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Sorcery Hacker:Volume4 Phase03
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==Phase 03: Independent Room – Consul Guest Quarters== ===Part 1=== The central square of the capital’s second level was the center of the Precession Festival which had, until a moment ago, been ruled by elderly Guardeleo’s presence. “Stand back!! Please stand back! We ask that all ordinary residents and visitors obey the guards’ instructions and evacuate in an orderly fashion!!” “Run away!? Where are we supposed to go!? There’s fire burning everywhere you look!” “Mommyyyy!! Where are youuuu!?” All the noise was deafening. The shining stars no longer filled the sky. The mana sealed inside the crystal tubes across the capital had reacted, lighting powerful searchlights, and some homes and shops were on fire. The screams were joined by angry shouts, which may have belonged to the half elves of the Collaborative Continent. “Burn their flag! And set their capital ablaze with it!!” “We are no longer allies. Our friendship has been washed away by our emperor’s blood!!” Injured Emperor Milbert and the dark elves were no longer here. Only the red blood spilled upon the stone pavement remained. “W-wait! I am an official diplomat protected by international law!” “Shut up! We don’t have to listen to you!!” The king had handled all the diplomacy before. How could some unknown diplomat get through to the Philosommelier Personal Empire when they refused to even listen to Guardeleo? Heavy footsteps thundered along. Giant dragons were flying through the sky, being swarmed by Shade Swallows. 14th Princess Carrisy viewed the distant flames. “Did the Collaborative Continent release dragons into the city?” “N-no. Those are the vouivres used by our own Royal Guards! They appear to have been intentionally released from the control of our Royal Guards with a Tamer III job qualification!!” It wasn’t visible, but a spice, stimulant, or aphrodisiac must have been used to stimulate the large creatures’ senses and send them wild. Since she originally belonged to the demon side, the dark elf aide would probably know how to do that better than a human. The aide and the rest were traveling somewhere with their injured emperor. If so, then all of this was no more than a diversion and distraction. “Miss Mamilis.” “What? I’m fine…” That was good to know. Although Ayato had kind of hoped to see the dark elf girl driven wild by love. “I supposed they wouldn’t want a shift in the wind to wipe out all their own dark elves and half elves.” “What are you talking about, coach?” Something fluttered by in front of him. It was a palm-sized fly made of pearl and black lace. After he blinked, it had transformed into a black-and-white maid who kneeled and offered a sheathed sword up in both hands toward 14th Princess Carrisy. “Princess, your blade.” “Magnet Sword Magnetia. Now isn’t the time to worry about blurring the distinction between my position as princess and Royal Guard.” 14th Princess Carrisy sighed with a look of resignation. Then she drew the sword. “I will be activating my Fencing III qualification. We are now facing all-out war between continents.” “Against who? Surely you aren’t going to challenge an unconscious and dying emperor to a duel.” Ayato’s interjection made the courageous ringlets princess fall silent. Surprisingly, she seemed capable of listening to advice. “Emperor Milbert is, at the very least, unconscious. Then who will contact the Collaborative Continent and take command?” Ayato’s question brought the same face to everyone’s mind. “That dark elf aide. I believe her name is Hemylina Luxshine.” “Dangerous individual!” Someone called out to Ayato as he quietly clenched his teeth. The sharp voice belonged to Henrietta. “Is this really going to start a war? No more than a misunderstanding will plunge two continents into war!?” “Not on my watch.” A solemn voice quietly interjected. Henrietta was dumbfounded. The speaker was King Guardeleo, seeming as tough as stone. “We invited visitors domestic and foreign to the Precession Festival, so they are our responsibility. I will not allow this to develop into tragedy. The Collaborative Continent will not want to go to war with their emperor injured. The situation is merely forcing their hand.” Guardeleo threw his gaze toward Ayato Criminaltrophy. Toward the boy wielding not a sword of succession and not a sorcery gun, but an illegal linkage plug sword. “You are a man of the shadows, I take it.” “…” “I have met people with the same look in the eye. You have no place on the main stage, yet when the kingdom faces a crisis, it is the people like you who come running without needing to be told. However, there is no need for young lives like your own to be lost during this crisis. Your unique skills should allow you to escape the capital unnoticed amid the chaos. Take your friends and flee. Before the guards and Royal Guards recover and establish a solid perimeter.” The stone-paved ground seemed to shake. The king had turned around and begun walking deeper into the capital where the fires were burning. Yes, the king who had been using a wheelchair earlier was now walking on his own two feet. He had to be rapidly draining some sort of unseen resource within himself, yet his step was strong. And the next thing they knew, he had a giant sword resting on his shoulder. There was no queen or maid by his side. Perhaps he had been forced to say farewell at some point along his long journey to this point. Something roared. A 30 esoule<ref>Approximately 36 meters.</ref> sea dragon drew out an arch overhead in preparation to attack Guardeleo. He only spoke a single word. “Sorry.” His action was by no means a large one. But the sea dragon seemed drawn in to a point ahead of Guardeleo’s blade where he sliced it through with the minimum force and optimal speed. The strike was as casual as bisecting a radish someone had thrown into the air. No, it only looked that way. By honing the fundamentals – breathing, gaze, footwork, distance, etc. – to the limits of humanity, he had acquired the sword technique necessary to rule a space and freely guide the situation toward victory. It was the optimal slaying, with no waste and no opening. It was an ultimate and impregnable wall that did not allow the enemy to pave a path to victory even if they had the superior strength, weight, and speed. This was the very way of life of the man known as a king – a way of life created to protect his people and his kingdom. Crafty Ayato and even warrior Henrietta were frozen with awe. He had something that instantly informed anyone – professional or amateur – that they could not defeat him. And it would do the same for inhuman dragons and beasts. Instead of achieving victory through anything as barbaric as war, this was the wisdom of the true fighter who unilaterally trampled even the intent to begin a war. Teleria also froze up for a significant period of time, but she finally came back to her senses. “A-Ayato,” she said, flapping her hands. “What are we supposed to do?” “Coach, is there even anything we can do now that it’s reached this scale?” Red spots vividly dotted the stone-paved ground. Those were blood stains. Ayato took a deep breath and consciously reclaimed his cool before beginning an analysis. “Metal fragments likely made it inside the emperor’s ribs. An ordinary hospital can’t heal a wound like that. Attempting to remove the fragments with inadequate facilities will only fatally damage an organ or artery.” “Hold on, dangerous individual. If this is too much for them, won’t they go to a doctor?” “In the middle of an enemy kingdom? They only have the one emperor. If they ''suspect'' a local doctor might make an intentional mistake during surgery or poison the boy, they’ll never let him be treated here. This isn’t a diplomatic issue anymore. The Philosommelier dark elves and half elves have already entered wartime mode. Their diplomatic contact points will already be closed.” That said, was a shocking attack really enough for the situation to deteriorate this rapidly? Ayato glanced down at his linkage plug sword. It pained him that he didn’t have time to check to see what was happening on the sorcery network. Knowing the Queen who had been hiding behind the 9th Prince, there was a chance she had forged documents which were being spread in the prince’s name to deepen suspicion against the kingdom. Ayato clenched his teeth. “And if little Emperor Milbert dies in an enemy kingdom, there really will be no holding it back. But on the other hand, it’s not too late yet. If the emperor’s life is saved, there’s still a chance for negotiation and a truce!” They all turned to look at the same person. Teleria Nereid Aquamarine. Everyone who had traveled with Ayato this far knew her skill with water element recovery magic. “Eh, eh?” “We need to get Miss Teleria to the Emperor no matter what. I see this as the only sure way to avoid all-out war here. Miss Mamilis, Miss Henrietta, any objections?” “None that I can think of.” “I don’t see what choice we have but to leave this to her.” The decision was made. That meant the question was how to get Teleria there. In fact, where had that dark elf aide run while carrying the badly injured emperor when she was so deeply suspicious of everything? For them, they were in the middle of a massive enemy kingdom and they couldn’t afford a lengthy battle. “Hyah!” yelped Teleria. An explosion had erupted overhead. A massive airship had been silently passing by in the darkness overhead when a swarm of Shade Swallows attacked it and brought it down. A count of five was all it took. The safety of the skies was a fragile thing now that flight authorization had been revoked. Guardeleo’s voice bellowed from beyond the flames. “Who gave that command!? That was a visitor’s ship!” “S-sorry. The Shade Sparrow defense network uses the subconscious region of the many operators’ minds, so it takes time to alter settings. Not even central control can change that right away!!” A nearby royal guard was giving a panicked report, but that did nothing to change what was happening before their eyes. The burning airship fell toward the capital. And more fires were burning. This was new information. “They can’t use their airship. Or the medical resources they likely had inside. So where will the dark elf go with her dying Emperor Milbert in her arms?” Ayato placed a hand on his slender chin as he muttered to himself. Even if the dark elves of the Collaborative Continent pulled the trigger of war in their rage, they couldn’t have their emperor captured before their army could cross the sea and attack. Milbert was an irreplaceable leader. If the Static Continent forces used the emperor as a human shield, the arriving imperial forces would be stuck. So they would want somewhere they could hole up with their injured and immobilized emperor, allowing them to safely buy time. They needed a secret base. “If they rushed to an ordinary hospital, they would simply end up surrounded by Royal Guards. On the other hand, as confused as the Royal Guards will be with all this happening so fast, they should still have enough sense to swiftly shut the main gate to the bridge. That means the dark elves won’t be able to leave the capital.” “Ayato, even if they could leave…there’s nothing but fields and wastelands surrounding the capital, so they wouldn’t have much chance of healing their emperor at a proper city.” That may have been why they tried to escape on their airship even if it had been a long shot. They might have been able to rapidly fly to a distant city and there might have been specialized medical equipment aboard the airship itself. (But that isn’t an option anymore.) Ayato had already seen the answer. “The palace.” “Coach, that sounds like charging right into the enemy base.” “The consul guest quarters in the palace!! That’s the one place with extraterritoriality, preventing the Royal Guards from attacking. They can hole up in there and buy time until a Philosommelier army can cross the sea and reach the capital. Then they won’t be outnumbered anymore!!” Of course, that wasn’t a perfect answer. For one, the emperor was still unconscious with metal fragments embedded in his chest. Ayato didn’t know the exact specs of the consul guest quarters, but if the supplied medical kit wasn’t enough to treat the wound, he would simply die. And if that happened, there really would be no stopping things. Something fluttered by. It was an unnatural purple butterfly decorated with jewels and lace. Ayato blinked and a long-skirted maid was standing before him. “Sorcery Hacker.” It was Micha Angelos. “I have a message from His Glorious Highness. He asks if you have any intention of entering the palace and solving this problem. If you accept, you will be rewarded appropriately. As much as it pains me to assist a filthy peeping tom, I can deactivate palace security using my authority as a sword guardian maid.” “What is that bull bastard doing with all this going on!?” “He has his own deep thoughts on the matter. He believes it will help if you add some chaos to the scene. So what will it be? Will you attempt to break into the palace with your incompetent Sorcery Hacking and wind up burned to ashes, or will you use my authority as the 1st Prince’s sword guardian to pass through the security? A true Sorcery Hacker will choose the wiser option, so I doubt you will be rebuffing my offer.” Ayato couldn’t just sit around. He had to stop a great intercontinental war