Announcement
From now on, I have decided not to include ruby annotations for terms that have already been annotated once. I found it to be overly repetitive and, to be honest, it has become quite exhausting.
Example: Zodiac (殺戮駆動隊) → Zodiac
If there are any concerns about clarity, I will take them into consideration.
◆ Avangarde Royal Capital, in front of Hotel Maison ◆
I’m grateful that the locals have cleared this area for us. The Zodiac is infamous for their ruthless battles, but perhaps they fear civilian casualties. I’m not sure if they’re still concerned about their public image, but it works to our advantage.
【Tiferia’s Armor Breaker! No damage dealt to Cygnus!】
“Do you understand how ridiculous this situation is, claiming you’re going all out yet not even making a dent?”
“I understand. It’s your lack of comprehension that’s the issue.”
“Huh?”
Tiferia, facing off against the swan guy, has probably already devised a strategy. The swan guy remains completely oblivious. Those who have only known overwhelming victories tend to lose faith in anything outside of winning. He’s grown strong, thinking that donning a Powered Suit makes him invincible, unaware of the importance of the groundwork he laid during his weaker days.
【Cygnus’s Waterbird Dance!】
“Cygnus dances like a swan gliding over the water’s surface. And yet, the conclusion is reached quietly. Among the Zodiac, Cygnus is the most beautiful, you know? This dance excels in evasion.”
【Tiferia’s Armor Breaker! No damage dealt to Cygnus!】
“Do you not understand that this is pointless?! How can you be so clueless?!”
That dance intoxicates those who watch. Before they realize it, it induces nausea and headaches, throwing them off balance until they find themselves at the mercy of her performance. Perhaps that unique movement is a characteristic of the Powered Suit, or maybe it’s the skill of the one inside it, but either way, she’s a formidable opponent. With no weapons and relying solely on martial arts, she’s specialized in lightweight combat unlike other Powered Suits.
“Even if you land hundreds of thrusts, the armor of this Powered Suit won’t break, and I’ll take no damage.”
【Tiferia’s Armor Breaker! 2977 damage dealt to Cygnus! HP 464/3441】
“…What?!”
“Do you understand what has been done to you until now? Hehehe.”
It has begun. This is why I dislike our S-rank. She can use an unfathomable number of skills, yet finds the effective ones in an instant. It’s as if she’s a completely different person from the one who hesitated to kill just moments ago. The swan guy’s torso has been beautifully shattered, exposing the insides. It seems the thrust penetrated deep enough to pierce through to his flesh, as blood begins to drip from the stab wound in his abdomen.
“Ugh, no…! Ahhh! It hurts!”
“Armor Breaker can reduce the strength of any armor. It’s effective even against someone without armor like you, Rua. It lowers the very strength of your body. But just because it’s effective doesn’t mean you can win. Oh no, that’s impossible.”
“Even though it’s made of high-purity rare metal, why, why…”
“Ugh, my head is spinning. Alright, this is the end.”
【Tiferia unleashed One Tempo Kill! Cygnus has been defeated! HP 0/3441】
With a gentle thrust to the same stab wound, it ironically became the quiet conclusion the swan guy had spoken of. Tiferia’s One Tempo Kill—if you lack death resistance, this is where it ends. Once his prized Powered Suit is stripped away, there’s nothing left to protect him. The swan guy collapsed lifelessly, as if a string had been cut.
“I’ve done it. There’s no turning back now.”
“Yeah, I suppose it’s time for me to finish this too.”
The Chameleon, who had been my opponent, has vanished. He blends into the background, sneaking up as his appearance suggests. That alone isn’t much of a threat, but he’s incredibly agile, constantly changing his position while attacking. Fast and invisible, he’s a greater threat than the swan guy who just fell. Except for one glaring flaw.
“Tiferia-chan.”
“I know. Yes.”
【Eeks’s Bad Slasher Waltz! 2515 damage dealt to Chameleon! HP 340/2855】
“I-I’m gonna die!”
I won’t bother with the tedious task of sharpening my senses to find out where he is. Like the swan guy, I’ll just dance and slash. With an intensity that keeps anyone from approaching me, I slice through the air with my sword. The Chameleon, trying to close in to attack me, is easily caught in my flurry.
As his invisibility fades, the Chameleon writhes on the ground. He couldn’t keep up with my movements and has become completely disoriented. His flaw isn’t just that.
