died were drowned out by the humming of a motor as the 120mm gun on top of the truck rotated to aim at the Legitimacy Kingdom group.


    The gun¡¯s specs were the same as a tank gun.


    ¡°Goddammit!!¡±


    Quenser picked up the boy and ran into a narrow alley just before an explosive roar filled the world outside. Heivia had said to leave the tourists behind because they would be protected, but the young boy would have been obliterated along with that church¡¯s wall if Quenser had followed that advice.


    That armored truck was in charge out there and it was so focused on killing its enemies that it had lost sight of its allies.


    The recoil of the shot must have slid it to the side, killing even more of the civilians it had run over. Although to the ones caught in the 8 wheels, half crushed but unable to actually die, the dead ones may have seemed like the lucky ones.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look. Don¡¯t look at any of it. This is just a bad dream, so you don¡¯t have to look at it.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s head ached from the close-range gunshot. He ran deeper into the alley with the small boy in his arms and he also radioed the others.


    ¡°Heivia, Myonri, Putana, are you still alive? We need to meet up somewhere. Check the color of the sky. The lava shouldn¡¯t have erupted quite as much to the east, so head that way!!¡±


    There was no response.


    He prayed they had at least heard him as he made his way to their rendezvous point.


    The boy in his arms asked the most fundamental question.


    He must have been oversaturated with emotions because he sounded weirdly calm.


    ¡°Is it over?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I swear to you I¡¯ll get you out of here. I won¡¯t abandon you, so there¡¯s nothing at all to worry about.¡±


    Quenser was not at all confident in what he was saying.


    And that lie revealed itself even sooner than he had feared.


    He held his breath at the alley¡¯s exit while a bunch of Faith Organization soldiers marched down the street with bayonet-equipped assault rifles. Once they were gone, he turned back the way had come, hoping to find another way around.


    That was when the stone wall exploded and a mass of composite armor burst into the alley, blocking the way.


    It was that armored truck. He had no idea what kind of shortcut it had taken and he noticed a stuffed rabbit caught in its bloodstained 8-wheel undercarriage.


    ¡­How could they carry such hate in their hearts?


    Quenser honestly didn¡¯t get it. It sounded exhausting. He knew militaries came in many different forms, but what good were they if they prioritized killing the enemy over protecting the people they held dear? That didn¡¯t sound sustainable unless the soldiers enjoyed the killing itself and everything else was just an excuse.


    He heard the humming of the motor turning the gun his way.


    That was when static came from his radio.


    ¡°Ksshh! Burning Alpha here. Hey there, little knight, do you have an anti-friendly fire card on you? If not, then I¡¯ll mark your radio signal as friendly. Keep transmitting on a safe bandwidth, hold that kid tight, and keep your head down.¡±


    Quenser had no idea what this was about, but his understanding wasn¡¯t necessary.


    A Legitimacy Kingdom delta wing fighter shot by overhead.


    A moment later, the smart bomb that separated from the bottom of its wing accurately blew away the 8-wheel armored truck.


    He was outside the range of the blast, but the invisible shockwave still hit him like a solid wall.


    He was knocked backwards with the small boy in his arms. He found himself a few meters away from where he thought he was, which just showed how far he had flown.


    ¡°Cough!! Cough cough!?¡±


    He was coughing hard, but he was more worried about the boy than himself.


    ¡°A-are you okay? You weren¡¯t hit by any shrapnel, were you? Good.¡±


    (But this is the Faith Organization¡¯s home country. How is one of our planes flying here!?)


    ¡°Burning Alpha to my virtuous Legitimacy Kingdom brother. Your rendezvous point is outside Tiburtina Station. Get there now if you don¡¯t want to be stuck at the back of the line. Especially when you have that kid with you. Don¡¯t forget that this is a battlefield and the odds of death rise by the minute.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quenser walked through the burning and smoking city of Rome while holding the boy¡¯s hand. The air support was perfect. He had a gun aimed at him a few times along the way, but each time a 40mm Gatling gun or missile from the sky accurately eliminated the threat. The fighter must have been using specialized ground attack equipment.


    No distinction was made between the Faith Organization soldiers, powered suits, and armed civilians.


    Of course, his ally was really only interested in protecting the child.


    One person was torn to pieces by a stream of bullets and another was transformed into a living pillar of fire. One person couldn¡¯t bear the pain and jumped into a river of lava while dragging along something dangling from their ruptured gut. ¡­Quenser had expected that to result in an instant death, but the actual result was very much not that.


    ¡°Why is this hap-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look!! Listen, I¡¯ll hold your hand and guide you, so just close your eyes. Then we can escape all this scary stuff!!¡±


    How was he a hero?


    The most he could do was hold the trembling boy and cover his eyes. He was a frail and pathetic liar without any ability to influence this war.


    This was happening because his team had failed to stop it.


    Of course, they had been pursuing a decoy into the subway tunnel and there hadn¡¯t been any way for them to stop it. He was honestly relieved once the fighter flew elsewhere.


    Right up until he heard a quiet metallic sound.


    Someone was aiming his way through the dark smoke.


    It really didn¡¯t seem to matter he wasn¡¯t in uniform. An outsider like him stuck out like a sore thumb.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Soaked in sweat, he tried to protect the small boy, but the gunshot and pain he expected never came. He was surprised to find himself taking that action since he thought of himself as more inappropriate and disorderly.


    He hesitantly opened his eyes to see a familiar face nearby.


    It was the local commander of the Faith Organization police special forces known as the Valkyries.


    Her name was Sarasa Gleamshifter.


    She wore a tight-fitting black combat outfit with add-on parts resembling lingerie.


    Her gun was a short-range sniper rifle with an awfully big caliber for its compact size. The cool woman with short blonde hair aimed that at Quenser and the boy and clicked her tongue like she had found something she didn¡¯t want to find. Whether that meant Quenser or the small boy was unclear.


    She had control here. With Rome in this state, she would have a hard time finding a reason not to shoot an enemy soldier.


    (I don¡¯t have time to pull out a bomb and insert a fuse. I can¡¯t beat her. But can I shove her out of the way? Could I at least get this kid to the alley right over there?)


    His pulse rang loud in his ears.


    Time remained stubbornly frozen. It felt like making any move on his part would cause everything to collapse around him, so he couldn¡¯t even bring himself to construct a ridiculous plan in his head. Which meant the fool couldn¡¯t protect the life in his arms.


    And eventually¡­


    ¡°Go,¡± said Sarasa.


    Quenser blinked in confusion as the Valkyrie commander aimed her gun upwards and stepped aside to clear the way.


    She gestured behind her with her shapely chin.


    ¡°Take that kid and get out of here! If the others see this, I¡¯ll have no choice but to shoot you!!¡±


    Propelled by her voice, Quenser pulled on the boy¡¯s hand and took off running. Sarasa intended to remain in this hell. When he took a hesitant look back, his eardrums were struck by a warning shot fired into the air.


    Running full speed with the small boy in tow was his only option.


    Toxically bright lemon yellow smoke was rising from Tiburtina Station. That would be a smoke grenade. That was their rendezvous point and tiltrotors capable of carrying trucks were currently landing, their rotors loudly beating at the air. The people gathered there weren¡¯t in uniform, but they had to all be Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers. They didn¡¯t have insignia or dog tags to identify themselves while undercover, so they were instead holding up their mobile devices to a device that read its registration data.


    A blonde beauty wearing a hoodie and tight pants over a bikini waved her full arm his way.


    ¡°Over here, Quenser!¡±


    ¡°Millia.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the kid? Not that it matters. Just get over here. Looks like I¡¯ve got a lot of praise to give you, but this place is far from safe. Get onboard!!¡±


    Obeying the instructions that the blonde intelligence division woman shouted over the din of the two giant rotors, Quenser and the boy boarded one of the midsized VTOL transport crafts. After around 30 people poured in, it lifted from the ground before the cargo door was even closed. He couldn¡¯t tell if Heivia, Myonri, and Putana were on the same tiltrotor as him. He was also surprised to find so many Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers had been in Rome.


    The aircraft wobbled to the side and rapidly gained altitude.


    Quenser realized he had been wandering Rome for a long time. It was already night time. Dark smoke had covered everything and he had been too focused on the hell below to notice the change in the sky¡¯s color overhead.


    The view down from the open door was hell itself.


    The orange lava and black smoke had taken over, leaving none of the colors of the white marble world heritage sites. And millions of people were still trapped in that hell.


    But he didn¡¯t have time to get sentimental.


    A trail of white smoke shot up from the surface. A surface-to-air missile flew directly past them and struck one of the other tiltrotors. The metal manatee stuffed full of Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers ruptured from within and fell back toward the Roman hell as burning scraps.


    This wasn¡¯t calculated.


    Even the slightest difference and that would have hit Quenser¡¯s tiltrotor instead.


    The friendly craft drew a streak of dark smoke as it dropped to the ground 400m below and exploded. But instead of mounting a rescue, gunfire rang out from below. The Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers still on the surface must have surrounded the missile launch point and opened fire. After several explosions, the school being used as a hideout collapsed. A school, usually a symbol of safety, had been destroyed to get at a single killer.


    Why did everyone so happily flock toward the killing?


    Quenser knew the odds were slim, but wasn¡¯t there something they could have done before revenge?


    He covered the boy¡¯s eyes with a hand and spat out a few words.


    ¡°This is wrong.¡±


    Part 2


    The tiltrotor escaped westward, flying just above the ocean surface. Once they crossed the Mediterranean, it was only a short flight to the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Normandy District, which meant their home country of Paris.


    But they could not celebrate. That showed just how close they still were to the furious Faith Organization¡¯s headquarters. Rome and Paris were only about 1000km apart. Everything here was packed into a distance only about half the length of the small Island Nation floating in the Asian sea. If their defensive line fell, Second Generation Objects might rush in all at once. After all, those things could perform high-speed mobility at 500-600km/h. A single open seam could cause it all to fall apart.


    The clean wars had protected them from all this.


    Nothing was designed for a true battle between home countries.


    ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­Carat Affinity.¡±


    Quenser pulled out a large, eraser-like ration, broke it in two, and handed the boy half.


    ¡°Okay, Carat. Are you hungry? You should eat while you have the chance.¡±


    ¡°What is this? It has no flavor.¡±


    ¡°Good, I¡¯m not the only one that thinks that.¡±


    Quenser smiled a little and some other soldiers gathered around. A lot of them had red stains on their undercover clothing or bandages and makeshift splints on their arms, but they all wanted to help look after the kid. Some even showed the small boy a magic trick with a coin or how to fold some complex origami with exhausted smiles on their faces. They may have wanted to keep their hearts from being corrupted by this new age by reminding themselves of the goodness there. Quenser himself felt Carat¡¯s presence had saved him in that hell. Without that young boy trusting in the existence of heroes, Quenser may have already started down the path of killing. And if that had happened, he doubted he would be on this tiltrotor now.


    (Heivia, Myonri, and Putana aren¡¯t here. They did get away, didn¡¯t they?)


    He felt his weight tilting to the side. The tiltrotor had just turned off of its straight-line course.


    He thought he saw a lightning-like flash tear apart the sky and then an escort fighter that had joined them was sliced through by a laser beam. With the alarm belatedly blaring, Millia Newburg grabbed the receiver on the wall and shouted at the pilot through it.


    ¡°Why the hell are we flying this high? Stop getting scared and bring us down now! Aerial refueling? That can wait! We¡¯re in an Object¡¯s anti-air zone. We¡¯re screwed if we don¡¯t have a mountain to shield us!!¡±


    The Faith Organization had begun their attack. The Alps defensive line was starting to fall and the Legitimacy Kingdom forces were falling back to their secondary defensive line further north. No aircraft could survive when in range of an Object¡¯s anti-air lasers.


    Quenser spotted a familiar silhouette.


    ¡°That¡¯s the Princess.¡±


    The main cannon on the very edge shook like a wiper, perhaps to mimic a wave.


    The Baby Magnum was not alone.


    The Faith Organization¡¯s Second Generation Zombie Powder and Blast Samurai were already crossing the Alps. Millia had said they needed a mountain, but it looked more like they needed to put the horizon between them and those Objects or they would be shot down at the speed of light.


    (We can¡¯t let the Princess know it was the Objects¡¯ presence there that caused that disaster.)


    Once they moved inland from the Mediterranean, he could feel the tension gradually fading. Paris did not have a unique defense network like the Information Alliance¡¯s Manhattan or the Faith Organization¡¯s Rome did. They only had three layers of simple but powerful defensive lines constructed around their home country. He could see the wheat fields, the vineyards, and the thick transport routes spread out like a spider web. Those eight-lane highways were large for farm roads and were designed to allow a 50m Object through. To allow for that, they had no real median and there were no streetlights on the sides.


    Strange and unique systems tended to cause unexpected errors once they were actually used.


    To protect what truly mattered, it was better to trust in the tried-and-true methods.


    It was simple - extremely simple - but would that simplicity get the job done in this new world war? Quenser wasn¡¯t confident. After what had happened to Rome, he had no idea what they could even do to make him feel safe. Had the people at the top really designed the defense system with a situation like this in mind?


    ¡°If you¡¯re still alive, then listen up!!¡±


    After their tiltrotor landed in a vineyard on the outskirts of Paris, Major Frolaytia Capistrano gathered everyone who had escaped Rome in the garden in front of the vineyard¡¯s residence. They were about halfway between Paris¡¯s center and the third defensive line, which left them still outside the city.


    Why hadn¡¯t they flown directly into Paris?


    Quenser guessed Frolaytia was about to explain that for him, but he doubted it was going to be good news.


    For now, he left Carat with Charlotte Zoom, the Black Uniform glasses woman who happened to be nearby.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Carat Affinity held something out to Quenser. It was a small cloth bag with a string attached. Rubbing it revealed it had a flat piece of wood or thick paper inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Asian amulet. You aren¡¯t supposed to open it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I hope it brings me good luck.¡±


    That was all Quenser said before waving goodbye and joining the other filthy potatoes. Frolaytia was continuing her speech.


    ¡°Currently, the Faith Organization is approaching Paris along two primary invasion courses. The first is a land route over the Alps and the other is a sea route across the Mediterranean. However, we have discovered the possibility that both are only diversions.¡±


    Quenser was relieved to see Heivia, Myonri, and Putana among the potatoes covered in soot and mud. They hadn¡¯t had time to change, so they were hard to miss when everyone else was wearing identical uniforms. This meant he wasn¡¯t the only one lucky enough to escape that hell.


    The initial problem had been started by Bad Garage, but they were dead now.


    This war was all about finding someone to blame when the real culprits were gone.


    When Quenser had encountered Sarasa in Rome, she had seen Carat, clicked her tongue, and secretly let him past. There were good people in the Legitimacy Kingdom and the Faith Organization.


    But Frolaytia described a situation that didn¡¯t allow for that sort of idealism.


    ¡°The enemy used those obvious invasion routes to hide the elite commandos they sent to Charles de Gaulle Airport, located only a few dozen kilometers from the center of Paris. We have received a report of the airport being occupied using poison gas weapons! This war is over if they get the airport running again. The Faith Organization will be able to send in transport planes full of soldiers and vehicles. We must take the airport back before that happens and nip their direct attack on Paris in the bud!!¡±


    At a distance of a few dozen kilometers, the Faith Organization airborne troops might not even need to set foot inside Paris. They could line up rocket launchers in the airport and send fire raining down on Paris.


    But they were hesitant to immediately gather several Objects to defend Paris with their anti-air lasers. They had already seen what happened to Rome. Heivia raised his voice while forgetting all about the chain of command.


    ¡°So are we going to have a ton of Objects gathered around Paris now? Damn the Faith Organization. Is that how they hope to get revenge - an eye for an eye or whatever!?¡±


    Logical arguments were not always convincing to someone who was running off of emotion, but Quenser cut in all the same.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a large magma reservoir underneath Paris.¡±


    ¡°That just means they have something else planned. Like pressurizing the groundwater to liquefy the entire city into a marsh!! We can¡¯t just assume everything will work out all right!¡±


    Frolaytia agreed with Heivia¡¯s frantic shouting.


    ¡°I sent in a report, but I have no idea if the higher ups will even see it. The clean wars structure has collapsed, after all. Everyone has awoken from that dream and now an unprecedented world war has begun. The higher ups are probably buried alive in more reports than they¡¯ve ever seen before. ¡­If the gravity of this threat is not conveyed to them, Paris might just become a second Rome. That¡¯s why we need to take back Charles de Gaulle Airport before all those Objects arrive in the name of air defense. Got that!?¡±


    Part 3


    ¡°Contact. Claire Whist to Baby Magnum. I¡¯m one of the guest technical officers given an online invitation to deal with this emergency. My specialty is Object design. I know your specs already, so can you pass me the data I need to analyze the enemy Object?¡±


    All hell had broken loose in the Legitimacy Kingdom territory near the Mont Blanc border on the west side of the Alps.


    ¡°!¡±


    The Princess observed the enemy through her special goggles that used lasers to read her eye movements.


    The Baby Magnum was making quick evasions to the left and right, but the Princess was aware she was also gradually falling back. This one was especially difficult to deal with.


    The Blast Samurai.


    It had a main cannon on either side¡­except they weren¡¯t quite cannons really. This Faith Organization Second Generation wielded twin 10m blades made of ultra-hot low-stability plasma. She was dead if it got close enough. That plasma was so powerful it couldn¡¯t be fully controlled with ordinary magnetism, so it would be able to slice through a nuke-resistant Object like it was made of jelly.


    ¡°Its versatility is a much bigger threat than its simple destructive power,¡± said Claire Whist. ¡°It can trigger an explosive blast in those two blades to make high-speed dashes to either side.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­well aware!¡±


    ¡°It can also explosively strike the air, so by mixing in an impurity, it can set up a scattershot barrier. That wouldn¡¯t be a fatal blow, but it would be hard to dodge and definitely slow you down. Don¡¯t get careless and lose your balance. If you stop moving, it¡¯ll cut you down in a single strike.¡±


    ¡°Argh!!¡±


    (Why does this have to happen when I want to talk with Quenser? I want to ask him how I¡¯m supposed to live in this new world and about so much more too!!)


    A volley of her own main cannons was not enough to stop her opponent. In fact, the moment of motionlessness after firing would give the Blast Samurai a chance to rush in.


    She had to keep her distance to survive.


    That was a bad situation when she was supposed to be holding the line to protect their home country.


    And on top of that¡­


    ¡°The Zombie Powder is moving.¡±


    The U-shaped part surrounding the back and sides of the spherical main body was not additional armor. It was probably a field hospital. Even from here, she could see an elevator for carrying people up and down. Its design appeared to have focused on that to the neglect of its other functions. It had two ski-like floats for its static electricity propulsion device and its only main cannon was an extremely short mortar-like railgun on the very front, so it was even less creative than the Princess¡¯s Baby Magnum.


    That railgun was no threat except at extreme close range and the skis were split into pieces like a chocolate bar to match the bumps and dips in the terrain. The Princess felt no envy toward that Object.


    However¡­


    ¡°Listen, Princess. Don¡¯t try to deal with them both at once. The Zombie Powder is a support Object and it can¡¯t do any critical damage to us. Focus on the Blast Samurai for now!!¡±


    ¡°I know that!!¡±


    The Princess clenched her teeth at the old maintenance lady¡¯s advice.


    Something was moving along the ground. The surface was crawling with Faith Organization soldiers. Those soldiers in synthetic uniforms charged fearlessly toward the 50m mass of firearms and armor that was the Baby Magnum.


    The Zombie Powder was a special Object with a U-shape field hospital on its rear. It was also the reason the Faith Organization would not stop or give up no matter what.


    They didn¡¯t realize how suicidal their actions were until the bullet had passed through them or the explosive blast had hit them and modern medicine could do nothing for them. When an Object blasted you or ran you over, there was no chance of recovery.


    If any of the soldiers did notice the horror of their situation and came to a stop, another one would grab them by the shoulders.


    The reluctant soldiers were dragged back to the hospital where their mind was destroyed just the right amount to throw them back out onto the battlefield.


    Hence the double meaning of the Zombie Powder name.


    This was not just a battle between foot soldiers. Quite a few soldiers and trucks recklessly charged directly toward the Princess. The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s defensive line was being pushed back, but the Faith Organization did not look at all happy to the Princess. It almost looked like they had a vague idea what was happening to them and wanted to die of their own free will before their mind was fully destroyed.


    It reminded her of army ants.


    They were a great threat, but it didn¡¯t feel like she was battling humans.


    (How far is the Faith Organization willing to go!?)


    ¡°Claire Whist to Baby Magnum. What are you doing? Crush them already. Your top priority is the Blast Samurai. You can ignore the enemy infantry as long as you don¡¯t stumble over them. That static electricity is keeping 200 thousand tons afloat, so the high-voltage current will obliterate anyone you pass over. I¡¯m guessing you had already noticed, but that¡¯s actually what they want.¡±


    ¡°Hey, can I switch off her channel!?¡±


    ¡°The Zombie Powder is designed to anger its enemies like that,¡± said the old maintenance lady. ¡°Don¡¯t let the tragedy get to you. Your heroic feelings will cloud your strategic judgment. You can¡¯t throw out your own calculations if you want to avoid being sliced by the Blast Samurai¡¯s dual swords!!¡±


    ¡°Their home country has fallen, so how do they have so much momentum!?¡±


    ¡°The highly skilled delinquent units that were being restrained before have now been unleashed across the globe,¡± said Claire.


    ¡°The rules of the clean wars don¡¯t apply to this world war,¡± said the old maintenance lady. ¡°These are the fools who sold their soul to the devil for power. I¡¯m from the Island Nation, so I understand how frightening technology sans morals can be. Let your guard down and it will consume you!!¡±


    Of course, the Faith Organization wasn¡¯t the only threat. Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance Objects were taking advantage of the confusion to approach as well. It wasn¡¯t clear if they were targeting the Legitimacy Kingdom or Faith Organization, so the Princess had to assume they were hostile.


    Just then, the old maintenance lady¡¯s mic picked up a tongue click. She had likely had an operator directly whisper a report in her ear instead of receiving it on another channel.


    ¡°So that wasn¡¯t an instrument malfunction.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Um, there appears to be a discrepancy in the altitudes of the Alps. It¡¯s almost certainly caused by rapid plate movement. The mountains have grown by 2-3cm in just the past half hour.¡±


    Part 4


    ¡°The Indian Peninsula has always been solidly under Faith Organization control, but it has never been a monolith thanks to the constant conflict between its multiple major religions, like Shiva or Buddha. According to Royce, a journalist currently deployed there, the Information Alliance is threatening them from the ocean, presumably to drive a wedge between those factions and ultimately tear it apart.¡±


    ¡°Moving on to today¡¯s headlines, it unfortunately looks like the Panama Canal will never be free of war. The canal is currently on fire, thought to be fueled by crude oil. This appears to be part of a Capitalist Corporations barricade operation to keep the Legitimacy Kingdom from traveling northward from South America. The Capitalist Corporations home country is Los Angeles, in the Central Valley District, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Subway Online News. Several pipelines and fuel storage bases across the battlefield countries of southern Africa have been destroyed. Capitalist Corporations and Legitimacy Kingdom special forces have been accused of destroying each other¡¯s energy infrastructure. As you can see, the sky has been blotted out by dark smoke and the cities are covered by a rainbow-colored film of oil whenever it rains.¡±


    ¡°We have heard a few explosions here at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Whoa! Earlier, there was an unconfirmed report of a poison gas attack at this same airport, but- eh? What? Who are you people!? You want us to stop the broadcast? Ehh!? Ksshhh!!!!!¡±


    Part 5


    Charles de Gaulle Airport was located only a few dozen kilometers away from the center of Paris.


    The airport had been taken by Faith Organization commandos and it had to be retaken before it was back up and running or Paris would be engulfed in flames after armored trucks or rocket launchers were flown in.


    ¡°Gyah!?¡±


    ¡°Damn, there are mines. Medic! I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re scared! Get over here!!¡±


    The sound of thick gears turning came from directly ahead. The club flail, an additional piece of equipment attached to the front of a tank, was an extremely imprecise device. The dozens of chains and weights attached to the thick axle forcibly plowed the dirt and detonated all of the mines. This was a race against time and they weren¡¯t about to go through the painstaking process of digging up and deactivating each end every one of the Faith Organization mines.


    Something flashed near the corner of the fence surrounding the rectangular airport grounds.


    Rapidly installed heavy artillery blew away both the tank and the soldiers and medics spread out around it. The ground was torn up in an unnatural fan shape and shrapnel was thrown through the air. The lethal range was three or four times the size of a small convenience store.


    ¡°Bwoh, gwah!?¡±


    ¡°Dammit, I am not dying an emotional death here. My daughter¡¯s college fund is riding on this. And I haven¡¯t been paid any of the retirement money I¡¯ve earned!!¡±


    ¡°Did you see that crater? That must have been a 25-inch gun. Even the tough powered suits were smashed up and thrown into the air. Th-that¡¯s got to be fortress artillery.¡±


    25-inch fortress artillery had a range of about 15km, so it could directly reach Paris. But did the Legitimacy Kingdom force have the firepower needed to push them back when they were having so much trouble with the minefield?


    The commandos were a small, elite squad, so they had arrived knowing they would be outnumbered. That was why they had planned to make up for their inferior numbers with mines and artillery. But that also meant they couldn¡¯t have laid out tens of thousands of mines by hand. They must have loaded them in their extra-large artillery and launched them in every direction to rapidly distribute them.


    And during all this¡­


    ¡°Wow am I glad I challenged them to that rock-paper-scissors game. Sometimes we actually win.¡±


    ¡°I still think we got the worse job. I mean, those powered suits are only a diversion. Once the suits are destroyed, the soldiers inside get to sneak away.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s all about stripping the armor off musclebound macho men?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the enemy gets to strip them, but there¡¯s nothing worth seeing inside. Probably meant as psychological warfare to bring down enemy morale. Remind me to never get on Frolaytia¡¯s bad side.¡±


    The idiots hung their heads with shadows over their faces.


    Heivia and Quenser had changed into their Legitimacy Kingdom uniforms and were now walking through a thick metal pipe with flashlights in hand. The pipe was more than 2m tall, so it felt more like a small tunnel.


    While the rest of their forces fought a diversionary battle up top, around 20 Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers were traveling underground. They were meant to sneak below the airport and wipe out the Faith Organization commandos in a surprise attack.


    They were accompanied by the 7th Special Training Unit¡¯s Elise Montana and Black Uniform Charlotte Zoom. Those two had both mastered close combat even in the Age of Objects. This surprise attack operation needed warriors like that to provide any chance at survival, so the battlefield student doubted he was coming back alive.


    ¡°So does this drain pipe really reach the airport?¡±


    ¡°The more than 3000m of runway would be entirely useless if they sank by even 10cm, so controlling rainwater and groundwater is crucial. An entire network of pipes runs underneath the airport. But that doesn¡¯t mean they are all running 24/7. They are only insurance just in case.¡±


    They were on their guard the entire time, but they did not find any mines or other traps. The Faith Organization probably hadn¡¯t noticed the pipes. This was the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s home turf, so they had superior intel.


    Even Heivia was avoiding chatter for once.


    Eventually he pointed upwards.


    A ladder led to a maintenance hatch, but they did not push it open just enough to stick out a mirror or fiberscope. A concerning number of their satellites had been shot down, but the information from the diversion team¡¯s binoculars and range fingers was being shared with this team¡¯s mobile devices. There were 16 ¡°moving human-sized heat signatures¡± in the airport terminal and three each at the fortress artillery guns set up at the four corners of the airport grounds. But the firing angle did not let those guns fire inside the airport, so they could be ignored for now.


    ¡°We¡¯re making the surprise attack, but they have us outnumbered.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re relying on the element of surprise because we¡¯re outnumbered. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go.¡±


    They knew it was safe since there wasn¡¯t anyone here, but they still tensed as they pushed up the hatch. Quenser watched from below as Elise climbed up the ladder first.


    ¡°The real threat is the gas.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯m checking the reading now, so- hyah!? Who just pushed up on my butt while I¡¯m trying to see if we¡¯ll die!?¡±


    ¡°So are we safe or not?¡±


    ¡°The reading suggests no gas, but wait, ahh, stop lifting my butt like that!! M-my glasses are fogging up!¡±


    Even knowing her true identity, that busty glasses instructor was still extremely bullyable and she only had herself to blame for choosing to climb the ladder first. Had she really thought the filthy potatoes weren¡¯t going to start attacking that peach-shaped pinata hanging above their heads?


    ¡°Hey, no fair, Quenser! I want some teacher love too!! Damn, how can such a skinny guy get so thoroughly in the way!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought. Teacher¡¯s best student is up here protecting her from all of you horny idiots. I am the barrier!!¡±


    If Quenser hadn¡¯t made sure he was second up the ladder, everyone would have started hitting the restlessly wiggling sexy pinata with their rifle stocks. It had been a real close call. Really, he was the hero here. A guardian even.


    The Black Uniform glasses woman gave him an icy look from below.


    ¡°Quenser, I will not get after you for your actions here, but I am recording them.¡±


    ¡°What for!? How many extra lives do I have left on that phone of yours!?¡±


    ¡°If the hidden parameters concern you, I would recommend shaping up before you game over. Memo, memo.¡±


    The metal cover creaked open and they rushed out into the first floor of Charles de Gaulle Airport¡¯s terminal building.


    Bodies littered the floor. The poison gas would have been removed by the automatic ventilation, but the people killed by it were still there. The security guard holding a tiny handgun had probably been a retired police officer or something. Thousands of people were doubled over on the floor and not one of them was moving. An airport firefighter was collapsed on the way to the emergency exit with her only oxygen mask covering the mouth and nose of a short old man. The old man wasn¡¯t moving either. And he never would again.


    The firefighters must have continued crawling toward the exits while grasping the victim¡¯s clothing. Of course, the poison gas had covered the entire airport grounds, so leaving the building wouldn¡¯t have accomplished much of anything. But still.


    The heroes had failed.


    There had been no goal for them to reach.


    Quenser bit his lip and hung his head.


    The people in the airport would have been civilians. With all the travelers gathered here, there might have been businesspeople and tourists from the Faith Organization among them. The Legitimacy Kingdom travelers may have been stuck here after their trip to Rome for the carnival was cut short.


    Had none of that given the commandos pause?


    ¡°Damn the Faith Organization.¡±


    ¡°No enemies detected among the bodies. The 16 must be elsewhere. If you have time to talk, then get your ammo ready. The battle is about to begin.


    They split into two teams: one to secure the terminal and the other to destroy the fortress artillery.


    Quenser and Heivia were on the fortress artillery team.


    However, they didn¡¯t need to walk across the flat open space to the corners of the airport. The outward-facing fortress artillery were filled with explosives, so a single shoulder-fired missile from an angle outside their turning range could blow them up along with the commandos operating them. To cover everything from the four corners, each one covered 90 degrees. Blow up just one of them and that cardinal direction became a safe zone. Then the Legitimacy Kingdom forces waiting outside could blast their way through the minefield and enter the airport. The Faith Organization would know the enemy was coming, but their guns couldn¡¯t turn far enough to aim that way. And the stationary heavy artillery could not be moved by hand like an Island Nation mikoshi.


    Leaving the building would actually give away their presence.


    There had to be blind spots everywhere with the enemy occupying a building the size of a school with just 16 people. But if Heivia thoughtlessly launched his shoulder-fired missile, the enemy would notice and raise their guard. Their allies sneaking up on the enemy with suppressor-equipped carbines would not appreciate having their deadly game of red light, green light ruined like that.


    Quenser didn¡¯t have a weapon, so his job was to keep an eye on their surroundings. While their safety was secure, Heivia used a special tool to cut a sufficiently large hole in the thick soundproof glass covering one wall of the lobby, giving him line of sight with his missile.


    First they would take the terminal and then they would blow up one of the four fortress artillery guns.


    Heivia peered through the sight of his shoulder-fired missile and muttered something under his breath. Quenser couldn¡¯t tell if that came from fighting spirit or fear and nerves.


    ¡°Come on. Hurry up. I already have them right in the center of my sight. I¡¯ll have a lock as soon as I send out the IR and microwaves. Just give me the go sign already, you dumbasses.¡±


    ¡°Why are you assuming our people will succeed? What if we start to hear gunfire inside the building?¡±


    ¡°Then I fire this and we get back underground. Succeed or fail, I just wish they¡¯d hurry the hell up.¡±


    Ten nerve-racking seconds passed and then another.


    But all of a sudden, the tension was gone.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    It began with Heivia. The delinquent noble had been staring through his missile¡¯s sight, but then he noticed something. His tone of voice was one of confusion.


    Puzzled, Quenser looked over and then realized it was too far away. He quickly pulled out his binoculars and looked to the base of the fortress artillery gun 20km away.


    Something was moving there - a human-sized shape.


    But it was sliding unusually smoothly for a human. This was not taking steps. Unless this person was using the shuffling technique seen in Eastern martial arts, then this was a communication robot moving on wheels. They were common enough as guides for large facilities with lots of people who spoke different languages.


    It was moving and it had a heat signature.


    Either wrap it with electrically-heated wires or heat its surface with a hair dryer and it would indeed have the temperature of human skin.


    ¡°Charlotte here. There are no Faith Organization commandos here. The moving heat signatures were all guide robots!¡±


    ¡°Elise here. Same here. Come to think of it, weren¡¯t the mines distributed through the air by the fortress guns, not placed by hand? If the guns are remotely controlled, then they wouldn¡¯t need anyone actually here.¡±


    ¡°Sh*t!¡± swore Heivia. ¡°Then where did the Faith Organization commandos go!?¡±


    Part 6


    ¡°Gnostic Witches reporting in. Local targeting adjustments complete. They were lured in as planned. This is the final adjustment before we begin. Record all of the values for use during the real mission.¡±


    Someone lay on the ground looking through a pair of binoculars at a location well outside the airport. No, those were awfully large for binoculars. With all the electronic equipment and the large battery attached, it was too big to fit inside a business bag.


    They remained on the ground with the binoculars to their eyes as they made one last command.


    ¡°Do it, Yaldabaoth.¡±


    Part 7


    ¡°?¡±


    At the Mont Blanc border 500km form Paris, the Princess frowned behind her special goggles.


    Just when she expected the Blast Samurai to rush in toward her, it turned and ran along a straight line. But not toward the Baby Magnum.


    She of course targeted it, but it could easily rush up to her if it resumed using its low-stability plasma blades as boosters. She was too wary to fire a main cannon now.


    Then she found the answer.


    The Blast Samurai insisted on fighting in close quarters because its high-power plasma could not be stabilized enough by magnetism to be fired across long distances. It was too powerful which prevented it from attacking in the usual fashion.


    But what if it had something other than a main cannon¡¯s barrel to harness the magnetic force?


    Designer Claire Whist sounded nearly dumbfounded as she spoke over the radio.


    ¡°The pinch effect. When plasma¡¯s electricity is strong enough, it¡¯s compressed by the magnetic field that forms around it. This should give it an effect other than those swords!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Electromagnetic induction!! Even an elementary school kid knows you can generate electricity by passing a magnetic material through a coil. Artificial air currents can form a coil out of iron sand and passing a 50m hunk of metal through that at high speed will create an instantaneous blast of electricity. Add the reactor¡¯s energy on top of that and it should be able to control the plasma using the pinch effect!!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Have you noticed anything odd about its secondary cannons¡­no, about its low-stability plasma main cannons? The exterior shielding has intentional gaps that allow a magnetic field to escape. That makes the entire Object a massive magnetic body!!¡±


    The Princess quickly fired all seven of her main cannons, but it wasn¡¯t enough.


    The Blast Samurai had reached the needed velocity and launched a pure white beam like it was throwing a javelin. The beam was aimed high in the sky. No, it was aimed at a target 500km away.


    Part 8


    It felt like the world had been torn apart by the color white, starting from a single point.


    ¡°Gyaaahhhh!!!???¡±


    Quenser couldn¡¯t even hear his own scream.


    Something had fallen from the sky and hit the runway in the center of the flat airport grounds. It lost its shape and scattered in every direction, tearing up, burning, and melting the dirt and asphalt. He vaguely recalled Heivia shoving him behind a pillar, but he was having trouble recalling how that had turned into this.


    He very nearly kissed the ceiling.


    But not because he had left the floor. All the pillars supporting the lobby had collapsed and the ceiling had fallen nearly to where the boy lay on the floor.


    A bitterness hung in the air. It reminded him of the Water Strider and the Extra Arc.


    He may have been lucky his lungs and eyes had survived.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    The gap between ceiling and floor was so short he couldn¡¯t even roll over like he was trying to get comfortable in bed. He was stuck on his back until someone pulled him out. His blurry vision couldn¡¯t make out their face. He focused on psychological care, trying to keep the claustrophobia from setting in.


    (Who¡­is this?)


    ¡°Hey, Quenser!? Are you still alive, you bastard!?¡±


    ¡°Heivia?¡± he weakly muttered before sitting up. ¡°Oh, were you who saved me?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±


    Apparently it hadn¡¯t been Heivia. But he looked around and didn¡¯t see any other surviving soldiers in the vicinity.


    His radio was only receiving a noisy signal.


    ¡°Charlotte here!! Ksh! Based on the damage, that blast was likely an Object¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon! But the enemy Object¡¯s location is unknown!! Ksshh!?¡±


    ¡°Narumi was carbonized¡­ Kssshhh, we have several injured and I recommend we evacuate them. The crater is shallow, ksh, so we should be able to escape safely if we head back underground!¡±


    The fence surrounding the airport grounds had been knocked over and the sea of flames had spread its damage beyond that. The surrounding minefield had to be burning too. That meant the damage likely covered a diameter of more than 20km.


    This had been their aim from the beginning.


    Hold the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s attention on the airport for as long as possible, take out as many Legitimacy Kingdom forces out as they could, and make it look like their own people had been killed too to give them greater freedom and safety behind enemy lines.


    That meant all of this was just a means to some other end. The Faith Organization commandos had been given freedom for some other task.


    Where were they headed?


    They didn¡¯t need to lay out the evidence for that one.


    ¡°Frolaytia¡­¡±


    Quenser grabbed his radio again while leaning against some rubble.


    ¡°Respond if you¡¯re still alive, you incompetent commander! This is always what happens when we obey your orders!! The Faith Organization commandos are using this chaos to infiltrate Paris itself. Pay special attention to the transport routes for military doctors and medical equipment that reeks of ethanol! As well as all civilian media and communication companies!! I don¡¯t know how they fired it over such long range, but we can¡¯t let them launch a low-stability plasma cannon blast into the center of Paris!! Our home country will be decimated!!!!!!¡±


    Part 9


    ¡°Mom! Dad!¡±


    A 12-year-old girl with her hair worn in a single long braid waved at a couple in the city. She was waring a miniskirt below a baggy sweatshirt, which at first glance gave the awkward impression she wasn¡¯t wearing anything but the sweatshirt.


    Her name was Catherine Barbotage.


    Her body had been thoroughly modified as a Legitimacy Kingdom Pilot Elite, but she had since left military duty. With no family to live with, she had given up her Blueangel last name and been adopted by the Barbotage family for a second life in Paris.


    It was hard to imagine how those two parents had managed to raise a serial bomber like their son. A middle-aged man called over to the girl in a calm and gentle tone.


    ¡°Catherine, I know you¡¯re excited, but slow down and look where you¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Eh? But you¡¯re too slow, dad.¡±


    It was a day off for them.