from breaking out. And he had to settle things with Queen Astaroth Revolver who was pulling the strings. “What exactly is my job?” “You should already know.” Micha Angelos did not bother changing her expression. Ayato thought a moment before… “So before Emperor Milbert dies, I need to find a way to drag him out of the consul guest quarters and provide him with specialized medical care, hm?” “The Collaborative Continent’s Philosommelier Personal Empire was given Room 0108. Handle the rest with your filthy knowledge, Sorcery Hacker.” “But how is that supposed to work?” cut in 14th Princess Carrisy. “The consul guest quarters are spaces separated from our kingdom. Room 0108 will have been fully isolated as foreign territory.” The princess with blonde ringlets started to rudely bite her thumbnail before recalling she was wearing a gauntlet. “Even the standard security has five layers of thick barriers and the guests will have provided more unique security by mixing in their own barrier structure. So the palace’s master key won’t get you in. Unlocking the door requires the approval of both sides. And even a sword of succession would have a hard time breaking in through brute force.” Forcing open the door the usual way would be a waste of time. And on the other side, they would be nervously treating their emperor’s wound. Attacking the wall or door could make them jump and worsen the wound. While they stood around like this, Emperor Milbert would eventually pass away. Ayato winked. “It sounds to me like some kind of trick will be needed to save the emperor.” “Sorcery Hacker, the circumstances require us to consider even the illegal options. Do you have an idea?” “Plenty of them.” Mamilis tilted her head. She had drawn the full-auto shotgun from her back, but she didn’t seem to know what to do with it. “But, coach, we’re on the second level here. Won’t the Philosommelier people have trouble reaching the palace on the top level?” “You’ll see the answer when we follow them.” Collapsed people dotted the main street. Guards and the elite Royal Guards commanding them were lying in pools of blood. That wasn’t just a testament to the skill of the dark elves and half elves of the Collaborative Continent. “They couldn’t possibly fight in these circumstances.” Striker Henrietta grimaced. “The people attacking them are officially considered guests from a friendly nation. Being rude to such a guest ordinarily means losing your job, so win or lose the Royal Guards had no option.” The large elevator gate used to raise and lower sorcery vehicles between levels two and three had been destroyed. The Philosommelier Personal Empire would have made their way to the palace in the same way. They wanted to get as far as they could while the “guests from a friendly nation” card was still valid thanks to the confused intelligence. Ayato clenched his teeth. “Is it like this all the way to the top level, the palace, and consul guest quarters 0108?” “We do not want them to make a mistake on he way and allow the emperor to die, Sorcery Hacker.” ===Part 2=== They were in the palace. In one of the consul guest quarters. Specifically, Room 0108. Hemylina Luxshine, a dark elf in a blue leather outfit with a tight miniskirt and intellectual glasses, was anything but calm. Every second counted and had for a while now. She lay bloody Emperor Milbert on the bed. “Is the barrier up!?” “All five layers are complete. We have woven in our own type, so no one can open the door or window from the outside! Room 0108 has been separated out as holy ground. It is the perfect shelter!!” “This isn’t over yet.” “It looks like the modifications to the media summoner will work. The palace will cut our connection eventually, but for now we can still contact the entire navy from here!” “Summon all our troops here. Their target is the capital! Have them immediately begin landing troops and firing artillery! I have all of the imperial authorization codes!!” Hemylina, the aide soaked in her adored emperor’s blood, had no reason to hesitate here. “They’ll cut the connection eventually? Perfect. We have no intention of signaling a ceasefire once this war begins, you Static Continent devils.” And more than that… “We need to stop the bleeding. We can’t allow our universally-adored emperor to die in enemy territory.” One of the half elf guards pulled something from the wall. “H-here is the room’s medical kit!” “Run a simple scan for curses and poisons before using it on the emperor. We will use their equipment, but we will not trust it! Hurry, the emperor is going into convulsions!!” Given the state of the small body unable to even scream, she considered knocking him out. But she couldn’t. With his vitals so unstable, unconsciousness would only increase the risk of death. The bespectacled dark elf gritted her teeth and accepted a syringe from a subordinate. “My apologies, emperor!!” She jabbed it into his neck. His little body jerked to a frightening extent. This stimulant was meant to keep him conscious, but that meant he would be forever trapped in agony. She had robbed him of the choice to succumb to the pain and give up. She needed him alive. And she knew just how insolent that prayer was. After disinfecting the wound with a strong alcoholic drink, she firmly pressed down a cloth to stop the bleeding, but her bespectacled face grimaced. “It’s not enough. Something is still in there! We need to locate and remove it!!” “B-but how? We don’t have the medical equipment for a body scan!!” said a half elf guard, her voice trembling from a mixture of simple concern for Emperor Milbert and worry over any mistake on her part acting as a finishing blow. (Damn!!) Consul guest quarters 0108 was secure. Holing up in here would be easy, but that was meaningless if the emperor was allowed to die in here. But what would happen to the emperor if they let the Static Continent diplomats and negotiators persuade them to leaving the room? Those filthy humans couldn’t be trusted. Hemylina wasn’t going to believe any offers to treat the emperor. She needed something else. This wasn’t her life on the line. It was a much more important life!! ===Part 3=== “King Guardeleo, I have a message!! Something is amiss in the eastern sea.” “So it’s begun,” rumbled Guardeleo in the capital where flames and smoke were still visible. “We have at most half a day. If this problem is not resolved by daybreak, their troops could set foot in our kingdom.” This statement held great meaning. He was not some rando on the media summoner sorcery network who claimed to be in the know. This decision came from the king who was constantly viewing the front line outside his kingdom. The guard tilted his head, grabbing and tugging on the cape of the Royal Guard next to him. “B-but don’t we have a navy? If the dark elves of the Collaborative Continent called for reinforcements at sea, can’t our courageous and powerful navy repel them?” The Royal Guard did not answer his question. Guardeleo did. “To be blunt, the Collaborative Continent has the superior naval force. Using diplomacy to avoid a direct conflict has been our kingdom’s greatest defense.” ===Part 4=== Basengul Strait, Deepwind Ocean. While it was known as a strait, it was in fact well more than 20 thousand esoule<ref>Approximately 240 kilometers.</ref> from one side to the other. Still, this was the shortest sea route between the two continents. All trade ships and sightseeing ships had to be evacuated to the nearest naval port. To make way for a massive military force. The Philosommelier Personal Empire’s armada had already been deployed and seemed to cover the sea. While airships were convenient, not even they could cross from one continent to another without refueling. That was why the fleet carrying the emperor and his entourage had approached the Static Continent enough for the airship to reach the capital. That had been a show of force for the Philosommelier Personal Empire’s military. Some military expansionists had insisted on the fleet being armed with live ammunition, but those expansionists had likely gone entirely pale now. They never imagined that ammunition would actually be used. (This is not looking good.) That Collaborative Continent armada was being viewed through binoculars by the commander of a Selected Kingdom naval ship that had been rushed out from a Static Continent naval port. Of the sailing ship and steamships, there had been some collisions between the supply ships and small patrol boats which had been able to get moving the fastest, but there had been no other major issues. The commander in question was 20th Prince Cascade. A man of around 30, he had no interest in the squabbling over succession. He had long since made clear his intentions to stay out of it and hoped to remain on friendly terms with whoever became the next king. That was why he had not participated in the Precession Festival at the capital and was instead viewing a military exercise at this regional naval port. The ranks of a hierarchical society were the key to swift action in an emergency. In this situation, the ranking officer in this region of sea had complete control of the navy. (We’re looking at a major war. Honestly, this isn’t a job for the one-day knight leader position the bored regional knights give to a dancer or bard.) “Um, ahem. Remember your training.” The prince who suddenly found himself a young admiral restlessly adjusted his grip on his binoculars and muttered to himself. He would really have preferred to be surrounded by guards, but a royal had to keep up appearances. Of course, no one knew his actual skill level. The sailors on the same ship had no choice but to rely on the words of the ranking officer. “Who cares about their precious high-speed ships. Our large sorcery cannons are more powerful than theirs. If we aim carefully and lay out an accurate barrage, we can strike them down and end the battle before it truly begins. Once our victory is assured, we can leave alive, so just remember your training!” But before they could take aim with their superior firing range, something exploded. Behind them. The supply ships and repair ships in the rear of the fleet were under attack. The ships loaded with supplies and the ships capable of repairing the warships were specifically targeted and eliminated. The Static Continent side suddenly lost the option of a lengthy battle. And having the rear of their fleet attacked meant the entire fleet was in range of the enemy. “How? We have the superior firing range, so we should have been the first to attack!!” “Above, admiral!!” The sailor who gave that report was eliminated along with the lookout platform at the top of the mast. A sound of beating air came from overhead. “Th-they don’t just have ships!? They have large vouivres in the sky and krakens underwater!? Eek!!” “It’s not just the warship specs. Do they just have that many more types of pieces to place on the game board!?” ===Part 5=== It was a path of red. The collapsed guards and Royal Guards showed the path the Philosommelier Personal Empire had taken. But now wasn’t the time to get sentimental. A row of shops suddenly collapsed and a giant dragon emerged. “Tch!!” Ayato readied his linkage plug sword, but sorcery hacking wasn’t going to help against a purely biological creature. Something jumped from roof to roof and a sharp slash seemed to cut in from the side. This was the work of a large battle rifle which was designed for full-auto combat, but also allowed for precise sharpshooting. A swing of the weapon threw the blood from the thick bayonet blade. It was held by one of the elite Royal Guards who had been their enemy until now. “Be careful, Sorcery Hacker! If you’ve chosen to fight for the king, you need to see it through. This is all for nothing if you are taken out!!” Ayato smiled bitterly at that. Those Royal Guards were fearsome when pursuing you as an enemy, but no one could be more reliable an ally. “…” Meanwhile, Mamilis looked conflicted. As a demon who had joined human society, she must have been sad to see both the fallen humans and the cut down dragon. Especially when the dragon had been captured and trained for human purposes and even intentionally sent into a rampage. The red path continued into the palace on the top level. Was the lack of civilian casualties the result of the Royal Guards’ persistence in protecting the capital? Or was that one final demonstration of pride from the half elves of the Philosommelier Personal Empire? Ayato toyed with his linkage plug sword. “I never dreamed I would be able to enter the palace through the front door.” “What an ordinary sentiment, Sorcery Hacker. I bet everyone feels the same way. Including the Collaborative Continent dark elves and Queen Astaroth Revolver who is lurking around here somewhere.” Should he assume that woman was even now at the center of the commotion…in other words, inside the palace? “But it’s still the royal palace. Even the floor lamps and air conditioner are Level 100 or 200. Things here are literally on another level.” “Um, we can easily reach Level 5000. And the 1st Prince’s Lady Micha and King Guardeleo’s sword are thought to exceed 9999,” nervously commented Maid Julielt Resurrection who must have been summoned from the palace. Henrietta gave Ayato a skeptical look. “What is that bitter look for, dangerous individual? Isn’t this like a toy box of fun for you?” (When everything is high level, it’s hard to find a starting point of Level 1 to begin building up with 1+1=2.) Maybe this was a good countermeasure for sorcery