“Your suit’s abilities are frightening, but they’re suited for assassination. You lack the power for a one-on-one fight. If you can’t finish it quickly, you’ll end up caught in area attacks like this.”
“Even so, it’s not that easy… I can’t see, capturing the opponent is impossible for an ordinary person…”
“If you challenge us with that mindset, it’s easy for us, but don’t go spouting nonsense about challenging the Flash Strike Girl. So, what’s it gonna be? Do you still want to fight?”
“Eeks-san! Is it over?”
Oh no, Rutna and the others, whom I had sent far away, are coming back. I had done that to keep them out of the fight. But more than anything, I didn’t want them to witness a murder scene. It’s not something you show to kids around ten years old. The swan guy’s corpse is already lying there, and that alone is enough of a shock. And as expected, the Chameleon’s gaze shifted.
“Hey, kid!”
“Ah! W-What, what, what?!”
“Hehehe, if you value this kid’s life, you’ll do as I say!”
There were many oversights: Rutna and the others returning, the fact that he was still able to move, and that he could instantly identify the weakest human among us. His invisibility may have broken, but he still has the strength to restrain a single girl in a chokehold. It’s a sight I don’t want to see, but what can I do? If Tiferia-chan uses her skill, there might be a chance. But he’s completely pressed against her; it wouldn’t take him seconds to snap the slender body of a child.
“Wh-What is he doing?”
Even though my beloved is in danger, Rash seems to be enjoying himself. Naturally, I feel irritated, but I choose to remain silent. I already know what he’s planning.
“I don’t want it! It’s disgusting! Pervert! Don’t you feel sad pretending to be a reptile as a human?!”
“Not at all! It’s been years since I’ve had the chance to enjoy such a cute girl!”
“N-No, no, no!”
“Ugh! He’s fallen right into my Illusion Magic!”
I felt the pervert’s breath hitch. It seems my ploy was successful. I don’t know how it works, but it appears that these guys are immune to Illusion Magic. It’s precisely because he’s so confident that he questioned Rash’s statement.
“What are you talking about…”
“That’s your grandpa Hast.”
The atmosphere fell silent. Even I, who had only imagined it for a moment, froze. Even Tiferia, looking at him as if he were an incomprehensible creature, had a serious expression. The man himself couldn’t possibly remain unresponsive.
“That’s impossible.”
“Wow, he’s hugging the old man… ugh!”
“Ahhhhhh!”
The Chameleon, who looked like he was about to be killed, leaped away from his hostage. Desperately rubbing and slapping his own body as if dancing, he eventually rolled on the ground, rubbing his torso against it like a cat. His behavior was completely deranged.
“The smell of old age is overwhelming!”
“Now’s our chance, Eeks-san.”
“Yeah.”
【Eeks’s attack! 1054 damage dealt to Chameleon! Chameleon has been defeated! HP 0/2855】
This time, I thrust my sword into the Chameleon, who was rolling around on the ground. I didn’t want to do this in front of the kids, but there was no time for hesitation.
“…Did I kill him? Sorry for making you see that.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m prepared for this kind of challenge. Rutna might not know, though!”
“Here you go again, trying to show off… It’s not about being a kid! Why am I the one who’s called Lord Hast?!”
“That kind of pervert is especially vulnerable to that, right?”
“Phew, what a relief. Is it over?”
From behind the building, the old man Hast peeked out. This entire scene meant that Rutna, who had been embraced by the pervert, was the real deal, and Rash had skillfully deceived him with a convincing act. What’s impressive isn’t just his acting skills. From the Chameleon’s statement about killing men and enjoying women, anyone could tell he was a pervert. The quick thinking to devise this Rutna rescue plan, without a hint of anxiety about being found out—could it be that this kid, who seems to be around ten, might become a far greater figure than I ever will?
“I knew that if he saw Grandpa arriving late, he would never be fooled. The moment that idiot Rutna got caught while prancing ahead, I told Grandpa to hide. Seriously, if this doesn’t teach him a lesson, he needs to be more careful next time!”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Huh? I can’t hear you!”
“I’m sorry, you idiot!”
“I don’t feel any sincerity here!”
“Well, let’s put the love banter aside for now. More importantly, Meria, it seems you’ve completed that magic we discussed.”
I felt a strong urge to inquire about the mysterious term “love banter.” Perhaps this old man was using a word that had become popular among the younger generation. But I decided to let it slide.
