Near the Sky Cannon
【200 Kolumba have appeared! HP 2600】
【60 Pegasus have appeared! HP 4270】
The launch preparation time for the Kingdom of Kashiram has begun, and I’ve figured out the approximate coordinates from the satellite base. The main body of the Sky Cannon is here, right at the border between Noibranz and the Kingdom of Kashiram. As I get closer, a swarm of Heartless appears, almost as if they’re signaling that the Sky Cannon is nearby.
【Platiu unleashed the Diffusion Plasma Cannon!】
【Platiu unleashed the Cosmo Barrage!】
Creating a barrage with the Cosmo Barrage and attacking with the Plasma Cannon. The machines that can no longer track their targets will next rely on heat. Then, they’ll sense breathing. That’s how they identify living beings, and they do it in less than a second. So, the barrage does serve a purpose in causing confusion.
【Dealt 4724 damage to 32 Kolumba! Defeated 32 Kolumba! HP 0/2600】
【Dealt 4690 damage to 14 Pegasus! Defeated 14 Pegasus! HP 0/4270】
The firepower of the previous Machine Maiden’s Atomic Blaster pales in comparison. Even at the diffusion stage, I can create a hole in that swarm of Heartless. I can’t afford to deal with each one individually. If I destroy that Sky Cannon, Lua will praise me. Platiu is amazing.
――――Could it be that Genia also…
That Genia created the Sky Cannon? That she’s trying to defeat Madias? Perhaps.
【The Pegasus fired a Pulse Laser!】
【The Kolumba launched a PC Bomb!】
“…!”
【Platiu deployed the Reflector!】
They’re aiming more accurately than I expected. Thanks to the barrage, some of their shots missed, and dodging is easy. I deployed the Reflector just in case, but it might not even be necessary.
【Platiu deftly dodged!】
The performance of the Seraphim is impressive; it executes my vague thoughts with precision. Even a vague idea like dodging or escaping is carried out flawlessly. It’s far more impressive than Crimson. Did Corin really create this?
【The Babel Sky Cannon has appeared! HP 170000】
“…I see it.”
A large cylindrical structure floats in the air. Its launch port is so big that it could easily cover a small town. Numerous square transparent panels are embedded in it, likely absorbing sunlight to provide backup energy. It looks like a chimney floating in the sky, turned on its side.
“Intruder confirmed in the airspace. Activating defense systems.”
【500 Babel Guarders have appeared! HP 10000】
【80 Entry Hit Babel have appeared! HP 50000】
With the voice echoing through the sky, something is launched from the side of the cylinder. Small aerial turrets and large aerial turrets. It’s no lie that they can take down Calamity Class monsters. Compared to that, the swarm of Heartless is nothing more than pesky flying insects.
“Reflector at maximum output, duration approximately 3 minutes.”
If I destroy the main body, it will cease functioning, so I’ll ignore the defensive turrets. I’ll shorten the duration if necessary and aim for a quick victory. Then I’ll be praised. Right now, I want to be patted on the head by the person I admire most. Not just told to stay back because it’s dangerous.
――――I want her to say she wants to fight alongside me.
“Target locked on.”
And then, I close in on the Sky Cannon at the highest speed the Seraphim can achieve.
In Front of the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Kashiram
“So, these guys were trying to infiltrate the Royal Capital to take hostages or commit mass murder?”
I’ve brought several of the Zodiac corpses piled up in front of the Royal Capital. I’ve disabled them and knocked them out, so there’s no problem. The biggest issue is that they’re not listening to a word I say. We’re struggling against a massive swarm of lions. The King is bleeding from all over, one arm hanging limply. The Pasiv that Weiss is riding has lost a leg, and for now, only Balbus and Nice are holding their ground.
“What the hell is this?”
【Leo’s Laser Sonic! Elmera deftly dodged!】
“What the actual hell?”
I melt down the lions that charge at me in a frenzy. No matter how strong they are, they can be dissolved with a little ingenuity. I call this acid the king of acids, aqua regia. I can wipe out the Zodiac with this. No problem as long as I generate it in the air. There’s no limit to Imagination Magic.