hacking. Sorcery Hackers gradually increased their level, but they couldn’t even get started without a starting point. “In that case…” Instead of the gorgeous hall or the palace chapel, Ayato made his way to a break room prepared in an out-of-the-way corner for the Royal Guards and servants. Unlike the “official” equipment of the palace, the simple water boiler, massager, and other items brought in by the actual workers were all at low levels. By stabbing his linkage plug sword into those to build up his level, he could start on the palace’s “official” equipment once he reached 100. “Who brought this junk in here? It’s a threat to national security,” said an exasperated blonde ringlets 14th Princess Carrisy with hands on hips. After reaching 100, Ayato rapidly raised his level by taking over the castle equipment which each had a level of 100 or 200. In no time, he had reached Level 500. Even he was surprised by the number. (Incredible… I could hack an entire regional city-state with this.) Regardless, his “warm-up exercise” was complete. It was now time to begin his attack on the consul guest quarters containing the Collaborative Continent’s Philosommelier Personal Empire group. He had to find a way through the entrance before the emperor died from the sharp metal fragment in his chest. Maid Micha Angelos spoke plainly. “The consul guest quarters are in the east wing, bordering the courtyard. The Collaborative Continent’s Emperor Milbert is in Room 0108 on the first floor.” “I remember. I saw the emperor and his entourage leave the room before.” He didn’t wish he had done something then. They had undoubtedly been harmless until just a bit ago. It was Queen Astaroth Revolver’s fault. Just as that woman could use a kitchen knife to kill, she had remade the guests from the Collaborative Continent into a powerful enemy!! The young maid Angela Messenger and the somehow masochistic-seeming Julielt Resurrection spoke up from the side. “The air-conditioning system is isolated, so you can’t get in through the ducts. I believe it is designed to break down water to produce oxygen during an emergency. The attempt to consider all possibilities is admirable, but it hurts us here.” “Y-you can’t break the window either… Not because the material is too tough, but because it is protected by the barriers. Ultimately, the room is fully protected even if they only have a curtain covering the window.” “You should have brought Rachel Seraphim with you. I’m sure that idiot is free.” “G-good point. More people would mean more ideas…” As each maid eagerly joined the conversation, Micha Angelos looked fed up with it all. “So to sum up, the normal methods are not going to work. We do not know how long until Emperor Milbert dies. If he dies, the final brake that can stop this developing war will be lost. Do you understand the situation, Sorcery Hacker? Then what are you going to do?” “I’ll figure something out.” ===Part 6=== Irregular tremors ran through the ground. Some enormous creatures were strolling down a different street. Probably the dragons who had been controlled by the guards with Tamer III qualifications. The long-eared half elves had apparently hijacked control of them. “Burn their flag and set their city aflame! Do not be fooled! Focus on the guard armories disguised as houses. The more chaos we sow, the longer the emperor’s group will be free to act!!” The guards’ and Royal Guards’ eyes were bloodshot as they tried to stop them. “Tear down the eastern half of district 2 and build a barricade! Do not let them near the elevator leading to the higher levels!! The residents are reluctant to cooperate? Tear down a few empty homes to scare them away!! This is a national crisis!! We don’t have time for proper documented negotiations with each and every one of them!!” …The attackers and defenders were both destroying the capital city. At this point, no one knew which side to rely on. That may have been why plenty of residents were fleeing outside with various possessions despite the danger out there. “Geranud,” cried a voice on the verge of tears. It came from 6-year-old Isabella. The little girl was suppressing the urge to loudly cry because she didn’t want to be a burden. But without the small hand clutching his jacket, 3025th Prince Geranud’s spirit might have already broken. But it wasn’t just Isabella. He had brought many more small children up from the bottom level with their special method. “I isn’t just the castle…” 3025th Prince Geranud clenched his teeth at the scene before him and soothed the younger children to keep them from panicking, all while he tried to suppress the powerful tremor within himself. “Are they doing this all through the city? But why!?” He had heard that something bad may have been going down at the palace. The shouts and screams of the grownups made it impossible to hide. But there was nothing a kid like him could do. And more than that… “Geranud.” “It’s alright, Isabella. Let’s all get back to the bottom level. Make sure you stick with me, okay?” Anything more he might have said was cut off by a nearby boom of destruction that might as well have been a powerful shockwave. Dust filled with needle-sharp splinters rushed his way. A giant dragon had smashed a group of homes like a paper box and emerged onto the main street. Isabella may have been too panicked to think because she simply repeated the same thing over and over. “Geranud!!” “Dammit. Get behind me, Isabella!!” 3025th Prince Geranud stood protectively before the younger group as he drew a large monkey wrench from his hip. What could he accomplish with that? That fear was shouting deep in his mind, but this was better than doing nothing. His eyes met those massive ones. Still holding the large monkey wrench, he approached a nearby broken festival stand, grabbed a thumb-thick pipe with the wrench, and forcibly removed it. The white coolant gas used to make sherbet from fruit sprayed out ahead. He knew that would only act as a smokescreen. “Run, Isabella! Stay with the others! Run toward where the grownups are!!” it only took a single attack. The wall formed by the coolant gas rapidly expanding at ordinary temperature was easily sliced through and the dragon’s great jaws thrust forward. Even so, 3025th Prince Geranud did not shut his eyes to the very end. A deafening crash of destruction followed. A few empty houses were destroyed as ''the giant dragon'' rolled to the side. “Heh. Looking pretty cool there, prince.” A minotaur was responsible. He held a pair of beautiful butterfly-like swords designed to be used together. But he wasn’t alone. Sparks flew as a prince defeated a dark elf vanguard. He held a bastard sword with the power to manipulate atmospheric pressure and he stood with a commoner woman behind him. “B-but I’m a con artist. I was only deceiving you.” “Why should that matter? Nothing can change my love for you!!” 10th Prince George was the only one singing a quick love song, but he wasn’t the only one wielding a powerful sword of succession. 73rd Prince Carving held some cotton candy in one hand as he wielded a flame rapier to guard a rundown stand operated by an old man. And was that 105th Princess Charlotte swinging around a kusarigama to block the path of a giant chimera attempting to attack her favorite little park? The Combined Royal Family didn’t just lord it over everyone from the top. They had formed connections with people from many different classes and valued those connections enough to risk their lives to protect them. “Wow…” gasped the flabbergasted boy from the lowest level. “Geranud!!” roared the minotaur. Telling him to stop acting like a spectator. “None of us is better than another! You’re standing before who you want to protect, aren’t you!? Then no holding back. You’ve gotta use everything you can!!” Something fluttered across Geranud’s vision. It was an unnatural orchid mantis made from clear diamonds and pink silk thread. The young boy blinked in surprise and it became a maid glowing with a light pink light. She wordlessly knelt before him and raised a sheathed sword in her hands. “Take it,” said the 1st Prince. “It doesn’t matter if you’re 3025th in line. If you’re in the official line of succession, then it’s no surprise you’ve got a sword worthy of that position!!” He drew it to find it had a thin, rapier-like blade. But the tip oddly swelled out more than the base. It was a boar-spear sword. The odd sword’s tip swelled out so that it would widen the wound. The two-handed stabbing sword prioritized destructive force and it could slay not just a human but a wild animal with a single blow. The light pink maid respectfully bowed her head and spoke coldly. “This is the lightning blade Artificial Lightningear. My prince, your power is the lightning capable of blasting and frying all in your path. Use it as you wish.” “…” He couldn’t be the next king. Not that he wanted to. But even this small prince had people he wanted to protect. By focusing on that, he found the courage needed to grasp his sword of succession. With a groaning sound, the dragon attempted to stand back up after being knocked down by the minotaur. 3025th Prince Geranud faced the threat once more and spoke under his breath. His small hands gripped the sword’s hilt. More strongly than anyone. “I don’t care what I’m up against. I won’t let anything touch them.” The minotaur stepped up alongside him. The cries of people seeking help came from behind the wall of flame. It wasn’t just the kids from the bottom level. Everyone fleeing through the capital had their own loved ones. They weren’t about to let a single one be lost. “This is our kingdoooooooooooooooooooooooom!!” ===Part 7=== The standard ideas of attacking the door or window were simply ridiculous. The walls and ceiling were impenetrable. When in emergency mode, Room 0108 stopped using the air duct and instead broke down the water inside the room to secure oxygen, so finding a way in would be a challenge. That about summed up the problem. “Micha Angelos. What will you be doing?” “The Philosommelier Personal Empire’s consul guest quarters are not the only problem. The illegally leaked model is here as well. I will keep an eye on our surroundings. Rachel Seraphim, you join me.” “Yeah, yeah. I only just got here, so can someone fill me in?” Micha Angelos addressed another nearby maid and left for elsewhere. Was it a sign of trust that she didn’t keep an eye on them? Ayato already had an idea. “Coach, what are we going to do?” “It comes down to numbers.” “?” “We can’t break through consul guest quarters 0108’s defenses, but that doesn’t mean everyone using the room trusts those defenses. The dark elves are going to be paranoid.” Just then, a nearby door opened. The door to the neighboring Room 0109. “Ca you keep it down? What’s going on out here anyway?” A young woman with fluffy red hair emerged in a flowing white religious habit. She was Pope Agatha Canalace Properod, ruler of the Properod Divine Water Nation of another continent. Their Fertile Continent believed that water was a divine blessing and thus the powerful should manage it. Since water was used for drinking and for food production, you could say the powerful controlled the entire food industry. A large military force required a lot of water, so water was directly linked to wealth and the military. And so the nations through which that water flowed were in conflict. (Since she’s sleepily rubbing her eyes, was that a body double who appeared in the parade?) She was a national representative, so Ayato wanted to avoid exacerbating the political situation by carelessly attacking her. Also, Micah Angelos’s authorization and a job from the minotaur meant nothing to someone from another continent. Maybe it was meant to create an air of authority, but the woman spoke more respectfully than her appearance would suggest. “Please put your weapons away. The consul guest quarters do not belong to your kingdom despite being within your palace. This qualifies as severe interference in our domestic affairs!” The consul guest quarters counted as the guest country’s territory. Forcing your way into one was unthinkable under normal diplomatic circumstances. At best, it was violating their territory. At worst, it could be seen as an act of war. And if a chain reaction of “if they’ll do it to them, will they do it to us too?” began, the Static Continent’s diplomatic ties could be left in shambles. It could even lead to a situation where the three other continents all attacked the Static Continent. Setting the board ablaze to extinguish a single spark was meaningless. But… “Saving a life takes precedence.” The voice was hard as rock. Guardeleo had arrived. The king glanced at Ayato. “This tragedy occurred after we invited you here. Thus, we will do whatever it takes to prevent the loss of precious life.” “That is no excuse for violating international law.” “Once this is all over, you can punish me alone. It is thought I will not last much longer regardless. I am more than willing to use my life to save a fleeting life that has been put at risk in an unrelated conspiracy.” That was enough to silence the female pope. His death was close and he would accept all responsibility. This was much easier said than done, but the king did not hesitate even though rulers on the verge of death would often go as far as rewriting the history books to keep up appearances. “Your faith says that the shield shines brighter than the sword. And I believe that I should protect the lives within my reach rather than focus on