“Yes, while everyone was busy, I managed to finish it. Honestly, I wanted to deal with that scumbag myself… Oh, never mind.”
“I imagined a lot too, you know? You owe me one, okay? Right?”
“I owe you a lot. Thank you.”
“As expected of a hero!”
It’s better to go along with someone like Elmera than to push back unnecessarily. I hoped Lua understood that too; otherwise, she wouldn’t last long.
“Rather than Lord Hast’s inefficient Word Soul magic, I took inspiration from communication magic! Now we can converse with Lua and the others from afar. However, from the outside, it might look like you’re talking to yourself, so please focus on the person you want to talk to in your mind!”
“I’ve been thinking about giving up the title of sage lately.”
“W-Well, more importantly, good job. You managed to pinpoint the position of the Sky Cannon’s satellites, right?”
“Yes, roughly.”
Meria’s Creation Magic is incredibly powerful, but it requires time and concentration. Elmera had mentioned that as a weakness. That’s why the fighting fell to us. However, something felt off. The disappearance of Branburm was too unnatural.
“Even if they wanted to eliminate us, isn’t their method a bit too straightforward for the Kingdom of Metallica?”
“Maybe they overestimated the power of the Zodiac?”
“No, no, Ord. They keep flaunting the Sky Cannon and using roundabout methods. Their objectives remain unclear, but I can’t help but think this is a foolish approach. Cygnus and Chameleon were indeed strong, but do they have what it takes to kill us here?”
“Well… logically, it’s impossible.”
“If it were me, I’d consider using Chameleon for an assassination. That would be more realistic. It could be Branburm acting on his own, or perhaps someone else’s orders, or there might be another purpose altogether. I don’t know, but they are a scarier opponent than I expected. The Kingdom of Metallica.”
“Alright, I’m going to communicate now…”
While we were in our meeting, Meria had already begun. How does she manage to talk to Lua and the others? If someone suddenly spoke to me like that, I would normally be startled. But maybe it’s fine since she’s not a normal person, I thought, as I quietly pondered.
◆ Airship – Bridge ◆
“…Can you hear me? This is Meria.”
“F-Fai?!”
“Oh, good. You can hear me.”
“M-Meria?! Is that really you?!”
I had been dozing off when a voice echoed in my head. I suddenly shouted, causing Terrace, who was at the helm, to turn around in surprise.
“What is it? Did something happen?”
“N-No, it seems Lua was just half-asleep.”
Thanks to Kurinka’s somewhat terrible cover-up, Terrace accepted it with a simple acknowledgment and turned back to the front. He really is unflappable.
“You can talk, but please whisper in your mind. When you want to speak, just think strongly about the person you want to address. There are still some instabilities, like sometimes just thinking about me might connect us, which is something we need to work on.”
“Sis, that’s too long. Even if you explain it, I won’t remember it all, so just keep it short.”
“Yes, that’s true… No! That’s not the case! Lua is a very intelligent person!”
“…I get it already. What’s going on over there?”
These sisters are truly exhausting; at this point, I couldn’t even muster the energy to get angry. From what I gathered from their rough explanation, they had defeated the two from the Zodiac, but Branburm had vanished without a trace. They were surprisingly tough, and it was a challenge without holding back.
More importantly, they had pinpointed the location of the satellites and were already heading there. It was crucial to stop the Nation of Kashiram from doing anything reckless. Perhaps Elmera could directly confront the King and negotiate. In other words, they planned to split up and destroy each satellite.
“But, Meria, if we destroy one satellite, won’t the others explode too? If we release the Virus, it should solve everything, so let’s wait a bit longer.”
“Lua, you don’t have to talk. Look, Terrace is watching again…”
“I told you it won’t be resolved that way. Even if we release the Virus, if it’s Genia, she will restore everything in less than an hour.”
He glared at me, stating something utterly hopeless. I had accidentally spoken my thoughts aloud, but Terrace didn’t comment on it.
“W-Wait, less than an hour?! What do you mean?!”
“I did what I could, but regrettably, she’s just better at it. Everything. It might not even take an hour; it could be just a few minutes.”
“What is Genia?! I get that she’s impressive, but why is she doing all this?!”
“That is…”
“Oh, I forgot to mention. That Genia guy, he’s got Divine Nature, you know? ‘Inspiration,’ they say.”
Inspiration? What kind of Divine Nature is that? Unlike destruction or regeneration, I couldn’t quite picture it.