“Why are there more lions?”
“I’m sorry, Elmera! I need your help!”
“A King who can ask properly is wonderful.”
“I don’t know what that thing is! But it’s definitely from the Kingdom of Metallica! Please!”
“Geez…”
Alright, alright. I toss my hair back and try to show some enthusiasm. With Balbus and Nice here, it seems like they could wipe them out without my help.
“Those don’t have any insides, do they? They move like that.”
“Maybe!”
“Then let’s finish this.”
【Rua unleashed Sonic Rain! Dealt 4830212 damage to 10 Leo! Dealt 4945199 damage to 16 Centaurus!】
Just as I was getting motivated, that little girl timed her attack perfectly. In an instant, all that’s left in front of me are the remnants of the lions, completely obliterated. The girl who unleashed a storm of slashes that are impossible to see with the naked eye gracefully descends from the back of her flying dragon companion.
【Defeated 10 Leo! HP 0/9300】
【Defeated 16 Centaurus! HP 0/6050】
“There were so many Heartless here too. The King is badly injured…”
“Fufu… How many times has my kingdom been saved by you?”
As the dragon girl returns to her human form and begins healing, I take another look at the remnants. No, it’s beyond mere remnants. They’ve been shattered into pieces. What’s impressive is how she accurately avoided the fighters and hit them precisely.
“You’ve completely wiped out the foes we struggled against. A normal human would have been broken to their core by now…”
“Don’t say things like that.”
“It’s been a while, Rua.”
“Nice, Balbus fought too. I’m glad you got along.”
The cat Beastkin scratches his nose, shaking his whiskers in embarrassment. Balbus pretends not to look at me, gazing into the distance. It’s a rare reaction from a Beastkin when they’re shy.
“By the way, the current enemy is from the Kingdom of Metallica, right? What’s going on?”
“Actually…”
The Zodiac was so poorly made that it resulted in the creation of the Heartless. I get a rough explanation, and it’s just “Hmm.” To me, the outcome of a battle ultimately depends on the heart, and the landlady’s thinking is outdated. Well, from what I’ve heard, they’re probably long past being sane, so it would be pointless to argue about that.
“B-But where’s Platiu…? Didn’t help arrive?!”
“Huh? You’re asking me, the helper, without even a word?”
“I’m sorry, Elmera! Thank you!”
“Well, nothing that resembles help has come.”
At the King’s answer, I turn pale. Platiu is that sleepy-faced kid, right? Let’s see if I can find her. It’s impossible if she’s too far away or sealed away with some advanced sealing like my sister.
“Then where did she go…?”
“She seems to have gone to destroy the Sky Cannon?”
“…What did you just say, Elmera?”
“A big service. I can’t let you lose that child and then destroy the world out of despair! Come on, hurry! I’ll tell you where she is!”
“Thank you, Elmera!”
I watch her take off on the back of the dragon girl, waving goodbye. I could help, but it’s not necessary.
“You’re quite straightforward with your help.”
“Oh? I think I’m always kind, don’t you? I’m nice to Balbus too, right?”
“Didn’t Elmera dislike those two?”
“Hm. Maybe Nice-chan wouldn’t understand.”
It’s just that I haven’t been able to thank her for bringing my sister back. That’s all.
“It’s not that I hate them.”
“Is that so?”
Her reaction when I tease her is amusing. She responds properly when poked. She’s learned to ignore me lately, which is a bit less cute, but it really is just that.
“It’s better to tame those kinds than to make them enemies.”
I voice my feelings, suppressing the notion that it’s not true. Knowing the pain of losing something, I don’t want to whimsically destroy the world. None of it feels quite right. But this feels right: I can stay with her.
――――Together.
A strange, indescribable feeling lingered deep within my heart, and I couldn’t quite come to terms with it. Together, huh? No, no, that feels off. What on earth has happened to me? Damn it, ever since I started thinking about those Balbus, I can’t escape this spiral. Why do I keep meddling with those kinds of people anyway?