fighting and winning. So I will not turn back.” Guardeleo paused there. And he looked the woman in the eye before continuing. “You are aware of my kingdom’s past failure of government, I assume?” “I am not sure what you mean.” “The Graves of the Lost Five.” Guardeleo turned his gaze elsewhere. Five. They were not visible from her, but did he mean the graves in the courtyard that looked older than the castle walls? “Long, long before my time, one of our kings made a mistake. He found five children living on the streets and took them into his care. But the five did not fit into the upper class lifestyle and were ultimately broken by the pressure placed upon them. Those graves were transferred to the current palace when the capital was moved here. To remember his mistake and to never allow it to happen again, that king established the capital’s social hierarchy. So that no one seeking the king’s protection would be exposed to environmental pressures.” ''So that explains it.'' Even Ayato was flabbergasted. So the capital’s social hierarchy did not originate from a place of discrimination. It was meant to supply the optimal space for all types to live together in a single city in the way they wished. Regardless of what it had become now, that was all it had been in the beginning. (Including for Geranud and the others on the bottom level.) ''“Let me be clear: the people on the bottom level are the only ones who really have their heads on straight.” Wasn’t that what he had said? To them, the bottom level was their home and where they could relax. The world was wide and deep. Needless to say, sorcery hacking wasn’t enough to understand it all. (They might pay secret visits to the other levels for fun, but they never said they wanted to live there. After having some fun, they always returned to the bottom level. That’s the home they created for themselves. Ha ha. Damn, maybe I was the one discriminating against them by feeling so sorry for them!) Even the countless Shade Swallows released into the air to ban movement between levels could have been for more than trapping people below. Perhaps they were meant to prevent the powerful upper levels from invading the lower levels. Ayato had heard talk of human traffickers on the bottom level. Banning movement between levels would cut the connections between the traffickers and the rich buyers, making deals harder to make. It was unclear how many people had inherited the proper spirit of the city, but Guardeleo at least carried it in full. Which was why he did not waver. That king would not abandon the life before him because of international treaties or diplomatic issues. The path he had walked showed that the absolute power he carried was meant to protect life. “Unilateral salvation does not always lead to a happy ending. Which is why the political leaders of the Combined Royal Family must always listen to a wide variety of voices. What matters now is saving injured Emperor Milbert in Room 0108. Nothing could be simpler than the fact that I cannot just do nothing. And I will listen to any voice if it will help save that fading life. Pope Agatha, what does your voice say? If you have an opinion superior to our own and a method of immediately saving the emperor, then I ask that you share it. Please.” ===Part 8=== Ayato entered Room 0109, the room adjacent to their target room. The room contained some religious-looking people and he spoke with some important people in there. Mamilis, a dark elf who feared humans, watched from a distance. But this meant she finally had some idle time. “Hm.” When the silver-haired girl stepped up onto a hallway table with a vase on it and stretched her hands up toward the ceiling, Teleria frantically called out to her. “Whoa, um, Mamilis, what are you doing?” “Practicing.” Whether that was an answer or just talking to herself, Mamilis immediately crawled up above the ceiling. The consul guest quarters were fully sealed off without even a duct. In an emergency, they apparently broke down water to secure air. However… (I don’t know what coach is planning, but I should mark any sorcery devices he can probably use for sorcery hacking.) Whatever he actually wanted to hack, Ayato would also need to stab his linkage plugs into other items to build up his level. And after journeying with him this long, Mamilis was starting to learn what kinds of things he preferred to use. She had been up here before. In the area above the ceiling, there were no divisions between rooms and hallways, so it was one large horizontal space with a ceiling so low she could easily bump her head. Of course, moving above the consul guest quarters wouldn’t reveal any kind of entrance they could use to get in. “Oh. Emergency lights, an air purifier, and is this a bug repellent potpourri sprayer? A lot of options up here.” She heard a quiet sound of movement. Something was lurking back in the shadows. “?” It didn’t seem to be a mouse. She squinted her eyes to see what it was. It was a cube of about 0.1 esoule<ref>Approximately 12 centimeters.</ref> per side. Each face was a door that opened and closed to push against the floor and roll it along. Curious, Mamilis reached out toward it. Someone placed their hand on hers. “(Quiet.)” “Whoa.” Someone else was there. She had silver hair, brown skin, a blue leather tight miniskirt outfit, and intellectual glasses. But most importantly, long pointy ears. She was the Philosommelier Personal Empire’s aide. However, she wasn’t actually hidden in the shadows. Mamilis could see her clearly, but despite their proximity, she couldn’t hear her breathing or the rustle of her clothing. “I-is this just an image?” “We have locked ourselves in, so we cannot leave the room. Now, defeating the humans is no challenge with Wall Staff Ablatia, but we cannot put the emperor in further danger.” “Abla-what?” “Wall Staff Ablatia. The emperor has granted me one of our continent’s Five Staves. The barrier it produces alters its own microscopic structure to divert and neutralize any and all attacks. Your shotgun appears to be full-auto, but not even it could break through the barrier.” So was it like an alternate version of the special swords wielded by this continent’s princes and princesses? With only five of them, it sounded a lot rarer than the swords carried by the royals here. Mamilis could easily believe that a mass-produced sorcery gun would be useless against one. Yet Mamilis surprised herself with her own calm. She was holding an ordinary conversation. “(Your Mimic Option cannot hide that you are one of us. I have no intention of attacking you here.)” “And you are…?” “Hemylina Luxshine. Joint Staff Chancellor of the Philosommelier Personal Empire.” Mamilis wasn’t certain how important a position that was. Not that she was interested in official power of that sort. Was Philosommelier the name of that other continent? Hemylina had was down on all fours with her right hand holding the cube. The image couldn’t actually grab Mamilis’s hand, so she may have been demonstrating that Mamilis should hold her hand out to the cube. “My heart aches for what you have had to endure. I could tell right away you are hiding your ears with one of those Mimic Option things.” Mamilis reflexively reached up to touch her ears and the bespectacled dark elf watched the action with pitying eyes. She could tell Mamilis had been abused constantly and repeatedly enough for her to develop that reflex. “You need not help the humans.” “What are you talking about?” “The humans of the Static Continent discriminate against demons. Species who look close enough to human must hide their unique traits with Mimic Options and the species too different for that are hunted down. Staying in this savage land will only bring you a life of humiliation and tragedy.” “…” “But our continent is different. The Philosommelier Personal Empire has brought an end to a long history of war and used military might to eliminate our more shameful ideas. There is no more discrimination among the species on our continent. More than that, our emperor is caring and generous. He is willing to listen to the words of we who were once known as demons.” Through the image, Dark Elf Hemylina looked Mamilis in the eye. She was the emperor’s aide. She was a talented woman who never hid her long ears and who held great power and the trust of an empire. “Join us,” she pleaded. “I can bring you into the consul guest quarters. You can seek asylum with us.” This wasn’t just about what Hemylina might gain from the deal. She had the tone of someone desperately trying to prevent a friend from making a terrible decision. “We only ask one thing: the medical supplies necessary to save our emperor’s life. With your help, we can treat his injury. We can remain in the consul guest quarters for as long as necessary, so we only have to wait for our troops to arrive over the sea and we can win the war. The entire Collaborative Continent will welcome you as a saint.” ===Part 9=== A large door was guarded by 10 or more thick rods of mana-conducting silver and an autonomous sorcery gun sat in the corner of the room. If any abnormality were detected, the entire space would be super-heated into a killer oven. That deadly world allowed no one in – not even a single mouse – unless they had royal blood in their veins. But it failed to stop the sexy demon from strolling on in. She was somewhere within the gorgeous palace. And no one could ever locate her as long as they relied on palace security. Because she herself was like an illegally copied master key. “Hm hm, hm, hm hm.” Queen Astaroth Revolver hummed as she causally came to a stop. Yes, she had already arrived at her destination. ===Part 10=== Orange flames flickered above the dark ocean. The armada controlled by the half elves of the Philosommelier Personal Empire seemed to part the sinking warships and flames on its way toward the Static Continent. They had not escaped unscathed. In fact, more than a fifth of their ships were now below the waves. But they still had more than 50 warships remaining. The armada’s supreme commander – referred to as the admiral – was a slender boy who stood less than 1.2 esoule<ref>Approximately 144 centimeters.</ref> tall. Of course, with the long-lived half elves, apparent age was an unreliable indicator. “What is the next part of the plan?” “After landing on the enemy coast, we will construct a beachhead. Destroying an existing harbor town and turning it into a fortress should be the quickest method. Once our troops and gear have been unloaded, it should take about half a day to reach the capital.” The little admiral clicked his tongue slightly at the tall, slim half elf’s report. “So we have to keep the emperor waiting until dawn.” The shame showed clear on his face. His expression said that winning wasn’t enough. Leather audibly strained. Hydras and chimeras standing more than 20 esoule<ref>Approximately 24 meters.</ref> tall were being equipped with mana-conducting silver armor as landing weapons. They were powerful but did not discriminate who they attacked. The landing force needed to secure a beachhead, but if released in the harbor town, those creatures would indiscriminately devour the humans, military and civilian alike. They were 5000 esoule<ref>Approximately 6 kilometers.</ref> from land. The lights of the harbor town were already visible. Each one of those lights likely indicated a home. Had a black out not been put into effect because they were too peaceful to consider it or because they were too panicked to coordinate one? The half elves knew what this meant as they spoke. “The capital is one thing, but are we really going to attack an unrelated harbor town?” “”Cast your personal conscience into the sea. The Joint Staff Chancellor has not yet contacted us to halt the attack.” ===Part 11=== Ayato looked up at the ceiling inside Room 0109 next to the crucial Room 0108. “Now, I think it’s time I made an attempt from above the ceiling. I would appreciate it if someone helped me.” Maid Julielt Resurrection reluctantly stepped forward. “Well… I do owe you for saving me before and this will resolve a national crisis. And biting my lip while I endure the humiliation of having a gentleman tread on me while I crawl like a dog does sound kind of nice.” “Maid, stop indulging him and letting him trick you!! And why do you have to phrase everything in an unnecessarily indecent way!? You’re only going to evolve him into a great beast that will cause severe harm for the rest of us!!” For some reason, Teleria blushed and fiercely protested, so Ayato was forced to climb into the ceiling on his own. A sad state of affairs for a boy. “I-is it really safe to climb up on the closet like that?” “Excuse me a moment.” “Eh? The ceiling opens like that!?” As the busty leader of the Properod Divine Water Nation watched on, Ayato slipped from Room 0109 into the ceiling space. A thick quintuple barrier had its pros and its cons. He could scramble around up here all he wanted and none of the noise would reach the adjacent room. Of course, the five thick barriers fully sealing off Room 0108 also meant he couldn’t easily get in. Teleria had told him that Mamilis had climbed up here earlier. “?” (But the way the dust has been spread around suggests there was something else up here. But the movement doesn’t suggest a mouse.) Had Mamilis done that? The air purifier, emergency lights, and other sorcery devices had been marked with ink X’s. He didn’t actually need to boost his level any since his linkage monitor crystal tarot cards