Episode 37: Dreams are Infinite!!!
Having finished annihilating the Ibinom on the Okinawan mainland, Kazuma called Ema.
The phone rang a few times before Ema answered.
『Hello?』
“Hello, Saitou-san. The Ibinom in Okinawa have been completely annihilated.”
『Really?!』
“I wouldn’t lie. More importantly, what about Okinawa’s remote islands? There’s quite a number of them.”
『Ah, yes. If possible, I’d like you to take care of those as well.』
“Got it. Well then, I’ll go hunt the Ibinom on the remote islands, so send over an investigation team or whatever you need to Okinawa. I’ve also captured a large number of Ibinom alive, so please send the science team too.”
『Ha, hahaha. You really are in a league of your own… But you’re also an incredibly valuable asset.』
“You’ve helped me out too, after all. I’ll make sure to earn my keep.”
Kazuma hung up the phone and floated into the sky.
Confirming the numerous remote islands visible below, Kazuma flew like a missile, annihilating the Ibinom on one island after another, capturing several of them alive in the process.
Upon receiving Kazuma’s call, Ema immediately contacted the National Defense Force and dispatched an investigation team and researchers to the Okinawan mainland.
Although he didn’t doubt Kazuma’s words, they couldn’t afford any mishaps, so they first surveyed the major cities with unmanned drones to confirm their safety.
Then, using small unmanned drones to thoroughly check even the insides of houses, the National Defense Force concluded that, just as Kazuma had said, it was safe, and sent in the investigation team and researchers.
Three teams—escort, investigation, and science—landed in Okinawa.
They gasped at the sight of the Ibinom, piled up like a mountain, that Kazuma had captured.
“Are all of these alive?”
“It’s just as you see…”
“They’re still moving…”
As the soldiers gulped at the unbelievable sight, the researchers beside them were cheering.
“Magnificent!!! So many precious samples! Ah, what a stroke of luck! The Crimson Knight must surely be a messenger of God!”
The soldiers looked on in exasperation at the researchers who were excitedly observing the mountain of captured, live Ibinom.
“What should we do about them?”
“Leave them be. Scientists are an eccentric bunch. Ordinary people wouldn’t understand. More importantly, let’s get to our own work.”
“Yes, understood!”
The investigation team headed off to survey areas that couldn’t be checked by the unmanned drones, the science team was engrossed with the Ibinom Kazuma had captured, and the escort team watched over them from a distance.
“What in the world is going on with them?”
“Who knows? From the looks of it, they’re restrained by something like chains of light…”
“Not only can’t they move their limbs, but even their mouths are sealed.”
“He’s truly terrifying, that Crimson Knight…”
“There are also rumors of others with rich variations like Silver, Blue Silver, Jet Black, Gold, and Jade, you know?”
“Is it true they’re all the same person?”
“I wouldn’t know. But there’s no doubt he’s the most reassuring ally we could ask for.”
“You got that right!”
While remaining vigilant of their surroundings, the escort soldiers engaged in lively conversation.
They were rather carefree, considering an Ibinom could attack at any moment, but since Kazuma had annihilated and captured the Ibinom, there was no such danger.
From underground to the skies above, Okinawa had become the safest place on Earth.
“My kid’s a huge fan of the Crimson Knight. Think I could get an autograph?”
“Mine’s into the Silver Knight. I even bought him the DX Sword.”
“I wonder if they’ll release a Crimson Knight version. My kid’s complaining because they only have the Silver Knight one.”
“Take it up with the toy manufacturers.”
“I wish they’d make it into a Sentai series~~~”
Unbeknownst to them, behind the scenes, not only toy manufacturers but also television stations were making their moves.
Since there was someone internally who had sole contact with the Crimson Knight, there was no way businessmen would let such a lucrative opportunity slip by.
It was certain that someday, a Sentai series led by the Crimson Knight would be born.
“Phew… That should be about it, I guess.”
Kazuma clapped his hands as if dusting off dirt.
Before him lay a mountain of captured Ibinom and the scattered corpses of Ibinom, like so much trash.
“Okinawa has a lot of remote islands, huh. Never knew that before…”
He wasn’t fatigued, but it seemed the sheer number of remote islands had given him some trouble.
Having liberated all of Okinawa’s remote islands, both inhabited and uninhabited, Kazuma called Ema again.
“Hello, Saitou-san.”
『Kazuma-kun? Did something happen?』
“I’m probably done with all the remote islands in Okinawa. Can I request another dispatch?”
『O-Oh! Understood! I’ll arrange it on our end immediately!』
Ema was astonished that Kazuma had liberated all of Okinawa from the Ibinom in less than a day, but he was even more overjoyed by the confirmation of the immense economic benefits this would bring.
Not only could they revive Okinawa, once a popular resort destination, but since US military bases were also located there, they could also curry favor with America.