“Those who marry among themselves—”
Suddenly, I looked up at Lua, who was perched atop the small silhouette of a dragon, and my chest tightened. What is this? I’ve definitely gone crazy. Why do I have to feel this confusing emotion just by looking at those two? I want to analyze it with Imagination Magic, but there’s no way to decipher what I don’t understand.
“Ugh! Just hurry up and finish this so we can go home! I’ll disturb your sleep again! I’ll crawl into bed with you!”
“Hehe.”
A well-groomed cat swayed its whiskers, seemingly enjoying itself. I’ll give it a thorough brushing later.
◆ Near the Sky Cannon ◆
【Babel Guarder’s Splasher Beam! Platiu dodged gracefully!】
“Just a little more…”
The damage rate was nearing 80%. I was barely protecting the wings and thrusters, but if they got hit, I would plummet from the sky. The Reflector’s duration had long since expired. All that was left was—
【Entryh Babel’s Large-Caliber Beam Cannon! Platiu dodged gracefully!】
Alright, I dodged a terrifying attack. It might not look like it at first glance, but the artillery had a set firing interval. One by one, I calculated the firing intervals of the countless turrets in my head and constructed a dodging program. I was storing that in Seraphim. The Entryh Babel’s shots were heavy, but the firing intervals were longer than those of the Babel Guarder. I would leave the automatic dodging to the program and focus solely on minimal attacks. I calculated the weakest point in the attack net and destroyed the Babel Guarder. The Reflector had truly been a lifesaver up to this point.
“Just a little more to the main body…”
【Babel Guarder’s Splasher Beam! Platiu dodged gracefully!】
I was within range, but attacking from here would likely be futile. Even Seraphim couldn’t destroy that mass. So just a little longer. Just a little longer until I could get inside—
【Babel Guarder’s Attack! Platiu took 1054 damage! HP 4450/25000】
“Ouch…!”
An arm extended from the side of the Babel Guarder. It wasn’t just waiting for me to pass; it was ready for close combat as well.
【Babel Guarder’s Splasher Beam! Platiu took 1544 damage! HP 2906/25000】
“It hurts! It hurts!”
It had adjusted the firing intervals to counter my dodging program. No way, I thought it was moving completely on autopilot. Or maybe this interception system itself was learning and constructing its own program. Either way, Seraphim wouldn’t last much longer.
【Babel Guarder’s Splasher Beam! Platiu took 1501 damage! HP 1405/25000】
“It hurts, it hurts! What do I do, what do I do?!”
Reconstructing the dodging program—too late. Self-dodging—impossible. Seraphim’s armor was nearly gone. Flight time—limited.
【Babel Entryh’s Large-Caliber Beam Cannon!】
The longer firing intervals had been a trap for this moment. Just right for delivering the finishing blow. I had been led here according to the program.
“Lua…”
Light enveloped me. The beam struck Seraphim’s armor—
【Lua unleashed the Sonic Spear! Dealt 7,054,213 damage to Babel Entryh! Babel Entryh has been defeated! HP 0/50000】
As I began to fall, unable to fly, someone caught me. The Babel Entryh that was supposed to shoot me had vanished without a trace.
“Platiu!”
“Save your anger for later! Look, that’s the Sky Cannon!”
“Creating something like that… a tool for killing! You’ve made me angry!”
【Lua unleashed Sonic Impact!】
Her voice pierced through my ears as she swung that sword with fury, still cradled in one arm.
【Dealt 121,065,499 damage to Babel Guarder x192!】
【Dealt 121,056,009 damage to Babel Entryh x5!】
◆ Near the Sky Cannon ◆
That murderous weapon was completely—
“From this world!”
【Lua unleashed Desalt Impact!】
Following up from Sonic Impact, there would be no remnants left at this point, but it still wasn’t enough. I didn’t want to see even a single shard. I wouldn’t leave anything behind. I would ensure that such a thing could never be created in this world again. That no one could ever make it.
“Vanish!”