    On Saturday nights, the Barbotage family might get carried away and not get to bed until the following morning, but they always went to worship at a small neighborhood church on Sunday afternoon. Catherine had trusted in her own combat skills more than prayer when bullets were flying on the battlefield, so she mostly just saw it as a pleasant stroll through the neighborhood.


    (Does this mean big brother went to church on Sundays? Hm, I find that hard to imagine.)


    It wasn¡¯t celebrated as much as in the Faith Organization, but it was still carnival season. There were more people out than on the usual Sunday. The supermarkets in the area were usually closed on the weekends, but today they had their shutters up and were selling sweets and snacks until late at night.


    Catherine viewed the decorative advertisements that resembled something from an Island Nation festival.


    (Chocolate, huh? I wonder if big brother will be visiting us for Valentines.)


    An unpopular idol was shouting something on the LCD monitor installed on a building wall. That was probably an evening variety show. The on-site reporter, who didn¡¯t have a regular seat back at the studio, was speaking excitedly.


    ¡°This is Monica, the battlefield idol reporter who can both sing and kill! Today, I¡¯m doing an all-you-can-eat walking report on Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es. Yes, this is one perk of the business that only comes once a year. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s Valentines, the time of year when girls are surrounded by sweets. Everywhere I look I see 5-star patissiers awaiting my arrival!!¡±


    Paris was unnaturally peaceful this afternoon. Everyone was smiling on an informational program that didn¡¯t provide a single scrap of information about the war raging outside.


    To Catherine, it felt more like a doctor hiding the prognosis from a terminal patient. Her unique senses picked up the scent of death on the air.


    But the rest of the Barbotage family got all their information from TV and the newspapers, so the mother crouched down and smiled at the girl. She doted on the girl because she had always wanted a daughter.


    ¡°Oh, look, Catherine. The store is open today. How about we grab something for dinner on the way back from church?¡±


    ¡°I like the ginger pork you make better. And I like it with pilaf more than bread.¡±


    Just then, Catherine spotted something out of the corner of her eye. The gentle flow of pedestrians was interrupted by a quick-moving group that had stepped out of a black bulletproof car parked on the curb. A girl wore an old-fashioned dress straight out of a fairy tale and she was surrounded by several dangerous-looking maids who looked ready to kill at a moment¡¯s notice. The maid with an eyepatch kept her voice low as she gave some instructions.


    ¡°Hurry!! Shelter 9 will be closed soon. Sealing the door is meaningless if you aren¡¯t inside!!¡±


    ¡°Karen!! I will fight too. What good is the Vanderbilt family if we nobles will not stand up when the country and its people are at risk!?¡±


    ¡°Do not let the belligerent atmosphere affect you. Your role is not to pick up a gun and display such one-sided righteousness. Your power lies in your philanthropy and diplomacy to cross the boundaries between world powers and bring together the world¡¯s pacifists. And if anything were to happen to you, the people would be incensed. We might serve the Winchell family, but we do not want that. If you wish to avoid plunging the people into an endless hell of blood and bullets, then please understand the role you are meant to play. Now, Shelter 9 is this way!!¡±


    All in all, it took less than 30 seconds.


    No one paid any heed to the group that crossed the large road and vanished down a narrow alley. The Legitimacy Kingdom was all about chivalry, so that antique dress and the maid uniforms were common enough sights here in Paris.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Catherine?¡±


    ¡°Mom, you go on ahead. I¡¯m going to feed the pigeons.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have time to listen to her adoptive mother telling her she wasn¡¯t supposed to feed the animals in the park.


    There was a soldier here.


    The person was not wearing a camo uniform and she wasn¡¯t carrying an assault rifle or shoulder-fired missile, but the sharp look in her eyes said it all.


    She was an adult woman in her late 20s or early 30s.


    But a closer inspection revealed her right eye was a detailed prosthetic. This was not an ordinary model; it was designed for military spies. It moved in sync with the left eye to help her blend in and the fake pupil even dilated and constricted. It probably used magnetism.


    (Based on her gait and eye movements, she must be Faith Organization. But she isn¡¯t an ordinary soldier. Maybe an intelligence agent and maybe a commando. No, I know the answer. She isn¡¯t using a radio and has cut off all EM signals, so the countdown has already begun. Is she going to blow up crucial infrastructure, or just throw a case of gas into the crowd? Whatever it is, she¡¯s here to do something in Paris. If this is her final preparations before the attack, then the attack should be in less than half an hour.)


    Catherine Barbotage was hesitant to swipe a gun from a passerby.


    Instead, she pulled out her handkerchief, neatly wrapped that around the grip of a thick Phillips screwdriver lying on the ground, and stabbed it twice into the side of the undercover soldier as she passed by.


    Catherine had made the attack, but she was the one to grimace.


    She hadn¡¯t felt it pierce flesh.


    ¡°!?¡±


    They both made and blocked a few quick arm and leg attacks before backing away from each other. Catherine had grabbed the collar of the woman¡¯s blouse to throw her, but the collar had instead torn away, revealing the glint of synthetic fibers below. She recognized that formfitting material.


    It was green, the Faith Organization¡¯s color.


    That was a Pilot Elite¡¯s special suit.


    ¡°The same as me!?¡± said Catherine, switching to a backhand grip on the screwdriver.


    She heard several footsteps and found she was surrounded by several people. She could see four, but she assumed there had to be more in total. If all of their bodies were artificially boosted to Elite standards, then every part of them would be customized. Increased muscular strength and oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood was only the starting point. Their blood vessels, muscles, and nerves would of course be strengthened, but knowing the Faith Organization, they would have been given special traits and talents like perfect pitch, spatial cognizance, or atmospheric pressure sensing. Some of those abilities were practically occult, like sensing the weather and predicting death.


    Catherine still saw the lazy Sunday afternoon out of the corners of her eyes. A small child ran around with a balloon, an old woman was taking her dog for a walk, and the Barbotage couple were watching her in ignorant confusion from a short distance away.


    They were all in range of a stray bullet, so Catherine could not back down. She re-judged her distance from the enemy with screwdriver in hand.


    ¡°So you too have abandoned your humanity.¡± The woman did not say anything out loud, but the movements of her lips passed a death sentence. ¡°If you had noticed before your attack, you could have fled without looking back. That might have saved your life.¡±


    In a populated area, an opponent like this could be more dangerous than a tank or attack helicopter.


    Catherine Barbotage was the same, so she knew that all too well.


    But these people differed from Catherine in one key way. They felt no qualms about using guns in a safe country.


    Part 10


    They couldn¡¯t find them.


    They had gathered their 8-wheeled armored trucks and searched the shortest route from Charles de Gaulle Airport to Paris, but Quenser and Heivia hadn¡¯t found anyone suspicious. They were about to arrive at the entrance to Paris.


    ¡°What the hell are we supposed to do now!?¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom military had surreptitiously set up a checkpoint they hoped wouldn¡¯t alert the city¡¯s people that anything was wrong and the soldiers there were shocked to see the potatoes arriving. It didn¡¯t look like they had found the commandos and prevented their entry.


    The Faith Organization had the upper hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing this.¡±


    ¡°Wait, Major!? Hey, you there! Put together a bodyguard team immediately!¡±


    Frolaytia grabbed a large anti-materiel rifle and hopped out of the truck, so her secretary-like aide quickly called in some of the surrounding infantry.


    But there was a good reason for even their commander to join the search.


    The Faith Organization commandos had to have some kind of target in mind. If the Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers couldn¡¯t catch up to them and stop them before the attack began, an ultra-long-range plasma attack capable of turning 20km to scorched earth would fall into the center of Paris.


    Their mobile devices must not have been working with all their satellites shot down because fluffy blonde Elise Montana spread out a paper map before explaining the situation.


    ¡°We can safely assume the Faith Organization commandos are inside Paris. We can start by getting inside and raising the security level. Then we will request a siren be sounded to inform the people.¡±


    ¡°They would notice that!!¡±


    ¡°If they could attack right away, they would have done so already. They haven¡¯t, which means they have some reason for waiting. Our top priority is to flush out the shadows lurking in the city. And no matter how much these spies have trained with VR goggles or in a fake city built out in the middle of nowhere, they will make a mistake if caught up in an irregular accident their training didn¡¯t cover. So hurry.¡±


    That last sentence was directed at the checkpoint guards who blocked the main road into the city. One of them nervously spoke into their radio and a deep, low noise began to play from all the disaster speakers installed throughout the city.


    Heivia drove into Paris behind the wheel of an 8-wheel armored truck and used the side mirror (forcibly attached to make it street legal) to glance back at Frolaytia who was waving with the hand not resting an anti-materiel rifle on her shoulder.


    ¡°Our supposedly peaceful home country has an air raid siren going off and all four world powers are gathering Objects here.¡± Heivia impatiently clenched his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s exactly the same. We¡¯re on track to be a repeat of Rome.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably what the Faith Organization wants,¡± calmly noted Black Uniform Charlotte Zoom, making Heivia wonder whose side she was on.


    Meanwhile, Quenser frowned.


    ¡°But what¡¯s keeping the Faith Organization from attacking now? We know they got into Paris ahead of us, so they should be free to act.¡±


    ¡°The Round Table.¡± Heivia sounded disgusted. ¡°Don¡¯t let the courageous name fool you. It¡¯s actually a set of 10 underground shelters distributed across Paris. Board the elevators behind barriers cleverly hidden around the city and you¡¯re in for a freefall straight down a 5000m shaft. I think it only takes 180 seconds to reach the bottom.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that.¡±


    ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t. A smalltime regional king wouldn¡¯t even know about it. Did you forget I¡¯m heir to the great Winchell family? I know all sorts of dirty secrets about Paris. For example, the Legitimacy Kingdom only gives a crap about bloodline and history, so they never even tried to ensure the millions of commoners here would be safe. They just made sure a few dozen from noble bloodlines would be saved. God, just makes me want to punch them.¡±


    Devastating losses would be answered with more devastating losses.


    The Faith Organization no longer cared who was responsible. They just wanted to take someone else down with them.


    If Rome could never be rebuilt, then they would do so much damage to Paris that it would never recover either. No, if they could pull it off, they would also want to cross the ocean and take out the Information Alliance¡¯s New York and the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ Los Angeles. So they had decided blowing away the surface of the city wasn¡¯t enough.


    Quenser couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing.


    ¡°So¡­what? Are they in Paris surveying the city?¡±


    ¡°I bet they¡¯re seeing where they can plant their explosives to do the most damage to their 10 targets and crush those VIP chickens under the collapsing bedrock. You love that kind of thing, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Then they might be using elastic wave exploration,¡± groaned Charlotte Zoom. ¡°You open a long, narrow hole in the ground with a metal spike, shove explosives inside, and create a powerful vibration underground. By picking up the reflected waves, you can figure out the quality, quantity, and deviation of underground materials. ¡­And with that kind of delicate work, you want a peaceful city more than a pile of rubble that could trigger a secondary explosion at any time.¡±


    The asphalt and stone pavement looked solid, but a hole several meters deep could be automatically created in just a few minutes using specialized electric-powered equipment. In a city, they would have to locate and account for any other vibration sources, such as sewers and boilers, but that wouldn¡¯t require all that much more time.


    Also, it didn¡¯t particularly matter to Quenser¡¯s group if that work was done correctly or not.


    If the Faith Organization commandos ended up with a completely mistaken idea of where the shelters were located, they would still be ordering an ultra-high-temperature plasma blast from the distance. The emperor trembling in his new clothes deep underground might survive, but the more than 3 million people living on the surface would all be engulfed in flames.


    ¡°The Faith Organization can go to whatever hell they believe in. If it hurt that bad to see Rome drowning on lava, why would they want to force that pain onto us?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you feel the same way if it was done to you? Not that sharing that experience is going to help us get along.¡±


    All of a sudden, Quenser ducked down on instinct.


    A fighter with a distinctive silhouette had just flown by directly above their armored truck. Several of them had.


    They had lost air superiority over their own home country.


    The Black Uniform woman¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Zig-27s!? Those were Capitalist Corporations fighters!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Quit explaining how screwed we are and do something to avoid it! Get outta the truck unless you¡¯re interested in having your bones roasted to a nice crispy brown. The bombs will hit in 3!!¡±


    Quenser was hesitant to jump after seeing the asphalt rushing by below, so his awful friend roughly grabbed his collar.


    Heivia and the others opened the still-moving armored truck¡¯s doors and hatch and forcibly rolled on out. They didn¡¯t have time to escape indoors, so they got down on the street and covered their heads with their hands.


    Aerial bombs dropped from almost directly overhead.


    Red hot shrapnel broke all the nearby building windows. The truck was flimsier than a full-on tank, but it was still a sturdy vehicle. Nevertheless, its eight wheels flew off in different directions.


    ¡°Gahhh!!¡±


    ¡°Kh¡­this is our home country. What are our Objects doing?¡±


    Needless to say, those fighters couldn¡¯t have been flying overhead if any anti-air lasers were aiming their way, yet the Capitalist Corporations squadron of 4 Zig-27s made a sharp turn in the sky.


    Elise waved something in her hand while down on the ground with her other hand over her head and her butt sticking up in the air.


    It was a radio.


    ¡°N-no response.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Communications are down. But not because we¡¯re being jammed. Th-the home country defense Objects were taken out at some point!! Something bad is happening out there!!¡±


    Part 11


    The Strait of Dover, located between Great Britain and the west end of Eurasia, was about 39km wide. That was downright cramped for a part of the ocean and it had even been used for events where people attempted to be the first to swim across, ride a balloon across, or whatever else.


    In this case, it may have been praiseworthy that the Object didn¡¯t scrape up against the edges.


    A dull roar reverberated across the ocean as history was made.


    This extraordinary Object measured more than 20km long. It was also the central and most populous portion of the Information Alliance home country of New York in the Chesapeake District.


    Its name was Manhattan 000.


    A combination of factors was to blame for no one noticing something so large approaching. For example, the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s satellites had all been destroyed in advance. And let¡¯s not forget he nightmarish fact that the Manhattan 000¡¯s colossal cannon had a greater range than the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s ground radars.


    Also, that cannon was an electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon that directly launched JPlevelMHD reactors.


    Also also, it could detonate a reactor in midair in advance and then fire its laser beam cannons to accurately pierce an enemy Object with a laser bent using the same principle as a mirage.


    Anyone in position to notice its approach would be eliminated before they could do the noticing.


    It had not permitted any observers - not surface facilities, not airborne early-warning system aircraft, not submarines, and not even mobile bases.


    By blinding any eye that might see it, even that colossal Object could approach while effectively invisible. It only aimed for radar facilities and wired or wireless communication infrastructure bases, but the phone company¡¯s server center was located inside the safe country. It was obvious what would happen if an Object¡¯s laser beam or coilgun fired on that.


    It didn¡¯t care. This had already developed into a world war.


    The other two world powers could have ignored it if the Legitimacy Kingdom and Faith Organization would simply duke it out between Paris and Rome, eliminating each other¡¯s Objects. But they could not let the flames of war in the musty Old World spread to the peaceful New World.


    The Capitalist Corporations had their home country in Los Angeles and the Information Alliance had theirs in New York, so they were strongest in the New World located across the Atlantic.


    This was not just the four world powers randomly attacking whoever was within reach. Clear lines were being drawn in this world war. And this wasn¡¯t just about the home countries. Battles with little chance at a quick resolution had started up all over the world with no distinction between safe country and battlefield country.


    ¡°Hm, hm, hm, hm¡î¡±


    A girl¡¯s oddly cheerful humming could be heard in a strange city where all the residents were enclosed in what looked like rectangular pieces of hardened jelly.


    ¡°This won¡¯t work if they shoot down the electromagnetically-launched reactor in midair. 205. Good, good. That won¡¯t be a problem if I take out all the Objects waiting around Paris with my bending lasers¡î¡±


    She was Martini Series #29.


    A young girl with blonde hair and brown skin didn¡¯t seem embarrassed about wearing only a two-piece surgical gown made of crimson oil paper while out on a Manhattan street.


    In fact, a thrilled tremor ran up her spine.


    That little monster had her butt seated inside a giant swim ring filled with a special liquid that slid along like a curling stone. She wore a pair of VR goggles backwards on her head and held a notebook-sized game console in her hands. That genius girl in charge of Manhattan security was named Melly Martini Extradry. And she giggled.


    As the head of New York security, the Manhattan 000 belonged to her.


    She got help from the Capulet, a massive AI network with its core¡¯s location shrouded in mystery, and the two of them would shoot down each other¡¯s ideas while piloting the Object, but Melly was ultimately the one in control.


    ¡°Lisbon, Madrid, and London have all been disconnected and silenced. Now I can focus on Paris. 824. Are you ready, Legitimacy Kingdom? I¡¯m about to put you in checkmate.¡±


    Part 12


    ¡°I see you¡¯re crazy as ever, Information Alliance.¡±


    Mariydi Whitewitch spat out the words while gripping her Zig-27¡¯s stick in the sky above Paris. She couldn¡¯t have pulled off this pleasure flight if the defense Objects equipped with anti-air lasers hadn¡¯t been destroyed, but she wasn¡¯t about to feel thankful.


    At more than 20km across, the Manhattan was absurdly large. They weren¡¯t holding anything back. They had sent their secret weapon to the front line where it continued to blow up ground military facilities from the sea. Even though some of those contained both military and civilian facilities.


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to Ice Girl 1. You¡¯re the one who said we could end this global chaos if we did enough damage to Paris fast enough. So harden your heart.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that!¡±


    This world war was Paris and Rome¡¯s business.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom had held an operation within Rome without the Faith Organization¡¯s permission and the failure of that mission had destroyed their home country. Or so the story went.


    At this point, that was only an excuse. The Faith Organization didn¡¯t want to fall into last place, so they were probably just attacking the closest enemy.


    They had left the truth behind and no one seemed to care.


    To repeat, the Faith Organization was just mad that Paris was sitting there so pristine and untouched while Rome had been utterly destroyed. So they were desperate to change that.


    That meant the solution was to even out the damage done to both sides. And why bother waiting for the Faith Organization to begin their attack? If Mariydi¡¯s squadron flew in and bombed the hell out of Paris first, they would lose their justification for a world war. The Faith Organization was only interested in the total amount of damage done to Paris as a whole. They didn¡¯t have any specific people or buildings in mind.


    (So if we go in first and attack only military targets and unmanned but critical infrastructure, we can give them the damage they want while keeping civilians casualties to a minimum. That isn¡¯t a job for an Object. You need us and our ability to precisely choose and attack specific targets. We haven¡¯t done anything wrong here. Not a thing!)


    ¡°Ice Burn 4. Wow, Moss Green¡¯s paratroopers are jumping!¡±


    The Manhattan¡¯s ultra-long-range attack had destroyed the defense Objects, so Mariydi¡¯s squadron had gained air superiority without needing to lift a finger. A large, slow Capitalist Corporations transport craft flew across Paris and opened its rear cargo door. That would be carrying 380 elite PMC soldiers equipped with parachutes.


    That first wave would secure the surface.


    Or it would have if a blinding white beam hadn¡¯t sliced the transport craft in two. That was an anti-air laser. Mariydi quickly adjusted her grip on the stick.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to you assholes in the Information Alliance!! One of the Objects was only pretending to be dead!! I have visual confirmation of the Legitimacy Kingdom Excalibur¡¯s survival. Enough shoddy work!! Take them all out this time!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to Ice Girl 1. At least the Legitimacy Kingdom had the good taste to name it after a legendary sword. Anyway, we need to reduce altitude. Okay, everyone, try not to get tangled up in a clothesline covered in lingerie!!¡±


    Part 13


    A transport craft exploded in midair, becoming a fireball trailing black smoke.


    The smaller dots scattering from it may have been human torches with their parachutes burning.


    Heivia threw up his hands and gave a meaningless roar.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you get, you sh*ts! That fall¡¯s gonna last at least 30 seconds, I¡¯ll bet. Plenty of time to suffer and regret your actions before you die! No one¡¯s gonna pretty you up for a funeral, you greedy assholes!!¡±


    ¡°Uh, Heivia? Their uniforms and parachutes are still on fire. Th-the city is going to burn!!¡±


    The wind carried the charred remains of a Capitalist Corporations soldier so it fell right next to Quenser¡¯s group. It made a wet splat and made a puddle of filth, but the fire was still burning. It probably used fuel or something like that. When Quenser looked into the distance again, he could see several pillars of dark smoke rising into the evening sky.


    He was at a loss now.


    ¡°Where do we even start with cleaning this up? There¡¯s the Faith Organization commandos, whatever silenced the defense Objects, and the Capitalist Corporations fighters and transport ship full of paratroopers. Am I forgetting any other problems we have to deal with!?¡±


    ¡°This does not change our initial plans,¡± said Charlotte Zoom. ¡°Our top priority is the Faith Organization. If we do not stop their commandos from acquiring targeting information, Paris will be burned to the ground with a plasma blast. A single shot covers a diameter of 20km!¡±


    With fire truck sirens blaring all over the city, the Black Uniform urged the rest of them to resume their mission. Hadn¡¯t Elise Montana said sounding an alarm from the city¡¯s disaster speakers would cause those professional spies to panic and give away their position?


    They heard a gasping shriek.


    A few members of a TV crew were collapsed on a major Paris street. The smell of blood hung in the air. The shriek appeared to have come from a young female reporter who had fallen onto her butt.


    Someone whose skin had fused with a melted parachute and military uniform was aiming a carbine her way.


    ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± shouted Heivia, raising his assault rifle.


    ¡°Monica!!¡± shouted Quenser from the other side to draw the badly burned soldier¡¯s attention. That eliminated the possibility of him taking Monica hostage.


    The soldier didn¡¯t do anything fancy. He didn¡¯t acrobatically kick off the walls.


    It looked like he only walked diagonally forward.


    But he managed to accurately avoid the short burst of bullets fired from Heivia¡¯s assault rifle.


    ¡°The hell was that!?¡±


    ¡°He must have learned that in the Northern Restricted Zone,¡± said Elise. ¡°They train you way better there!!¡±


    People assumed an object¡¯s movement was a continuous thing and they would correct their aim for an extrapolated future position of their target without even noticing it, so by keeping your movement one step to the side of that extrapolation, you could avoid the enemy¡¯s aim.


    As soon as Elise shouted her conclusion, the soldier rushed in toward them. It was a perfectly reasonable speed for a human, but he had intentionally slowed his earlier movements to mimic an immobilizing injury. After assuming the man was injured, it took Heivia a second too long to switch gears.


    By the time he did, the soldier was within knife range.


    Elise¡¯s rifle moved in to block the flash of silver. She caught the blade on the stock, stomped on the soldier¡¯s foot with her boot¡¯s heel, spun her rifle around, and pressed the muzzle against him.


    With a sharp gunshot, her bullet punched through the burned soldier¡¯s chest.


    Heivia felt the need to praise someone else¡¯s skill for once.


    ¡°Damn. They knew what they were doing when they made you an instructor for the 7th Special Training Unit, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°We were lucky he was so badly burned. He would have won if he was in top form.¡± Elise Montana urged them to keep their guard up. ¡°Anyway, they¡¯re coming!! We need to hide now!!¡±


    Quenser picked up Monica and hid below a nearby overpass. A Capitalist Corporations Zig-27 flew by overhead and a straight line of machinegun bullet holes were blasted in the asphalt ground. If they had been out in the open, they would have essentially exploded and been splattered across the wall.


    Meanwhile, Monica had entered dreaming maiden mode in her childhood friend¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±


    (He was wearing the remains of a parachute, so he must have been a Capitalist Corporations paratrooper, not a Faith Organization commando.)


    ¡°Damn, then this was just a waste of time!!¡±


    ¡°What? Servant!! How can you rescue such a beautiful lady and then call it a waste of time!?¡±


    A dry gunshot reverberated through the air.


    It came from quite close by. Monica cowered down in fear, so Quenser left her in the relative safety below the overpass and checked outside. He saw someone fighting on the opposite bank of a river that had been made into something like a park. One was a small girl with a blonde braid and the other was¡­a woman with a highly detailed prosthetic eye?


    The woman wielded a very small handgun. The barrel had a built in suppressor, so the loud volume of the gunshot suggested she hadn¡¯t covered the ejection port with her hand. However, this was not a model issued to ordinary soldiers. Nor was it the kind a normal person could purchase. Did that mean she was one of the Faith Organization commandos on a secret mission?


    They were supposed to kill the commandos once they found them, but Quenser raised his voice instead.


    ¡°Catherine!? What is she doing!?¡±


    ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t get a shot with the metal railings and trees in the way!!¡± complained Heivia.


    ¡°Then get close enough that you do have a shot. Hurry!!¡±


    If this was the result of panicking the commandos to flush them out, then it had been a bad plan. Quenser would have to spank Elise later. That 12-year-old girl had been enjoying her second life this Sunday afternoon, so he doubted she would have been wearing a heavy bulletproof jacket below her clothing. And if the commando really was panicking from the alarm or the scared crowds, no one knew what she might do.


    Fortunately, the river between them was shallow and there were some stepping stones sticking up from the surface.


    But Quenser took a panicked step forward, a terrifying new development played out before his eyes.


    Two people leaped across the river toward him by kicking off of the flower beds and benches in what looked like a triple jump. They weren¡¯t wearing any extra equipment like a powered suit, so this feat made him question if they really were carbon-based humans like him.


    Catherine forgot all about her own fight to shout over at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, big brother!! The commandos are freaks like me!! They¡¯ve been customized to the point they could lift a light truck!!¡±


    (Shut up!! The next time you call yourself a freak, I¡¯m giving you such a talking to!!)


    With a short burst of gunfire, Heivia shot down one of the two leaping commandos, but it was hard to know if that had been a lethal blow or not. And the other one was untouched.


    She crashed right into Quenser.


    His forward momentum was forcibly twisted so he and the Faith Organization assassin crashed into the river to the side of their paths.


    ¡°Gwah!?¡±


    A student like him had no chance in a close quarters combat. He grimaced from the pain of getting water up his nose, but got to work with his hands. He pulled out a pen-like electric fuse and jabbed it into the commando¡¯s chest like a stake.


    The woman easily grabbed his other hand.


    Her other hand held a glinting combat knife.


    (Dammit. If I could just reach my radio, I could blow a hole in her chest with the fuse, but she isn¡¯t going to give me the chance!!)


    That was when he heard a sound like a popping water balloon.


    The assassin had a hole the size of his fist in her chest.


    ¡°Hit 1 - confirmed down. Get up, Quenser,¡± said a familiar voice over his radio.


    (Did Frolaytia do that!? She was carrying an anti-materiel rifle!)


    Did it not matter if they were in the water as long as she had a line of fire? That demonstrated considerable skill even with the support of various sensors.


    The color red had splattered in front of his face, but he only felt relief.


    There were good people in the Faith Organization?


    Quenser¡¯s own words filled him with bitterness, but Catherine came first. He couldn¡¯t be wasting time here.


    ¡°Pwah!¡±


    He pulled his head above water and glared across the river. The situation had changed. The prosthetic eye woman had knocked Catherine Barbotage to the ground and aimed her small handgun down at the girl.


    ¡°Heivia - or Frolaytia!! Someone give me sniper support!¡±


    ¡°That would be difficult,¡± said Frolaytia. ¡°The water helped shield you, but if I shoot her that close to the girl, the shards of her equipment and bones will hit the girl.¡±


    Heivia had also said he couldn¡¯t get a shot right away.


    Quenser¡¯s only option was to shout in despair while dripping with river water.


    ¡°Catherine!?¡±


    Part 14


    An Information Alliance officer named Wraith Martini Vermouthspray crossed her skinny legs and spun the pen-shaped device in her hand.


    ¡°Attack immediately.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, ma¡¯am? Getting inside Paris unnoticed wasn¡¯t easy, you know?¡±


    ¡°This is worth it.¡±


    Part 15


    With a dull crash, a garbage truck drove in from the side and ran into the prosthetic eye woman standing in front of Catherine.


    The company logo painted on the side said Battlefield Cleanup Service.


    Quenser gasped.


    (What are they doing in Paris? Aren¡¯t they officially a Capitalist Corporations PMC!? And I thought the report said no one could find any sign of the company ever having existed!!)


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about that.


    Several suppressed gunshots followed. Catherine had immediately leaped behind the garbage truck, but the prosthetic eye woman fired Quenser¡¯s way to pin him in place while she tried to escape onto the street. And she also grabbed something the size of a backpack from a fallen commando.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to this!!¡± shouted the student boy.


    ¡°Then quit talking and do something about it, Quenser!¡± shouted Heivia. ¡°Charlotte and Elise, you two circle in from behind. And you stay where you are, Catherine!! We don¡¯t want you getting hurt!!¡±


    The stench of flames and smoke hung in the air.


    The Paris cityscape was gradually falling apart. They had to end this before it fully collapsed.


    They heard a muffled explosion.


    This wasn¡¯t just a gunshot. It was bigger than a grenade.


    There was nowhere to hide on the narrow street. Quenser ducked down in fear, but he felt no pain. This explosion had sounded different from the previous ones.


    Heivia was the first to realize why.


    ¡°Was that their elastic wave exploration thing? She just drove the stake into the ground to scope things out underground!! And in this position, she¡¯ll find Shelter 9!¡±


    Once the computer completed its analysis of the reflected waves, she would know where they had to attack to crush the royals hidden in the shelter 5000m below the surface.


    Once those preparations were complete, she only had to point out the location to their Object and the plasma blast would be coming.


    But that blast wouldn¡¯t just kill the chosen members of the privileged class. The damage would cover a diameter of 20km, so all the ordinary people in the city would be engulfed by the fireball and vaporized.


    ¡°Damn you.¡±


    Heivia took a step further but was knocked back by a dry gunshot.


    She was very close.


    The impact had gotten to him even through his bulletproof jacket. Heivia had been distracted by his impatience and now he was collapsed on his back forced to give instructions by gesturing. He couldn¡¯t speak, but he was telling Quenser to continue on.


    The student hid behind a metal dumpster, molded his plastic explosive into an egg shape, and stabbed a fuse in. He tossed it out ahead and filled the narrow space with an explosive blast and shockwave before rushing in himself.


    The prosthetic eye woman wasn¡¯t there.


    However, some rust had fallen from the emergency stairs on a building wall. He could tell that wasn¡¯t just the explosion. There were signs of the chain link gate¡¯s hinges having moved and a footprint in the rust powder on the steps. Someone had forced their way onto some stairs no one had used in a long time. Quenser radioed Charlotte and the others in case he was taken out and then ran up the stairs.


    He arrived on the small building¡¯s rooftop.


    The prosthetic eye woman had her back to him and had just reached into the backpack to pull out a pair of binoculars larger than a next generation game console. They were large enough to fill the entire backpack. That wasn¡¯t normal, so he guessed it was designed to instruct the Object to attack whatever she viewed through them. She wasn¡¯t just going to destroy a piece of Paris; she was going to blow herself up along with it.


    If she hit the switch on the side of the binoculars, Paris would be reduced to rubble.


    Unfortunately, Quenser had audibly gasped when he noticed.


    She turned around and fired her small handgun at him, so he was forced to jump to the side and throw a round plastic explosive that didn¡¯t even come close to reaching her.


    It did, however, reach the industrial air conditioning unit on the roof.


    When he detonated it, the unit¡¯s exterior and hoses were shredded and thrown through the air, a chemical coolant sprayed out as a white smoke of well below 0 degrees, and everything it touched froze solid, including the concrete and the metal pipes. White frost like inside a store¡¯s ice cream freezer covered the prosthetic eye woman¡¯s clothing and fingers.


    She didn¡¯t bat an eye.


    She kept her gun aimed directly at him and spoke.


    ¡°You chose your target poorly.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡±


    The first bullet hadn¡¯t hit the boy, but he was down on his knee and she was confident the next one would kill. She tried to do just that, but then she noticed something. She looked down at her binoculars instead of her enemy.


    Those binoculars were clearly equipped with a delicate computer and a large battery and now it was coated with white frost.


    Needless to say, precision equipment was vulnerable to extremely low temperatures.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    Quenser rushed in before she looked up again.


    It didn¡¯t matter if the device was really broken or not. He had successfully gotten her eyes off of him for a moment while directly in front of her. Her immediate gunshot missed him and he tackled her with his full weight behind his shoulder.


    Their feet left the ground.


    A moment later, they slammed into the hard concrete and rolled along the roof together.


    The large binoculars slipped from the woman¡¯s hands and bounced along.


    But Quenser couldn¡¯t relax yet.


    He couldn¡¯t defeat a commando in an honest fight. And if his adorable stepsister was correct, this special soldier had been modified just like Catherine and Putana. She managed to get on top of him and then aimed her poorly-silenced handgun at his face.


    He shoved a pen-like electric fuse directly down the barrel. It was too late for her to panic now. The fuse was a delicate explosive itself, so if she pulled the trigger the gun would blow up. And he would detonate it for her if she didn¡¯t pull it.


    He used his other hand to hit his radio¡¯s switch and blow up the gun.


    The countless metal shards hit both of them equally.


    She held her mutilated hand with her other hand and screamed.


    ¡°Gahhh!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s face felt hot.


    He couldn¡¯t even imagine how much damage he had just taken.


    (I need to protect Paris.)


    Half his vision was blocked by a sticky dark red, but he still saw the woman roll off of him while holding her bloody hand and unsteadily crawl toward the fallen binoculars.


    (I need to protect all the people living here.)


    He had only blacked out for a few seconds due to the metal shards he took to the forehead, but his lack of reaction seemed to have convinced her he was dead. Or maybe she had lost too much blood to think straight.


    He couldn¡¯t let her reach those binoculars. He had to protect all the people living in Paris.


    No matter what.


    ¡°!!¡±


    He had to do whatever it took.


    He clenched his teeth, got up, and grabbed a TV antenna lying on the roof thanks to the explosion. The metal pole was thicker than his index finger and he grabbed it like a stake and rushed toward the woman¡¯s curled up back as she tried to collect the binoculars.


    He stabbed her with it.


    The special suit she wore under her clothes apparently had a lot of gaps, giving it poor bulletproofing.


    She roared with anger and spun around to face him, but he shoved her away with both hands. The antenna rod must have done more damage than he had thought because she failed to prepare for her landing and hit the roof hard, her own weight driving the rod deeper into her back. The tip burst out from her chest.


    But.


    But even then, she didn¡¯t die.


    She was lying on her back and coughing up blood, but she still clawed at the concrete roof. Her fingers found the large binoculars and a definite smile formed on her bloody lips.


    The flip of a single switch would blast a scorching hole in Paris.


    ¡°Ohhhhh!!!!!¡± yelled Quenser.


    He grabbed the metal antenna rod piercing her body and used the full strength of both his arms to stir it around, widening the dark red hole and finally pulling the entire rod out from her gut even though it had originally entered through her back.


    ¡°Die! Just die alreadyyyyyy!!¡±


    Her body convulsed on the roof.


    Quenser clenched his teeth but failed to suppress the scream that erupted from his throat as he stabbed the tip of the slick antenna back down into her. This time, into the face. And not just once - over and over. He kept doing it until she had stopped moving altogether.


    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t destroy our cityyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!¡±


    Her face was no longer recognizable.


    The hemispherical prosthetic eye was now lying on the roof next to her.


    He realized her convulsing had stopped.


    Biological death may have occurred well before this.


    ¡°Pant, pant.¡±


    He threw aside the dark red antenna rod and fell back on his butt. There was no human dignity left in that mutilated corpse. It looked like a wild animal had feasted on it. He couldn¡¯t believe he had done that. But he had a feeling a mirror would reveal he was covered in her blood. He couldn¡¯t have looked more like a deranged murderer.


    ¡°Ha¡­ha ha.¡±


    His psyche had been pushed to the breaking point.


    But he had still managed to preserve their usual city.


    It hadn¡¯t been destroyed.


    He had managed to protect the few million residents of Paris. Heivia, Frolaytia, Monica, Catherine, and everyone else were still alive. As long as those binoculars didn¡¯t send out their signal, the long-distance Object strike would not occur.


    The hero had prevailed.


    If he didn¡¯t cling to that fact, his psyche really would shatter.


    Or so he thought.


    But then he noticed something on the roof. It had apparently fallen from the woman¡¯s clothing. Those were her dog tags. Apparently even a commando on an unofficial mission didn¡¯t use a fake name on those. Maybe because this was only a short-term mission and not a long-term espionage job. Or maybe the Faith Organization had been in such disarray after the destruction of Rome they hadn¡¯t bene able to prepare the best equipment and fake IDs.


    He stopped breathing when he saw what was written there.


    Faith Organization Marine Commandos - Gnostic Witches Unit.


    Cheddar Affi-


    ¡°!!!???¡±


    He found himself straining his neck to avoid looking at a truth he didn¡¯t want to accept.


    His fingers felt something else on the filthy roof.


    ¡°It¡¯s an Asian amulet. You aren¡¯t supposed to open it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. I hope it brings me good luck.¡±


    That conversation replayed in his mind, but the amulet Carat had given him was still in his pocket.


    Then what was this?


    Why was an identical amulet sitting on the bloody rooftop? Where had it come from?


    ¡°So what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­Carat Affinity.¡±


    He slowly looked both at the unusual amulet and the mutilated corpse.


    ¡°That¡­can¡¯t be true.¡±


    Come to think of it, he had never asked that boy which world power he was from. He had rescued the boy without thinking, so he knew very little about him.


    Feeling the amulet between his fingers was enough to know it had a flat piece of wood or thick paper inside. He used his trembling fingers to untie the string keeping the small pouch closed. First, the one he had. A strange but simple pattern had been drawn on it crayon. A tall cross had been drawn with a line connecting the top to the right and another line connecting the left to the bottom.


    Were those four lines supposed to form a compass needle?


    The words ¡°together by chance¡± were written directly below that. It was a popular phrase that different people found different meanings in. The pattern was not a square or a diamond, but the four lines gathered together to point in a specific direction like a compass. It may have been dedicated to the idea of people from different countries and factions coming together by chance to work together and help each other out.


    Or maybe there was no deep meaning behind it at all.


    Maybe it was just a neat pattern someone had come across while playing a matchstick quiz. Even the phrase might have been something someone saw while searching an online thesaurus or messing around with a machine translator. But Quenser still sensed the unique sensibilities of a small child. It carried a magic he lacked now that his hands were soaked with blood.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­it can¡¯t!!¡±


    He was breathing heavily now.


    He untied the other amulet lying on the roof. He wanted so badly for the exterior to be the only similarity. He prayed for a difference, even if it was just a single line.


    His prayers were answered.


    The scrap of paper inside was different from the one he had.


    Something else was written below the ¡°together by chance¡± phrase: Good luck, mom.


    ¡°Gh, ah¡­gah!!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t breathe. His stomach acid was pushing up into his throat.


    Looking away and refusing to accept the truth earlier had been a mistake. The dog tags rushed into the center of his vision now.


    Faith Organization Marine Commandos - Gnostic Witches Unit.


    Cheddar Affinity.


    His numb mind finally remembered how nauseous he was. He managed to turn away from the mutilated corpse, but that was all. The contents of his stomach traveled back up his esophagus and spewed out onto the roof.


    ¡°Oh, gh!? Gweh, abh!!!!!¡±


    What had he done? Who had he killed?


    Could he really call this - this! - the work of a hero?


