In Front of the Airship Silverwing
“I’m afraid you cannot meet with them right now. Please leave.”
“So when can I meet them?!”
“Undetermined. Please leave.”
The cold voice of Harp echoed from the massive airship, offering no warmth. Normally, when you visit someone, the door opens, and a person comes out to greet you. I never expected no one would come out at all. Not even the hatch, which resembled a door, opened; the airship simply loomed there, parked heavily.
“What should we do, Kurinka?”
“This clearly indicates something is up. We can’t just sit here; let’s take a gamble.”
“What do you mean?”
“Use the method that you’re best at, Lua-chan.”
“You don’t mean to destroy the airship…?”
“Just one step short of that.”
“Eh? O-Okay, I understand…”
As I began to grasp what Kurinka was implying, Harp’s voice suggested I could go one step further. No, that wasn’t directed at me. Someone nearby was speaking to her.
“Lua and Kurinka, right? You want to see Platiu, don’t you?”
“That voice… Corin?”
“Yes, that’s right. Since you’ve come all this way, it would be cruel to send you back empty-handed. I’ll arrange a meeting.”
“Yay! Then let us in!”
“However, she is not here.”
Just as I felt a rush of joy, I sensed Corin’s smirk from deep within the cold metal confines.
Avangarde Kingdom, Noibranz Military Base
“Ugh! This is tougher than I expected…!”
“You’re holding your own against me and Tiferia, old man.”
“I’m not even fighting seriously!”
“How long has it been since I’ve been taken lightly…? Don’t underestimate me!”
Thanks to Tiferia’s unnecessary comment, the fire was ignited. The naginata, which would take three or four adults to lift, was swung effortlessly in one hand, showing no signs of her age. She was more beast than warrior; the wind generated by her wild swings kept others at bay. Of course, her subordinates were displaying incredible determination as well.
“I can’t fall here…”
“For the kingdom…”
Even while pierced by a spear, he charged forward, retaliating with an indomitable spirit that had long since shed its humanity. Unless he had undergone modifications by Belmund, he was undoubtedly flesh and blood. Loyalty to the king, patriotism—while they may seem simple on the surface, they were rooted in emotional education. From a young age, they were instilled with the idea of living for their country, growing to take pride in it. This indoctrination solidified absolute monarchy, creating puppets that had discarded most of their human emotions. They believed in the pride they were taught, living their lives to pass it on to the next generation. It was hard not to feel a twinge of sympathy.
“Whirlwind… Go!”
Even this old man was holding his own against Tiferia and me. I had also been holding back to avoid killing him. I wouldn’t say something as thoughtless as Tiferia did, but I was sure he was aware of it.
Even though he faced two opponents, he hadn’t experienced being taken lightly on the battlefield for decades. He must have faced setbacks by the time he reached my age. Yet, he stood tall, living on to this day. The experiences and pride he had cultivated were surely beyond what we possessed. That was why there was something he couldn’t back down from. Just as I thought this, I took the full brunt of the old man’s naginata head-on.
“Tiferia, let me handle this alone.”
“Oh? You were the one who said, ‘We’re two against one, so don’t call it unfair,’ to make yourself look good?”
“…Old man, no, Captain Souzen. This is a duel; will you accept?”
“To act with honor! How ridiculous!”
Tiferia withdrew from the frontline. Souzen not pursuing her indicated he was ready to accept the challenge. We took a step back, facing each other. He was strong; I could feel it just by standing across from him. How many times had he experienced such a moment? Challenged to a duel, he had triumphed each time. Confidence radiated from him as he slowly assumed his stance.
“You don’t dislike this, do you?”
“…It’s trivial.”
I had imagined him to be a straightforward warrior, but it seemed I was mistaken. Souzen let out a small breath through his nose and lowered his stance even further.
“I find it rather foolish when people boast about dueling for pride. There’s nothing more important than results. Even if you accept the challenge, a strike from behind will end it.”
“Oh? You’re surprisingly dry.”
“You are the one who is young.”
I swiftly cut down a Noibranz soldier who had attacked from behind. Listening to the sound of the armored soldier sinking into the ground, I cast a cold glance at the old general before me. Indeed, this old man had never explicitly stated he would accept a duel. He merely showed the pretense of it. I felt a twinge of annoyance at myself for misunderstanding his intentions. I couldn’t even retort when he called me a young lad.
“If pride brings results, then let it be so. If I can achieve something for the kingdom, then so be it. No matter how dirty or scorned I may be, if the king is at the end of it, I will march forward without hesitation.”
“Scary, scary. I shouldn’t have challenged such an opponent to a duel.”
I easily swept aside soldiers attacking from multiple directions, while the fierce general charged at me from the front. Soldiers were nothing compared to him; if Souzen’s naginata could create a whirlwind, they were as good as nonexistent.
“You’re not foolish enough to sink while mistaking this for a duel.”
“Don’t call someone who desires a man-to-man contest foolish.”
“That’s what I’m saying about you, boy!”
I took the full force of the elder’s strike, feeling as if my arm might break under the weight. The sensation began to fade, and the pressure threatened to crush my bones. Yet, I resolved to face that overwhelming force head-on. Just as I steeled myself…
“Guuh…”
Something pierced through Souzen’s silver armor. In a delayed reaction, he collapsed, blood pouring from him. More surprising than his determination to rise on his elbow was the figure behind the attack.
“What the hell is that…?”
Looking up, I saw it was humanoid in shape. Its entire body was covered in crimson metal that reflected the sunlight. The helmet was far from conventional; it resembled the head of a dragon. Two horn-like protrusions extended straight from its ears, and it wore a tight-fitting suit of armor. From its back, which was entirely red, extended wings of pearly steel.