“He comes up with new ideas one after another, finding solutions to any predicament. In a way, he might be the strongest. Lua’s destruction could eventually be countered too.”
That’s no joke. Not only could he come up with ideas for destruction, but he might also devise ways to kill me. No, he might have already thought of that. Genia, this person is entirely unfathomable. The members of the Comet Wolf Brigade and Aboro are clearly “evil.” I had just discussed this with Kurinka, and I reached my own conclusions. They would wreak havoc without caring about anyone else if it served their interests. I can’t forgive that. But Genia? I truly don’t understand him.
“What does Genia want? He gave us the Detect Ring and tried to let Platiu, whom he cared for, die. I just don’t get it.”
“…It seems you’ve encountered a truly enigmatic individual for the first time.”
“I can somewhat understand why Terrace dislikes him, but I still don’t get it. Is he a good person or a bad person?”
“Neither good nor bad.”
“What do you mean?”
“More importantly, a serious situation has arisen.”
Just as I thought he was about to change the subject, Terrace froze, staring straight ahead. What now? If monsters are attacking, we’ll take them down. But there are none around. Just the vast ocean surrounding us and the blue sky above.
“What’s the serious situation?”
“The airship was almost on autopilot, heading straight for Metallica. And this is the mainland of the Kingdom of Metallica.”
“But there’s nothing here…”
“Exactly, there’s nothing… nothing at all! We’ve been had! Damn it!”
“What?! Explain!”
“I’m about to tell you a reality that you won’t understand in just one word.”
Terrace trembled, his twig-like arms hanging limply. Neither Kurinka nor I could grasp what was happening. We had arrived in the Kingdom of Metallica, yet there was nothing here. Metallica was nowhere to be found. Nowhere. Oh.
“The Kingdom of Metallica has moved its entire island. They have already completed… the floating city, Laputa!”
Oh, really? Various thoughts slipped from my mind, and I began to feel a bit dazed. Was Terrace joking with us? With that serious expression, he couldn’t possibly be saying something like that. The vast blue ocean stretching to the horizon, and Metallica was here? Oh.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Lua cannot kill.
Tiferia and Ex are probably around Lua’s age.
They’ve been killing thieves for work.
The half-baked ones who left the village yesterday are different from them.
Huh?! Something feels off again!
Shin didn’t write this; I don’t know.
Phew, I’ve been so stressed lately.
Elmera’s been noisy because of that strange communication magic.
I want to kill her, but I can’t win.
I hate my own powerlessness.
I was supposed to solve everything with the Virus, but once again, I’m being outsmarted.
As a strategy, while the Virus holds them back, I will destroy the satellites.
But the Zodiac is probably being hunted down.
Leaving Lua aside, can a party that includes someone like Ord stand against them?
I should just stop resisting and comply.
When it comes to Metallica, they have plenty of snacks,
so they must be creating a lot of machines.
Yeah, there’s no reason to resist anymore.
I hate that old hag Korin, but it can’t be helped.
Long live Genia!
Speaking of snacks,
What should I do about the pudding buns?
I’ve got an idea!
Since Laputa has been completed, let’s say it flew away somewhere.
Yeah, good! Shin also has the Divine Nature of Inspiration!
Monster Compendium
【White Beauty Bird (Cygnus) HP 3441】
Zodiac: The Swan-Inspired Powered Suit
The Zodiac is a powered suit designed to resemble a swan. It emits sound waves of a special frequency that can intoxicate living beings. Depending on the movements of the wearer, it can even drive opponents to madness on the spot. This suit aims to reduce weight while minimizing the cost-effectiveness of lethal actions. However, it is completely unarmed, relying solely on the rare metal blade attached to the arm. In a sense, it is akin to a prototype, placing its combat capability within the mid-range among the Zodiac.
Chameleon: The Shape-Shifting Recluse
HP: 2855
The Chameleon is a powered suit modeled after its namesake. It features a stealth function that allows the wearer to blend seamlessly into their surroundings. Prioritizing weight reduction even more than the Cygnus, this suit focuses on reconnaissance and assassination rather than direct combat. Like the Cygnus, it is entirely unarmed. The wire that extends from the mouth resembles a tongue, making it useful for slashing at or restraining opponents. However, due to its lightweight design, the armor is somewhat lacking in durability. The aesthetic has received mixed reviews, particularly among female researchers, who seem less than impressed.