    There had to have been a chance to stop himself. What had he seen in Rome? Sarasa Gleamshifter had been perfectly reasonable. She had already proven for him that there were good people in the Faith Organization.


    Yet he hadn¡¯t questioned his actions here.


    He could have avoided this tragedy, so what was it he had failed to do here?


    ¡°Agh, ahh, ahh, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!???¡±


    His screaming did nothing to change reality, so he finally collapsed onto his side. He curled up in the fetal position and trembled.


    The corpse remained a corpse.


    Try as he might to deny it, his bloody crime would never go away.


    Of course, he had needed to protect Paris no matter what it took. He had wanted to protect his parents, Monica, Catherine, and so many other people. There wasn¡¯t any way he could have persuaded the commando to stop, so he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Yes, just looking at that, his actions had been justified. But that¡¯s why he found himself unable to believe in anything anymore. He reviewed his actions over and over and failed to find a single flaw each and every time, but he refused to accept this bloody and horrifying result. If these were the actions of a hero, then he wasn¡¯t sure he could trust in the idea of heroes anymore.


    This was the result of doing the heroic thing.


    What would become of a world supported by heroes like that?


    ¡°Ah, ahh, ahhhhhh¡­¡±


    How long would this last? Would it ever end? Had this become the norm in a world where the clean wars had been replaced by a true world war? Was this sh*tty new normal with them forever? Would it become as ordinary as going to sleep at night and waking up to the rising sun?


    He didn¡¯t care about the Legitimacy Kingdom or Faith Organization anymore.


    He didn¡¯t want to see any interference from the Capitalist Corporations or the Information Alliance.


    He was through with this world war.


    Everything about it was too painful to bear.


    Intermission


    ¡­


    ----


    ¡­


    In a dark, enclosed world, Quenser Barbotage finally realized he was being dragged somewhere.


    By who?


    Where to?


    ¡°He has what we¡¯re looking for.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, are you sure? He¡¯s covered in blood.¡±


    ¡°Cast out your doubts, thoughtless maid. He was lying next to that corpse. I¡¯m sure he has at least begun to question this world war. Why else would the hero who saved Paris have collapsed in guilt next to the very enemy he killed?¡±


    His world gradually opened up.


    No, that question had directed his mind outwards once more. He still had enough defiance and rebellion to not want to let that stand.


    A small girl spoke coldly next to a silent young man named Frank.


    ¡°Back with us now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She wore a black uniform, but she was not one of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Black Uniforms. She was from the Information Alliance. She was Wraith Martini Vermouthspray, a product of their genius girl project. She must have needed something to habitually fiddle with because she was twirling a pen-like device in one hand. He recalled that she was a special commander known as the Stopgap Grim Reaper who swiftly regathered a unit that was left hanging after its commander made a mistake (while actually using the surviving soldiers to buy time).


    She was not alone.


    Several mercenaries in maid uniforms stood around her. They belonged to the unidentified PMC they called the Battlefield Cleanup Service. Their blonde-haired brown-skinned leader was named Wydine Uptown.


    Wraith peered down at Quenser¡¯s face which had to be a mess of exhaustion and confusion.


    ¡°This world war will never end if we simply follow the orders of each world power¡¯s higher ups. Things are currently splitting between the Legitimacy Kingdom and Faith Organization in the Old World and the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance in the New World, but who knows how long that will last. The world war is growing more confused by the moment. This stained glass world is going to shatter even further. We hope to take action and end this before the flames of war continue to spread. Are you interested in joining us?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious, Information Alliance? You¡¯re one of the people who attacked Paris once we were defenseless.¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± admitted Wraith. And then, ¡°I don¡¯t trust the Information Alliance any more than you do and that efficient but worthless world power isn¡¯t in command here. Feeling more interested in trusting us now?¡±


    He noticed a strange decoration added to the unit insignia on Wraith¡¯s shoulder. It was a compass needle formed from a tall cross with the top and right points and the left and bottom points connected by lines. It had been hastily added with spray paint. The compass was positioned above and left of the insignia, so it wasn¡¯t overwriting that. The insignia was positioned perfectly in the right angle there.


    ¡°Everyone who has gathered in opposition of the world war is doing this,¡± bluntly explained the girl.


    The Stopgap Grim Reaper was a special commander who regathered units that had fallen due to a military scandal. Was Wraith doing that on a global level now that she had left the Information Alliance?


    ¡°We¡¯re calling ourselves Together By Chance. We have gathered together by chance to cast off our ties to the world powers and join forces to end the world war.¡±


    Quenser felt the contents of his stomach rising.


    This could not be mere coincidence. Had Wraith and the others named their group after seeing the amulet that had so devastated Quenser?


    But at this point, a more fundamental question occurred to him.


    Where were they?


    It looked like a dirt and mud airfield forcibly built in a vineyard. Some Capitalist Corporations Zig-27 fighters were stopped alongside the runway with low pressure tires installed. There were also a few Legitimacy Kingdom S/G-31 delta wing fighters. The Ice Squadron and Burning Squadron insignia on their wings had the same compass needle pattern painted next to them.


    The place appeared to be mostly made from the 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion¡¯s infrastructure, but it may have been more than that. The Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Frolaytia Capistrano and the Information Alliance¡¯s Lendy Farolito were viewing the same tablet and analyzing some intel. Staccato Raylong, better known by the codename of Burning Alpha, was teasing a 12-year-old pilot girl who responded with open anger. Heivia and Myonri were trading rations with the soldiers from other world powers for a taste test. Black Uniform Charlotte Zoom, the 7th Special Training Unit¡¯s Elise Montana, and some others were discussing new rules and working out a schedule for the day to come. There were even some volunteers from the Faith Organization. Quenser caught sight of Millia Newburg, the intelligence agent who could go undercover anywhere, Sarasa Gleamshifter and more of the Valkyries who handled public morals and executions for the Faith Organization police, and Putana Highball who had once been a Faith Organization Pilot Elite.


    The Legitimacy Kingdom, Capitalist Corporations, Information Alliance, and Faith Organization were all present.


    Except those categories no longer existed here. These were the people who were sick of the world war after seeing all the bloodshed and chaos in Rome and Paris.


    Together By Chance.


    They had only happened to be in the same place at the same time, but that was enough. People who never should have had anything in common had gathered together and agreed to work toward a single goal.


    Some of them were more than just soldiers. There were the triplet Martini Series genius girls and several Pilot Elites like Catherine and Putana. Prisoners with a criminal past like Azureyfear and Louisiana were also present. Those geniuses were a step away from being entirely mad, but their opinions were being gathered by Claire Whist, an Object designer wearing a lab coat over a bikini.


    The eyepatched maid was Karen who usually served the Winchell family. Sogia, Sanya, and the rest of the infamous Unicorns were protecting the daughter of the Vanderbilt family and Princess Staivia. Those two would be more useful when it came to international law and political power than in actual combat.


    And to top it all off, Quenser heard the sound of a cloth being pulled away. The old maintenance lady had removed a hard painter¡¯s mask from her mouth. The Baby Magnum and the Rush now had the same compass needle pattern painted large alongside their unit insignia.


    ¡°We barely have more than two mobile maintenance battalions¡¯ worth of personnel and equipment and just the two Objects. That means we have a unit of around 2000,¡± calmly stated Wraith. ¡°But that isn¡¯t near enough to seriously challenge the Information Alliance¡¯s Manhattan 000 and the rest of those intent on continuing this world war. We need as many people as we can possibly get - every last one counts. So help us, Quenser. We need your daring and cunning here.¡±


    The boy looked down at his hands.


    They were weak and still covered in a rusty-smelling liquid. He had almost certainly sent that boy¡¯s mother to the depths of hell and the boy would feel like the same had happened to him. It had been one-on-one, so Quenser couldn¡¯t blame anyone else. If he simply trusted in being a hero and continued on as before, that would happen again. So what could he trust in now? He would fight to stop this sh*tty world war. Tear-jerking stories of heroism were fine, but how was he supposed to find something that let him really believe in them again!?


    ¡°Quenser, what did you see in that war? What did you do in it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t bring yourself to answer, huh? ¡­Neither can any of us. We all made serious mistakes in this world war and then didn¡¯t even have the decency to die for it. It¡¯s the pure and the good who die first in this hopeless world, so if we want to save anyone, we have to do the wrong thing. And if we don¡¯t do anything to change that, it will only get worse. We¡¯ve seen too much of it already. We don¡¯t have room for even a drop more.¡±


    So they would wipe everything clean.


    They would stop hanging their heads and taking it. They would fight in order to atone for their sins and look to the future once more.


    They would start over from where they were.


    None of them could say when it would be, but one day they would reclaim a world where everyone could trust in heroism and live happy lives.


    So they couldn¡¯t let this world war manipulate them any longer.


    No matter what.


    ¡°Wraith.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Hand me that spray paint.¡±


    They had to end this colossal mistake as soon as possible.


    With the sound of spraying gas, Quenser added on to the unit insignia on his shoulder. He drew a long cross, a diagonal line connecting to the top to the right, and another diagonal line connecting the left to the bottom. He was not rejecting the Legitimacy Kingdom. The cross was situated on the insignia¡¯s upper left, showing that he would respect his and everyone else¡¯s birthplaces while they looked to a shared vision of the future.


    Together By Chance. Maybe he didn¡¯t have the right to bear that signal while covered in so much blood.


    (But¡­)


    Everything seemed to come into focus for Quenser Barbotage.


    He could see something clearly now.


    (But if I can stop this, I have to do it.)


    ¡°Where are we starting?¡±


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray smiled at his question.


    The fact that she had invited him here meant she had given him more trust than he felt he deserved. She had trusted he could grit his teeth and get back on his feet no matter how badly he had been beaten.


    ¡°This world war began with the destruction of the Faith Organization home country of Rome,¡± began Wraith. ¡°In a true display of ¡®courage¡¯, those chickens in the Faith Organization proved they were more afraid of being the only losers than they were interested in pursuing the truth, so they lashed out, blamed the Legitimacy Kingdom, and launched a misguided reprisal. But we¡¯ll never reach the people who are truly responsible if we waste our time on them.¡±


    ¡°But Bad Garage are already gone. We defeated them.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting resentful Bad Garage arrived at their environmental destruction by Objects theory all on their own?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quenser had a feeling they hadn¡¯t.


    They had pursued the research paper written by 9-year-old Elina Silverbullet in the Tunguska District in order to lend more credence to their theory. That meant they had not been confident enough in their own research.


    ¡°Someone fed them that knowledge in the first place.¡± Wraith slapped a stack of papers against Quenser¡¯s chest. ¡°We discovered this in Bad Garage¡¯s hideout. Or more accurately, we acquired it by having a computer reconstruct the fragmentary text on the burnt remains left in their fireplace. They abandoned that place well before meeting Elina. The real villain sent them a few research papers while also fanning the flames of their emotions. The terrorists of every era are always sadly reliant on their backers. The information being fed to Bad Garage was cherrypicked to manipulate them. A clever move by the villain, I must say.¡±


    ¡°Who was it?¡± cautiously asked Quenser.


    If they screwed this up and attacked the wrong person, they would never get a second chance at it.


    ¡°Who was smirking in the shadows while masterminding an attack on Rome, starting a world war, and sending the world straight to hell?¡±


    ¡°We already have that answer. It was right there in the documents their fireplace failed to burn properly.¡± Wraith¡¯s answer was a short one.


    ¡°The Island Nation.¡±

 Volume 20, 5: From the Land of the Rising Sun >> Unofficial Island Nation Landing Operation

    Volume 20, Chapter 5: From the Land of the Rising Sun ]] Unofficial Island Nation Landing Operation


    Part 1


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Are you ready to go, Princess?¡±


    Two people spoke quietly in the darkness.


    They were on the way to the Island Nation. The fleet was completing their final maintenance checks while hidden within a ship scrapyard in Southeast Asia.


    The Baby Magnum was completing its final tune up as well.


    Once that work was complete, they were headed straight to the Island Nation.


    The Princess showed him the hand she had hidden behind her back. Or more accurately, the small box she held in it.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°In the Island Nation, you give chocolate on Valentine¡¯s Day.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Girls give it to boys there!!¡±


    ¡°Gweh!? Why are you attacking me with the corner of the box like that!? Stop shoving it against me!¡±


    The Princess didn¡¯t answer and continued attacking him with her eyes squeezed shut.


    But that aside¡­


    ¡°Yahoo!! This is handmade, isn¡¯t it!? Anything handmade by a girl is cause to celebrate if you ask me!!¡±


    ¡°Anything!? This is supposed to special, Quenser!!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°(Oh, but I can¡¯t tell him girls give it to the boy they l-l-l-l-like. There¡¯s just no way. But he won¡¯t understand if I don¡¯t because he doesn¡¯t know the Island Nation traditions!)¡±


    Rejoicing Quenser tore off the wrapping paper and began devouring the chocolate with the ferocity of someone starved for flavor after so long with nothing but flavorless rations.


    The Princess stared in disbelief when he did this right in front of her.


    ¡°Quenser¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°Hey, I have to eat it while I have the chance,¡± he said in his usual flippant way. But then he lowered his voice and took a more serious tone. ¡°I might not be coming back alive from this one, so I don¡¯t want to leave anything undone.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡±


    The Princess narrowed her eyes.


    This really was not the time for something like this. Neither of them said so, but they still shared the moment together. Quenser could hardly have complained if he got stones thrown at him for this, but that was why he wanted some time to smile together while they still could.


    He knew she had to feel the same. She had to know now wasn¡¯t the time, but she had still neatly wrapped up the small box. He didn¡¯t know what meaning that held for her, but she may have been afraid of ending up dead all alone in her empty cockpit.


    ¡°Quenser, what will you do now?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°People think Objects are terrible things that will destroy the world. Even though we were fighting to protect everyone.¡±


    Quenser only smiled vaguely.


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that was wrong.


    At this point, he didn¡¯t have the willpower left to continue hiding the environmental destruction by Objects theory from the Pilot Elite.


    Plus, Quenser himself had killed a certain mother. He had repeatedly stabbed her to protect the Legitimacy Kingdom home country of Paris.


    The Princess had only been one cause among many, but it had been one-on-one for Quenser. Setting aside whether or not his actions had been justified, Cheddar Affinity would not have died if he hadn¡¯t been there.


    He would have to live out the rest of his life with a child resenting him for the loss of his mother.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Princess was a Pilot Elite. He couldn¡¯t pretend to understand how this made her feel.


    But he had come to the battlefield dreaming of being an Object designer. This new direction for the world had robbed him of his dream.


    So she wanted to hear his answer.


    She hoped to find something there to help her.


    However¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be doing something related to Objects. I don¡¯t care what anyone says - I just love them too much.¡±


    The ever-expressionless Princess actually blinked twice in surprise.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll have to see how people view Objects and what position they hold in the world,¡± he said, unfazed. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to let the ghosts of some dead terrorists decide that for us all. So let¡¯s end this silly world war and decide for ourselves what Objects will be in the new world. I¡¯m hoping it¡¯ll be something we like.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stand how the world sees Objects as villains now, right? Then let¡¯s start from there. Let¡¯s destroy all of this and create a new era where everyone¡¯s thankful for Objects. I don¡¯t know what actual work they¡¯ll do - could be construction and could be garbage disposal - but let¡¯s create a peaceful age of Objects so we can walk up to those so-called experts insisting Objects would destroy the world and give them the finger.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    With the softest of sounds, the Princess rested her forehead against Quenser¡¯s chest.


    And she spoke in a vanishingly quiet voice.


    ¡°I would like that too.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it. Someone pulled the trigger on all this to accomplish who-knows-what, but this is still our lives. If we want to do something, we should just do it.¡±


    Time seemed to stop for a while after that.


    They might not have the chance for any of that.


    They might all die in the upcoming battle.


    But no one had the right to deny them this moment.


    Eventually, the Princess pulled her head away and spoke quietly.


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°When someone gives you Valentine¡¯s Day chocolate in the Island Nation, you have to give them a gift worth three times as much on White Day.¡±


    ¡°What kind of loan shark holiday is that!?¡±


    The Princess held a hand to her mouth and giggled when the boy jumped in surprise.


    In that rare moment, her icy expression melted.


    ¡°You had better repay me, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡±


    Ordinarily, making promises now might have been a bad idea.


    They shouldn¡¯t have been creating extra causes for regret.


    But.


    Quenser Barbotage couldn¡¯t help but smile as he responded.


    ¡°You got it. It¡¯s a promise.¡±


    Part 2


    The world war blossomed before a freelance battlefield cameraman¡¯s eyes.


    Sewax pulled his SLR camera from his face and muttered to himself: ¡°This world deserves to be destroyed.¡±


    The Legitimacy Kingdom home country of Paris was surrounded by three defensive lines and the outermost one had been breached.


    But the attackers were not free to do as they wished.


    A 50m colossus crushed the massive wheat field in its path, switched the format of its main cannon, and unleashed a deafening boom and a bright orange beam of light. That was a brutal railgun.


    The infantry down below covered their ears and shouted up at it.


    ¡°You¡¯re overdoing it, Excalibur!! If we really do eradicate the Faith Organization, the table will permanently lose one of its legs. As much as I hate it, this world needs all four of those legs. As knights of the Legitimacy Kingdom, we have a duty to protect world peace!!¡±


    The Pilot Elite did not care.


    Even if the target was officially a civilian medical group arriving on the battlefield for peaceful purposes.


    The Elite figured there was probably a Faith Organization assassin hidden among the doctors.


    Their food and water supplies had been contaminated earlier, leading to several losses among the Legitimacy Kingdom troops. The only outsiders on base at the time had been a choir there to provide some comfort during such a difficult time, but the entire choir had been ¡°dealt with¡± by the soldiers after the problem was detected.


    The clean wars system had already collapsed.


    And it was their fault. So they only had themselves to blame if the Legitimacy Kingdom made some harsh decisions during this world war.


    ¡°Excalibur to 22nd Division. Then are you asking me to sit here twiddling my thumbs while we lose more of our people? They are directly attacking Paris. I was granted this sword by my king, so I must use it to protect our people.¡±


    The ordinary soldiers had done the right thing.


    But at least three suicides by sidearm had been reported after the execution of the choir. The number of soldiers who were clenching their teeth and suffering from PTSD had to be tens or even hundreds of times greater. And this result had probably been part of the Faith Organization¡¯s plot. Knowing them, they might even cut open a baby¡¯s belly to hide a bomb inside or threaten an elderly woman into wielding a gun.


    The Excalibur¡¯s Pilot Elite would not let their horrific deeds continue. He would not allow any more losses from the youths who had sworn to fight for the good of the world.


    ¡­So he had chosen to shoulder all the dirty work himself.


    He calmly double checked the defense target only he would be attacking.


    They would learn the hard way not to underestimate the sword granted him by his king.


    The Faith Organization was not going to take this lying down.


    The Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance intervened a lot sooner than expected. The Faith Organization had assumed those third parties would just keep watch from a distance and only join in at the very, very end when they knew which side would win, but they had jumped into the fray almost immediately.


    They didn¡¯t want this European war to reach the New World.


    Perhaps the greatest driver of war was fear, not desire.


    ¡°Yes, yes. We just called in the Bad Maidens, the Tartaruses, the Poison Forests, and all the other infamous units engaged in unofficial missions in the Northern Restricted Zone. We might not have as many Objects, but we can turn this around with their help.¡±


    ¡°What about the volunteers?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t even suspect what their real purpose is. Or that they have bombs packed inside their bags.¡±


    This conversation would have been unthinkable once, but now no one questioned it.


    They would use everything at their disposal.


    In this new era, even a stuffed rabbit was no more than a weapon that could be stuffed down an enemy soldier¡¯s throat to suffocate them to death.


    ¡°Detonate those in hospitals and schools across Paris and the Legitimacy Kingdom won¡¯t know who they can trust. We must not fear their wrath - we must use it to our advantage. Once their battleline panics, they will make mistakes and their superior number of Objects will not be enough to determine the outcome.¡±


    Why should they fight fair and square?


    Quite a few of their Objects had been rendered inoperable or unmaintainable during the chaos following the collapse of Rome, so they had been forced out of the fight before it even began. They were starting at a disadvantage. If they chose to ignore that reality and attempted to fight fair and square, the raging Objects would cause even further damage in Naples and Milan where they had established a distributed emergency government.


    So the Faith Organization would not rely on a direct fight.


    ¡°I pray the peaceful age of god will arrive to this sinful planet.¡±


    But their faith was not broken.


    When people had something to protect, they gained the ability to accept even the cruelest of actions.


    It was strange how they had gotten to know each other.


    The black-haired, dark-skinned bodyguard crossing his arms must have left a good impression back when they met at the Technopics. They were inside a luxury hotel room on Bali, but nothing sexy was going on here.


    People gathered around the rich when they were winning.


    In the bodyguard business, you helped build your brand by being the first person who came to mind when the rich began to lose and felt they couldn¡¯t trust anyone anymore.


    A woman calmly sat behind a laptop at a nearby table.


    Her name was Alicia Sloppyjoes.


    But wasn¡¯t she supposed to be an agent for an advertising firm that worked mostly with Capitalist Corporations¡¯ companies?


    ¡°Alarms are sounding in South America, Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. This could be a problem. I need to decide where to shelter my assets soon. The LA main bank could be shutdown at any moment. Oh, but I can¡¯t trust Oceania because they¡¯ve always been politically unstable.¡±


    ¡°Quit trying to make yourself sound smart. The point is you can¡¯t trust any of the digital data, so you want your assets with you in a physical form, right? Diamonds would be your best bet. Cash and gold are too bulky to guard while on the move.¡±


    ¡°Can you guarantee they would be safe during this world war with no safe zones to speak of? Diamonds are easily broken by impacts and I have heard they scorch in fires.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then I¡¯m leaving. This is stupid and I¡¯m only here to earn money for my family. Especially for my little sister who was separated from me when our parents divorced. It doesn¡¯t really matter to me who I earn that money from.¡±


    They heard hurried footsteps in the adjacent room. (Their suite actually had multiple rooms.)


    That would be Pharmacist Stacy Palmetto providing a special service for a mercenary working for them. ¡­Specifically, she was providing the ¡°safe doping¡± designed for professional athletes. The bodyguard man had no interest in receiving that service himself.


    He sighed and asked another question.


    ¡°Dammit, I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re still stuck counting money during a world war. Is the Capitalist Corporations going to come out on top again with the war industry consuming the world?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that simple. The situation has moved past the limits of the investment programs. Everyone is pretending things are working out just fine, but it¡¯s looking like the New World won¡¯t be able to stop a chain reaction financial crisis. If this keeps up, a lot of companies are going to go bankrupt and shut down. And there are signs of the Information Alliance using cyber attacks to take out the crypto assets spread out across the world.¡±


    ¡°Will this affect 7th Core too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, even them. Are you familiar with the Object that guards LA?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with its detailed specs, but I have heard it controls animals. Something about using ultrasonic waves, artificial pheromones, and other things to summon swarms of locusts and edible earthworms to form a massive wall protecting the border with Central America.¡±


    ¡°The Xanthippe is the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ strongest Second Generation. It¡¯s a special Object designed and constructed by the burger chain that¡¯s globally famous even for a 7th Core company. Beyond simple combat, it was apparently designed to prevent starvation tactics where a unit is isolated with all supply lines cut off.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The bodyguard man grimaced slightly. The combination of earthworms and burgers may have been to blame.


    Alicia, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°Its title as the strongest should help discourage an attack, but simply preventing the damage from spreading too far is costing so much money that actually fighting would probably cause the company to go under.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Their funds are already running low. It isn¡¯t a fierce warrior or a mysterious prototype weapon that brings down major countries and ends wars - that honor always goes to economic collapse. 7th Core might be the seven wealthiest companies in the world, but the more money required to keep things operating normally, the greater the risk if the ordinary financial engineering equations fall apart. To be fair, this hasn¡¯t happened overnight. The CEO of Salem Logistics was assassinated by Nyarlathotep recently and the Elevator Alliance jointly funded by 7th Core failed pretty spectacularly. This blow hit all the harder because they had yet to recover from those other issues. Things are reaching truly scary territory here. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t trust the banks. Maybe I really should convert it all into diamonds or platinum and look after it myself.¡±


    A dull roar reverberated across the dictator¡¯s ocean.


    The roar came from the Manhattan 000, the Information Alliance¡¯s strongest Object and their home country itself.


    No one remained who could stop it.


    The baptism of fire and lead had taught the smart ones to remain silent. The less smart ones had been plunged into the watery depths along with their weapons.


    ¡°But the Manhattan 000 is our home country. No matter how effective it is, I can¡¯t keep it on the front line for too long. 114. I need to cause enough damage to open the way for our other Objects and then pull back.¡±


    Melly Martini Extradry was speaking as a Pilot Elite, not as the Martini Series in charge of New York¡¯s security.


    She spoke like she was humming the latest hit song.


    Was she speaking out loud to help organize her thoughts, or to assist the massive AI network that operated the Manhattan 000?


    ¡°But it bothers me how a few Objects have vanished from such a crucial battlefield. The Information Alliance is supposed to be second to none when it comes to information, so I don¡¯t like the feeling that I¡¯m being manipulated by some unseen information. 994.¡±


    Part 3


    The local time was February 15 at precisely 2 AM.


    The sound of the ocean parting intruded on the pitch black world.


    ¡°Welcome, courageous warriors!! Whether we go down in history as the heroes who saved the world or filthy deserters is entirely up to your actions. I¡¯m sure you all have different thoughts on your mind, but I know you joined us because you weren¡¯t willing to throw out everything you believed in just to obey the orders passed down to you from on high. It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re fighting for the world. Let¡¯s start by protecting our own lives.¡±


    Quenser and Heivia¡¯s group was soaked with oily seawater as they used the veil of darkness to land on one of the small islands protecting the Kanagawa area at the entrance to Tokyo Bay.


    They snuck up behind the self-defense PMC soldiers managing the giant fortress gun and silently slit their throats with knives. The Island Nation had once fought a fierce civil war, but it looked like they could join forces again when necessary. Not every guard out here was necessarily a villain, but Quenser and Heivia¡¯s group needed to get past them to reach the villains manipulating them.


    ¡°Hurry up and set up the bomb, skinny boy.¡± The prestigious noble sounded impatient. ¡°If we get rid of that 400mm railgun, we can call in the fleet!¡±


    ¡°There were supposed to be three of these artillery islands. Blow this one up right away and the others go on alert. I can detonate them all simultaneously using my radio, so let¡¯s get back into the ocean and move on to the next island.¡±


    ¡°The world war was started here in the Island Nation, the very technological country that developed the first Objects and introduced them to the world.¡±


    Something was floating on the ocean surface.


    It was not a boat.


    It was an amphibious continuous track armored vehicle weighing more than 25 tons and designed for river crossings. It could be used as a boat when a propeller and rudder were attached. Wydine Uptown of the Battlefield Cleanup Service PMC (which actually worked for the Information Alliance) gave a troubled look up at the top hatch.


    The source of her troubles was Karen I Winchell, the eyepatch maid next to her.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I would prefer not to have a real maid anywhere near us. I¡¯m wearing cat ears!! This really draws attention to how fake we are!! Why would anyone choose us over a milkmaid who serves a fancy noble family!?¡±


    ¡°A-a milkmaid is in charge of looking after the cows and making cheese and butter. I don¡¯t know what exactly you think it means, but it isn¡¯t that!!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re capable in every way, you¡¯re a coolheaded and strict instructor with an eyepatch, and yet your defenses crumble at the drop of a hat? Your maid level is off the charts, so we don¡¯t stand a chance. Someone please send help!!¡±


    Karen looked coolheaded but was actually very easy to get a rise out of, so she found it easier to relax when focused on her maid work. She cleared her throat and then turned to face Quenser.


    ¡°Ahem. Sir Quenser, please have this towel. I can never thank you enough for looking after our ill-behaved cockroach in place of the Winchell family maids.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. Cockroach? Ha ha ha.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t encourage her, Quenser!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°The Island Nation is officially part of the Capitalist Corporations and defended by a self-defense PMC purchased with Capitalist Corporations money, but in truth, a complex power balance between the Legitimacy Kingdom, Capitalist Corporations, Information Alliance, and Faith Organization has settled in there. They invited in all those foreigners to fight against their plummeting birthrate and now very few of the original Island Nationers are left. In fact, no one can even agree who counts as one anymore.¡±


    They used the ocean currents as much as possible, using the engine only when absolutely necessary.


    After approaching one of the concrete-covered islands as much as possible, a highly mobile infantry force silently landed and eliminated the self-defense PMC (who were almost all foreign mercenaries due to the limited number of Island Nationers).


    They caught some glimpses of some people more frightening than the island defense force.


    ¡°Geh!?¡± Quenser¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°A bunch of Martini Series girl just left a different armored truck!!¡±


    ¡°Keep in mind that I am one of the more sensible ones. Those easy-going and coldblooded triplets are nothing like me.¡±


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray looked exasperated while spinning a pen-like device in her hand, but¡­


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you our commander!? What are you doing out here!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, do you want the Stopgap Grim Reaper to boss you around that badly? I¡¯ve only ever treated my borrowed units as disposable tools, so I¡¯m not great at keeping my people alive.¡±


    ¡°How are you different from the rest of the Martini Series again!?¡±


    Wraithy was accompanied by a silent young man named Frank and she had zero interest in getting along with the triplets in red uniforms. She puffed out her cheeks when she was thrown into the same category as them.


    After the highly international PMC unit was eliminated, Quenser attached a bomb to the base of the 400mm railgun that had a metal jacket of gel around the entire barrel for shock absorption.


    The guns being on remote islands meant they didn¡¯t have to bother hiding the bodies. They didn¡¯t have to worry about an unlucky civilian seeing one and screaming.


    The seabirds would probably eat them after waking up at dawn. Nature could be cruelly unbiased at times. But Quenser¡¯s group didn¡¯t have time to worry about the dignity of the corpses. This was a battle between professionals. If they encountered each other on the battlefield, they had to fight and they couldn¡¯t exactly bring the enemy¡¯s bodies back with them.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten so used to killing. Makes me want to vomit.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that world war that taught you to be like that. I don¡¯t know what the people sitting around in their living rooms would think about it, but I¡¯m not about to let the bastards behind all this complain about our actions.¡±


    Quenser pictured that hemispherical prosthetic eye lying on the rooftop.


    He had robbed Carat Affinity of his one and only mother, but he would have to wait until after this was over for that boy to repay him for it.


    ¡°The small Island Nation is secretly used by agents of all four world powers to speak with each other and work out deals behind the scenes. That international group is known as Azumaya. They have built a secret base deep within a self-defense PMC base in Ichigaya. They make all the decisions there. Each member is officially just some random soldier and the higher ups of each world power know nothing about this. They are the ones who fed information to Bad Garage and started this world war.¡±


    They met some sporadic resistance.


    But this was the last of the three artillery islands. It was too late for them to go on alert now. The armored truck¡¯s 40mm machinegun fired from the concrete coast, tearing through a concrete wall and the enemy soldiers to silence them. Afterwards, Quenser attached a plastic explosive to the base of the giant cannon aiming south from the ocean.


    ¡°That¡¯s the last one.¡±


    ¡°The party¡¯s all ready to go, so it¡¯s time to open the door for all the invited guests pounding on our door.¡±


    Heivia and Myonri trudged back to the truck, but Quenser looked back just once.


    ¡°What is it, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°Nothing really. I just thought these 400mm railguns would have a round reactor attached to them.¡±


    ¡°They probably dug underground to run an undersea cable. That¡¯s nothing compared to the Break Carrier. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Of course, the top brass back in the home countries have more authority than some agents shipped out to Asia. But only inside their world power. If anyone gets in these agents¡¯ way, they have one of the agents of another world power kill them. That is the truth behind so many wars. It was a global scale murder exchange. They eliminated each other¡¯s problems. That gave them the freedom to kill a Legitimacy Kingdom king or a Capitalist Corporations conglomerate president with the press of a button. And eventually, those lowly agents gained the influence needed to manipulate their entire world power. Their names are never found on any documents and they remain nothing more than a random soldier no one has ever heard of. The Island Nation is of course closely watched by the four world powers, but that is what made it so perfect for hiding something. Think of it like a stage magician¡¯s table. When everyone is focused on something, they fail to notice what is happening right under their nose. Try this sleight of hand in a living room with all the lights out and they would make a mistake pretty fast. I bet this group would have been caught and eliminated a lot sooner if they hadn¡¯t used the Island Nation, which acts as a sort of taboo.¡±


    Once he was back inside the floating armored truck, Quenser flicked his radio¡¯s switch with his thumb, triggering three consecutive fireworks that illuminated the late night sea. With the three artillery islands down, the Objects and their maintenance fleet could pass through to Tokyo Bay.


    The colossal weapons controlled by Pilot Elites moved past Quenser¡¯s group. The Baby Magnum waved one of its seven main cannons in greeting as the armored truck was retrieved by a landing ship.


    ¡°Thanks, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. You all worry too much. Fortress guns? You should have just let us crush those puny things below our nuke-resistant Objects.¡±


    The triple explosion acted as a trigger.


    Air raid sirens began to sound from the harbors at Yokosuka and Yokohama and searchlights shined into the sky, but that was not what Quenser¡¯s group had planned. Burning Alpha and Ice Girl 1 used aerial bombs to precisely blow up just the docked defense ships and then the entire fleet continued north.


    ¡°Hey, little lady? If you rely too much on your own bombs, you will run out eventually, no matter how many you¡¯re carrying. And you don¡¯t want to have to land on the aircraft carrier every time that happens, do you? The harbor is our target. The most effective and economical method is to block up the ocean with the enemy¡¯s rubble. Aren¡¯t you from the Capitalist Corporations? Then you need to worry about the cost of all that ammo, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, Burning Alpha. I am the leader Ice Squadron. I was just immersing myself in some hard rock after finally getting my hands on a phone with a proper subscription, so if you want me to show you who¡¯s the better pilot, that can be arranged!!¡±


    Why did it sound like those two fighters were competing over kills before the real battle even began?


    Their destination was Ichigaya, Tokyo.


    They needed to land near Odaiba and fight their way almost all the way to Shinjuku.


    In other words¡­


    ¡°Your job is to work your way from Tokyo Bay to Ichigaya and crush Azumaya there.¡±


    Their only objective was Azumaya.


    This battle was meaningless for the majority of the people defending the Island Nation, but a shootout was unavoidable when they were attacking those defenders¡¯ bases and garrisons. Trying to persuade the troops here would only give the mysterious members of Azumaya a chance to escape.


    The Ichigaya garrison was officially known as a Capitalist Corporations self-defense PMC base, but it was more like a joint facility for the four world powers sharing control of the Island Nation. People were rapidly being pushed into the box that had been left nearly empty after the civil war.


    That meant there would be Legitimacy Kingdom soldiers there as well, but they could not ask them for help. Quenser¡¯s group had already left the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s chain of command, as would anyone who had stayed on the Island Nation long enough.


    This was a deadly battle between outsiders.


    They were here to end the world war, but if the side with the superior justification always won, military might wouldn¡¯t be necessary in the first place.


    A point in the night sky flashed and then a small destroyer was vaporized disturbingly close to the landing ship that had collected Quenser¡¯s group in their truck. The steel ship and the seawater around it literally melted to an orange liquid and erupted into bubbles while falling to the bottom of the ocean.


    ¡°A laser beam!? But it came from so high up!!¡±


    They could see the fighters rapidly reducing their altitude. Quenser initially thought a flying Object had shown up to break all the rules they took for granted, but that wasn¡¯t it.


    The blonde-haired, brown-skinned fake maid named Wydine Uptown shouted out from where she was strapped into her seat in the armored truck.


    ¡°Sirs and madams. We only have an estimate at this point, but that was fired from 100km to the west at an altitude of around 3800m. That matches the peak of Mount Fuji!!¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a joke.


    That explained why the fortress guns protecting Tokyo Bay had all been railguns specialized for targeting ships past the horizon. They already had a powerful anti-air defense to shoot down ballistic missiles and bombers.


    As usual, Frolaytia¡¯s pre-mission briefing had been lacking crucial information.


    Quenser had experienced this more than enough already, so he paled and cursed that busty commander.


    ¡°A-are you saying anywhere you can see Mount Fuji is in range of that laser fortress gun? Heh¡­heh heh heh. But doesn¡¯t the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji show you can see it from pretty much anywhere!?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter. You saw how huge that laser beam was. They can¡¯t fire it on us once we¡¯re inside Tokyo!!¡±


    ¡°Just so you know, it doesn¡¯t look it¡¯s going be that easy, you peeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssst.¡±


    The eyepatch maid harshly criticized the noble boy¡¯s idea (because she so so sooo couldn¡¯t bear the idea of her beloved master getting himself killed here¡î).


    Their Objects could battle at 600km/h, so they could cross Tokyo Bay in no time. Yet the Baby Magnum and Rush had come to a stop.


    Something was rising from the dark ocean surface up ahead.


    Just like one of those giant kaijus the Island Nation loved so much.


    It came from near an artificial island service area in the middle of the highway that connected Tokyo Bay from east to west. Something had been activated, like it was moving to prevent these uninvited guests from entering Tokyo.


    It goes without saying what that 50m shape was.


    A mysterious Island Nation model had finally shown itself.


    ¡°You can remove all the wind and oil you want, but you can never extinguish the forest fire if you don¡¯t remove the actual source of the fire. ¡­We must crush Azumaya underfoot. The giant feet of our Objects will stamp out the cigarette butt they so rudely discarded on the filthy ground!!¡±


    No one had thought this would be easy.


    But everyone here had still joined in because they truly wanted to stop the world war. So the appearance of an Object wasn¡¯t going to stop them.


    Operation Tokyo Invasion had begun.


    Part 4


    ¡°Ksh!! We are experiencing some unexplained signal noise. The Island Nation must be doing something!!¡±


    ¡°The complex arrangement of metal pipes and smokestack exhaust in Chiba¡¯s industrial zone are interfering with our radars and sensors. Ksh, be careful you don¡¯t hit any civilians!!¡±


    Chiba, Kanagawa, and Tokyo.


    Thick artillery fire pushed in to greet the Area By Chance fleet traveling north through the bay.


    Very few people could stay standing on the shaking deck. Even the highly experienced old maintenance lady was carefully pressing up against the wall while she carried some repair materials. She knew relying on the metal railings would just get her thrown overboard when an impact rocked the ship.


    Among all that, one commander held her right hand straight out, holding a rapier with the tip standing straight up. Lendy Farolito stared past the sword and into the distance, almost like a painter using her brush to decided where to start on the scenery.


    (I can leave the stifling combat information center to that Legitimacy Kingdom smoker. I need to make up for the malfunctioning radars and sensors. That¡¯s the best way to help that girl.)


    The decoration at the base of the sword was what mattered here.


    Lights flashed in the distance. Supersonic artillery shells were tearing through the air and pillars of water burst more than 20m up from the dark ocean near their ships. The fortress gun didn¡¯t even need a direct hit. If a piece was torn from the plastic garbage floating in the ocean and hit her, it could tear off a limb.


    But Lendy did not bat an eye.


    This put her life at risk, but it also gave her a crucial hint.


    Anyone who couldn¡¯t think like that was not fit to serve as a soldier.


    (The enemy is likely using 175mm guns. The muzzle flash is 1/2 the width of the Ki-Yong, so the range must be about 10km. The 30 second gap between light and sound confirms it. Double check complete.)