I had heard Lua describe Tiferia as a One-Winged Demon when she appeared in Ikana Village. Now, this figure also evoked the image of a demon. Both wings were present, sharp yet maintaining a sleek form that didn’t obscure its body lines. One could say it resembled a Crimson Demon.
“Is that a human? A child, right?”
“Yes, it is, Eeks.”
“You’re… if I remember correctly, you’re Genia.”
A young man in a lab coat strolled through the battlefield. He wore round glasses and had an air of intelligence about him, accompanied by three others in lab coats. Though we had only exchanged light greetings, I could tell he wielded considerable power within Metallica. Mechanical dolls surrounded them, moving with a lifeless precision.
“Since you’ve confirmed it, you’re at least not an enemy, right?”
“Yes, that is our latest model of Powered Suit from the Kingdom of Metallica… code ‘Crimson.’ It’s still in the prototype stage, but it shows great promise.”
“A human… a child, right? Using a child to kill is a disgusting method.”
“Such discussions can wait for another time… Branburm, it seems the adjustments are going smoothly.”
“I know.”
The large man who appeared beside him was clad in full armor. No, this man was Machine General Branham, the foremost combat force of Metallica, a being that defied the norms of being a mere weapon. I could feel his power radiating, and as I tried to envision a battle against him, I found it difficult. I couldn’t imagine winning easily. It was a cliché thought, but I didn’t want to face him as an enemy.
Damn it, I had once served as the Demon Lord’s right hand and was feared by the Twelve Demon Generals. The world was vast, and it seemed there were countless opponents I couldn’t be sure I could defeat. Perhaps Lua would someday experience this feeling too. I wondered what she would think at that time. I was somewhat curious.
“The brainwaves remain stable as before.”
“Of course, they should be; otherwise, all this training would be for nothing.”
“Indeed, compared to thousands of test subjects, Platiu is exceptional. That child is truly in a league of her own.”
“However, it’s still insufficient.”
“What do you mean?”
“Emotion. Until we completely eliminate that, we cannot celebrate unreservedly.”
“Hey, hey, hey! They’re talking about something incredibly dangerous. I have no intention of complaining about interrupting a duel or anything like that. If they’re serious about what they just said, this is bad. What are they planning in Metallica?”
“But during that last attack, the brainwaves…”
“That’s not it, is it? Director Genia, you know that we need one last experiment to determine if it’s completely gone. That’s why you had Platiu meet those two, right?”
“…That’s true.”
“Damn it…! Talking as if they can do whatever they want!”
They’ve let their guard down, the Kingdom of Metallica. The old man isn’t dead yet. Even his soldiers, despite their severe injuries, charge forward like an invincible army. And as for their leader, his tenacity is extraordinary.
“Titanis!”
With blood streaming from his mouth and his white beard stained dark, Souzen shouted valiantly. From the ground, rocks rose up in a circular formation, encasing Souzen completely. Just when it seemed he was trapped, the rocks began to shrink, merging with him.
“That’s the fusion with a Servant that only a squad leader or higher can achieve… the Neue, right?”
“You seem to know… This is the culmination of generations of effort to achieve the dream of unifying the continent. To command a Servant at will means this!”
The iron armor clashed against the rocky armor. There was no need to consider whether the advantage lay in the air or on the ground. Still, Souzen was determined to fight. But if that Titanis monster has appeared, it means Dogura is involved.
“Oh, you made it out okay.”
Dogura emerged from the ground without a scratch. He could have been defeated if he wanted, so what was his intention in letting Souzen go? It seems like I have him under my control, but that’s not entirely true. He’s a creature recognized as legendary. Having just wandered into the Demon Lord Castle, he’s more of an ally than anything else. What is he thinking? What is he doing? I still can’t figure it out.
“My physical abilities are beyond mere multiples! I incorporate the power of Titanis and elevate it into a technique! Like this!”
His legs fused with the ground, rising up like a mountain. If he can’t reach it, he’ll make it reach. Souzen displayed a skill so profound that it wouldn’t be strange to say he was manipulating the earth itself. Even as the old general bravely charged forward, the outcome was already decided.
“Ugh…”
A laser, mocking the earthen armor, struck Souzen down. Countless beams of light shot from his arm, piercing him from head to toe. At this stage, anyone could see he was dead. But that was just the beginning. Now, flames erupted from his chest like a geyser, incinerating his body. It ignited instantly and then settled. Some might not have even recognized it as an attack. The process was too swift to even be called a moment.
“Yes, the power of the fire particle cannon is nothing to scoff at.”
“Even the initial dispersive ion beam was more than enough. Well, it can be adjusted as needed.”
“W-wait! I don’t understand any of this, but hold on a second! Just wait!”
“Um, I can guess what’s going on, but… is that girl going to be okay?”
In this situation, it seems we’re the only ones who can speak. Yes, there’s so much I want to say. It’s overwhelming. I can’t help but wonder how those two would react if they were here.
“Oh, Silverwing… Corin must have moved it. Something must have happened.”
An airship approached from the distant sky. At that moment, I instinctively felt that Lua and Kurinka were on board. This is bad. How will they react to what’s happening here? Even Belmund would be pale at the sight of that inhumane weapon. As for its contents, surely they don’t know anyone inside.
“That vixen, moving the airship so easily.”
“Most of the functions on Silverwing are thanks to her. But more importantly, what could have happened?”
Distracted by the approaching airship, I barely registered that the Noibranz soldiers had been wiped out by the mechanical dolls guarding the scientists. Metallica, just how much power do they possess, and what are they trying to do?
◆ Shin Report ◆
Ah!
Oh, no!
I’m inside the item bag!
I fell asleep!
I was planning to enjoy my mom’s cooking at home!
But I ended up in the bag out of habit!
Time! I need to go back!
Haa… haa…
Shin is powerless now.
Oh dear.