had already reached level 5000, but the marks would still act as a diversion to hide his true intentions. Ayato was after the plumbing. In an emergency, the consul guest quarters would seal off all entrances and exits, not even allowing air in or out. The oxygen in the room was apparently secured by breaking down water, but if the water used for that were contaminated, the air would be bad and the people inside would be forced out. And ''he only really needed to convince them that was happening. (Water and air quality isn’t something you can tell by sight. Ultimately, everyone relies on the numbers displayed on the media summoner hooked up to a sensor. If I mess with that, the Collaborative Continent aides will panic in their perfectly safe room and leave the consul guest quarters by their own choice.) Ayato had no way of knowing dying Emperor Milbert’s condition, so he liked the idea of driving them out of the room with a harmless bluff. “Is this it?” To protect national secrets, the palace’s media summoners couldn’t be directly linked to the outside sorcery network. He found an antenna that gathered the lines of intangible mist mana to handle the castle’s connections. By manipulating that, he could display phony readings on a media summoner. His level was 5000. That had to be enough. ===Part 12=== The dark elves secretly met around a corner in the hallway. The image of Hemylina, the bespectacled aide, was now in the hallway instead of the ceiling space. The strange cube with doors for each face had rolled out here and now Hemylina was seated on the floor with her hands reaching toward the box. She was of course only an image. Her pose resembled a fortune teller or someone warming themselves at a campfire. “Here.” Mamilis held out a notebook-sized bag. But it was made of silver-colored mana-conducting silver and was quite sturdy. The Royal Guards accompanying Guardeleo had brought it, so it likely contained a collection of high-quality medical goods. The Royal Guards had brought several and this appeared to be a spare. Was this really all Hemylina wanted? Hemylina’s face lit up just like a teenage girl. No matter how cunning the dark elf strategist was, she may have retained her purity when it came to admiration for her emperor. “Thank goodness… Now we might just be able to save the emperor’s life. You have my utmost thanks.” “But how are you going to get it into the consul guest quarters? Hasn’t the thick barrier closed off the door, window, and walls?” “That’s what the door cube is for.” One of the small box’s doors opened. A void of darkness lurked within. Curious, Mamilis stuck her hand inside and found her arm sank in past the elbow despite the box’s 0.1 esoule<ref>Approximately 12 centimeters.</ref> size. And she felt something touching her fingertips on “the other side”. “Is this connected?” “Despite its spatial linking, the box itself has a very limited remote movement range, so it isn’t as convenient as you would think.” It was only about the size of an apple, so there didn’t seem any way for the notebook-sized medical kit to fit inside. Mamilis opened the bag and began tossing the items into the box one at a time. But apparently that effort wasn’t necessary. “I will widen the box’s opening, so you join us too. Jump in here and freedom awaits you. Our emperor and empire are in your debt. You need not remain on this despicable continent that discriminates against demons. Enter the consul guest quarters and you can join us as a citizen of the Philosommelier Personal Empire!” But. Mamilis shook her head. “I can’t go.” “Why not?” “I know that emperor person is hurt and I can’t ignore that. That’s why I helped you. But that doesn’t mean I want to go to join you on your continent.” “Why not!? Why remain in this horrific kingdom that discriminates against demons and even sheds the blood of its own kind!?” Why indeed. Mamilis considered the question and was a little surprised by her decision. Why had she climbed above the ceiling to try and help Ayato? Only now did Mamilis Coster realize how she felt. (So that’s it.) “I want coach to be proud of me.” “…” “Humans only think about themselves – especially the ones on this continent who discriminate against demons. I agree with you on that.” Hearing that alone, one might think she had decided to go with Hemylina after all. But Hemylina was not encouraged. She could sense in the air that something was separating the two of them. “But my grandma took in a dark elf like me.” So Mamilis continued without interruption. “And coach saved me from human traffickers.” Hemylina simply listened. She might not agree, but she did not interrupt. “Doing those things on this continent must be a lot harder than doing it elsewhere. But they did it without a second thought. I can’t abandon them. I want them to be proud of me. I can’t just take. Now it’s my turn to give back. As a simple dark elf, I want to do something unprecedented.” It wasn’t that Hemylina didn’t understand. The bodyguards from her continent were half elves born from the pairing of human and elf. And Hemylina, a dark elf herself, was willing to go to war for her human emperor. She couldn’t stop Mamilis. The negotiation had failed. “Next time we meet, you will be my enemy.” “You can say that all you want, but coach will still save you and your injured emperor.” All six doors opened. The darkness lurking within vanished and the dark elf’s image was snuffed out along with it. ===Part 13=== “Hey, wait. I’m one thing, but should we really be bringing the little kids? This is the front line where important people on both sides are battling with sorcery guns sand swords of succession and whatever else. Isn’t this the wrong place to seek shelter?” “That’s where you’re wrong.” The minotaur chuckled at young Geranud’s concerns as they walked through the devastated castle. “Our kingdom and Philosommelier are fighting in the palace. There’s also Ayato’s old friend to worry about, but really that’s all. Three continental VIPs were invited here including the Philosommelier emperor. If we go to the two not directly involved in the conflict, they’ll help.” “Like who?” “The Properod Divine Water Nation is the world’s largest religious state…so they’d probably demand you convert in exchange for assistance. So that leaves just one option: let’s go knocking on the door to the Mardhazath Banking State, whose president rules their continent with money.” “Will this really work? We’re talking about VIPs who lord it over everyone else. And the rich always give me bad vibes. I’m just some brat from the bottom level.” “You’ll see.” And see he did. “Wah hah hah!! Now things are looking up. I never imagined the key to the treasury would walk right up to me himself!!” Apparently this was one of the minotaur’s acquaintances. When the young woman poked her head out of the consul guest quarters door, the sight of the muscular and shirtless man carrying a pair of swords put a big smile on her face. She…was the leader of a country, wasn’t she? To Geranud, she just looked like a silver-haired bunny girl. That worked with a woman of around 20 like her, but if that was her country’s formal wear, did that mean she would continue wearing it once she was old and wrinkled? The mystery bunny girl crouched down to 3025th Prince Geranud’s eye level, winked, and blew him a kiss. “I am Sidney (Goldbank) Mardhazath, but just call me president, little prince.” “S-sure…” “This outfit is part of a national PR campaign, so ogle all you like. Although they do say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Heh heh.” 3025th Prince Geranud was flustered and unsure how to deal with the sexy young woman. The men around her appeared to be bodyguards, but they all wore black tuxedos. They were all handsome and looked more like casino dealers or party venue staff than important aristocrats. They all had silky hair and slender chins. To the point they barely seemed like real, living people. She had called it a PR campaign, but did that mean it was a form of diplomatic image strategy? Silver-haired bunny Sidney giggled while standing at the center of the group. “And unlike a certain lying religious state, I do not use a body double. Because we run our country with a parliamentary system led by five presidents with equal authority. That was the real me in the parade. It is admittedly confusing that all of the presidents use the Mardhazath name.” The minotaur grinned and added, “This mess is between the Combined Royal Family and Philosommelier, but the other countries were uncertain what stance to take. Doing nothing could come off as heartless, but siding with the loser could drag them into a long, drawn-out war.” “Right, right. So whichever way we’re going to take it, I was hoping for a good opportunity for setting our state in motion.” “Sheltering poor children seeking aid in an unprecedented war is about as good as it gets, right?” “Unlike the peaceful Static Continent, we’re dealing with small wars year-round. We do call ourselves the Speculation Continent, so there’s no real peace to be found in a new world bought with money.” The bunny girl who represented an entire country shrugged her bare shoulders. “Mercenaries hired with money will accept jobs across borders, so there’s no real point in fighting and winning a war against a smaller nation. Even if you do defeat a powerful and troublesome foe, the remaining soldiers will join some other country and start fighting again. And if several small countries manage to band together and form a bigger country, the leaders will eventually be bought out and it all breaks apart again. I don’t see war ever ending as long as money remains a presence on our continent.” “Well, transforming the Speculation Continent into a symbol of righteousness could invite new change into a continent where money rules all. After all, thinking of yourselves as the good guys and having real pride could lead to your mercenaries hesitating to cross borders so recklessly. And if you stand to benefit from this, I know you won’t abandon these kids.” “It would also be interesting to foster some ''imaginary suspicion'' that building a connection with the Combined Royal Family could lead to military support between continents. Hinting at that could help deter our neighbors without having to spend any money at all. Heh heh. PR is so important. It’s something worth investing in even if it doesn’t leave you with anything concrete.” “Geranud. What are they talking about?” 6-year-old Isabella tugged on his shirt, but he didn’t answer. Most likely, 3025th Prince Geranud didn’t understand even half of it himself. The silver-haired bunny girl laughed. “The point is that we will protect your lives no matter how my country decides to benefit from this situation. But believe me: we will profit greatly from this one way or another. Maybe by siding with the winner in some unseen way and demanding war reparations and maybe by using our protection of you to make ourselves into a symbol of righteousness. But it’s the grownups who will be paying us those profits, not you kids, so you don’t need to worry about it☆” “They will be sheltering in your consul guest quarters, but they will not be joining your country. Geranud might be a brat in a filthy shirt, but don’t forget he is a prince with a sword of succession.” “Yeah, yeah. Okay, little ones, let’s show you our glorious Mardhazath Banking State’s reception menu. Ah ha ha. You’ll find in every part of the world that people put the most time and effort into the things they give away for free. Who wants to try a sweet and sour cookie made by a 5-star patissier? And do you know what tea tastes like if you add apple, lemon, or even mint?” The children from the bottom level nervously stepped into the consul guest quarters. They likely didn’t understand the political significance of that act. The minotaur with the title of 1st Prince couldn’t join them. (Now, it’s high time I met back up with Micha.) Just then, he glimpsed something in the courtyard. “?” ===Part 14=== Ayato was alone in the palace ceiling and directly above the empire’s consul guest quarters. “This should do it.” He carefully operated his crystal tarot cards. Having his friends with him would have been reassuring, but he was glad Teleria and Henrietta had remained in the hallway when he couldn’t afford even the slightest error. He didn’t actually have to harm them. With little Emperor Milbert critically wounded, doing so would have been too dangerous. But if he could just alter the readings shown on the media summoner… “The people in Room 0108 don’t actually have to suffer,” he said under his breath, trying to convince himself. He didn’t hate the dark elves of Philosommelier. He didn’t have to battle the emperor. The war between continents had probably already begun. Since Emperor Milbert had in fact collapsed with a serious injury, a perfect happy ending was no longer in the cards. But he believed it wasn’t too late to prevent both sides from destroying each other. His true enemy was found elsewhere: Queen Astaroth Revolver. If he kept his focus on her, he would not lose his way. “If I manipulate the media summoner’s readings to make them think the air quality is worsening, they should give up on their own!!” ===Part 15=== “Well, I’m sure Ayato can deal with a problem of this caliber on his own.” Queen Astaroth Revolver laughed and made her next move. “But there’s a lesson here for you: simply solving the problem before your eyes is not enough to avoid bloodshed.” ===Part 16=== A beam of white light