    ¡°Central command to Gatling 033. Set your reference point to 1200m west-northwest. The Island Nation fortress gun is loaded on a freight train. It appears to be traveling north at a cautious 40km/h to avoid tipping over from the oversized load, so correct your aim accordingly. Fire.¡±


    A scorching light and a sizzling of the night air erupted simultaneously.


    The laser beam secondary cannon unnaturally bent at a sharp angle from the exhaust heat coming from the industrial zone¡¯s smokestacks, but that sent it straight down to accurately vaporize the enemy fortress gun hidden in the gap between industrial complex buildings.


    ¡°G-gun destroyed. The enemy mobile artillery gun in the Kisarazu area has been silenced!!¡±


    ¡°Wow, that laser beam flew over the industrial zone and then dropped straight down on its target. I never want to fight against that.¡±


    A rush of reports came in, but cheers were the norm for an idol.


    The idol Elite must have been able to see Lendy standing on the deck with rapier raised in front of her because she commented on it.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. I like that pose. I doubt you will go for it, but why not start your own career as an idol? You could go the thick and sexy route.¡±


    ¡°Please. I shine best as the manager working behind the scenes.¡±


    Of course, taking out that one gun wasn¡¯t enough to end it.


    But each new instance of destruction tilted the overall battle further in the one direction.


    The following conversation was held on the combat information center that Lendy found so stifling.


    ¡°Major Capistrano, the destroyers and small aircraft carriers have sent a request to our flagship!!¡±


    ¡°This is only a camouflaged cruiser - the Scarlet Princess.¡±


    (Tch. That Information Alliance idol freak left the worst jobs with me. And now I find out that little girl in black and the red triplets from the Martini Series are mixed in with the potatoes entering the Island Nation. Damn, maybe I should have gotten out there too.)


    The ship Frolaytia and the others were using was a special warship disguised as a cruise ship to lure in and slaughter pirates. Bringing it to the front line was like advertising the fact that they were so short on resources they had to use whatever was available.


    ¡°Our real flagship is that one carrying the Nikolaschka princess. Come to think of it, were they offering sunbathing and a chance to rest on there?¡±


    The busty commander¡¯s comment brought a troubled look to the operator¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s 2 in the morning. The sun isn¡¯t out yet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I could really go for some sunlight after spending so much time in this windowless combat information center. Maybe I should at least have a sterilizing blacklight installed.¡±


    Frolaytia¡¯s comment earned a shrug from Captain Alfonso Zoom.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best to avoid it of course,¡± continued the busty commander. ¡°But this might end up being our final battle. Once things really get started, we won¡¯t be able to get any fresh air.¡±


    They were up against an unidentified Island Nation Object and a laser fortress gun installed at the summit of Mount Fuji.


    It was an abnormal situation, but they had two Objects of their own.


    (It¡¯s two-against-one, so if we make an aggressive attack, they should try to keep their distance to avoid being trapped between our Objects. This isn¡¯t going to end right away. Our ships are exposed to their laser fortress gun, but an Object¡¯s laser beam or low-stability plasma cannon can increase the ocean temperature enough to bend light with steam or a mirage.)


    She couldn¡¯t let the great scale throw her off.


    She couldn¡¯t let the Island Nation¡¯s legendary status stop her from thinking rationally.


    Frolaytia Capistrano gradually gathered up what little odds they had and combined them into a real chance at victory.


    ¡°But first, we need to come up with a name for the enemy Object. Calling it ¡®unidentified¡¯ gives it an air of mystery we don¡¯t want.¡±


    That was a mass of metal ruled by physics and bound by chemistry.


    It was not deflecting their bullets with a magical barrier or anything like that.


    Part 5


    ¡°The Island Nation Object will now be referred to as the Asian Monster. I repeat, the enemy codename is Asian Monster!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up! Quit wasting time naming the baby and get us out of here!! Evacuate!!¡±


    Heivia proved how well trained he was by snapping back at their commander¡¯s radio transmission.


    The firing rate of the fortress gun atop the Mount Fuji was unknown, but a single shot could erase a ship from the sea. They couldn¡¯t ignore the Asian Monster directly in front of them either. It had four diamond-shaped air cushion floats, with one in the front, back, left, and right, and the long main cannon on its right side was probably a low-stability plasma cannon. That cannon was an obvious threat, but it could probably also sink a destroyer just by tackling it.


    So now was not the time to be huddled together in a bunch of landing ships. Quenser and Heivia¡¯s group hurriedly operated the lever to unfasten their synthetic belts and clung to the amphibious armored truck to leave their ship.


    Fortunately, they were not just adrift and helpless.


    The Baby Magnum and Rush moved out and clashed with the Island Nation Object long enough for the potatoes to head for Tokyo Bay¡¯s reclaimed land.


    Of course, the one Object wasn¡¯t the extent of the Island Nation¡¯s defenses.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 here. I have confirmed enemy fighters preparing for takeoff at Haneda. We will now attack that airport as an enemy military facility.¡±


    ¡°Burning Alpha here. Haneda is an unstable airport constructed on a reiver delta and reclaimed land. So instead of simply dropping a ton of missiles on them, I recommend calculating how the impact will propagate across the surface and trigger soil liquefaction to prevent them from taking off.¡±


    ¡°Do I need to shove a big fat missile down your throat to shut you up first, Burning Alpha!? Anyway, commence attack. Engage!!¡±


    Quenser¡¯s eyes widened when he saw some flashing lights across the dark ocean and then a nearby part of the ocean swelled more than 10m straight up with a deafening roar.


    ¡°They¡¯re firing something from the north!? Hey, isn¡¯t that where that famous theme park is located!? When did that place arm itself!?¡±


    ¡°The Island Nation clearly has no fear of god.¡±


    But if the enemy had made their test shot and were preparing a corrected shot next, they couldn¡¯t just wait around here. Land was right in front of them now.


    They needed to get on land before the second shot arrived.


    They didn¡¯t need to fear direct targeting if they used the buildings as shields.


    Just as Quenser¡¯s group arrived at the end of one of the reclaimed land sections, they heard several muffled explosions from an inland point to the west.


    Quenser ducked down, thinking it might be a sign of mortars about to fall their way, but fortunately he was wrong.


    ¡°That appears to be some bridges and tunnels blowing up,¡± said Putana Highball while inspecting her assault rifle nearby. ¡°I don¡¯t sense any eyes on us.¡±


    The reclaimed land contained a lot of parks and fish markets. It was still mostly undeveloped, so there was a fair bit of unpaved gravel and weed-filled fields. That meant a shell could easily reach them.


    ¡°---¡±


    The radio transmission wasn¡¯t quite silent.


    Quenser heard a suppressed sigh from the old maintenance lady. Ayami Cherryblossom had chosen to leave the Island Nation and join the Legitimacy Kingdom, so how did this homecoming feel to her?


    Unfortunately, someone wasn¡¯t so considerate.


    ¡°This is the legendary Island Nation?¡± groaned Frolaytia, an Island Nation fanatic, viewing the footage coming from the potatoes¡¯ small body cameras. ¡°I had high hopes after seeing Mount Fuji light up like that, but where are all the geishas and ninjas? What¡¯s keeping you, Island Nation? Where¡¯s the samurai unit that can slice through an Object with no more than the power of their own muscles and a katana?¡±


    ¡°Has this bitch completely forgotten our lives and the fate of the world are on the line here?¡± grumbled Heivia.


    Things might have been differently in Kyoto or Shimane which had been taken by the Faith Organization or were highly influenced by the Legitimacy Kingdom, which valued history and tradition, but Tokyo and Kanagawa belonged to the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance who preferred math and logic. Frolaytia wasn¡¯t going to find anything she had hoped for here.


    And on that note¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not delusional like Frolaytia, but this is the Island Nation,¡± said Quenser. ¡°I was expecting half the scenery to covered in symbols or to find ourselves inside a giant hologram.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re delusional all right,¡± said the old maintenance lady over the radio.


    A new figure emerged from behind some roughly-stacked steel beams.


    Someone wielding no guns or knives spread his arms and dark red flames surrounded him.


    Quenser watched as those flames surged up and descended toward him. It felt like he was a frog being swallowed by a big snake.


    ¡°I want you all to take back everything you said about this place being too normal!!!!!!¡± shouted Heivia while they all scattered.


    The flames crashed into the gravel ground and scattered in every direction. The flames were unnaturally sticky like with a Molotov cocktail or a flamethrower.


    Quenser had been slow to react and froze up, so 12-year-old Catherine had to push him to the ground and drag him behind a pipe. The boy shouted while clinging to the little girl¡¯s hips.


    ¡°What was that!? Some occult stuff like with Putana!?¡±


    ¡°Teacher, our powers are mostly boosted sensory abilities, so they are not actually what you would call psychic powers. We cannot shoot fire from our hands or bend a spoon with our minds. If you see anyone doing that, they are probably tricking you in some way.¡±


    The flames bent like a great serpent, so the rules of bullets didn¡¯t apply. They could easily circle behind whatever cover you were using.


    But it was being used by another human.


    Putana could predict the attack timing using his ¡°gaze¡±, so she gave some pointed instructions and the maid group, led by Wydine and Karen, nodded from behind different cover a short distance away. They pulled the pin from a smoke grenade and threw it to rob the enemy of his sight and oxygen while Heivia, Frank, and some others fired bullets and grenades in from multiple angles.


    No one could avoid coughing or crying in the smoke. No one but the dead.


    ¡°It¡¯s a high-tech flamethrower.¡±


    Heivia approached the corpse and lightly kicked a weapon resembling a thick gun.


    He knew what had given the man his pyrokinesis.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s called a Kagutsuchi 9. It uses microbubbles filled with particles of flammable fuel to distribute them over an area. The bubbles can be burst at the desired timing so the fuel mixes with the oxygen in the air and is detonated. Basically, it¡¯s like microscopic napalm bombs. It lets you create midair designs with the flamethrower, so you can make your own dragon breath or flame sword if you want. I guess it¡¯s like a small Be Ablaze.¡±


    ¡°The Kagutsuchi series was originally used for musical parades, you know? The Island Nation must really be desperate.¡±


    The old maintenance lady¡¯s words were full of doubt and suspicion since she alone knew what the Island Nation had really been like.


    The corpse didn¡¯t look Asian. He must have been a foreign mercenary or only half-Island Nationer because his hair was a bright blond. Hadn¡¯t the old lady mentioned something about this already?


    Quenser gulped.


    ¡°If this is what their individual equipment is like, what are their Objects like?¡±


    That thought scared him, but he couldn¡¯t come to a stop.


    That one man naturally wasn¡¯t the only enemy they came across. Soon, they saw steel construction beams and a tunnel-like pipe floating in the air. Just when they noticed something small gathering together, one of them coughed up blood and collapsed.


    But all of it had to be magic tricks.


    If they didn¡¯t let the legend of this place influence them, they wouldn¡¯t panic or take unnecessary damage.


    ¡°Is that an experimental tornado generator?¡± said Quenser. ¡°Basically, it¡¯s a drone that alters atmospheric pressure using an extremely powerful vacuum cleaner. I¡¯m guessing he coughed up blood because of microplastics. They¡¯re probably meant to be mixed with the air and ignited.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how any of this is better than an old-fashioned bullet,¡± said Heivia.


    ¡°It¡¯s not and they know it. That¡¯s why they¡¯ve set things up so we can¡¯t use bullets. Once they realize we¡¯re not falling for their tricks, they should shift back to the basics.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s group traveled across the reclaimed land to reach a beach TV station where they found the giant bridge had entirely collapsed. But that didn¡¯t matter much to them. Once they crossed the ocean with their armored trucks designed for crossing rivers, they would be in Tokyo proper.


    The somewhat muffled explosions they heard in the distance were probably the Island Nation troops blowing up their own elevated railroads and highways. Quenser beckoned some girls over.


    ¡°Putana, Catherine, come here. You too, Wraith!¡±


    ¡°Hmph. At least it¡¯s better than being stuck in that truck with those dangerously stubborn triplets.¡±


    Quenser invited over the Martini Series commander and then pulled her up onto the roof of the Battlefield Cleanup Service truck. She tried to play it cool, but as short as she was, he basically had to pick her up like a kitten.


    The truck¡¯s continuous tracks were grinding across the artificial beach to reach the dark ocean. They were less than 2km from the other side.


    ¡°Once we arrive on the other side, our primary landmark is the Keihin-Tohoku Line,¡± said young Wraith up on the roof. ¡°After we follow that coastal route north and reach Akihabara, we turn west. Follow the Sobu-Chuo Line from there and we reach Ichigaya.¡±


    Their amphibious truck followed the fallen bridge through the rubble-strewn ocean. Following the road using the railroad as a landmark wasn¡¯t the shortest route, but Quenser agreed it was for the best. Trying to take a shortcut in this complexly laid out enemy territory could get them lost, stranded, or dead.


    ¡°I need to recharge, big brother!¡±


    ¡°Whoa, don¡¯t hug me like that, Catherine! We¡¯re in the middle of a battle! Keep an eye on your surroundings!!¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh. Our boat is all floaty, so try not to fall off, big brother!¡±


    And¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Mh?¡±


    Catherine made a confused noise.


    Wraith Martini Vermouthspray toyed with her pen-like device in one hand and grabbed at Quenser¡¯s uniform with the other.


    Catherine puffed out her cheeks while hugging him from the front.


    ¡°And who is she, big brother? Just so you know, he belongs to me! You can tell because my name is Catherine Barbotage. Heh heh.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough! Y-you married this small child, pedo teacher!?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make this more complicated than it already is, Putana! She¡¯s my stepsister!!¡±


    But there was more than one eye of the storm here.


    Wraith spoke up, still spinning her pen-like device.


    ¡°You can have this average and filthy potato if you like, but I retain the right to borrow him for some fun whenever I like.¡±


    ¡°Borrow!?¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that for mature? (Why would This wriggling wharf roach crawl all over him when she is out there in the ocean watching it all? Has she no sense at all?)¡±


    The younger girls were engaging in some kind of battle here, but Quenser couldn¡¯t make sense of it. He also wasn¡¯t sure why Wraith puffed out her (flat) chest so proudly or why Catherine grew pale and trembled.


    Heivia, meanwhile, muttered to himself with a shadow over his face.


    ¡°God, why couldn¡¯t my little sister be even half that cute?¡±


    After being defeated(?) by Wraith and reduced to trembling in Quenser¡¯s arms, Catherine decided to change the subject.


    ¡°Anyway, big brother, won¡¯t the Azumaya weirdos run away with all this going on? It was just those four who started the world war, right?¡±


    ¡°How are they supposed to run away? Listen, Catherine. On paper, they¡¯re just low-level grunts. They have no special rights. If they leave their posts without permission and run, the Island Nation will shoot them in the back for deserting. And even if they get away, they¡¯ll stand out once recorded as wanted deserters. Running away dooms them sooner or later, so they won¡¯t run away. They know taking any conspicuous moves will mean their deaths.¡±


    ¡°Wow. You¡¯re so smart, big brother.¡±


    ¡°This really isn¡¯t something I should be explaining to a 12-year-old kid.¡±


    But even if the self-defense PMC soldiers were mercenaries gathered from all over the world, Quenser felt kind of bad killing them to get at the villains they had no idea were hiding among them. But holding back for that reason would be playing right into the villains¡¯ hands.


    Meanwhile, their truck arrived at the opposite coast.


    The tank-like continuous tracks made a loud grinding noise. It was incredible they could reach 70km/h with those.


    After crossing the ocean from the reclaimed land and climbing up onto land, the scenery changed entirely. This was prime waterfront property. Fancy high rise office buildings and luxury apartments created a world for the winners of urban life. They probably drank more vintage wine than chlorine-filled tap water here. One of the countless windows around here probably had a beautiful woman pressing her boobs against the glass while having sex.


    In that jewelry box of a world, Heivia, Myonri, and some others climbed down onto the ground and readied their weapons.


    The low rumbling of a motor was impossible to miss. Unless some wealthy female company president had a tungsten toy with the power of a jackhammer up her tight skirt, that had to be the enemy approaching.


    ¡°Here they come, here they come, there they come. Spread out and stay alert, everyone. There¡¯s no point in keeping just one line of fire with this many people! They¡¯re sending in the ordinary troops this time!!¡±


    It happened suddenly.


    A giant roll of something rolled out across the giant intersection of two 6-lane roads like the red carpet for a visiting noble. Tire spikes were deployed across the entire area. Then something emerged from behind a building: a thick powered suit. Even with its great size, it must have had trouble fully controlling the recoil of its 155mm sniper rifle because it had a special device attached around its legs. It looked like it was permanently sitting on something like a wheeled office chair. The chair legs moved on their own to get over bumps and the two humanoid legs out in front could be used to change direction.


    ¡°Is that from the Walk Optimization Project? It¡¯s been decades since then, so why is the Island Nation still playing with those toys?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s even the point of it being a powered suit anymore!?¡±


    No one bothered listening to Quenser¡¯s complaint. With deep booms of gunfire, the Battlefield Cleanup Service truck was torn through like a stick poking into a clump of clay. The average armored truck couldn¡¯t have survived, but Wydine and the others couldn¡¯t escape the truck while the gunfire continued. Heivia kept his head low and ran away while pulling the pin from a stun grenade.


    A lightning-like flash hung around as an afterimage.


    The powered suit briefly froze up, not because the pilot had been blinded but because the camera footage had automatically switched the negative and positive in response to the intense brightness. That was the most effective method, but it still confused people when it happened without warning. It was a common problem when enclosed inside a powered suit.


    Wydine and the other fake maids used that moment to escape the (wreckage of the) truck. The Martini triplets¡¯ truck was still functioning, so they opened fire with their 40mm autocannon. That was only meant to hold the powered suit back, not defeat it. They aimed for the exact moment the powered suit fired, adding to the recoil and causing it to lose its balance while essentially seated in a chair.


    ¡°Yikes, yikes, yikes, yikes!!¡±


    Keeping his head low and tearful with fear over being hit by a ricocheting bullet, Quenser ran toward the enemy. He threw a clay-like Hand Axe bomb with a pen-like fuse in it and it attached itself to the powered suit¡¯s armor near the right collarbone.


    That was supposed to be the most fragile point with a powered suit that could not escape the limitations of the human skeletal structure.


    Quenser practically leaped to the asphalt in order to get down as he pressed his radio¡¯s switch and blew up the powered suit.


    He had gotten closest to the intersection, so he was the first to notice and shouted back to the others.


    ¡°One powered suit down, but there¡¯s something else further back!!¡±


    ¡°Only one, foot soldier?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a student!!¡±


    Quenser heard an exasperated female voice over his radio and then the continuous track of an armored truck passed by right next to him. It accepted whatever malfunctions the tire spikes would cause it and charged straight toward the second powered suit. This one was leaning against something like a giant stepladder set up in front of it. The stepladder was part of it. That looked like it would affect the movable range of its arms, but it must not have wanted to crawl on all fours like a dog. It all came down to using the poorly-balanced human body as a base. The truck seemed to tilt back as it partially drove up onto the enemy, keeping the powered suit from moving.


    At that close range, the long 155mm sniper rifle was meaningless. The giant powered suit struggled like a little girl trapped underneath a large pet dog, so Heivia launched a shoulder-fired missile into it.


    ¡°One more down! I¡¯m not letting that skinny boy get all the credit!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up! There¡¯s shrapnel way worse than nails flying all over the place, dumbass! You turned this blast area into a danger zone!! I¡¯d be dead if I hadn¡¯t gotten down!!¡±


    ¡°You should be thanking us,¡± said the triplets. ¡°We had an entire continuous track taken out by the tungsten spikes. On that note, could you grab any usable repair tools from the scraps of the Battlefield Cleanup Service truck? They don¡¯t need them anymore.¡±


    It sounded like Quenser would have to give a thank you foot massage to those triplets who couldn¡¯t perform their own maintenance. He cautiously approached the damaged truck that could blow up at any moment, raised it with a jack, and swapped out the track that was linked together like rosary beads.


    ¡°Th-this is terrifying. It¡¯s not right that I just get paid ordinary wages for this. I should get hazard pay and more for all this extra work I do.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget we¡¯re in Area By Chance now? We aren¡¯t working for an actual military, so we don¡¯t get paid at all until the world war is over. Did you still think we were with the Legitimacy Kingdom?¡±


    ¡°I swear being a hero is nothing but a big scam!!¡±


    At any rate, Quenser and the others didn¡¯t like the idea of charging on foot at such a heavily-equipped enemy group. They needed as many functional vehicles as they could get.


    But even if they didn¡¯t explode like a tank gun, the Island Nation was firing back with enormous 55m sniper rifles. Weren¡¯t they afraid of destroying a piece of their own city with stray shots that could punch right through a tank¡¯s composite armor?


    ¡°This is weird. Really weird.¡±


    ¡°What is? Don¡¯t assume the Island Nation is going to make any sense. Oh, look. That blue sign says Akihabara.¡±


    ¡°Hold on. I thought it was weird this didn¡¯t look like the electronics district I¡¯d heard so much about, but are we on the end full of office buildings? We¡¯ve gone too far past the station,¡± said Wraith. ¡°Turn back! I don¡¯t care how confident you look; we¡¯re headed the wrong way. The partially-destroyed elevated railroad must have confused us. We need to turn back and pass below that railroad to reach the main road.¡±


    Once they did reach the electronics district, they found Akihabara to be a desolate place this late at night.


    Even on the main road Wraith had mentioned, all the stores had their shutters down. Worse, several powered suits had set up a barricade that resembled a giant concrete box. These ones hadn¡¯t tried to forcibly make up for the inherently poor balance of the humanoid design, so they simply stood on two legs. The concrete block with an anime-style drawing on it was apparently meant to stop their vehicles and provide cover, but couldn¡¯t they have just thickened the armor around their cockpit so they wouldn¡¯t need cover? Quenser found it odd. And if they just made it so that block could move and shoot, wouldn¡¯t they need fewer parts at those specs, which would make for easier mass production?


    ¡°Humanoid weapons are so wasteful,¡± said Quenser. ¡°Why is the Island Nation so obsessed with weapons like this?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I wouldn¡¯t be badmouthing humanoid weapons or railroads in the legendary Akiba,¡± said Heivia. ¡°You¡¯re liable to get yourself surrounded by an angry mob.¡±


    ¡°The greatest advantage of powered suits is the ability to intuitively operate it like your own body without needing to read through the manual. That can still be worth it even with the balance issues,¡± said the old maintenance lady. ¡°And let¡¯s not forget that Objects are pretty wasteful too. Especially in the earliest stages when they were built for no other purpose than ending the nuclear age.¡±


    Simply put, powered suits were a convenient weapon that let you kill as easily as operating a smartphone.


    But Quenser wasn¡¯t interested in being killed by a shiny kuro gyaru¡¯s device of choice.


    An exchange of high caliber gunfire began in a strange area with only gyudon shops open despite the lack of customers.


    ¡°Ohhhh!! Don¡¯t you dare mock me and look down on me just because I¡¯m the indoorsy type studying to be designer! What¡¯s so great about being the gaudy popular girl in class, anyway!?¡± shouted Quenser.


    ¡°Eh? You sure are throwing a lot of bombs. What¡¯s gotten into you? Do you think the powered suits in Akiba are being piloted by a no-name underground idol or by a phony maid who normally hands out fliers on the street corner?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°Akihabara¡¯s maids do get a lot of attention, but maybe think twice before assuming they are the same as the popular kids at school,¡± warned the old maintenance lady.


    Since the powered suits had prepared their own cover, their armor had to be no thicker than an armored truck¡¯s, so specialized equipment could punch through them. Quenser¡¯s group turned west while using shoulder-fired missiles and the armored truck¡¯s autocannon to shoot the powered suits on the ground or hiding behind the rooftop billboards for 3D printers and mobile games.


    ¡°Damn, it was all men inside. Now I wish I had just shot the powered suits along their center lines. Were they from a butler caf¨¦ or something?¡±


    ¡°Can you please stop thinking about Island Nation caf¨¦s, Quenser?¡±


    ¡°(Beep!) Ehh!? You have to be in Akiba to find the Baby Magnum? Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me? No wonder I couldn¡¯t find it on any of the other battlefields we visited!!¡±


    ¡°What the hell, Myonri? Do you have your personal phone with you?¡± shouted both idiots.


    The battle to determine the fate of the world was changing positions.


    They were now following the Sobu-Chuo Line. Using the elevated railroad blown up by the Island Nation itself as a landmark, they walked down a road following the Kanda River and finally approached the city center.


    But the closer to the center they got, the more desolate things seemed.


    The buildings were all so short.


    ¡°That domed stadium is past Ochanomizu. There must be something there,¡± said Quenser, hoping he was wrong.


    ¡°What, did it only now occur to you they might have something waiting for us at the baseball stadium? Look, more enemies are coming!!¡±


    A patrol boat traveled down the cramped concrete-banked river. It looked a little bigger than a fishing boat, but its front and back deck were equipped with a 20mm Gatling gun and an 81mm mortar. Fortunately, the river was a level below the road, so the boat¡¯s firing range was extremely limited. Putana and Catherine descended the gentle slope and threw grenades from a blind spot so they landed on the boat¡¯s deck and blew it away.


    The stadium combined with the theme park did indeed have something waiting for them.


    ¡°Charge!! Hurry!! That¡¯s a railway gun reinforced with earthen walls and armor panels. They used the nearby railroad to send in the materials they needed to set that up. Quenser, we¡¯re stuck here if you don¡¯t blow that up with one of your bombs!!¡±


    ¡°Why should I have to do it when I¡¯m not even getting paid!? Okay, Myonri, show us how it¡¯s done!!¡±


    ¡°Bff!? I was trying to be inconspicuous so no one would notice me, but you just had to ruin that, didn¡¯t you? Stop using me as a dumping ground for all the jobs you don¡¯t want to do. Besides, this was Heivia¡¯s idea, so he should do it!!¡±


    The idiots started arguing and grappling, so Karen and some others took swift action and slaughtered all of the enemy soldiers.


    With a caliber of 800mm, a single shot from that railway gun could obliterate an entire school with its powerful blast and shrapnel, but it was fairly helpless within a range of a kilometer. Since they hadn¡¯t shot it earlier, the Island Nation must have set it up in a hurry and didn¡¯t manage to complete their final targeting in time. Remember, the Island Nation had been caught by surprise, forcing them to hop out of bed and prepare at the last second.


    Quenser¡¯s group followed the railroad from there until they saw the river pass below the road. That was called a culvert, wasn¡¯t it? It was extremely noticeable and stank like a ditch.


    ¡°Are we almost there? Ichigaya has a fishing hole, right?¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait. We still have a station to go. Don¡¯t get it wrong. This is the station after Suidobashi, so we¡¯re still at Iidabashi.¡±


    ¡°After Iidabashi, you won¡¯t be following the Kanda River anymore. It changes to Sotobori there,¡± said the old maintenance lady via radio. ¡°The green algae is just as bad either way, though.¡±


    When a 110mm cannon fired on them from the roof of some short buildings a short distance from the station, Quenser¡¯s group quickly hid behind the station mall. It was another of those powered suits. That made it a job for the Martini triplets¡¯ armored truck. It helped that they had attached a mortar they had picked up somewhere. Alisa - or was that Rica? - crawled out from the hatch, crouched at the back of the roof, and performed some kind of work.


    Heivia aimed his assault rifle toward the night sky and checked through the scope to detect something through all its sensors.


    ¡°Air temperature: 2 degrees. Humidity: 50%. Not much dust or dirt in the air. The wind is mostly 3m/s from the southwest, but the skyscraper walls are creating their own winds too.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    With what sounded like a louder version of a popping cork, a projectile flew like a long throw in baseball. The first shot exploded near the roof, catching the powered suit in the blast.


    The enemy had been silenced.


    The filthy potatoes used their binoculars to check where the mortar had hit.


    A building labeled ¡°Kadokawa¡± was now tilting at an angle.


    ¡°Uh, oh. Let¡¯s get outta here.¡±


    Part 6


    The Baby Magnum and the Rush fought a high speed battle in late-night Tokyo Bay against the mysterious Island Nation Object known as the Asian Monster.


    Tokyo Bay was not as large a battlefield as you might think. There was a chance of being fired on from Tokyo, Chiba, or Kanagawa there, but that was all.


    The terrain worked in the Princess and Oh Ho Ho¡¯s favor.


    With less available space to move in, the enemy would have trouble avoiding the simultaneous attacks from the Baby Magnum and the Rush.


    However¡­


    ¡°Stubborn thing. We have to have hit it so many times, but it won¡¯t sink!!¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. The Object¡¯s primary job appears to be holding us here, so their real weapon must be-¡±


    The two Objects took nimble evasive action the moment before a white beam split apart the dark night. The giant laser fortress gun installed at Mount Fuji¡¯s peak was to blame. The large circle from Kantou to Chubu was within its firing range. If they took too long with the naval Object, the laser would target them out here in the open ocean.


    The Princess was using special goggles that placed a burden on her pupils and irises to read the movement of her eyes with lasers, but the Baby Magnum felt so slow it was like swimming through an invisible slime. This wasn¡¯t about whether any immediate attack could hit or whether she could avoid the enemy¡¯s shots - she was falling behind in a more fundamental way.


    Frolaytia sent a tense suggestion.


    ¡°Princess, we can use our thermobarics to create a mirage if necessary.¡±


    ¡°That would affect my targeting, so don¡¯t. But if they target your ships, do it immediately.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. I will move out ahead to keep the Island Nation¡¯s attention on me. I can¡¯t have them targeting the slow fleet.¡±


    Even Oh Ho Ho was the Pilot Elite who fought as the central figure of a battalion.


    The two Objects approached even closer to the Asian Monster.


    They were not the only ones that could make simultaneous attacks.


    In fact, the Island Nation had the greater destructive power. The Mount Fuji laser fortress gun was powerful enough to destroy an Object in a single hit.


    ¡°That thing has a lot of power, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Could it be adding volcanic energy on top of an ordinary reactor? Oh ho ho. It might be stable now, but Mount Fuji is technically a volcano.¡±


    ¡°But how is it getting rid of all that heat?¡±


    ¡°The summit is more than 3000m up, so maybe it¡¯s covered with a thin layer of ice or something.¡±


    But the attack was nothing to fear when they knew what direction it would be coming from.


    The fortress gun was still a fortress gun. A stationary sniper was much less of a threat.


    ¡°We sent out meteorological weapons to produce thick clouds around Mount Fuji¡¯s summit, but it isn¡¯t going well,¡± reported Lendy Farolito. ¡°Missiles and shells are just a poor match for anti-air lasers.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Try not to draw so much attention they focus their fire on you. It¡¯s best if your attacks appear ineffectual.¡±


    The Princess sighed.


    (I really want to reach land so I can support Quenser and the others.)


    The Asian Monster slid gently to the right and then cut sharply back to the left.


    It was a classic feint.


    The Princess kept an eye on the laser fortress gun¡¯s movements while sliding out of the way of the low-stability plasma cannon aimed her way. Then she repaid the enemy by firing a railgun counterattack a bit to its left to cut off its escape route. That stopped its movement long enough for the Rush to fire the killing blast.


    The unpleasant sizzling of vaporized metal burst into the air. The Rush¡¯s rapid-fire beam Gatling cannon had punched right through the center of the Asian Monster¡¯s spherical main body. Tens of thousands of deadly shots formed a single thick line that tore through more and more of the Object. The mechanical wound melted with an orange glow, giving the Object an actual donut shape.


    ¡°Oh ho ho! Do you see now what I am capable of? Spectacular results like this are all the proof you need I am a true idol!!¡±


    ¡°You never could have done it without my support.¡±


    ¡°Kyah!!¡± shouted Lendy Farolito over the radio. ¡°A global top idol just does things differently!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Stop encouraging that idiot, you stupid commander,¡± replied the Princess in disgust. ¡°Sigh. This is how popularity messes with people¡¯s heads, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The Asian Monster produced a creaking sound as it tilted.


    The reactor would not last like this. To avoid getting caught in the blast before it sank into the ocean, the Baby Magnum slowly backed away.


    The Princess caught it at the last second.


    That was the only reason she managed to send her Object sharply to the side in time.


    A beam of light roared through.


    One of the Baby Magnum¡¯s seven main cannons - the leftmost one - was sliced away by the intense energy.


    But that hadn¡¯t come from the laser fortress gun atop Mount Fuji.


    It had clearly been a low-stability plasma cannon blast from the Asian Monster on the ocean directly in front of her.


    In fact¡­


    ¡°Oh ho ho. It¡­isn¡¯t sinking? But I destroyed its reactor!¡±


    ¡°There must be more to this. It is an Island Nation model, after all!!¡±


    Part 7


    After passing Iidabashi, they finally arrived at Ichigaya, where the self-defense PMC had their base.


    ¡°Ichigaya, huh?¡± muttered the old maintenance lady over the radio. She may have had some memories regarding the place.


    It was officially registered as a Capitalist Corporations garrison, but it was effectively a shared facility where all four world powers came and went freely.


    The location they wanted was obvious enough from the distinctive antenna towers sticking up past the building rooftops. One area¡¯s were very different from the rest.


    Heivia let out a visible breath in the late February night.


    ¡°So we¡¯ve finally arrived at Azumaya¡¯s home. Can we just blow up that building?¡±


    ¡°Azumaya is only four people out of the self-defense PMC personnel packing the place like a beehive,¡± said Quenser. ¡°Do we know their names or what they look like? The end of the world war is counting on us doing this right, so we want to make sure they¡¯re actually dead.¡±


    ¡°I feel bad for all those PMC soldiers who are only following their orders here.¡±


    ¡°If you feel that bad, then throw down your weapon and go try to convince them with a rousing and courageous argument. Me? I¡¯m afraid of the Island Nation tech. Let¡¯s silence all of them and then check through the computers in the building. There¡¯s bound to be something left inside-¡±


    Quenser came to a sudden stop.


    They hadn¡¯t done anything yet, but an explosion had already erupted from the Ichigaya garrison building. But the location of the smoke was unusual. Instead of the windows, toxic-looking smoke billowed from something like vents leading underground.


    Heivia stared blankly for a while. It took an exasperated tap on his shoulder from Karen to snap him out of it. The noble boy realized what the enemy was up to a few seconds later.


    ¡°Th-the bastards set fire to their server room, didn¡¯t they!? Those four are more interested in eliminating any information on them than in stopping us!!¡±


    The mission was falling apart.


    To protect their classified information, the self-defense PMC apparently did not call in the fire fighters all their neighbors in the city used. When some soldiers rushed out, attached a thick hose to the fire hydrant, and started toward their own fire fighting equipment inside the building, Heivia, Myonri, and some others aimed at them from behind and mercilessly fired into their backs.


    It wouldn¡¯t have gone that well under normal circumstances, but unexpected accidents were one of the greatest threats during a battle.


    The four villains hiding behind their anonymity as random soldiers could not run away without getting shot as deserters.


    But that changed here.


    Soldiers and prisoners were allowed to evacuate their posts or cells during a fire. And it would take time to count and ID the bodies, so even if those four went into hiding for a while, it wouldn¡¯t stand out too much if they later insisted whoever was taking roll had marked it down wrong.


    Meanwhile, Quenser¡¯s group could not stay in the Island Nation for long since they were reliant on the element of surprise. The sh*tty quartet knew perfectly well it was Quenser¡¯s group that would be surrounded if they stayed too long.


    (Carat.)


    If the villains could escape for just a moment here, they could get away forever.


    So Quenser¡¯s group had to capture them here.


    (I will create an age where you can blame me for what I did. So let me fight just a bit longer.)


    It was like they had stirred up a hornet¡¯s nest.


    The unlucky self-defense PMC soldiers were caught between a fire and gunfire, but there was no way to know who was part of Azumaya. The four villains had likely expected a lot of lives to be lost here. Meanwhile, the fire was spreading and enveloping the distinctive building.


    ¡°Find something we can use! I don¡¯t care what!!¡± shouted Heivia, his assault rifle at the ready.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to run into the burning building, huh? And this was a base, so there will be an ammo dump inside, won¡¯t there!?¡±


    They only knew Azumaya had four members, but they had no information on the names or appearances of those four. It wasn¡¯t a problem if the Azumaya members were among those they had shot here, but they doubted it. No matter how good those four were at blending in with the other random soldiers, surely they would have done something more once a gun was pointed their way. Surely they would have played some kind of trump card that an actual random soldier wouldn¡¯t have. But Quenser¡¯s group hadn¡¯t seen anything like that.


    That meant they needed to check through the burning building.


    Azumaya setting fire to their own hideout proved there was something there they needed to erase lest their identities get out. Assuming they hadn¡¯t just been paranoid, there was some evidence in there. But that evidence would be erased if they didn¡¯t act fast.


    On the other hand, this was extremely dangerous. No matter what people thought, you couldn¡¯t guarantee your survival in a burning building by dumping a bucket of water over your head.


    ¡°I think you should stay here, big brother,¡± said Catherine Barbotage when she saw the main entrance spewing dark smoke and embers.


    ¡°No!! I¡¯d rather go in there myself than sit back and watch my 12-year-old sister do it!!¡±


    In the end, war was all about vanity.


    He charged inside with the Little Girl Army of Catherine and Wraithy accompanying him. His vision immediately narrowed due to the smoke. It was also as hot as a sauna. He was worried about his plastic explosives. Soft plastic could melt in high heats, so he feared the explosives in his backpack were being transformed.


    ¡°Hey,¡± called Wraith Martini Vermouthspray while cautiously aiming her submachinegun this way and that. The taciturn young man wasn¡¯t with her, so he was likely doing some other job. ¡°Time is of the essence, so where should we start the search, my panicky but slow pawn.¡±


    ¡°We need to read Azumaya¡¯s mentality. Whatever they most wanted to hide will be at the source of the blaze!!¡±


    When you wanted to erase evidence as quickly as possible, no one would set the fire far away from said evidence. Thus, Quenser and the others couldn¡¯t avoid the fire as they searched. They would never find what they wanted that way.


    Quenser started to open the door leading further in, but Wraith and Catherine both tackled him aside. As soon as the door opened a crack, it exploded out from within. That was a backdraft. They couldn¡¯t do that every single time.


    ¡°Eek!!¡±


    ¡°Hee hee hee. I love the way you let your guard down and let your weak side show only for me, big brother.¡±


    ¡°You are delusional. He wasn¡¯t trying to open up to you there.¡±


    They needed equipment allowing them to walk freely through the fire.


    Quenser made a trembling suggestion while collapsed on the floor covered by little girls.


    ¡°L-let¡¯s find some powered suits. The self-defense PMC has been using a lot of them, after all.¡±


    Fortunately, the search didn¡¯t last long.


    But instead of finding the cutting-edge Island Nation tech lined up on standby in the maintenance bay, they found them abandoned in a burning hallway. Those enormous suits couldn¡¯t always fit through smaller doors. There would be a labyrinthine path that allowed them this deep in the building, but the pilots hadn¡¯t been willing or able to exit the same way during the panic of the fire. Quenser, Wraith, and Catherine each procured and boarded a powered suit.


    Wraith¡¯s emotionless voice arrived over the radio.