“Well then, I’ll leave the rest to you. Oh, right. Make sure to deliver the materials to Kurashige Industries. For free, of course.”
『But of course. That was our agreement. You have the rights to all the Ibinom you’ve captured alive and the corpses of those you’ve defeated. Naturally, what you do with them is your decision.』
“Alright! Then, I’m counting on you for the rest!”
『Yes. Leave it to me.』
Having entrusted the aftermath to Ema, Kazuma set about doing what he needed to do.
For now, that meant heading to Kurashige Industries and starting development on the Powered Suit.
He had the funds, but nothing had been done towards development yet.
However, with the materials now secured, they had finally made progress.
With this, Kazuma could finally obtain his long-desired custom equipment.
“Well then, shall we get going right away~”
As if to say “strike while the iron is hot,” Kazuma was about to use Teleportation Magic to go to Kurashige Industries, but having just learned the importance of Hourensou (reporting, informing, and consulting), he first called President Shouzo of Kurashige Industries.
『Yes, hello?』
“Hello, Shouzo-san. Is it okay if I head over there now?”
『Ah, Kazuma-san. Of course, it’s fine. Could this be about that matter?』
“Yep, yep. I finally got some time to focus on that.”
『Oh! Finally! We’ll be waiting for you!』
“Alrighty~”
After ending the call, Kazuma, for no particular reason, struck a cool pose and used Teleportation Magic to travel to Kurashige Industries.
Arriving at Kurashige Industries, Kazuma headed towards the prefab office building to meet Shouzo, when Shouzo and three of his subordinates emerged from the factory.
It seemed Shouzo and the others had also been heading to the prefab building upon hearing Kazuma was coming.
Whether the timing was good or bad, Kazuma spotted his target, Shouzo, and approached him.
“Hello. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Has it? It feels like it was quite recent to me.”
“Well, well, setting that aside, how are the designs coming along?”
They had sufficient funds, but without materials, progress had stalled.
So, Kazuma had conveyed his general requirements to them for the blueprints at least.
Not much time had passed, but their passion was immense.
Kazuma proceeded, assuming the blueprints were likely quite advanced.
“Gufufufu…”
Shouzo let out an eerie laugh, like that of a corrupt merchant, sending shivers of excitement down Kazuma’s spine.
“Oh! Could it be, they’re complete?”
“I don’t know if it will meet your expectations, but please follow me this way.”
Shouzo guided him into the factory like some kind of smuggler.
Following him, Kazuma entered the factory and was led by Shouzo to where the blueprints were laid out.
Spread across a large workbench, the blueprints depicted something that exceeded even Kazuma’s requests.
“O-Ohh…! Th-This is my Powered Suit!”
The blueprints showed three views—front, back, and side—outlining the Powered Suit tailored to Kazuma’s specifications.
Equipment and adornments were meticulously detailed, making it understandable at a glance even for a layman like Kazuma.
“By the way, how much is the budget looking like?”
“…At least ten billion, I’d say.”
Looking extremely hesitant, Shouzo held up one finger as he conveyed the cost of building Kazuma’s Powered Suit.
Conventional Powered Suits cost, at most, tens to hundreds of millions.
Considering that, the Powered Suit designed by Kurashige Industries to meet Kazuma’s demands could, to put it mildly, only be called absurd.
However, this had become a major national project, and funding was essentially unlimited.
On top of that, they had the Crimson Knight, who could procure Ibinom materials—which would normally cost millions, if not tens of millions—from anywhere in the country.
At this point, nothing was impossible.
There might be external pressure, but Kurashige Industries was backed by the Japanese government and Kazuma himself.
As long as Kazuma, who possessed the power to physically overturn even one of the world’s leading corporations if they seriously tried to crush them, was present, no one would likely dare to make a move.
“At the very least, huh…”
“As I thought, it will be difficult, won’t it?”
“I’ll handle the negotiations with Saitou-san for that part, so I want you to proceed as you see fit. And just so you know, I’ll be using all the technology at my disposal without holding back, so think of it as a joint development.”
“Kazuma-san’s technology? What sort of things are they, exactly?”
“That’s a secret. Looks like things are about to get hectic.”
“Regarding that matter… we’re short-staffed. If possible, I’d like to request your help in securing personnel…”
“Leave it to me! I’ll pull in people like researchers who report directly to the government!”
“…Please try not to go overboard, alright?”
There was no denying Kazuma’s reliability, but there were also aspects of him that were somewhat difficult to manage.
In fact, it was more accurate to say that once he got going, he was like a runaway locomotive that couldn’t be stopped.
He was both a greatly appreciated and a troublesome presence, but with Kazuma around, life certainly wouldn’t be dull.
Shouzo found himself pondering the astounding, world-shaking future that was to come.