exploded out. That had to be Queen Astaroth Revolver. Ayato felt a squeezing in his heart. He didn’t even need to check the spec sheet. This was an illegal level of destructive power not found in any of the official swords of succession. That great power overturned all of the assumptions that had been worrying them so much. If the impregnable barrier protecting the consul guest quarters was breached, the dying emperor could be killed!! “Oh, no!” Ayato was up above the ceiling of Room 0108. He had Level 5000 at his disposal, but nothing to hack. He had no way of interfering with the massive beam launched from the courtyard toward the window. His breathing truly stopped. And just then… “Ohhhh!!” Someone released a great roar. Everyone was overwhelmed. Guardeleo had jumped from the window of the neighboring Room 0109 and toward the courtyard. He drew Creation Sword Publitie in order to guard the dying emperor’s life from the deadly beam. “Not on my watch!! Did you think a man could sit the throne without acting as a shield to any who are in neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed!!?” It exploded. Ayato Criminaltrophy knew the devil’s revolver better than anyone, but he had never seen this before. It had been stopped. The devil’s attack ensured death using a massive curse, yet a single individual had stopped it. Creation Sword Publitie. It was said that sword could even create a world. That king’s sword was wielded for the people and it could supposedly gather up all the invisibly small dust filling that vast empty space to form earth and then manipulate the “miraculous odds” needed to create life. Had Guardeleo been supported by the Creation Sword, or had the Creation Sword obeyed his fighting spirit? Stopping the beam head on left his muscles torn and his bones shattered and he was spurting blood, but the old man had successfully held back the scorching beam. Even though he had supposedly declined to the point of needing a wheelchair. Stopping that one attack alone was a miracle. (Dammit.) Ayato wanted to run to the courtyard right away, but he had his own job to do. He stabbed his linkage plug sword into the base of a special antenna and manipulated Room 0108’s media summoner through a line of intangible mist mana. A harmless bluff was enough. He made the air quality reading drop rapidly. He consul guest quarters’ thick barrier was released from within. The crystal tarot display linked to the room’s media summoner told Ayato the door had been unlocked. But. Henrietta and 14th Princess Carrisy did not storm into Room 0108. “Attention all forces.” That came from Hemylina Luxshine. This was not a response to the media summoner display. After seeing Guardeleo collapsed outside the window, she had accepted something and released the barrier. “Halt the landing. I repeat, immediately halt the Static Continent landing operation!! The Combined Royal Family remains a friend! Our true enemy is not the king who risked his life to protect our emperor!!!” The tides were turning. In a major way that couldn’t be accomplished with simple sorcery hacking tricks. If the rooms has the same design, these consul guest quarters would also have a panel in the ceiling. With the thick barrier gone, Ayato could drop into Room 0108. Little Emperor Milbert was breathing shallowly in the bed. He was stained with blood. “We need to-” He heard a voice from the courtyard window. Teleria was uncertain what to do, but old Guardeleo remained unshaken. “I am ill and would not last much longer regardless… And don’t worry, I no longer sense the sniper’s presence. Please focus on saving the life that can still be saved. Sorcery Hackers, I beg you.” Ayato clenched his teeth. And steeled himself. Steeled himself to choose which life to save. “Kh…Miss Teleria!!” “R-right away!!” The king, collapsed in the courtyard, appeared to be smiling silently at all the motion within Room 0108. There was nothing Ayato could do in the consul guest quarters. He entered the courtyard through the window. Guardeleo had fallen to the ground and had even lost his grip on his sword, but he quietly called a name. “Micha Angelos.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” “I will state my last will. Listen impartially and commit these words to memory.” His tone made it clear there was no room for politely arguing his intent here. From the moment he had named Micha Angelos, his mind was made up. Given whose maid she was. “The Graves of the Lost Five,” he said, struggling to breathe. It was clear to everyone present that each breath brought him closer to his last. “The ancient king who attempted to save the children starving in the alleys ultimately ruined those five’s lives. Our Combined Royal Family learned from that past mistake…and aimed to create a kingdom where no one is trapped by their birth or status and no one has any one set of values forced upon them. And the diplomatic ties I formed with the other continents was intended as a part of that…” But he didn’t stop there. And no one moved to stop him either. “However…I failed to tear down the wall separating human from demon. Even though problem was much closer to home than those continents found across the ocean. And that goal is not a mere fantasy. That empire accomplished it. You made an attempt there. Your research was a magnificent thing. It contains a power surpassing all that I ever accomplished. So make sure that you succeed. No matter how many times you fail in the process, you must succeed in the end.” What sort of future was Guardeleo envisioning? What had he seen that was out of reach within his own limited lifespan? And. How did he view the person who could achieve it someday? “Humans and demons. Break down the division between them. Bring true peace and equality to our Static Continent and the larger world…” There was envy in his eyes. Those were the eyes of a small child, not of an elderly man. Perhaps the ability to honestly appreciate the things he lacked in anyone of any status was one of his strengths. “If you understand this, you will not lose your way. The right to sit the throne is not determined by surface-level appearance…or how attractive you are…” He couldn’t last any longer. Teleria had her hands full healing the emperor. The collapsed and unmoving king held out a hand to stop the Royal Guard rushing over with a medical kit in hand. “No matter the circumstances, you must always act as a shield for those in need… Your concern was not the profits of the city-states or manors and you looked beyond just the people living there. Unlike all the other princes and princesses, you looked past the bounds of humanity and continued your sorcery research in search of a future where we could walk alongside demons. That makes you the one worthy of wearing the crown next. No matter what anyone might say, you have my assurance. 1st Prince Liberca Bran Zorca Totalinus, you deserve the crown for taking a viewpoint that makes even me look narrow-minded.” The king had no queen by his side. Nor did he have a maid to guard his sword. Even so, Guardeleo had stuck around to the very end, doing whatever it took to protect his kingdom, and now he gathered all his strength to force out these words. With a smile. “It is in your hands now, my son… Both the future of this kingdom and of the world beyond this one continent.” It was over. Silence fell. Behind a large tree in the same courtyard, the minotaur heard those last words while leaning back against the trunk. “…Yeah.” He didn’t move much. He lowered his head, but not in dismay. The man carrying two swords silently nodded. “You can count on me, father.” ===Part 17=== A window across the courtyard on the east wing of the palace led to the gallery. “Hm, so I didn’t manage to kill Emperor Milbert. Well, Guardeleo’s death is a stroke of luck really. No one else has his skill at intercontinental diplomacy.” Queen Astaroth Revolver smiled bewitchingly and stuck out her tongue a little. This wasn’t enough to rattle her. She licked her own index finger. “This messes with my schedule, but there are plenty of ways to make up for this delay. …Like this, for example.” ===Part 18=== It happened without warning. “Gah!?” Micha Angelos’s ever-perfect posture was lost as she suddenly doubled over. With odd straining sounds, mana-conducting silver arms equipped with all sorts of sorcery guns emerged trembling from her curled back. This was clearly happening against her will. Ayato bristled and shouted. “Queen!! You can still interfere with the royal maids!?” And of all maids, this one belonged to the former 1st Prince. With the power of all the arms and sorcery guns meant to guard the prince and his sword, even Henrietta’s brute force would be easily overpowered. “Get down!!” yelled Ayato. Teleria and Mamilis immediately leaped to the ground. Arms emerged from the backs of the other maids, like Angela Messenger and Rachel Seraphim, and they readied various sorcery guns and thick shields. But one person remained motionless. Instead of taking cover, the minotaur simply approached Micha Angelos. The sorcery guns fired. Micha Angelos’s eyes widened. The sound of tearing flesh was audible even from where Ayato stood. And yet… “Give me a break, ''young lady''.” The minotaur smiled, ignoring the red blood spilling from his body. He hugged the maid and held down all the mana-conducting silver arms coming from her back. “I won’t accept anyone other than you. Why can’t you get that into your thick head, you silly elite?” And however it was done, this had stopped Micha Angelos. The 1st Prince – no, the new king glanced over at Ayato. And shouted. “Ayato Criminaltrophy!!” Ayato didn’t have to say anything in response. The Sorcery Hacker took a sharp step toward them and focused on the point he needed to insert his linkage plug sword: Micha Angelos’s back, at the base of the mana-conducting silver arms operating the many sorcery guns. He activated his linkage monitor crystal tarot cards in the air. It shouldn’t be impossible. The Academy Towers student council had done it once already. On the island of Laguntreat, the teacher Jennifer Evening had done it by brute force after reaching nearly Level 20000, but… “Angela Messenger! And Julielt Resurrection!! Sorry, but I need your help!!” He inserted his linkage plug sword. “You don’t need to shout right in my ear. I’ll give you what you want.” “I-I can finally help my savior!” The maids whose organs had been replaced with biological gems functioned as powerful sorcery devices. Julielt had claimed they were around Level 5000. Combining the level Ayato already had with the two maids would give him 15000. (But that still isn’t 20000.) His skill might just bridge the gap. It was mostly a gamble at this point. But then he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye. The bloody Creation Sword Publitie that Guardeleo had lost. According to Julielt Resurrection, that fearsome sword was greater than Level 9999. “I’ll be borrowing this, King Guardeleo!!!” He stabbed his linkage plug sword into it, to add to his level. He was finally past his target of 20000. The minotaur was at his limit too. He couldn’t contain Micha Angelos much longer as she struggled against her own will. But an instant before that happened, the Sorcery Hacker approached. He targeted her back. He could make the hack from any one of the countless mana-conducting silver arms. He sharply inserted the linkage plug sword into one of the arms on Micha Angelos’s back. He touched the crystal tarot cards floating in the air. And made some swift operations. There was no obvious change. But he overwrote the control to free her from Queen Astaroth Revolver’s bonds. ===Part 19=== Micha Angelos had been stopped. But that didn’t solve the fundamental problem of royal security being useless against Queen Astaroth Revolver since she was a leaked model. Ayato had just barely managed to save Micha, but that was only with the help of the other maids. If the Queen had used the same method to take control of several maids at once, that method wouldn’t work. “Hm. That means it would be difficult for me to join the fight.” 