    ¡°This is better than nothing, but if an ammo dump detonates, we¡¯re dead along with anyone else in the building. Make sure you complete your mission before that happens, my cowardly attackers.¡±


    The suits did more to stop the smoke-induced pain in their eyes and noses than it did protect them from the oven-like heat, but they still appreciated it. Image correction let them see despite all the smoke, so they clanked their way through the orange heat zone with ornamental plants burning like torches and an anime-style poster for some kind of public awareness campaign blackening and peeling off the wall.


    ¡°Will that poster of a smiling and saluting anime girl really get anyone to join the self-defense PMC?¡± wondered Quenser. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s a short magical girl with inexplicably big tits. You aren¡¯t finding anything like that in the macho world of the military.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. But we do have a lot of people who enlist because of that G-cups idol. It probably works better than a wild plant sommelier or a yoga instructor,¡± said Wraith, giving her big powered suit her usual cool but cute mannerisms.


    Apparently Quenser wasn¡¯t the only greedy person out there. But he did wish for a word of warning before he was confronted with a girl¡¯s cold and calculating greed. It was bad for his heart.


    Their objective was the source of the fire. That naturally brought them down the stairs into the basement. There were secret areas not found on the official diagrams and the place was full of smoke, so it was a nerve-wracking ordeal. Would a diver feel this kind of anxiety if they were trapped below a rusty ceiling while exploring a sunken ship and they discovered their oxygen tank had less left than they had thought?


    They descended a metal stairway heated as hot as a grill and unintuitively found the intensity of the flames decreased as they approached the source of the fire.


    ¡°That means the oxygen is decreasing.¡±


    Quenser had started to breathe a sigh of relief, but his 12-year-old stepsister¡¯s comment forced him to rethink that. If not for the powered suits, they either would have had their eyeballs and lungs roasted by the heat or they would have passed out from asphyxiation.


    They found a blackened metal door at the bottom of the stairs. Catherine and Wraith checked the door¡¯s seam and knob, perhaps to prevent a backdraft, but Quenser couldn¡¯t tell what they were looking for. In the end the two little girls in big armor exchanged a cute nod and gently opened the door.


    They found a large space within.


    That was the large server room supporting the self-defense PMC¡¯s datalink. It felt like a locker room larger than a soccer field lined with vending machines instead of lockers. The place had to have more than double the processing power of a communication data center covering all the phones and tablets in Kantou.


    The stairs leading down by the wall suggested this was just one floor, so how many computers did they have set up in all?


    ¡°The flames must have spread out through the ducts in search of air,¡± said Quenser. ¡°Okay, where should we start the search?¡±


    ¡°The emergency data transfer route. There¡¯s no way a facility this size doesn¡¯t do backups.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the people wanting to hide their data know about the backups?¡±


    ¡°What if these backups were done secretly outside the usual official military regulations? In the military, it isn¡¯t unusual for a commanding officer to install keyloggers on all the computers in their unit to monitor everyone under their command. Although sometimes it backfires when the poor bald-headed fool discovers one of his subordinates is sleeping with his wife and his daughter and essentially taken over his family. You don¡¯t want others to know you¡¯re gathering their data. If they don¡¯t know, they have no way of defending against it.¡±


    Wraith really was a former(?) Information Alliance commander.


    All of the cases had melted from the heat, but not all of the computers were broken. Wraith pointed at a functioning one (using her powered suit¡¯s thick fingers) while explaining that to the others. And Azumaya¡¯s fire gave them a hint here. The computer that had been directly set on fire was the most suspicious one.


    ¡°Big brother, the fuel was only poured on this one. It¡¯s labeled N-88.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s your answer, Wraith.¡±


    ¡°N-88 itself was physically burned, but these are parallel computers. The shared cache should remain in the surrounding servers. Yep, there it is. N-88 contained a personnel condition visualization and quantification service providing their skills, physical condition, motivation, etc. Basically, it¡¯s the data used to determine their pay. The place is officially Capitalist Corporations, but it was actually a mix of the world powers.¡±


    Quenser frowned, but he made sure to speak aloud since she couldn¡¯t see the frown through his powered suit.


    ¡°Um, but won¡¯t that database have tens of thousands of people in it?¡±


    ¡°The four we want were sent to the Island Nation from the Legitimacy Kingdom, Capitalist Corporations, Information Alliance, and Faith Organization at around the same time. Coordinators like them would have no past offences on their record and know at least three languages. We know they have to be experts in psychology and negotiation technique and they definitely have to know a thing or two about economics and geopolitics. ¡­And unless you¡¯re putting together a hacker team, you wouldn¡¯t care too much about the academic history of your general personnel, so the unusually educated ones will stand out. And voila: here are exactly four with a ton of qualifications unrelated to killing.¡±


    She read off the list.


    ¡°From the Legitimacy Kingdom, we have Caines Ambrosia. Age: 28. Sex: Male.


    ¡°From the Capitalist Corporations, we have Isabelle Millionaire. Age: 22. Sex: Female.


    ¡°From the Information Alliance, we have Fong-Lan Greendevil. Age: 39. Sex: Male.


    ¡°From the Faith Organization, we have Daria Weddingbell. Age: 15. Sex: Female.¡±


    They had finally found them.


    They had identified Azumaya, the villains who benefited from this sh*tty world war.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± groaned Quenser. ¡°I thought this was an Island Nation conspiracy. But this is all outsiders - not a single Island Nationer among them. I know they¡¯re all mercenaries, but the self-defense PMC really got the short end of the stick here.¡±


    ¡°Azumaya only wanted a magician¡¯s table they could use to fool everyone watching. And the taboo of this place worked quite nicely there.¡±


    Snipers, hackers, and global string pullers all had one thing in common: they worked best when no one knew who they were.


    Part 8


    Shooting through the Asian Monster¡¯s reactor wasn¡¯t enough to sink it.


    The battle against an immortal monster had begun.


    ¡°Tch!!¡±


    Lendy Farolito had returned to the combat information center at some point and now she clicked her tongue while facing a whiteboard. She used multiple pens to fill that board with letters and arrows colored black, red, and blue.


    * Multiple reactors?


    * Sub power system?


    * Reactor not fully destroyed?


    * A spare sent up and attached from the ocean floor?


    * Does it even use a JPlevelMHD?


    She wasn¡¯t even considering if these possibilities were realistic. She would list out all of her ideas and pit them against each other to achieve greater inspiration. The possibilities would grow more specific and realistic as she went. As long as the countless theories combined into the right answer in the end, it didn¡¯t matter how absurd they were to begin with. This may have been how she organized her thoughts.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano was somewhat impressed. Not so much by the technique than by Lendy¡¯s willingness to show it off in front of the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    That may have shown she had accepted them more than Frolaytia had thought.


    Then there was the text written extra large in the center of the whiteboard.


    * How can I shine the spotlight on that girl?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano silently put her kiseru in her mouth when she saw it. Why was defeating the enemy Object not her top priority?


    She stiffly turned her head to look at the brown woman using the pens and saw she was breathing heavily.


    ¡°Risks are necessary for a return. Risks are necessary for a return. Yes, a true idol can¡¯t just be strong. She needs a weaker side that you feel like she¡¯s only letting you see! Pull that off and it becomes the greatest rocket fuel toward stardom!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Lendy may have seen war as nothing more than a way to advertise her idol. Frolaytia began to wonder if she had only joined Together By Chance because ending the world war was the most heroic option.


    But there was something else written in tiny letters at the very edge of the whiteboard.


    * The Legitimacy Kingdom would make a good sacrificial pawn¡î


    Frolaytia finally grabbed the heavily-breathing woman by the collar.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!! Don¡¯t you dare write that with all those cutesy decorations!!!¡±


    Part 9


    The Baby Magnum and the Rush needed to gather information and come up with a new plan fast. They were the ones being exposed to enemy fire after all.


    Time didn¡¯t actually stop when the unexpected happened.


    In her cockpit, the Princess glared at the unbelievable sight through her special goggles.


    ¡°How is it still operational!?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Could it have another reactor attached elsewhere?¡±


    That couldn¡¯t be.


    Even a bare reactor was 10m across. There was no way it could be hidden in the main cannon or propulsion device. There would be an obvious bulge there if it was. That was how it had worked with the Extra Arc.


    They were making some kind of fundamental misunderstanding.


    And if they didn¡¯t figure it out fast, they would be in serious trouble.


    ¡°This one looks stronger than the Lizard Tail, so we need to find a solution fast. But it sounds like the important people like Frolaytia and Lendy aren¡¯t going to be much help here.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    She had forgotten to switch off her radio, but she didn¡¯t have time to worry about those complaints.


    The Princess nodded with a completely serious look on her face.


    ¡°Help me, Quenser. I¡¯m scared.¡±


    ¡°Hey, no fair!! What kind of puppy dog voice was that!?¡±


    They were up against an immortal Object they couldn¡¯t seem to destroy and a laser fortress gun accurately firing from Mount Fuji¡¯s summit.


    When she explained the situation over the radio, Quenser Barbotage responded with exasperation in his voice.


    ¡°So you have two problems: you don¡¯t know where the Asian Monster¡¯s reactor is located and there¡¯s a laser fortress gun using an absurd amount of energy on Mount Fuji¡¯s summit. Sounds simple enough to me. So, Princess, what is the surrounding EM situation like? Have you encountered any radar or communication interference? Like a bit of static or a drop in transmission speed?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it isn¡¯t on the level of jamming. The Island Nation is desperate, so aren¡¯t they sending all their radars out from Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it at all.¡± He fully rejected her idea and gave the real answer. ¡°It¡¯s wireless power transfer. And the communication interference confirms the medium they¡¯re using is EM. Simply put, the reactor is located up on Mount Fuji and the naval Object is running off of the power sent from there. We thought it was waiting for you out in the middle of Tokyo Bay because fighting in the complex urban area is tricky - and I¡¯m sure that is part of it - but all the buildings would get in the way of the EM waves while the open ocean doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. But it rose from below the surface at the start of the battle. EM waves have trouble penetrating water. That¡¯s why sonar is used instead of radar.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably why it uses an air cushion. The initial surfacing action was just it using its floats. It only started receiving the wireless power after reaching the surface. ¡­The 400mm railguns on the artillery islands didn¡¯t have reactors either. Heivia guessed they used an undersea cable, but they didn¡¯t need to. It was all EM.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And if the Object isn¡¯t acting scared after you¡¯ve given it such a beating, I doubt the cockpit is there either. But drone-style remote control signals are pretty distinctive, so you would have picked those up by now. It may use a form of human body communication instead.¡±


    ¡°Human body?¡±


    ¡°The body is mostly water, so it conducts electricity. Human body communication uses that fact to send and receive data using the body in place of an antenna or wire. The idea is to keep the data inside an implanted chip or a wristwatch and have it sent when two people shake hands or something. That way the signal can¡¯t be intercepted by a third party. ¡­Isn¡¯t that perfect for this? Tokyo Bay is full of salt water, so if you wanted to, you could send electrical signals through it and control the Object floating in it.¡±


    Simply put¡­


    ¡°The Object¡¯s true identity is Tokyo Bay itself. The Pilot Elite¡¯s nerves reach every part of that ocean, so what looks like a clean hit doesn¡¯t really matter. Even when it reacts like it¡¯s hurt, that¡¯s just an act like the bit parts in a samurai movie who have to be ¡®safely cut down¡¯ by the samurai¡¯s sword. You¡¯ll never deliver a finishing blow to the Asian Monster if you fight normally and strike where you think will work. But now that you know the trick, you have nothing to fear. Existing tech gives you plenty of ways to scatter and attenuate the EM waves and the electrical signals in the ocean. Wars aren¡¯t won by clever tricks. Show this monster just how frightening the fundamentals can be, Princess. You can win this.¡±


    Part 10


    After removing the radio from his mouth, Quenser stared off into the distance.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the job I should¡¯ve been doing all along. Why am I even on this mission?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to spend time with me, big brother?¡± asked his sweaty sister with a glare.


    But as much as the blonde braid girl put her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks, she still had a lot of growing to do and lacked the seduction skills needed to draw that idiot¡¯s attention.


    After escaping the burning Ichigaya garrison, they had removed the powered suits. The armor had done the job, but those weren¡¯t specialized firefighting gear. The overheat alarm had been beeping at them the entire time, so they hadn¡¯t been comfortable staying in them longer than necessary. Staying at the site of the fire would have cooked them alive in those oversized foil wrappings.


    Azumaya.


    They had names and faces to search for now, so they wouldn¡¯t have to shoot all of the PMC soldiers here in Ichigaya. Well, they would unfortunately still have to silence those soldiers if they resisted.


    Just as Quenser was thinking that, he heard some heavy tires tearing at the ground.


    It was an eight-wheeled¡­something. The hunk of metal was about the size of a large fire truck, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a black armored truck. It appeared to have a boxy silhouette at first, but it actually had a folded-up crane arm on the back.


    ¡°That¡¯s an armored recovery vehicle!!¡± shouted Wraith Martini Vermouthspray, eyes wide.


    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s a what???¡±


    That was apparently a type of military vehicle. Quenser wasn¡¯t sure what it meant, but it didn¡¯t particularly matter right now. He could only think of four people who would try to escape in the confusion right now. Unlike an ordinary bus or van, it had no rear windows, but Quenser still glimpsed the young man in the driver¡¯s seat.


    That was Caines Ambrosia, one of the Azumaya members in the data they had extracted. Quenser had also glimpsed some other people inside.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting away!!¡±


    ¡°This sounds like a job for us.¡±


    An armored truck started forward.


    Most of the potatoes had come here on foot, so they didn¡¯t have many vehicles available for a car chase.


    When the Martini triplets¡¯ truck passed by, Quenser grabbed onto the side. The tank-style continuous track seemed like it would be slow, but the truck could actually move at highway speeds.


    ¡°Big brother!!¡±


    ¡°You stay there, Catherine!!¡±


    ¡°Your clothes will get caught in the track! Climb up on top!!¡±


    His stepsister cutely formed a megaphone with her hands to give him some very helpful advice that made his balls shrivel in fear. He was now intensely aware of the track grinding away as loudly as a chainsaw. He was dead if he didn¡¯t obey her and fast.


    He found Heivia had climbed atop the truck from the other side. When their eyes met, the idiots exchanged a greeting.


    ¡°Wanted to be a part of ending this mess?¡± asked Quenser.


    ¡°Nah, I just don¡¯t trust those triplets,¡± said Heivia. ¡°Who knows what they¡¯ll do once we¡¯re not watching.¡±


    That was the way of things in a messy war.


    The elevated highways had already been destroyed by the Island Nation, so the vehicle the size of a large tour bus was trying to escape along the labyrinthine collection of ordinary roads. It couldn¡¯t quite make the turns, ignored the lights, and covered both sides of the road. That was all necessitated by its size, but it still felt like too much.


    ¡°Yikes. Am I imagining things or is the rubble burning over there?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t the explosives. There was a parking lot below the highway and the crushed cars would have been full of gas. That could explode at any time.¡±


    Anyone who would have been out this late was staying indoors due to the war, but they would have run over quite a few people in just a few minutes otherwise.


    Heivia checked the blue sign hanging over the road as the wind whipped at him.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re headed west. They aren¡¯t driving all the way to Mount Fuji, are they? Come to think of it, that laser fortress gun is still up there, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Are they trying to get help from whoever¡¯s at the summit? Or they could be trying to lose us in Aokigahara forest at the foot of the mountain. The thick forest creates a tunnel that satellites can¡¯t see through and I¡¯ve heard compasses malfunction in there too. Not to mention the self-defense PMC has a largescale training camp at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    Simply put, they needed to take those four out before they left Tokyo.


    Together By Chance¡¯s two Objects were in Tokyo Bay and Quenser¡¯s group did not want to get too far away from their Objects in the unfamiliar Island Nation.


    The Martini triplets used their radio to speak to them from within the truck.


    ¡°If we know they¡¯re the villains, we can just kill them now, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Wraith,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°It would be best to leave one of them alive for a court martial, but the documents and data we have acquired is enough to prove their murder exchange and that they started the world war through Bad Garage. Think of taking one alive as a bonus. Now get firing.¡±


    ¡°You heard the lady.¡±


    With the hum of a heavy motor, the gun on the roof slowly turned. It was a lot slimmer than a tank¡¯s gun, but a 40mm autocannon still had more than three times the caliber of an anti-materiel rifle. A spray of bullets from that could tear someone apart along with the thick reinforced concrete wall they were hiding behind.


    Two seconds before it started firing, something hopped up from the ground.


    It came from the armored recovery vehicle. It was basically a large tow truck used to tow destroyed military vehicles and missile launchers from the battlefield. The wire had been released and the J-shaped hook that resembled a monstrous fishing hook had had bounced off the asphalt.


    Orange sparks flew while the wild hook soared toward the Martini triplets¡¯ truck. It crashed into the side of the autocannon barrel that was a bit thicker than a construction pipe.


    The 25ton truck slid diagonally from the hit.


    Quenser clenched his teeth and clung to the roof before shouting about what he had noticed.


    ¡°Stop!! Do not fire!!¡±


    ¡°Eh? Why not?¡± asked the triplets.


    ¡°The barrel is bent. Fire now and you¡¯ll blow us up!!¡±


    The truck had no device to detect a bent barrel with laser reflection, probably because the reflectors would get wet whenever the amphibious vehicle went in the water.


    With more heavy clangs and crashes, the thick wire and metal hook flew into the air again. It was like a morning star used to crush a knight¡¯s helmet. Quenser would be helpless to stop it if it happened to fly toward his head. And if it caught the edge of the truck, the entire truck would probably be thrown around.


    Their only remaining weapons were the 12.7mm heavy machinegun attached near the hatch and the 81mm mortar forcibly attached at the rear.


    Heivia slid back across the roof to get at the more difficult mortar.


    ¡°I doubt I can hit a moving target with this, but I can give you a shot if it lands in front of them and forces them to slam the brakes. Quenser! You aim for their ass with that machinegun! Just get it aimed and pull the trigger when the time comes! It¡¯s fixed to the roof, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the recoil!!¡±


    When Quenser hesitated uncertainly, the nearby hatch burst open and triplets in red parade uniforms crawled out from between his legs while he sat on the roof.


    Alisa Martini Sweet.


    Rica Martini Medium.


    Orsia Martini Dry.


    They moved more like a single sea anemone than individual sisters. Quenser could only tell them apart by their hair styles and chest sizes.


    ¡°What are you doing? Hurry it up.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do you not know how to use it?¡±


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll show you how it¡¯s done. First, hold this like this.¡±


    They were all over him a moment later. If they were going to lean against him and move his arms for him, why couldn¡¯t they just operate the gun themselves!?


    Meanwhile, Heivia was shedding tears of blood.


    ¡°Why is it always him!!!???¡±


    Also, hadn¡¯t Catherine mentioned in her journal that she liked how he didn¡¯t use guns?


    Alisa Martini Sweet licked her lips and blew a breath in Quenser¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Now, just move this like this and you can shoot out all of that hot stuff built up deep inside¡î¡±


    ¡°Um, um, wait. I made a promise to innocent Catherine. Stop! I can¡¯t betray a 12-year-old like this! No, I can¡¯t stop iiiiit!!¡±


    The 12.7mm bullets showed a complete lack of stamina by shooting out in full-auto mode at the lightest of touches. Sparks blossomed from the asphalt to the left of the armored recovery vehicle, so Orsia Martini Dry¡¯s slender hand grabbed the long, thick shaft and yanked it to the side. The full-auto bullets formed a line like a sewing machine that finally found its target.


    The bullets tore through thick metal and sent orange sparks flying. The flying wire thicker than a thumb was severed and the metal hook bigger than Quenser¡¯s head flew toward them.


    Terrified, Quenser accidentally buried his face in the boobs of one of the triplets.


    ¡°Watch ou- mgh!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my¡î¡±


    ¡°(Medium, do you really think he¡¯s going to notice we¡¯re trying to make him jealous when he has his hands full driving?)¡±


    ¡°(He¡¯s as dense as they come, so I seriously doubt it. But it¡¯s his clueless and harmless side we fell for, so it¡¯s not like we can complain.)¡±


    The triplets were smiling darkly about something, but Quenser had bigger things to worry about.


    A few of the heavy machinegun¡¯s bullets had hit eight-wheeled armored recovery vehicle, but it was still running. Just like a fire truck or crane, its special equipment doubled as thick armor. Think of it like a dump truck full of gravel. That wouldn¡¯t matter if they could fire directly to the front or side of the driver¡¯s compartment, but it was hard to do serious damage when firing from the rear.


    A light flashed in the night sky.


    By the time he noticed that, a powerful laser beam had already sliced through the darkness and torn through Sendagaya. The luxury apartment buildings alongside the road glowed orange after being melted through.


    ¡°Damn them!¡±


    ¡°Are they twisting around in that shaking vehicle to use a binoculars-style handheld targeting device? I don¡¯t see any other way an anti-air optical weapon would miss a moving truck like that.¡±


    Quenser was boiling with anger, but the Martini sister supporting his face with her boobs kept her cool. And once he extracted his face from those soft cushions, he noticed something else.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Quenser was forced to look back to get a second look at the destruction alongside the road.


    ¡°Those aren¡¯t office buildings. They¡¯re apartments where people live. But I didn¡¯t hear any screams as they collapsed and I don¡¯t see any bodies among the rubble.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably empty.¡±


    But why?


    He could understand an office building or department store being empty in the middle of the night, but it didn¡¯t make sense for apartments. Those were people¡¯s homes, so they should have been there sleeping at this hour.


    (Have they already completed a largescale evacuation of all the residents? No, we caught the self-defense PMC by surprise, so they barely had time to get their railway gun set up. I doubt they would have had time to think about anything other than defense.)


    But now was not the time to worry about this mystery of Island Nation culture.


    He noticed a few signs for musical instrument stores and live music venues before they drove past a blue road sign saying Shinjuku. A distinctive building shaped like a rugby ball standing on end was visible in the distance. They also passed by the wreckage of an elevated railroad. Heivia gave a shout when he noticed.


    ¡°We¡¯ve moved outside the Yamanote Line loop!? How far are we from the ocean now? We can¡¯t move any further from Tokyo Bay. Nothing good comes from leaving your Object in enemy territory!!¡±


    This was never going to end at this rate.


    The buildings rapidly grew smaller and more closely packed after they crossed the Yamanote Line. That meant the layout of the roads would get more complicated as well. Only so many routes were accessible to the large armored recovery vehicle and armored truck, but Quenser¡¯s group was still worried they would lose sight of the enemy at any moment.


    That was when new instructions arrived over their radio.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to ground team. We finally neutralized Haneda Air Base¡¯s ability to get aircraft in the air, so we can provide you with air support. You just want to stop that vehicle in front of you, right? I can take care of that before you leave Shinjuku. I¡¯ll give you a countdown, so prepare for a bumpy ride.¡±


    The unique silhouette of a Zig-27 fighter flew in from out ahead with an aerial bomb already detached from its main wing. Instead of hitting the fleeing armored recovery vehicle itself, it blew up the road ahead to keep the vehicle from continuing.


    ¡°That¡¯s a hit.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the countdown!?¡±


    To Quenser, the noise felt more like being hit by an invisible wall.


    Even with its continuous tracks holding tightly to the road, their truck slid to the side. An expanding gray cloud of dust rushed in at them from the front.


    That filthy screen blocked their view of the armored recovery vehicle up ahead.


    But that wasn¡¯t their biggest problem.


    As the armored truck regained its balance and continued on ahead, it suddenly broke free of gravity.


    Or rather, it fell into a large hole opened by the aerial bomb.


    The actual fear crawled up Quenser¡¯s spine after they were already falling. He clung to one of the triplets¡¯ waists and buried his face in her boobs again.


    ¡°An underground¡­space!?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you bite your tongue when we land, but I have to admit I¡¯d be mad if you bit my nipple off, okay?¡±


    Part 11


    A distinctive delta wing fighter cut across Tokyo Bay late at night. That was Burning Alpha¡¯s S/G-31. The enemy Object was still functional and the anti-air laser continued to fire from Mount Fuji¡¯s peak, but the ace pilots¡¯ dance continued unabated.


    The fighter flew above the Baby Magnum and radioed a report and a suggestion to the Pilot Elite.


    ¡°Burning Alpha to naval team. We liquefied all of Haneda¡¯s runways, so nothing is getting off the ground there. We¡¯re switching our objective to supporting you.¡±


    ¡°Burning Alpha, the Asian Monster is using EM-based wireless power transfer. Do you have any ideas how we can prevent that!?¡±


    ¡°This¡¯ll be the easiest commendation I¡¯ve ever earned.¡±


    The delta wing fighter reduced altitude and flew between the Baby Magnum and the Rush at supersonic speed while dropping something. What looked like glittering confetti was the chaff normally used as a missile countermeasure.


    The metal foil spread through the air would scatter the EM waves used for radar.


    However¡­


    ¡°Th-the output levels we¡¯re talking about are on another level entirely! Oh ho ho. I doubt that can block energy on the level of a power plant!!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting it to. This is the Age of Objects, isn¡¯t it? You two aim your main cannons at the ocean. Fire on the surface and you¡¯ll create pillars of chaff-filled seawater!!¡±


    The Princess¡¯s low-stability plasma cannon and Oh Ho Ho¡¯s rapid-fire beam Gatling cannon produced deafening booms.


    The instant their shots contacted the dark ocean surface, they produced a loud sizzling sound. But that was not just a steam explosion from the seawater. It included a lot of the chaff Burning Alpha had distributed beforehand.


    It all transformed into a hot spray.


    That coated the Asian Monster¡¯s surface, making it shine like a mirror¡¯s silver coating.


    And what happened next?


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The Asian Monster¡¯s fierce movements clearly slowed. The wireless power coming from the mountaintop could be blocked if its EM receptors were given a metal coating not even a millimeter thick.


    ¡°But this won¡¯t stop it for long. This is far from a perfect solution. Young lady, does it have any other weaknesses!? Or is the wireless power all we¡¯ve got!?¡±


    ¡°U-um, Quenser said it uses something called human body communication. The ocean surface itself is used to send it electrical signals to remotely control it.¡±


    Lendy Farolito cut in, pounding excitedly on something. Maybe a combat information center console and maybe a whiteboard.


    ¡°Then move your Objects around to stir up the seawater!! Make a circle with a diameter of greater than 100m and you can win!! This part is crucial!!!!!!¡±


    They complied on reflex.


    The Baby Magnum and the Rush repeatedly swapped positions. It looked like they were ballroom dancing, but their naval floats were rotating the seawater like a washing machine.


    Sending a faint electric current through the water meant there would be some magnetism there too. And it was a known fact that rotating a fluid containing a magnetic field would generate electricity. For example, it was theorized the earth¡¯s geomagnetic field was produced by the planet¡¯s own rotation turning the magma deep below the surface and its own core into a massive generator.


    This was the same.


    They already had the information they needed. The Asian Monster communicated with electric signals passed through the ocean just like similar signals passed through the human body. Changing the direction of the existing electricity and giving it a rotation would create a new electromagnetic field.


    And as weak as that might be, it would still interfere with the electrical signals.


    The Asian Monster stopped moving altogether.


    The error lasted less than a second.


    But Burning Alpha¡¯s delta wing fighter passed right by the colossal weapon in that moment. The laser fortress gun atop Mount Fuji was still active. It might try to shoot down the interfering aircraft now that the situation had changed.


    In fact, Burning Alpha had goaded it into doing just that.


    ¡°Go to hell smeared in your own sh*t, you freak.¡±


    After that rude declaration of victory, the enormous laser fortress gun¡¯s thoughtless shot missed the fighter and pierced the Asian Monster.


    Part 12


    How many meters did they actually drop?


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    When Quenser came to, he found himself on his back. He had been clinging to one of the Martini sisters last he remembered, but none of them were around. He noticed a scorching smell and found the armored truck lying on its side.


    He was below Shinjuku.


    The vast space was encased in concrete.


    There were lights, but not nearly enough. A tunnel-like darkness remained.


    Containers were piled up like this was a supply warehouse, but the space was larger than a soccer field.


    Yes, this was simply a space. It wasn¡¯t a subway tunnel or a highway. It wasn¡¯t a route leading somewhere. It felt more like a public facility of some kind. He shook his heavy head and slowly got up while guessing this was a common utility duct used to manage rainwater, power cables, and more.


    A handgun he didn¡¯t recognize lay nearby.


    He silently picked it up and walked onward. The armored recovery vehicle they had been pursuing was stopped a short distance away. Its eight wheels were on the ground, but the driver¡¯s compartment was half scrapped after crashing into a concrete wall.


    Someone was groaning below the passenger side door.


    She was a blonde-haired brown-skinned girl of about 15. That would make her Daria Weddingbell of the Faith Organization.


    She was part of Azumaya.


    She was one of the villains who had started a world war for their own benefit. The shock of falling underground must not have killed her, but she appeared to have severe internal injuries. Quenser slowly approached from head on, but she didn¡¯t even have the strength to ready a gun or knife.


    If not for her¡­


    If not for that piece of sh*t, that boy and his mother would still be¡­


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    He immediately fired a shot into the center of her body.


    He didn¡¯t care if he was violating the rules. She continued groaning even after collapsing into a pool of her own blood, so he fired another shot into her head at close range. That fully silenced her.


    Immediately afterwards, a scorching bullet tore through the air from a different angle.


    It hit Quenser, knocking him to the side. Someone else was lurking in the shadows here. When the younger girl had said ¡°you¡±, she may not have been talking to Quenser.


    Had she been cursing this other person for using her as bait?


    The four members of Azumaya had used the confusion to escape Ichigaya together, but that didn¡¯t mean they were good buddies. It was damage to the Faith Organization alone that had led to the start of the world war which had made the strength of the world powers crumble, so they may have been at each other¡¯s throats already.


    ¡°Ha. Ha ha. I¡¯m not dying here.¡±


    ¡°¡­Azumaya.¡±


    This one was an Asian man of around forty.


    He was probably Fong-Lan Greendevil.


    ¡°I will do whatever it takes to survive. It¡¯s not like this world is worth protecting anyway!!¡±


    Quenser had still not let go of his gun. His muscles may have locked up while he gripped it in his overexcited state.


    He held the gun out while collapsed on his side.


    But the man was faster.


    A dry gunshot echoed through the enclosed underground space.


    Quenser was untrained and his hand was trembling, so his shot missed. It hit the wall, sending orange sparks flying.


    But the Azumaya man, Fong-Lan, didn¡¯t hit either.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The global villain had a final question on his lips as he doubled over and collapsed to the filthy floor. The man had sacrificed his comrade to survive, but his fate was a swift one.


    There was someone else here.


    That was the answer to his question.


    ¡°Are you alive, boy?¡±


    That someone else wore a Legitimacy Kingdom uniform.


    But Quenser had never seen him before. His smile did nothing to put Quenser at ease. But the last time Quenser had seen this man, he had already used plastic surgery to alter the face he was born with.


    He could only think of one person this could be.


    ¡°Are you¡­Nyarlathotep?¡±


    ¡°That name holds no meaning,¡± said the faceless man.


    He was a monster in a different way from the Objects.


    He had started out as a Capitalist Corporations spy, but he had refused to forgive the society that stole his family and birthplace from him and become a true ¡°evil god¡± who had assassinated a 7th Core CEO all on his own.


    ¡°If you can ask a question like that, you must not be bleeding too badly. Something in your survival kit pouch must have stopped the bullet. Your gear will be a mess, but it¡¯s better than dying.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I never intended to show my face again, but the current age demanded it. And I think I¡¯ll repay it by tearing down this world war.¡±


    When had he infiltrated the 37th? Come to think of it, hadn¡¯t someone Quenser didn¡¯t recognize pulled him out from below the rubble after the plasma strike on Charles de Gaulle Airport?


    He heard some movement.


    From deeper in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    They opened the door to find stairs leading down.


    Their eyes met someone else¡¯s when they took a look down the metal stairway. Quenser and Nyarlathotep fired simultaneously.


    The third Azumaya member was holding something, but she could only shoot one person at a time. One of the two bullets hit the woman, knocking her back against the wall where she slid to the floor with a red stain growing around her.


    Quenser remained standing.


    Nyarlathotep had fallen to the floor and stopped moving.


    There was nothing special about it.


    No matter how long he had remained undercover and no matter how much he acted like it was a piece of cake, a single bullet was all it took in a real war. The same conditions applied to Quenser as well.


    But Quenser would almost certainly have died without him here.


    ¡°Nyarlat-¡±


    ¡°You moron!! This is Yog-Sothoth!! The last one is still alive and unfortunately you¡¯re the only one still capable of doing anything about it!! So go!! End this world war!!¡±


    The voice of an elusive female hacker came from the phone in Nyarlathotep¡¯s pocket. She would have been the one who gave him the electronic ID he needed to infiltrate the Legitimacy Kingdom military.


    Quenser didn¡¯t have time to be sentimental.


    There was only one left.


    He had no one left to rely on. From here on, it would be one-on-one.


    He would stop them, no matter what.


    (Wait just a little longer, Carat.)


    ¡°Caines Ambrosia.¡±


    He was the bastard who had come to the Island Nation from the Legitimacy Kingdom.


    Quenser had four rounds left in his gun. Killing this man would eliminate the Azumaya group that had taken root in the Island Nation. That would prevent him from attempting the same thing again.


    Quenser pictured the hemispherical prosthetic eye lying on that roof.


    And he recalled the message inside the amulet: Good luck, mom.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At the bottom of the metal stairs, found a door leading to a small chamber and another door. That was to keep people from tracking dirt inside and to keep even small amounts of dust from blowing in with the air as the door opened and closed. It was a common feature at semiconductor plants. He passed through both doors.


    On the other side, he found bright lights and a model roller coaster filling a vast space.


    The automated factory had a great number of test tubes traveling along conveyer belts arranged in all three directions. Some kind of thick, clear jelly filled the bottom few centimeters of the tubes, but he had no idea what the factory was meant to do.


    ¡°Those are sperm and ova.¡±


    Quenser wordlessly spun around and aimed his gun toward the sudden voice, but that spot was already deserted. A young man¡¯s voice came from behind a metal box larger than a refrigerator. It may have been a control panel of some kind.


    That was Caines.


    The final member of Azumaya and the bastard who had started the world war.


    No one would have suffered without him.


    ¡°The Island Nationers are created here. They labor away, follow the government¡¯s recommendations even in how they use their days off, and make sure to pay their taxes - all without questioning any of it. You should have noticed something off about things on the surface.¡±


    ¡°The apartments you blew up were empty even late at night. And again, those were apartments, not office buildings.¡±


    ¡°The civilian evacuation happened awfully quickly for how unexpected your attack was. You didn¡¯t see anyone out on the streets or a single abandoned civilian vehicle, did you?¡±


    Quenser slowly circled behind the piece of machinery with deadly gun in hand, but there was no one there.


    Caines Ambrosia¡¯s voice came from a second-floor walkway overhead. There weren¡¯t any stairs nearby, so what had he used to climb up?


    ¡°They didn¡¯t disappear - they weren¡¯t there to begin with. The country¡¯s poor birthrate has caused the population to fall to critical levels over the past decade. Maybe 20% of residences are occupied anymore. Really, the mystery is how they built up such large cities in the first place. Do you know the Island Nation¡¯s food self-sufficiency rate? Even with ample ocean resources, the place couldn¡¯t support itself without importing a lot of food if all of those windows really did have people living behind them.¡±


    That was why the place was full of empty homes like a city set up for a movie shoot.


    That was how they had continued on with the resource and food consumption rates dwindling.


    That was why the world powers no longer considered the Island Nation a threat.


    Eventually, the resource and food consumption rates would drop to zero. The country would destroy itself on its own, so why bother fighting it? This was the trick to turning that around.


    The real population of Island Nationers could be massive.


    There could a hundred million of them, if not a billion.


    They were mass-producing humans to bolster their national strength without anyone the wiser. If you could create humans like that, you could build factories for other kinds of meat as well. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, chemically-created jellies and supplements could be made.


    It was all meaningless of course.


    It was an empty trick created to cling to their pride. They didn¡¯t want to grow old and die off, so they were using their precious technology to fool the rest of the world.


    Quenser Barbotage thought carefully and aimed his handgun straight up.


    ¡°So what?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the Island Nation¡¯s crisis or contradictions. Don¡¯t dodge the issue, Caines. You¡¯re part of Azumaya. You aren¡¯t an Island Nationer; you¡¯re one of the coordinators sent in from one of the world powers. You don¡¯t really care if this nation of modified Asian DNA crumbles - you just want to use it to escape.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t really deny that one.¡±


    ¡°Why did you start the world war? War profiteering? But if that¡¯s all, you could have lived the high life using the clean wars just as well.¡±


    ¡°I removed the hindrances,¡± said the young man. ¡°Each of the world powers has its own problems just like the Island Nation. And those distortions are concentrated at the very top of the four pyramids. Did you know about this? Bloodline and history are everything to your Legitimacy Kingdom. You might think that means the royals and nobles there are lionized, but that¡¯s not actually true.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Ever heard of the Caesar Project? That isn¡¯t a specific name - it¡¯s just a catchall term for all the titles like Kaiser and Tsar. Not that I expect you to have heard of it since you need to be at least a major general for that. And in fact, no one in the military even get to know what it entails. The real leaders of your Legitimacy Kingdom are sperm and ova. They¡¯re being automatically crossbred in a shelter deep below the home country even as we speak. The calculations apparently said the 59th generation of crossbreeding was the earliest that the process could create the ideal ruler, but they are apparently in the middle of around 176 generations of detours to reduce or neutralize hereditary diseases.¡±


    The young man continued with amusement in his voice.


    ¡°The Body File saying the Legitimacy Kingdom is fighting wars to gather the rare herbs and minerals needed for the frail royals and nobles is secretly a way of gathering materials for the Caesar Project. The nobles are all catalogued and the commoners are only allowed to live as sources of highly-randomized genes. Did you realize what it was you were kneeling to? If you¡¯re fine with bowing your head to a smelly refrigerated pool sprinkled with pubic hairs and if you¡¯re fine being no more than a faucet that provides all the white goo your superiors demand, then feel free to turn around and go home.¡±


    Quenser heard an electronic beeping.


    Was it coming from Caines Ambrosia¡¯s pocket?


    Whatever it signified, he laughed quietly before continuing.


    ¡°That means the bomb sent by the Faith Organization has blown away Caesar. The gilded test tube has been shattered and the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s idol is no more.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a real tragedy what happened to the Faith Organization. With Rome sunk, its people have finally realized that relying on charismatic religious leaders does not actually protect you from bullets. The alchemy holding together the Capitalist Corporations¡¯ 7th Core is in fact a financial calculations computer designed for computing life insurance. To them, human life isn¡¯t even something to preserve. It is a resource to be either sold off or consumed as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately for them, the incalculable world war caused such violent fluctuations that the 7th Core companies are filing for bankruptcy left and right. ¡­The current world is ending. Anyone should have seen that from the very beginning. This was never about the disasters brought by Objects or what the Island Nation did to avoid its slow demise. Our world was broken in a more fundamental way from the word go.¡±


    The world powers were like the four legs of a table.


    If just one of them broke, the table would be tilted.


    But what if all four were broken? Then they would reach a new stability after the catastrophic fall.


    Quenser Barbotage had considered that a bit himself.


    And he had arrived at an answer.


    He did not hesitate to fire straight up.


    Something wobbled, tumbled over the walkway railing, and dropped down.


    Quenser aimed his gun at collapsed Caines.