【Babel Sky Cannon has been destroyed! HP —】
The clouds cleared, and the Sonic Impact and Desalt Impact obliterated everything far beyond the sky. I didn’t know what lay beyond the sky, but it didn’t matter to me now. As long as that weapon was gone, I was fine with anything.
“Ha… ha…”
“Lua-chan, you’re exhausted… and so is Platiu.”
“Firing two shots in quick succession… was a bad idea…”
I collapsed against Kurinka’s back, feeling a bit larger than before, which brought me comfort.
“The Sky Cannon… it’s gone, right?”
“Yes. It’s completely vanished. The Heartless flying around that area seem to have been obliterated as well.”
“Thank goodness…”
“Lua…”
Platiu clung to my back, her voice trembling and weak.
“I know… you were trying to be helpful.”
“Even Seraphim couldn’t do it…”
“I’ll take on your feelings of frustration.”
I could feel Platiu’s warmth against my back as she sobbed. I had been angry earlier, but now I said nothing. I understood her frustration. The helplessness of not being able to do anything more made the sound of her sniffles even more painful to hear.
“I want to be stronger… I want to be able to fight alongside Lua and Kurinka…”
“Platiu, you’re already strong enough. If it were just me, I might have been overwhelmed by that swarm of Heartless. Besides, you seem to be misunderstanding something; being strong isn’t the only way to stand back to back with us.”
“But if I don’t get stronger, I can’t fight…”
“What we can’t do, you can make up for with your strengths. You’re the one who can create Machine Maidens all by yourself; that’s a talent in itself. Okay? Think carefully about what you can do. So, don’t ever do something reckless like this again.”
After that, Platiu fell silent, seemingly deep in thought. She wanted to be acknowledged by us, to fight together. Kurinka had been with me all along, gradually growing stronger, but Platiu had spent less time with us. Maybe that was why she was feeling anxious.
Then I needed to be there for her even more. My body still wouldn’t move, and if I stood up now, Platiu would fall, so I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t embrace her, either.
“Please, don’t rush it. I was much weaker than I am now.”
“Sniff…”
She seemed to have calmed down quite a bit. Through the warm sensation, I felt Platiu’s emotions. With such a small body, she had challenged that terrifying Sky Cannon. Just like I had fought in the Abyss Cave, she had tried to take down a far stronger opponent. Thinking about it, it was outrageous to be angry. I had walked that path myself.
“Platiu, let’s stay together from now on.”
“Yeah… sniff…”
“Hmm, something feels off since earlier…”
“My nose is running.”
“Ahhh!”
I had thought something was strange for a while. The warmth wasn’t just from her body; I could now feel the cold, wet sensation of her runny nose. Just when I let my guard down, this happened.
“Lua, thank you…”
Platiu quietly expressed her gratitude, and perhaps feeling relaxed, she began to softly snore. As I looked down at the earth from here, I suddenly wondered if Madias was looking at the world like this too. I didn’t know what he was thinking while mediating the world, but perhaps he noticed something from this vantage point.
“Alright, let’s head back; everyone is waiting.”
Kurinka flapped her wings and aimed for the ground. As we drifted through the endless sky, it felt as if there were only the three of us in the world.
“Now then, when we get back, I think I’ll have some pudding buns. I should have saved some.”
“I already ate mine.”
“I’m not sharing.”
“That’s fine.”
I wondered if they were still good. They had been saved for quite a while, but Kurinka would probably regenerate them, so it didn’t matter.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Huh?
Monster Compendium
【Columba HP 2600】
Zodiac, a powered suit resembling a dove. It is equipped with flight capabilities and minimal shooting weapons. It is designed with mass production in mind. The PC Bomb that bombards from the air is infamous for resembling a bird dropping its droppings.
Pegasus HP: 4270
The Zodiac, a Powered Suit modeled after the Pegasus. It possesses higher combat and flight capabilities than the Kolumba. Rather than resembling a four-legged horse like a Centaurus, it is more akin to a horse-human hybrid. Its shooting ability is formidable, capable of unleashing hundreds of pulse lasers per second, making even a single unit highly effective in terms of suppression.