14th Princess Carrisy sounded disappointed. “If my sword of succession were the only issue, I could just swap it for a sorcery gun, but since she can break through all of the palace’s security, she can probably also remove the buffs provided by my Royal Guard armor.” Teleria, Mamilis, and Henrietta. Those three were the only allies he could rely on, but he was up against ''the'' Queen Astaroth Revolver. When they had last met, Ayato himself had been helpless and had his shoulder and ankle broken when she was only ''playing'' with him. He wanted more power. He couldn’t thoughtlessly send those girls to their deaths. (On the other hand…) Ayato glanced over at Angela Messenger and Julielt Resurrection. If each of them were controlled, a single Sorcery Hacker couldn’t keep up with taking advantage of their vulnerabilities. He had to head below with only the people who could not be controlled. Which meant… “Hemylina Luxshine.” “…” “Help me, if you feel any responsibility at all for your mistake. Your Collaborative Continent should use an entirely different security system…that is, your magic is built on another system. A different language is needed to run your magic and Queen Astaroth Revolver is specialized for the Combined Royal Family’s system, so she shouldn’t be able to control your stuff.” The dark elf in glasses sighed once. But then she refocused herself and spoke. “If you promise to treat our emperor well.” “No worries there. The boy you care for more than your own life has been left in the hands of the people of the future kingdom that King Guardeleo chose to protect.” That settled it. Ayato wanted to rid himself of all worries before this final battle. He couldn’t defeat this opponent with any extraneous concerns. “Miss Henrietta.” “What, dangerous individual?” “I want your help too. You can arrest me once the fight is over.” The Striker who had been pursuing the Sorcery Hacker all this time actually looked taken aback. Perhaps despite her bluster, she had never actually thought this day would come. “You won’t go back on your word, will you, Sorcery Hacker?” Ayato nodded. When they had first met in the sky city, she had a dangerous tendency to recklessly pursue justice. But when the true villain had been revealed, she hadn’t worried about who she was fighting alongside. At Laguntreat, she had known Ayato walked a different path from her, but still hadn’t interrupted him. At the statue of the queen who protected strippers, she could have rejected his explanation for being incompatible with her own values, but she had actually listened. And there was the Academy Towers. Had Henrietta even had a reason to risk her life in that fight? Nevertheless, she hadn’t doubted that she would fight and had even charged against the Wind Lord. Everything he had seen from her told him he could trust her justice to guide her here. “I can’t let that devil escape. I am not allowing a tragedy like that to happen again. My own freedom is a small price to pay for making sure it actually ends this time.” ===Part 20=== It was time to pursue Queen Astaroth Revolver. Was their best bet to start by heading to the gallery bordering the courtyard which she had likely used as a sniping position? Bespectacled Hemylina took issue with her fellow dark elf Mamilis. “By the way, sister elf, how long are you going to hide your ears?” “Don’t say that. I am a minority.” “A minority? I am a dark elf and these are half elf bodyguards. At the moment, the long-eared population is in the majority.” Mamilis Coster blinked before smiling a little. “Oh.” She removed them. With the ruby earrings off, long ears seemed to split her silver hair to stick out on either side. Another unseen current had shifted. Perhaps it wasn’t bloody war that truly changed history. Ultimately, this was an unnecessary war started by a single woman: Queen Astaroth Revolver. The mood was peaceful enough, but that wasn’t going to last. “That way,” muttered Ayato as he entered the gallery through the window. He didn’t need to track her with sorcery hacking. The grand and gorgeous palace’s hallway was dotted with collapsed and unmoving Royal Guards. “Damn, that devil!!” cursed Henrietta through clenched teeth. The corpses and blood stains created a path leading to a large door. The door was locked by more than ten thick rods made of mana-conducting silver. They had already been unlocked. Hemylina carefully investigated around the door. “It looks like…the security isn’t functioning.” “For now.” If the Queen had deactivated it, there was a good chance it was now under her control. They had to assume it might bare its fangs against them whenever she wanted. And they wouldn’t be able to have a prince or maid deactivate the security for them. Something came into view as they descended some stairs and walked down an underground passageway. It was around 600 esoule<ref>Approximately 720 meters.</ref> wide and unfathomably deep. The cylindrical space continued down seemingly forever. It was true the palace stood at the top of a multi-leveled city, but was this really part of a building? The scale was just too great. They descended the spiral staircase for a long, long while. While descending underground in pursuit of Queen Astaroth Revolver, Ayato came across something enormous. Giant mana-conducting silver hooks and silk cloths were strung up in the cylindrical space, allowing the object to sway in a massive hammock. It was a bird. It had a long, skinny neck and a round, fat body. Like an ostrich, this was a bird that had forgotten how to fly and become specialized in running rapidly on the ground. The result of that bizarre evolution had made it the lord of earth. The dozing colossus was 500 esoule<ref>Approximately 600 meters.</ref> tall. If Ayato’s Sorcery Hacker knowledge was accurate… “The Earth Lord Terracockatrio Gargoy Rocksky…” Was a massive entrance hidden on the backside of the capital – that is, on the sheer cliff face? The fact that the Earth Lord was hidden far below showed that the concept of the levels and height hadn’t mattered to Guardeleo. He hadn’t discriminated against the bottom level. There was no high and low. The entire capital had been a single large city. The fallen king had understood that a solid foundation mattered most. “King Guardeleo…” muttered Dark Elf Hemylina. “Is this the man I bared my fangs against, leading to the loss of what little time he had left? Damn, and it’s too late to apologize.” But they didn’t have time for sentiment. Nothing good would come from provoking the Earth Lord. Once they quietly reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, they found a group of lit candles. The space resembled a library. Except the bookcases were all lined up along the cylindrical wall, leaving the space in the center open for work desks and glass lab equipment. The few crystal balls atop the tall bookcases were likely used to draw out a large magic circle on the floor. This was an archive. The highly specialized techniques behind the swords of succession and maids were used and stored here. “Ayato.” A blonde demon waited in the very back. The group was full of unique people: a mermaid, a dark elf, and a Striker. Not to mention the aide and half elf bodyguards from the Philosommelier Personal Empire. But she was only looking at one of them. “I was waiting for you. Hee hee. But it seems I was just a bit faster.” “Queen…” Faster with what? Sneaking into this archive was the devil’s goal. Perhaps this had been the one place she couldn’t force her way into. When Guardeleo explained the five small graves, he had mentioned the capital being moved. Perhaps she could sneak into the deepest depths of the palace long ago, but after the move, the archive’s security had been altered to keep her out. So she had caused all this chaos in order to reach this point. Injuring Emperor Milbert, triggering an intercontinental war, and ending Guardeleo’s life as he protected a younger life had all been for this. “Why?” asked Dark Elf Mamilis. The nonhuman girl tried to dredge up the most obvious question. “Why do you hate humans so much? You may have been physically altered to look like that, but you still started out as human as any of them.” “Oh? I don’t believe I mentioned being human.” “My point is-” “No, I’m ''not'' trying to say I’m no longer human because I had my organs replaced with biological gems.” The bewitching devil laughed and spread her wings wide. “I am talking about ''what kind of body was modified'' to create this one.” Time froze. It took a moment for understanding to dawn on them. She had a point. Queen Astaroth Revolver’s strength was unusual even compared to the maids like Micah Angelos and Angela Messenger. “So you’re not like Micha Angelos and the others where a human was given a prototype form of immortality by modifying their body.” Even Ayato was astonished. “Did you start off as a demon? Those wings and tail aren’t fake, are they? You already had them when your body was modified, replacing your organs with biological gems!!” He had seen all sorts of discrimination against demons. But being a human or a demon wasn’t enough to determine if someone was good or bad. Demons had wills of their own, so there were irredeemable villains among them as well. “Demon Lord Nirvelphany developed a certain sorcery device so that humans and demons could live together. The device allowed demons to hide their wings or horns and live in human society. It was the original form of what are now known as mimic options. But even after giving the human hero a secret push to stop it, a certain someone failed to prevent that invention.” Because she was nearly immortal, the malice she spoke of reached every last part of this continent’s history and world. “The Academy Towers were an interesting experiment. They seemingly eliminated their emotions to research the world from an impartial and logical standpoint, but they really did a lot to spread contempt for demons. Because they didn’t hesitate to use demons as lab rats.” The laughing devil had wanted this even if it meant tormenting her own kind because she wanted opposition more than anything. Between humans and demons. She had worked behind the scenes to ensure the two were never referred to by a single term. “A certain 1st Prince spent a very long time researching a different process for bringing humans and demons together, so I took a similar tack as with the Demon Lord. Ah ha ha. I believe his idea was to allow humans to freely take on the appearance of demons – with wings and tail fins and whatnot. That was supposed to eliminate discrimination. But not even I expected his broken lab equipment to go berserk and turn him into that.” Dark Elf Mamilis’s eyes widened at this. “If you’re a demon too, why did you stop them? Demon Lord Nirvelphany didn’t want world domination by demons. She wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict to keep the peace. I mean, she was researching a prototype mimic option. That invention was meant to allow demons and humans to live in harmony!!” “Harmony? Peace? “Queen Astaroth Revolver made it sound like this should go without saying. “Those are just nice words for stagnation.” “Wha-?” “I am, in the end, a weapon. A sorcery gun. I was completely remade into that form to make me immortal. And unused tools fall into disrepair in no time at all. Then I’m nothing more than unexploded ordnance. The only way to maintain myself and improve my functionality is to keep the state of war going. Forever and ever, without a moment’s respite.” This wasn’t about victory and defeat. It was all to polish and improve herself as an efficient weapon. She started real wars for no more than that. And she would preserve that horrific state of affairs forever. Thus, she was a devil. A world ruled by such a malicious manager was a true hell. No matter how many small pieces of benevolence humans and demons stacked up together, she would tear it all down again. “A revolver is an outdated weapon.” Her words were plain. But. The devil’s ordinarily sweet and bewitching voice was horribly dry for once. “It has no room for expansion or evolution. It has nothing more than its old, fossilized functional aesthetics. Clinging to this form for so long is a humiliation. But despite having immortality and nearly limitless power, I cannot remove my own basic revolver structure!! No more than a human can stop being a mammal!!!” So? What of it? She wanted to evolve and reject what she was. She wanted to believe there was more she could do. She couldn’t change herself relying on the ordinary methods, so she had decided to rely on the secret documents sealed deep below the royal palace. To break through the strict sorcery security, she had needed to cause unrelated bloodshed as a diversion. She so wanted to evolve away from being an outdated revolver that she had plunged so many people into misfortune and tragedy. After some thought, Ayato Criminaltrophy spat out a low question. “Are you kidding me, Queen?” “Ayato, you abandoned your old self too. You cast off your position as the strongest Forward. People are never satisfied with the power granted to them by heaven. Just as you became a Sorcery Hacker, I want to become something else and enjoy a freedom won with my own strength. That’s about the level of all motives. It’s always those personal reasons that guide the world toward its doom. This isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last!!” Nothing more needed to be said. He hadn’t expected to be convinced by her words anyway. Ayato thrust out his linkage plug sword. The others followed suit. Queen Astaroth Revolver spread her arms and even her wings as if to welcome them. “Wonderful… That is perfect, Ayato.” With a dull clunk, the devil was suddenly holding a revolver much too large for her slender right hand. That was where it had all begun for Ayato Criminaltrophy. “Endless war is what I seek. You may spit on that idea, my beloved, but you have actually been giving me exactly what I want. Ayato, give me a taste of your twisted love. I will analyze the love that is your experience, build a theory based on it, and establish a new form of science. So let us begin a battle – an endless war that continues even after it ends!! Because that is the one and only trigger capable of evolving me as a weapon and breaking me free of the outdated framework of a revolver!! Ayato, I commend you for your hatred. So grant me evolution through all-out war overflowing with love!!!” ===Part 21=== The color white exploded. It came from the enormous sorcery gun in Queen Astaroth Revolver’s hand. Henrietta moved in front of Mamilis to protect the rookie. “It’s powerful, but too big to move quickly!! Pay careful attention and you can avoid it!!” (Since the Queen’s chosen target – the emperor – is still alive without her receiving any kind of penalty, the curse where the revolver’s owner is killed if they fail to kill their target in six shots must not be in effect! Which means she can shoot all she wants!!) That was ultimately an undisclosed setting used to ensure the gun would move from owner to owner. The Queen would have no reason to apply it to herself. Ayato was accompanied by Teleria, Mamilis, Henrietta, and Hemylina Luxshine leading the half-elves from the Collaborative Continent. No matter how powerful the blonde devil was as a single entity, she couldn’t deal with simultaneous attacks coming from all around. Ayato stabbed his linkage plug sword into the sorcery devices around him to hack them. “Miss Teleria, Miss Mamilis, I’m counting on you. Just keep firing!!” Shots of water and fire blossomed from different directions. But that was only a smokescreen. Meanwhile, Ayato crouched low and slipped below his allies’ barrage. He wouldn’t let this turn into an evenly-matched battle of attrition. He couldn’t let any more lives be lost. After rushing right up toward the Queen, he took aim at the giant revolver she held. He somehow managed to swing his linkage plug sword. He struck the enormous revolver’s barrel from the side, diverting its aim. Even the most powerful weapon was useless if it couldn’t be aimed. (I don’t even need to count to three!! With ''her'', even the smallest opening will be enough!!) Ayato immediately raised his voice. “Miss Henrietta!!” “Hee hee.” He heard several thick metal clanging sounds. Coming from Queen Astaroth Revolver. Mana-conducting silver arms emerged from the bewitching blonde devil’s hips, all wielding sorcery guns of various sizes. “You do know I’m an illegally leaked model of those oh-so-adorable maids, don’t you?