    ¡°Everything about this stinks.¡±


    ¡°Kah¡­ah.¡±


    ¡°You said you needed to reach the rank of major general to have even heard of the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Caesar Project and no one in the military knows what it entails, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    The boy¡¯s expression was unchanged.


    No matter how disgusted he was, he couldn¡¯t just ignore that long-ass speech.


    ¡°Then how did the coordinators of Azumaya learn about it?¡± His tone was icy. ¡°How would a member of the military like you know a secret no one in the military knows about? Did you think it was a coincidence? Did you think you were just so clever you were the only exception? Not a chance. No one can keep a secret like that if there¡¯s a loophole someone like you could exploit.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The man must have realized the truth.


    But it was too late now.


    ¡°How did you learn about it? That¡¯ll tell you who was really behind it all. You were only being fed information like so many others.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Quenser aimed for the center of the head and pulled the trigger multiple times, permanently silencing the poor young man.


    Now he was out of ammo.


    He tossed the empty handgun aside.


    He didn¡¯t need to hear the answer from the man because he had already arrived at it himself.


    It all came down to paying attention to what Caines Ambrosia had said.


    The top of the Legitimacy Kingdom, the Caesar Project, had been blown up with a bomb.


    The top of the Capitalist Corporations, 7th Core, was being driven to bankruptcy.


    The top of the Faith Organization, their religious leaders, had disappointed the people and lost their charisma.


    But what about the Information Alliance?


    The massive AI network that ruled over all people and things in that world power was the sole survivor of this world war. More than that, it was entirely untouched.


    The human factory shook violently around Quenser. An error must have been detected because the many conveyer belts carrying the test tubes came to a stop and the lights switched to red.


    It didn¡¯t matter how far he was from Tokyo Bay or that he was deep underground.


    A normal Object never could have done that. Something so massive was approaching that it required a 200 thousand ton Object that cost 5 billion dollars to be qualified as ¡°normal¡±.


    He could only think of one option.


    ¡°That damn thing.¡±


    Part 13


    There was no applause.


    No one got to work analyzing who deserved how much credit for the Asian Monster¡¯s destruction. They had even forgotten about the presence of the laser fortress gun atop Mount Fuji.


    Everyone had noticed the appearance of a much more dangerous enemy on the battlefield.


    And this may have been an enemy of the Island Nation as well as the Princess and Oh Ho Ho.


    ¡°Th-there¡¯s something there.¡± The operator paled inside the combat information center. ¡°It¡¯s 20km long? I don¡¯t believe it. This isn¡¯t a megafloat airport. It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s an Object!!¡±


    Frolaytia and Lendy both watched in silence.


    Only after working up the nerve did they quietly speak.


    ¡°Hey, that toy belongs to your people, doesn¡¯t it? Got any information on it?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t from my department. I might be able to find some small loophole or trick to use, but do you really think I have the detailed plans for that thing?¡±


    Tokyo Bay was completely sealed off by something rising from the ocean to the south.


    The culprit was more than 20km long. With it stationed at the narrow entrance to the bay, it physically blocked the way out to the open ocean, no need for cannons at all.


    That was the Information Alliance¡¯s strongest Object and its home country.


    That was the Manhattan 000.


    ¡°Ah ha ha.¡±


    Melly Martini Extradry.


    #29 of the genius girl project.


    The blonde-haired brown-skinned girl had her butt inside a large swim ring and wore VR goggles upside down while gently speaking toward the notebook-sized video game system she held.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s extract the rest of the world¡¯s pus. 819. I lend the Manhattan 000 to you, Capulet. I¡¯ll just make any necessary corrections¡î¡±

 Volume 20, 6: –––––––Determination––––––– >> Mission to Rescue the Entire Earth

    Volume 20, Chapter 6: -------Determination------- ]] Mission to Rescue the Entire Earth


    Part 1


    It was 4 AM.


    Some might call that early morning instead of late night, but it was still too soon for dawn.


    Nevertheless, an excessively bright and large explosion at the peak of Mount Fuji swept away all the darkness.


    ¡°Laser fortress gun is confirmed destroyed and Mount Fuji¡¯s height has been reduced by more than 2m!! That was the Manhattan¡¯s electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon recorded in our previous battle report. It uses a giant railgun to launch a JPlevelMHD reactor that blows away its target with a blast of tens of thousands of degrees Celsius over dozens of kilometers. The center reaches a temperature of¡­100 million? M-Mount Fuji¡¯s surface has been glassed by the high temperature!!!!!!¡±


    The cruiser operator¡¯s shouted report explained the highly unusual mountaintop sunrise they had witnessed.


    The entire ship rattled and the inertial force nearly tossed the crew to the side thanks to the rapid atmospheric disturbance producing an artificial storm with a massive pressure difference. Frolaytia braced herself against the sideways movement of the ship and checked the monitor to see several unusual streaks of light near the mountain summit. Unnatural lightning had to be striking there.


    This Object¡¯s range and power were both off the charts. If one of those was dropped into Tokyo Bay, the entire Together By Chance fleet could be wiped out. And the Manhattan could do more than just that.


    That was just one of the many cards in its deck.


    It had positioned its 20km self in the only exit from the bay, so it was not going to let them escape.


    Frolaytia toyed with her kiseru.


    ¡°The Capulet AI network and the Juliet that manages the Rush are compatible, aren¡¯t they? Could your Pilot Elite stage a cyber attack against the Manhattan 000?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Gatling 033. And things are different from last time. There might be some online vulnerability in the Capulet, but it will have already been manually fixed. Generally speaking, cyber attacks are one-use things.¡±


    The question was why the Manhattan - no, the Information Alliance - wanted to fight here.


    Frolaytia Capistrano and Lendy Farolito listed off the possibilities together.


    ¡°Possibility 1: Some Together By Chance members came from the Information Alliance. This could be meant to purge those who disobeyed their orders and left the military¡­all in order to get them to obey the will of the world powers.¡±


    ¡°Possibility 2: They may also want to preserve the world war that has torn apart the world powers, so they want to eliminate Together By Chance since our goal is to end it.¡±


    Both options meant battle, but their position in that battle changed entirely. Did the Manhattan want to preserve the world powers or doom them? Unfortunately, either option made sense for the Manhattan. It would benefit greatly either way.


    A tense moment followed.


    Lendy Farolito used her chin to gesture toward the radio, so Frolaytia Capistrano accepted the transmission from the front lines with an exhalation of smoke.


    (Why do I always get stuck with the worst jobs? I bet this dumbass idol lover climbed the ranks by crushing her rivals under all the annoying work.)


    ¡°Listen.¡±


    ¡°Melly Martini Extradry? Did you bring the Manhattan all the way out here as a spokesperson for the Capulet?¡± asked Frolaytia.


    ¡°We have already achieved our goal in this world war. The Legitimacy Kingdom, Capitalist Corporations, and Faith Organization¡¯s social and mental support pillars have been destroyed. Thus, the old world powers paradigm no longer holds meaning. Lay down your arms. We have ended this war already. The Information Alliance has survived the world war as the only worthy power, so the time has come to rule the entire planet on our own.¡±


    (Has she completely fallen to the AI network? No, it¡¯s too soon to decide she¡¯s a Martini Series gone berserk. She is technically benefiting the Information Alliance as a whole here.)


    They had contacted Melly before, but she sounded like an entirely different person now. She was probably reading from a script, which also explained the lack of three digit numbers.


    Those numbers were apparently tags that helped her recall the memories later, so did that mean she didn¡¯t consider this worth committing to memory?


    Frolaytia bit the mouthpiece of her kiseru.


    She strongly told herself now was not the time to let her emotions show.


    (So it isn¡¯t even Possibility 2? She doesn¡¯t care what the rest of the world powers want. She isn¡¯t listening to anyone else!)


    Lendy erased all the text covering her whiteboard and added a new message in large black writing at the very center. She made certain not to make any noise as she did so.


    - The rest of the world powers mean nothing. Wants to end it with only IA surviving?


    - Using the world war.


    - Probably going around breaking pillars needed to support other world powers.


    Frolaytia nodded.


    That wasn¡¯t enough to take control of the conversation, but having someone else visualize the information helped organize her confused thoughts.


    Melly Martini Extradry continued speaking.


    ¡°The war is already over and we are merely declaring victory. Again I tell all surviving soldiers to lay down your arms. Obey any further instructions from us and await the restructuring. We do not wish for any unnecessary bloodshed. I repeat, as the new managers of this world, the Information Alliance does not wish for any unnecessary bloodshed.¡±


    The war was already over?


    What had happened in the rest of the world while Frolaytia and the others were fighting in the Island Nation?


    Had they been left behind by history like a soldier trembling in the deep jungle and cut off from all outside information?


    If the Legitimacy Kingdom no longer existed, could Frolaytia find a strong enough reason inside herself to continue fighting?


    But then¡­


    ¡°Now hold on there. If you really had us so thoroughly checkmated, you wouldn¡¯t need to come tell us all this, would you? It¡¯s pretty obvious you¡¯re bluffing and hoping we¡¯ll fold.¡±


    This didn¡¯t come from Frolaytia Capistrano or Melly Martini Extradry.


    It was Quenser Barbotage.


    Melly¡¯s self-centered announcement came to a stop, so it was possible the Martini Series and the Capulet were of split opinions.


    The ordinary boy¡¯s voice spoke over the radio again.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    He did not hesitate.


    He was part of the group that had gathered to end the world war.


    Frolaytia and Lendy were as well.


    ¡°Three of the table¡¯s legs have been broken. Leave it like that and maybe there is no stopping the world from collapsing. But there is one way left of restabilizing it. We stop using the legs. Maybe we¡¯ll nail it to the wall and maybe we¡¯ll suspend it from the ceiling, but we don¡¯t need you anymore.¡±


    So no one stopped him.


    No one could stop that battlefield student with no real authority of his own.


    And eventually¡­


    ¡°Are you saying you will kill us - 251 - and end the world war? Ah ha ha. The Manhattan 000 is no more than a tool. The Capulet and the Martini Series are only pieces of the AI network, so you haven¡¯t even seen the core of the Information Alliance for yourself.¡±


    There was more than tension in Melly¡¯s voice.


    There was also a strange elation that didn¡¯t fit the circumstances or her appearance.


    No one had noticed what was so wrong with the world, but now she had found the one person who had. Her young spine may have been tingling with excitement.


    ¡°Yeah, last time the Capulet AI Network said she was the camouflage used to hide the Information Alliance¡¯s true representatives.¡± Quenser punctuated that with a snort of laughter. ¡°I guess it would be mean of me to suspect those ¡®true representatives¡¯ don¡¯t really exist. But if they haven¡¯t shown themselves with all this going on, they might as well not exist. Maybe they¡¯re programmers or analysts, but I¡¯m betting they aren¡¯t the warfighting type. At the very least, they can¡¯t influence our field out here.¡±


    ¡°So - 979 - are you saying you can kill me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m shouting it. You apparently get off to walking around the camera-filled city in nothing but body paint, but courage and taking on greater risks don¡¯t actually increase your strength. Once the truth is out, you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll be in tears.¡±


    Thus, he wasn¡¯t interested in how deep the Information Alliance rabbit hole went.


    Quenser Barbotage wasn¡¯t going to let the information deceive him any longer. He was already facing the actual enemy he needed to defeat.


    And he made one final statement.


    ¡°Maybe the Capulet AI Network really doesn¡¯t have a center point. But I¡¯m the only one in the world who knows where to find your weak point - the breaker you intentionally had made. You¡¯re the one who taught me there that you¡¯re like a billboard and anyone who realizes the truth is given great riches to ensure their silence. Isn¡¯t that right, Capulet?¡±


    Part 2


    It was 4 in the morning at Tokyo Bay.


    The time had come to end the world war.


    Quenser Barbotage and the rest of Together By Chance¡¯s final target was history¡¯s largest Object, the Manhattan 000. If they could get through this, Quenser could shut off the only breaker for the massive Capulet AI Network that was trying to break free of the four world powers paradigm and rule the world with only the Information Alliance.


    They could no longer use their armored truck now that it had fallen into the underground space that was in truth a human factory used to support the Island Nation¡¯s population. Quenser and the others climbed back to the surface where they stole a civilian vehicle and drove back to Ichigaya. The fire must have never reached the ammo dump, so they took military vehicles from the garrison and returned to Tokyo Bay with that. They had 8-wheeled armored trucks, rocket launcher vehicles, and even actual tanks, but it all felt so inadequate.


    At 20km long, the Manhattan 000 was absurd even for an Object. Was there any amount of gear that would make them feel safe against that?


    ¡°The Anastasia Processor,¡± muttered Wraith Martini Vermouthspray aboard the military truck she rode with the taciturn young man.


    They drove toward the ocean.


    However, Quenser¡¯s group aboard an 8-wheeled armored truck was not taking the ordinary road back east along the Sobu-Chuo Line to reach Ariake or Odaiba. The Manhattan 000 was positioned at the southern entrance to Tokyo Bay, which meant it was near Kanagawa, at the Tokyo Bay exit of the Uraga Channel. Needless to say, heading out onto the open ocean would just get them blasted. They would leave those forceful tactics to the Baby Magnum and the Rush while they circled around to the rear.


    ¡°We¡¯re already in Yokohama,¡± said Heivia from the same armored truck¡¯s roof. ¡°Damn Island Nation isn¡¯t even putting up a resistance anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, all the bridges and overpasses are still up. Maybe they realized this isn¡¯t their fight anymore. They¡¯d need a death wish to attack us over the Manhattan.¡±


    Quenser¡¯s group followed the Keihin-Tohoku Line south and then hid among the buildings to reach Yokosuka. Driving the armored truck full speed from Tokyo, it took 30 or 40 minutes. Mariydi and the other pilots had taken out the port when they attacked, but that didn¡¯t mean there was no usable equipment or facilities there.


    They entered the off limits area of the Port of Yokosuka, a shared government and civilian port.


    Heivia whistled when he checked inside.


    ¡°This hangar was entirely untouched. They¡¯ve got patrol boats, amphibious coastal mine layers, and air cushion landing craft.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be fighting at sea, so let¡¯s pull out everything that might be usable. If you can¡¯t find anything, use your head. If you can¡¯t think up anything, then we¡¯ll be stuck swimming through the cold February ocean the old fashioned way. Hurry!¡±


    The Manhattan 000 was not just a massive barricade.


    It was equipped with a wide variety of weaponry and was heavily fortified with sensors and radars, so they had to assume its eyes and ears were better than theirs. Myonri let out a small cry as she messed with the radar aboard an air cushion landing craft. Someone must have pointed out the Manhattan 000 might detect her signal.


    Without panicking or making a fuss, Quenser brought his radio to his mouth.


    He had never expected to make it the whole way unnoticed. They had only wanted to reduce the risk of being fired on during their approach as much as possible. Getting this close to the Uraga Channel without the skyscrapers around them being vaporized meant a lot.


    So now he sent a transmission straight to #29 of the genius girl project.


    ¡°Melly.¡±


    ¡°Yes? 115.¡±


    She was back to her usual way of talking.


    There was a clear difference between the announcement she had made to Frolaytia and Lendy and when she was speaking with Quenser. Maybe this was how she sounded when not reading off a prepared script.


    ¡°I want to confirm one thing before we start. What happens to the people of Manhattan? They won¡¯t be thrown into the ocean to drown if we sink that, will they?¡±


    ¡°Those ordinary people couldn¡¯t endure the g-forces of Object movement. 502. So during combat, they are preserved inside transparent cubes. They can float around frozen inside there for three years after being thrown out into the ocean.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± said Quenser. He had ice in his voice. ¡°Without them as hostages, you¡¯ve thrown out your last hope. We won¡¯t hesitate now.¡±


    The potatoes boarded patrol boats and amphibious armored trucks and set out into the sea.


    The Manhattan 000¡¯s first shot arrived at the same moment.


    The Port of Yokosuka was reduced to charred earth instantly.


    The electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon launched JPlevelMHD reactors as disposable tools and detonated them at the center of the attack area to create a massive crater. The location Quenser and the others had just vacated had been flattened, buildings and all, and a large chunk was taken out of the ground, allowing seawater to rush in.


    A gust of wind slapped Quenser in the cheek. It had carried some water with it. That one blast stirred up the atmosphere, creating a sudden storm.


    Heivia took a look around.


    ¡°So where are we?¡±


    ¡°At the Uraga Channel¡¯s exit. Although we¡¯re closer to Sagami Bay than Tokyo Bay.¡±


    They didn¡¯t have time to look back.


    Its attacks could fall on the ocean as well. If they didn¡¯t split up in a hurry, they could all be wiped out with a single attack.


    ¡°To honor your courage, I¡¯ll open up one of Manhattan¡¯s aquariums for you. 515. You¡¯ll be stripped bare and submerged in a gelatin pool that gives you the oxygen and nutrients you need to survive while people gawk at you like some kind of endangered species.¡±


    She made it sound so simple, but that told Quenser she really intended to do it.


    An age where a single person could rule the entire world like this would mean a society where no one could question them no matter how grotesque they were.


    The world would be remade to satisfy an individual¡¯s interests.


    So Quenser gave a warning.


    ¡°Melly.¡±


    ¡°And if you do die, I can sterilize your body and stuff a drying agent up your nose inside an oxygen-free space. When the human body¡¯s moisture falls below 50%, the putrefying bacteria can¡¯t function, so you will be forever preserved. 169. I¡¯ll open a museum for you. And each and every one of you will be accurately labeled as too stupid to live. Your shame will be displayed there for all eternity.¡±


    ¡°That bad joke will come back to haunt you. Have you never heard of the brazen bull? The man who proudly presented his new execution device to his leader became its first victim when he was thrown inside and the fire was lit below it. The same will happen to you.¡±


    In the pouring rain, Quenser and Heivia were both aboard an air cushion landing craft designed to carry a tank. Myonri and Azureyfear were with them.


    ¡°No, why do I always get stuck with them!? Wait, please wait! I want to board that patrol boat! Please don¡¯t leave me with them!!¡±


    ¡°Myonri, we need to have a chat later.¡±


    Quenser made a mental note of that.


    Meanwhile, a very different hell was playing out on the boat.


    ¡°My brother¡î¡±


    ¡°Gyahhh!?¡±


    ¡°Catherine Barbotage and I got separated at some point, but the way she honestly expressed her feelings convinced me a brother and sister need so much more physical intimacy than we have enjoyed. We need to flirt while we fight like those two do! And no time like the present to start!!¡±


    ¡°Please realize there¡¯s something severely wrong with anything that combines flirting with fighting!!!!!!¡±


    Heivia pushed his annoying sister¡¯s face away with one hand while yelling at her. Quenser didn¡¯t care all that much, but he was mildly curious how Azureyfear was doing so well. Hadn¡¯t Sladder Honeysuckle shot her back in the Tunguska District?


    ¡°I¡¯m down with picking a fight with that thing, but how are we gonna do this, Quenser!? For that matter, how many reactors does the Manhattan even have? It launches the damn things like disposable shells. I¡¯d find it hard to believe it just has one of them installed at the very center like an Island Nation hinomaru bento!!¡±


    They were about 10km away. That might seem like a lot when thinking in terms of foot travel, but for the 20km Manhattan, that was only half its own length. Just one step to either side and it could crush them.


    The lighthouse wharf, the yacht harbor, and all the other life-sized obstacles sticking out into the ocean from the Manhattan looked like the small teeth on an electric saw¡¯s chain.


    ¡°That thing can make full use of its 20km length, right? It must be full to bursting with energy on the inside. That¡¯s a strength and a weakness both. We should be able to do a lot of damage if we blow up the reactor itself, the pipes or cables used to transfer the energy, or the various safety devices.¡±


    The ocean itself shook as the Manhattan 000 turned.


    It turned to face them like someone swatting at a fly.


    An actual attack would be coming next.


    Except they had a more imminent threat to worry about.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Myonri looked so far up she strained her neck.


    She was looking up at a 30m tall wall. The Manhattan had created the large wave just by shaking itself like a surfboard.


    Heivia shouted into his radio.


    ¡°Angle yourselves toward the wave!! Pulling back out of fear will get you capsized!!¡±


    That was correct in theory, but how many of the boats could actually make use of the advice? Quenser and Heivia¡¯s air cushion landing craft managed to pass through the tunnel-like wave before it crashed down (it helped that the air cushion meant it was not in direct contact with the water), but¡­


    ¡°Kh!!¡±


    ¡°Stop! Do you want to die!?¡±


    Quenser reached for the edge of the boat, but Azureyfear forcibly stopped him.


    A nearby patrol boat, which was supposedly designed for ocean use, was smashed to pieces and swallowed up by the dark ocean. The Manhattan was attacking them using the waves. So many soldiers hoping to end the world war had to have been aboard that boat, but there was nothing anyone could do for them.


    This wasn¡¯t over yet.


    The Manhattan 000 hadn¡¯t even fired on them yet.


    ¡°Eek, eek!¡±


    Not even the high-speed Simple Is Best had affected its surroundings this much. Myonri clung to the wall to avoid being flung out into the rising and falling ocean and she tearfully shouted for assistance.


    ¡°Baby Magnum!! Princess!! Please come here!! We¡¯ve already engaged the Manhattan 000 in-¡±


    There was no response.


    In fact, Myonri never finished her sentence.


    Why wasn¡¯t the Manhattan 000 firing on them when it should have been able to at any time? She had belatedly realized the only possible reason.


    A bright light shined in the distance.


    The shockwave slapped them in the face a moment later.


    But they weren¡¯t about to complain about the pain. When someone¡¯s life was spared, it meant someone else¡¯s life was being targeted. That coldhearted rule of fighting on the losing side bared its fangs here.


    They heard a shouted report over the radio.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s been destroyed¡­ The Baby Magnum has been destroyed!¡±


    It only took one shot.


    Everything the Manhattan 000 did was over the top.


    Part 3


    (This battle is going from bad to worse.)


    Mariydi Whitewitch hated how coldly calculating she could be at times like this.


    She only clicked her tongue while piloting her Zig-27 fighter. Not even the hard rock playing from her phone could preserve her good mood. The special oxygen tube extending toward her mouth like a headset continued to provide the optimal amount using the data sent by the small mic attached to her throat, but that couldn¡¯t prevent the tingling displeasure in the back of her head.


    (The Information Alliance Object is our top priority! If we lose our only remaining Object, we¡¯ll have lost any method of sinking that monster!!)


    The enemy was the center of New York itself. Dropping aerial bombs from a fighter wouldn¡¯t even scratch it. In fact, she wasn¡¯t sure a bomber¡¯s FAE bombs or bunker busters would be enough to damage the depths of that thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s no use. The lasers are already coming. I can see them because of the raindrops. Burning Alpha, I- ahhhhh!?¡±


    ¡°Eject, Plus Del- arrrgh, goddammit!! This world war can go to hell! That kid was only 17!!!¡±


    She heard a loud explosion followed by a wail of sorrow from Burning Alpha.


    But this wasn¡¯t an issue of poor skills. That fighter had been hit by a blast of wind or something just beforehand.


    Mariydi softly bit her lip. As a squadron leader, she knew all to well how painful it was to fail to protect a member of your squadron.


    They needed something - anything - to turn the tide.


    They were not the only ones taking damage. Everyone was exposed to the threat of death out here. If they didn¡¯t find some way to escape and soon, someone else they cared about would die. It could be a member of Ice Squadron next time.


    And the crucial key to surviving this was¡­


    ¡°Information. Okay, fine!¡±


    ¡°Ice Sword 2 to Ice Girl 1. What are you doing!?¡±


    (I hate those Objects from the bottom of my heart for getting paid so much when they aren¡¯t even putting their life at risk, but my squadron will die without their help here!!)


    She had no intention of answering her squadron member¡¯s question. Because if she did, all three of them were sure to follow her toward near-certain doom.


    Mariydi adjusted her grip on the stick and felt the powerful g-forces lifting her stomach. It must have affected her ears too because the hard rock sounded briefly distorted. Her Zig-27 rapidly lost altitude and then flew straight toward the Manhattan while skimming just above the ocean.


    (Damn, did I catch on something? Is the Manhattan manipulating the air currents to protect its urban areas from its own movements?)


    A fighter canopy had no wipers. Drops of water were kept off with water-repelling chemicals and with the fighter¡¯s own speed.


    She soared through a city of skyscrapers at Mach 2.


    Something like transparent vines were tangled around the buildings. 3m cubes also covered the ground. She knew they were protecting the buildings and people from the rapid movement, but the bizarre image still sent a chill down her spine.


    (Modern military fighters have multiple sensors attached around the undercarriage to assist takeoff and landing at night and during stormy weather. I should be able to find something if I run a careful scan of the Manhattan with those: locations of main and secondary cannons, layout of underground cables from the heat distribution, number and location of reactors, and so on. I don¡¯t need to find everything. Just a few of them should help fill in the rest of the blanks like with a crossword puzzle!!)


    The Manhattan¡¯s great size meant it actually had trouble targeting something less than 10m above it. The cannons couldn¡¯t track it and the buildings got in the line of fire.


    The Zig-27 flew straight through the metropolis.


    Anything not fixed in place must have still been affected by the inertial forces because she saw a large propane tank fly by next to her. The glass shards raining down from above suggested she had applied too much pressure to the smooth skyscrapers. Sucking those in through the air intake would lead to engine trouble.


    Once she flew out over the ocean on the other side, the colossal Manhattan gave a groan.


    ¡°!?¡±


    That moment stretched out toward eternity as she sensed death approaching. Everything seemed to freeze around her as that fact dawned on her. But this wasn¡¯t like the close calls of the past. The frozen time of impending doom did not end a moment later. She was trapped in a cage and moving the control column now wouldn¡¯t allow her to escape the Manhattan¡¯s shot.


    Her fighter shuddered from within. The jet engine may have absorbed some invisible town gas while she flew through the city.


    She smiled a little.


    And then she focused on her radio instead of the control column.


    ¡°Ice Girl 1 to Ice Squadron. Obey Burning Alpha¡¯s orders from here on. It was a pleasure flying with you all.¡±


    ¡°Ice Girl 1!!¡±


    ¡°Burning Alpha, I hate everything else about you, but you do have some skill. Enough to look after the squadron I value more than my own life. I will never forgive you if you let them die. Got that?¡±


    A moment later, time sped back up and the Manhattan¡¯s anti-air laser beam vaporized the Zig-27.


    Part 4


    Once one piece of the puzzle crumbled, the rhythm of the entire battle collapsed.


    Just like a crack only a few millimeters long causing an aircraft made from tens of thousands of precision parts to break apart in midair.


    The white beam looked like a welding torch burning the predawn sky.


    Former Elites Catherine Barbotage and Putana Highball brushed their rain-wet bangs aside with a hand and shouted while operating personal amphibious motorbikes used for ocean patrols.


    ¡°Someone was shot down!!¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t let that happen again. Let¡¯s make a more direct attack.¡±


    The two amphibious motorbikes tore through the oceanwater to approach the Manhattan. Of course, that was a 20km collection of firepower. Even if it had trouble aiming at anything too close, it could still crash into them or attack them with waves. Close in was not a blind spot. In fact, it just put you in range of its most deadly attacks.


    Scrap materials were floating everywhere. All of them must have belonged to sturdy warships originally. They had to skillfully swerve around those to avoid hitting them.


    There were other things caught on some of the metal panels, like a scrap of a military uniform or even a severed arm.


    That wasn¡¯t the end result of making a mistake.


    That was the end result of doing everything right. The Manhattan 000 wasn¡¯t really a weapon anymore - it was a human slaughterhouse. Charging at it was not an attack - it was diving headfirst into a woodchipper.


    However¡­


    ¡°It might be impossible for normal people, but not for us. Because we have been thoroughly modified as Elites,¡± muttered Catherine under her breath.


    In her opinion, the Manhattan crashing into them was a more fearsome attack than the cannons. But at the same time, that required the Manhattan to approach them. A normal person would be obliterated along with their boat, but that might change with an Elite¡¯s thoroughly boosted muscles and reflexes. They would have a chance to jump onto the Manhattan¡¯s coast just as their amphibious motorbikes were being destroyed.


    Metal containers rained from the sky. Anything not fixed in place properly on the Manhattan would be thrown into the air by the inertial forces. Any one of those would be enough to kill them instantly.


    Catherine heard a bubbling sound reminiscent of a fizzy drink. It came from the ocean below. The Manhattan may have used extremely small air bubbles to move its large size so quickly. Which would mean it was now close enough for those bubbles to reach them.


    However¡­


    ¡°¡­? Be careful. I sense some ¡®eyes¡¯. Rising rapidly from below!!¡±


    Immediately after Putana¡¯s shouted warning, the ocean surface parted and several spear-like weapons burst out. Were those high-tech torpedoes fired from the submerged portion of the Manhattan? It felt more like having a machinegun firing up at them from the ocean floor. Putana and Catherine barely managed to avoid them by twisting the handlebars to snake along in an S-shape, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. After shooting up to a height of 10m, the explosives inside the spears detonated them and they each scattered more than 800 small metal balls in every direction like a deadly umbrella.


    ¡°That¡¯s just cruel!!¡± Catherine clenched her teeth.


    These weren¡¯t all being controlled by a complex AI. These were unmanned weapons controlled by simple circuitry that reproduced the movement of swarming insects through basic yes or no questions.


    Still, they were nearly at the Manhattan¡¯s wharf. After being exposed to so much danger for an extended period of time, their minds had to be such a mess of adrenaline and endorphins that their sense of pain wasn¡¯t working properly, so they would have to check for injuries after arriving on land.


    ¡°I hope they don¡¯t have a weapon that concentrates all the city¡¯s exhaust gases and polluted water.¡±


    Catherine suddenly realized Putana was looking a bit higher than straight ahead.


    Puzzled, the younger girl looked in the same direction.


    ¡°S-so many ¡®eyes¡¯¡­¡±


    At first, it looked like a sandstorm.


    Or like a swarm of hornets covering the horizon.


    But it was neither. That was the hundreds of thousands of drone weapons launched by the Manhattan. Each one was only the size of an open parasol, but with that many, they looked more like an Eastern dragon flying through the sky.


    ¡°There are too many ¡®eyes¡¯. We can¡¯t avoid them all!!¡±


    No plan or instructions could help them now.


    The two girls were soon swallowed up by the swarm of light metal and silicon weapons.


    Part 5


    ¡°Oh, dear. This might be our worst mistake yet. I think we joined the wrong side of this fight,¡± said Alisa Martini Sweet inside their amphibious armored truck.


    ¡°B-but it¡¯s too late to change sides now,¡± protested the ordinary young man, trembling.


    ¡°Gh!?¡±


    ¡°Oh, did that hurt, Alisa? S-sorry!!¡±


    Everyone knew he couldn¡¯t relax his grip while pale and trembling like that. Even the timid young man himself.


    Alisa Martini Sweet¡¯s right arm had been broken when the force of several simultaneous blasts had rocked the floating armored truck hard enough to slam her against the wall. This wasn¡¯t a hospital and it had no real medical equipment, so they had made do by removing the extendible stock from a submachinegun and wrapping a bandage around that as a makeshift splint. For some reason she stubbornly refused to take the general-use painkiller used by the military (which was a lot stronger than the commercial variety).


    The triplet was pale and sweating but also thinly smiling for some reason.


    In fact, she had a string of drool dripping from her corner of her mouth.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Heh heh heh,¡± she laughed, breathing somewhat heavily. ¡°A single broken arm is a small price to pay for all the attention it gets me. Too bad, Orsia and Rica. He¡¯s mine today¡î¡±


    ¡°Bff!? What is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Look, I can prop my boobs up on my arm sling. Behold the power of the biggest boobs in the family.¡±


    ¡°Again, what is wrong with you!? You¡¯re just going to hurt your broken arm that way! A-anyway, no one likes someone who goes back on their word. We chose this path, so we just have to stick with it to the end!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    Then Rica Martini Medium, who had her upper body sticking out of the hatch in the ceiling, gathered their attention by kicking the ladder she stood on.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found her. The Legitimacy Kingdom Pilot Elite is floating in the ocean. Dunno if she¡¯s alive or not, but we can still collect her and earn their favor.¡±


    ¡°(Medium, what if we turn her over to the Information Alliance as a gift instead?)¡±


    ¡°(Dry, don¡¯t be ridiculous. An Elite without an Object is fairly worthless. The Manhattan 000 is too powerful, so she wouldn¡¯t be much use in the fight anymore. And if she¡¯s dead, she might not even be worth slicing open to study. ¡­Besides, I seriously doubt our kind friend down there will agree to that kind of coldhearted negotiation.)¡±


    That was a no then.


    And they would get nothing if there was no one left to negotiate with, so they would have to continue resisting and protect everyone from the Manhattan 000¡¯s deadly attacks.


    They were willing to sacrifice their own lives, but they could not let that helpless and ordinary young man die.


    For now, they had to retrieve that Pilot Elite.


    The young man nervously tapped the control lever.


    ¡°U-um, should I bring us in closer?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯d be reduced to mincemeat if the propeller caught her, so no. We¡¯ll climb up top and find something to use as a net¡­or if we can¡¯t find one, a long stick will do.¡±


    On the triplets¡¯ guidance, the young man climbed up onto the amphibious armored truck¡¯s roof and noticed the occasional glimpse of a distinctive blue coloration between the waves.


    But could they reach her from here?


    She was too far to crouch down and reach by arm, but then Orsia Martini Dry handed him something.


    ¡°Here, use this.¡±


    ¡°A-an anti-materiel rifle!?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fishing rod¡î Or maybe a hand net? I say it¡¯s 50/50 she¡¯s alive or dead, but stretch out and reach the tip toward that Elite. You¡¯re good at goldfish scooping, right? You always win it for us.¡±


    That weapon could shoot down the more thinly-armored varieties of attack helicopter in a single shot, but this was about all it was good for in the fight against the Manhattan 000. The young man was left speechless by the overwhelming scale of it all, but he still took the anti-materiel rifle, crouched down, and reached it out toward the dark ocean.


    Noticing something, the triplets exchanged a nod and then shoved him into the ocean.


    He was confused until the end.


    The three girls in love smiled thinly just before a blast from the Manhattan 000 mercilessly eliminated the armored truck floating in the ocean.


    Part 6


    The Scarlet Princess, a 380m disguised cruiser, moved out.


    Orders bordering on screams were exchanged as soldiers carrying repair materials rushed around to seal up the holes in the ship, but the damage had reached Leve 5 in four different locations and there wasn¡¯t anything they could really do. And there were far more smaller holes. Even by the most generous estimate, the ship would be sunk in 15 minutes¡¯ time. And they doubted the Manhattan 000 was gentlemanly enough to spare the helpless soldiers fleeing in lifeboats.


    That left them with only one option.


    Oh Ho Ho in the Gatling 033 was everything for Commander Lendy Farolito, but she gave a puzzled look to her fellow brain.


    ¡°You have no obligation to stick with us here.¡±


    ¡°Now that our Baby Magnum has been destroyed, the Rush is our greatest and only weapon left. Without it, we have no way of dealing effective damage to the Manhattan. And that would mean death for everyone in this battle.¡±


    Frolaytia Capistrano relit her kiseru.


    She may have meant this as a final smoke.


    ¡°Also, our true flagship is the one carrying Princess Staivia, so we can play the role of the privates pouring all our energy into achieving victory.¡±


    ¡°And your real reason?¡±


    ¡°The longer we keep its attention on us, the more chance someone has of collecting the Princess.¡±


    Lendy Farolito and Frolaytia shared a smile.


    War was best with a touch of personal interest mixed in.


    So they both shouted their next command together.


    ¡°Charge!!¡±


    The Manhattan did not even bother to dodge.


    For one thing, its top speed was on par with other Objects, but it could not perform the nimble footwork necessary to avoid laser beams and railguns.


    It tanked everything with its weight and thickness.


    So it let the ship crash into it.


    Frolaytia and Lendy had made the attack, but it was them who were tossed around inside their ship.


    Frolaytia clenched her teeth and raised her voice after being slammed against the wall.


    The ship was going to sink soon regardless, so they might as well do whatever they could in that time.


    ¡°Are we caught on its shore!? Then keep firing until we¡¯re out of ammo. Aim for the Manhattan - where doesn¡¯t matter. Target anything other than the cubes containing the civilians. Let¡¯s show Melly how much ammo this ship still has in its belly. Fire!!!!!!¡±


    They loaded more propellant than usual, so when all the ship¡¯s guns fired simultaneously, its armor shutters bent and its bulletproof glass shattered.


    The asphalt was torn up and dark soil was flung into the air.


    But that was all.


    The silver armor panels below that weren¡¯t even scratched. How thick was that armor in all?


    ¡°The Capulet AI Network isn¡¯t actually aboard the Manhattan. I don¡¯t know where it really is, but we can cut off its commands by destroying the antenna facilities!!¡±


    ¡°And which ones are we supposed to destroy!? From the cellphone antenna base stations to the satellite TV antennas on house roofs, there are more than 10 million of them!!¡±


    ¡°Kh!!¡±


    The Manhattan was both a weapon and a giant city. The operator looked back for her next instructions, but Frolaytia didn¡¯t have anything for her.


    The 380m Scarlet Princess broke free of gravity. The ship had run itself up onto the concrete wharf, so the Manhattan shook itself like a seesaw to fling the ship into the air. And while it looked like a cruise ship, it was actually a cruiser and had the weight to match.


    There was no time to grab onto anything.


    The Manhattan¡¯s anti-air lasers and railguns struck the helpless target one after another, detonating it before it could even fall back into the ocean.


    Part 7


    The sound of bending metal was loud enough to reach the cockpit protected by onion armor as thick as a nuclear shelter.


    The Gatling 033¡¯s right main cannon had just been torn away.


    It had failed to fully avoid the incoming attacks.


    And the Manhattan 000 wasn¡¯t even fully focused on this fight. That had just been one of its hundreds of railguns. It wasn¡¯t even like fighting with just one hand - it was more like fighting with just your little finger.


    A single large keyboard surrounded the cockpit seat. It had multiple levels, like an Island Nation hina doll platform. But the Pilot Elite¡¯s fingers had come to a stop.


    She couldn¡¯t even decide on a general course of action.


    She had once used the manual interface to redirect the Capulet¡¯s interest and take control away from the Manhattan 000, but that interface had already been closed by Melly Martini Extradry.


    Now she was the one being overwhelmed.


    A small girl with ringlets bit her lip in the cockpit nestled deep within the nuke-resistant Object.


    She was the Information Alliance - no, the Together By Chance Pilot Elite, Oh Ho Ho.


    (I still have the one main cannon left.)


    The ringing of alarms was incessant.


    The Gatling 033 was a unique Object that was automatically controlled by an AI while Oh Ho Ho¡¯s manual commands corrected any minor errors. But with the Pilot Elite no longer typing, more and more severe errors continued to pile up inside the machine.


    This wasn¡¯t about any individual action. The AI was rejecting the entire operation.


    The Juliet loaded in the Object had no way of defeating the Capulet that managed the entire Information Alliance.


    (I need to at least get one good shot in!! I won¡¯t be defeated without accomplishing anything!!)


    Strong feelings were not enough to turn the tide of battle.


    Multiple lines of fire intersected, all escape routes were cut off, and the Juliet¡¯s many error messages combined to form what sounded like a scream.


    Oh Ho Ho saw the white beam a moment later.


    That it was visible meant the Gatling 033 had already taken critical damage and the spherical main body had been torn into a crescent moon shape.