☆” “Dammiiiit!!!” Something exploded and Ayato tackled Rookie Mamilis to the floor as she approached while firing fire magic from her full-auto shotgun. A gale of destruction tore through the air, blasting away the bookcases lined up along the curved wall. She had too many trump cards. And they were each too deadly to be ignored. That said, cautiously responding to each attack used on a random whim would mean always being on the defensive. A defensive strategy against that monstrous firepower would only mean being worn down little by little. He had to stay in control somehow. “Ohhh!!” Henrietta must have realized a long-term battle was not in their best interests. She tried to force her way forward, but then she suddenly stopped. Or more accurately, it was her special protector armor made from monster leather and tendons that stopped. A harsh straining noise followed. Needles thinner than spider silk had stabbed into the gaps of her armor. “Sorcery hacking!?” “If you know what happened, don’t let it stop you! That devil can control more than your armor!!” Ayato’s shouted warning was punctuated by an explosion. The glass lab equipment on the table shattered and sorcery flames resembling candles blazed high. All because the bayonet portion of distracted Henrietta’s bolt-action carbine had launched an explosion. Her fire magic was running wild. Caught off guard by the attack from so close, Henrietta was sent rolling along the floor. Teleria was flustered by it all. “D-does this mean we can’t trust any sorcery guns!?” “Cover them! Their lives can be saved if we prevent a chain reaction!! What do continental differences matter!? We owe them for healing the emperor’s wound!!” Hemylina roared at her half-elf subordinates. A finger snap rang loud. The bookcases along the cylindrical wall must have been mounted on rails so they could be moved because one of them shot out like an artillery shell. It slammed into Hemylina’s back. “Gah!?” Even their attempt at recovery had been prevented. The situation had deteriorated in a mere instant. Queen Astaroth Revolver lazily aimed her enormous sorcery gun in a single hand. At her true target once more. “Like in any party battle, I’ll start by taking out your healer☆” “Eh?” said a confused voice. The large muzzle was glaring directly at Teleria Nereid Aquamarine. They could no longer keep up a united front. If their cooperation collapsed, they would all lose their lives. “Queen!!” howled Ayato. Their gazes clashed. As did the linkage plug sword and the giant muzzle of the devil’s revolver. A white beam roared out. The light struck Ayato in the hip and then tore vertically through the boy’s silhouette. And he vanished. No, he disappeared a little too cleanly. “An image?” muttered the Queen. This was likely the work of a projector meant to display large magic circles on the floor. He had stabbed a linkage plug sword blade into it to hack it ahead of time. And he had already taken his last step. “End this so we can have the peace and smiles we were meant to have, Queen!!!” He bodily tackled her. This wasn’t even sorcery hacking. He couldn’t afford to hold back at this point. “Ayato. …My one and only beloved wielder. Yes, that emotion burning within you is the true form of your love.” She narrowed her eyes and her bewitching lips gently curved into a smile. A red liquid dripped from the corner. “See you soon. Then we can play again. Just the two of us.” “This is goodbye, Queen Astaroth Revolver.” The dull crack of something breaking reached Ayato through his linkage plug sword. Queen Astaroth Revolver jerked once and then ceased to move. She even forget to shut her eyes. ===Part 22=== It was over. All that remained was a pool of blood and burning flames, but he couldn’t have asked for anything more. There would be no further tragedy. (Even so…) Ayato looked down. Queen Astaroth Revolver lay unmoving on her back. Parchment documents were scattered around her. Those described the Combined Royal Family’s forbidden art. It could be used to remake a living human’s organs into biological gems which, with a great sorcery cost, could provide overwhelming combat strength and a nigh immortal body. She had been an illegally leaked model. Forcibly applying that technique onto a very humanoid demon had been the source of that blonde devil. (What did she go to such lengths to find here? She was far head of me and even had her chance to research all she liked in the Academy Towers, so what was hidden deep within the palace?) His time at the Academy Towers allowed him to read it. He gathered up the many parchment pages and arrived at a summation of their contents. *A single life can evolve in any number of ways. *But once a life evolves along a certain path, it takes an immense amount of time and effort for it to return down that path and switch to a different evolutionary path. *For example, a land animal returning to the sea, or a bird giving up its wings and racing swiftly along the ground. *There are cases where it would be faster to abandon the unneeded body and redo evolution from scratch. *In fact, sorcery techniques make it possible to preserve a soul while abandoning the body to redo evolution in that sort of reset process. ''Abandoning the body. ''Intentionally dying to evolve in a desired direction as quickly as possible. “It can’t be.” A chill ran down Ayato’s spine as he read through the parchment documents. No, perhaps this tremor came from his soul. A great presence grew behind him. “It can’t be!?” Something exploded. Ayato Criminaltrophy was thrown all the way to the wall. “Gah!?” It was supposed to be over. What more could there be? Even that Sorcery Hacker couldn’t keep up with the changing situation. “I guard my sorcery revolver by switching between two forms: human and bat. Why should I be bound by a single, unchanging body?” He heard a voice. A voice he had thought he would never hear again. The endless tragedy still refused to end!! “Which means I can cast off my old body and redo my evolution. Ayato, all I needed was for you to kill me.” “Queen!?” “Ah ha ha!! Didn’t I tell you I would ''see you soon''? So we could play again!? You really need to listen to what people tell you.” She had changed shape. Size too. Queen Astaroth Revolver had the body of a beautiful girl, but her wings and tail had been broken down and replaced with tentacles. Each one was transparent and grew thicker as it went, ultimately swelling out further than a human torso. They were more like giant jellyfish tentacles than an octopus or squid’s sucker-covered ones. That meant they might be covered in microscopic venom needles. And it didn’t end there. Unpleasant straining sounds continued to leave the Queen’s body. As her evolution and enlargement continued on and on. “But thanks to you, I can finally be myself.” She had to be more than 100 esoule<ref>Approximately 120 meters.</ref> tall now. Supported by the countless tentacles, she stared down at him from far above. Transparent tentacles covered all. For Ayato, the beautiful face and body were the one ray of sunshine on the otherwise twisted and enlarged body. But for the Queen herself, they appeared to bring nothing but hatred. “But even after all this, the old shell remains. I want to fully rid myself of it. Ha ha ha. I still have more evolving to do.” “Out of the way, Sorcery Hacker!! I will buy you time, so go rely on your healer!!” Hemylina stepped forward with Wall Staff Ablatia in hand. Queen Astaroth Revolver’s smile did not waver. She swept a tentacle horizontally. Mamilis and Henrietta immediately got down and Ayato leaped at Teleria to push her to the ground. Hemylina did not react in time. A dull crash followed. Wall Staff Ablatia was supposedly specialized for defense, but it was entirely ignored. The glowing barrier was shattered by the attack and something struck the dark elf’s torso. The force of the blow wasn’t redirected in the slightest. The resultant sound was unpleasant. The transparent thing was thicker than a large tree. If it was covered in countless venom needles like jellyfish tentacle, then what had they injected and how much? Hemylina wasn’t moving anymore. “Hee hee hee☆” Queen Astaroth Revolver scoffed. No, she was now a pure devil who had cast off her revolver form. “I am no longer an illegally leaked model! I am not the evolutionary dead-end of a revolver!! Ah ha ha! I am something new and one-of-a-kind, found beyond the cutting edge!! I am the ultimate military might that no one else can ever reach!!!” This was bad. She was easily an order of magnitude or two greater than before. The closer you got to her, the closer you were to death. The Queen could no longer be dealt with in a joint battle of brute force!! “You look like you’re viewing a monster, Ayato.” True immortality. That extreme villain doomed people as easily as blinking and intoxicated them on the red color of slaughter, so nothing could be more obvious than what happened with true immortality in her grasp. The Static Continent’s fate was no longer the only thing at stake. “But are you sure you want to reflexively and heroically insist you will stop me at all costs?” The devil who had cast off the body she was born with seemed to have read his mind. “This is your last hope. Do you really not get it? You stand to gain from this too, Ayato.” She laughed. The Queen spoke from the heavens above after taking on this bizarre new form. “You have a human lifespan and that demon does not. The passage of time will tragically tear you apart eventually. Hey, girl. Can you really sit idly by and watch Ayato grow old and decrepit as his lifespan runs out? Will you really do nothing, knowing he will die first and decompose into bones within his grave? The only path to happiness for the two of you is for you, Ayato, to use the same method I have. You must follow in my success and remake your own frail human body!!” That was an absolute barrier. For those who could cross it, the crossing was so easy they barely even noticed it was there. But for those who couldn’t cross it, it was truly impassable. Time. The cruel definition of one’s lifespan was guaranteed to tear lovers apart. But. Someone quietly stepped forward. It was Teleria Nereid Aquamarine. “I…” There was no hesitation in her eyes as she looked up. Sweet temptation would not sway the demon princess as she stood by the human boy’s side and aimed her handguns. “I love everything about Ayato who will eventually grow old and lose his life to time.” She wasn’t ashamed anymore. She had the face of a girl who had chosen her path. “I love everything about him, including the flaws, inconveniences, sorrows, and weaknesses that make him a whole person! The differences between human and demon don’t matter. In fact, we don’t even need the separate words. However short his life may be, I will make him happy until the very last moment. Did you really think I could choose to walk by his side if I couldn’t promise that much!?” To put it another way, this was a critique. A roaring critique of how shallow Queen Astaroth Revolver’s thinking was – no, how shallow her love was if she could only accept Ayato if he was the strongest and that she would reject him the instant he grew too old to hold onto the position of strongest. “We didn’t ask for your help, you damn devil. What kind of half-baked love can’t embrace every last part of the person they love? I am not going to take the one person in the world I love and remake him into a stuffed version of himself that can’t even move around or talk for himself!!!” Thus, it was also a final parting and declaration of war. It signaled the start of the final battle. <noinclude> {| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;" |- | Back to [[Sorcery_Hacker:Volume4_Phase02|Phase 02]] | Return to [[Sorcery_Hacker|Main Page]] | Forward to [[Sorcery_Hacker:Volume4_Phase04|Phase 04]] |- |} </noinclude>
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