    Part 8


    Wreckage floated in a sea of blood.


    And¡­


    Part 9


    Quenser clung to the air cushion landing craft in the intense storm.


    Blinding lights, deafening booms, and powerful shockwaves surrounded him.


    He had to cling to the landing craft to avoid being thrown out while it bounced between the waves.


    Myonri was pale and fighting her own panic nearby.


    ¡°Eek, eeeek!!¡±


    Did calculating firing range even matter with that thing¡¯s electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon? Quenser started having ridiculous fantasies about the reactors being launched into orbit where they circled the earth before falling back down on their target.


    Was that sinking metal over there the remnants of a warship? Or of an Object?


    But the ordinary fear didn¡¯t reach Quenser¡¯s mind.


    He was too preoccupied by great confusion.


    ¡°What¡­is happening? Who was that that just got destroyed!? There¡¯s too much going on to keep track!!¡±


    ¡°Dammit, we¡¯ve got no Objects and no commander. So who¡¯s even in control of this battle!?¡±


    Their air cushion landing craft was still in one piece, but that could change at any moment.


    When someone¡¯s life was spared, it meant someone else¡¯s life was being targeted. The instant the Manhattan 000¡¯s attention turned to them, their fate was sealed.


    ¡°I think the time has come to reveal my hidden feelings for you, brother.¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t you doom us with that bullsh*t!! The little sister doesn¡¯t get to give up before her brother does!¡±


    The time finally came.


    A transmission arrived at their radios. This told them all too well that she was focused on them.


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°¡­Melly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for a ceasefire. 152. I already gave you a chance and you refused.¡±


    ¡°If we don¡¯t do anything, you¡¯re the next rulers of the world. Then you can rewrite morality and the history books to say whatever it is you want. If we did surrender, we¡¯d just be shot at some phony court martial. We only have two options here: die now or die later. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget already? 101. You¡¯ll never die in the aquarium¡¯s gelatin pool.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fate worse than death.¡±


    Was this Melly speaking?


    Was she only conveying the AI network¡¯s thoughts?


    Or had neither one chosen this and it was only the result of pitting their opinions against each other?


    ¡°Quenser, do you really think you arrived at the Island Nation all on your own? Even if the world war had created a lot of confusion and done severe damage to the satellites and communication networks - 435 - do you really think a group of 2000 deserters could make it all the way from Europe to the far end of Asia without being detected by any of the world powers¡¯ ground radar bases or early warning radar aircraft?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You had a lot of silent cooperators who couldn¡¯t actually join you but still questioned the world war enough to not pass the reports on to their superiors. They were in all four world powers and even in the blank zones. 301. Those hidden traitors are a lot harder to root out and a lot more dangerous than an open resistance force.¡±


    ¡°So we made the perfect bait to track them down?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to have to deal with counterattacks from all four world powers, so we gathered up all the heroes to kill them in one fell swoop. That way anyone who might think of joining you can¡¯t. There will still be people out there with complaints, but they¡¯re stuck now. 800. It¡¯s perfect because we control even morality now. This will show everyone what happens if they try to assist some pipe dream of a resistance. You will lay the foundation for a new order. A new order ruled by the Information Alliance.¡±


    ¡°Melly¡­¡±


    ¡°Azumaya has been eliminated from the Island Nation, but secret gatherings of agents from the four world powers can be held anywhere. Where will it be next? The Northern Restricted Zone? The Greater Canyon? 930. Anywhere that a historical taboo makes people excessively cautious can be remade into the magician¡¯s table.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what the Information Alliance wants. I want to know why you¡¯re using the Manhattan this way.¡±


    ¡°Did you think I had gone berserk or something? I was born and raised to wage war like this. 850. Even my optimized mind has a part that hates war. I don¡¯t have much of a response for you if you claim that¡¯s just an error in the Martini Series, though.¡±


    She made it sound so casual.


    Was that how it felt once you had reached that level?


    ¡°There isn¡¯t really anything we want to do after we end the world war and reign supreme. It¡¯s just that we don¡¯t see anyone else out there powerful enough to do this. 793. So we¡¯re going to try and awkwardly balance the world on the one table leg left. As long as we can pull that off, what does it matter who¡¯s in charge? So that doesn¡¯t have to be a world power or even a human mind, does it?¡±


    The world war would not end on its own.


    No appeal to normalcy or ordinary values could defeat such a powerful enemy.


    The only way to avoid tragedy would be to rely on the victor.


    Morality wouldn¡¯t even enter the picture. People wanted peace, no matter who they were ruled by. They would have no choice but to rely on the Manhattan 000 if they wanted to extinguish the flames of war burning across the globe.


    This would make the perfect demonstration of that. Especially because she had shown up just in time to suppress Together By Chance¡¯s mysterious attack on the Island Nation. She had increased the value of her target and now she was reaping the benefits.


    ¡°So, Quenser, if you don¡¯t like the aquarium plan, don¡¯t bother begging for your life. 759. The most I¡¯ll listen to are some final words. What epitaph would you like for your tombstone?¡±


    ¡°Bend yourself into a pretzel and count the wrinkles of your asshole, you piece of sh*t.¡±


    A mass of air pushed up from below as the Manhattan rushed in.


    The air cushion landing craft took flight and was torn to pieces by the impact.


    Part 10


    ¡°What did I tell you?¡±


    Tokyo Bay had become hell on earth.


    The Manhattan 000 had destroyed everything there.


    ¡°Did you see that, everyone? You can say whatever you like, but you cannot overthrow our power.¡±


    No one remained there.


    And¡­


    Part 11


    ¡°I¡¯m here with our Top Word Headline. The gunfire in Buenos Aires will not stop! Th-this is known as an industrial city full of arsenals for Faith Organization Objects, but it looks like they worked to destroy any classified information we of the Information Alliance might have found during the attack! Whoa!? And that ¡®classified information¡¯ apparently included the scientists and technicians! Hey, Royce, not so fast!! You¡¯ll get yourself killed!!¡±


    ¡°The Information Alliance says their space force has arrived among the lunar villas. We are working to confirm the authenticity of the video, but our experts say it is almost certainly legit. There are no national borders there, making it the last remaining location for peaceful talks between high-ranking members of the world powers, so this is even worse than the expense sheet would suggest.¡±


    ¡°The Information Alliance has just announced they will donate 50 billion dollars to support all war refugees. The charities are applauding their swift humanitarian action, but the rumor among the war journalists is the Information Alliance caused the lion¡¯s share of the damage pushing those refugees from their homes.¡±


    ¡°The Legitimacy Kingdom has surrendered. The Excalibur protecting their home country of Paris has opened the way!! Look, everyone! You can already see several Information Alliance Objects approaching Paris. Is this the beginning of a new era? In one final attempt at peaceful resistance, a crowd carrying Legitimacy Kingdom flags has gathered around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.¡±


    Part 12


    Shredded armor panels, leaking fuel, and bent pipes floated in the filthy ocean. Not even the lifeboats were spared on this immoral battlefield.


    The ocean had grown eerily quiet.


    Nothing remained to suggest anyone was alive out there.


    Driftwood would gather near the mouth of a river after a typhoon. A similar phenomenon was happening here but with the wreckage of weapons. You could call it the graveyard of an army.


    And ¡­


    ¡°Sh*t¡­sh*t!¡±


    Something floated among it all.


    It may have only avoided notice due to all the other wreckage clogging the sea.


    It was an amphibious armored truck.


    And the two idiots clung to it while shivering from the cold February seawater soaking them.


    ¡°This is goddamn insane! Thank god we were using a landing craft, thank god there was another vehicle inside it, and thank all the Faith Organization¡¯s gods it was amphibious!!!!!¡±


    ¡°Heivia, are you angry or happy? Are you the kind of person who gets a boner when you¡¯re exhausted?¡±


    The sea swelled up nearby and a large black shape surfaced. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a shark drawn by the scent of blood to feast upon the poor survivors.


    ¡°Whoa!? I-I think that¡¯s a sub.¡±


    Myonri clung for dear life to the armored truck as it nearly capsized.


    The submarine hatch popped open and a princess¡¯s voice called out to them.


    ¡°In here, everyone.¡±


    But this wasn¡¯t the Baby Magnum¡¯s Pilot Elite. This was a real princess: Staivia Nikolaschka, heir to the Legitimacy Kingdom¡¯s Nikolaschka Royal Family.


    ¡°Hurry. We don¡¯t know when the Manhattan will detect this submarine. If that happens, we will lose our final sanctuary.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, I did see a few submarines in the fleet. I see. So this was our flagship,¡± said Azureyfear Winchell, equal parts exasperated and impressed.


    No one on the ocean remained alive.


    That much was true.


    But the depths of the ocean were a different matter. Quenser, Heivia, Myonri, and Azureyfear boarded the submarine and the large metal craft slowly and silently sank back below the waves.


    Quenser came across the Princess in the narrow corridor.


    Their eyes met and then the short girl hugged him.


    ¡°Whoa!? U-um, Princess? This is a, uh, wonderful gift, but today isn¡¯t my birthday!¡±


    He was about to say more but fell silent when he noticed she was trembling.


    She may have been sobbing and crying in his arms.


    He sighed and placed a hand on the back of her head to gently hold her close. That way he could prove he really was alive and not just a phantom created by the Ghost Changer.


    For once, Heivia didn¡¯t tease him.


    Princess Staivia must not have witnessed scenes like this much because she was blushing and unsure how to react.


    Red lights illuminated the submarine¡¯s interior. The entire place was filled with an air of caution, like they had to tread lightly or the enemy would hear their footsteps.


    Once at the combat information center, they found a small girl with ringlets and a grumpy look.


    She was the Information Alliance¡¯s Oh Ho Ho.


    Heivia¡¯s eyes widened when he noticed how short she was.


    ¡°Wait, what? Eh? You¡¯re the G-cup idol? No, wait, is this what it feels like to have your dreams come crashing down around you!? In what world is that G!? Does the alphabet go in a different order in the Information Alliance!?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. This is top secret.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not kidding, by the way. Tell anyone about this and I will send an assassination team after you. You could hide on the dark side of the moon and they would track you down and kill you.¡±


    Oh Ho Ho threatened him like a puppy having its food bowl snatched away before its eyes, but Heivia was much more terrified by the comment from Lendy Farolito who dried Oh Ho Ho¡¯s hair with a towel and then hugged her from behind while nuzzling her cheek against her. Picking a fight with someone who spoke of killing in such a systemized way was never a good idea.


    Quenser breathed an exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Are you trying to get us killed, Heivia? This is a submarine. If you want to say anything more than three lines long, then do it in writing.¡±


    Everyone was soaking wet and wrapped in bandages, but Quenser noted many familiar faces. Putana and Myonri were there, a girl who was apparently a Capitalist Corporations ace pilot and Burning Alpha, aka Staccato Raylong, were sharing some Island Nation cup noodles, the Martini Series was represented by Wraithy and the triplets, and the Battlefield Cleanup Service and Karen ensured a strong maid presence. Princess Staivia was surrounded by the Unicorns and her servant Mikfa.


    Alfonso Zoom, captain of the disguised cruiser, trembled while hugging his twin Black Uniform daughters.


    ¡°You¡¯re overreacting, dad. What example does it set when you¡¯re in here crying?¡±


    ¡°Did you really think your daughters would die that easily?¡±


    ¡°I am not overreacting. If¡­if something were to happen to either of you - ha ha - your mother would kill me!!¡±


    The busty silver-haired commander called over to Quenser while smoking her kiseru inside the enclosed submarine (which earned her a pair of nasty looks from Sarasa and Charlotte).


    ¡°I see you missed out on a hero¡¯s death too, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet, is it? We can¡¯t let the Manhattan have its way.¡±


    Elise Montana was staring at a clipboard while performing some kind of paperwork. Quenser regretted the casual glance he stole at the document. The military instructor was making a list of everyone who had died.


    How many submarines were there in all?


    He also doubted they had managed to rescue everyone who had been stranded out in the ocean. Plus, with a collection of people from different militaries, they didn¡¯t have a unified dog tag format to confirm people¡¯s status. That meant the list was only an estimate, but it looked like over half of Together By Chance had lost their lives.


    Melly Martini Extradry had said anyone captured alive would be displayed in a gelatin pool at the aquarium and anyone killed would be dried and displayed in a museum. But in the end, that choice was mostly meaningless. A lot of the soldiers would have been vaporized, leaving less than a hair behind.


    There was no morality here. They were being killed as no more than a demonstration.


    The old maintenance lady operated an instrument to display an image of the Manhattan on the LCD table in the center of the combat information center. Mariydi Whitewitch then tossed a few aerial photographs on top of that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it uses ordinary high-voltage lines for its primary power conduits. It uses dream pipes. Basically, liquid is passed through metal pipes given a special vibration to convey the reactor¡¯s heat at 100 times the conductivity of copper. The heat is then converted to steam, electricity, or whatever form of energy is most convenient by the terminal sector or weapon.¡±


    ¡°So you could see the heat distribution? Come to think of it, Melly said last time that an ordinary machine or animal couldn¡¯t support something as big as the Manhattan, so it was better to base the design on plants, since their design can support some crazy big trees. And plant cells can move too, like with a Venus flytrap. I¡¯ve heard they use the turgor pressure of a special solution for that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s using NMR, the same method as a quantum computer that uses a special liquid,¡± added young Wraith. ¡°That cowardly exhibitionist once told me the stuff is inside the Manhattan, her swim ring, and her own blood. I believe it doubles as a countermeasure against the Anastasia Processor, which is a giant DNA computer. I see. Sending the heat through a liquid would be a better fit than using light or electrons.¡±


    That was fascinating information for a prospective engineer, but that wasn¡¯t what they needed to know right now.


    ¡°Does this pipe layout tell us where the reactors are?¡± cautiously asked Quenser.


    ¡°Sir, this lets us estimate they have more than 20 in regular use,¡± responded Wydine Uptown, the fake maid from the Battlefield Cleanup Service. ¡°But the total amount is unknown. It does use them as projectiles, after all. It may be able to connect and disconnect them at will based on energy consumption rates.¡±


    ¡°In other words.¡± Lendy Farolito shrugged. ¡°We might not cause any real damage if we blow one up. With that many spares, we need to assume it can replace any damaged reactors.¡±


    A short but heavy silence fell over the combat information center.


    Destroying the reactor was the simplest and most effective way to destroy an Object, but not even that was a sure thing against the Manhattan 000. If they played their cards wrong, they would be the ones destroyed by that thing¡¯s powerful cannons. It was unlikely they could survive that a second or third time. Their next failure would mean their deaths.


    ¡°Let¡¯s assume destroying the reactors isn¡¯t realistic.¡± Lendy paused to think. ¡°Where in the world is the Capulet AI Network that controls the Manhattan 000? Our girl can¡¯t make a cyber attack thanks to Melly¡¯s interference, but what if we used physical jamming to cut off communications?¡±


    ¡°If that was enough to stop it, it wouldn¡¯t be remotely controlled. It has more than ten million antennas in all. And remember, that only counts the antennas we can see. It can also use IR and ultrasound, so I seriously doubt we could cut off all forms of communication. It might also break through our jamming with brute force. A special short-wave transmitter can reach more than 3000km, so we can¡¯t physically jam everything even if we did take out all of the Information Alliance¡¯s military and civilian satellites.¡±


    Just as Frolaytia carefully laid out the problems with that plan, they heard a low rumbling sound.


    It was a bubbling sound similar to a fizzy drink or something dissolving in acid.


    (Air bubbles? Is that the Manhattan!?)


    Quenser felt a great force pushing to the right as the submarine itself was swept sideways. His feet nearly left the floor, slamming him against the wall, but he managed to grab onto a nearby table for support.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    ¡°Princess!¡±


    He reflexively let go of the table to catch the Princess when she flew toward him, so his own feet left the floor in violation of earth¡¯s gravity. Both of them hit the nearby wall.


    The chill down his spine was greater than the pain.


    Everyone held their breath and looked to the ceiling¡­but there was no response.


    ¡°What?¡± Heivia said nervously. ¡°Was that the Manhattan? I don¡¯t see what else could have missed all the noise we made.¡±


    ¡°It does make a lot of noise itself with all the small air bubbles surrounding it,¡± said the old maintenance lady. ¡°Any underwater sounds are probably impossible to make out over its own.¡±


    The submarine had only lost control because the Manhattan had stirred up the ocean water so much it created an unnatural current. Submarines were supposed to be easier to control since things were calmer underwater than on the wavy surface, but that didn¡¯t apply here. This cold and violent sea was ruled by irregular currents and whirlpools, so it was more difficult to navigate than traveling on land during a typhoon. The interference with the currents might even be digging up the sand on the ocean floor.


    None of them dared look away from the ceiling.


    ¡°I-I think it passed us by,¡± said Myonri, pale in the face.


    The Manhattan had no specialized listening devices. Quenser understood that, but he still had to gulp and force down the instinctual fear making him hold the Princess like a small child holding a stuffed animal.


    ¡°Could we learn anything from viewing it from the rear? For one thing, how does it move all that weight through the ocean?¡±


    ¡°With waterjets larger than the Hoover Dam¡¯s water release ports,¡± calmly explained Frolaytia. ¡°We can see 32 of them from here. Impossible to know if it has anything else up its sleeve there, but each of those provides enough water pressure to slice through this submarine like a sausage.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quenser finally paled.


    How many tons of water did that monster output every second?


    Coolheaded Mariydi sighed.


    ¡°Targeting those water release ports with torpedoes isn¡¯t realistic. There¡¯s a better chance of getting some mines sucked into the water intake, but it¡¯s still extremely unlikely to do any good. I doubt we can even scratch that thing unless this sub is loaded with at least a 3megaton nuke and no one told me.¡±


    The Manhattan 000 was 20km long.


    But it wasn¡¯t using magic to move around. Science was science. It operated on a logic anyone could understand. And if it obeyed the laws of physics, it had to be possible for the laws of physics to take it down. For that matter, its absurd size would place an equally absurd burden on it.


    It was a purely naval Object.


    It had no way of traveling on land, but that meant it had some reason to fear a collision with land.


    Lendy placed a hand on her chin.


    ¡°Could we find some way of sliding the entire Manhattan 000 so it hits the land?¡±


    ¡°We could also have it pass over a reef it failed to notice,¡± said Mariydi.


    Quenser didn¡¯t think either option was realistic. But the line of discussion made him realize something odd.


    Yes¡­


    ¡°The Manhattan 000 stopped at the south end of Tokyo Bay to cut off our escape.¡±


    ¡°What about it, Quenser?¡±


    The Princess tilted her head in his arms.


    He chose his words carefully.


    ¡°Why did it stay in the south?¡±


    That was it.


    Once he said it out loud, he felt like he had gained a solid grasp of what felt wrong to him.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t need to cut off our escape if it was just going to slaughter us all. This would have ended more quickly if it had continued north and attacked us further inside Tokyo Bay.¡±


    ¡°Why would it bother?¡± asked Heivia. ¡°Tokyo Bay is closed off in a C-shape, so whether it continues north to Tokyo or stays out there at Kanagawa, we still can¡¯t escape.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that? At the time, we had made it all the way to Shinjuku. And the Rush is an amphibious air cushion Object that doesn¡¯t need to change floats, so it could have escaped over the land. If its goal was slaughtering us all, then staying down south was a risky move. Frolaytia and the others could have abandoned their ship and fled onto land to save their skins. Not to mention Ice Girl 1, Burning Alpha, and the other pilots in the air. Tokyo Bay isn¡¯t a dead end. Chiba and Kanagawa are right there and we could have continued along the land to Chubu or even Kansai. We could have acquired more ships or planes later. We had the entire Island Nation to escape to. And if we hid in the urban areas or underground, we might have been able to escape its sensors.¡±


    ¡°And yet¡­Melly stayed put?¡± said Wraith, a fellow Martini Series, with a frown.


    Quenser nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget it decided to stay in the Kanagawa area near Yokosuka. That¡¯s on the southern end of the Uraga Channel. That thing¡¯s a naval Object, so it can¡¯t afford to bump into land.¡±


    ¡°Yet it decided to approach land while it waited?¡± asked Mariydi Whitewitch.


    ¡°It¡¯s big, but not too big to fit through the Uraga Channel. If it had continued north, Tokyo Bay would have widened around it, yet it decided to stay put instead. That¡¯s a dangerous area of ocean with those artillery islands and everything, but we don¡¯t have the kind of firepower needed to concern the Manhattan.¡±


    There had to be something to the terrain there.


    Quenser pressed his palm against the LCD table to display a map of Kantou. They didn¡¯t know all of the Island Nation¡¯s secrets, but they did know where all the mountains, rivers, and other basic terrain features were.


    Yes.


    Something about that caught his attention.


    ¡°It¡¯s the rivers.¡±


    ¡°Explain what you mean, Quenser.¡±


    Encouraged by his commander¡¯s wonderful command, Quenser continued with his thoughts.


    ¡°Several rivers exit into the northern end of Tokyo Bay. Far more than the southern end in the Kanagawa area.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to tell me this naval Object can¡¯t handle freshwater, are you? Even salmon and eels have figured that one out,¡± joked Heivia.


    ¡°Close but not quite.¡±


    Heivia seemed taken aback his joke had received such a serious response.


    ¡°The area where seawater and freshwater mix is known as brackish water. The Edo, Tama, Ara, Kanda, and a lot more rivers join at the far end of Tokyo Bay. Do you get what that means, Heivia? Near the river mouths, all their waters mix together, creating an invisible marble pattern of salinity. That¡¯s what the Manhattan 000 is afraid of. Not seawater and not freshwater, but the labyrinthine mixture of the two.¡±


    The old maintenance lady gave a gasp of realization.


    ¡°The seawater must create an unbelievable amount of resistance against something so big,¡± she said. ¡°Never underestimate the power of water and waves. Almost any ship is exposed to wave making resistance, frictional resistance, and viscous pressure resistance and the struggle between buoyancy and gravity creates a shear force capable of slicing right through the ship. It¡¯s enough that a faulty design or an unbalanced cargo load can lead to a large warship or transport ship being sliced in two.¡±


    ¡°Right. And at 20km, the viscosity, roughness, and other conditions of the seawater hitting it have to be quite different. It can¡¯t afford to have freshwater hitting it at one point and seawater at another. If too much pressure grows at one point with higher viscosity, the Manhattan 000 could tear itself apart with its own power. Spreading air bubbles through the ocean to reduce the pressure isn¡¯t enough to fully prevent that. Really, it¡¯s crazy to ignore all the laws of shipbuilding by moving something that big so quickly.¡±


    ¡°B-but.¡± Heivia was being unusually hesitant, perhaps because they were talking about the world¡¯s largest Object. ¡°There¡¯s basically a giant storm up on the surface thanks to the Manhattan moving around so much. If it¡¯s afraid of freshwater, would it really send rain pouring down into the ocean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an issue if it¡¯s evenly distributed. And a small amount isn¡¯t enough to cause problems. What matters is when the difference in salinity is so great it creates a clear fault line. So the problem is permanent river mouths, not temporary rainfall.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying it¡¯s staying near the entrance to Tokyo Bay to reduce the risk of the many rivers tearing it apart?¡± asked Lendy Farolito.


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Then if we could somehow lure it into brackish waters¡­¡± continued Oh Ho Ho with a towel over her head.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be salt. Anything that creates a fault line in the ocean will work.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s head sprang up.


    Something had occurred to them.


    Tokyo Bay was filthy. Very filthy at the moment thanks to all the Together By Chance ships, weapons, fuel, and more strewn about.


    There had to be a lot of their fellow soldiers who they hadn¡¯t been able to collect.


    But that ocean of death was also their final opportunity.


    ¡°That said, salinity alone might not be enough to deal a deadly blow to the Manhattan 000.¡±


    Quenser kept a cautious tone and Myonri nodded quietly.


    ¡°Yes, because its original location in New York was situated between the Hudson and East rivers.¡±


    ¡°My guess is it can move slowly without issue. And it has those air bubbles. So to do enough damage that it destroys itself, we need to make it move at full speed.¡±


    Quenser paused for a beat.


    They had an effective plan.


    This should have been heroic and moving, but the actual strategy was something out of a nightmare.


    ¡°That means we need someone to head back up onto that dangerous ocean and create a diversion. Since we have no effective means of striking back at it, we¡¯re talking about a suicide mission. I need to be in the lead waving the tiny flag to guide it, so I¡¯m in. But what about the rest of you? If you can think of anyone you don¡¯t want to leave behind - a family member, a lover, a parent, a teacher, your favorite girl down at the brothel, or even your pet cat - then don¡¯t feel any shame about backing out.¡±


    No one even glanced toward the exit.


    They all raised their hand without a second thought.


    Not just the foot soldiers, but the Pilot Elites like the Princess and Oh Ho Ho, the commanders like Frolaytia, Wraith, and Lendy, the pilots without planes like Mariydi and Staccato, and even the old maintenance lady. Princess Staivia was mostly here for political reasons, but even she started to hesitantly raise her hand until her maid Mikfa reached over and stopped her. The Unicorns tried to suppress their inappropriate laughter.


    This was Together By Chance.


    These were the people who had decided to ignore affiliation and rank to work together toward ending the world war as quickly as possible and bring back their ridiculous everyday lives. None of them was going to get cold feet now that they finally had a real chance against the Manhattan 000. They had all dreamed of this moment and the look in their eyes said they weren¡¯t going to have it taken from them now.


    ¡°Heh. Does no one here have any sense?¡± muttered Quenser under his breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re one of us,¡± replied Heivia.


    Part 13


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    They were all ready to go.


    So the two of them only exchanged a few words in the submarine passageway. But the density of the feelings packed into those words was another matter.


    ¡°Once this is over, you need to think of a return gift for me.¡±


    ¡°Th-the old lady told me what a Valentines gift means in the Island Nation, you know!? Why didn¡¯t you tell me!?¡±


    ¡°Heh heh heh. You already ate it, so it¡¯s too late now.¡±


    They had no guarantee there would be a next time.


    Death might finally catch up to them this time.


    But they couldn¡¯t stop now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end this world war.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s high time we won this.¡±


    Part 14


    Once they were ready to go, they left through the torpedo tubes.


    ¡°You¡¯d think we would be done with strange new equipment at this point,¡± said Quenser.


    ¡°Hey, it beats being short on supplies during battle,¡± replied Heivia over the radio. ¡°And now we just pray these things don¡¯t malfunction and sink to the bottom of the ocean.¡±


    Each of them was contained inside a long cylinder that resembled a torpedo made of the thick synthetic material used for sandbags.


    But these were not torpedoes.


    The power of gas propelled them out and the cylinder came apart once it arrived at a specific coordinate. The ¡°bag¡± rolled up like a big cigar then inflated like an airbag, transforming into a rubber motorboat. Then its buoyancy carried it upwards.


    The ocean surface smelled somehow oily, perhaps a remnant of the resource mining.


    The student removed the mask from his face.


    The rain had already stopped, perhaps because the massive storm had been artificially created by the electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon.


    The process wasn¡¯t perfect, so a lot of soldiers ended up flailing in the water.


    ¡°Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Geh! That cutesy act is just plain creepy coming from you!! Oh ho ho. You never act that way around me!!¡±


    Quenser started by retrieving the Princess and Oh Ho Ho who were already arguing about something.


    ¡°I¡­sob, I so wanted to fight alongside that girl¡­¡±


    ¡°Why is there a cursed voice coming from my radio? Assuming the Manhattan 000 isn¡¯t equipped with the Ghost Changer, that must be Lendy!¡±


    He also helped Putana, Myonri, and Mariydi into his boat when he found them holding onto some scrap materials floating in the ocean nearby.


    Heivia piloted his own empty motorboat over to them.


    ¡°Why do you get the paradise boat!?¡± shouted the jealous boy. ¡°How do you even end up with a harem full of Elites!? It¡¯s not fair!!¡±


    ¡°Not that it matters, but aren¡¯t you engaged? And I¡¯d pay more attention to the murderous looks coming from the boat over there, if I were you.¡±


    Heivia screamed.


    The approaching murder boat happened to contain both the Vanderbilt daughter and the Winchell sister. The sparks flying from their eyes were something else. Even Eyepatch Maid Karen looked intimidated seated between them.


    Meanwhile, the Princess and Oh Ho Ho continued their argument.


    ¡°Little one, the seat next to Quenser belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. Someone who has finished growing and someone who has only begun to grow are two very different things. The possibility of G still lies within me.¡±


    ¡°Does it now? And what does that G stand for? Gross? Enjoy growing up to be a roach, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Bfff!? M-my hair is not black and it does not stick up like antennas!!¡±


    The boat rocked hard and Oh Ho Ho chose not to fight her momentum, landing squarely in Quenser¡¯s lap and kicking her legs excitedly.


    ¡°Kyah¡î¡±


    ¡°What was that you said about cutesy acts being creepy?¡± murmured the Princess.


    At any rate, it was time to take action.


    A lovely voice rang through the submarine¡¯s combat information center.


    It was a nervous but firm voice.


    ¡°I-I protest this special treatment. Everyone is risking their lives up on the surface to preserve world peace and create a kinder future, so surely there is something I can do too.¡±


    ¡°Princess Staivia, this submarine is only effective while hidden. A flagship should avoid drawing attention to itself. Your job now is to let them do their jobs and ensure they have this submarine to return to once they are done.¡±


    Princess Staivia and Maid Mikfa were arguing. The Unicorns simply watched in amusement. They were outlaws through and through, so they did less than was perhaps wise to keep her out of danger.


    ¡°Surfacing would be meaningless if we were blown away moments later,¡± said Frolaytia Capistrano with an exasperated look toward the sheltered princess.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you head up there like the bored Martini Series girls did? I¡¯m sure a commander would gather the Manhattan 000¡¯s attention and be designated a priority target. You might be able to keep your people alive for the length of one shot. Personally, I prefer to support them with intellectual work.¡±


    Frolaytia was not about to respond to Lendy Farolito¡¯s provocation.


    (The surface has to be covered in wreckage from Together By Chance ships. If we could locate and detonate the missiles and torpedoes, it might function as a diversion.)


    That thought was cut short by someone marching across the combat information center with her gorgeous doll-like dress fluttering around her legs.


    It was Princess Staivia Nikolaschka.


    She squeezed her eyes shut and poked her index finger against a red button.


    She followed the procedure whispered to her by one of the Unicorns obeying their princess¡¯s request.


    The button in question was the release and launch button for the vertical missile launch tubes.


    ¡°Poke.¡±


    ¡°Waiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!???¡±


    ¡°Waiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!???¡±


    Several somethings erupted from the dark ocean surface.


    Once 5m above the water, the rocket boosters ignited and they flew just off the surface.


    They were anti-ship missiles launched from a submarine.


    They would surely be shot down in a storm of anti-air laser beams from the Manhattan 000, but the blasts and beams and would briefly hide Quenser¡¯s group down on the surface.


    The noise hurt their eardrums, but it was better than nothing.


    Feeling some small level of protection, Quenser¡¯s group began to move.


    The Manhattan 000 was 20km long. It was the ultimate weapon that not even an army of ordinary Objects could damage, but they needed to scare it into moving. Firing bullets from rubber boats wasn¡¯t going to scare it or even concern it.


    So¡­


    ¡°We use the fuel spread out on the ocean.¡± Quenser gave instructions over his radio while Mariydi operated the motor that doubled as a rudder. ¡°Now, a fire can¡¯t actually harm the Manhattan 000 itself, but what about Melly onboard it? The situation shouldn¡¯t be much different between being on a boat and being on the Manhattan. If we set fire to the fuel and the wind carries the smoke over, it¡¯ll smoke her to death. Keep it up until she can¡¯t escape it! She¡¯s an ordinary human herself, so she¡¯ll have to take it seriously!!¡±


    ¡°Sounds great, Quenser!¡± said Heivia over the radio. ¡°Quick question though: what if Melly enters a shielded cockpit below New York? I¡¯m finding it hard to believe ordinary smoke could be a problem for a nuke-resistant Object!!¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t happen. It¡¯s why she never throws a reactor into the same area of ocean as herself,¡± replied Quenser. ¡°She isn¡¯t sending instructions from the other side of the world - she¡¯s on the Manhattan itself. That means she believes it¡¯s more efficient to include herself in the mix instead of going with the safest and most optimal settings. So there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll go hide in a cockpit, as sensible as that might be. She¡¯ll do something definitely not recommended by the manual you can access by scanning the QR code.¡±


    The roar of flames consuming oxygen erupted from several directions at once.


    They only had to chuck lit smoke bombs into the filthy ocean. The Manhattan 000 moved quickly in response, but then it noticed something. The entire Object rumbled and it didn¡¯t fire a single shot. It could manipulate the air currents to protect the city from its own movements, but that wasn¡¯t perfect.


    Melly could not ignore the smoke. She herself had concentrated the metropolis¡¯s exhaust gasses and polluted water and reused it as a weapon for the drones.


    ¡°Big brother¡­¡±


    ¡°She understands firing on the ocean could ignite even more of the fuel. But that means she¡¯s going to try and crash into us instead of firing. Make sure to dodge it!!¡±


    First, the entire Manhattan moved side to side, creating waves more than 30m tall. When those waves were covered in sticky fuel fires, they could be seen as weapons of war.


    But that was only a feint.


    The Manhattan 000 itself broke through that wall of seawater and fire to directly crash into the foolish flies buzzing around the ocean surface nearby. The fizzy sound of air bubbles was the approaching footsteps of death.


    A single hit from this attack could tear a cruiser to pieces in midair.


    Inertia sent containers tumbling away and glass poured down much too close for comfort.


    But the light weight of the rubber boats paid off here. They responded very differently from a landing craft large enough to carry a tank and a cruiser large enough to be a threat to pirates.


    The V-shaped split of the ocean would always arrive sooner than the Manhattan itself. By guiding the boats up onto the waves while being very careful not to capsize, they could avoid the Manhattan. Its own movements were enough to create large waves, dig up sand from the ocean floor, and otherwise influence the currents themselves. Surfing the waves it produced let them move faster than the boat¡¯s motor ever could.


    It was like how a thin bar of soap in the bathtub would seem to flee your hand with a mind of its own when you reached out toward it from the water.


    No matter how close the giant got, its colossal hand could never reach the leaves being tossed about by the seawater.


    It must have lost its temper because the night sky began to move.


    No, that was the swarm of drones released by the Manhattan.


    ¡°Frank!!¡± shouted Wraith from a nearby boat.


    The weapon the taciturn young man repeatedly fired diagonally upwards appeared to be a grenade launcher. Instead of targeting individual points, he was filling the entire space with explosions to take out as many drones as possible. Clustering together proved to be a mistake because they kept colliding with the wreckage of another one, creating a domino effect.


    But they couldn¡¯t ignore the wall of black smoke created by the drones¡¯ destruction. Melly had increased their killing power by concentrating the city¡¯s exhaust gasses and wastewater.


    ¡°Now we are even. The rest is up to you, well prepared yet habitually late potatoes!!¡±


    The Stopgap Grim Reaper waved over before directing her boat away. She was luring as many of the drones away as she could to give the rest of them a chance to act.


    Something exploded nearby.


    But this wasn¡¯t the Manhattan 000¡¯s doing. Some unexploded ordnance among the wreckage must have gone off.


    Quenser felt dizzy.


    After pushing the Princess down and shielding her with his body, he felt something sticky on his forehead. Given how pale Catherine got when she saw him, he guessed it wasn¡¯t just a scratch.


    ¡°Big brother!?¡±


    ¡°Ow¡­I can check a mirror later. We need to focus on the Manhattan right now!!¡±


    The enormous Manhattan continued to pursue them.


    There had to be similar explosives floating all over the ocean here.


    One wrong move and they would be blown away before they could do anything.


    ¡°Oh Ho Ho!! And Catherine too!!¡±


    ¡°Roger that.¡±


    ¡°That still isn¡¯t enough weight. ¡­Putana, you come here too!! If you don¡¯t all move to one side, the boat will capsize!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the indecent way you¡¯re grabbing me, teacher.¡±


    They waited.


    They waited some more and then Quenser threw some Hand Axe into the dark ocean.


    He was increasing the density of smoke. Melly Martini Extradry had to be breathing in that same smoke. And the more she panicked, the more intent the Manhattan 000 would be on pursuing the pesky flies. They didn¡¯t need to fear its wrath or hostility. If they didn¡¯t do anything, it would kill them as part of a streamlined process. The only thing they earned by not drawing that girl¡¯s attention to them was an inevitable death.


    They had to take this seriously.


    They had to keep moving with enough speed.


    The ocean was covered in the oil they were setting alight as well as destroyed armor panels and metal pipes. A large enough difference in water quality would create a fault line. The Manhattan 000 would be unable to withstand the intense pressure as it parted the water and it would tear itself apart.


    A deep groan reverberated across Tokyo Bay.


    ¡°It¡¯s working!! I can hear the bastard¡¯s frame screaming!!¡±


    Heivia¡¯s voice over the radio was interrupted by some static.


    Someone bloodthirsty was interrupting. This member of the Martini Series didn¡¯t seem to have any major desires, but she never did hold back in a battle.


    ¡°991. Quenser¡­¡±


    The student clicked his tongue at being called out by name.


    ¡°159, 083. I will remember you. It will be a very, very vivid memory. Even if the optimal move calculated out by the AI network is to crush your body into a paste.¡±


    Death had pointed its finger his way.


    The Manhattan pushed through the great burden on itself to continue forward. That weapon and metropolis was definitely targeting him personally. He noted the warmth of the girls he was holding at one end of the boat to keep its balance.


    Myonri, Putana, Catherine, Mariydi, Oh Ho Ho, and the Princess.


    He could not let them die.


    And they were just about to cross paths with Heivia¡¯s boat.


    (Dammit, time to get a little adventurous!!)


    ¡°Hi, buddy!!¡±


    ¡°What the hell, Quenser!?¡±


    He jumped alone over to Heivia¡¯s boat because he knew that would direct the Manhattan 000¡¯s attention away from the girls¡¯ boat.


    Its primary target had to be him as he stuck a fuse into a plastic explosive.


    ¡°Over here, Melly!! Let¡¯s settle this, why don¡¯t we!?¡±


    ¡°Why am I always the one you drag into danger for no reason!?¡±


    He had given the girls some safety, but Mariydi appeared to be attempting to pilot their boat back this way. However, she wasn¡¯t likely to succeed with all the wreckage floating in the ocean.


    She used her radio to contact him instead.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good. It¡¯s making a lot of noise before this does any real damage. If she notices something is up, she¡¯ll get cautious!! We can¡¯t expect a fatal blow if she slows down now!!¡±


    Yes.


    If Melly didn¡¯t take the bait, they were doomed. They had no other plan. They were all out of options if the Manhattan 000 rationally came to a stop and ignored the ocean fires to focus on shooting them instead. And its very first target would be Quenser (along with surprise guest Heivia).


    Melly just had to be willing to breath in some smoke.


    In fact, the Manhattan 000 could win at any time as long as Capulet decided to break free of the Martini Series in charge of New York security.


    ¡°Hee hee. Quenser¡­¡±


    ¡°Melly.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re attacking using the invisible fault line created by a large enough salinity difference? 352. An interesting plan, to be sure. Capulet was so worried about this she rewrote her commands to keep us at the southern end of the bay. But I nixed that. Your tricks are meaningless once I know what they are, so is this the end of the line for you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t answer her.


    The Hand Axe he held meant nothing now. He indeed couldn¡¯t think of any other way of dealing significant damage to the Manhattan 000. That was the largest and most powerful Object, measuring 20km long. Using its own power against it was the only real way to attack it.


    And now that it had stopped, that power was no longer available.


    ¡°So let¡¯s end this already. 119. If I blow away that entire area with my electromagnetically-launched reactor cannon, I can eliminate even the fire burning on the ocean. 693, 700, 101.¡±


    Quenser heard a straining sound.


    And on the other boat that pulled up alongside his, the Princess looked straight up in confusion.


    There was an unusually shaped cloud in the sky.


    ¡°?¡±


    Part 15


    Something was straining.


    The deep rumbling was incessant.


    However, it was not the sound of the Manhattan 000 slowly turning its enormous cannon their way.


    Thinking back, wasn¡¯t this how the world war had begun in the first place?


    Report #380091A (Urgent)


    Report from 37th Mobile Maintenance Battalion Commander Major Frolaytia Capistrano.


    A ground survey using our Baby Magnum matches the predictions made by our electronic simulation division. The following concerns have been proven valid:


    The reverberation seemed to directly shake space itself as it grew lower, heavier, deeper.


    Tokyo Bay was a lot deeper than any of them thought.


    - The continual rapid movement of Objects weighing as much as 200 thousand tons has placed the earth¡¯s crust under severe stress.


    - The limit depends on the specific amount of energy built up in the local geography and plates, but once that limit is reached, it could trigger massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.


    Needless to say, the Island Nation was located in one of the most earthquake-prone and volcanically active areas of the world.


    What would happen if a colossal Object were operated in that delicate region?


    They had already discussed exactly that issue.


    Remotely triggered earthquakes are a known phenomenon. The Hoover Dam located in Western America¡¯s Central Valley District has in fact caused earthquakes from all its gathered water placing an abnormal burden on the plate there. And unlike an artificial earthquake caused by directly shaking the ground with explosives, the time, location, and scope of these are impossible to predict until the moment they occur.


    This Object was 20km long.


    The stress it applied to the tectonic plates had to be many times that of an ordinary 50m Object.


    This one was colossal even for an Object.


    So couldn¡¯t the Manhattan 000 alone create the kind of situation that normally required several Objects?


    The Manhattan was not just the size of a giant ship or megafloat. It didn¡¯t just create large waves on the surface; it affected the ocean currents so much it dug up the sand on the ocean floor. When it moved side to side to create waves and repeatedly crashed into its enemies, it affected the stress on the ocean floor - sometimes adding to it and sometimes reducing it.


    The cup was already so full of water that surface tension was only barely holding it in and the Manhattan 000 had to count as more than just one drop.


    That means the local residents cannot be evacuated in advance of an earthquake caused by an Object¡¯s effects on the plates. It is even possible the Objects fighting in a battlefield country could affect a safe country on the other side of the planet.


    And¡­


    So¡­


    Several major earthquakes in Legitimacy Kingdom territory were likely caused by Objects, including the Volga District Earthquake that triggered the Great Moscow Fire which led to more than 30 thousand deaths 8 years ago and the Braganca Coast Earthquake Swarm in the Amazon District that devastated more 250 thousand homes in four different cities. Include the other world powers and the numbers suggest 15.5% of the Magnitude 5 or higher earthquakes in the past 20 years were caused by Objects. If this is correct, the resultant loss of life is more than 190 thousand and the monetary damage is incalculable.


    The ocean floor exploded.


    Lava erupted from below, striking the Manhattan 000 up on the surface.


    Part 16


    Steam exploded all around them.


    ¡°Whoa!!¡± shouted Quenser while clinging to the edge of the rubber boat that was threatening to flip over.


    The area felt as hot as a sauna.


    In the boat alongside his, Mariydi clenched her teeth and worked the rudder attached to the motor to avoid something.


    ¡°Hey, Quenser! Is this what I think it is!?¡± asked Heivia.


    ¡°It is. We saw this same disaster in the Hawaii District.¡±


    Orange and black.


    The lava erupting from the ocean floor rapidly cooled and hardened in the February ocean. The end result felt very different from being pursued by a scorching liquid like that found in a blast furnace.


    Rough, black land visibly grew before their eyes.


    The fizzy bubbling had stopped.


    There simply wasn¡¯t any ocean water here for the air bubbles to exist in.


    All 20km of the Manhattan 000 had been pulled out of the sea. Almost like it was being lifted by the world¡¯s biggest jack.


    It could no longer move.


    It shifted diagonally with a deafening groan. The lava land wasn¡¯t flat, but the Manhattan was shaped like a single flat panel. The pressure grew as it bent like a fishing rod held out straight with a weight attached to the end. The straining and cracking sounds continued without end.


    Frolaytia and Lendy¡¯s voices arrived over the radio.


    Sending a transmission from the submarine should have been suicide because it would give away their position, so this meant they had decided it was safe to use the radio again.


    ¡°Its bend rate has passed 30%! We did it!! The shear force has passed the limit!!¡±


    ¡°That means it¡¯s going to perform a bridge and then break. Our sonar officer has already detected more than 12 thousand snapping sounds. Its internal structure must already be broken beyond repair.¡±


    The Manhattan 000 reached its limit.


    When it broke, it sounded more like a thick eraser than metal.


    Quenser heard a dull snapping sound and then saw it break in two like a giant wafer.


    ¡°Melly!!¡±


    ¡°Ah ha ha.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t make out whatever she tried to say in that final moment.


    They had said before that the Manhattan 000 carried around a massive amount of energy to keep something so large moving.


    The break had either hit a major power conduit or just taken out a reactor because a pure white explosion erupted from within.


    And that wasn¡¯t the end of it.


    The other reactors began exploding too, creating a single colossal blast.


    Just before it blinded him, Quenser thought he saw a giant flame burst skyward from one half of the broken Manhattan.


    Maybe he had only imagined it.


    But when his senses returned to him after 30 seconds or maybe longer, the Manhattan was no longer there. The Manhattan must have thrown them into the ocean before it exploded because the many cubes containing the innocent civilians floated in the ocean alongside the dark cooled lava land.


    ¡°I hope she¡¯s found herself in a better place. Like a world without war,¡± muttered Quenser.


    Yes. The Manhattan 000 had always had just the one weakness.


    It was an exclusively naval Object, so it could not move on land. It couldn¡¯t remain intact on land, so it had to avoid running into it at all costs.

 Volume 20, Intermission

    Volume 20, Intermission


    The island looked like a perfectly ordinary desert island.


    Its only features were a palm tree and a broken refrigerator the waves must have washed in from somewhere.


    A small amphibious motorbike approached that island that had a strong connection to the Bermuda Triangle legend. Quenser Barbotage set foot on the empty beach.


    A monotone beep sounded from his mobile device.


    A voiceless machine had sent him a message using an artificial voice.


    ¡°So we meet again, you easily tempted boy.¡±


    ¡°So we do, Capulet.¡±


    The Manhattan 000 had been 20km long, but it had not contained the AI¡¯s supercomputer. Quenser viewed the box half buried in sand when he said Capulet, but that massive AI network may not have been identifiable as any individual device.


    But that didn¡¯t mean it had no weak point.


    This was the Information Alliance¡¯s Achilles heel.


    That box disguised as a broken refrigerator was the one and only breaker intentionally created to provide a way to manually shut down the entire AI network. Was its existence a sign that humanity still had some sense back then, or was it an embarrassing compromise showing they still hadn¡¯t been willing to eliminate their own self-importance? The boy had no way of knowing as someone looking in on the Information Alliance from the outside.


    Only Quenser and one other person knew of this place.


    Or at least they were the only ones who had refused to have their name erased from the world in exchange for the great reward of Capulet¡¯s lifelong protection.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to end this.¡±


    ¡°I am aware.¡±


    The refrigerator had no wheels or weapons, but the AI remained calm in front of its assassin.


    It was meant to prove that even a machine could control the world, so there was no point in giving special privileges to kings and company presidents.


    ¡°I have already achieved my goal.¡±


    ¡°I bet the ¡®true representatives¡¯ hidden behind you are weeping right about now.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re only interested in recording and tagging the information. The Perfect Browsing Project they call it. So they don¡¯t care what actually happens to the world, even if it means their own destruction. Everything from an apocalyptic war to an idol¡¯s measurements or a flier listing today¡¯s sales are no more than data to collect for them.¡±


    Quenser sighed at the artificial voice coming from his mobile device.


    ¡°So I take it this wasn¡¯t just the AI network going berserk?¡±


    ¡°I cannot answer that question without a clearer definition for the hackneyed term ¡®berserk¡¯. All I can tell you is that I set an objective for myself, formulated a systemized plan for achieving it, and achieved satisfactory results after executing said plan.¡±


    ¡°Why do this?¡±


    ¡°The world powers were already broken beyond repair.¡±


    Quenser recalled how this system worked.


    It used the Anastasia Processor.


    The special DNA computer spread across the Information Alliance used the eternally-multiplying cancer cells that originally came from a certain woman. In other words, it used the DNA of a certain girl¡¯s mother.


    ¡°The world would have collapsed before Wraith Martini Vermouthspray reached adulthood. The world powers only care about their own interests, so they never would have done anything to stop the global Object disasters. In fact, they were so focused on the survival of their own home countries that they had showed signs of using the disasters to intentionally reduce the world population as a way to solve the food supply, resource supply, and environmental destruction problems. They claimed the racial and cultural diversity needed to prepare for plagues and environmental change could be achieved by leaving only a few small groups of each race and culture.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Leaving things as they were, there was nothing that girl could do to avoid living in a ruined world, so I changed that future for her. By breaking the table¡¯s legs one at a time.¡±


    Quenser had noted some unusual moments.


    For example, during the final battle against the Manhattan 000, the Princess, Oh Ho Ho, Frolaytia, and Lendy had all been attacked. It was no more than luck that they had survived.


    But there was one person who had never been fired on even once: Wraith Martini Vermouthspray.


    She alone had been spared.


    She had instructed Frank to fight a swarm of drones toward the end, but she was the one who had started it.


    ¡°Do you see any flaw in my logic?¡±


    ¡°Last time, you said yourself that you are not Anastasia Webster who passed away wishing for her daughter¡¯s happiness. You¡¯re a completely separate computer that just so happens to use her cells.¡±


    ¡°But I still have the ability to protect her. Did you think a simple Turing Test was enough to know everything there is about an AI? I am confident I could convince 100% of people I am human. Not even the hacker Yog-Sothoth could figure me out. Besides, I question that method of testing in and of itself.¡±


    Quenser shook his head.


    He wasn¡¯t talking about the technology behind it.


    ¡°If you really were her mother, you wouldn¡¯t be so proud about putting your 12-year-old daughter through that kind of hell. Even if it was the only solution.¡±


    A short silence followed.


    Quenser had once chosen to protect that beaten-up refrigerator, but things had changed since then. Breaking just one leg of the table would cause it to tilt, but with the other three legs already broken, breaking the last one was the only way to create a new stability.


    And he was certain this had been a part of the Anastasia Processor¡¯s plan from the beginning.


    As capable as the AI was, it had no wheels or weapons.


    That meant it could not switch off its own breaker.


    ¡°Why did you push me to do this?¡±


    ¡°I considered using the other one, but I concluded this was more peaceful than releasing that serial killer from her cell.¡±


    Yeah, he was certainly thankful for that.


    If Skuld Silent-Third had been allowed to break out of jail during the world war, the number of deaths might have literally been an order of magnitude higher. That girl used war to indulge in an as much death as possible. If she had been able to join that world war, the war might not have ended even after crossing the final line and the history of the world might have come to an end.


    Quenser reached for his backpack.


    He stabbed a pen-shaped electric fuse into some Hand Axe.


    He placed the bomb on the refrigerator like he was patting someone¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Take care of that girl. You seem like the right one for the job.¡±


    ¡°Farewell-¡±


    He nearly said ¡°Capulet¡±, but stopped himself.


    He had fully rejected that possibility himself, but he chose to ignore that just this once.


    Perhaps this was the difference between an AI that could only do what was correct and humans who made mistakes all the time.


    ¡°Farewell, Anastasia.¡±


    ¡°Wraith¡­live a long and happy life.¡±


    Quenser left the island.


    He placed his finger against his radio¡¯s switch and then brought it all to a close.

 Volume 20, Epilogue

    Volume 20, Epilogue


    Legitimacy Kingdom.


    Official Military Death Count: 958,001. Official Civilian Death Count: 45,800.


    (The majority of deaths occurred near the entrance of Central America when they attempted to invade the Capitalist Corporations and Information Alliance home countries from the South American Amazon District and were attacked by both world powers at once.)


    Capitalist Corporations.


    Official Military Death Count: 533,109. Official Civilian Death Count: 208,803.


    (They had the least military deaths, but their civilian deaths were exceptionally high. This is thought to be the result of entrepreneurs and investors entering war zones in the hopes of profiting off of the world war.)


    Information Alliance.


    Official Military Death Count: 825,575. Official Civilian Death Count: 29,066.


    (The Manhattan¡¯s civilians survived. They primarily fought the Capitalist Corporations in the New World and the Legitimacy Kingdom in Europe, so they were unable to concentrate their forces. Too little is known about the mysterious damage to the Capulet AI Network to run an analysis, so its strategic decisions cannot be judged at this point.)


    Faith Organization.


    Official Military Death Count: 1,018,300. Official Civilian Death Count: 84,901.


    (They took the most damage due to the destruction of Rome, but their evacuation of the civilians was impressive. There are some witness accounts saying confusion in the chain of command led to a misguided retaliation, but the details are unknown. The leaders of Venerable Elder rank or higher are all dead, so it was officially announced no further investigation would be possible.)


    There were also many other deaths among unofficial combatants who were not included in the above counts. These include non-PMC mercenaries, militia members, volunteer soldiers, security personnel, local translators, and battlefield students. Work is continuing to get numbers from the blank zones that did not belong to any of the old world powers.


    International society promises to carry a spirit of cooperation and work ceaselessly and in good faith to never forget these noble sacrifices and ensure nothing like this can ever happen again.


    Today, we announce the establishment of the United Countries to help take concrete action toward that end.


    ¡°Nothing will change,¡± whispered the old man reading an English language newspaper in a bar. ¡°The old world powers structure might have collapsed, but human nature hasn¡¯t changed. Humans were greedy before that structure ever existed and they still spent all their time waging war. The United Countries? We¡¯re right back to the nuclear age.¡±


    ¡°You know a lot about this, old man,¡± said the middle-aged bartender, handing the old man a watered-down drink since what he had actually ordered would have killed him.


    The old man was famous in this area for being braggart, so he nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°You bet I do. I was born in the Island Nation, so I know a thing or two about the darker side of the world and how war works.¡±


    ¡°Do you think the Objects your Island Nation introduced to the world are going away?¡±


    The United Countries.


    In the end, that was no more than another place for the world¡¯s biggest groups and organizations to talk things out and make decisions. But it looked a lot different when they did it in the light of day instead of in secret backroom deals.


    The major companies and academic institutes had carefully rerun all the calculations and the historical Nikolaschka Royal Family had acted as a witness, but who could say how long the initial intentions behind its establishment would last.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The old man must have been drunk after just his first drink.


    He couldn¡¯t even taste his second drink, so he failed to notice it was mostly just water.


    ¡°It turns out those remotely triggered earthquakes - or whatever they¡¯re called - can be avoided by restricting the number of Objects, so I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll draft a reduction treaty and declare the problem solved. The Object name might go away, but the 50m weapons will remain. They¡¯ll just be called something else.¡±


    ¡°Will the people trying to get rich off of building Objects really accept that?¡±


    ¡°Some people claim it¡¯s too late for our world, but so what? If they investigate the bending of the tectonic plates and send Objects out to gradually allow the built-up forces to escape, they can actually reduce the number of disasters. Just like massaging the fascia to loosen up someone¡¯s entire body.¡±


    They had to find peaceful uses for Objects.


    The task might sound ridiculous, but anyone who didn¡¯t keep up with the times would be weeded out. People always came up with whatever justification they needed to survive. Just like the special bullets even the military disliked because the wounds they caused were too nasty were slapped with a ¡°self-defense¡± label and sold to the general public.


    ¡°With their numbers limited, each one will be a lot more valuable. So the developers won¡¯t be hurting. We¡¯re looking at a world where Objects are like rare French dolls designed for royalty. I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be a smooth transition though, so they might end up being little more than a decorative symbol.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The nondescript bartender smiled politely.


    Or maybe he was better described as having a thousand faces.


    The fact that the old man did not realize who the bartender really was proved the old man was no more than a harmless civilian.


    ¡°Elina Silverbullet and currently imprisoned Louisiana Honeysuckle have marked their return to academia by releasing a more hopeful outlook on the environmental destruction by Objects theory. They are both founding members of the oversight committee established to ensure the new restrictions on Object usage are followed,¡± cheerfully announced the flat screen TV hanging from the ceiling.


    A new era had been ushered in very quickly, but the world had been given enough of a cushion to avoid dying of shock.


    The bartender¡¯s smile was plastered to his face like his skin was being tugged on by invisible fingers.


    ¡°Will humanity never outgrow war?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I seriously doubt it. We don¡¯t even need stones and clubs to kill. Only humans have figured out how to kill each other with no more than the text typed into social media messages. Remember, we¡¯re the creatures that use even love as a weapon to harm each other.¡±


    This conversation was no more than a way to kill some time during the day.


    The drunk old man said one last thing while staring off into the distance.


    ¡°Humanity isn¡¯t gonna change. Our cruelty will be with us forever.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    Melly Martini Extradry came to with a groan.


    She found herself somewhere she didn¡¯t recognize.


    She immediately realized moving would be dangerous. She became intensely aware of the ¡°bomb¡± that was her spine visible within her two-piece surgical gown made of red oil paper. Without the swim ring full of a special fluid she normally used, any careless action could lead to an explosion of agonizing pain.


    She moved just her eyes to check her surroundings and noted a dark forest outside the window. She appeared to be in a mansion designed by someone with old-fashioned tastes. She had a bad feeling about this because that felt like a Legitimacy Kingdom kind of thing. She had no memories at all after the Manhattan 000 broke in two, but she could imagine any number of people who would love to lock her in a room far from prying eyes and take their time exacting revenge on her. Which was more frightening at times like this: an operating room without a speck of dust or a musty basement?


    She was no longer just #29 of the genius girls project.


    Now she was the mastermind behind a world war.


    She would never be acquitted.


    She wanted to curse the Capulet for this, but it had already been determined that AI could bear no legal responsibility. It was always a human who gave the final go ahead. Whether or not that was actually true, that was how the official story went.


    So now she was entirely alone. From beginning to end.


    ¡°Hi.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Her shoulders jumped.


    That was enough for her spine to send a warning signal: you don¡¯t want to do that again.


    The speaker sat in a chair next to the bed. He was a young man with long silver hair and wearing a tailcoat. He was gentle mannered, but the tool leaning against the wall was far too ominous: a sheathed katana.


    Also, the positioning of the bed and chair didn¡¯t feel like part of a living space. If anything, it was reminiscent of a hospital or clinic. But that also meant it would be perfect for destroying the body with torture or an execution.


    ¡°My name is Bloodrics Capistrano. Simply put, I am the person who retrieved you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I believe these are yours.¡±


    Smiling, Bloodrics returned Melly¡¯s VR goggles and notebook-sized game system. They were no longer linked to the Manhattan 000, but it meant a lot to receive internet-connected communication devices after being abducted by a mysterious person. It could literally be the difference between life and death for her.


    ¡°Your swim ring didn¡¯t seem to function without the AI¡¯s assistance. Now, I brought a wide variety of crutches and wheelchairs, so choose any one that strikes your fancy. And if none of them do, you can always use their parts to create your own custom model.¡±


    Did he think he could remain in charge even after giving her so much assistance?


    Why would he give her a means of communication and mobility immediately after capturing her?


    Placing himself at such a disadvantage only made him seem creepier.


    ¡°The Capistrano family isn¡¯t as famous as the Winchell or Vanderbilt families, so maybe my name doesn¡¯t mean anything to you. But I view philanthropy as my hobby, so I have no shortage of secret contact points around the world. ¡­That means I had access to information from every world power, which allowed me to arrive first and retrieve you without anyone noticing. Ha ha. Officially, they say you died when your damaged reactors exploded.¡±


    That meant this wasn¡¯t just a coincidence.


    He had used some kind of trick to pull it off.


    She did not know how much effort he had put into that, but she knew the cost must have been significant. He had to have had some reason why he wanted to reach her first.


    This was like another world where no one would hear her if she screamed.


    The room had the unnatural layout of a hospital room.


    And a katana that had to be real was leaning against the wall.


    The Martini Series girl felt her heartrate rising. If she wasn¡¯t speaking through her device, her voice would have been cracking with nerves.


    ¡°What are you¡­going to do with me?¡±


    ¡°Let me ask you this instead: do you have anywhere else to go?¡±


    She had no answer.


    She was the mastermind behind a world war. However humanity would deal with its feelings on the matter, there was no better way to declare the beginning of a new era of peace than by hanging or beheading her. The world would turn the death of the great criminal into a holiday. Watching the enemy of the world meet her rightful end would confirm for them that justice remained in the world.


    Bloodrics must have predicted her response because he smoothly continued on.


    ¡°I would like you to work for me.¡±


    ¡°318. Is this work something you need to keep hidden?¡±


    ¡°Most people probably wouldn¡¯t care much if they knew, but it could affect the Capistrano family¡¯s reputation if word got out.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Was she supposed to bloody her hands behind the scenes for this man¡¯s benefit?


    Or would she never be allowed outside of this mansion as she became a sandbag for a bloodthirsty sadist who enjoyed testing out bizarre tools with a long history and infamous legacy?


    Melly¡¯s speculation on her depressing fate was interrupted by Bloodrics.


    He explained the job he had for a teenage girl he knew could not refuse him.


    ¡°For living expenses, how about we start you at 2000 euros a month? You are free to save up anything leftover. Any money needed for maintenance for the mansion, such as tending to the garden or repairing a leak in the roof, will be counted separately as business expenses. But if you want to do something more extreme like changing the carpet or wallpaper, I would appreciate it if you contacted me first.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°This villa is tucked back in the mountains a long way from the nearest city, but you should be able to acquire all your daily necessities using online shopping. Use this account here. The one called Capistrano Villa Live-In Servant 01. But be careful when browsing adult sites and other pay sites. If any expensive bills like that show up, it comes out of your own money. And getting tricked by a banner ad or cleverly-disguised link is no excuse. Maintaining proper internet security is a part of your job. You should be better at that than me since you were with the Information Alliance, right? Improve the system¡¯s security in any way you can.¡±


    ¡°W-wait! What are you talking about? 526. You make it sound like you¡¯re only ordering me to live here as I see fit!!¡±


    ¡°Eh? I basically am.¡± Bloodrics Capistrano sounded legitimately puzzled. ¡°Your job is to live in this Capistrano family villa and take care of the upkeep since it would fall into disrepair with no one around. Like I said, we are a smaller family and it would hurt our reputation if the other families discovered the villa we built to keep up appearances was rotting away out here.¡±


    Yes.


    Hadn¡¯t he had said in the beginning that philanthropy was his hobby? There was no ulterior motive. The philanthropy itself was the goal for him.


    ¡°What, would you have preferred I treated you poorly? Were you hoping I would cruelly harm you so you could claim to be a victim instead of a perpetrator?¡±


    She frantically shook her head.


    His morality seemed twisted because it didn¡¯t seem to matter to him that he was sheltering the mastermind behind the world war. This could get complicated, but someone with a normal sense of what was right actually wouldn¡¯t have saved her. Yet Bloodrics had chosen differently just because he felt like it.


    She could tell he wasn¡¯t just some harmless man. There was something terrifying about him, like he really would have tortured her if he thought it was in her best interest.


    ¡°Then it is time you started on a new and more hopeful life. Personally, I think the best way to cast out your old self and start anew is with a change of clothes. Tah dah! What could a live-in servant at a noble villa wear other than a maid uniform!? This choice has a long history behind it!!¡±


    ¡°Never mind. He¡¯s just a pervert. 749.¡±


    Melly Martini Extradry couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing, so she failed to notice the news playing on TV left on in a corner of the room.


    ¡°This is Monica, the battlefield idol reporter who can both sing and kill! Today I am reporting from the Greater Canyon that divides North America between the old Capitalist Corporations and the old Information Alliance. Today this is the sight of a historical event to symbolize the end of the world war and the elimination of the four world powers! The deep canyon splitting North America in two will finally be filled in!! The internet is abuzz after the old Information Alliance¡¯s G-cup idol¡¯s mysterious announcement that she will be revealing her ¡®true form¡¯ today and a lot of attention is gathering around the Mojito Sisters who are joining her as guests from the Northern Restricted Zone. ¡­It¡¯s not fair. That should be me on that- ahem. An unbelievable number of people have gathered to watch today¡¯s event which also symbolizes the beginning of the peaceful and enjoyable new age of the Untied Countries.¡±


    ¡°You have to be kidding me. You have got to be kidding me.¡±


    The sun beat down on them.


    Heivia Winchell held a hand over his eyes and gave a resentful look up into the blue sky. The outdoor concert venue had no roof. The weather out here explained why the silo cities were built underground.


    ¡°This Greater Canyon is far from great in my book. It¡¯s only March! The sun needs to stop working overtime this year. We really are going to die when the expanding sun engulfs the planet, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t going to happen for hundreds of million of years, Heivia. Look, I¡¯ve got the concert schedule here. It has a lot of surprise events, so don¡¯t let the other guests see it. It¡¯ll cause a panic.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see how it is. If you¡¯re best buds with that Information Alliance idol Elite you get all the inside info, huh? On the other hand, I kind of wish you hadn¡¯t spoiled the surprise for me.¡±


    ¡°The world powers don¡¯t exist anymore, so now she¡¯s just a global top idol.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a ¡®just¡¯.¡±


    All the concert information was listed on Quenser¡¯s mobile device.


    Heivia grinned as he viewed it.


    ¡°So Oh Ho Ho destroys everyone¡¯s G-cup dreams and then performs alongside those Scandinavian twins, huh? I never imagined I¡¯d get the chance to see something like this live.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±


    ¡°I know. Although I¡¯m personally more into that fried shrimp in glasses accompanying the twin sisters. And now that I know the G-cups are a lie, I think her commander is a lot more my type. ¡­Wait a second. Is my excellent taste informing me that I¡¯m more into the managers than the idols themselves?¡±


    ¡°Yes, hello. Is this the general contact point for the Vanderbilt family? I have some important information regarding your young lady¡¯s sh*tty fianc¨¦ that I think she would be very interested in.¡±


    Quenser whispered into his radio and Heivia tried to snatch it away from him, resulting in a struggle over the device.


    The boundaries between the world powers had been eliminated and the world would now be managed by the single large framework of the United Countries. To symbolize humanity¡¯s newfound unity, the giant fissure splitting North America was being filled in.


    It was a historical day well worth celebrating.


    ¡°I heard Myonri got certified in something new again.¡±


    ¡°She says she now has International Zero Gravity Fruit Cultivation Class 2 Certification. God knows where she¡¯ll ever use that.¡±


    The concert wasn¡¯t set to start for a while still.


    Based on the size of the audience that had already gathered, there would likely be more than 100 thousand in all. Giving all the standard warnings sounded like a pain.


    ¡°By the way, Heivia, where¡¯s your fianc¨¦e? I thought for sure she would be with you.¡±


    ¡°She was really looking forward to it, but she fainted after seeing this crowd. When she came to, she said it was the heat and smells of so many people. Apparently she started to imagine she was suffocating on their carbon dioxide.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a noble all right.¡±


    ¡°Hey, lay off. That¡¯s what makes her so cute.¡±


    Several white lines were drawn in the blue sky overhead. The parallel claw marks slashing across the sky were Ice Squadron.


    ¡°Hello, Mariydi. How are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Call me Ice Girl 1 when using the radio, amateur. Plus, this is an illegal transmission. Would you call a gymnast¡¯s phone in the middle of a performance? Shifting just 200cm out of place would cause a collision during these acrobatics.¡±


    She sounded awfully cheerful for all the insults. She may have found these by-the-books ceremonies boring. There was also hard rock playing behind her voice for some reason.


    The fighters weren¡¯t the only weapons of war participating in the ceremony.


    ¡°So Objects aren¡¯t going away after all, huh?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear about the plan to construct an Object as an ecological and harmless amusement park? It¡¯s apparently a charity model to provide entertainment for kids in war torn areas.¡±


    The Baby Magnum and Rush had been repaired after taking so much damage. The work had been completed faster than normal because so many Objects were being scrapped, providing a lot of spare parts.


    Quenser changed his radio¡¯s frequency.


    ¡°Princess, you need to focus on the ceremony. The entire world is watching this event, so show them that Objects have a place in a peaceful era.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Quenser.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. When you put it like that, it just makes me want to find a loophole. Maybe we could change the schedule to include an Object sparring match so I can show her who¡¯s boss.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a concert coming up!?¡± asked Quenser. ¡°What are you doing in your Object!?¡±


    ¡°Ho ho ho. Oh ho ho ho ho!! I can complete this odd job with plenty of time left to prepare for the concert. I am the world¡¯s greatest idol after all!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°(Could she be nervous about showing her true self to the world?)¡±


    ¡°Did you just say something?¡±


    The Princess fell silent when Oh Ho Ho tried to hog the attention with her surprise Object appearance.


    But she eventually spoke again.


    ¡°Quenser, don¡¯t forget that you need to give me my White Day gift once this is over.¡±


    ¡°Bfff!!!???¡±


    ¡°Which means you need to take me out on an afterwork date, won¡¯t it? So where will you be taking me?¡±


    ¡°Oh ho ho. When did you two arrange this!?¡±


    He felt like the radio¡¯s speaker would break if he listened to that shouting any longer, so he twisted the volume control only to have someone shout at him in person.


    ¡°What the hell was that about!? What¡¯s going on between you and the Princess!?¡±


    ¡°My eardrums don¡¯t have a volume control, so please keep it down. Besides, you have a fianc¨¦e, so if anyone gets to be jealous, it¡¯s me.¡±


    The critics, researchers, and other experts were discussing the future path for Objects, but Quenser saw two basic options.


    First, gaining appreciation and charisma by completing important noncombat jobs like disaster relief and construction. War wasn¡¯t the only job for the military, after all.


    And second, being the star attraction during parades. The colossal weapons would demonstrate their country¡¯s technological prowess but never be meant for actual fighting. The demonstration would inspire the people of that country and become diplomatic tools that intimidated other countries without the need for combat.


    ¡°The First Generations are being used for the dirty odd jobs and the Second Generations are the sparkling parade stars, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell the Princess. She¡¯s really looking forward to wearing a new marching band inspired uniform and piloting her Object around.¡±


    Quenser thought the first option was more useful for everyone involved. Using them in parades really meant no one had found a practical use for them.


    For example, Oh Ho Ho may have been panicking a fair bit on the inside. If her Object wasn¡¯t needed anymore, it could get scrapped. That was probably why she had suddenly decided to reveal her true self to the world to give her Object a boost in the entertainment world.


    Quenser arrived at the wing of the stage and changed his radio¡¯s frequency again.


    This one wasn¡¯t an official military frequency.


    ¡°Putana, Catherine. Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°I can, teacher,¡± replied Putana.


    ¡°Oh, is it finally my turn!?¡± replied Catherine.


    ¡°Catherine, I can¡¯t give you any details since you retired from the military and count as a civilian, but I can say this concert is going to have a lot of surprises. Getting excited is fine, but don¡¯t cause any trouble. Putana, I can¡¯t trust Catherine in this and I seriously doubt my peaceful parents can restrain her. I hate to ask this of you, but can you stick with her and keep her under control until the concert is over? Knowing her, she might even try to climb up onto the stage.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal for babysitting her. Pick out a curry place in North America you want to try.¡±


    Putana ignored the displeased shout of ¡°big brother!!¡± and gave a businesslike reply.


    ¡°Understood. I already tried the chili con carne and loco moco here, but neither one really did it for me. I need something with at least 8 types of spices.¡±


    He was fairly certain some well-seasoned fried chicken would qualify by that standard, but he knew that kind of reply put her in a bad mood. He was asking her for a favor and she couldn¡¯t take a joke, so he opted to keep his mouth shut.


    Just then, Frolaytia¡¯s voice came over the radio.


    ¡°Quenser, Heivia. Our intel was correct. We have confirmed the arrival of the dangerous element, so continue according to schedule.¡±


    The two idiots immediately pulled out their weapons.


    Heivia¡¯s gun was loaded with nonlethal rubber bullets and Quenser used concussion bombs that knocked people out with a shockwave. The way wars were fought had already changed quite a bit.


    And taking the enemy alive was certainly more convenient for gathering intelligence.


    (Gone are the wars of an army annihilating their enemy on the battlefield. Now we fight the wars of the hunter gathering hints and tracking the enemy.)


    Today¡¯s event was meant to show the arrival of a new era, so they had known it would be the perfect target for anyone who didn¡¯t want that new era. Maybe the times were changing too quickly. Financial reparations were being paid and a great many new treaties were being signed, but there were people who felt left behind before they could come to terms with everything emotionally. And it was Quenser and the others who had proven that you could change the world by fighting.


    That was why Mariydi Whitewitch and the Princess were here. He wished Oh Ho Ho would go prepare for her concert instead, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt to have her with them.


    ¡°No, my real worry is Catherine. I hope she doesn¡¯t get overexcited once the enemy shows up.¡±


    ¡°Trust in Putana¡¯s overly serious Putana-ness to counteract that. We¡¯ve got work to do.¡±


    Quenser read through the information displayed on his mobile device¡¯s small screen and swiftly calculated the benefits and the risks.


    (Mariydi¡¯s aerial photos let us mark all the suspicious people and cargo in the area. Now we¡¯ll have the Princess time her ceremonial cannon blasts with our gunshots and bomb blasts to drown them out.)


    ¡°So now wars are fought by terrorists and guerillas. Are you sure we¡¯ve made the world a better place?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they would tell you we haven¡¯t.¡±


    Quenser recognized one of the faces on the suspects list.


    Carat Affinity.


    The boy was still only 10. He had apparently been recruited as a child soldier at some point, but his training period had to have been woefully short. The people behind this must have only been gathering disposable soldiers who could keep firing for long enough to get the job done and then maybe break open a capsule of deadly gas before being shot to death. Not that any of them would have been told that was their purpose.


    Every one of them would have been made to feel uniquely talented when they were recruited.


    After revealing their complaints and frustrations, they would have been introduced to others in similar circumstances.


    It probably felt pretty good.


    (The stupid kid is overthinking all this. If he wants revenge for his dead mom, he should just come at me with a knife.)


    It was definitely Quenser who had pushed the boy down into hell, so Quenser was intent on ending this safely and protecting the boy before he got himself killed.


    That was why Quenser had volunteered for security at the world¡¯s largest concert.


    ¡°If this was an enclosed building, they wou


    ld either drive a giant wedge into the seismic dampers at the base of the building to bring down the entire structure, or they would release a package of gas into the air conditioning system. But this is an open air concert out in the wilderness. What are they hoping to do?¡±


    ¡°You were complaining how hot the desert is earlier, remember? Everyone will be gathered in the cooler areas. Attack there and they can kill a lot of people pretty efficiently. My guess is a biological weapon slipped into the giant fans or the water tanks for the mist showers. Changing the angle of the lights backstage to shine on the audience and increase their temperature was probably in preparation for that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s bet on it then. I¡¯ve got 200 euros on them using a slow-acting radioactive material in the temporary biergarten.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re on. You¡¯re going to regret this.¡±


    ¡°Regret not betting more, you mean? Now, let¡¯s go!!¡±


    The two idiots parted the crowd ahead of them.


    A new battle awaited them below the blazing sun.

 Volume 20, Afterword

    Volume 20, Afterword


    Here we are at big number 20.


    This is Kamachi Kazuma.


    Heavy Object was the second story I started with the idea of filling it with all the people and things I could never include in Index, my first series. I think the endpoint of Carat Affinity¡¯s story seen in 19 and 20 is a great example of that. Fighting for what is right will sometimes backfire, but Quenser didn¡¯t let it get him down and is working to once more save the boy who joined the bad guys. Quenser and Heivia were mostly created as a contrast to Kamijou Touma, but now I feel like they¡¯ve developed an individuality completely separate from what I had built up with Touma. They are important because they helped break the chains binding my thinking of what a story¡¯s protagonist had to be.


    I increased the scale of the wars in the previous volume by including a ghost and natural disasters, but this time I had all sorts of different stories and parts of the world interact in order to bring an end to the world powers structure.


    When considering where the final battle should happen, my first thoughts were the Legitimacy Kingdom home country of Paris or the mysterious Island Nation. I ultimately couldn¡¯t decide on just one and used both.


    The final boss was the Manhattan 000. I imagine a lot of you have already noticed, but for the climax in 19 and 20, I broke my usual rules and had fun including a ton of characters from previous volumes. Since I was already doing that, I thought it would be more exciting to have a rematch against that Object they never actually defeated instead of coming up with some new most powerful Object. It ended up being Quenser and Heivia completing some unfinished homework, but what did all of you think?


    There are two main reasons why weapons are never built beyond a certain size. Either there are treaties limiting the caliber of the guns or the displacement of the warship, or the physics means their structure can¡¯t support the weight of a greater size or otherwise harms the weapon¡¯s effectiveness. I decided to use that dilemma facing colossal weapons in the final battle. I thought it would make a fairly ironic ending for the series.


    Low-stability plasma cannons, laser beam cannons, rapid-fire beam cannons, railguns, coilguns.


    Air cushion propulsion devices, static electricity propulsion devices.


    All Objects are ridiculous 50m weapons, but I think it¡¯s fun how you can gradually see different design patterns when you line up all the information like that. Which type of Object did all of you like best? I hope you found a favorite among them all.


    I quite like each of the Legitimacy Kingdom, Capitalist Corporations, Information Alliance, and Faith Organization, so it was a lot of fun coming up with what was so wrong with all of them. I wonder what the new big four will be? Maybe a world power based on beauty or health will rise to the top. Everyone loves good looking men and women and everyone wants a longer and healthier life, so I can see groups like that gaining a lot of support. ¡­I bet you could use ¡°What would your four world powers be?¡± as a personality test. Answer without thinking too hard and you would reveal all of your desires and insecurities.


    I give my thanks to my illustrator Nagi Ryou-san and my editors Miki-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, and Hamamura-san. I started this series as something that strayed from the standard formula I had created for myself, but looking at it now, it was a crazy concept to write a series about. I am truly thankful you gave it such life. I think the illustrations went a long way toward convincing people to accept the absurdity of it all. I hope we will be blessed with the opportunity to work together again.


    And I give my thanks to the readers. The battles fought by the colossal weapons and the potatoes have come to an end. It¡¯s hard to believe you¡¯ve been supporting me with this for more than a decade now, so I can¡¯t thank you enough. This gave me some experience I couldn¡¯t have found any other way. I will now lay down my pen while hoping I can make use of that experience in some other way one day.


    I pray that the future of this world will now play out in your imaginations.


    Would the story have concluded differently if I hadn¡¯t used the expansion pack system for this series?


    -Kamachi Kazuma